260 The Religion of the Veda
the present existence. Now we may answer the first question, namely, Why must the soul wander at all? The answer is : No deed leads the way to salvation, to release from life and union with Brahma. Aye, to be sure, as the fragrance of a tree in blossom so the fragrance of a good deed is wafted afar, saith the Chandogya Upsnishzuzlfil But even the best deed is a. thing from its very nature limited and vitiated by the finite. It rewards itself, it punishes itself, accord. ing to a process of automatic psychic evolution, but the fruit of the finite can itself be only finite :
“Ysj navalkya,” says Artabhaga in the “Great Forest Upanishad,“ “ if, after the death of this man, his speech goes into fire, his breath into wind, his eye into the sun, his mind into the moon, his ear into the dime- tions of space, his body into the earth, his self (dimes) into ether, the hair of his body into plants, the hair of his head into trees, his blood and semen into water, mwhat then becomes of the man?” Then spake Yajnavalkya: “Take me by the hand, my dear! Artabhaga, we two must come to an understanding about this privately, not here among people.” And they went out and consultedf And what they said was DEED (karma), andwhat they praised was DEED: ‘Verily, one becomes good through good deed, evil through evil deed.”
1 5. I0. 9. 5' Brihadfiranyaka Upanishad 3. 2. I3.
