Life and Death and Other Legends and Stories
9781465597939
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
There were two regions lying side by side, as it were two immense plains, with a clear river flowing between them. At one point the banks of this river sloped gently to a shallow ford in the shape of a pond with transparent, calm water. Beneath the azure surface of this ford could be seen its golden bed, from which grew stems of lotus; on those stems bloomed white and rose-colored flowers above the mirror of water. Rainbow-hued insects and butterflies circled around the flowers and among the palms of the shore, while higher up in the sunny air birds gave out sounds like those of silver bells. This pond was the passage from one region to the other. The first region was called the Plain of Life, the second the Plain of Death. The supreme and all mighty Brahma had created both plains, and had commanded the good Vishnu to rule in the Region of Life, while the wise Siva was lord in the Region of Death. “Do what ye understand to be best,” said Brahma to the two rulers. Hence in the region belonging to Vishnu life moved with all its activity. The sun rose and set; day followed night, and night followed day; the sea rose and fell; in the sky appeared clouds big with rain; the earth was soon covered with forests, and crowded with beasts, birds, and people. So that all living creatures might increase greatly and multiply, the kindly god created Love, which he made to be Happiness also. After this Brahma summoned Vishnu and said to him: “Thou canst produce nothing better on earth, and since heaven is created already by me, do thou rest and let those whom thou callest people weave the thread of life for themselves unassisted.” Vishnu obeyed this command, and henceforward men ordered their own lives. From their good thoughts came joy, from their evil ones, sorrow; and they saw soon with wonder that life was not an unbroken rejoicing, but that with the life thread which Brahma had mentioned they wove out two webs as it were with two faces,—on one of these was a smile; there were tears in the eyes of the other.
