ssed in the guise of friends,
swerve thee from correct vision. Do thou, then, O son, strive to achieve
that which is of the highest good. Do thou earn that wealth which has no
fear from either kings or thieves, and which one has not to abandon even
at Death. Earned by one's own acts, that wealth has never to be divided
among co-owners. Each enjoys that wealth (in the other world) which each
has earned for himself. O son, give that to others by which they may be
able to live in the next world. Do thou also set thyself to the
acquisition of that wealth which is indestructible and durable. Do not
think that thou shouldst first enjoy all kinds of pleasures and then turn
thy heart on Emancipation, for before thou art satiated with enjoyment
thou mayst be overtaken by Death. Do thou, in view of this, hasten to do
acts of goodness.[1725] Neither mother, nor son, nor relatives, nor dear
friends even when solicited with honours, accompany the man that dies. To
the regions of Yama one has to go oneself, unaccompanied by any one. Only
those deeds, good and bad, that one did before death accompany the man
that goes to the other world. The gold and gems that one has earned by
good and bad means do not become productive of any benefit to one when
one's body meets with dissolution. Of men that have gone to the other
world, there is no witness, better than the soul, of all act done or
undone in life. That when the acting-Chaitanya (Jiva-soul) enters into
the witness-Chaitanya the destruction of the body takes place, is seen by
Yoga-intelligence when Yogins enter the firmament of their hearts.[1726]
Even here, the god of Fire, the Sun and the Wind,--these three reside in
the body. These, beholding as they do all the practices of one's life
become one's witnesses. Days and Nights,--the former characterised by the
virtue of displaying all things and the latter characterised by the
virtue of concealing all things,--are running incessantly and touching
all things (and thereby lessening their allotted periods of existence).
Do thou, therefore, be observant of the duties of thy own order.[1727]
The road in the other world (that leads to the regions of Yama), is
infested by many foes (in the form of iron-beaked birds and wolves) and
by many repulsive and terrible insects and worms. Do thou take care of
thy own acts, for only acts will accompany you along that road. These one
has not to share one's acts with others, but every one enjoys or endures