The old Indian civilization

The following represents a selection of the questions and answers that passed between the Spirit and Youdhishthira:

“What is greater than Earth? What is higher than heaven?” “Mother is greater than Earth; father is higher than heaven.”

“In what one thing is all dharma summed up? What single thing constitutes all fame? What sole means takes one to heaven?” “Skill in the discharge of one’s duties sums up all dharma; giving sums up all fame; truthfulness is the sole road to heaven and good conduct is the one means to happiness”.

“What is the foremost wealth?” “Learning”.“What is the best gain?” “Health”.

“What is the supreme happiness?” “Contentment”.

“What is superior to all other dharmas in the world?” “Benevolence”

“Whose control leads to absence of sorrow?” “The control of mind”.

“Which friendship ages not?” “That with good souls”.

“By abandoning what thing does man become rich?” “Desire”.

“By giving up what, does one become happy?” “Avarice”.

“What is penance?” “Penance is the observance of one’s own obtained duty.”

“What is self –control?” “Control of the mind”.

“What is forbearance?” “Putting up with opposites”. (pleasure and pain, profit and loss)

“What is shame?” “Aversion to do reprehensible act is shame”.

“What is straight forwardness?” “Equanimity”.

“Who is the enemy hard to be won?” “Anger”.

“What is the endless disease?” “Avarice”.

“Who is said to be a good man?” “He who is benevolent to all things”.

“Who is a bad man?” “He who is barren of sympathy”.

“What is the best path?” “To cast away all mental dirt”.

“What is gift?” “Protection of life”.

“What is the wonder of the world?” “Every day live beings enter the abode of death; those who remain think that they will survive; what greater wonder is there than this?”

“What is the news of the world?” “With Earth as the pot, the firmament as the covering lid, the sun as the fire, day and nights as faggots and the seasons and months as the stirring ladle. Time cooks all beings; this is the great news”.

Extract from Mahabharata

Romayana (adventures of Rama) is the earliest of the two great Sanscrit epics, the incidents of which precede the Mahabharata by about 150 years. Rama was a king before he became translated into a deity. In course of time, his story and epic became sacred and the belief became established that spiritual and other blessings would be conferred on its knowers ramayana became popular in India in every Hindy home. The story is told in 7 books (96 000 lines).