________________
418
PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
salute them, not to oppose them, not to counteract them and that is why you are sitting quite- passive and inert. But just listen carefully that the power of Dharma is more efficacious and more predominant than that of Karmas.
Jarasangha was indeed very powerful but not as Lord Krishna was. If he were not so he would not have been overpowered and killed by Lord Krishna. Ravana was merely popular as a powerful king but existence of more powerful persons was established when he was killed by Laxmana in the battlefield.
Will you not pay your respects to 'Dharma' when you realise that it is very powerful : but you mostly worship the rising sun and not the setting sun. You formerly used to respect the kings but today you turn your faces away from them as no more they are in power. Today you celebrate a minister's arrival and strive best to get in touch with him as he is in power today but when he would leave his office-chair tomorrow, would you pay him your respects ?
Karmas if uncontrollable would certainly not allow the soul to escape from their clutches but karmas are helpless before the influence of Dharma. Religious influence nullifies the Karmic influence and bestows full emancipation to the souls under its sway. Gentlemen, you could not reap good fruits from your long standing of companionship with the Karmas. Now try to realise what nice rewards you can reap by contracting friendship with religion (Dharma). By the companionship of religion, right conviction is acquired, sense of propriety is strengthened and aversion for worldly affairs is emanated. Self-restraint and practice of penances become very conveniently possible. Self restraint puts a guard against the aggression of Karmas seeking ingress into the Soul. Practice of penances creates the possibility of Karmas already contracted to dissolve, to break off and to wane out. When all the Karmas are consumed your Soul attains perfect Omniscience, perfect intuition and perfect sense of propriety and inexhaustible vigour. But do you form companionship with religion ? When you desire to contact friendship with an aristocrat you try to eat and drink with him, you try to maintain his constant contact to enhance your relationship with him, but you do not seem to make any such effort to contact friendship with Dharma (religion).
