{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_15477/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_15477","id":"gutenberg_15477","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15477","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Poetry","Epic literature, Sanskrit"],"text":"Produced by John B. Hare. Please notify any corrections\nto John B. Hare at www.sacred-texts.com\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 13\n\nANUSASANA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, 2005. Proofed by John Bruno Hare, January\n2005.\n\n\n\nTHE MAHABHARATA\n\nANUSASANA PARVA\n\nPART I\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Anusasanika Parva)\n\nOM! HAVING BOWED down unto Narayana, and Nara the foremost of male\nbeings, and unto the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, tranquillity of mind has been said to\nbe subtile and of diverse forms. I have heard all thy discourses, but\nstill tranquillity of mind has not been mine. In this matter, various\nmeans of quieting the mind have been related (by thee), O sire, but how\ncan peace of mind be secured from only a knowledge of the different kinds\nof tranquillity, when I myself have been the instrument of bringing about\nall this? Beholding thy body covered with arrows and festering with bad\nsores, I fail to find, O hero, any peace of mind, at the thought of the\nevils I have wrought. Beholding thy body, O most valiant of men, bathed\nin blood, like a hill overrun with water from its springs, I am\nlanguishing with grief even as the lotus in the rainy season. What can be\nmore painful than this, that thou, O grandsire, hast been brought to this\nplight on my account by my people fighting against their foes on the\nbattle-field? Other princes also, with their sons and kinsmen, having met\nwith destruction on my account, alas, what can be more painful than this.\nTell us, O prince, what destiny awaits us and the sons of Dhritarashtra,\nwho, driven by fate and anger, have done this abhorrent act. O lord of\nmen, I think the son of Dhritarashtra is fortunate in that he doth not\nbehold thee in this state. But I, who am the cause of thy death as well\nas of that of our friends, am denied all peace of mind by beholding thee\non the bare earth in this sorry condition. The wicked Duryodhana, the\nmost infamous of his race, has, with all his troops and his brothers,\nperished in battle, in the observance of Kshatriya duties. That\nwicked-souled wight does not see thee lying on the ground. Verily, for\nthis reason, I would deem death to be preferable to life. O hero that\nnever swervest from virtue, had I with my brothers met with destruction\nere this at the hands of our enemies on the battle-field, I would not\nhave found thee in this pitiful plight, thus pierced with arrows. Surely,\nO prince, the Maker had created is to become perpetrators of evil deeds.\nO king, if thou wishest to do me good, do thou then instruct me in such a\nway that I may be cleansed of this sin in even another world.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma replied, \"Why, O fortunate one, dost thou consider thy soul,\nwhich is dependent (on God and Destiny and Time) to be the cause of thy\nactions? The manifestation of its inaction is subtle and imperceptible to\nthe senses. In this connection is cited the ancient story of the\nconversation between Mrityu and Gautami with Kala and the Fowler and the\nserpent. There was, O son of Kunti, an old lady of the name of Gautami,\nwho was possessed of great patience and tranquillity of mind. One day she\nfound her son dead in consequence of having been bitten by a serpent. An\nangry fowler, by name Arjunaka, bound the serpent with a string and\nbrought it before Gautami. He then said to her,--'This wretched serpent\nhas been the cause of thy son's death, O blessed lady. Tell me quickly\nhow this wretch is to be destroyed. Shall I throw it into the fire or\nshall I hack it into pieces? This infamous destroyer of a child does not\ndeserve to live longer.'\n\n\"'\"Gautami replied, 'Do thou, O Arjunaka of little understanding, release\nthis serpent. It doth not deserve death at thy hands. Who is so foolish\nas to disregard the inevitable lot that awaits him and burdening himself\nwith such folly sink into sin? Those that have made themselves light by\nthe practice of virtuous deeds, manage to cross the sea of the world even\nas a ship crosses the ocean. But those that have made themselves heavy\nwith sin sink into the bottom, even as an arrow thrown into the water. By\nkilling the serpent, this my boy will not be restored to life, and by\nletting it live, no harm will be caused to thee. Who would go to the\ninterminable regions of Death by slaying this living creature?'\n\n\"'\"The fowler said, 'I know, O lady that knowest the difference between\nright and wrong, that the great are afflicted at the afflictions of all\ncreatures. But these words which thou hast spoken are fraught with\ninstruction for only a self-contained person (and not for one plunged in\nsorrow). Therefore, I must kill this serpent. Those who value peace of\nmind, assign everything to the course of Time as the cause, but practical\nmen soon assuage their grief (by revenge). People through constant\ndelusion, fear loss of beatitude (in the next world for acts like these).\nTherefore, O lady, assuage thy grief by having this serpent destroyed (by\nme).'\n\n\"'\"Gautami replied, 'People like us are never afflicted by (such\nmisfortune). Good men have their souls always intent on virtue. The death\nof the boy was predestined: therefore, I am unable to approve of the\ndestruction of this serpent. Brahmanas do not harbour resentment, because\nresentment leads to pain. Do thou, O good man, forgive and release this\nserpent out of compassion.'\n\n\"'\"The fowler replied, 'Let us earn great and inexhaustible merit hereafter\nby killing (this creature), even as a man acquires great merit, and\nconfers it on his victim sacrificed as well, by sacrifice upon the altar.\nMerit is acquired by killing an enemy: by killing this despicable\ncreature, thou shalt acquire great and true merit hereafter.'\n\n\"'\"Gautami replied, 'What good is there in tormenting and killing an enemy,\nand what good is won by not releasing an enemy in our power? Therefore, O\nthou of benign countenance, why should we not forgive this serpent and\ntry to earn merit by releasing it?'\n\n\"'\"The fowler replied, 'A great number (of creatures) ought to be protected\nfrom (the wickedness of) this one, instead of this single creature being\nprotected (in preference to many). Virtuous men abandon the vicious (to\ntheir doom): do thou, therefore, kill this wicked creature.'\n\n\"'\"Gautami replied, 'By killing this serpent, O fowler, my son will not be\nrestored to life, nor do I see that any other end will be attained by its\ndeath: therefore, do thou, O fowler, release this living creature of a\nserpent.'\n\n\"'\"The fowler said, 'By killing Vritra, Indra secured the best portion (of\nsacrificial offerings), and by destroying a sacrifice Mahadeva secured\nhis share of sacrificial offerings: do thou, therefore, destroy this\nserpent immediately without any misgivings in thy mind!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The high-souled Gautami, although repeatedly incited\nby the fowler for the destruction of the serpent did not bend her mind to\nthat sinful act. The serpent, painfully bound with the cord, sighing a\nlittle and maintaining its composure with great difficulty, then uttered\nthese words slowly, in a human voice.\n\n\"'\"The serpent said, 'O foolish Arjunaka, what fault is there of mine? I\nhave no will of my own, and am not independent. Mrityu sent me on this\nerrand. By his direction have I bitten this child, and not out of any\nanger or choice on my part. Therefore, if there be any sin in this, O\nfowler, the sin is his.'\n\n\"'\"The fowler said, 'If thou hast done this evil, led thereto by another,\nthe sin is thine also as thou art an instrument in the act. As in the\nmaking of an earthen vessel the potter's wheel and rod and other things\nare all regarded as causes, so art thou, O serpent, (cause in the\nproduction of this effect). He that is guilty deserves death at my hands.\nThou, O serpent, art guilty. Indeed, thou confessest thyself so in this\nmatter!'\n\n\"'\"The serpent said, 'As all these, viz., the potter's wheel, rod, and\nother things, are not independent causes, even so I am not an independent\ncause. Therefore, this is no fault of mine, as thou shouldst grant.\nShouldst thou think otherwise, then these are to be considered as causes\nworking in unison with one another. For thus working with one other, a\ndoubt arises regarding their relation as cause and effect. Such being the\ncase, it is no fault of mine, nor do I deserve death on this account, nor\nam I guilty of any sin. Or, if thou thinkest that there is sin (in even\nsuch causation), the sin lies in the aggregate of causes.'\n\n\"'\"The fowler said, 'If thou art neither the prime cause nor the agent in\nthis matter, thou art still the cause of the death (of this child).\nTherefore, thou dost deserve death in my opinion. If, O serpent, thou\nthinkest that when an evil act is done, the doer is not implicated\ntherein, then there can be no cause in this matter; but having done this,\nverily thou deservest death. What more dost thou think?'\n\n\"'\"The serpent said, 'Whether any cause exists or not,[1] no effect is\nproduced without an (intermediate) act. Therefore, causation being of no\nmoment in either case, my agency only as the cause (in this matter) ought\nto be considered in its proper bearings. If, O fowler, thou thinkest me\nto be the cause in truth, then the guilt of this act of killing a living\nbeing rests on the shoulders of another who incited me to this end.'[2]\n\n\"'\"The fowler said, 'Not deserving of life, O foolish one, why dost thou\nbandy so many words, O wretch of a serpent? Thou deservest death at my\nhands. Thou hast done an atrocious act by killing this infant.'\n\n\"'\"The serpent said, 'O fowler, as the officiating priests at a sacrifice\ndo not acquire the merit of the act by offering oblations of clarified\nbutter to the fire, even so should I be regarded with respect as to the\nresult in this connection.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The serpent directed by Mrityu having said this,\nMrityu himself appeared there and addressing the serpent spoke thus.\n\n\"'\"Mrityu said, 'Guided by Kala, I, O serpent, sent thee on this errand,\nand neither art thou nor am I the cause of this child's death. Even as\nthe clouds are tossed hither and thither by the wind, I am like the\nclouds, O serpent, influenced by Kala. All attitudes appertaining to\nSattwa or Rajas, or Tamas, are provoked by Kala, and operate in all\ncreatures. All creatures, mobile and immobile, in heaven, or earth, are\ninfluenced by Kala. The whole universe, O serpent, is imbued with this\nsame influence of Kala. All acts in this world and all abstentions, as\nalso all their modifications, are said to be influenced by Kala. Surya,\nSoma, Vishnu, Water, Wind, the deity of a hundred sacrifices, Fire, Sky,\nEarth, Mitra and Parjanya, Aditi, and the Vasus, Rivers and Oceans, all\nexistent and non-existent objects, are created and destroyed by Kala.\nKnowing this, why dost thou, O serpent, consider me to be guilty? If any\nfault attaches to me in this, thou also wouldst be to blame.'\n\n\"'\"The serpent said, 'I do not, O Mrityu, blame thee, nor do I absolve thee\nfrom all blame. I only aver that I am directed and influenced (in my\nactions) by thee. If any blame attaches to Kala, or, if it be not\ndesirable to attach any blame to him, it is not for me to scan the fault.\nWe have no right to do so. As it is incumbent on me to absolve myself\nfrom this blame, so it is my duty to see that no blame attaches to\nMrityu.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Then the serpent, addressing Arjunaka, said--'Thou\nhast listened to what Mrityu has said. Therefore, it is not proper for\nthee to torment me, who am guiltless, by tying me with this cord.'\n\n\"'\"The fowler said, 'I have listened to thee, O serpent, as well as to the\nwords of Mrityu, but these, O serpent, do not absolve thee from all\nblame. Mrityu and thyself are the causes of the child's death. I consider\nboth of you to be the cause and I do not call that to be the cause which\nis not truly so. Accursed be the wicked and vengeful Mrityu that causes\naffliction to the good. Thee too I shall kill that art sinful and\nengaged in sinful acts!'\n\n\"'\"Mrityu said, 'We both are not free agents, but are dependent on Kala,\nand ordained to do our appointed work. Thou shouldst not find fault with\nus if thou dost consider this matter thoroughly.'\n\n\"'\"The fowler said, 'If ye both, O serpent and Mrityu, be dependent on\nKala, I am curious to know how pleasure (arising from doing good) and\nanger (arising from doing evil) are caused.'\n\n\"'\"Mrityu said, 'Whatever is done is done under the influence of Kala. I\nhave said it before, O fowler, that Kala is the cause of all and that for\nthis reason we both, acting under the inspiration of Kala, do our\nappointed work and therefore, O fowler, we two do not deserve censure\nfrom thee in any way!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Then Kala arrived at that scene of disputation on\nthis point of morality, and spoke thus to the serpent and Mrityu and the\nfowler Arjunaka assembled together.\n\n\"'\"Kala said, 'Neither Mrityu, nor this serpent, nor I, O fowler, am guilty\nof the death of any creature. We are merely the immediate exciting causes\nof the event. O Arjunaka, the Karma of this child formed the exciting\ncause of our action in this matter. There was no other cause by which\nthis child came by its death. It was killed as a result of its own Karma.\nIt has met with death as the result of its Karma in the past. Its Karma\nhas been the cause of its destruction. We all are subject to the\ninfluence of our respective Karma. Karma is an aid to salvation even as\nsons are, and Karma also is an indicator of virtue and vice in man. We\nurge one another even as acts urge one another. As men make from a lump\nof clay whatever they wish to make, even so do men attain to various\nresults determined by Karma. As light and shadow are related to each\nother, so are men related to Karma through their own actions. Therefore,\nneither art thou, nor am I, nor Mrityu, nor the serpent, nor this old\nBrahmana lady, is the cause of this child's death. He himself is the\ncause here.' Upon Kala, O king, expounding the matter in this way,\nGautami, convinced in her mind that men suffer according to their\nactions, spoke thus to Arjunaka.\n\n\"'\"Gautami said, 'Neither Kala, nor Mrityu, nor the serpent, is the cause\nin this matter. This child has met with death as the result of its own\nKarma. I too so acted (in the past) that my son has died (as its\nconsequence). Let now Kala and Mrityu retire from this place, and do thou\ntoo, O Arjunaka, release this serpent.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Then Kala and Mrityu and the serpent went back to\ntheir respective destinations, and Gautami became consoled in mind as\nalso the fowler. Having heard all this, O king, do thou forego all grief,\nand attain to peace of mind. Men attain to heaven or hell as the result\nof their own Karma. This evil has neither been of thy own creation, nor\nof Duryodhana's. Know this that these lords of Earth have all been slain\n(in this war) as a result of acts of Kala.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard all this, the powerful and virtuous\nYudhishthira became consoled in mind, and again enquired as follows.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O wisest of men, O thou that art\nlearned in all the scriptures, I have listened to this great story, O\nforemost of intelligent men. I am desirous of again hearing the recital\nof some history full of religious instruction, and it behoves thee to\ngratify me. O lord of Earth, tell me if any householder has ever\nsucceeded in conquering Mrityu by the practice of virtue. Do thou recite\nthis to me with all details!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"This ancient history is recited as an illustration of the\nsubject of the conquest by a householder, over Mrityu, through the\npractice of virtue. The Prajapati Manu had a son, O king, of the name of\nthe Ikshwaku. Of that king, illustrious as Surya, were born a hundred\nsons. His tenth son, O Bharata, was named Dasaswa, and this virtuous\nprince of infallible prowess became the king of Mahismati. Dasaswa's son,\nO king, was a righteous prince whose mind was constantly devoted to the\npractice of truth and charity and devotion. He was known by the name of\nMadiraswa and ruled over the Earth as her lord. He was constantly devoted\nto the study of the Vedas as also of the science of arms. Madiraswa's son\nwas the king named Dyutimat who possessed great good fortune and power\nand strength and energy. Dyutimat's son was the highly devout and pious\nking who was famous in all the worlds under the name of Suvira. His soul\nwas intent on religion and he possessed wealth like another Indra, the\nlord of the deities. Suvira too had a son who was invincible in battle,\nand who was the best of all warriors and known by the name of Sudurjaya.\nAnd Durjya too, possessed of a body like that of Indra, had a son who\nbeamed with splendour like that of fire. He was the great monarch named\nDuryodhana who was one of the foremost of royal sages. Indra used to pour\nrain profusely in the kingdom of this monarch, who never fled from the\nbattlefield and was possessed of valour like unto Indra himself. The\ncities and the kingdom of this king were filled with riches and gems and\ncattle and grain of various kinds. There was no miser in his kingdom nor\nany person afflicted with distress or poverty. Nor was there in his\nkingdom any person that was weak in body or afflicted with disease. That\nking was very clever, smooth in speech, without envy, a master of his\npassions, of a righteous soul, full of compassion, endued with prowess,\nand not given to boasting. He performed sacrifices, and was\nself-restrained and intelligent, devoted to Brahmanas and Truth. He never\nhumiliated others, and was charitable, and learned in the Vedas and the\nVedanta. The celestial river Narmada, auspicious and sacred and of cool\nwaters, in her own nature, O Bharata, courted him. He begot upon that\nriver, a lotus-eyed daughter, by name Sudarsana, who was, O king, endued\nwith great beauty. No creature, O Yudhisthira, had ever been born before\namong womankind, that was possessed of such beauty as that excellent\ndamsel who was the daughter of Duryodhana. The god Agni himself courted\nthe beautiful princess Sudarsana, and taking the shape of a Brahmana, O\nmonarch, sought her hand from the king. The king was unwilling to give\nhis daughter in marriage to the Brahmana who was poor and not of the same\nrank with himself. Thereupon Agni vanished from his great sacrifice. The\nking, grieved at heart, then addressed the Brahmanas, saying,--'Of what\nsin have I, ye excellent Brahmanas, or you, been guilty, that Agni should\ndisappear from this sacrifice, even as good done unto wicked men\ndisappears from their estimation. Great, indeed, must that sin of ours be\nfor which Agni has thus disappeared. Either must the sin be yours, or, it\nmust be mine. Do you fully investigate the matter.'--Then hearing the\nking's words, O foremost prince of Bharata's race, the Brahmanas,\nrestraining speech, sought with concentrated faculties the protection of\nthe god of fire. The divine carrier of oblations, resplendent as the\nautumnal Sun, appeared before them, enveloping his self in glorious\nrefulgence. The high-souled Agni then addressed those excellent\nBrahmanas, saying,--'I seek the daughter of Duryodhana for my own self.' At\nthis all those Brahmanas were struck with wonder, and rising on the\nmorrow, they related to the king what had been said by the fire-god. The\nwise monarch, hearing the words of those utterers of Brahma, was\ndelighted at heart, and said,--'Be it so.'--The king craved a boon of the\nillustrious fire-god as the marriage dower,--'Do thou, O Agni, deign to\nremain always with us here.'--'Be it so'--said the divine Agni to that lord\nof Earth. For this reason Agni has always been present in the kingdom of\nMahismati to this day, and was seen by Sahadeva in course of his\nconquering expedition to the south. Then the king gave his daughter,\ndressed in new garments and decked with jewels, to the high-souled deity,\nand Agni too accepted, according to Vedic rites, the princess Sudarsana\nas his bride, even as he accepts libations of clarified butter at\nsacrifices, Agni was well pleased with her appearance, her beauty, grace,\ncharacter, and nobility of birth, and was minded to beget offspring upon\nher. And a son by Agni, of the name of Sudarsana, was soon born of her.\nSudarsana also was, in appearance, as beautiful as the full moon, and\neven in his childhood he attained to a knowledge of the supreme and\neverlasting Brahma. There was also a king of the name of Oghavat, who was\nthe grandfather of Nriga. He had a daughter of the name of Oghavati, and\na son too of the name of Ogharatha born unto him. King Oghavat gave his\ndaughter Oghavati, beautiful as a goddess, to the learned Sudarsana for\nwife. Sudarsana, O king, leading the life of a householder with Oghavati,\nused to dwell in Kurukshetra with her. This intelligent prince of blazing\nenergy took the vow, O lord, of conquering Death by leading the life of\neven a householder. The son of Agni, O king, said to Oghavati,--'Do thou\nnever act contrary to (the wishes of) those that seek our hospitality.\nThou shouldst make no scruple about the means by which guests are to be\nwelcomed, even if thou have to offer thy own person. O beautiful one,\nthis vow is always present in the mind, since for householders, there is\nno higher virtue than hospitality accorded to guests. Do thou always bear\nthis in mind without ever doubting it, if my words be any authority with\nthee. O sinless and blessed one, if thou hast any faith in me, do thou\nnever disregard a guest whether I be at thy side or at a distance from\nthee!' Unto him, with hands clasped and placed on her head, Oghavati\nreplied, saying,--'I shall leave nothing undone of what thou commandest\nme.'--Then Mrityu, O king, desiring to over-reach Sudarsana, began to\nwatch him for finding out his laches. On a certain occasion, when the son\nof Agni went out to fetch firewood from the forest, a graceful Brahmana\nsought the hospitality of Oghavati with these words:--'O beautiful lady,\nif thou hast any faith in the virtue of hospitality as prescribed for\nhouseholders, then I would request thee to extend the rites of\nhospitality to me to-day.'--The princess of great fame, thus addressed by\nthat Brahmana, O king, welcomed him according to the rites prescribed in\nthe Vedas. Having offered him a seat, and water to wash his feet, she\nenquired, saying,--'What is thy business? What can I offer thee?' The\nBrahmana said unto her,--'My business is with thy person, O blessed one.\nDo thou act accordingly without any hesitation in thy mind. If the duties\nprescribed for householders be acceptable to thee, do thou, O princess,\ngratify me by offering up thy person to me.'--Though tempted by the\nprincess with offers of diverse other things, the Brahmana, however, did\nnot ask for any other gift than the offer of her own person. Seeing him\nresolved, that lady, remembering the directions which had before been\ngiven to her by her husband, but overcome with shame, said to that\nexcellent Brahmana,--'Be it so.'--Remembering the words of her husband who\nwas desirous of acquiring the virtue of householders, she cheerfully\napproached the regenerate Rishi. Meanwhile, the son of Agni, having\ncollected his firewood, returned to his home. Mrityu, with his fierce and\ninexorable nature, was constantly by his side, even as one attends upon\none's devoted friend. When the son of Pavaka returned to his own\nhermitage, he called Oghavati by name, and (receiving no answer)\nrepeatedly, exclaimed,--'Whether art thou gone?'--But the chaste lady,\ndevoted to her husband, being then locked in the arms of that Brahmana,\ngave no reply to her husband. Indeed, that chaste woman, considering\nherself contaminated became speechless, overcome with shame. Sudarsana,\naddressing her again, exclaimed,--'Where can my chaste wife be? Whither\nhas she gone? Nothing can be of greater moment to me than this (her\ndisappearance). Why does not that simple and truthful lady, devoted to\nher husband, alas, answer to my call today as she used to do before with\nsweet smiles?' Then that Brahmana, who was within the hut, thus replied to\nSudarsana,--'Do thou learn, O son of Pavaka, that a Brahmana guest has\narrived, and though tempted by this thy wife with diverse other offers of\nwelcome, I have, O best of Brahmanas, desired only her person, and this\nfair-faced lady is engaged in welcoming me with due rites. Thou art at\nliberty to do whatever thou thinkest to be suitable to this occasion.'\nMrityu, armed with the iron club, pursued the Rishi at that moment,\ndesirous of compassing the destruction of one that would, he thought,\ndeviate from his promise. Sudarsana was struck with wonder, but casting\noff all jealousy and anger by look, word, deed, or thought, said,--'Do\nthou enjoy thyself, O Brahmana. It is a great pleasure to me. A\nhouseholder obtain the highest merit by honouring a guest. It is said by\nthe learned that, as regards the householder, there is no higher merit\nthan what results unto him from a guest departing from his house after\nhaving been duly honoured by him. My life, my wife, and whatever other\nworldly possessions I have, are all dedicated to the use of my guests.\nEven this is the vow that I have taken. As I have truly made this\nstatement, by that truth, O Brahmana, I shall attain to the knowledge of\nSelf. O foremost of virtuous men, the five elements, viz., fire, air,\nearth, water, and sky, and the mind, the intellect and the Soul, and time\nand space and the ten organs of sense, are all present in the bodies of\nmen, and always witness the good and evil deeds that men do. This truth\nhas today been uttered by me, and let the gods bless me for it or destroy\nme if I have spoken falsely.' At this, O Bharata, there arose in all\ndirections, in repeated echoes, a voice, crying,--'This is true, this is\nnot false.' Then that Brahmana came out of the hovel, and like the wind\nrising and encompassing both Earth and sky, and making the three worlds\necho with Vedic sounds, and calling that virtuous man by name, and\ncongratulating him said,--'O sinless one, I am Dharma. All glory to thee.\nI came here, O truth-loving one, to try thee, and I am well pleased with\nthee by knowing thee to be virtuous. Thou hast subdued and conquered\nMrityu who always has pursued thee, seeking thy laches. O best of men, no\none in the three worlds has the ability to insult, even with looks, this\nchaste lady devoted to her husband, far less to touch her person. She has\nbeen protected from defilement by thy virtue and by her own chastity.\nThere can be nothing contrary to what this proud lady will say. This\nutterer of Brahma, endued with austere penances, shall, for the salvation\nof the world, be metamorphosed into a mighty river. And thou shalt attain\nto all the worlds in this thy body, and as truly as the science of Yoga\nis within her control, this highly blessed lady will follow thee with\nonly half of her corporeal self, and with the other half will she be\ncelebrated as the river Oghavati! And thou shalt attain with her to all\nthe worlds that acquired through penances. Those eternal and everlasting\nworlds from which none cometh back will be attained by thee even in this\ngross body of thine. Thou hast conquered Death, and attained to the\nhighest of all felicities, and by thy own power (of mind), attaining to\nthe speed of thought, thou hast risen above the power of the five\nelements! By thus adhering to the duties of a householder, thou hast\nconquered thy passions, desires, and anger, and this princess, O prince\nof virtuous men has, by serving thee, conquered affliction, desire,\nillusion, enmity and lassitude of mind!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Then the glorious Vasava (the lord of the gods),\nriding in a fine chariot drawn by a thousand white horses, approached\nthat Brahmana. Death and Soul, all the worlds, all the elements,\nintellect, mind, time, and space as also desire and wrath, were all\nconquered. Therefore, O best of men, do thou bear this in mind, that to\na householder there is no higher divinity than the guest. It is said by\nthe learned that the blessings of an honoured guest are more efficacious\nthan the merit of a hundred sacrifices. Whenever a deserving guest seeks\nthe hospitality of a householder and is not honoured by him, he takes\naway (with him) all the virtues of the latter giving him his sins (in\nreturn). I have now recited to thee, my son, this excellent story as to\nhow Death was conquered of old by a householder. The recital of this\nexcellent story confers glory, fame, and longevity (upon those that\nlisten to it). The man that seeks worldly prosperity should consider it\nas efficacious in removing all evil. And, O Bharata, the learned man that\ndaily recites this story of the life of Sudarsana attains to the regions\nof the blessed.