Zend Avesta Part 01

SR No.: 007671
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: James Darmesteter
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1895
Total Pages: 2695
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 49 MB

Page 1914

CHAPTER IV, 16.
59
means of my delusive power. Whensoever, O descendant of Bharata! piety languishes, and impiety is in the ascendant, I create myself. I am born age after age, for the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, and the establishment of piety. Whoever truly knows thus my divine birth and work, casts off (this) body and is not born again. He comes to me, O Arguna! Many from whom affection, fear', and wrath have departed, who are full of me, who depend on me, and who are purified by the penance of knowledge ?, have come into my essence. I serve men in the way in which they approach mes. In every way, O son of Prithâ ! men follow in my path“. Desiring the success of actions“, men in this world worship the divinities, for in this world of mortals, the success produced by action is soon obtained. The fourfold division of castes was created by me according to the apportionment of qualities and duties. But though I am its author, know me to be inexhaustible, and not the author. Actions defile me not. I have no attachment to the fruit of actions. He who knows me thus is not tied down by actions. Knowing this, the men of old who wished for final emancipation, performed action. Therefore do you, too, perform action as was done by men of old in olden times. Even sages are confused as to what is * Cf. Sutra Nipata, p. 73.
Cf. infra, p. 61. .l.e. I give to each worshipper what is proper for him.
• The original words used here occur before in a different sense (ne n. 55). Here the meaning is that to whomsoever directly addrened, all worship is worship of me (sce p. 84). In the whole passage, Krrishna says that the Deity is not chargeable with partiality on account of the variety of human qualities and states.
. Such as acquisition of sons, cattle, &c.
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