1862.] Tie CMrvaha System of Philosophy 387 



Ascetics, wrathful themselves, teach others to restrain their wrath, 



Just as the penniless alchemist will teach you the rules to turn everything to 



gold. 

 Why give away your wealth? S'ri, Vishnu's beloved, loves him who giveth not ; 

 Poor Bali, who gave away all his wealth to the dwarf, found a chain as his reward* 

 (Gfive not) for every body desires to rob or injure the wealthy man ; 

 Hardly one can be found who sits tranquil and has flung away the greed of gain. 

 Not to steal makes poverty thrive, to hold any food unlawful cheats the belly ; 

 Live then as you will, this is the only root which bears the shoot of happiness." 

 Having heard these evil words Indra burst into anger, 

 And loudly exclaimed, " Who is this that stabs the heart of religion ? 

 Who dares thus to speak while I, Indra, rule the three worlds, 

 I with my hand flashing with the thunderbolt, and the worlds with the three 



Vedas as their eyes ! 

 As for the non-commixture of the castes, their continuance or interruption, — 

 Bow to the proof that no murderer has escaped on this plea in the ordeals. 

 The paramour of a woman known to belong to the upper castes, finds not victory 



in his oath, — 

 This fact proclaims the purity of the generations of all the castes. 

 Thou acknowledgest the ordeals of water and fire, as ordained in the Veda, 

 For shame, — do not these force thy mind to throttle these atheistic thoughts ? 

 Even though the marriage rites are lawfully performed, the production of issue is 



uncertain,— 

 Oh ye atheists, how is it that some unseen cause pierces not your hearts with 



conviction ? 

 Why believest thou not the stories, attested by men of different countries, 

 Of men born again as goblins who have assumed some body and implored a 



s'raddha at Gaya ? 

 How dost thou not credit the corroborating stories of another world 

 Told by men on their return who have been seized by Tama's messengers under 



a mistaken name ?" 

 Then the god of fire flamed forth and scornfully addressed him, 

 " How darest thou in our presence thus to speak with unbridled tongue ? 

 Oh thou who faintest at a moment's fast, art thou not astounded to remember 

 The ancient fasters of twelve days and nights who supported life by the sole 



power of their religion ? 

 The visible effects which follow such rites as that for a son, and the hawk and karfra 



offerings,* — 

 How is it that these do not dispel like sunrise the prowling demons of thy 



doubts as to religion ?" 



* The hawk sacrifice is used to imprecate destruction on an enemy. For the 

 offering made with the fruit of the capparis aphylla (KariraJ, for rain, see Taitt. 

 Sanh. II. 4, 7-10. 



3 E 