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If, O prince, Brahmanahood be so difficult of\nattainment by the three classes (Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras), how\nthen did the high souled Viswamitra, O king, though a Kshatriya (by\nbirth), attain to the status of a Brahmana? I desire to know this, O\nsire. Therefore, do thou truly relate this matter to me. That powerful\nman, O sire, by virtue of his austerities, destroyed in a moment the\nhundred sons of the high-souled Vasishtha. While under the influence of\nanger, he created numerous evil spirits and Rakshasas of mighty vigour\nand resembling the great destroyer Kala himself. The great and learned\nrace of Kusika, numbering hundreds of regenerate sages and belauded by\nthe Brahmanas, was founded in this world of men by him. Sunasepha of\naustere penances, the son of Richika, having been sought to be slain as\nan animal in the great sacrifice of Amvarisha, obtained his deliverance\nthrough Viswamitra. Harischandra, having pleased the gods at a\nsacrifice, became a son of the wise Viswamitra. For not having honoured\ntheir eldest brother Devarat, whom Viswamitra got as a son from the gods,\nthe other fifty brothers of his were cursed, and all of them became\nChandalas. Trisanku, the son of Ikshwaku, through the curse of Vasishtha\nbecame a Chandala, and when abandoned by his friends, and remaining\nsuspended with his head downwards in the lower regions, was translated to\nheaven at the pleasure of Viswamitra. Viswamitra had a large river, by\nname Kausika, that was frequented by celestial Rishis. This sacred and\nauspicious stream was frequented by the gods and regenerate Rishis. For\ndisturbing his devotions, the famous celestial nymph Rambha of fine\nbracelets, was cursed and metamorphosed into a rock. Through fear of\nViswamitra the glorious Vasishtha, in olden times, binding himself with\ncreepers, threw himself down into a river and again rose released from\nhis bonds. In consequence of this, that large and sacred river become\nthenceforth celebrated by the name of Vipasa.[3] He prayed to the\nglorious and puissant Indra who was pleased with him and absolved him\nfrom a curse.[4] Remaining on the northern side of the firmament, he\nsheds his lustre from a position in the midst of the seven regenerate\nRishis,[5] and Dhruva the son of Uttanpada[6]. These are his achievements\nas well as many others. O descendant of Kuru, as they were performed by a\nKshatriya, my curiosity has been roused in this matter. Therefore, O\nforemost one of Bharata's race, do thou relate this matter to me truly.\nHow without casting off his corporeal frame and taking another tenement\nof flesh could he become a Brahmana? Do thou, O sire, truly relate this\nmatter to me as thou hast related to me the story of Matanga. Matanga was\nborn as a Chandala,[7] and could not attain to Brahmanahood, (with all his\nausterities) but how could this man attain to the status of a Brahmana?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen truly in detail, O son of Pritha, how in olden\ntimes Viswamitra attained to the status of a Brahmana Rishi. There was, O\nforemost of Bharata's descendants, in the race of Bharata, a king of the\nname of Ajamida, who performed many sacrifices and was the best of all\nvirtuous men. His son was the great king named Jahnu. Ganga was the\ndaughter of this high-minded prince. The farfamed and equally virtuous\nSindhudwipa was the son of this prince. From Sindhudwipa sprung the great\nroyal sage Valakaswa. His son was named Vallabha who was like a second\nDharma in embodied form. His son again was Kusika who was refulgent with\nglory like unto the thousand-eyed Indra. Kusika's son was the illustrious\nKing Gadhi who, being childless and desiring to have a son born unto him,\nrepaired to the forest. Whilst living there, a daughter was born unto\nhim. She was called Satyavati by name, and in beauty of appearance she\nhad no equal on Earth. The illustrious son of Chyavana, celebrated by the\nname of Richika, of the race of Bhrigu, endued with austere penances,\nsought the hand of this lady. Gadhi, the destroyer of his enemies,\nthinking him to be poor, did not bestow her in marriage upon the\nhigh-souled Richika. But when the latter, thus dismissed, was going away,\nthe excellent king, addressing him said,--'If thou givest me a marriage\ndower thou shalt have my daughter for thy wife.'\n\n\"'\"Richika said, 'What dower, O king, shall I offer thee for the hand of\nthy daughter? Tell me truly, without feeling any hesitation in the\nmatter.' Gadhi said,--'O descendant of Bhrigu, do thou give me a thousand\nhorses fleet as the wind, and possessing the hue of moon-beams, and each\nhaving one ear black.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then that mighty son of Chyavana who was the foremost of\nBhrigu's race, besought the deity Varuna, the son of Aditi, who was the\nlord of all the waters.--'O best of gods, I pray to thee to give me a\nthousand horses, all endued with the speed of the wind and with\ncomplexion as effulgent as the moon's, but each having one ear black.' The\ngod Varuna, the son of Aditi, said to that excellent scion of Bhrigu's\nrace,--'Be it so. Wheresoever thou shalt seek, the horses shalt arise (in\nthy presence).'--As soon as Richika thought of them, there arose from the\nwaters of Ganga thousand high-mettled horses, as lustrous in complexion\nas the moon. Not far from Kanyakubja, the sacred bank of Ganga is still\nfamous among men as Aswatirtha in consequence of the appearance of those\nhorses at that place. Then Richika, that best of ascetics, pleased in\nmind, gave those thousand excellent horses unto Gadhi as the\nmarriage-dower. King Gadhi, filled with wonder and fearing to be cursed,\ngave his daughter, bedecked with jewels, unto that son of Bhrigu. That\nforemost of regenerate Rishis accepted her hand in marriage according to\nthe prescribed rites. The princess too was well-pleased at finding\nherself the wife of that Brahmana. That foremost of regenerate Rishis, O\nBharata, was well pleased with her conduct and expressed a wish to grant\nher boon. The princess, O excellent king, related this to her mother. The\nmother addressed the daughter that stood before her with down-cast eyes,\nsaving,--'It behoves thee, O my daughter, to secure a favour for me also\nfrom thy husband. That sage of austere penances is capable of granting a\nboon to me, the boon, viz. of the birth of a son to me.'--Then, O king,\nreturning quickly to her husband Richika, the princess related to him all\nthat had been desired by her mother. Richika said,--'By my favour, O\nblessed one, she will soon give birth to a son possessed of every virtue.\nMay thy request be fulfilled. Of thee too shall be born a mighty and\nglorious son who, endued with virtue, shall perpetuate my race. Truly do\nI say this unto thee! When you two shall bathe in your season, she shall\nembrace a peepul tree, and thou, O excellent lady, shalt likewise embrace\na fig tree, and by so doing shall ye attain the object of your desire. O\nsweetly-smiling lady, both she and you shall have to partake of these two\nsacrificial offerings (charu)[8] consecrated with hymns, and then shall ye\nobtain sons (as desired).'--At this, Satyavati, delighted at heart, told\nher mother all that had been said by Richika as also of the two balls of\ncharu. Then the mother, addressing her daughter Satyavati, said:--'O\ndaughter, as I am deserving of greater consideration from thee than thy\nhusband, do thou obey my words. The charu, duly consecrated with hymns,\nwhich thy husband has given to thee, do thou give unto me and thyself\ntake the one that has been prescribed for me. O sweetly-smiling one of\nblameless character, if thou hast any respect for my word, let us change\nthe trees respectively designed for us. Every one desires to possess an\nexcellent and stainless being for his own son. The glorious Richika too\nmust have acted from a similar motive in this matter, as will appear in\nthe end. For this reason, O beautiful girl, my heart inclines towards thy\ncharu, and thy tree, and thou too shouldst consider how to secure an\nexcellent brother for thyself.'--The mother and the daughter Satyavati\nhaving acted in this way, they both, O Yudhishthira, became big with\nchild. And that great Rishi, the excellent descendant of Bhrigu, finding\nhis wife quick with child, was pleased at heart, and addressing her,\nsaid,--'O excellent lady, thou hast not done well in exchanging the charu\nas will soon become apparent. It is also clear that thou hast changed the\ntrees. I had placed the entire accumulated energy of Brahma in thy charu\nand Kshatriya energy in the charu of thy mother. I had so ordered that\nthou wouldst give birth to a Brahmana whose virtues would be famous\nthroughout the three worlds, and that she (thy mother) would give birth\nto an excellent Kshatriya. But now, O excellent lady, that thou hast\nreversed the order (of the charu) so, thy mother will give birth to an\nexcellent Brahmana and thou too, O excellent lady, will give birth to a\nKshatriya terrible in action. Thou hast not done will, O lady, by acting\nthus out of affection for thy mother.'--Hearing this, O king the excellent\nlady Satyavati, struck with sorrow, fell upon the ground like a beautiful\ncreeper cut in twain. Regaining her senses and bowing unto her lord with\nhead (bent), the daughter of Gadhi said to her husband, that foremost one\nof Bhrigu's race,--'O regenerate Rishi, O thou that art foremost amongst\nthose versed in Brahma, do thou take pity on me, thy wife, who is thus\nappeasing thee and so order that a Kshatriya son may not be born unto me.\nLet my grandson be such a one as will be famous for his terrible\nachievements, if it be thy desire, but not my son, O Brahmana. Do thou\nconfer this favour on me.'--'Be it so,'--said that man of austere penances\nto his wife and then, O king, she gave birth to a blessed son named\nJamadagni. The celebrated wife of Gadhi too gave birth to the regenerate\nRishi Viswamitra versed in the knowledge of Brahma, by favour of that\nRishi. The highly devout Viswamitra, though a Kshatriya, attained to the\nstate of a Brahmana and became the founder of a race of Brahmanas. His\nsons became high-souled progenitors of many races of Brahmanas who were\ndevoted to austere penances, learned in the Vedas, and founders of many\nclans. The adorable Madhuchcchanda and the mighty Devrat, Akshina,\nSakunta, Vabhru, Kalapatha, the celebrated Yajnavalkya, Sthula of high\nvows, Uluka, Mudgala, and the sage Saindhavayana, the illustrious\nValgujangha and the great Rishi Galeva, Ruchi, the celebrated Vajra, as\nalso Salankayana, Liladhya and Narada, the one known as Kurchamuka, and\nVahuli, Mushala, as also Vakshogriva, Anghrika, Naikadrik, Silayupa,\nSita, Suchi, Chakraka, Marrutantavya, Vataghna, Aswalayana, and\nSyamayana, Gargya, and Javali, as also Susruta, Karishi, Sangsrutya, and\nPara Paurava, and Tantu, the great sage Kapila, Tarakayana, Upagahana,\nAsurayani, Margama, Hiranyksha, Janghari, Bhavravayani, and Suti,\nBibhuti, Suta, Surakrit, Arani, Nachika, Champeya, Ujjayana, Navatantu,\nVakanakha, Sayanya, Yati, Ambhoruha, Amatsyasin, Srishin, Gardhavi\nUrjjayoni, Rudapekahin, and the great Rishi Naradin,--these Munis were\nall sons of Viswamitra and were versed in the knowledge of Brahma. O king\nYudhishthira, the highly austere and devout Viswamitra, although a\nKshatriya (by descent), became a Brahmana for Richika having placed the\nenergy of supreme Brahma (in the charu). O foremost prince of Bharata's\nrace, I have now related to you, with all details, the story of the birth\nof Viswamitra who was possessed of energy of the sun, the moon, and the\nfire-god. O best of kings, if thou hast any doubt with regard to any\nother matter, do thou let me know it, so that I may remove it.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou that knowest the truths of religion, I wish\nto hear of the merits of compassion, and of the characteristics of devout\nmen. Do thou, O sire, describe them to me.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, this ancient legend, the story of\nVasava and the high-minded Suka, is cited as an illustration. In the\nterritories of the king of Kasi, a fowler, having poisoned arrows with\nhim went out of his village on a hunting excursion in search of\nantelopes. Desirous of obtaining meat, when in a big forest in pursuit\nof the chase, he discovered a drove of antelopes not far from him, and\ndischarged his arrow at one of them. The arrows of that fowler of\nirresistible arms, discharged for the destruction of the antelope, missed\nits aim and pierced a mighty forest-tree. The tree, violently pierced\nwith that arrow tipped with virulent poison, withered away, shedding its\nleaves and fruits. The tree having thus withered a parrot that had lived\nin a hollow of its trunk all his life, did not leave his nest out of\naffection for the lord of the forest. Motionless and without food silent\nand sorrowful, that grateful and virtuous parrot also withered away with\nthe tree. The conqueror of Paka (Indra) was struck with wonder upon\nfinding that high-souled, and generous-hearted bird thus uninfluenced by\nmisery or happiness and possessing extraordinary resolution. Then the\nthought arose in Sakra's mind,--'How could this bird come to possess\nhumane and generous feelings which are impossible in one belonging to the\nworld of lower animals? Perchance, there is nothing wonderful in the\nmatter, for all creatures are seen to evince kindly and generous feelings\ntowards others.'--Assuming then the shape of a Brahmana, Sakra descended\non the Earth and addressing the bird, said,--'O Suka, O best of birds, the\ngrand-daughter (Suki) of Daksha has become blessed (by having thee as her\noffspring). I ask thee, for what reason dost thou not leave this withered\ntree?'--Thus questioned, the Suka bowed unto him and thus\nreplied:--'Welcome to thee O chief of the gods, I have recognised thee by\nthe merit of my austere penances'--'Well-done, well-done!'--exclaimed the\nthousand-eyed deity. Then the latter praised him in his mind, saying,--'O,\nhow wonderful is the knowledge which he possesses.'--Although the\ndestroyer of Vala knew that parrot to be of a highly virtuous character\nand meritorious in action, he still enquired of him about the reason of\nhis affection for the tree. 'This tree is withered and it is without\nleaves and fruits and is unfit to be the refuge of birds. Why dost thou\nthen cling to it? This forest, too, is vast and in this wilderness there\nare numerous other fine trees whose hollows are covered with leaves and\nwhich thou canst choose freely and to thy heart's content. O patient one\nexercising due discrimination in thy wisdom, do thou forsake this old\ntree that is dead and useless and shorn of all its leaves and no longer\ncapable of any good.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The virtuous Suka, hearing these words of Sakra, heaved a\ndeep sigh and sorrowfully replied unto him, saying--'O consort of Sachi,\nand chief of the gods, the ordinances of the deities are always to be\nobeyed. Do thou listen to the reason of the matter in regard to which\nthou hast questioned me. Here, within this tree, was I born, and here in\nthis tree have I acquired all the good traits of my character, and here\nin this tree was I protected in my infancy from the assaults of my\nenemies. O sinless one, why art thou, in thy kindness, tampering with the\nprinciple of my conduct in life? I am compassionate, and devoutly intent\non virtue, and steadfast in conduct. Kindliness of feeling is the great\ntest of virtue amongst the good, and this same compassionate and humane\nfeeling is the source of perennial felicity to the virtuous. All the gods\nquestion thee to remove their doubts in religion, and for this reason, O\nlord, thou hast been placed in sovereignty over them all. It behoves thee\nnot, O thousand-eyed one, to advise me now to abandon this tree for ever.\nWhen it was capable of good, it supported my life. How can I forsake it\nnow?'--The virtuous destroyer of Paka, pleased with these well-meant words\nof the parrot, thus said to him:--'I am gratified with thy humane and\ncompassionate disposition. Do thou ask a boon of me.'--At this, the\ncompassionate parrot craved this boon of him, saying,--'Let this tree\nrevive.'--Knowing the great attachment of the parrot to that tree and his\nhigh character, Indra, well-pleased, caused the tree to be quickly\nsprinkled over with nectar. Then that tree became replenished and\nattained to exquisite grandeur through the penances of the parrot, and\nthe latter too, O great king, at the close of his life, obtained the\ncompanionship of Sakra by virtue of that act of compassion. Thus, O lord\nof men, by communion and companionship with the pious, people attain all\nthe objects of their desire even as the tree die through its\ncompanionship with the parrot.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O learned sire that art versed in all the\nscriptures, of Exertion and Destiny which is the most powerful?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"This ancient story of the conversation of Vasishtha and\nBrahma, O Yudhishthira, is an illustration in point. In olden times the\nadorable Vasishtha enquired of Brahma as to which among these two, viz.,\nthe Karma of a creature acquired in this life, or that acquired in\nprevious lives (and called Destiny), is the more potent in shaping his\nlife. Then, O king, the great god Brahma, who had sprung from the\nprimeval lotus, answered him in these exquisite and well-reasoned words,\nfull of meaning.\n\n\"'\"Brahma said, 'Nothing comes into existence without seed. Without seed,\nfruits do not grow. From seeds spring other seeds. Hence are fruits known\nto be generated from seeds. Good or bad as the seed is that the\nhusbandman soweth in his field, good or bad are the fruits that he reaps.\nAs, unsown with seed, the soil, though tilled, becomes fruitless, so,\nwithout individual Exertion, Destiny is of no avail. One's own acts are\nlike the soil, and Destiny (or the sum of one's acts in previous births)\nis compared to the seed. From the union of the soil and the seed doth the\nharvest grow. It is observed every day in the world that the doer reaps\nthe fruit of his good and evil deeds; that happiness results from good\ndeeds, and pain from evil ones; that acts, when done, always fructify;\nand that, if not done, no fruit arises. A man of (good) acts acquires\nmerits with good fortune, while an idler falls away from his estate, and\nreaps evil like the infusion of alkaline matter injected into a wound. By\ndevoted application, one acquires beauty, fortune, and riches of various\nkinds. Everything can be secured by Exertion: but nothing can be gained\nthrough Destiny alone, by a man that is wanting in personal Exertion.\nEven so does one attain to heaven, and all the objects of enjoyment, as\nalso the fulfilment of one's heart's desires by well-directed individual\nExertion. All the luminous bodies in the firmament, all the deities, the\nNagas, and the Rakshasas, as also the Sun and the Moon and the Winds,\nhave attained to their high status by evolution from man's status,\nthrough dint of their own action. Riches, friends, prosperity descending\nfrom generation to generation, as also the graces of life, are difficult\nof attainment by those that are wanting in Exertion. The Brahmana attains\nto prosperity by holy living, the Kshatriya by prowess, the Vaisya by\nmanly exertion, and the Sudra by service. Riches and other objects of\nenjoyment do not follow the stingy, nor the impotent, nor the idler. Nor\nare these ever attained by the man that is not active or manly or devoted\nto the exercise of religious austerities. Even he, the adorable Vishnu,\nwho created the three worlds with the Daityas and all the gods, even He\nis engaged in austere penances in the bosom of the deep. If one's Karma\nbore no fruit, then all actions would become fruitless, and relying on\nDestiny men would become idlers. He who, without pursuing the human modes\nof action, follows Destiny only, acts in vain, like unto the woman that\nhas an impotent husband. In this world the apprehension that accrues from\nperformance of good or evil actions is not so great if Destiny be\nunfavourable as one's apprehension of the same in the other world if\nExertion be wanting while here.[9] Man's powers, if properly exerted,\nonly follow his Destiny, but Destiny alone is incapable of conferring any\ngood where Exertion is wanting. When it is seen that even in the\ncelestial regions, the position of the deities themselves is unstable,\nhow would the deities maintain their own position or that of others\nwithout proper Karma? The deities do not always approve of the good deeds\nof others in this world, for, apprehending their own overthrow, they try\nto thwart the acts of others. There is a constant rivalry between the\ndeities and the Rishis, and if they all have to go through their Karma,\nstill it can never be averted that there is no such thing as Destiny, for\nit is the latter that initiates all Karma. How does Karma originate, if\nDestiny form the prime spring of human action? (The answer is) that by\nthis means, an accretion of many virtues is made even in the celestial\nregions. One's own self is one's friend and one's enemy too, as also the\nwitness of one's good and evil deeds. Good and evil manifest themselves\nthrough Karma. Good and evil acts do not give adequate results.\nRighteousness is the refuge of the gods, and by righteousness is\neverything attained. Destiny thwarts not the man that has attained to\nvirtue and righteousness.\n\n\"'\"'In olden times, Yayati, falling from his high estate in heaven\ndescended on the Earth but was again restored to the celestial regions by\nthe good deeds of his virtuous grandsons. The royal sage Pururavas,\ncelebrated as the descendant of Ila, attained to heaven through the\nintercession of the Brahmanas. Saudasa, the king of Kosala, though\ndignified by the performance of Aswamedha and other sacrifices, obtained\nthe status of a man-eating Rakshasa, through the curse of a great Rishi.\nAswatthaman and Rama, though both warriors and sons of Munis, failed to\nattain to heaven by reason of their own actions in this world. Vasu,\nthough he performed a hundred sacrifices like a second Vasava, was sent\nto the nethermost regions, for making a single false statement. Vali, the\nson of Virochana, righteously bound by his promise, was consigned to the\nregions under the Earth, by the prowess of Vishnu. Was not Janamejaya, who\nfollowed the foot-prints of Sakra, checked and put down by the gods for\nkilling a Brahmana woman? Was not the regenerate Rishi Vaisampayana too,\nwho slew a Brahmana in ignorance, and was polluted by the slaughter of a\nchild, put down by the gods? In olden times the royal sage Nriga became\ntransmuted into a lizard. He had made gifts of kine unto the Brahmanas at\nhis great sacrifice, but this availed him not. The royal sage Dhundhumara\nwas overwhelmed with decrepitude even while engaged in performing his\nsacrifices, and foregoing all the merits thereof, he fell asleep at\nGirivraja. The Pandavas too regained their lost kingdom, of which they\nhad been deprived by the powerful sons of Dhritarashtra, not through the\nintercession of the fates, but by recourse to their own valour. Do the\nMunis of rigid vows, and devoted to the practice of austere penances,\ndenounce their curses with the aid of any supernatural power or by the\nexercise of their own puissance attained by individual acts? All the good\nwhich is attained with difficulty in this world is possessed by the\nwicked, is soon lost to them. Destiny does not help the man that is\nsteeped in spiritual ignorance and avarice. Even as a fire of small\nproportions, when fanned by the wind, becomes of mighty power, so does\nDestiny, when joined with individual Exertion, increase greatly (in\npotentiality). As with the diminution of oil in the lamp its light is\nextinguished so does the influence of Destiny is lost if one's acts stop.\nHaving obtained vast wealth, and women and all the enjoyments of this\nworld, the man without action is unable to enjoy them long, but the\nhigh-souled man, who is even diligent, is able to find riches buried deep\nin the Earth and watched over by the fates. The good man who is prodigal\n(in religious charities and sacrifices) is sought by the gods for his\ngood conduct, the celestial world being better than the world of men, but\nthe house of the miser though abounding in wealth is looked upon by the\ngods as the house of dead. The man that does not exert himself is never\ncontented in this world nor can Destiny alter the course of a man that\nhas gone wrong. So there is no authority inherent in Destiny. As the\npupil follows one's own individual perception, so the Destiny follows\nExertion. The affairs in which one's own Exertion is put forth, there\nonly Destiny shows its hand. O best of Munis, I have thus described all\nthe merits of individual Exertion, after having always known them in\ntheir true significance with the aid of my yogic insight. By the\ninfluence of Destiny, and by putting forth individual Exertion, do men\nattain to heaven. The combined aid of Destiny and Exertion, becomes\nefficacious.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O the best of Bharata's race and the foremost of\ngreat men, I wish to know what the fruits are of good deed. Do thou\nenlighten me on this point.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall tell thee what thou hast asked. Do thou, O\nYudhishthira, listen to this which constitutes the secret knowledge of\nthe Rishis. Listen to me as I explain what the ends, long coveted, are\nwhich are attained by men after death. Whatever actions are performed by\nparticular corporeal beings, the fruits thereof are reaped by the doers\nwhile endued with similar corporeal bodies; for example, the fruits of\nactions done with mind are enjoyed at the time of dreams, and those of\nactions performed physically are enjoyed in the working state physically.\nIn whatever states creatures perform good or evil deeds, they reap the\nfruits thereof in similar states of succeeding lives. No act done with\nthe aid of the five organs of sensual perception, is ever lost. The five\nsensual organs and the immortal soul which is the sixth, remain its\nwitnesses. One should devote one's eye to the service of the guest and\nshould devote one's heart on the same; one should utter words that are\nagreeable; one should also follow and worship (one's guest). This is\ncalled Panchadakshin Sacrifice, (the sacrifice with five gifts). He who\noffers good food to the unknown and weary travellers fatigued by a long\njourney, attains to great merit. Those that use the sacrificial platform\nas their only bed obtain commodious mansions and beds (in subsequent\nbirths). Those that wear only rags and barks of trees for dress, obtain\ngood apparel and ornaments in next birth. One possessed of penances and\nhaving his soul on Yoga, get vehicles and riding animals (as the fruit of\ntheir renunciation in this life). The monarch that lies down by the side\nof the sacrificial fire, attains to vigour and valour. The man who\nrenounces the enjoyment of all delicacies, attains to prosperity, and he\nthat abstains from animal food, obtains children and cattle. He who lies\ndown with his head downwards, or who lives in water, or who lives\nsecluded and alone in the practice of Brahmacharya, attains to all the\ndesired ends. He who offers shelter to a guest and welcomes him with\nwater to wash his feet as also with food, light and bed, attains to the\nmerits of the sacrifice with the five gifts. He who lays himself down on\na warrior's bed on the battle-field in the posture of a warrior, goes to\nthose eternal regions where all the objects of desire are fulfilled. A\nman, O king, attains to riches that makes charitable gifts. One secures\nobedience to one's command by the vow of silence, all the enjoyments of\nlife by practice of austerities, long life by Brahmacharya, and beauty,\nprosperity and freedom from disease by abstaining from injury to others.\nSovereignty falls to the lot of those that subsist on fruits and roots\nonly. Residence in heaven is attained by those that live on only leaves\nof trees. A man, O king, is said to obtain happiness, by abstention from\nfood. By confining one's diet to herbs alone, one becomes possessed of\ncows. By living on grass one attains to the celestial regions. By\nforegoing all intercourse with one's wife and making ablutions three\ntimes during the day and by inhaling the air only for purposes of\nsubsistence, one obtains the merit of a sacrifice. Heaven is attained by\nthe practice of truth, nobility of birth by sacrifices. The Brahmana of\npure practices that subsists on water only, and performs the Agnihotra\nceaselessly, and recites the Gayatri, obtains a kingdom. By abstaining\nfood or by regulating it, one attains to residence in heaven. O king, by\nabstaining from all but the prescribed diet while engaged in sacrifices,\nand by making pilgrimage for twelve years, one attains to a place better\nthan the abodes reserved for heroes. By reading all the Vedas, one is\ninstantly liberated from misery, and by practising virtue in thought, one\nattains to the heavenly regions. That man who is able to renounce that\nintense yearning of the heart for happiness and material enjoyments,--a\nyearning that is difficult of conquest by the foolish and that doth not\nabate with the abatement of bodily vigour and that clings like a fatal\ndisease unto him,--is able to secure happiness. As the young calf is able\nto recognise its dam from among a thousand cows, so does the previous\nacts of a man pursue him (in all his different transformations). As the\nflowers and fruits of a tree, unurged by visible influences, never miss\ntheir proper season, so does Karma done in a previous existence bring\nabout its fruits in proper time. With age, man's hair grows grey, his\nteeth become loose; his eyes and ears too become dim in action; but the\nonly thing that does not abate is his desire for enjoyments. Prajapati is\npleased with those acts that please one's father, and the Earth is\npleased with those acts that please one's mother, and Brahma is adored\nwith those acts that please one's preceptor. Virtue is honoured by him\nwho honours these three. The acts of those that despise these three do\nnot avail them.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The princes of Kuru's race became filled with wonder\nupon listening to this speech of Bhishma. All of them became pleased in\nmind and overpowered with joy. As Mantras applied with a desire to win\nvictory, or the performance of the Shoma sacrifice made without proper\ngifts, or oblations poured on the fire without proper hymns, become\nuseless and lead to evil consequences, even so sin and evil results flow\nfrom falsehood in speech. O prince, I have thus related to thee this\ndoctrine of the fruition of good and evil acts, as narrated by the Rishis\nof old. What else dost thou wish to hear?