The soul of
the wise man attains, through its righteous acts, to a state of high
felicity in heaven, while that of the man who is not possessed of wisdom
sinks very low or obtains birth among intermediate creatures. As a liquid
substance, if kept in a baked earthen vessel, does not escape therefrom
but remains undiminished, after the same manner one's body with which one
has undergone austerities enjoys (without rejecting) all objects of
enjoyment (up to what are contained in the region of Brahma himself).
Verily, that man who enjoys worldly objects can never be emancipated.
That man, on the other hand, who casts off such objects (in this world),
succeeds in enjoying great happiness hereafter. Like one afflicted with
congenital blindness and, therefore, incapable of seeing his way, the
sensualist, with soul confined in an opaque case, seems to be surrounded
by a mist and fails to see (the true object for which he should strive).
As merchants, going across the sea, make profits proportioned to their
capital, even so creatures, in this world of mortals, attain to ends
according to their respective acts. Like a snake devouring air, Death
wanders in this world made up of days and nights in the form of
Decrepitude and devours all creatures. A creature, when born, enjoys or
endures the fruits of acts done by him in his previous lives. There is
nothing agreeable or disagreeable which one enjoys or endures without its
being the result of the acts one has done in one's previous lives.
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