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59
KARMA-YOGA
demon, if he is anything.” In the meantime this man looked up and said, “O Swamin, did that lady send you here? Take a seat until I have done my business.” The Sannyasin thought, “What comes to me here?” He took his seat; the man went on with his work and after he had finished he took his money and said to the Sannyasin, “Come, sir, come to my home." On reaching home the Vyadha gave him a seat, saying, "Wait here," and went into the house. He then washed his old father and mother, fed them and did all he could to please them, after which he came to the Sannyasin and said, “Now, sir, you have come here to see me; what can I do for you?" The Sannyasin asked him a few questions about soul and about God, and the Vyadha gave him a lecture which forms a part of the Mâhâbhârata, called the Vyadha-Gita. It contains one of the highest flights of the Vedanta. When the Vyadhn finished his teaching the Sannyasin felt astonished. He said, “Why are you in that body? With such knowledge as yours why are you in a Vyadha's body, and doing such filthy, ugly work?" "My son,” replied the Vyadha, "no duty is ugly, no duty is impure. My birth placed me in these circumstances and environments. In my boyhood I learnt the trade; I am unattached, and I try to do my duty well. I try to do my duty as a householder, and I try to do all I can to make my father and mother happy. I ! neither know your Yoga, nor have I become a Sannyasin, nor did I go out of the world into a