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Who are deserving of worship? Who are they unto whom\none may bow? Who are they, O Bharata, unto whom thou wouldst bend thy\nhead? Who, again, are they whom thou likest? Tell me all this, O prince.\nWhat is that upon which thy mind dwells when affliction overwhelms thee?\nDo thou discourse to me on what is beneficial here, that is, in this\nregion of human beings, as also hereafter.\"[10]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I like those regenerate persons whose highest wealth is\nBrahman, whose heaven consists in the knowledge of the soul, and whose\npenances are constituted by their diligent study of the Vedas. My heart\nyearns after those in whose race persons, young and old diligently bear\nthe ancestral burthens without languishing under them. Brahmanas\nwell-trained in several branches of knowledge, self-controlled,\nmild-speeched, conversant with the scriptures, well-behaved, possessed of\nthe knowledge of Brahman and righteous in conduct, discourse in\nrespectable assemblies like flights of swans.[11] Auspicious, agreeable,\nexcellent, and well-pronounced are the words, O Yudhishthira, which they\nutter with a voice as deep as that of the clouds. Fraught with happiness\nboth temporal and spiritual, such words are uttered by them in the courts\nof monarchs, themselves being received with honour and attention and\nserved with reverence by those rulers of men. Indeed, my heart yearns\nafter them who listen to the words uttered in assemblies or the courts of\nkings by persons endued with knowledge and all desirable attributes, and\nare respected by others. My heart, O monarch, always yearns after them\nwho, for the gratification of Brahmanas, O Yudhishthira, give unto them,\nwith devotion, food that is well-cooked and clean and wholesome. It is\neasy to fight in battle, but not so to make a gift without pride or\nvanity. In this world, O Yudhishthira, there are brave men and heroes by\nhundreds. While counting them, he that is a hero in gifts should be\nregarded as superior. O amiable one, if I had been even a vulgar\nBrahmana, I would have regarded myself as very great, not to speak of one\nborn in a good Brahmana family endued with righteousness of conduct, and\ndevoted to penances and learning. There is no one, O son of Pandu, in\nthis world that is dearer to me than thou, O chief of Bharata's race but\ndearer to me than thou are the Brahmanas. And since, O best of the Kurus,\nthe Brahmanas are very much dearer to me than thou, it is by that truth\nthat I hope to go to all those regions of felicity which have been\nacquired by my sire Santanu. Neither my sire, nor my sire's sire, nor any\none else connected with me by blood, is dearer to me than the Brahmanas.\nI do not expect any fruit, small or great, from my worship of the\nBrahmanas (for I worship them as deities because they are deserving of\nsuch worship).[12] In consequence of what I have done to the Brahmanas in\nthought, word, and deed, I do not feel any pain now (even though I am\nlying on a bed of arrows). People used to call me as one devoted to the\nBrahmanas. This style of address always pleased me highly. To do good to\nthe Brahmanas is the most sacred of all sacred acts. I behold many\nregions of beatitude waiting for me that have reverentially walked\nbehind the Brahmanas. Very soon shall I repair to those regions for\neverlasting time, O son. In this world, O Yudhishthira, the duties of\nwomen have reference to and depend upon their husbands. To a woman,\nverily, the husband is the deity and he is the highest end after which\nshe should strive. As the husband is to the wife, even so are the\nBrahmanas unto Kshatriyas. If there be a Kshatriya of full hundred years\nof age and a good Brahmana child of only ten years, the latter should be\nregarded as a father and the former as a son, for among the two, verily,\nthe Brahmana is superior. A woman in the absence of her husband, takes\nhis younger brother for her lord; even so the Earth, not having obtained\nthe Brahmana, made the Kshatriya her lord. The Brahmanas should be\nprotected like sons and worshipped like sires or preceptors. Indeed, O\nbest of the Kurus, they should be waited upon with reverence even as\npeople wait with reverence upon their sacrificial or Homa fires. The\nBrahmanas are endued with simplicity and righteousness. They are devoted\nto truth. They are always engaged in the good of every creature. Yet when\nangry they are like snakes of virulent poison. They should, for these\nreasons, be always waited upon and served with reverence and humility.\nOne should, O Yudhishthira, always fear these two, viz., Energy and\nPenances. Both these should be avoided or kept at a distance. The effects\nof both are speedy. There is the superiority, however, of Penances, viz.,\nthat Brahmanas endued with Penances, O monarch, can, if angry, slay the\nobject of their wrath (regardless of the measure of Energy with which\nthat object may be endued). Energy and Penances, each of the largest\nmeasure, become neutralised if applied against a Brahmana that has\nconquered wrath. If the two,--that is, Energy and Penances,--be set\nagainst each other, then destruction would overtake both but not\ndestruction without a remnant, for while Energy, applied against\nPenances, is sure to be destroyed without leaving a remnant. Penances\napplied against Energy cannot be destroyed completely.[13] As the\nherdsman, stick in hand, protects the herd, even so should the Kshatriya\nalways protect the Vedas and the Brahmanas. Indeed, the Kshatriya should\nprotect all righteous Brahmanas even as a sire protects his sons. He\nshould always have his eye upon the house of the Brahmanas for seeing\nthat their means of subsistence may not be wanting.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"'Yudhisthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou of great splendour, what do those\nmen become who, through stupefaction of intellect, do not make gifts unto\nBrahmanas after having promised to make those gifts? O thou that art the\nforemost of all righteous persons, do tell me what the duties are in this\nrespect. Indeed, what becomes the end of those wicked wights that do not\ngive after having promised to give.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The person that, after having promised, does not give, be\nit little or much, has the mortification to see his hopes (in every\ndirection) become fruitless like the hopes of a eunuch in respect of\nprogeny. Whatever good acts such a person does between the day of his\nbirth and that of his death, O Bharata, whatever libations he pours on\nthe sacrificial fire, whatever gifts he makes, O chief of Bharata's race,\nand whatever penances he performs all become fruitless. They that are\nconversant with the scriptures declare this as their opinion, arriving at\nit, O chief of the Bharatas, with the aid of a well-ordered\nunderstanding. Persons conversant with the scriptures are also of opinion\nthat such a man may be cleansed by giving away a thousand horses with\nears of a dark hue. In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between a jackal and an ape. While both were human beings, O\nscorcher of foes, they were intimate friends. After death one of them\nbecame a jackal and the other an ape. Beholding the jackal one day eating\nan animal carcase in the midst of a crematorium, the ape, remembering his\nown and his friend's former birth as human beings, addressed him,\nsaying,--'Verily, what terrible sin didst thou perpetrate in thy former\nbirth in consequence of which thou art obliged in this birth to feed in a\ncrematorium upon such repulsive fare as the putrid carcase of an\nanimal?'--Thus addressed, the jackal replied unto the ape, saying,--Having\npromised to give unto a Brahmana I did not make him the gift. It is for\nthat sin, O ape, that I have fallen into this wretched order of\nexistence. It is for that reason that, when hungry, I am obliged to eat\nsuch food.\"'\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The jackal then, O best of men, addressed the ape\nand said,--'What sin didst thou commit for which thou hast become an ape?'\n\n\"'\"The ape said, 'In my former life I used to appropriate the fruits\nbelonging to Brahmanas. Hence have I become an ape. Hence it is clear\nthat one possessed of intelligence and learning should never appropriate\nwhat belongs to Brahmanas. Verily, as one should abstain from this, one\nshould avoid also all disputes with Brahmanas. Having promised, one\nshould certainly make the promised gift unto them.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"I heard this, O king, from my preceptor while he was\nengaged in discoursing upon the subject of Brahmanas. I heard this from\nthat righteous person when he recited the old and sacred declaration on\nthis topic. I heard this from Krishna also, O king, while he was engaged\nin discoursing, O son of Pandu, upon Brahmanas.[14] The property of a\nBrahmana should never be appropriated. They should always be let alone.\nPoor, or miserly, or young in years, they should never be disregarded.\nThe Brahmanas have always taught me this. Having promised to make them a\ngift, the gift should be made. A superior Brahmana should never be\ndisappointed in the matter of his expectations. A Brahmana, O king, in\nwhom an expectation has been raised, has, O king, been said to be like a\nblazing fire.[15] That man upon whom a Brahmana with raised expectations\ncasts his eye, is sure, O monarch, to be consumed even as a heap of straw\nis capable of being consumed by a blazing fire.[16] When the Brahmana,\ngratified (with honours and gifts) by the king addresses the king in\ndelightful and affectionate words, he becomes, O Bharata, a source of\ngreat benefit to the king, for he continues to live in the kingdom like a\nphysician combating against diverse ills of the body.[17] Such a Brahmana\nis sure to maintain by his puissance and good wishes, the sons and\ngrandsons and animals and relatives and ministers and other officers and\nthe city and the provinces of the king.[18] Even such is the energy, so\ngreat, of the Brahmana like unto that of the thousand-rayed Surya\nhimself, on the Earth. Therefore, O Yudhishthira, if one wishes to\nattain to a respectable or happy order of being in one's next birth, one\nshould, having passed the promise to a Brahmana, certainly keep it by\nactually making the gift to him. By making gifts to a Brahmana one is\nsure to attain to the highest heaven. Verily, the making of gifts is the\nhighest of acts that one can achieve. By the gifts one makes to a\nBrahmana, the deities and the pitris are supported. Hence one possessed\nof knowledge should ever make gifts unto the Brahmanas. O chief of the\nBharatas, the Brahmana is regarded as the highest object unto whom gifts\nshould be made. At no time should a Brahmana be received without being\nproperly worshipped.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\n\"'Yudhisthira said, \"I wish to know, O royal sage, whether any fault is\nincurred by one who from interested or disinterested friendship imparts\ninstructions unto a person belonging to a low order of birth! O\ngrandsire, I desire to hear this, expounded to me in detail. The course\nof duty is exceedingly subtile. Men are often seen to be stupefied in\nrespect of that course.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O king, I shall recite to thee, in\ndue order, what I heard certain Rishis say in days of yore. Instruction\nshould not be imparted unto one that belongs to a low or mean caste. It\nis said that the preceptor who imparts instruction to such a person\nincurs great fault. Listen to me, O chief of Bharata's race, as I recite\nto thee, O Yudhishthira, this instance that occurred in days of old, O\nmonarch, of the evil consequences of the imparting of instruction unto a\nlow-born person fallen into distress. The incident which I shall relate\noccurred in the asylum of certain regenerate sages that stood on the\nauspicious breast of Himavat. There, on the breast of that prince of\nmountains, was a sacred asylum adorned with trees of diverse kinds.\nOvergrown also with diverse species of creepers and plants, it was the\nresort of many animals and birds. Inhabited by Siddhas and Charanas also,\nit was exceedingly delightful in consequence of the woods that flowered\nthese at every season. Many were the Brahmacharins that dwelt there, and\nmany belonging to the forest mode of life. Many also were the Brahmanas\nthat took up their residence there, that were highly blessed and that\nresembled the sun or the fire in energy and effulgence. Ascetics of\ndiverse kinds, observant of various restraints and vows, as also others,\nO chief of the Bharatas, that had undergone Diksha and were frugal in\nfare and possessed of cleansed souls, took up their residence there.\nLarge numbers of Valakhilyas and many that were observant of the vow of\nSanyasa also, used to dwell there. The asylum, in consequence of all\nthis, resounded with the chanting of the Vedas and the sacred Mantras\nuttered by its inhabitants. Once upon a time a Sudra endued with\ncompassion for all creatures, ventured to come into that asylum. Arrived\nat that retreat, he was duly honoured by all the ascetics. Beholding\nthose ascetics of diverse classes that were endued with great energy,\nthat resembled the deities (in purity and power), and that were observing\ndiverse kinds of Diksha, O Bharata, the Sudra became highly pleased at\nheart. Beholding everything, O chief of Bharata's race, the Sudra felt\ninclined to devote himself to the practice of penances. Touching the feet\nof the Kulapati (the head man of the group), O Bharata, he addressed him\nsaying,[19] 'Through thy grace, O foremost of regenerate persons, I\ndesire, to learn (and practise) the duties of religion. It behoveth thee,\nO illustrious one, to discourse to me on those duties and introduce me\n(by performing the rites of initiation) into a life of Renunciation. I am\ncertainly inferior in colour, O illustrious one, for I am by caste a\nSudra, O best of men. I desire to wait upon and serve you here. Be\ngratified with me that humbly seek thy shelter.'\n\n\"'\"The Kulapati said, 'It is impossible that a Sudra should live here\nadopting the marks specially intended for those practising lives of\nRenunciation. If it pleases thee, thou mayest stay here, engaged in\nwaiting upon and serving us. Without doubt, by such service thou shalt\nattain to many regions of high felicity.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the ascetic, the Sudra began to\nreflect in his mind, O king, saying, 'How should I now act? Great is my\nreverence for those religious duties that lead to merit. Let this,\nhowever, be settled, that I shall do what would be for my benefit.'[20]\nProceeding to a spot that was distant from that asylum, he made a hut of\nthe twigs and leaves of trees. Erecting also a sacrificial platform, and\nmaking a little space for his sleep, and some platforms for the use of\nthe deities, he began, O chief of the Bharatas, to lead a life regulated\nby rigid observances and vows and to practise penances, abstaining\nentirely from speech all the while. He began to perform ablutions thrice\na day, observe other vows (in respect of food and sleep), make sacrifices\nto the deities, pour libations on the sacrificial fire, and adore the\nworship and deities in this way. Restraining all carnal desires, living\nabstemiously upon fruits and roots, controlling all his senses, he daily\nwelcomed and entertained all that came to his retreat as guests, offering\nthem herbs and fruits that grew plentifully around. In this way he passed\na very long time in that hermitage of his.[21] One day an ascetic came to\nthat Sudra's retreat for the purpose of making his acquaintance. The\nSudra welcomed and worshipped the Rishi with due rites, and gratified him\nhighly. Endued with great energy, and possessed of a righteous soul, that\nRishi of rigid vows conversed with his host on many agreeable subjects\nand informed him of the place whence he had come. In this way, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, that Rishi, O best of men, came into the asylum of the\nSudra times out of a number for the object of seeing him. On one of these\noccasions, the Sudra, O king, addressing the Rishi said,--'I desire to\nperform the rites that are ordained for the Pitris. Do thou instruct me\nkindly in this matter.'--'Very well,'--the Brahmana said in reply unto him,\nO monarch. The Sudra then, purifying himself by a bath, brought water for\nthe Rishi to wash his feet, and he also brought some Kusa grass, and wild\nherbs and fruits, and a sacred seat, and the seat called Vrishi. The\nVrishi, however, was placed by the Sudra towards the south, with his head\nturned to the west. Beholding this and knowing that it was against the\nordinance, the Rishi addressed the Sudra, saying,--'Place the Vrishi with\nits head turned towards the East, and having purified thyself, do thou\nsit with thy face turned towards the north'--The Sudra did everything as\nthe Rishi directed. Possessed of great intelligence, and observant of\nrighteousness, the Sudra received every direction, about the Sraddha, as\nlaid down in the ordinance, from that Rishi endued with penances\nregarding the manner of spreading the Kusa grass, and placing the\nArghyas, and as regards the rites to be observed in the matter of the\nlibations to be poured and the food to be offered. After the rites in\nhonour of the Pitris had been accomplished, the Rishi, was dismissed by\nthe Sudra, whereupon he returned to his own abode.[22] After a long time,\nthe whole of which he passed in the practice of such penances and vows,\nthe Sudra ascetic met with his death in those woods. In consequence of\nthe merit he acquired by those practices, the Sudra in the next life,\ntook birth in the family of a great king, and in course of time became\npossessed of great splendour. The regenerate Rishi also, when the time\ncame, paid his debt in Nature. In his next life, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, he took birth in the family of a priest. It was in this way that\nthose two, viz., that Sudra who had passed a life of penances and that\nregenerate Rishi who had in kindness given the former some instructions\nin the matter of the rites performed in honour of the Pitris, became\nreborn, the one as scion of a royal race and the other as the member of a\npriestly family. Both of them began to grow and both acquired great\nknowledge in the usual branches of study. The Brahmana became well versed\nin the Vedas as also in the Atharvans.[23] In the matter, again of all\nsacrifices ordained in the Sutras, of that Vedanga which deals with\nreligious rites and observances, astrology and astronomy the reborn Rishi\nattained great excellence. In the Sankhya philosophy too he began to take\ngreat delight. Meanwhile, the reborn Sudra who had become a prince, when\nhis father, the king died, performed his last rites; and after he had\npurified himself by accomplishing all the obsequial ceremonies, he was\ninstalled by the subjects of his father as their king on his paternal\nthrone. But soon after his own installation as king, he installed the\nreborn Rishi as his priest. Indeed, having made the Brahmana his priest,\nthe king began to pass his days in great happiness. He ruled his kingdom\nrighteously and protected and cherished all his subjects. Everyday,\nhowever, the king on the occasion of receiving benedictions from his\npriest as also of the performance of religious and other sacred rites,\nsmiled or laughed at him loudly. In this way, O monarch, the reborn Sudra\nwho had become a king, laughed at sight of his priest on numberless\noccasions.[24] The priest, marking that the king always smiled or laughed\nwhenever he happened to cast his eyes on him, became angry. On one\noccasion he met the king in a place where there was nobody else. He\npleased the king by agreeable discourse. Taking advantage of that moment,\nO chief of Bharata's race, the priest addressed the king, saying,--'O\nthou of great splendour, I pray thee to grant me a single boon.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'O best of regenerate persons, I am ready to grant thee a\nhundred of boons, what dost thou say then of one only? From the affection\nI bear thee and the reverence in which I hold thee, there is nothing that\nI cannot give thee.'\n\n\"'\"The priest said, 'I desire to have only one boon, O king, thou hast been\npleased with me. Swear that thou wouldst tell me the truth instead of any\nuntruth.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the priest, O Yudhishthira, the\nking said unto him--'So be it. If what thou wouldst ask me be known to me,\nI shall certainly tell thee truly. If on the other hand, the matter be\nunknown to me, I shall not say anything.'\n\n\"'\"The priest said, 'Every day, on occasions of obtaining my benedictions,\nwhen, again, I am engaged in the performance of religious rites on thy\nbehalf, on occasions also of the Homa and other rites of propitiation,\nwhy is it that thou laughest upon beholding me? Seeing thee laugh at me\non all occasions, my mind shrinks with shame. I have caused thee to\nswear, O king, that thou wouldst answer me truly. It does not behove thee\nto say what is untrue. There must be some grave reason for thy behaviour.\nThy laughter cannot be causeless. Great is my curiosity to know the\nreason. Do thou speak truly unto me.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'When thou hast addressed me in this strain, O regenerate\none, I am bound to enlighten thee, even if the matter be one that should\nnot be divulged in thy hearing. I must tell thee the truth. Do thou\nlisten to me with close attention, O regenerate one. Listen to me, O\nforemost of twice-born persons, as I disclose to thee what happened (to\nus) in our former births. I remember that birth. Do thou listen to me\nwith concentrated mind. In my former life I was a Sudra employed in the\npractice of severe penances. Thou, O best of regenerate persons, wert a\nRishi of austere penances. O sinless one, gratified with me, and impelled\nby the desire of doing me good, thou, O Brahmana, wert pleased to give me\ncertain instructions in the rites I performed (on one occasion) in honour\nof my Pitris. The instructions thou gayest me were in respect of the\nmanner of spreading the Vrishi and the Kusa blades and of offering\nlibations and meat and other food to the manes, O foremost of ascetics.\nIn consequence of this transgression of thine thou hast taken birth as a\npriest, and I have taken birth as a king, O foremost of Brahmanas. Behold\nthe vicissitudes that Time brings about. Thou hast reaped this fruit in\nconsequence of thy having instructed me (in my former birth). It is for\nthis reason, O Brahmana, that I smile at sight of thee, O foremost of\nregenerate persons. I do not certainly laugh at thee from desire of\ndisregarding thee. Thou art my preceptor.[25] At this change of condition\nI am really very sorry. My heart burns at the thought. I remember our\nformer births, hence do I laugh at sight of thee. Thy austere penances\nwere all destroyed by the instructions thou gayest me. Relinquishing thy\npresent office of priest, do thou endeavour to regain a superior birth.\nDo thou exert so that thou mayst not obtain in thy next life a birth\nmeaner than thy present one. Take as much wealth as thou wishest, O\nlearned Brahmana, and cleanse thy soul, O best of men.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Dismissed by the king (from the office of priest),\nthe Brahmana made many gifts, unto persons of his own order, of wealth\nand land and villages. He observed many rigid and severe vows as laid\ndown by the foremost of Brahmanas. He sojourned to many sacred waters and\nmade many gifts unto Brahmanas in those places. Making gifts of kine unto\npersons of the regenerate order, his soul became cleansed and he\nsucceeded in acquiring a knowledge of it. Repairing to that very asylum\nwhither he had lived in his former birth, he practised very severe\npenances. As the consequence of all this, O foremost of kings, that\nBrahmana succeeded in attaining to the highest success. He became an\nobject of veneration with all the ascetics that dwelt in that asylum. In\nthis way, O best of monarchs, that regenerate Rishi fell into great\ndistress. Unto Sudras, therefore, the Brahmanas should never give\ninstructions. Hence, O king, the Brahmana should avoid imparting\ninstructions (to such as are low-born), for it was by imparting\ninstruction to a low-born person a Brahmana came to grief. O best of\nkings, the Brahmana should never desire to obtain instruction from, or\nimpart instruction to, a person that belongs to the lowest order.\nBrahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, the three orders, are regarded as\ntwice-born. By imparting instruction unto these, a Brahmana does not\nincur any fault. They, therefore, that are good, should never discourse\non any subject, for imparting any instruction, before persons of the\ninferior order. The course of morality is exceedingly subtile and\nincapable of being comprehended by persons of uncleansed souls. It is for\nthis reason that ascetics adopt the vow of silence, and being respected\nby all, pass through Diksha (initiation) without indulging in speech.[26]\nFor fear of saying what is incorrect or what may offend, ascetics often\nforego speech itself. Even men that are righteous and possessed of every\naccomplishment, and endued with truth and simplicity of behaviour, have\nbeen known to incur great fault in consequence of words spoken\nimproperly. Instruction should never be imparted on anything unto any\nperson. If in consequence of the instructions imparted, the instructed\ncommit any sin, that sin, attaches to the Brahmana who imparted the\ninstruction. The man of wisdom, therefore, that desires to earn merit,\nshould always act with wisdom. That instruction which is imparted in\nbarter for money always pollutes the instructor.[27] Solicited by others,\none should say only what is correct after settling it with the aid of\nreflection. One should impart instruction in such a way that one may, by\nimparting it, earn merit. I have thus told thee everything respecting the\nsubject of instructions. Very often persons become plunged into great\nafflictions in consequence of imparting instructions. Hence it is meet\nthat one should abstain from giving instruction unto others.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, in what kind of man or woman,\nO chief of the Bharatas, does the goddess of prosperity always reside?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall, in this connection, narrate to thee what\noccurred and what I have heard. Once on a time, beholding the goddess of\nprosperity blazing with beauty and endued with the complexion of the\nlotus, the princess Rukmini the mother of Pradyumna that bore the device\nof the Makara on his banner, filled with curiosity, asked this question\nin the presence of Devaki's son. 'Who are those beings by whose side thou\nstayest and whom thou favours? Who again, are those whom thou dost not\nbless with favour. O thou that art dear unto Him that is the lord of all\ncreatures, tell me this truly, O thou that art equal to a great Rishi in\npenances and puissance.' Thus addressed by the princess, the goddess of\nprosperity, with a face as beautiful as the moon, and moved by grace, in\nthe presence of him who has Garuda on his banner, said these words in\nreply that were sweet and charming.\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'O blessed lady, I always reside with him that is eloquent,\nactive, attentive to business, free from wrath, given to the worship of\nthe deities, endued with gratitude, has his passions under complete\ncontrol, and is high-minded in everything. I never reside with one that\nis inattentive to business, that is an unbeliever, that causes an\nintermixture of races in consequence of his lustfulness, that is\nungrateful, that is of impure practices, that uses harsh and cruel words,\nthat is a thief, that cherishes malice towards his preceptors and other\nseniors, those persons that are endued with little energy, strength,\nlife, and honour, that are distressed at every trifle, and that always\nindulge in wrath. I never reside with these that think in one strain and\nact in a different one.[28] I never reside also with him who never\ndesires any acquisition for himself, of him who is so blinded as to rest\ncontent with the lot in which he finds himself without any exertion or\nwith those that are contented with small acquisitions. I reside with\nthose that are observant of the duties of their own order, or those that\nare conversant with the duties of righteousness, or those that are\ndevoted to the service of the aged or those that have their passions\nunder control, or those that are endued with cleansed souls or those that\nobserve the virtue of forgiveness, or those that are able and prompt in\naction, or with such women as are forgiving and self-restrained. I reside\nwith those women also that are devoted to truth and sincerity and that\nworship the deities. I do not reside with those women also that do not\nattend to household furniture and provisions scattered all around the\nhouse, and that always utter words contrary to the wishes of their\nhusbands. I always avoid those women that are fond of the houses of other\npeople and that have no modesty. On the other hand, I reside with those\nwomen that are devoted to their husbands, that are blessed in behaviour,\nand that are always decked in ornaments and attired in good robes. I\nalways reside with those women that are truthful in speech, that are of\nhandsome and agreeable features, that are blessed and that are endued\nwith all accomplishments. I always avoid such women as are sinful and\nunclean or impure, as always lick the corners of their mouths, as have no\npatience or fortitude, and as are fond of dispute and quarrelling, as are\ngiven to much sleep, and as always lie down. I always reside in\nconveyances and the animals that drag them, in maidens, in ornaments and\ngood vestments, in sacrifices, in clouds charged with rain, in full-blown\nlotuses, and in those stars that bespangle the autumnal firmament. I\nreside in elephants, in the cow pen, in good seats, and in lakes adorned\nwith full-blown lotuses. I live also in such rivers as babble sweetly in\ntheir course, melodious with the music of cranes, having banks adorned\nwith rows of diverse trees, and restored to by Brahmanas and ascetics and\nothers crowned with success. I always reside in those rivers also that\nhave deep and large volumes of rolling waters rendered turbid by lions\nand elephants plunging into them for bathing or slaking their thirst. I\nreside also in infuriate elephants, in bovine bulls, in kings, on the\nthrone and good men. I always reside in that house in which the inmate\npours libation on the sacrificial fire and worships kine, Brahmanas and\nthe deities. I reside in that house where at the proper time offerings\nare made unto the deities, in course of worship.