Because the practice of the best of the wise men shows that Vidya is subordinate to Karma. — 432.

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SUTRA III. 4. 3.

आचारदर्शनात्॥३.४.३॥

ācāradarśanāt ..3.4.3..

.. Achara-darshanat, such conduct being seen.

COMMENTARY

The following texts show that great men like Janaka and the rest, used to perform sacrifices, though they had acquired Atma Vidya. For example, Janaka is described in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, III., 1. 1, as performing a sacrifice:

Janaka Vaideha (the king of the Videhas) sacrificed with a sacrifice at which many presents were offered to the priests of (the Ashvamedha). Brahmanas of the Kurus and the Panchalas had come thither, and Janaka Vaideha wished to know, which of those Brahmanas was the best read. So he enclosed a thousand cows and ten Padas (of gold) were fastened to each pair of horns.

Similarly, in the Chhandogya Upanishad, we find Ashvapati, the king of the Kekayas, performing sacrifices, though he was a master of Brahma Vidya and taught Brahmanas who had gone to him to learn the Brahma Vidya (Chhand. Up., V., 11.5).

When they arrived, the King caused proper honours to be paid to each of them separately. In the morning, after leaving his bed, he said to them: (What makes you come here? Are you troubled by bad men? But there are no such people in this land). In my Kingdom there is no thief, no miser, no drunkard, no irreligious, no illiterate person, no adulterer, much less an adulteress. (But if you have come to get wealth, then stay, for) I am going to perform a sacrifice, Sirs; and I shall give you, Sirs, as much wealth as I give to each Ritvij priest. So stay here please.

This shows that the best among the learned and wise men of old used to perform Karma, inspite of their possessing the knowledge of the Self. Had mere knowledge been sufficient for acquiring the final end of man, namely, Release, they would not have exerted themselves uselessly in the performance of Karma. They would have acted on the maxim, «when honey is to be found in the tree of one’s own court-yard, why should one go in search of it to difficult places like mountains?»

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