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वरं व्रतैः पदं दैवं नाव्रतैर्वत नारकम् । छायातपस्थयोर्भेदः प्रतिपालयतोर्महान् ॥
Verse 3
EXPLANATORY NOTES
(3)
It is better to observe vows and austerities that lead to birth as a celestial being than to lead a vowless life of sensual pleasures that leads to birth as an infernal being. The difference between the two can be summed up by an analogy: when two persons have to wait for the arrival of another person, one spends his time in the comfort of the shade, while the other in the heat of the sun.
Desisting from injury, falsehood, stealing, unchastity, and attachment are the five vows. The householder observes these vows partially but the ascetic to a very large extent. We know that our activities of the body, mind, and speech, when actuated by passion, result into bondage of karmas to our soul. Virtuous activity is the cause of merit (punya) and wicked activity is the cause of demerit (papa). Bondage of karmas that cause merit provides us with pleasant feeling, propitious life-span, auspicious rebirth, and high status. Although our ultimate goal is to attain liberation for our soul, but many a time we are not able to give up our desires completely. Still we restrain ourselves from undesirable activities by observing vows. In other words, we follow restraint with attachment. Such restraint is among the causes of influx of karmas leading to the celestial birth. Right belief is also the cause of influx of life-karma leading to the celestial birth.
The ultimate destination of all bhavya souls (having potential
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