[29] I always reside in\nsuch Brahmanas as are devoted to the study of the Vedas, in Kshatriyas\ndevoted to the observance of righteousness, in Vaisyas devoted to\ncultivation, and the Sudras devoted to the (menial) service of the three\nupper classes. I reside, with a heart firm and unchangeable, in Narayana,\nin my embodied self. In Him is righteousness in its perfection and full\nmeasure, devotion to the Brahmanas, and the quality of agreeableness. Can\nI not say, O lady that I do not reside in my embodied form, (in any of\nthese places that I have mentioned, except Narayana)? That person in whom\nI reside in spirit increases in righteousness and fame and wealth and\nobjects of desire.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoveth, O king to tell me truly which of the\ntwo viz., man or woman derives the greater pleasure from an act of union\nwith each other. Kindly resolve my doubt in this respect.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited this old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Bhangaswana and Sakra as a precedent illustrating the\nquestion. In days of yore there lived a king of the name of Bhangaswana.\nHe was exceedingly righteous and was known as a royal sage. He was,\nhowever, childless, O chief of men, and therefore performed a sacrifice\nfrom desire of obtaining an issue. The sacrifice which that mighty\nmonarch performed was the Agnishtuta. In consequence of the fact that the\ndeity of fire is alone adored in that sacrifice, this is always disliked\nby Indra. Yet it is the sacrifice that is desired by men when for the\npurpose of obtaining an issue they seek to cleanse themselves of their\nsins.[30] The highly blessed chief of the celestials, viz. Indra,\nlearning that the monarch was desirous of performing the Agnishtuta,\nbegan from that moment to look for the laches of that royal sage of\nwell-restrained soul (for if he could succeed in finding some laches, he\ncould then punish his disregarder). Notwithstanding all his vigilance,\nhowever, O king, Indra failed to detect any laches, on the part of the\nhigh-souled monarch. Some time after, one day, the king went on a hunting\nexpedition. Saying unto himself--This, indeed, is an opportunity,--Indra\nstupefied the monarch. The king proceeded alone on his horse, confounded\nbecause of the chief of the celestials having stupefied his senses.\nAfflicted with hunger and thirst, the king's confusion was so great that\nhe could not ascertain the points of the compass. Indeed, afflicted with\nthirst, he began to wander hither and thither. He then beheld a lake that\nwas exceedingly beautiful and was full of transparent water. Alighting\nfrom his steed, and plunging into the lake, he caused his animal to\ndrink. Tying his horse then, whose thirst had been slaked, to a tree, the\nking plunged into the lake again for performing his ablutions. To his\namazement he found that he was changed, by virtue of the waters, into a\nwoman. Beholding himself thus transformed in respect of sex itself, the\nking became overpowered with shame. With his senses and mind completely\nagitated, he began to reflect with his whole heart in this strain:--'Alas,\nhow shall I ride my steed? How shall I return to my capital? In\nconsequence of the Agnishtuta sacrifice I have got a hundred sons all\nendued with great might, and all children of my own loins. Alas, thus\ntransformed, what shall I say unto them? What shall I say unto my\nspouses, my relatives and well-wishers, and my subjects of the city and\nthe provinces? Rishis conversant with the truths of duty and religion and\nother matters say that mildness and softness and liability to extreme\nagitation are the attributes of women, and that activity, hardness, and\nenergy are the attributes of men. Alas, my manliness has disappeared. For\nwhat reason has femininity come over me? In consequence of this\ntransformation of sex, how shall I succeed in mounting my horse\nagain?'--Having indulged in these sad thoughts, the monarch, with great\nexertion, mounted his steed and came back to his capital, transformed\nthough he had been into a woman. His sons and spouses and servants, and\nhis subjects of the city and the provinces, beholding that extraordinary\ntransformation, became exceedingly amazed. Then that royal sage, that\nforemost of eloquent men, addressing them all, said,--'I had gone out on a\nhunting expedition, accompanied by a large force. Losing all knowledge of\nthe points of the compass, I entered a thick and terrible forest,\nimpelled by the fates. In that terrible forest, I became afflicted with\nthirst and lost my senses. I then beheld a beautiful lake abounding with\nfowl of every description. Plunging into that stream for performing my\nablutions, I was transformed into a woman!'--Summoning then his spouses\nand counsellors, and all his sons by their names, that best of monarchs\ntransformed into a woman said unto them these words:--'Do ye enjoy this\nkingdom in happiness. As regards myself, I shall repair to the woods, ye\nsons.'--Having said so unto his children, the monarch proceeded to the\nforest. Arrived there, she came upon an asylum inhabited by an ascetic.\nBy that ascetic the transformed monarch gave birth to a century of sons.\nTaking all those children of hers, she repaired to where her former\nchildren were, and addressing the latter, said,--'Ye are the children of\nmy loins while I was a man. These are my children brought forth by me in\nthis state of transformation. Ye sons, do ye all enjoy my kingdom\ntogether, like brothers born of the same parents.'--At this command of\ntheir parent, all the brothers, uniting together, began to enjoy the\nkingdom as their joint property. Beholding those children of the king all\njointly enjoying the kingdom as brothers born of the same parents, the\nchief of the celestials, filled with wrath, began to reflect--'By\ntransforming this royal sage into a woman I have, it seems, done him good\ninstead of an injury.' Saying this, the chief of the celestials viz.,\nIndra of a hundred sacrifices, assuming the form of a Brahmana, repaired\nto the capital of the king and meeting all the children succeeded in\ndisuniting the princes. He said unto them--'Brothers never remain at peace\neven when they happen to be the children of the same father. The sons of\nthe sage Kasyapa, viz., the deities and the Asuras, quarrelled with each\nother on account of the sovereignty of the three worlds. As regards ye\nprinces, ye are the children of the royal sage Bhangaswana. These others\nare the children of an ascetic. The deities and the Asuras are children\nof even one common sire, and yet the latter quarrelled with each other.\nHow much more, therefore, should you quarrel with each other? This\nkingdom that is your paternal property is being enjoyed by these children\nof an ascetic.' With these words, Indra succeeded in causing a breach\nbetween them, so that they were very soon engaged in battle and slew each\nother. Hearing this, king Bhangaswana, who was living as an ascetic\nwoman, burnt with grief and poured forth her lamentations. The lord of\nthe celestials viz. Indra, assuming the guise of a Brahmana, came to that\nspot where the ascetic lady was living and meeting her, said,--'O thou\nthat art possessed of a beautiful face, with what grief dost thou burn so\nthat thou art pouring forth thy lamentations?'--Beholding the Brahmana the\nlady told him in a piteous voice,--'Two hundred sons of mine O regenerate\none, have been slain by Time. I was formerly a king, O learned Brahmana\nand in that state had a hundred sons. These were begotten by me after my\nown form, O best of regenerate persons. On one occasion I went on a\nhunting expedition. Stupefied, I wandered amidst a thick forest.\nBeholding at last a lake, I plunged into it. Rising, O foremost of\nBrahmanas, I found that I had become a woman. Returning to my capital I\ninstalled my sons in the sovereignty of my dominions and then departed\nfor the forest. Transformed into a woman, I bore a hundred sons to my\nhusband who is a high souled ascetic. All of them were born in the\nascetic's retreat. I took them to the capital. My children, through the\ninfluence of Time, quarrelled with each other, O twice-born one. Thus\nafflicted by Destiny, I am indulging in grief.' Indra addressed him in\nthese harsh words.--'In former days, O lady, thou gayest me great pain,\nfor thou didst perform a sacrifice that is disliked by Indra. Indeed,\nthough I was present, thou didst not invoke me with honours. I am that\nIndra, O thou of wicked understanding. It is I with whom thou hast\npurposely sought hostilities.' Beholding Indra, the royal sage fell at his\nfeet, touching them with his head, and said,--'Be gratified with me, O\nforemost of deities. The sacrifice of which thou speakest was performed\nfrom desire of offspring (and not from any wish to hurt thee). It\nbehoveth thee therefore, to grant me thy pardon.'--Indra, seeing the\ntransformed monarch prostrate himself thus unto him, became gratified\nwith him and desired to give him a boon. 'Which of your sons, O king, dost\nthou wish, should revive, those that were brought forth by thee\ntransformed into a woman, or those that were begotten by thee in thy\ncondition as a person of the male sex?' The ascetic lady, joining her\nhands, answered Indra, saying, 'O Vasava, let those sons of mine come to\nlife that were borne by me as a woman.' Filled with wonder at this reply,\nIndra once more asked the lady, 'Why dost thou entertain less affection\nfor those children of thine that were begotten by thee in thy form of a\nperson of the male sex? Why is it that thou bearest greater affection for\nthose children that were borne by thee in thy transformed state? I wish\nto hear the reason of this difference in respect of thy affection. It\nbehoveth thee to tell me everything.'\n\n\"'\"The lady said, 'The affection that is entertained by a woman is much\ngreater than that which is entertained by a man. Hence, it is, O Sakra,\nthat I wish those children to come back to life that were borne by me as\na woman.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, Indra became highly pleased and said\nunto her, 'O lady that art so truthful, let all thy children come back\ninto life. Do thou take another boon, O foremost of kings, in fact,\nwhatever boon thou likest. O thou of excellent vows, do thou take from me\nwhatever status thou choosest, that of woman or of man.'\n\n\"'\"The lady said, 'I desire to remain a woman, O Sakra. In fact, I do not\nwish to be restored to the status of manhood, O Vasava.'--Hearing this\nanswer, Indra once more asked her, saying,--'Why is it, O puissant one,\nthat abandoning the status of manhood thou wishest that of womanhood?'\nQuestioned thus, that foremost of monarchs transformed into a woman\nanswered, 'In acts of congress, the pleasure that women enjoy is always\nmuch greater than what is enjoyed by men. It is for this reason, O Sakra,\nthat I desire to continue a woman; O foremost of the deities, truly do I\nsay unto thee that I derive greater pleasure in my present status of\nwomanhood. I am quite content with this status of womanhood that I now\nhave. Do thou leave me now, O lord of heaven.'--Hearing these words of\nhers, the lord of the celestials answered,--'So be it,'--and bidding her\nfarewell, proceeded to heaven. Thus, O monarch, it is known that woman\nderives much greater pleasure than man under the circumstances thou hast\nasked.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What should a man do in order to pass pleasantly\nthrough this and the other world. How, indeed, should one conduct\noneself? What practices should one adopt with this end in view?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One should avoid the three acts that are done with the\nbody, the four that are done with speech, the three that are done with\nthe mind, and the ten paths of action. The three acts that are done with\nthe body and should be wholly avoided are the destruction of the lives of\nother creatures, theft or appropriation of what belongs to other persons,\nand the enjoyment of other people's wives. The four acts that are done\nwith speech, O king, and that should never be indulged in or even thought\nof, are evil conversation, harsh words, publishing other people's faults,\nand falsehood. Coveting the possessions of others, doing injury to\nothers, and disbelief in the ordinances of the Vedas, are the three acts\ndone with the mind which should always be avoided.[31] Hence, one should\nnever do any evil act in word, body, or mind. By doing good and evil\nacts, one is sure to enjoy or endure the just consequences thereof.\nNothing can be more certain than this.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O son of the River Ganga, thou hast heard all the\nnames of Maheshwara, the Lord of the universe. Do thou tell us, O\ngrandsire, all the names that are applied, O puissant one, unto Him who\nis called Isa and Sambhu. Do thou tell us all those names that are\napplied unto Him who is called Vabhru or vast, Him that has the universe\nfor his form, Him that is the illustrious preceptor of all the deities\nand the Asuras, that is called Swayambhu (self-creating) and that is the\ncause of the origin and dissolution of the universe. Do thou tell us also\nof the puissance of Mahadeva.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I am quite incompetent to recite the virtues of Mahadeva\nof highest intelligence. He pervades all things in the universe and yet\nis not seen anywhere. He is the creator of universal self and the Pragna\n(knowing) self and he is their master. All the deities, from Brahman to\nthe Pisachas, adore and worship him. He transcends both Prakriti and\nPurusha. It is of Him that Rishis, conversant with Yoga and possessing a\nknowledge of the tattwas, think and reflect. He is indestructible and\nSupreme Brahman. He is both existent and non-existent. Agitating both\nPrakriti and Purusha by means of His energy, He created therefrom the\nuniversal lord of creatures, viz., Brahma. Who is there that is competent\nto tell the virtues of that god of gods, that is endued with supreme\nIntelligence? Man is subject to conception (in the mother's womb), birth,\ndecrepitude, and death. Being such, what man like me is competent to\nunderstand Bhava? Only Narayana, O son, that bearer of the discus and the\nmace, can comprehend Mahadeva. He is without deterioration. He is the\nforemost of all beings in attributes. He is Vishnu, because of his\npervading the universe. He is irresistible. Endued with spiritual vision,\nHe is possessed of supreme Energy. He sees all things with the eye of\nYoga. It is in consequence of the devotion of the high-souled Krishna to\nthe illustrious Rudra whom he gratified, O Bharata, in the retreat of\nVadari, by penances, that he has succeeded in pervading the entire\nuniverse. O king of kings, it is through Maheswara of celestial vision\nthat Vasudeva has obtained the attribute of universal agreeableness,--an\nagreeableness that is much greater than what is possessed by all articles\nincluded under the name of wealth.[32] For a full thousand years this\nMadhava underwent the austerest penances and at last succeeded in\ngratifying the illustrious and boon giving Siva, that Master of all the\nmobile and the immobile universe. In every new Yuga has Krishna (by such\npenances) gratified Mahadeva. In every Yuga has Mahadeva been gratified\nwith the great devotion of the high-souled Krishna. How great is the\npuissance of the high-souled Mahadeva,--that original cause of the\nuniverse,--has been seen with his own eyes by Hari who himself transcends\nall deterioration, on the occasion of his penances in the retreat of\nVadari undergone for obtaining a son.[33] I do not, O Bharata, behold any\none that is superior to Mahadeva. To expound the names of that god of\ngods fully and without creating the desire of hearing more only Krishna\nis competent. This mighty-armed one of Yadu's race is alone competent to\ntell the attributes of the illustrious Siva. Verily, O king, only he is\nable to discourse on the puissance, in its entirety of the Supreme deity.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words, the illustrious\nBhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus, addressing Vasudeva, said the\nfollowing words, dealing with the subject of the greatness of Bhava, O\nmonarch.\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thou art the Master of all the deities and the Asuras.\nThou art illustrious. Thou art Vishnu in consequence of thy pervading the\nwhole universe. It behoveth thee to discourse on those subjects connected\nwith Siva of universal form about which Yudhishthira has asked me. In\ndays of yore, the Rishi Tandi, sprung from Brahma, recited in Brahma's\nregion and before Brahma himself the thousand names of Mahadeva. Do thou\nrecite those names before this conclave so that these Rishis endued with\nwealth of asceticism, observant of high vows, possessed of\nself-restraint, and numbering the Island-born Krishna among them, may\nhear thee. Do thou discourse on the high blessedness of Him who is\nimmutable, who is always cheerful and happy, who is Hotri, who is the\nuniversal Protector, who is Creator, of the universe, and who is called\nMundin and Kaparddin.\"[34]\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"The very deities with Indra, and the Grandsire Brahma\nnumbering among them, and the great Rishis also, are incompetent to\nunderstand the course of Mahadeva's acts truly and in all their details.\nEven He is the end which all righteous people attain. The very Adityas\nwho are endued with subtile sight, are unable to behold his abode. How\nthen can one that is merely a man succeed in comprehending Him?[35] I\nshall, therefore, truly recite to you some of the attributes of that\nillustrious slayer of Asuras, who is regarded as the Lord of all\nsacrifices and vows.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words, the illustrious\nVasudeva began his discourse on the attributes of the high-souled\nMahadeva endued with the highest intelligence, after having purified\nhimself by touching water.'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Hear, ye foremost of Brahmanas and thou Yudhishthira\nalso, O sire, and hear thou too, O Ganga's son, the names that are\napplied unto Kaparddin. Hear ye, how in former days, I obtained a sight,\nso difficult to obtain, (of that great god), for the sake of Samva.\nVerily, in those days was the illustrious deity seen by me in consequence\nof Yoga-abstraction.[36] After twelve years had expired from the time\nwhen Pradyumna, the son of Rukmini, who is endued with great\nintelligence, slew the Asura Samvara in days of yore, my spouse Jamvavati\naddressed me. Indeed, beholding Pradyumna and Charudeshna and other sons\nborn of Rukmini, Jamvavati, desirous of a son, said these words unto me,\nO Yudhishthira,--'Grant me, O thou of unfading glory, a son endued with\nheroism, the foremost of mighty men, possessed of the most agreeable\nfeatures, sinless in conduct, and like unto thyself. And O, let there be\nno delay on thy part in granting this prayer of mine. There is nothing in\nthe three worlds that is unattainable by thee, O perpetuator of Yadu's\nrace, thou canst create other worlds if only thou wishest it. Observing a\nvow for twelve years and purifying thyself, thou hadst adored the Lord of\nall creatures (viz., Mahadeva) and then begot upon Rukmini the sons that\nshe has obtained from thee, viz., Charudeshna and Sucharu and Charuvesa\nand Yasodhana and Charusravas and Charuyasas and Pradyumna and Sambhu. O\nslayer of Madhu, do thou grant to me a son like unto those of great\npowers whom thou hast begotten upon Rukmini?'--Thus addressed by the\nprincess, I replied unto her of slender waist,--'Let me have thy\npermission (to leave thee for some time), O queen. I shall certainly obey\nthy behest.' She answered me, saying,--'Go, and may success and prosperity\nalways attend thee. Let Brahma and Siva and Kasyapa, the Rivers, those\ndeities that preside over the wind, the soil, all deciduous herbs, those\nChhandas (Rhymes) that are regarded as bearers of the libations poured in\nsacrifices, the Rishis, Earth, the Oceans, the sacrificial presents,\nthose syllables that are uttered for completing the cadences of Samans,\nthe Rikshas, the Pitris, the Planets, the spouses of the deities, the\ncelestial maidens, the celestial mothers, the great cycles, kine,\nChandramas, Savitri, Agni, Savitri, the knowledge of the Vedas, the\nseasons, the year, small and big divisions of time, e.g., the Kshanas,\nthe Labas, the Muhurtas, the Nimeshas, and the Yugas in succession,\nprotect thee, O Yadava, and keep thee in happiness, wherever thou mayst\nstay. Let no danger overtake thee on thy way, and let no heedlessness be\nthine, O sinless one.'--Thus blessed by her, I took her leave, bidding\nfarewell unto the daughter of the prince of apes. Repairing then into the\npresence of that foremost of men, viz., my father, of my mother, of the\nking, and of Ahuka, I informed them of what the daughter of the prince of\nthe Vidyadharas, in great affliction, had said unto me. Bidding them\nfarewell with a sorrowful heart, I then repaired to Gada and to Rama of\ngreat might. These two cheerfully addressed me saying,--Let thy penances\nincrease without any obstruction.--Having obtained the permission of all\nof them, I thought of Garuda. He immediately came to me and bore me to\nHimavat (at my bidding). Arrived at Himavat, I dismissed him. There on\nthat foremost of mountains, I beheld many wonderful sights. I saw an\nexcellent, wonderful, and agreeable retreat for the practice of penances.\nThat delightful retreat was owned by the high-souled Upamanyu who was a\ndescendant of Vyaghrapada. That retreat is applauded and reverenced by\nthe deities and the Gandharvas, and seemed to be covered with Vedic\nbeauty. It was adorned with Dhavas and Kakubhas and Kadamvas and Cocas,\nwith Kuruvakas and Ketakas and Jamvus and Patalas, with banians and\nVarunakas and Vatsanabhas and Vilwas, with Saralas and Kapitthas and\nPiyalas and Salas and palmyras with Vadaris and Kundas and Punnagas and\nAsokas and Amras and Kovidaras and Champakas and Panasas, and with\ndiverse other trees endued with fruits and flowers. And that retreat was\nalso decked with the straight stems of the Musa Supienta.[37] Truly, that\nasylum was adorned with diverse other kinds of trees and with diverse\nkinds of fruits forming the food of diverse kinds of birds. Heaps of\nashes (of sacrificial fires) were thrown in proper places all around,\nwhich added to the beauty of the scene. It abounded with Rurus and apes\nand tigers and lions and leopards, with deer of diverse species and\npeacocks, and with cats and snakes. Indeed, large numbers of other\nanimals also were seen there, as also buffaloes and bears. Delicious\nbreezes constantly blew bearing the melodious strains of celestial\nnymphs. The babblings of mountain rivulets and springs, the sweet notes\nof winged choristers, the gruntings of elephants, the delicious stains of\nKinnaras, and the auspicious voice of ascetics singing the Samans, O\nhero, and diverse other kinds of music, rendered that retreat extremely\ncharming. The very imagination cannot conceive another retreat as\ndelightful as the one I beheld. There were also large houses in that\nasylum, intended for keeping the sacred fire, and covered all over with\nflowering creepers. It was adorned with the river Ganga of clear and\nsacred water. Indeed, the daughter of Jahnu always remained there. It was\ndecked also with many ascetics who were the foremost of all righteous\npersons, who were endued with high souls, and who resembled fire itself\nin energy.[38] Some of those ascetics subsisted upon air and some upon\nwater, some were devoted to Japa or the silent recitation of sacred\nMantras, and some were engaged in cleansing their souls by practising the\nvirtues of compassion while some amongst them were Yogins devoted to the\nabstraction of Yoga-meditation. Some amongst them subsisted upon smoke\nonly, and some subsisted upon fire, and some upon milk. Thus was that\nretreat adorned with many foremost of regenerate persons. And some there\nwere amongst them that had taken the vow of eating and drinking like\nkine,--that is, by giving up the use of the hands at once. And some used\nonly two pieces of stone for husking their grain, and some used their\nteeth only for that purpose. And some subsisted by drinking only the rays\nof the moon, and some by drinking only froth. And some had betaken\nthemselves to vow of living like deer.[39] And some there were that lived\nupon the fruits of the Ficus religiosa, and some that used to live upon\nwater. And some dressed themselves in rags and some in animal skins and\nsome in barks of trees. Indeed, I beheld diverse ascetics of the foremost\norder observing these and other painful vows. I desired then to enter\nthat asylum. Verily, that asylum was honoured and adored by the deities\nand all high-souled beings, by Siva and others, O Bharata, and by all\ncreatures of righteous acts. Thus addressed, it stood in all its beauty\non the breast of Himavat, like the lunar disc in the firmament. The\nmongoose sported there with the snake, and the tiger with the deer, like\nfriends, forgetting their natural enmity, in consequence of the energy of\nthose ascetics of blazing penances and for their proximity to these\nhigh-souled ones. In that foremost of asylums, which was delightful to\nall creatures, inhabited by many foremost of Brahmanas fully conversant\nwith the Vedas and their branches, and by many high-souled Rishis\ncelebrated for the difficult vows they observed, I saw, as soon as I\nentered, a puissant Rishi with matted locks on head and dressed in rags,\nwho seemed to blaze forth like fire with his penances and energy. Waited\nupon by his disciples and possessed of tranquil soul, that foremost of\nBrahmanas was young in aspect. His name was Upamanyu. Unto me who bowed\nunto him with a nod of the head, he said,--'Welcome art thou, O thou of\neyes like lotus petals. Today, by this visit of thine, we see that our\npenances have borne fruit. Thou art worthy of our adoration, but thou\nadorest us still. Thou art worthy of being seen, but thou desirest to see\nme.'--Joining my hands I addressed him the usual enquiries respecting the\nwell-being of the animals and birds that resided in his asylum, of the\nprogress of his righteousness, and of his disciples. The illustrious\nUpamanyu then addressed me in words that were exceedingly sweet and\ndelightful,--'Thou shalt, O Krishna, obtain without doubt a son like unto\nthyself. Betaking thyself to severe penances, do thou gratify Isana, the\nLord of all creatures. That divine Master, O Adhokshaja, sporteth here\nwith his spouse by his side. O Janarddana, it was here that the deities\nwith all the Rishis, in days of yore, gratified that foremost of deities\nby their penances and Brahmacharyya and truth and self-restraint, and\nsucceeded in obtaining the fruition of many high desires. That\nillustrious god is verily the vast receptacle of all energies and\npenances. Projecting into existence and withdrawing once more unto\nhimself all things fraught with good and evil, that inconceivable Deity\nwhom thou seekest, O destroyer of foes, lives here with his spouse. He\nwho took his birth as the Danava named Hiranyakashipu, whose strength was\nso great that he could shake the very mountains of Meru, succeeded in\nobtaining from Mahadeva the puissance belonging to all the deities and\nenjoyed it for ten millions of years. He who was the foremost of all his\nsons and who was celebrated by the name of Mandara, succeeded, through\nthe boon he had obtained from Mahadeva, in fighting Sakra for a million\nof years. The terrible discus of Vishnu and the thunderbolt of Indra were\nboth unable to make the slightest impression, O Kesava, in days of yore,\nupon the body of that great cause of universal affliction.[40] The discus\nwhich thou bearest, O sinless one, was given unto thee by Mahadeva after\nhe had slain a Daitya that was proud of his strength and used to live\nwithin the waters. That discus, blazing with energy and like unto fire,\nwas created by the great god having for his device the bull. Wonderful\nand irresistible in energy it was given unto thee by that illustrious\ngod. In consequence of its blazing energy it was incapable of being gazed\nat by any person save Siva the wielder of Pinaka. It was for this reason\nthat Bhava (Siva) bestowed upon it the name of Sudarsana. From that time\nthe name Sudarsana came to be current in all the worlds. Even the weapon,\nO Kesava, failed to make the slightest impression on the body of\nHiranyakashipu's son Mandara, that appeared like an evil planet in the\nthree worlds. Hundreds of Chakras like thine and thunderbolts like that\nof Sakra, could not inflict a scratch on the body of that evil planet\nendued with great might, who had obtained a boon from Mahadeva. Afflicted\nby the mighty Mandara, the deities fought hard against him and his\nassociates, all of whom had obtained boons from Mahadeva. Gratified with\nanother Danava named Vidyutprabha, Mahadeva granted to him the\nsovereignty of the three worlds. That Danava remained the sovereign of\nthe three worlds for a hundred thousand years. And Mahadeva said unto\nhim,--\"Thou shalt become one of my attendants.