or particular reasons.[1684] If a person, beholding the faults of the
domestic mode of life, casts it off for adopting another mode (which he
considers to be fraught with great merit), he cannot, for such rejection
and adoption be regarded as one that is once freed from all attachments,
(for all that he has done has been to attach himself to a new mode after
having freed himself from a previous one).[1685] Sovereignty is fraught
with the rewarding and the chastising of others. The life of a mendicant
is equally fraught with the same (for mendicants also reward and chastise
those they can). When, therefore, mendicants are similar to kings in this
respect, why would mendicants only attain to Emancipation, and not kings?
Notwithstanding the possession of sovereignty, therefore, one becomes
cleansed of all sins by means of knowledge alone, living the while in
Supreme Brahma. The wearing of brown cloths, shaving of the head, bearing
of the triple stick, and the Kamandalu,--these are the outward signs of
one's mode of life. These have no value in aiding one to the attainment
of Emancipation. When, notwithstanding the adoption of these emblems of a
particular mode of life, knowledge alone becomes the cause of one's
Emancipation from sorrow, it would appear that the adoption of mere
emblems is perfectly useless. Or, if, beholding the mitigation of sorrow
in it, thou hast betaken thyself to these emblems of Sannyasi, why then
should not the mitigation of sorrow be beheld in the umbrella and the
sceptre to which I have betaken myself? Emancipation does not exist in
poverty; nor is bondage to be found in affluence. One attains to
Emancipation through Knowledge alone, whether one is indigent or
affluent. For these reasons, know that I am living in a condition of
freedom, though ostensibly engaged in the enjoyments of religion, wealth,
and pleasure, in the form of kingdom and spouses, which constitute a
field of bondage (for the generality of men). The bonds constituted by
kingdom and affluence, and the bondage to attachments, I have cut off
with the sword of Renunciation whetted on the stone of the scriptures
bearing upon Emancipation. As regards myself then, I tell thee that I
have become freed in this way. O lady of the mendicant order, I cherish
an affection for thee. But that should not prevent me from telling thee
that thy behaviour does not correspond with the practices of the mode of
life to which thou hast betaken thyself! Tho