CHAPTER CXXXXIV. Investigation into the nature & Vicissitudes of Things.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
40. What numberless varieties do there appear in the unvaried Brahma, and what un-numbered diversities of shapes and forms are seen in the formless One, that is ever unchanged and imperishable.
41. Brahma is formless in his person (which is of a spiritual form); yet he exhibits himself in many forms, in his being the mind (or mirror of all ideal forms); where he represents his spiritual self or soul, in all the various forms of moving and immovable bodies.
42. He makes the gods, sages and seers in his likeness, and directs them to their different degrees and duties also; he stablishes the laws and prohibitions of conduct, and appoints the acts and observances at all times and places.
43. All existences and privations, productions and destructions, of moving or unmoving bodies, whether great or small ones, are subject to his decree, and can never transgress any of his general laws.
44. Ever since the general decree, nothing takes place without its proper special cause; as you can never expect to exude oil from sand (save from oily seeds).
45. The destined decree of providence, is the leader of all events in the world; it is as one part of the body of Brahma, by which he represses the other part of himself (i.e. his will); as we restrain the action of one hand by the other. (One over-ruling fate governs even Jove himself).
46. This unavoidable destiny overtakes us, against our prudence and will, like the sudden fall of a fruit on a flying crow (काकतालीय) and drives us along with its course, as the tide or eddy bears down the waters with it.
47. The preordination of certain effects from certain causes, is what is called destiny; without which there result all disorder and disturbance, and in want of which the great Brahma even cannot abide. It is therefore the imperishable soul of all existence.
48. Thus then this destiny is the cause of all, and although it is unseen and unknown, yet it acts on all as it is destined for them ever since their very production. (This is no more than the unchangeable law of nature).
49. The uncausing Brahma that causes nothing, is believed by the ignorant as the causal agent of creation; which they mistake as the production of its maker by error of their judgment.
50. The wise man however, seeing the sudden appearance of world before him, like the rotation of a wheel, considers its causes as such and such or this and that, as they have been determined by their preordained destiny.
51. So all existent bodies have their special causes, in their primordial destiny, which determines their subsequent lots in endless succession. Hence the occurrences, of our waking state, resembling the visions in our dream, are never without their antecedent causes.
52. Thus when I dreamt the erroneous dream of the destruction of the world, caused by concussion of the elements and waters I had its cause inbred in me, in my reminiscence of the great deluge I had heard of in traditional narration.
53. In this manner we see the reflexions of almighty power in all things that come under own reflection (or observation), just as we see the crystals and shell-fishes shining with their intrinsical brightness. May this Omnipotent power that is ever-living soul of souls, and known to us in our imperfect notion of him, be glorified for ever and ever.