\"--Indeed, the puissant Lord\nfurther bestowed upon him the boon of a hundred millions of children. The\nMaster without birth, of all creatures further gave the Danava the region\nknown by the name of Kusadwipa for his kingdom. Another great Asura, of\nthe name of Satamukha, was created by Brahma. For a hundred years he\npoured on the sacrificial fire (as offerings unto Mahadeva) the flesh of\nhis own body. Gratified with such penances, Sankara said unto him,--\"What\ncan I do for thee?\"--Satamukha replied unto him, saying,--\"O thou that art\nmost wonderful, let me have the power of creating new creatures and\nanimals. Give also unto me, O foremost of all deities, eternal\npower.\"--The puissant lord, thus addressed by him, said unto him,--\"So be\nit.\"--The Self-born Brahma, concentrating his mind in Yoga,[41] in days of\nyore, made a sacrifice for three hundred years, with the object of\nobtaining children. Mahadeva granted him a thousand sons possessed of\nqualifications commensurate with the merits of the sacrifice. Without\ndoubt, thou knowest, O Krishna, the lord of Yoga, him that is, who is\nsung by the deities. The Rishi known by the name of Yajnavalkya is\nexceedingly virtuous. By adoring Mahadeva he has acquired great fame. The\ngreat ascetic who is Parasara's son, viz., Vyasa, of soul set on Yoga,\nhas obtained great celebrity by adoring Sankara. The Valikhilyas were on\na former occasion disregarded by Maghavat. Filled with wrath at this,\nthey gratified the illustrious Rudra. That lord of the universe, that\nforemost one of all the deities, thus gratified by the Valikhilyas, said\nunto them,--\"Ye shall succeed by your penances in creating a bird that\nwill rob Indra of the Amrita.\" Through the wrath of Mahadeva on a former\noccasion, all the waters disappeared. The deities gratified him by\nperforming a sacrifice called Saptakapala, and caused, through his grace,\nother waters to flow into the worlds. Verily, when the three-eyed deity\nbecame gratified, water once more appeared in the world. The wife of\nAtri, who was conversant with the Vedas, abandoned her husband in a huff\nand said,--\"I shall no longer live in subjection to that ascetic.\"--Having\nsaid these words, she sought the protection of Mahadeva. Through fear of\nher lord, Atri passed three hundred years, abstaining from all food. And\nall this time she slept on wooden clubs for the purpose of gratifying\nBhava. The great deity then appeared unto her and then smilingly\naddressed her, saying--\"Thou shalt obtain a son. And thou shalt get that\nson without the need of a husband, simply through the grace of Rudra.\nWithout doubt that son, born in the race of his father, shall become\ncelebrated for his worth, and assume a name after thee.\" The illustrious\nVikarna also, O slayer of Madhu, full of devotion to Mahadeva, gratified\nhim with severe penances and obtained high and happy success. Sakalya,\ntoo, of restrained soul, adored Bhava in a mental sacrifice that he\nperformed for nine hundred years, O Kesava. Gratified with him the\nillustrious deity said unto him,--\"Thou shalt become a great author. O\nson, inexhaustible shall thy fame be in the three worlds. Thy race also\nshall never come to an end and shall be adorned by many great Rishis that\nshall take birth in it. Thy son will become the foremost of Brahmanas and\nwill make the Sutras of thy work.\" There was a celebrated Rishi of the\nname of Savarni in the Krita age. Here, in this asylum, he underwent\nsevere penances for six thousand years. The illustrious Rudra said,--\"I am\ngratified with thee, O sinless one! Without being subject to decrepitude\nor death, thou shalt become an author celebrated through all the\nworlds!\"--In days of yore, Sakra, also, in Baranasi, filled with devotion,\nO Janarddana, adored Mahadeva who has empty space alone for his garments\nand who is smeared with ashes as an agreeable unguent. Having adored\nMahadeva thus, he obtained the sovereignty of the celestials. Narada\nalso, in days of yore, adored the great Bhava with devotion of heart.\nGratified with him, Mahadeva, that preceptor of the celestial preceptor,\nsaid these words.--\"No one shall be thy equal in energy and penances. Thou\nshalt always attend upon me with thy songs and instrumental music.\" Hear\nalso, O Madhava, how in former times I succeeded in obtaining a sight of\nthat god of gods, that Master of all creatures, O Lord. Hear also in\ndetail for what object, O thou of great puissance. I invoked with\nrestrained senses and mind that illustrious deity endued with supreme\nenergy. I shall, O sinless one, tell thee with full details all that I\nsucceeded in obtaining from that god of gods, viz., Maheswara. In ancient\ntimes, viz., Krita age, O son, there was a Rishi of great fame, named\nVyaghrapada. He was celebrated for his knowledge and mastery over the\nVedas and their branches. I was born as the son of that Rishi and Dhaumya\ntook birth as my younger brother. On a certain occasion, Madhava,\naccompanied by Dhaumya, I came upon the asylum of certain Rishis of\ncleansed souls. There I beheld a cow that was being milked. I saw the\nmilk and it appeared to me to resemble Amrita itself in taste. I then\ncame home, and impelled by childishness, I addressed my mother and\nsaid,--\"Give me some food prepared with milk.\"--There was no milk in the\nhouse, and accordingly my mother was much grieved at my asking for it. My\nmother took a piece of (rice) cake and boiled it in water, Madhava. The\nwater became whitened and my mother placed it before us saying that it\nwas milk and bade us drink it. I had before that drunk milk on one\noccasion, for my father had, at the time of a sacrifice, taken me to the\nresidence of some of our great kinsmen. A celestial cow, who delights the\ndeities, was being milked on that occasion. Drinking her milk that\nresembled Amrita in taste, I knew what the virtues are of milk. I\ntherefore, at once understood the origin of the substance that my mother\noffered me, telling me that it was milk. Verily, the taste of that cake,\nO son, did not afford me any pleasure whatever. Impelled by childishness\nI then addressed mother, saying,--\"This O mother, that thou hast given me\nis not any preparation of milk.\"--Filled with grief and sorrow at this,\nand embracing me from parental affection and smelling my head, O Madhava,\nshe said unto me,--\"Whence, O child, can ascetics of cleansed souls obtain\nfood prepared with milk? Such men always reside in the forest and subsist\nupon bulbs and roots and fruits. Whence shall we who live by the banks of\nrivers that are the resort of the Valikhilyas, we who have mountains and\nforest, for our home,--whence, indeed, O child, shall we obtain milk? We,\ndear child, live (sometimes) on air and sometimes on water. We dwell in\nasylums in the midst of forests and woods. We habitually abstain from all\nkinds of food that are taken by persons living in villages and towns. We\nare accustomed to only such food as is supplied by the produce of the\nwilderness. There cannot be any milk, O child, in the wilderness where\nthere are no offspring of Surabhi.[42] Dwelling on the banks of rivers or\nin caves or on mountain-breasts, or in tirthas and other places of the\nkind, we pass our time in the practice of penances and the recitation of\nsacred Mantras, Siva being our highest refuge. Without gratifying the\nboon-giving Sthanu of unfading glory,--him, that is, who has three\neyes,--whence, O child, can one obtain food prepared with milk and good\nrobes and other objects of enjoyment in the world? Do thou devote\nthyself, O dear son, to Sankara with thy whole soul. Through his grace, O\nchild, thou art sure to obtain all such objects as administer to the\nindulgence of all thy wishes,\"--Hearing these words of my mother, O slayer\nof foes, that day, I joined my hands in reverence and bowing unto her,\nsaid,--\"O mother, who this Mahadeva? In what manner can one gratify him?\nWhere does that god reside? How may he be seen? With what does he become\npleased? What also is the form of Sarva? How may one succeed in obtaining\na knowledge of him? If gratified, will he, O mother, show himself unto\nme?\"--After I had said these words, O Krishna, to my mother, she, filled\nwith parental affection, smelt my head, O Govinda, her eyes covered with\ntears the while. Gently patting my body, O slayer of Madhu, my mother,\nadopting a tone of great humility, addressed me in the following words, O\nbest of the deities.\n\n\"'\"'My mother said, \"Mahadeva is exceedingly difficult to be known by\npersons of uncleansed souls. These men are incapable of bearing him in\ntheir hearts or comprehending him at all. They can retain him in their\nminds. They cannot seize him, nor can they obtain a sight of him. Men of\nwisdom aver that his forms are many. Many, again, are the places in which\nhe resides. Many are the forms of his Grace. Who is there that can\nunderstand in their details the acts, which are all excellent, of Isa, or\nof all the forms that he has assumed in days of yore? Who can relate how\nSarva sports and how he becomes gratified? Maheswara of universal form\nresides in the hearts of all creatures. While Munis discoursed on the\nauspicious and excellent acts of Isana, I have heard from them how,\nimpelled by compassion towards his worshippers, he grants them a sight of\nhis person. For the purpose of showing a favour unto the Brahmanas, the\ndenizens of heaven have recited for their information the diverse forms\nthat were assumed by Mahadeva in days of yore. Thou hast asked me about\nthese. I shall recite them to thee, O son.\"\n\n\"'\"'My mother continued, \"Bhava assumes the forms of Brahma and Vishnu and\nthe chief of the celestials of the Rudras, the Adityas, and the Aswins;\nand of those deities that are called Viswadevas. He assumes the forms\nalso of men and women, of Pretas and Pisachas, of Kiratas and Savaras,\nand of all aquatic animals. That illustrious deity assumes the forms of\nalso those Savaras that dwell in the woods and forests. He assumes the\nforms of tortoises and fishes and conches. He it is that assumes the\nforms of those coral sprouts that are used as ornaments by men. He\nassumes also the forms of Yakshas, Rakshasas and Snakes, of Daityas and\nDanavas. Indeed, the illustrious god assumes the forms of all creatures\ntoo that live in holes. He assumes the forms of tigers and lions and\ndeer, of wolves and bears and birds, of owls and of jackals as well. He\nit is that assumes the forms of swans and crows and peacocks, of\nchameleons and lizards and storks. He it is that assumes the forms of\ncranes and vultures and Chakravakas. Verily, he it is that assumes the\nforms of Chasas and of mountains also. O son, it is Mahadeva that assumes\nthe forms of kine and elephants and horses and camels and asses. He\nassumes also the forms of goats and leopards and diverse other varieties\nof animals. It is Bhava who assumes the forms of diverse kinds of birds\nof beautiful plumage. It is Mahadeva who bears the forms of persons with\nsticks and those with umbrellas and those with calabashes among\nBrahmanas.[43] He sometimes becomes six-faced and sometimes becomes\nmultifaced. He sometimes assumes forms having three eyes and forms having\nmany heads. And he sometimes assumes forms having many millions of legs\nand forms having innumerable stomachs and faces and forms endued with\ninnumerable arms and innumerable sides. He sometimes appears surrounded\nby innumerable spirits and ghosts. He it is that assumes the forms of\nRishis and Gandharvas, and of Siddhas and Charanas. He sometimes assumes\na form that is rendered white with the ashes he smears on it and is\nadorned with a half-moon on the forehead. Adored with diverse hymns\nuttered with diverse kinds of voice and worshipped with diverse Mantras\nfraught with encomiums, he, that is sometimes called Sarva, is the\nDestroyer of all creatures in the universe, and it is upon him, again,\nthat all creatures rest as their common foundation. Mahadeva is the\nsoul of all creatures. He pervades all things. He is the speaker of all\ndiscourses (on duties and rituals). He resides everywhere and should be\nknown as dwelling in the hearts of all creatures in the universe. He\nknows the desire cherished by every one of his worshippers. He becomes\nacquainted with the object in which one pays him adorations. Do thou\nthen, if it pleases thee, seek the protection of the chief of the\ndeities. He sometimes rejoices, and sometimes yields to wrath, and\nsometimes utters the syllable Hum with a very loud noise. He sometimes\narms himself with the discus, sometimes with the trident, sometimes with\nthe mace, sometimes with the heavy mullets, sometimes with the scimitar,\nand sometimes with the battle axe. He it is that assumes the form of\nSesha who sustains the world on his head. He has snakes for his belt, and\nhis ears are adorned with ear-rings made of snakes. Snakes form also the\nsacred thread he wears. An elephant skin forms his upper garment.[44] He\nsometimes laughs and sometimes sings and sometimes dances most\nbeautifully. Surrounded by innumerable spirits and ghosts, he sometimes\nplays on musical instruments. Diverse, again are the instruments upon\nwhich he plays, and sweet the sounds they yield. He sometimes wanders\n(over crematoria), sometimes yawns, sometimes cries, and sometimes causes\nothers to cry. He sometimes assumes the guise of one that is mad, and\nsometimes of one that is intoxicated, and he sometimes utters words that\nare exceedingly sweet. Endued with appalling fierceness, he sometimes\nlaughs loudly, frightening all creatures with his eyes. He sometimes\nsleeps and sometimes remains awake and sometimes yawns as he pleases. He\nsometimes recites sacred Mantras and sometimes becomes the deity of those\nMantras which are recited. He sometimes performs penances and sometimes\nbecomes the deity for whose adoration those penances are undergone. He\nsometimes makes gifts and sometimes receives those gifts; sometimes\ndisposes himself in Yoga and sometimes becomes the object of the Yoga\ncontemplation of others. He may be seen on the sacrificial platform or in\nthe sacrificial stake; in the midst of the cow-pen or in the fire. He may\nnot again be seen there. He may be seen as a boy or as an old man. He\nsports with the daughters and the spouses of the Rishis. His hair is long\nand stands erect. He is perfectly naked, for he has the horizon for his\ngarments. He is endued with terrible eyes. He is fair, he is darkish, he\nis dark, he is pale, he is of the colour of smoke, and he is red. He is\npossessed of eyes that are large and terrible. He has empty space for his\ncovering and he it is that covers all things. Who is there that can truly\nunderstand the limits of Mahadeva who is formless, who is one and\nindivisible, who conjures of illusions, who is of the cause of all\nactions and destructive operations in the universe, who assumes the form\nof Hiranyagarbha, and who is without beginning and without end, and who\nis without birth.[45] He lives in the heart (of every creature). He is\nthe prana, he is the mind, and he is Jiva (that is invested in the\nmaterial case). He is the soul of Yoga, and it is that is called Yoga. He\nis the Yoga-contemplation into which Yogins enter.[46] He is the Supreme\nSoul. Indeed Maheswara, the purity in essence, is capable of being\ncomprehended not by the senses but through only the Soul seizing his\nexistence. He plays on diverse musical instruments. He is a vocalist. He\nhas a hundred thousand eyes, he has one mouth, he has two mouths, he has\nthree mouths, and he has many mouths. Devoting thyself to him, setting\nthy heart upon him, depending upon him, and accepting him as thy one\nrefuse, do thou, O son, adore Mahadeva and then mayst thou obtain the\nfruition of all thy wishes.\" Hearing those words of my mother, O slayer of\nfoes, from that day my devotion was directed to Mahadeva, having nothing\nelse for its object. I then applied myself to the practice of the\nausterest penances for gratifying Sankara. For one thousand years I stood\non my left toe. After that I passed one thousand years, subsisting only\nupon fruits. The next one thousand years I passed, subsisting upon the\nfallen leaves of trees. The next thousand years I passed, subsisting upon\nwater only. After that I passed seven hundred years, subsisting on air\nalone. In this way, I adored Mahadeva for a full thousand years of the\ncelestials. After this, the puissant Mahadeva, the Master of all the\nuniverse, became gratified with me. Desirous of ascertaining whether I\nwas solely devoted to him and him alone, he appeared before me in the\nform of Sakra surrounded by all the deities. As the celebrated Sakra, he\nhad a thousand eyes on his person and was armed with the thunderbolt. And\nhe rode on an elephant whose complexion was of the purest white, with\neyes red, ears folded, the temporal juice trickling down his cheeks, with\ntrunk contracted, terrible to look at, and endued with four tusks.\nIndeed, riding on such an elephant, the illustrious chief of the deities\nseemed to blaze forth with his energy. With a beautiful crown on his head\nand adorned with garlands round his neck and bracelets round his arms, he\napproached the spot where I was. A white umbrella was held over his head.\nAnd he was waited upon by many Apsaras, and many Gandharvas sang his\npraise. Addressing me, he said,--\"O foremost of regenerate persons, I have\nbeen gratified with thee. Beg of me whatever boon thou desirest,\"--Hearing\nthese words of Sakra I did not become glad. Verily, O Krishna, I answered\nthe chief of the celestials in these words.--\"I do not desire any boon at\nthy hands, or from the hands of any other deity. O amiable deity, I tell\nthee truly, that it is Mahadeva only from whom I have boons to ask. True,\ntrue it is, O Sakra, true are these words that I say unto thee. No other\nwords are at all agreeable to me save those which relate to Maheswara. At\nthe command of Pashupati, that Lord of all creatures, I am ready to\nbecome a worm or a tree with many branches. If not obtained through the\ngrace represented by Mahadeva's boons, the very sovereignty of the three\nworlds would not be acceptable to me. Let me be born among the very\nChandalas but let me still be devoted to the feet of Hara. Without,\nagain, being devoted to that Lord of all creatures, I would not like to\nhave birth in the palace of Indra himself. If a person be wanting in\ndevotion to that Lord of the universe,--that Master of the deities and\nthe Asuras,--his misery will not end even if from want of food he has to\nsubsist upon only air and water.[47] What is the need of other discourses\nthat are even fraught with other kinds of morality and righteousness,\nunto those persons who do not like to live even a moment without thinking\nof feet of Mahadeva? When the unrighteous or sinful Kali Yuga comes, one\nshould never pass a moment without devoting his heart upon Mahadeva. One\nthat has drunk the Amrita constituted by the devotion to Hara, one\nbecomes freed from the fear of the world. One that has not obtained the\ngrace of Mahadeva can never succeed to devote oneself to Mahadeva for a\nsingle day or for half a day or for a Muhurta or for a Kshana or for a\nLava (very small unit of time). At the command of Mahadeva I shall\ncheerfully become a worm or an insect, but I have no relish for even the\nsovereignty of the three worlds, if bestowed by thee, O Sakra. At the\nword of Hara I would become even a dog. In fact, that would accord with\nmy highest wish. If not given by Maheswara, I would not have the\nsovereignty of the very deities. I do not wish to have this dominion of\nthe Heavens. I do not wish to have the sovereignty of the celestials. I\ndo not wish to have the region of Brahma. Indeed, I do not wish to have\nthat cessation of individual existence which is called Emancipation and\nwhich involves a complete identification with Brahma. But I want to\nbecome the slave of Hara. As long as that Lord of all creatures, the\nillustrious Mahesa, with crown on his head and body possessed of the pure\nwhite complexion of the lunar disc, does not become gratified with me, so\nlong shall I cheerfully bear all those afflictions, due to a hundred\nrepetitions of decrepitude, death and birth, that befall to the lot of\nembodied beings. What person in the universe can obtain tranquillity,\nwithout gratifying Rudra that is freed from decripitude and death, that\nis endued with the effulgence of the Sun, the Moon, or the fire, that is\nthe root or original cause of everything real and unreal in the three\nworlds, and that exists as one and indivisible entity? If in consequence\nof my faults, rebirths be mine, I shall, in those new births, devote\nmyself solely to Bhava.\"\n\n\"'\"'Indra said, \"What reason canst thou assign for the existence of a\nSupreme Being or for His being the cause of all causes?\"'\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu said, '\"I solicit boons from that great Deity named Siva whom\nutterers of Brahma have described as existent and non-existent, manifest\nand unmanifest, eternal or immutable, one and many. I solicit boons from\nHim who is without beginning and middle and end, who is Knowledge and\nPuissance, who is inconceivable and who is the Supreme Soul. I solicit\nboons from Him whence comes all Puissance, who has not been produced by\nany one, who is immutable, and who, though himself unsprung from any\nseed, is the seed of all things in the universe. I solicit boons from Him\nwho is blazing Effulgence, (beyond Darkness) who is the essence of all\npenances, who transcends all faculties of which we are possessed and\nwhich we may devote for the purpose of comprehending him, and by knowing\nwhom every one becomes freed from grief or sorrow. I worship him, O\nPurandara, who is conversant with the creation of all elements and the\nthought of all living creatures, and who is the original cause of the\nexistence or creation of all creatures, who is omnipresent, and who has\nthe puissance to give everything.[48] I solicit boons from Him who cannot\nbe comprehended by argument, who represents the object of the Sankhya and\nthe Yoga systems of philosophy, and who transcends all things, and whom\nall persons conversant with the topics of enquiry worship and adore.[49]\nI solicit boons from Him, O Maghavat, who is the soul of Maghavat\nhimself, who is said to be the God of the gods, and who is the Master of\nall creatures. I solicit boons from Him who it is that first created\nBrahma, that creator of all the worlds, having filled Space (with His\nenergy) and evoked into existence the primeval egg.[50] Who else than\nthat Supreme Lord could be creator of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Space,\nMind, and that which is called Mahat? Tell me, O Sakra, who else than\nSiva could create Mind, Understanding, Consciousness or Ego, the\nTanmatras, and the senses? Who is there higher than Siva?[51] The wise\nsay that the Grandsire Brahma is the creator of this universe. Brahma,\nhowever, acquired his high puissance and prosperity by adoring and\ngratifying Mahadeva, that God of gods. That high puissance (consisting of\nall the three attributes of creation, protection, and destruction), which\ndwells in that illustrious Being who is endowed with the quality of being\none, who created Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, was derived from Mahadeva.\nTell me who is there that is superior to the Supreme Lord?[52] Who else\nthan that God of gods is competent to unite the sons of Diti with\nlordship and puissance, judging by the sovereignty and the power of\noppressing conferred upon the foremost of the Daityas and Danavas?[53]\nThe different points of the horizon, Time, the Sun, all fiery entities,\nplanets, wind, water, and the stars and constellations,--these, know\nthou, are from Mahadeva. Tell us who is higher than the Supreme Lord? Who\nelse is there, except Mahadeva, in the matter of the creation of\nSacrifice and the destruction of Tripura? Who else except Mahadeva, the\ngrinder of the foes, has offered lordship to the principal?[54] What\nneed, O Purandara, of many well-sounding statements fraught with spacious\nsophisms, when I behold thee of a thousand eyes, O best of the\ndeities,--thee that art worshipped by Siddhas and Gandharvas and the\ndeities and the Rishis? O best of the Kusikas, all this is due to the\ngrace of that God of gods viz., Mahadeva. Know, O Kesava, that this all,\nconsisting of animate and inanimate existences with heaven and other\nunseen entities, which occur in this world, and which has the\nall-pervading Lord for their soul, has flowed from Maheswara and has been\ncreated (by him) for enjoyment by Jiva.[55] In the worlds that are known\nby the names of Bhu, Bhuva, Swah, and Maha, in the midst of the mountains\nof Lokaloka, in the islands, in the mountains of Meru, in all things that\nyield happiness, and in the hearts of all creatures, O illustrious\nMaghavat, resides Mahadeva, as persons conversant with all the topics of\nenquiry say. If, O Sakra, the Devas (deities) and the Asuras could see\nany other puissant form than Bhava's, would not both of them, especially\nthe former, when opposed and afflicted by the latter, have sought the\nprotection of that form? In all hostile encounters of the deities, the\nYakshas, the Uragas and the Rakshasas, that terminating in mutual\ndestruction, it is Bhava that gives unto those that meet with\ndestruction, puissance commensurate with their respective locations as\ndependent upon their acts. Tell me, who else than Maheswara is there for\nbestowing boons upon, and once more chastising the Andhaka and Sukra and\nDundubhi and Maharshi and many foremost of Yakshas, Indra and Vala and\nRakshasas and the Nivatakavachas? Was not the vital seed of Mahadeva,\nthat Master of both the deities and the Asuras, poured as a libation upon\nthe fire? From that seed sprung a mountain of gold. Who else is there\nwhose seed can be said to be possessed of such virtue?[56] Who else in\nthis world is praised as having the horizon only for his garments? Who\nelse can be said to be a Brahmacharin with his vital seed drawn up? Who\nelse is there that has half his body occupied by his dear spouse?[57] Who\nelse is there that has been able to subjugate Kama, the god of desire?\nTell me, O Indra, what other Being possesses that high region of supreme\nfelicity that is applauded by all the deities? Who else has the\ncrematorium as his sporting ground? Who else is there that is so praised\nfor his dancing? Whose puissance and worship remain immutable? Who else\nis there that sports with spirits and ghosts? Tell me, O deity, who else\nhas associate that are possessed of strength like his own and that are,\ntherefore, proud of that strength or puissance?[58] Who else is there\nwhose status is applauded as unchangeable and worshipped with reverence\nby the three worlds? Who else is there that pours rain, gives heat, and\nblazes forth in Energy? From whom else do we derive our wealth of herbs?\nWho else upholds all kinds of wealth? Who else sports as much as he\npleases in the three worlds of mobile and immobile things? O Indra, know\nMaheswara to be the original cause (of everything). He is adored by\nYogins, by Rishis, by the Gandharvas, and by the Siddhas, with the aid of\nknowledge, (of ascetic) success, and of the rites laid down in the\nscriptural ordinances.[59] He is adored by both the deities and the\nAsuras with the aid of sacrifices by acts and the affliction of the\nritual laid down in the scriptures. The fruits of action can never touch\nhim for he transcends them all. Being such, I call him the original cause\nof everything.[60] He is both gross and subtile. He is without compare.\nHe cannot be conceived by the senses. He is endued with attributes and he\nis divested of them. He is the lord of attributes, for they are under his\ncontrol. Even such is the place that is Maheswara's. He is the cause of\nthe maintenance and the creation (of the universe). He is the cause of\nthe universe and the cause also of its destruction. He is the Past, the\nPresent, and the Future. He is the parent of all things. Verily, He is\nthe cause of every thing. He is that which is mutable, He is the\nunmanifest, He is Knowledge; He is ignorance; He is every act, He is\nevery omission; He is righteousness; and He is unrighteousness. Him, O\nSakra, do I call the cause of every thing. Behold, O Indra, in the image\nof Mahadeva the indications of both the sexes. That god of gods, viz.,\nRudra, that cause of both creation and destruction, displays in his form\nthe indications of both the sexes as the one cause of the creation of the\nuniverse. My mother formerly told me that he is the cause of the universe\nand the one cause of everything. There is no one that is higher than Isa,\nO Sakra. If it pleases thee, do thou throw thyself on his kindness and\nprotection. Thou hast visible evidence, O chief of the celestials, of the\nfact that the universe has sprung from the union of the sexes (as\nrepresented by Mahadeva). The universe, thou knowest, is the sum of what\nis vested with attributes and what else is divested of attributes and has\nfor its immediate cause the seeds of Brahma and others. Brahma and Indra\nand Hutasana and Vishnu and all the other deities, along with the Daityas\nand the Asuras, crowned with the fruition of a thousand desires, always\nsay that there is none that is higher than Mahadeva.