Questions of King Milinda Part 02

SR No.: 007682
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 2240
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 38 MB

Page 1131

118
VEDÂNTA-SOTRAS.
structed by other works leading to fruits of a contrary nature last for a long time, 'Sometimes a good deed persists immovable as it were, the doer meanwhile remaining immerged in the samsåra, until at last he is released from pain.'
Moreover, if all unrequited works becoming manifest on the occasion of one and the same death were to begin one new existence only, the consequence would be that those who are born again in the heavenly world, or in hell, or as animals, could, as not entitled thereto, perform no religious works, and being thus excluded from all chance of acquiring religious merit and demerit could not enter on any new forms of existence, as all reason for the latter would be absentl. And that would further contradict Smriti, which declares that some single actions, such as the murder of a Brahmana, are the causes of more than one new existence. Nor can we assume, for the knowledge of the particular results springing from religious merit and demerit, any other cause than the sacred texts. Nor, again, does death manifest (bring about the requital of those works whose fruit is observed to be enjoyed already here below, as, for instance, the kârîreshti, &c.3 How then can we allow the assumption that death manifests all actions ? The instance of the lamp (made use of by the pūrvapakshin) is already refuted by our having shown the relative strength of actions. Or else we may look on the matter as analogous to the manifestation (by a lamp) of bigger and smaller objects. For as a lamp, although equally distant from a big and a very small thing, may manifest the former only
And in consequence of this they could never obtain final release.
. We have the sacred texts only to teach us what the effects of particular good or evil actions may be.
* The kârîreshti is a sacrifice offered by those who are desirous of rain.
* I.e. by our having shown that death does not equally manifest all works, but that, after death has taken place, the stronger works bring about their requital while the operation of the weaker ones is retarded thereby.
Digitized by
Digilzed by Google