The Body Asked For

At that time the demon Vṛtra had swallowed the weapons of the gods and was oppressing the worlds, and the gods took refuge with the Lord Hari, who is Viṣṇu. He told Indra: Go, Indra, and may it be well with you. Ask Dadhyañc, the best of the sages, whose body is made of knowledge and vows and austerity, for that body, and do not delay. That Dadhyañc gave the Aśvins the undivided knowledge of Brahman that is called the Horse's Head, and made them deathless. He will give you his limbs. From them Viśvakarman, the builder of the gods, will make the best of weapons, and with it, filled with my power, you will take Vṛtra's head.

So the gods went to the son of Atharvan and asked him. The great sage was delighted, and, almost laughing, to draw them out, he said: Do you not know, gods, the pain that comes to those with bodies at the end, which cannot be borne and takes away all sense? For every creature that wants to live, its own self is the dearest thing there is. Who could bear to give it away, even if Viṣṇu himself asked for it?

The gods answered: What is hard to give up, brahmin, for great ones like you, who feel for other creatures and whose deeds are praised? The world, busy with its own good, does not know another's pain. If it knew, it would not ask; and one who is able to give does not say no.

Then Dadhyañc said: I spoke against you only because I wanted to hear you speak of dharma. Here, for your sake, I give up this dear self of mine, which will leave me in any case. A man who will not use this passing body for dharma or for good name, out of pity for living things, is to be pitied even by the trees. This is the dharma that never wears out, which the holy have served: to grieve with the grief of living beings and to be glad with their gladness. How sad it is, how hard, that a mortal should do no good to others with his wealth, his kin and his body, which belong to others, pass in a moment, and are no gain to him.