[61] Impelled by\ndesire, I solicit, with restrained mind, that god known to all the mobile\nand immobile universe,--him, that is, who has been spoken of as the best\nand highest of all the gods, and who is auspiciousness itself, for\nobtaining without delay that highest of all acquisitions, viz.,\nEmancipation. What necessity is there of other reasons (for establishing)\nwhat I believe? The supreme Mahadeva is the cause of all causes. We have\nnever heard that the deities have, at any time, adored the sign of any\nother god than Mahadeva. If Maheswara be not accepted, tell me, if thou\nhast ever heard of it, who else is there whose sign has been worshipped\nor is being worshipped by all the deities? He whose sign is always\nworshipped by Brahma, by Vishnu, by thee, O Indra, with all the other\ndeities, is verily the foremost of all adorable deities. Brahma has for\nhis sign the lotus, Vishnu has for his the discus, Indra has for his sign\nthe thunder-bolt. But the creatures of the world do not bear any of the\nsigns that distinguish these deities. On the other hand, all creatures\nbear the signs that mark Mahadeva and his spouse. Hence, all creatures\nmust be regarded as belonging to Maheswara. All creatures of the feminine\nsex, have sprung from Uma's nature as their cause, and hence it is they\nbear the mark of femininity that distinguishes Uma; while all creatures\nthat are masculine, having sprung from Siva, bear the masculine mark that\ndistinguishes Siva. That person who says that there is, in the three\nworlds with their mobile and immobile creatures, any other cause than the\nSupreme Lord, and that which is not marked with the mark of either\nMahadeva or his spouse should be regarded as very wretched and should not\nbe counted among the creatures of the universe. Every being with the mark\nof the masculine sex should be known to be of Isana, while every being\nwith the mark of the feminine sex should be known to be of Uma. This\nuniverse of mobile and immobile creatures is provided by two kinds of\nforms (viz., male and female). It is from Mahadeva that I wish to obtain\nboons. Failing in this, O Kausika, I would rather prefer dissolution\nitself. Go or remain, O Sakra, as thou, O slayer of Vala, desirest. I\nwish to have boons or curses from Mahadeva. No other deity shall I ever\nacknowledge, nor would I have from any other deity the fruition of all my\nwishes.--Having said these words unto the chief of the celestials, I\nbecame overwhelmed with grief at the thought of Mahadeva not having been\ngratified with me not withstanding my severe austerities. Within the\ntwinkling of an eye, however, I saw the celestial elephant I had beheld\nbefore me transformed into a bull as white as a swan, or the Jasminum\npubescens, or a stalk of the lotus or silver, or the ocean of milk. Of\nhuge body, the hair of its tail was black and the hue of its eyes was\ntawny like that of honey. Its horns were hard as adamant and had the\ncolour of gold. With their very sharp ends, whose hue was a mild red, the\nbull seemed to tear the Earth. The animal was adorned all over with\nornaments made of the purest gold. Its face and hoofs and nose and ears\nwere exceedingly beautiful and its waist too exceedingly well-formed. Its\nflanks were possessed of great beauty and its neck was very thick. Its\nwhole form was exceedingly agreeable and beautiful to look at. Its hump\nshone with great beauty and seemed to occupy the whole of its\nshoulder-joint. And it looked like the summit of a mountain of snow or\nlike a cliff of white clouds in the sky. Upon the back of that animal I\nbeheld seated the illustrious Mahadeva with his spouse Uma. Verily,\nMahadeva shone like the lord of stars while he is at his full. The fire\nborn of his energy resembled in effulgence the lightening that flashes\namid clouds. Verily, it seemed as if a thousand suns rose there, filling\nevery side with a dazzling splendour. The energy of the Supreme Lord\nlooked like the Samvartaka fire which destroys all creatures at the end\nof the Yuga. Overspread with that energy, the horizon became such that I\ncould see nothing on any side. Filled with anxiety I once more thought\nwhat it could mean. That energy, however, did not pervade every side for\nany length of time, for soon, through the illusion of that god of gods,\nthe horizon became clear. I then beheld the illustrious Sthanu or\nMaheswara seated on the back of his bull, of blessed and agreeable\nappearance and looking like a smokeless fire. And the great god was\naccompanied by Parvati of faultless features. Indeed, I beheld the\nblue-throated and high-souled Sthanu, unattached to everything, that\nreceptacle of all kinds of force, endued with eight and ten arms and\nadorned with all kinds of ornaments. Clad in white vestments, he wore\nwhite garlands, and had white unguents smeared upon his limbs. The colour\nof his banner, irresistible in the universe, was white. The sacred thread\nround his person was also white. He was surrounded with associates, all\npossessed with prowess equal to his own, who were singing or dancing or\nplaying on diverse kinds of musical instruments. A crescent moon, of pale\nhue, formed his crown, and placed on his forehead it looked like the moon\nthat rises in the autumnal firmament. He seemed to dazzle with splendour,\nin consequence of his three eyes that looked like three suns. The garland\nof the purest white, that was on his body, shone like a wreath of\nlotuses, of the purest white, adorned with jewels and gems. I also\nbeheld, O Govinda, the weapons in their embodied forms and fraught with\nevery kind of energy, that belong to Bhava of immeasurable prowess. The\nhigh-souled deity held a bow whose hues resembled those of the rainbow.\nThat bow is celebrated under the name of the Pinaka and is in reality a\nmighty snake. Indeed, that snake of seven heads and vast body, of sharp\nfangs and virulent poison, of large neck and the masculine sex, was\ntwined round with the cord that served as its bowstring. And there was a\nshaft whose splendour looked like that of the sun or of the fire that\nappears at the end of the Yuga. Verily, that shaft was the excellent\nPasupata that mighty and terrible weapon, which is without a second,\nindescribable for its power, and capable of striking every creature with\nfear. Of vast proportions, it seemed to constantly vomit sparks of fire.\nPossessed of one foot, of large teeth, and a thousand heads and thousand\nstomachs, it has a thousand arms, a thousand tongues, and a thousand\neyes. Indeed, it seemed to continually vomit fire. O thou of mighty arms,\nthat weapon is superior to the Brahma, the Narayana, the Aindra, the\nAgneya, and the Varuna weapons. Verily, it is capable of neutralising\nevery other weapon in the universe. It was with that weapon that the\nillustrious Mahadeva had in days of yore, burnt and consumed in a moment\nthe triple city of the Asuras. With the greatest ease, O Govinda,\nMahadeva, using that single arrow, achieved that feat. That weapon, shot\nby Mahadeva's arms, can, without doubt consume in half the time taken up\nby a twinkling of the eyes the entire universe with all its mobile and\nimmobile creatures. In the universe there is no being including even\nBrahma and Vishnu and the deities, that are incapable of being slain by\nthat weapon. O sire, I saw that excellent, wonderful and incomparable\nweapon in the hand of Mahadeva. There is another mysterious and very\npowerful weapon which is equal or perhaps superior to the Pasupata\nweapon. I beheld that also. It is celebrated in all the worlds as the Sum\nof the Sula-armed Mahadeva. Hurled by the illustrious deity, that weapon\nis competent to rive the entire Earth or dry up the waters of the ocean\nor annihilate the entire universe. In days of yore, Yuvanaswa's son, king\nMandhatri, that conqueror of the three worlds, possessed of imperial sway\nand endued with abundant energy, was, with all his troops, destroyed by\nmeans of that weapon. Endued with great might and great energy and\nresembling Sakra himself in prowess, the king, O Govinda, was slain by\nthe Rakshasa Lavana with the aid of this Sula which he had got from Siva.\nThe Sula has a very keen point. Exceedingly terrible, it is capable of\ncausing everybody's hair stand on its end. I saw it in the hand of\nMahadeva, as if roaring with rage, having contracted its forehead into\nthree wrinkles. It resembled, O Krishna, a smokeless fire or the sun that\nrises at the end of the Yuga. The handle of that Sula, was made of a\nmighty snake. It is really indescribable. It looked like the universal\nDestroyer himself armed with his noose. I saw this weapon, O Govinda, in\nthe hand of Mahadeva. I beheld also another weapon, viz., that\nsharp-edged battle-axe which, in days of yore, was given unto Rama by the\ngratified Mahadeva for enabling him to exterminate the Kshatriyas. It was\nwith this weapon that Rama (of Bhrigu's race) slew in dreadful battle the\ngreat Kartaviryya who was the ruler of all the world. It was with that\nweapon that Jamadagni's son, O Govinda, was able to exterminate the\nKshatriyas for one and twenty times. Of blazing edge and exceedingly\nterrible, that axe was hanging on the shoulder, adorned with a snake, of\nMahadeva. Indeed, it shone on Mahadeva's person like the flame of a\nblazing fire. I beheld innumerable other celestial weapons with Mahadeva\nof great intelligence. I have, however named only a few, O sinless one,\nin consequence of their principal character. On the left side of the\ngreat god stood the Grandsire Brahma seated on an excellent car unto\nwhich were attached swans endued with the speed of the mind. On the same\nside could be seen Narayana also, seated on the son of Vinata, and\nbearing the conch, the discus, and the mace. Close to the goddess Uma was\nSkanda seated on his peacock, bearing his fatal dart and bells, and\nlooking like another Agni. In the front of Mahadeva I beheld Nandi\nstanding armed with his Sula and looking like a second Sankara (for\nprowess and energy). The Munis headed by the Self-born Manu and Rishis\nhaving Bhrigu for their first, and the deities with Sakra at their head,\nall came there. All the tribes of spirits and ghosts, and the celestial\nMothers, stood surrounding Mahadeva and saluting him with reverence. The\ndeities were engaged in singing the praises of Mahadeva by uttering\ndiverse hymns. The Grandsire Brahma uttering a Rathantara, praised\nMahadeva. Narayana also, uttering the Jyestha Saman, sang the praises of\nBhava. Sakra also did the same with the aid of those foremost of Vedic\nMantras, viz., the Sata-Rudriam. Verily, Brahma and Narayana and\nSakra,--those three high-souled deities,--shone there like three\nsacrificial fires. In their midst shone the illustrious God like the sun\nin the midst of his corona, emerged from autumnal clouds. I beheld\nmyriads of suns and moons, also in the sky, O Kesava. I then praised the\nillustrious Lord of everything, the supreme Master of the universe.\"'\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu continued, 'I said, \"Salutations to thee, O illustrious one, O\nthou that constitutest the refuge of all things, O thou that art called\nMahadeva! Salutations to thee that assumest the form of Sakra, that art\nSakra, and that disguisest thyself in the form and vestments of Sakra.\nSalutations to thee that art armed with the thunder, to thee that art\ntawny, and thee that art always armed with the Pinaka. Salutations to\nthee that always bearest the conch and the Sula. Salutations to thee that\nart clad in black, to thee that art of dark and curly hair, to thee that\nhast a dark deer-skin for thy upper garment, to thee that presidest over\nthe eighth lunation of the dark fortnight. Salutations to thee that art\nof white complexion, to thee that art called white, to thee that art clad\nin white robes, to thee that hast limbs smeared with white ashes, to thee\nthat art ever engaged in white deeds. Salutations to thee that art red of\ncolour, to thee that art clad in red vestments, to thee that ownest a red\nbanner with red flags, to thee that wearest red garlands and usest red\nunguents. Salutations to thee that art brown in complexion, to thee that\nart clad in brown vestments, to thee that hast a brown banner with brown\nflags, to thee that wearest brown garlands and usest brown unguents.\nSalutations to thee that hast the umbrella of royalty held over thy head,\nto thee that wearest the foremost of crowns. Salutations unto thee that\nart adorned with half a garland and half an armlet, to thee that art\ndecked with one ring for one year, to thee that art endued with the speed\nof the mind, to thee that art endued with great effulgence. Salutations\nto thee that art the foremost of deities, to thee that art the foremost\nof ascetics, to thee that art the foremost of celestials. Salutations to\nthee that wearest half a wreath of lotuses, to thee that hast many\nlotuses on thy body. Salutations to thee that hast half thy body smeared\nwith sandal paste, to thee that hast half thy body decked with garlands\nof flowers and smeared with fragrant unguents.[62] Salutations to thee\nthat art of the complexion of the Sun, to thee that art like the Sun, to\nthee whose face is like the Sun, to thee that hast eyes each of which is\nlike the Sun. Salutations to thee that art Soma, to thee that art as mild\nas Soma, to thee that bearest the lunar disc, to thee that art of lunar\naspect, to thee that art the foremost of all creatures, to thee that art\nadorned with a set of the most beautiful teeth. Salutations to thee that\nart of a dark complexion, to thee that art of a fair complexion, to thee\nthat hast a form half of which is yellow and half white, to thee that\nhast a body half of which is male and half female, to thee that art both\nmale and female. Salutations to thee that ownest a bull for thy vehicle,\nto thee that proceedest riding on the foremost of elephants, to thee that\nart obtained with difficulty, to thee that art capable of going to places\nunapproachable by others. Salutations to thee whose praises are sung by\nthe Ganas, to thee that art devoted to the diverse Ganas, to thee that\nfollowest the track that is trod by the Ganas, to thee that art always\ndevoted to the Ganas as to a vow. Salutations to thee that art of the\ncomplexion of white clouds, to thee that hast the splendour of the\nevening clouds, to thee that art incapable of being described by names,\nto thee that art of thy own form (having nothing else in the universe\nwith which it can be compared). Salutations to thee that wearest a\nbeautiful garland of red colour, to thee that art clad in robes of red\ncolour. Salutations to thee that hast the crown of the head decked with\ngems, to thee that art adorned with a half-moon, to thee that wearest\nmany beautiful gems in thy diadem, to thee that hast eight flowers on thy\nhead. Salutations to thee that hast a fiery mouth and fiery eyes, to thee\nthat hast eyes possessing the effulgence of a thousand moons, to thee\nthat art of the form of fire, to thee that art beautiful and agreeable,\nto thee that art inconceivable and mysterious. Salutations to thee that\nrangest through the firmament, to thee that lovest and residest in lands\naffording pasture to kine, to thee that walkest on the Earth, to thee\nthat art the Earth, to thee that art infinite, to thee that art\nexceedingly auspicious. Salutations to thee that art unclad (or has the\nhorizon alone for thy vestments), to thee that makest a happy home of\nevery place where thou mayst happen to be for the moment. Salutations to\nthee that hast the universe for thy home, to thee that hast both\nKnowledge and Felicity for thy Soul. Salutations to thee that always\nwearest a diadem, to thee that wearest a large armlet, to thee that hast\na snake for the garland round thy neck, to thee that wearest many\nbeautiful ornaments on thy person. Salutations to thee that hast the Sun,\nthe Moon, and Agni for thy three eyes, to thee that art possessed of a\nthousand eyes, to thee that art both male and female, to thee that art\ndivested of sex, to thee that art a Sankhya, to thee that art a Yogin.\nSalutations to thee that art of the grace of those deities who are\nworshipped in sacrifices, to thee that art the Atharvans, to thee that\nart the alleviator of all kinds of disease and pain, to thee that art the\ndispeller of every sorrow. Salutations to thee that roarest as deep as\nthe clouds, to thee that puttest forth diverse kinds of illusions, to\nthee that presidest over the soil and over the seed that is sown in it,\nto thee that art the Creator of everything. Salutations to thee that art\nthe Lord of all the celestials, to thee that art the Master of the\nuniverse, to thee that art endued with the speed of the wind, to thee\nthat art of the form of the wind. Salutations to thee that wearest a\ngarland of gold, to thee that sportest on hills and mountains[63], to\nthee that art adorned by all who are enemies of the gods, to thee that\nart possessed of fierce speed and energy. Salutations to thee that torest\naway one of the heads of the Grandsire Brahma, to thee that hast slain\nthe Asura named Mahisha, to thee that assumest three forms, to thee that\nbearest every form. Salutations to thee that art the destroyer of the\ntriple city of the Asuras, to thee that art the destroyer of (Daksha's)\nsacrifice, to thee that art the destroyer of the body of Kama (the deity\nof Desire), to thee that wieldest the rod of destruction. Salutations to\nthee that art Skanda, to thee that art Visakha, to thee that art the rod\nof the Brahmana, to thee that art Bhava, to thee that art Sarva, to thee\nthat art of universal form. Salutations to thee that art Isana, to thee\nthat art the destroyer of Bhaga, to thee that art the slayer of Andhaka,\nto thee that art the universe, to thee that art possessed of illusion, to\nthee that art both conceivable and inconceivable.[64] Thou art the one\nend of all creatures, thou art the foremost, thou art the heart of\neverything. Thou art the Brahma of all the deities, thou art the\nNilardhita Red and Blue of the Rudras. Thou art the Soul of the\ncreatures, thou art He who is called Purusha in the Sankhya philosophy,\nthou art the Rishabha among all things sacred, thou art that which is\ncalled auspicious by Yogins and which, according to them, is without\nparts (being indivisible). Amongst those that are observant of the\ndifferent modes of life, thou art the House-holder, thou art the great\nLord amongst the lords of the universe. Thou art Kuvera among all the\nYakshas, and thou art Vishnu amongst all the sacrifices.[65] Thou art\nMeru amongst mountains, thou art the Moon among all luminaries of the\nfirmament, thou art Vasishtha amongst Rishis, thou art Surya among the\nplanets. Thou art the lion among all wild animals, and among all domestic\nanimals, thou art the bull that is worshipped by all people. Among the\nAdityas thou art Vishnu (Upendra), among the Vasu thou art Pavaka, among\nbirds thou art the son of Vinata (Garuda), and among snakes thou art\nAnanta (Sesha). Among the Vedas thou art the Samans, among the Yajushes\nthou art the Sata-Rudriyam, among Yogins thou art Sanatkumara, and among\nSankhyas thou art Kapila. Among the Maruts thou art Sakra, among the\nPitris thou art Devarat, among all the regions (for the residence of\ncreated beings) thou art the region of Brahman, and amongst all the ends\nthat creatures attain to, thou art Moksha or Emancipation. Thou art the\nOcean of milk among all oceans, among all rocky eminences thou art\nHimavat, among all the orders thou art the Brahmana, and among all\nlearned Brahmanas thou art he that has undergone and is observant of the\nDiksha. Thou art the Sun among all things in the world, thou art the\ndestroyer called Kala. Thou art whatever else possessed of superior\nenergy of eminence that exists in the universe. Thou art possessed of\nsupreme puissance. Even this is what represents my certain conclusion.\nSalutations to thee, O puissant and illustrious one, O thou that art kind\nto all thy worshippers. Salutations to thee, O lord of Yogins. I bow to\nthee, O original cause of the universe. Be thou gratified with me that am\nthy worshipper, that am very miserable and helpless. O Eternal Lord, do\nthou become the refuge of this adorer of thine that is very weak and\nmiserable. O Supreme Lord, it behoveth thee to pardon all those\ntransgressions of which I have been guilty, taking compassion upon me on\nthe ground of my being thy devoted worshipper. I was stupefied by thee, O\nLord of all the deities, in consequence of the disguise in which thou\nshowest thyself to me. O Maheswara, I did not give thee the Arghya or\nwater to wash thy feet.\"[66] Having hymned the praises of Isana in this\nway, I offered him, with great devotion, water to wash his feet and the\ningredients of the Arghya, and then, with joined hands, I resigned myself\nto him, being prepared to do whatever he would bid. Then, O sire, an\nauspicious shower of flowers fell upon my head, possessed of celestial\nfragrance and bedewed with cold water. The celestial musicians began to\nplay on their kettle-drums. A delicious breeze, fragrant and agreeable,\nbegan to blow and fill me with pleasure. Then Mahadeva accompanied by his\nspouse, and having the bull for his sign, having been gratified with me,\naddressed the celestials assembled there in these words, filling me with\ngreat joy,--\"Behold, ye deities, the devotion of the high-souled Upamanyu.\nVerily, steady and great is that devotion, and entirely immutable, for it\nexists unalterably.\"--Thus addressed by the great God armed with the Sula,\nthe deities, O Krishna, having bowed down unto him and joined their hands\nin reverence, said these words,--\"O illustrious one, O God of the gods, O\nmaster of the universe, O Lord of all, let this best of regenerate\npersons obtain from thee the fruition of all his desires.\"--Thus addressed\nby all the deities, with the Grandsire Brahma among them. Sarva,\notherwise called Isa and Sankara, said these words as if smiling unto\nme.'\n\n\"'\"'The illustrious Sankara said, \"O dear Upamanyu, I am gratified with\nthee. Behold me, O foremost of Munis, O learned Rishi, thou art firmly\ndevoted to me and well hast thou been tested by me. I have been very\nhighly pleased with thee in consequence of this thy devotion to Siva. I\nshall, therefore, give thee today the fruition of whatever desires thou\nmayst have in thy heart.\" Thus addressed by Mahadeva of great wisdom,\ntears of joy came into my eyes and my hair stood on its end (through\nemotion). Kneeling down unto him and bowing unto him repeatedly, I then,\nwith a voice that was choked with delight, said unto him,--\"O illustrious\ngod, it seems to me that I was hitherto dead and that it is only today\nthat I have taken my birth, and that my birth hath today borne fruit,\nsince I am staying now in the presence of Him who is the Master of both\nthe deities and the Asuras! Who else is more praiseworthy than I, since I\nam beholding with these eyes of mine, Him of immeasurable prowess whom\nthe very deities are unable to behold without first paying hearty\nworship? That which they that are possessed of learning and wisdom say is\nthe highest of all topics, which is Eternal, which is distinguished from\nall else, which is unborn, which is Knowledge, which is indestructible,\nis identical with thee, O puissant and illustrious one, thee that art the\nbeginning of all the topics, thee that art indestructible and changeless,\nthee that art conversant with the ordinances which govern all the topics,\nthee that art the foremost of Purushas, thee that art the highest of the\nhigh. Thou art he that hadst created from thy right side the Grandsire\nBrahma, the Creator of all things. Thou art he that hadst created from\nthy left side Vishnu for protecting the Creation. Thou art that puissant\nLord who didst create Rudra when the end of the Yuga came and when the\nCreation was once more to be dissolved. That Rudra, who sprang from thee\ndestroyed the Creation with all its mobile and immobile beings, assuming\nthe form of Kala of great energy, of the cloud Samvartaka (charged with\nwater which myriads of oceans are not capacious enough to bear), and of\nthe all consuming fire. Verily, when the period comes for the dissolution\nof the universe, that Rudra stands, ready to swallow up the universe.\nThou art that Mahadeva, who is the original Creator of the universe with\nall its mobile and immobile entities. Thou art he, who, at the end of the\nKalpa, stands, withdrawing all things into thyself. Thou art he that\npervadest all things, that art the Soul of all things, thou art the\nCreator of the Creator of all entities. Incapable of being seen by even\nany of the deities, thou art he that exists, pervading all entities. If,\nO lord, thou hast been gratified with me and if thou wouldst grant me\nboons, let this be the boon, O Lord of all the deities, that my devotion\nto thee may remain unchanged. O best of the deities, let me, through thy\ngrace, have knowledge of the Present, the Past, and the Future. I shall\nalso, with all my kinsmen and friends, always eat food mixed with milk.\nAnd let thy illustrious self be for ever present at our retreat.\"--Thus\naddressed by me, the illustrious Maheswara endued with supreme energy,\nthat Master of all mobile and immobile, viz., Siva, worshipped of all the\nuniverse, then said unto me these words.'\n\n\"'\"'The illustrious Deity said, \"Be thou free from every misery and pain,\nand be thou above decrepitude and death. Be thou possessed of fame, be\nthou endued with great energy, and let spiritual knowledge be thine. Thou\nshalt, through my grace, be always sought for by the Rishis. Be thy\nbehaviour good and righteous, be every desirable attribute thine, be thou\npossessed of universal knowledge, and be thou of agreeable appearance.\nLet undecaying youth be thine, and let thy energy be like that of fire.\nWherever, again, thou mayst desire the presence of the ocean of milk that\nis so agreeable to thee, there shall that ocean appear before thee (ready\nfor being utilised by thee and thy friends for purposes of thy food). Do\nthou, with thy friends, always obtain food prepared with milk, with the\ncelestial nectar besides being mixed with it.[67] After the expiration of\na Kalpa thou shalt then obtain my companionship. Thy family and race and\nkinsmen shall be exhaustless. O foremost of regenerate ones, thy devotion\nto me shalt be eternal. And, O best of Brahmanas, I shall always accord\nmy presence to thy asylum. Live, O son, whithersoever thou likest, and\nlet no anxiety be thine. Thought of by thee, I shall, O learned Brahmana,\ngrant thee a sight of myself again.\"--Having said these words, and granted\nme these boons, the illustrious Isana, endued with the effulgence of\nmillions of Suns, disappeared there and then. It was even thus, O\nKrishna, that I beheld, with the aid of austere penances, that God of\ngods. I also obtained all that was said by the great Deity endued with\nsupreme intelligence. Behold, O Krishna, before thy eyes, these Siddhas\nresiding here and these Rishis and Vidyadharas and Yakshas and Gandharvas\nand Apsaras. Behold these trees and creepers and plants yielding all\nsorts of flowers and fruits. Behold them bearing the flowers of every\nseason, with beautiful leaves, and shedding a sweet fragrance all around.\nO thou of mighty arms, all these are endued with a celestial nature\nthrough the grace of that god of gods, that Supreme Lord, that\nhigh-souled Deity.'\n\n\"'Vasudeva continued, \"Hearing these words of his and beholding, as it\nwere, with my own eyes all that he had related to me, I became filled\nwith wonder. I then addressed the great ascetic Upamanyu and said unto\nhim,--'Deserving of great praise art thou, O foremost of learned\nBrahmanas, for what righteous man is there other than thou whose retreat\nenjoys the distinction of being honoured with the presence of that God of\ngods? Will the puissant Siva, will the great Sankara, O chief of\nascetics, grant me also a sight of his person and show me favour.'\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu said, 'Without doubt, O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, thou\nwilt obtain a sight of Mahadeva very soon, even as, O sinless one, I\nsucceeded in obtaining a sight of him. O thou of immeasurable prowess, I\nsee with my spiritual eyes that thou wilt, in the sixth month from this,\nsucceed in obtaining a sight of Mahadeva, O best of all persons. Thou, O\nforemost of the Yadus, wilt obtain from Maheswara and his spouse, four\nand twenty boons. I tell thee what is true. Through the grace of that\nDeity endued with supreme wisdom, the Past, the Future and the Present\nare known to me. The great Hara has favoured these Rishis numbering by\nthousands and others as numerous. Why will not the puissant Deity show\nfavour to thee, O Mahadeva? The meeting of the gods is always commendable\nwith one like thee, with one that is devoted to the Brahmanas, with one\nthat is full of compassion and that is full of faith. I shall give thee\ncertain Mantras. Recite them continuously. By this thou art certain to\nbehold Sankara.'\"\n\n\"'The blessed Vishnu continued, \"I then said unto him, 'O regenerate one,\nthrough thy grace, O great ascetic, I shall behold the lord of the\ndeities, that grinder of multitudes of Diti's sons.' Eight days, O\nBharata, passed there like an hour, all of us being thus occupied with\ntalk on Mahadeva. On the eighth day, I underwent the Diksha (initiation)\naccording to due rites, at the hands of that Brahmana and received the\nstaff from his hands. I underwent the prescribed shave. I took up a\nquantity of Kusa blades in my hand. I wore rags for my vestments. I\nrubbed my person with ghee. I encircled a cord of Munja grass round my\nloins. For one month I lived on fruits. The second month I subsisted upon\nwater. The third, the fourth and the fifth months I passed, living upon\nair alone. I stood all the while, supporting myself upon one foot and\nwith my arms also raised upwards, and foregoing sleep all the while. I\nthen beheld, O Bharata, in the firmament an effulgence that seemed to be\nas dazzling as that of a thousand Suns combined together. Towards the\ncentre of that effulgence, O son of Pandu, I saw a cloud looking like a\nmass of blue hills, adorned with rows of cranes, embellished with many a\ngrand rainbow, with flashes of lightning and the thunder-fire looking\nlike eyes set on it.[68] Within that cloud was the puissant Mahadeva.