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तुलाधारजाजलिसंवाद (tulAdhArajAjalisaMvAda)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Tulādhāra-Jājali-saṃvāda(ḥ)]
(“the conversation of Tulādhāra with Jājali”). § 680b (Mokshadh.). Bhīshma said: There was once a brahman Jājali, living in a forest
he proceeded to the sea-shore and practised penances (description) for many years. Living within the waters he roamed through all the worlds with the speed of mind. Once, unseen by Ra., he thought: “there is none equal to me”
Pś. said to him that even the celebrated Tulādhāra (engaged in buying and selling) was not worthy of saying such words. Ṛ. wished to see Tulādhāra
Ra. raised him from the sea and showed him the road. Arrived at Vārāṇasī, he met Tulādhāra and spoke to him thus(!). Asked by Yudhishṭhira, Bhīshma described those difficult feats that Jājali had performed before
while he stood as a wooden post rapt in yoga, a pair of kuliṅga birds (caṭakān, v. 9317) built their nest on his head, laid their eggs there, their young ones came out, and only when the latter did not come back, even after a month, Jājali left that spot. Then he began to slap his armpits and proclaim loudly: “I have won great merit.” Then an invisible voice in the sky said: “Thou art not equal to the wise Tulādhāra at Vārāṇasī
even he is not fit to say what thou sayest.” Jājali, filled with wrath and desirous of meeting with Tulādhāra, began to roam over the whole earth, observing the vow of silence and passing the night at that spot where evening overtook him. After a considerable time he reached Vārāṇasī and saw Tulādhāra engaged in selling miscellaneous articles (paṇyāni). Tulādhāra stood up and saluted him, mentioning his dealings with the birds, etc. (XII, 262). Asked by Jājali, the vaiśya Tulādhāra discoursed to him upon the ways of morality
“in every creature that is endued with the five senses live all the deities, Sūrya, etc. ()
the goat is Agni
the sheep is Varuṇa
the horse is Sūrya
Earth is Virāj
the cow and the calf are Soma
the man that sells these can never obtain success…In days of yore many Ṛ. (and Yatis) rebuked Nahusha for having slain a cow (which is declared in the scriptures to be like unto one's mother) and a bull (which is declared to be like to the Creator himself)
in order to purify Nahusha, however, they divided that sin in 101 parts, and converting the fragments into diseases, threw them among all creatures, but declared that they should not be able to pour libations in his sacrifice” (XIII, 263). Jājali said that Tulādhāra's doctrines smacked of atheism, which the latter denied, discoursing on sacrifice, saying that brahmans, having given up the sacrifice ordained for them (i.e. Yoga), had betaken themselves to the performance of sacrifices that are for kshatriyas (i.e. all other sacrifices). “Instead of all animals the rice-ball is a worthy offering in sacrifices
all rivers are as sacred as the Sarasvatī, and all mountains are sacred
the soul is itself a tīrtha
do not wander about on the earth to visit sacred places” (XII, 264). Tulādhāra caused Jājali to summon the birds that had been reared by the latter
they made answer agreeably to the religion of ahiṃsā (Nīl.). “Faith is the daughter of Sūrya, etc., ” quoting a verse sung by Brahmán, exalting Faith
“the food of a liberal usurer is acceptable, but not the food of a miser
…want of faith is a high sin
faith is a cleanser of sins.” After a short while, Tulādhāra and Jājali both ascended to heaven. Many truths of this kind were spoken of by Tulādhāra
Jājali, having heard his words, betook himself to tranquillity (XII, 265).