\nhimself of dazzling splendour, accompanied by his spouse Uma. Verily, the\ngreat Deity seemed to shine with his penances, energy, beauty,\neffulgence, and his dear spouse by his side. The puissant Maheswara, with\nhis spouse by his side, shone in the midst of that cloud. The appearance\nseemed to be like that of the Sun in the midst of racking clouds with the\nMoon by his side. The hair on my body, O son of Kunti, stood on its end,\nand my eyes expanded with wonder upon beholding Hara, the refuge of all\nthe deities and the dispeller of all their griefs. Mahadeva was adorned\nwith a diadem on his head. He was armed with his Sula. He was clad in a\ntiger-skin, had matted locks on his head, and bore the staff (of the\nSanyasin) in one of his hands. He was armed, besides with his Pinaka and\nthe thunderbolt. His teeth was sharp-pointed. He was decked with an\nexcellent bracelet for the upper arm. His sacred thread was constituted\nby a snake. He wore an excellent garland of diversified colours on his\nbosom, that hung down to his toes. Verily, I beheld him like the\nexceedingly bright moon of an autumnal evening. Surrounded by diverse\nclans of spirits and ghosts, he looked like the autumnal Sun difficult of\nbeing gazed at for its dazzling brightness. Eleven hundred Rudras stood\naround that Deity of restrained soul and white deeds, then seated upon\nhis bull. All of them were employed in hymning his praises. The Adityas,\nthe Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Viswedevas, and the twin Aswins praised that\nLord of the universe by uttering the hymns occurring in the scriptures.\nThe puissant Indra and his brother Upendra, the two sons of Aditi, and\nthe Grandsire Brahma, all uttered, in the presence of Bhava, the\nRathantara Saman. Innumerable masters of Yoga, all the regenerate Rishis\nwith their children, all the celestial Rishis, the goddess Earth, the Sky\n(between Earth and Heaven), the Constellations, the Planets, the Months,\nthe Fortnights, the Seasons, Night, the Years, the Kshanas, the Muhurtas,\nthe Nimeshas, the Yugas one after another, all the celestial Sciences and\nbranches of knowledge, and all beings conversant with Truth, were seen\nbowing down unto that Supreme Preceptor, that great Father, that giver\n(or origin) of Yoga. Sanatkumara, the Vedas, the Histories, Marichi,\nAngiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, the seven Manus, Soma, the\nAtharvans, and Vrihaspati, Bhrigu, Daksha, Kasyapa, Vasishtha, Kasya, the\nSchandas, Diksha, the Sacrifices, Dakshina, the Sacrificial Fires, the\nHavis (clarified butter) poured in sacrifices, and all the requisites of\nthe sacrifices, were beheld by me, O Yudhishthira, standing there in\ntheir embodied forms. All the guardians of the worlds, all the Rivers,\nall the snakes, the mountains, the celestial Mothers, all the spouses and\ndaughters of the celestials, thousands upon thousands and millions of\nascetics, were seen to bow down to that puissant Lord who is the soul of\ntranquillity. The Mountains, the Oceans, and the Points of the compass\nalso did the same, the Gandharvas and the Apsaras highly skilled in\nmusic, in celestial strains, sang and hymned the praises of Bhava who is\nfull of wonder. The Vidyadharas, the Danavas, the Guhyakas, the\nRakshasas, and all created beings, mobile and immobile, adorned, in\nthought, word and deed, that puissant Lord. Before me, that Lord of all\nthe gods viz., Sarva, appeared seated in all his glory. Seeing that Isana\nhad showed himself to me by being seated in glory before my eyes, the\nwhole universe, with the Grandsire and Sakra, looked at me. I, however,\nhad not the power to look at Mahadeva. The great Deity then addressed me\nsaying, 'Behold, O Krishna, and speak to me. Thou hast adorned me\nhundreds and thousands of times. There is no one in the three worlds that\nis dearer to me than thou.' After I had bowed unto him, his spouse, viz.,\nthe goddess Uma, became gratified with me. I then addressed in these\nwords the great God whose praises are hymned by all the deities with the\nGrandsire Brahma at their head.'\"\n\n\"'The blessed Vishnu said, \"I saluted Mahadeva, saying,--'Salutations to\nthee, O thou that art the eternal origin of all things. The Rishis say\nthat thou art the Lord of the Vedas. The righteous say that thou art\nPenance, thou art Sattwa, thou art Rajas, thou art Tamas, and thou art\nTruth. Thou art Brahman, thou art Rudra, thou art Varuna, thou art Agni,\nthou art Manu, thou art Bhava, thou art Dhatri, thou art Tashtri, thou\nart Vidhatri, thou art the puissant Master of all things, and thou art\neverywhere. All beings, mobile and immobile, have sprung from thee. This\ntriple world with all its mobile and immobile entities, has been created\nby thee. The Rishis say that thou art superior to the senses, the mind,\nthe vital breaths, the seven sacrificial fires, all others that have\ntheir refuge in the all-pervading Soul, and all the deities that are\nadored and worthy of adoration. Thou, O illustrious one, art the Vedas,\nthe Sacrifices, Soma, Dakshina, Pavaka, Havi, and all other requisites of\nsacrifice. The merit obtained by sacrifices, gifts made to others, the\nstudy of the Vedas, vows, regulations in respect of restraint, Modesty,\nFame, Prosperity, Splendour, Contentment, and Success, all exist for\nleading to thee.[69] Desire, Wrath, Fear, Cupidity, Pride, Stupefaction,\nand Malice, Pains and Diseases, are, O illustrious one, thy children.\nThou art all acts that creatures do, thou art the joy and sorrow that\nflow from those acts, thou art the absence of joy and sorrow, thou art\nthat Ignorance which is the indestructible seed of Desire, thou art the\nhigh origin of Mind, thou art Puissance, and thou art Eternity.[70] Thou\nart the Unmanifest, thou art Pavana, thou art inconceivable, thou art the\nthousand-rayed Sun, thou art the effulgent Chit, thou art the first of\nall the topics, and thou art the refuge of life.[71] The use of words\nlike Mahat, Soul, Understanding, Brahman, Universe, Sambhu, and Self-born\nand other words occurring in succession (in the Vedas), show that thy\nnature has been judged (by persons conversant with the Vedas) as\nidentical with Mahat and Soul. Verily, regarding thee as all this, the\nlearned Brahmanas win over that ignorance which lies at the root of the\nworld. Thou residest in the heart of all creatures, and thou art adored\nby the Rishis as Kshetrajna. Thy arms and feet extend to every place, and\nthy eyes, head, and face are everywhere. Thou hearest everywhere in the\nuniverse, and thou stayest, pervading all things. Of all acts that are\nperformed in the Nimeshas and other divisions of time that spring in\nconsequence of the puissance of the Sun, thou art the fruit.[72] Thou art\nthe original effulgence (of the supreme Chit). Thou art Purusha, and thou\nresidest in the hearts of all things. Thou art the various Yogic\nattributes of success, viz., Subtility and Grossness and Fruition and\nSupremacy and Effulgence and Immutability.[73] Understanding and\nintelligence and all the worlds rest upon thee. They that are devoted to\nmeditation, that are always engaged in Yoga, that are devoted to or firm\nin Truth and that have subjugated their passions, seek thee and rest on\nthee.[74] They that know thee for one that is Immutable, or one that\nresides in all hearts, or one that is endued with supreme puissance, or\none that is the ancient Purusha, or one that is pure Knowledge, or one\nthat is the effulgent Chit, or one that is the highest refuge of all\npersons endued with intelligence, are certainly persons of great\nintelligence. Verily, such persons stay, transcending intelligence.[75]\nBy understanding the seven subtile entities (viz., Mahat, Ego, and five\nsubtile primal elements called Tanmatras), by comprehending thy six\nattributes (of Omniscience, Contentment of Fullness, Knowledge without\nbeginning, Independence, Puissance that is not at fault at any time and\nthat is infinite), and being conversant with Yoga that is freed from\nevery false notion, the man of knowledge succeeds in entering into thy\ngreat self.'--After I had said these words, O Partha, unto Bhava, that\ndispeller of grief and pain, the universe, both mobile and immobile, sent\nup a leonine shout (expressive of their approval of the correctness of my\nwords). The innumerable Brahmanas there present, the deities and the\nAsuras, the Nagas, the Pisachas, the Pitris, the birds, diverse\nRakshasas, diverse classes of ghosts and spirits, and all the great\nRishis, then bowed down unto that great Deity. There then fell upon my\nhead showers of celestial flowers possessed of great fragrance, and\ndelicious winds blew on the spot. The puissant Sankara then, devoted to\nthe good of the universe, looked at the goddess Uma and the lord of the\ncelestials and myself also, and thus spoke unto me,--'We know, O Krishna,\nthat thou, O slayer of foes, art filled with the greatest devotion\ntowards us. Do what is for thy good. My love and affection for thee is\nvery great. Do thou ask for eight boons. I shall verily give them unto\nthee, O Krishna. O best of all persons, tell me what they are, O chief of\nthe Yadavas. Name what thou wishest. However difficult of attainment they\nbe, thou shalt have them still.'\"'\"[76]\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\n\"'The blessed Krishna said, \"Bowing my head with great joy unto that mass\nof energy and effulgence, I said these words unto the great Deity, with a\nheart filled with gladness,--'Firmness in virtue, the slaughter of foes in\nbattle, the highest fame, the greatest might, devotion to Yoga, thy\nadjacence, and hundreds upon hundreds of children, these are the boons I\nsolicit of thee,'--'So be it,'--said Sankara repeating the words I had\nuttered. After this, the mother of the universe, the upholders of all\nthings, who cleanses all things, viz., the spouse of Sarva, that vast\nreceptacle of penances said with a restrained soul these words unto\nme,--'The puissant Mahadeva has granted thee, O sinless one, a son who\nshall be named Samva. Do thou take from me also eight boons which thou\nchoosest. I shall certainly grant them to thee.'--Bowing unto her with a\nbend of my head, I said unto her, O son of Pandu,--'I solicit from thee\nnon-anger against the Brahmanas, grace of my father, a hundred sons, the\nhighest enjoyments, love for my family, the grace of my mother, the\nattainment of tranquillity and peace, and cleverness in every act!'\n\n\"'\"Uma said, 'It shall be even so, O thou that art possessed of prowess and\npuissance equal to that of a celestial. I never say what is untrue. Thou\nshalt have sixteen thousand wives. Thy love for them and theirs also for\nthee shall be unlimited. From all thy kinsmen also, thou shalt receive\nthe highest affection. Thy body too shall be most beautiful. Seven\nthousand guests will daily feed at thy palace.'\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva continued, \"Having thus granted me boons both the god and the\ngoddess, O Bharata, disappeared there and then with their Ganas, O elder\nbrother of Bhima. All those wonderful facts I related fully, O best of\nkings, to that Brahmana of great energy, viz., Upamanyu (from whom I had\nobtained the Diksha before adoring Mahadeva). Bowing down unto the great\nGod, Upamanyu said these words to me.'\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu said, 'There is no deity like Sarva. There is no end or refuge\nlike Sarva. There is none that can give so many or such high boons. There\nis none that equal him in battle.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu said, 'There was in the Krita age, O sire, a Rishi celebrated\nunder the name of Tandi. With great devotion of heart he adored, with the\naid of Yoga-meditation, the great God for ten thousand years. Listen to\nme as I tell the fruit or reward he reaped of such extraordinary\ndevotion. He succeeded in beholding Mahadeva and praised him by uttering\nsome hymns. Thinking, with the aid of his penances, of Him who is the\nsupreme Soul and who is immutable and undeteriorating, Tandi became\nfilled with wonder, and said these words,--\"I seek the protection of Him\nwhom the Sankhyas describe and the Yogins think of as the Supreme, the\nForemost, the Purusha, the pervader of all things, and the Master of all\nexistent objects, of him who, the learned say, is the cause of both the\ncreation and the destruction of the universe; of him who is superior to\nall the celestials, the Asuras, and the Munis, of him who has nothing\nhigher, who is unborn, who is the Lord of all things, who has neither\nbeginning nor end, and who is endued with supreme puissance, who is\npossessed of the highest felicity, and who is effulgent and\nsinless.\"--After he had said these words, Tandi beheld before him that\nocean of penances, that great Deity who is immutable and undeteriorating,\nwho is without compare, who is inconceivable, who is eternal, and who is\nwithout any change, who is indivisible, who is whole, who is Brahma, who\ntranscends all attributes, and who is endued with attributes, who is the\nhighest delight of Yogins, who is without deterioration, who is called\nEmancipation, who is the refuge of the Mind, of Indra, of Agni, of the\ngod of wind, of the entire universe, and of the Grandsire Brahma; who is\nincapable of being conceived by the Mind, who is without mutation of any\nkind, who is pure, who is capable of being apprehended by understanding\nonly and who is immaterial as the Mind; who is difficult of\ncomprehension, who is incapable of being measured, who is difficult of\nbeing attained by persons of uncleansed souls, who is the origin of the\nuniverse, and who transcends both the universe and the attribute of\ndarkness; who is ancient, who is Purusha, who is possessed of effulgence,\nand who is higher than the highest. The Rishi Tandi, desirous of\nbeholding Him who making himself endued with life-breaths, resides in\nwhat results from it viz., Jiva, in the form of that effulgence which is\ncalled the Mind, passed many years in the practice of the severest\nausterities, and having succeeded in beholding Him as the reward of those\npenances, he praised the great God in the following terms.\n\n\"'\"'Tandi said, \"Thou art the holiest of holies[77] and the refuge of all,\nO foremost of all beings endued with intelligence. Thou art the fiercest\nenergy of all kinds of energy. Thou art the austerest penance of all\npenances. Thou, O puissant one, art the liberal giver of blessings. Thou\nart the supreme Truth. Salutations to thee, O thou of a thousand rays,\nand, O refuge of all felicity. Thou art the giver of that Nirvana which,\nO puissant one, Yatis, standing in fear of birth and death, strive for so\nhard. The Grandsire Brahma, he of a hundred sacrifices, (viz., Indra)\nVishnu, the Viswadevas, the great Rishis, are incapable of comprehending\nthee and thy real nature. How then can persons like ourselves hope to\ncomprehend thee? From thee flows everything. Upon thee rests everything.\nThou art called Kala, thou art called Purusha, thou art called Brahma.\nCelestial Rishis conversant with the Puranas, say that thou hast three\nbodies viz., those pertaining to Kalas, those pertaining to Purusha and\nthose pertaining to Brahma or the three forms namely Brahma, Vishnu and\nRudra. Thou art Adhi-Purusha, (occupying the physical frame from head to\nfoot) thou art Adhyatma, thou art Adhibhuta, and Adhi-Daivata, thou art\nAdhi-loka, Adhi-Vijnanam and Adhi-Yajna.[78] Men of wisdom, when they\nsucceed in knowing thee that residest in themselves and that art\nincapable of being known by the very gods, become freed from all bonds\nand pass into a state of existence that transcends all sorrow.[79] They\nthat do not wish to know thee, O thou of great puissance, have to undergo\ninnumerable births and deaths. Thou art the door of heaven and of\nEmancipation. Thou art he that projectest all beings into existence and\nwithdrawest them again into thyself. Thou art the great giver. Thou art\nheaven, thou art Emancipation, thou art desire (the seed of action). Thou\nart wrath that inspires creatures. Thou art Sattwa, thou art Rajas, thou\nart Tamas, thou art the nether regions, and thou art the upper regions.\nThou art the Grandsire Brahma, thou art Bhava, thou art Vishnu, thou art\nSkanda, thou art Indra, thou art Savitri, thou art Yama, thou art Varuna,\nSoma, thou art Dhatri, thou art Manu, thou art Vidhatri and thou art\nKuvera, the Lord of treasures. Thou art Earth, thou art Wind, thou art\nWater, thou art Agni, thou art Space, thou art Speech, thou art the\nUnderstanding, thou art Steadiness, thou art Intelligence, thou art the\nacts that creatures do, thou art Truth, thou art Falsehood, thou art\nexistent and thou art non-existent. Thou art the senses, thou art that\nwhich transcends Prakriti, thou art immutable. Thou art superior to the\nuniverse of existent objects, thou art superior to the universe of\nnon-existent objects, thou art capable of being conceived, thou art\nincapable of being conceived. That which is supreme Brahman, that which\nis the highest entity, that which is the end of both the Sankhyas and the\nYogins, is, without doubt, identical with thee. Verily, rewarded have I\nbeen today by thee in consequence of thy granting me a sight of thy form.\nI have attained the end which the righteous alone attain to. I have been\nrewarded with that end which is solicited by persons whose understandings\nhave been cleansed by Knowledge. Alas, so long I was steeped in\nIgnorance; for this long period I was a senseless fool, since I had no\nknowledge of thee that art the Supreme Deity, thee that art the only\neternal Entity as can be only known by all persons endued with wisdom. In\ncourse of innumerable lives have I at last succeeded in acquiring that\nDevotion towards thee in consequence of which thou hast shown thyself to\nme. O thou that art ever inclined to extend thy grace to those that are\ndevoted to thee, he that succeeds in knowing thee is enable to enjoy\nimmortality. Thou art that which is ever a mystery with the gods, the\nAsuras, and the ascetics. Brahman is concealed in the cave of the heart.\nThe very ascetics are unable to behold or know Him.[80] Thou art that\npuissant deity who is the doer of everything and whose face is turned\ntowards every direction. Thou art the Soul of all things, thou seest all\nthings, thou pervadest all things, and thou knowest all things. Thou\nmakest a body for thyself, and bearest that body. Thou art an embodied\nBeing. Thou enjoyest a body, and thou art the refuge of all embodied\ncreatures. Thou art the creator of the life-breaths, thou possessest the\nlife-breaths, thou art one that is endued with life-breaths, thou art the\ngiver of the life-breaths, and thou art the refuge of all beings endued\nwith life-breaths. Thou art that Adhyatma which is the refuge of all\nrighteous persons that are devoted to Yoga-meditation and conversant with\nthe Soul and that are solicitous of avoiding rebirth. Verily, thou art\nthat Supreme Lord who is identical with that refuge. Thou art the giver\nunto all creatures of whatever ends become theirs, fraught with happiness\nor misery. Thou art he that ordains all created beings to birth and\ndeath. Thou art the puissant Lord who grants success to Rishis crowned\nwith success in respect of the fruition of their wishes. Having created\nall the worlds beginning with Bhu, together with all the denizens of\nheaven, that upholdest and cherishest them all, distributing thyself into\nthy well-known forms numbering Eight.[81] From thee flows everything.\nUpon thee rests all things. All things, again, disappear in thee. Thou\nart the sole object that is Eternal. Thou art that region of Truth which\nis sought by the righteous and regarded by them as the highest. Thou art\nthat cessation of individual existence which Yogins seek. Thou art that\nOneness which is sought by persons conversant with the soul. Brahma and\nthe Siddhas expounding the mantras have concealed thee in a cave for\npreventing the deities and Asuras and human beings from beholding\nthee.[82] Although thou residest in the heart, yet thou are concealed.\nHence, stupefied by thee, deities and Asuras and human beings are all\nunable to understand thee, O Bhava, truly and in all thy details. Unto\nthose persons that succeed in attaining to thee after having cleansed\nthemselves by devotion, thou showest thyself of thy own accord, O thou\nthat residest in all hearts.[83] By knowing thee one can avoid both death\nand rebirth. Thou art the highest object of knowledge. By knowing thee no\nhigher object remains for one to know. Thou art the greatest object of\nacquisition. The person that is truly wise, by acquiring thee, thinks\nthat there is no higher object to acquire. By attaining to thee that art\nexceedingly subtile and that art the highest object of acquisition, the\nman of wisdom becomes immortal and immutable. The followers of the\nSankhya system, well conversant with their own philosophy and possessing\na knowledge of the attributes (of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas) and of those\ncalled the topics of enquiry,--those learned men who transcend the\ndestructible by attaining to a knowledge of the subtile or\nindestructible--succeed, by knowing thee, in freeing themselves from all\nbonds. Persons conversant with the Vedas regard thee as the one object of\nknowledge, which has been expounded in the Vedantas. These men, devoted\nto the regulation of the breaths, always meditate on thee and at last\nenter into thee as their highest end. Riding on the car made of Om, those\nmen enter into Maheswara. Of that which is called the Devayana (the path\nof the deities) thou art the door called Aditya. Thou art again, the\ndoor, called Chandramas, of that which is called the Pitriyana (the path\nof the Pitris).[84] Thou art Kashtha, thou art the points of the horizon,\nthou art the year, and thou art the Yugas. Thine is the sovereignty of\nthe heavens, thine is the sovereignty of the Earth, thou art the Northern\nand the Southern declensions. The Grandsire Brahma in days of yore\nuttered thy praises, O thou that art called Nilarohita (blue and red), by\nreciting diverse hymns and urged thee to create living creatures.\nBrahmanas conversant with Richs praise thee by uttering Richs, regarding\nthee as unattached to all things and as divested of all forms. Adhyaryus,\nin sacrifices, pour libations, uttering Yajushes the while, in honour of\nthee that art the sole object of knowledge, according to the three\nwell-known ways.[85] Persons of cleansed understandings, that are\nconversant with Samans, sing thee with the aid of Samans. Those\nregenerate persons, again, that are conversant with the Atharvans, hymn\nthee as Rita, as Truth, as the Highest, and as Brahma. Thou art the\nhighest cause, whence Sacrifice has flowed. Thou art the Lord, and thou\nart Supreme. The night and day are thy sense of hearing and sense of\nsight. The fortnights and months are thy head and arms. The seasons are\nthy energy, penances are thy patience, and the year is thy anus, thighs\nand feet. Thou art Mrityu, thou art Yama, thou art Hutasana, thou art\nKala, thou art endued with speed in respect of destruction, thou art the\noriginal cause of Time, and thou art eternal Time. Thou art Chandramas\nand Aditya, with all the stars and planets and the atmosphere that fills\nspace. Thou art the pole-star, thou art constellation called the seven\nRishis, thou art the seven regions beginning with Bhu. Thou art Pradhana\nand Mahat, thou art Unmanifest, and thou art this world. Thou art the\nuniverse beginning with Brahman and ending with the lowest forms of\nvegetation. Thou art the beginning or original cause of all creatures.\nThou art the eight Prakritis.[86] Thou art, again, above the eight\nPrakritis. Everything that exists, represents a portion of thy divine\nSelf. Thou art that supreme Felicity which is also Eternal. Thou art the\nend which is attained to by all things. Thou art that highest existence\nwhich is sought for by the Righteous. Thou art that state which is freed\nfrom every anxiety. Thou art eternal Brahman! Thou art that highest state\nwhich constitutes the meditation of persons learned in the scriptures and\nthe Vedantas. Thou art the highest Kashtha, thou art the highest Kala.\nThou art the highest Success, and thou art the highest Refuge. Thou art\nthe highest Tranquillity. Thou art the highest cessation of Existence. By\nattaining to thee, Yogins think that they attain to the highest success\nthat is open to them. Thou art Contentment, thou art Success, thou art\nthe Sruti, and thou art the Smriti. Thou art that Refuge of the Soul\nafter which Yogins strive, and thou art that indestructible Prapti which\nmen of Knowledge pursue. Thou art, without doubt, that End which those\npersons have in view that are habituated to sacrifices and that pour\nsacrificial libations, impelled by specific desires, and that make large\npresents on such occasions. Thou art that high End which is sought for by\npersons that waste and scorch their bodies with severe penances, with\nceaseless recitations, with those rigid vows and fasts that appertain to\ntheir tranquil lives, and with other means of self-affliction. O Eternal\none, thou art that End which is theirs that are unattached to all things\nand that have relinquished all acts. Thou, O Eternal one, art that End\nwhich is theirs that are desirous of achieving Emancipation from rebirth,\nthat live in dissociation from all enjoyments, and that desire the\nannihilation of the Prakriti elements. Thou art that high End, O\nillustrious one, which is indescribable, which is stainless, which is the\nimmutable one, and which is theirs that are devoted to knowledge and\nscience. These are the five Ends that have been declared in the Vedas and\nthe Scriptures and the Puranas. It is through thy grace that persons\nattain to those Ends, or, if they fail to attain to them, it is through\nthy grace being denied to them.\"--It was thus Tandi, who was a vast heap\nof penances, praised Isana. And he sang also that high Brahman which in\nancient days was sung by the Creator himself (in honour of Mahadeva).'\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu continued, 'Thus praised by that utterer of Brahma, viz.,\nTandi, Mahadeva that illustrious and puissant Deity, who was accompanied\nby his spouse Uma, said these words. Tandi had further said,--\"Neither\nBrahma, nor Indra, nor Vishnu, nor the Viswedevas, nor the great Rishis,\nknow thee.\" Gratified at this, Siva said the following words.'\n\n\"'\"'The holy one said, \"Thou shalt be indestructible and eternal. Thou\nshalt be freed from all sorrow. Great fame shall be thine. Thou shalt be\nendued with energy. Spiritual knowledge shall be thine. All the Rishis\nshall seek thee, and thy son, through my grace, shall become the author\nof Sutras, O foremost of regenerate persons. What wishes of thine shall I\ngrant today? Tell me, O son, what those objects are which thou\ndesirest.\"--At this, Tandi joined his hands and said--\"O Lord, let my\ndevotion to thee be steady.\"'\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu continued, 'Having given unto Tandi these boons and having\nreceived the adorations of both the deities and the Rishis, the great\nDeity disappeared there and then. When the illustrious deity, O lord of\nthe Yadavas, thus disappeared with all his followers, the Rishi came to\nmy asylum and said unto me all that had happened to him. Do thou hear, O\nforemost of men, all those celebrated names (of Mahadeva) that Tandi said\nunto me for thy spiritual success. The Grandsire had at one time recited\nten thousand names that apply to Mahadeva. In the scriptures, a thousand\nnames occur of that illustrious deity. These names are not known to all.\nO thou that transcendest destruction, in days of yore, the Grandsire\nBrahma uttered these names for adoring the high-souled Deity. Having\nacquired them through the grace of the Grandsire, Tandi communicated them\nto me!'\"'\"[87]\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Concentrating his mind, O Yudhishthira, the regenerate\nRishi Upamanyu, with hands joined together in reverence uttered this\nabstract of names (applying to Mahadeva), commencing from the beginning.\n\n\"'\"Upamanyu said, 'I shall adore that great Deity who deserves the\nadorations of all creatures, by uttering those names that are celebrated\nover all the worlds,--names some of which were uttered by the Grandsire\nBrahma, some by the Rishis, and some of which occur in the Vedas and the\nVedantas. Those names have been applied (unto the great Deity) by persons\nthat are eminent. Those names of him that are, again, true and fraught\nwith success and are capable of accomplishing all the purposes which the\nutterer may have in view, have been applied unto Mahadeva by Tandi after\ncalling them from the Vedic lore with the aid of his devotion. Indeed,\nwith those names that have been uttered by many well-known persons of\nrighteousness and by ascetics conversant with all the spiritual\nprinciples, I shall adore him who is the foremost, who is the first, who\nleads to heaven, who is ready to confer benefits upon all creatures, and\nwho is auspicious. Those names have been heard everywhere in the\nuniverse, having spread from the region of Brahma (where they were\noriginally invented). All of them are fraught with the element of Truth.\nWith those names I shall adore him who is Supreme Brahman, who has been\ndeclared (unto the universe) by the Vedas, and who is Eternal. I shall\nnow tell thee, O chief of Bharata's race those names. Do thou hear them\nwith rapt attention. Thou art a devoted worshipper of the Supreme Deity.\nDo thou worship the illustrious Bhava, distinguishing him above all the\ndeities. And because thou art devoted to him, I shall therefore, recite\nthose names in thy hearing. Mahadeva is Eternal Brahman. Persons endued\nwith Yoga and Yoga's achievements are unable to know in even a hundred\nyears, the glory and puissance of the great Deity in their entirety.\nVerily, the beginning, middle or end of Mahadeva cannot be apprehended by\nthe very deities. Indeed, when the case is such, who is there O Madhava,\nthat can recite the attributes of Mahadeva in their entirety? For all\nthat, I shall through the grace of that illustrious and supreme Deity of\nperfect wisdom, extended to me for my devotion to him, recite his\nattributes as embodied in an abstract of few words and letters. The\nSupreme Lord is incapable of being adored by any one if he does not grant\nhis permission to the adorer. As regards myself, it is only when I become\nfortunate enough to receive his permission that I succeed in adoring him.\nI shall indicate only a few names of that great Deity who is without\nbirth and without destruction, who is the original cause of the universe,\nwho is endued with the highest Soul, and whose origin is unmanifest.\nHear, O Krishna, a few names, that were uttered by Brahma himself, of\nthat giver of boons, that adorable deity, that puissant one who has the\nuniverse for his form, and who is possessed of supreme wisdom. These\nnames that I shall recite are extracted from the ten thousand names that\nthe great Grandsire had uttered in days of yore, as ghee is extracted\nfrom curds. As gold represents the essence of rocky mountains, as honey\nrepresents the essence of flowers, as Manda represents the extract from\nghee, even so have these names been extracted from and represent the\nessence of those ten thousand names that were uttered by Grandsire\nBrahma. This abstract of names is capable of cleansing every sin, however\nheinous. It possesses the same merit that is attached to the four Vedas.\nIt should be comprehended with attention by spiritual aspirants and\nengraved on the memory. These names fraught with auspiciousness, leading\nto advancement, destructive of Rakshasas,[88] and great cleansers should\nbe imparted to only him that is devoted to the great Lord, to him that\nhas faith, to him that believes. Unto him that has no faith, him that is\nan unbeliever, him that has not subjugated his soul, it should never be\ncommunicated. That creature, O Krishna, who cherishes malice towards the\nillustrious Mahadeva who is the original cause of everything, who is the\nSupreme Soul, and who is the great Lord, has certainly to go to hell with\nall his ancestors before and all his children after him. This abstract of\nnames that I shall recite to thee is looked upon as Yoga.[89] This is\nlooked upon as the highest object of meditation. This is that which one\nshould constantly recite as Japya. This is equivalent to Knowledge. This\nis the highest Mystery. If one, even during his last moments, recites it\nor hears it recited unto him, one succeeds in attaining to the highest\nend. This is holy. This is auspicious, this is fraught with every kind of\nbenefit. This is the best of all things. Brahma, the Grandsire of all the\nuniverse, having in days of old composed it, assigned to it the foremost\nplace among all excellent hymns. From that time, this hymn to the\ngreatness and glory of the high-souled Mahadeva, which is held in the\nhighest esteem by all the deities, has come to be regarded as the king of\nall hymns. This king of all hymns was first conveyed from the region of\nBrahman to heaven, the region of the celestials. Tandi then obtained it\nfrom heaven. Hence is it known as the hymn composed by Tandi. From heaven\nTandi brought it down on Earth. It is the most auspicious of all\nauspicious things, and is capable of cleansing the heart from all sins\nhowever heinous. O thou of mighty arms, I shall recite to thee that best\nof all hymns. \"This hymn relates to him who is the Veda of the Vedas, and\nthe most ancient of all ancient objects, to him who is the energy of all\nenergies, and the penance of all penances; to him who is the most\ntranquil of all creatures endued with tranquillity, and who is the\nsplendour of all splendours; to him who is looked upon as the most\nrestrained of all creatures that are restrained, and him who is the\nintelligence of all creatures endued with intelligence; to him who is\nlooked upon as the deity of all deities, and the Rishi of all Rishis; to\nhim who is regarded as the sacrifice of all sacrifices and the most\nauspicious of all things fraught with auspiciousness; to him who is the\nRudra of all Rudras and the effulgence of all things endued with\neffulgence; to him who is the Yogin of all Yogins, and the cause of all\ncauses; to him from whom all the worlds start into existence, and unto\nwhom all the worlds return when they cease to exist; to him who is the\nSoul of all existent creatures, and who is called Hara of immeasurable\nenergy. Hear me recite those thousand and eight names of the great Sarva.\nHearing those names, O foremost of all men, thou shalt be crowned with\nfruition in respect of all thy wishes,--Om! thou art Immobile, thou art\nFixed, thou art Puissant, thou art Terrible, thou art Foremost, thou art\nboon-giving, and thou art Superior.[90] Thou art the Soul of all\ncreatures, thou art celebrated over all creatures, thou art all things,\nthou art the Creator of all, and thou art Bhava.[91] Thou art the bearer\nof matted locks on thy head. Thou wearest animal skins for thy vestments.\nThou wearest a crest of matted hair on thy head like the peacock. Thou\nart he who has the whole universe for thy limbs.[92] Thou art the Creator\nof all things. Thou art Hara in consequence of thy being the destroyer of\nall things. Thou art he that has eyes resembling those of the gazelle.\nThou art the destroyer of all creatures. Thou art the supreme enjoyer of\nall things. Thou art that Pravritti whence all actions flow. Thou art\nthat Nivritti or abstention from acts. Thou art observant of fasts and\nvows, thou art Eternal, thou art Unchangeable. Thou art he that residest\nin crematoria, thou art the possessor of the six well-known attributes of\nLordship and the rest, thou residest in the heart of every creature, thou\nart he that enjoys all things with the senses, thou art the grinder of\nall sinful creatures.[93] Thou art he that deserves the salutations of\nall, thou art of great feats, thou art he that has penances for his\nwealth, thou createst all the elements at thy will, thou concealest thy\nreal nature by putting on the guise of a lunatic. Thou art the Master of\nall the worlds and of all living creatures. Thou art of immeasurable\nform, thou art of vast body, thou art of the form of Righteousness, thou\nart of great fame, thou art of high Soul, thou art the Soul of all\ncreatures, thou hast the universe for thy form.[94] Thou art of vast jaws\n(for thou swallowest the universe when the time comes for the dissolution\nof all things). Thou art the protector of all the lokas (the worlds).\nThou art the soul residing in the inner heart and as such devoid of\nahamkara originating from ignorance[95] and is one and undivided; Thou\nart anandam (gladness). Thou art he whose car is borne by mules. Thou art\nhe that protects Jiva from the thunderbolt of rebirth. Thou art adorable.\nThou art obtained by purity and self-restraint and vows. Thou art again\nthe refuge of all kinds of vows and observances including purity and\nself-restraint.[96] Thou art the celestial artificer that is conversant\nwith every art. Thou art Self-create (for no one has created thee). Thou\nart the beginning of all creatures and things. Thou art Hiranyagarbha,\nthe Creator of all things. Thou art inexhaustible puissance and\nfelicity.[97] Thou hast a hundred eyes, thou hast eyes of vast power.\nThou art Soma.[98] Thou art he that causest all righteous creatures\nassume shapes of glory for shining in the firmament. Thou art Chandramas,\nthou art Surya, thou art the planet Saturn, thou art the descending node\n(of the moon), thou art the ascending node, thou art Mangala (Mars), and\nthou art Vrihaspati (Jupiter) and Sukra (Venus), thou art Vudha (Mercury)\nthou art the worshipper of Atri's wife, thou art he who shot his shaft in\nwrath at Sacrifice when Sacrifice fled away from him in the form of a\ndeer. Thou art sinless.[99] Thou art possessed of penances that have\nconferred upon thee the power of creating the universe. Thou art\npossessed of penances that have rendered thee capable of destroying the\nuniverse. Thou art high minded (in consequence of thy great liberality\ntowards thy devotees). Thou fulfillest the wishes of all who resign\nthemselves to thee. Thou art the maker of the year (for it is thou who\nsettest the wheel of Time revolving, by assuming the form of the sun and\nthe planets). Thou art Mantra (in the form of Pranava and other sacred\nwords and syllables). Thou art the authority for all acts (in the form of\nthe Vedas and the scriptures). Thou art the highest Penance. Thou art\ndevoted to Yoga. Thou art he who merges himself in Brahman (by\nYoga-abstraction). Thou art the great seed (being the cause of causes).\nThou art the displayer of what is unmanifest in the manifest form in\nwhich the universe exists. Thou art possessed of infinite might. Thou art\nhe whose seed is gold.[100] Thou art omniscient, (being as thou art all\nthings and the great knower). Thou art the cause of all things. Thou art\nhe that has the seed of action (viz., ignorance and desire) for the means\nof sojourning from this world to the other and the other to this.[101]\nThou hast ten arms. Thou hast winkless eyes (for thou seest at all\ntimes). Thou hast a blue throat (in consequence of thy bearing in thy\nthroat the poison that arose upon churning the ocean and which, if not so\nborne, was capable of destroying the universe). Thou art the Lord of Uma.\nThou art the origin of all the infinite forms that occur in the universe.\nThou art he whose superiority is due to thyself. Thou art a hero in might\n(in consequence of thy having achieved such grand feats as the quick\ndestruction of the triple city of the Asuras). Thou art inert matter\n(which cannot move unless co-existing with the Soul). Thou art all the\ntattwas (subjects of enquiry as counted by the Sankhyas). Thou art the\nordainer and ruler of the tattwas. Thou art the chief of those beings\nthat wait upon thee and are called Ganas.[102] Thou coverest infinite\nspace.[103] Thou art Kama, the God of Desire. Thou art conversant with\nMantras (in the sense of knowledge being thy penance).[104] Thou art the\nhighest Mantra for thou art that philosophy which consists in the\nascertainment of the nature and attributes of the soul (and its\ndifferences from the Non-soul). Thou art the cause of the universe (since\nall that exists has sprung from thy Soul). Thou art universal destroyer\n(for all that ceases to exist becomes merged unto thee who art as the\nunmanifest Brahman). Thou bearest in one of thy hands the calabash, and\nin another thou holdest the bow; in another hand thou bearest shafts and\nin another thou bearest a skull. Thou bearest the thunder-bolt. Thou art\narmed with the hundred-killer.[105] Thou art armed with the sword. Thou\nwieldest the battle-axe. Thou art armed with the Sula (trident). Thou art\nadorable. Thou host the sacrificial ladle in one of thy hands. Thou art\nof beautiful form. Thou art endued with abundant energy. Thou givest in\nthe most liberal measure all that tends to adorn those that are devoted\nto thee. Thou wearest a turban on thy head. Thou art of beautiful face.\nThou art he who swells with splendour and puissance. Thou art he that is\nhumble and modest. Thou art exceedingly tall. Thou art he who has the\nsenses for thy rays.[106] Thou art the greatest of preceptors. Thou art\nSupreme Brahman (being a state of pure felicitous existence).[107] Thou\nart he that took the shape of a jackal (for consoling the Brahmana who,\nwhen insulted by a wealthy Vaisya, had resolved to commit suicide). Thou\nart he whose objects are all crowned with fruition, of themselves and\nwithout waiting for the puissance (derivable from penances). Thou art one\nwho bears a bald head (as the sign of the mendicant order). Thou art one\nwho does good to all creatures. Thou art unborn. Thou hast innumerable\nforms. Thou bearest all kinds of fragrance on thy person. The matted\nlocks on thy head had sucked up the river Ganga when it first fell from\nheaven (although they again gave out the waters at the earnest\nsolicitations of king Bhagiratha). Thou art the giver of sovereignty and\nlordship.[108] Thou art a Brahmacharin without having ever fallen away\nfrom the rigid vow of continence. Thou art distinguished for thy sexual\ncontinence. Thou always liest on thy back. Thou hast thy abode in\nPuissance.[109] Thou hast three matted locks on thy head. Thou art he\nthat is clad in rags. Thou art Rudra (in consequence of thy fierceness).\nThou art the celestial generalissimo, and thou art all pervading. Thou\nart he that moves about during the day. Thou art he that moves about in\nthe night.[110] Thou art of fierce wrath. Thou art possessed of dazzling\neffulgence (born of Vedic study and penances). Thou art the slayer of the\nmighty Asura who had come in the form of an infuriate elephant for\ndestroying thy sacred city of Varanasi. Thou art the slayer of such\nDaityas as become the oppressors of the universe. Thou art Kala or Time\nwhich is the universal destroyer. Thou art the supreme ordainer of the\nuniverse. Thou art a mine of excellent accomplishments. Thou art of the\nform of the lion and the tiger. Thou art he that is clad in the skin of\nan elephant. Thou art the Yogin who deceives Time by transcending its\nirresistible influence. Thou art the original sound.[111] Thou art the\nfruition of all desires. Thou art he that is adored in four ways.[112]\nThou art a night-wanderer (like Vetala and others). Thou art he that\nwanders in the company of spirits. Thou art he that wanders in the\ncompany of ghostly beings. Thou art the Supreme Lord of even Indra and\nthe other celestials. Thou art he that hast multiplied himself infinitely\nin the form of all existent and non-existent things. Thou art the\nupholder of both Mahat and all the innumerable combinations of the five\nprimal elements. Thou art the primeval Ignorance or Tamas that is known\nby the name of Rahu. Thou art without measure and hence infinite. Thou\nart the supreme End that is attained by the Emancipate. Thou art fond of\ndancing. Thou art he that is always engaged in dancing. Thou art he that\ncauses others to dance. Thou art the friend of the universe. Thou art he\nwhose aspect is calm and mild. Thou art endued with penances puissant\nenough to create and destroy the universe. Thou art he who binds all\ncreatures with the bonds of thy illusion. Thou art he that transcends\ndestruction. Thou art he who dwells on the mount Kailasa. Thou\ntranscendest all bonds and art unattached in respect of all things, like\nSpace. Thou art possessed of a thousand arms. Thou art victory. Thou art\nthat perseverance which is the cause of success or victory. Thou art\nwithout idleness or procrastination that interferes with persevering\nactivity. Thou art dauntless. Thou art fear. Thou art he who put a stop\nto Vali's sacrifice.[113] Thou fulfillest the desires of all thy\ndevotees. Thou art the destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice. Thou art amiable.\nThou art slightly amiable. Thou art exceedingly fierce and robbest all\ncreatures of their energy. Thou art the slayer of the Asura Vala. Thou\nart always cheerful. Thou art of the form of wealth which is coveted by\nall. Thou hast never been vanquished.[114] There is none more adorable\nthan thou. Thou art he who utters deep roars (in the form of Ocean). Thou\nart that which is so deep that no one can measure it (because thou art of\nthe form of space). Thou art he whose puissance and the might of whose\ncompanions and of the bull have never been measured by anybody. Thou art\nthe tree of the world (whose roots extend upwards and branches hang\ndownwards). Thou art the banian.[115] Thou art he that sleeps on a human\nleaf when the universe, after dissolution, becomes one infinite expanse\nof water. Thou art he that shows compassion to all worshippers assuming\nas thou listest, the form of Hari or Hara or Ganesa or Arka or Agni or\nWind, etc. Thou art possessed of teeth that are exceedingly sharp (since\nthou art competent to chew innumerable worlds even as one munches nuts\nand swallows them speedily). Thou art of vast dimensions in respect of\nthy forms. Thou art possessed of a mouth that is vast enough to swallow\nthe universe at once. Thou art he whose troops are adored\neverywhere.[116] Thou art he who dispelled all the fears of the deities\nwhen the prince of elephants had to be captured. Thou art the seed of the\nuniverse. Thou art he who has for his vehicle the same bull that forms\nagain the device on his banner in battle. Thou hast Agni for thy soul.\nThou art Surya who has green steeds yoked unto his car. Thou art the\nfriend of Jiva. Thou art he that is conversant with the proper time for\nthe accomplishment of all religious acts. Thou art he unto whom Vishnu\npaid his adorations (for obtaining his celebrated discus). Thou art the\nsacrifice being in the form of Vishnu. Thou art the ocean. Thou art the\nBarabanala Mare's head that ranges within the ocean, ceaselessly\nvomitting fire and drinking the saline waters as if they were sacrificial\nbutter. Thou art Wind, the friend of Agni. Thou art of tranquil soul like\nthe ocean when at rest and unstirred by the mildest breeze. Thou art Agni\nthat drinks the libations of clarified butter poured in sacrifices with\nthe aid of Mantras. Thou art he whom it is difficult to approach. Thou\nart he whose effulgence spreads over the infinite universe. Thou art ever\nskilful in battle. Thou art well conversant with the time when one should\nengage in battle so that victory may be achieved. Thou art that science\nwhich treats of the motions of heavenly bodies.[117] Thou art of the form\nof success or victory. Thou art he whose body is Time (for thy body is\nnever subject to destruction). Thou art a householder for thou wearest a\ntuft of hair on thy head. Thou art a Sanyasin for thy head is bald. Thou\nwearest matted locks on thy head (being, as thou art, a\nVanaprastha).[118] Thou art distinguished for thy fiery rays (for the\neffulgent path by which the righteous proceed is identical with thee).\nThou art he that appears in the firmament in the heart encased in the\nbody of every creature.[119] Thou art he who enters into the cranium\n(brain) of every creature. Thou bearest the wrinkles of age. Thou bearest\nthe bamboo flute. Thou hast also the tabour. Thou bearest the musical\ninstrument called Tali. Thou hast the wooden vessel used for husking\ngrain. Thou art he who covers that illusion which covers Yama.[120] Thou\nart an astrologer inasmuch as thy understanding is always directed\ntowards the motion of the wheel of time which is made up of the\nluminaries in the firmament. Thou art Jiva whose understanding is\ndirected to things that are the result of the attributes of Sattwa,\nRajas, and Tamas. Thou art that in which all things merge when\ndissolution overtakes them. Thou art stable and fixed, there being\nnothing in thee that is subject to change or mutation of any kind. Thou\nart the Lord of all creatures. Thy arms extend all over the vast\nuniverse. Thou art displayed in innumerable forms that are but fractions\nof thyself. Thou pervadest all things.[121] Thou art he that has no mouth\n(for thou enjoyest not the objects of thy own creation). Thou art he who\nfrees thy creatures from the bonds of the world. Thou art easily\nattainable.[122] Thou art he that manifested himself with a golden\nmail.[123] Thou art he that appears in the phallic emblem. Thou art he\nthat wanders in the forests in quest of fowls and animals. Thou art he\nthat wanders over the Earth. Thou art he that is omnipresent. Thou art\nthe blare that is produced by all the trumpets blown in the three worlds.\nThou art he that has all creatures for his relatives.[124] Thou art of\nthe form of a snake (for thou art identical with the mighty Naga named\nSesha). Thou art he that lives in mountain caves (like Jaigishavya), or\nany other Yogin. Thou art identical with Guha (the celestial\ngeneralissimo). Thou wearest garlands of flowers. Thou art he who enjoys\nthe happiness that springs from the possession of worldly objects.[125]\nThou art he from whom all creatures have derived their three states of\nbirth, existence, and destruction. Thou art he that upholds all things\nthat exist or occur in the three stages of time viz., the Past, the\nPresent, and the Future. Thou art he that frees creatures from the\neffects of all acts belonging to previous lives as well as those\naccomplished in the present life and from all the bonds due to Ignorance\nand Desire. Thou art he who is the binder of Asura chiefs. Thou art he\nwho is the slayer of foes in battle.[126] Thou art that which is\nattainable by knowledge alone. Thou art Durvasas. Thou art he who is\nwaited upon and adored by all the righteous. Thou art he who causes the\nfall of even Brahma and the others. Thou art he that gives unto all\ncreatures the just share of joy and grief that each deserves according to\nhis own acts. Thou art he that is incomparable. Thou art well conversant\nwith the shares that are given and appropriated in sacrifices.[127] Thou\nresidest in every place. Thou wanderest everywhere. Thou art he that has\nmean vestments.[128] Thou art Vasava. Thou art immortal. Thou art\nidentical with the Himavat mountains. Thou art the maker of pure gold.\nThou art without acts. Thou upholdest in thyself the fruits of all acts.\nThou art the foremost of all creatures that are regarded as\nupholders.[129] Thou art he that has bloody eyes. Thou art he that has\neyes whose vision extends over the infinite universe. Thou art he that\nhas a car whose wheels are ever victorious. Thou art he that is possessed\nof vast learning. Thou art he that accepts thy devotees for thy servants.\nThou art he that restrains and subjugates thy senses. Thou art he that\nacts. Thou wearest clothes whose warp and woof are made of snakes. Thou\nart Supreme. Thou art he who is the lowest of the celestials.[130] Thou\nart he that is well-grown. Thou ownest the musical instrument called\nKahala. Thou art the giver of every wish. Thou art the embodiment of\ngrace in all the three stages of Time, viz., the Past, the Present, and\nthe Future. Thou art possessed of might that is always well spent. Thou\nart he who had assumed the form of Valarama (the elder brother of\nKrishna). Thou art the foremost of all collected things, being\nEmancipation or the highest of all ends to which creatures attain. Thou\nart the giver of all things. Thy face is turned towards all directions.\nThou art he from whom diverse creatures have sprung even as all forms\nhave sprung from space or are modifications of that primal element. Thou\nart he who falls into the pit called body.[131] Thou art he that is\nhelpless (for, falling into the pit constituted by the body, thou canst\nnot transcend the sorrow that is thy portion). Thou residest in the\nfirmament of the heart. Thou art exceedingly fierce in form. Thou art the\nDeity called Ansu. Thou art the companion of Ansu and art called Aditya.\nThou art possessed of innumerable rays. Thou art endued with dazzling\neffulgence. Thou hast the speed of the Wind.[132] Thou art possessed of\nspeed that is greater than that of the Wind. Thou art possessed of the\nspeed of the mind. Thou art Nishachara as thou enjoyest all things, being\ninvested with Ignorance.[133] Thou dwellest in every body. Thou dwellest\nwith Prosperity as thy companion. Thou art he that imparts knowledge and\ninstruction. Thou art he who imparts instruction in utter silence. Thou\nart he that observes the vow of taciturnity (for thou instructest in\nsilence). Thou art he who passes out of the body, looking at the\nsoul.[134] Thou art he that is well adored. Thou art the giver of\nthousands (since the lord of all the treasures derived those treasures of\nhis from thee). Thou art the prince of birds, (being Garuda the son of\nVinata and Kasyapa). Thou art the friend that renders aid. Thou art\npossessed of exceeding effulgence (for thy splendour is like that of a\nmillion suns risen together). Thou art the Master of all created beings.\nThou art he who provokes the appetites. Thou art the deity of Desire.\nThou art of the form of lovely women that are coveted by all. Thou art\nthe tree of the world. Thou art the Lord of Treasures. Thou art the giver\nof fame. Thou art the Deity that distributes unto all creatures the\nfruits (in the form of joys and griefs) of their acts. Thou art thyself\nthose fruits which thou distributest. Thou art the most ancient (having\nexisted from a time when there was no other existent thing). Thou art\ncompetent to cover with a single footstep of thine all the three worlds.\nThou art Vamana (the dwarf) who deceived the Asura chief Vali (and\ndepriving him of his sovereignty restored it unto Indra). Thou art the\nYogin crowned with success (like Sanatkumara and others). Thou art a\ngreat Rishi (like Vasishtha and others). Thou art one whose objects are\nalways crowned with success (like Rishava or Dattatreya). Thou art a\nSanyasin (like Yajnavalkya and others). Thou art he that is adorned with\nthe marks of the mendicant order. Thou art he that is without such\nmarks.[135] Thou art he that transcends the usages of the mendicant\norder. Thou art he that assures all creatures from every sort of fear.\nThou art without any passions thyself (so that glory and humiliation are\nalike to thee). Thou art he that is called the celestial generalissimo.\nThou art that Visakha who took his rise from the body of the celestial\ngeneralissimo when Indra hurled his thunder-bolt at him. Thou art\nconversant with the sixty tattwas or heads of enquiry in the universe.\nThou art the Lord of the senses (for these achieve their respective\nfunctions guided by thee). Thou art he that is armed with the\nthunder-bolt (and that rives the mountains). Thou art infinite. Thou art\nthe stupefier of Daitya ranks in the field of battle. Thou art he that\nmoves his car in circles among his own ranks and that makes similar\ncircles among the ranks of his foes and who comes back safe and sound\nafter devastating them. Thou art he that is conversant with the lowest\ndepth of the world's ocean (in consequence of thy knowledge of Brahman).\nThou art he called Madhu (who has founded the race in which Krishna has\ntaken his birth). Thou hast eyes whose colour resembles that of honey.\nThou art he that has taken birth after Vrihaspati.[136] Thou art he that\ndoes the acts which Adhyaryus have to do in sacrifices. Thou art he who\nis always adored by persons whatever their modes of life. Thou art\ndevoted to Brahman. Thou wanderest amongst the habitations of men in the\nworld (in consequence of thy being a mendicant). Thou art he that\npervadest all beings. Thou art he that is conversant with truth. Thou\nknowest and guidest every heart. Thou art he that overspreads the whole\nuniverse. Thou art he that collects or stores the good and bad acts of\nall creatures in order to award them the fruits thereof. Thou art he that\nlives during even the night that follows the universal dissolution. Thou\nart the protector wielding the bow called Pinaka. Thou residest in even\nthe Daityas that are the marks at which shootest thy arrows. Thou art the\nauthor of prosperity. Thou art the mighty ape Hanuman that aided Vishnu\nin the incarnation of Rama in his expedition against Ravana. Thou art the\nlord of those Ganas that are thy associates. Thou art each member of\nthose diverse Ganas. Thou art he that gladdens all creatures. Thou art\nthe enhancer of the joys of all.[137] Thou takest away the sovereignty\nand prosperity of even such high beings as Indra and others. Thou art the\nuniversal slayer in the form of Death. Thou art he that resides in the\nfour and sixty Kalas. Thou art very great. Thou art the Grandsire (being\nthe sire of the great sire of all). Thou art the supreme phallic emblem\nthat is adored by both deities and Asuras. Thou art of agreeable and\nbeautiful features. Thou art he who presides over the variety of\nevidences and tendencies for action and non-action. Thou art the lord of\nvision. Thou art the Lord of Yoga (in consequence of thy withdrawing all\nthe senses into the heart and combining them together in that place).\nThou art he that upholds the Krita and the other ages (by causing them to\nrun ceaselessly). Thou art the Lord of seeds (in consequence of thy being\nthe giver of the fruits of all acts good and bad). Thou art the original\ncause of such seeds. Thou actest in the ways that have been pointed out\nin the scriptures beginning with those that treat of the Soul. Thou art\nhe in whom reside might and the other attributes. Thou art the\nMahabharata and other histories of the kind. Thou art the treatises\ncalled Mimansa. Thou art Gautama (the founder of the science of\ndialectics). Thou art the author of the great treatise on Grammar that\nhas been named after the Moon. Thou art he who chastises his foes. Thou\nart he whom none can chastise. Thou art he who is sincere in respect of\nall his religious acts and observances. Thou art he that becomes obedient\nto those that are devoted to thee. Thou art he that is capable of\nreducing others to subjection. Thou art he who foments quarrels among the\ndeities and the Asuras. Thou art he who has created the four and ten\nworlds (beginning with Bhu). Thou art the protector and cherisher of all\nBeings commencing from Brahma and ending with the lowest forms of\nvegetable life (like grass and straw). Thou art the Creator of even the\nfive original elements. Thou art he that never enjoys anything (for thou\nart always unattached). Thou art free from deterioration. Thou art the\nhighest form of felicity. Thou art a deity proud of his might. Thou art\nSakra. Thou art the chastisement that is spoken of in treatises on\nmorality and is inflicted on offenders. Thou art of the form of that\ntyranny which prevails over the world. Thou art of pure Soul. Thou art\nstainless (being above faults of every kind). Thou art worthy of\nadoration. Thou art the world that appears and disappears ceaselessly.\nThou art he whose grace is of the largest measure. Thou art he that has\ngood dreams. Thou art a mirror in which the universe is reflected. Thou\nart he that has subjugated all internal and external foes. Thou art the\nmaker of the Vedas. Thou art the maker of those declarations that are\ncontained in the Tantras and the Puranas and that are embodied in\nlanguage that is human.[138] Thou art possessed of great learning. Thou\nart the grinder of foes in battle. Thou art he that resides in the awful\nclouds that appear at the time of the universal dissolution. Thou art\nmost terrible (in consequence of the dissolution of the universe that\nthou bringest about). Thou art he who succeeds in bringing all persons\nand all things into thy subjection. Thou art the great Destroyer. Thou\nart he that has fire for his energy. Thou art he whose energy is mightier\nthan fire. Thou art the Yuga-fire that consumes all things. Thou art he\nthat is capable of being gratified by means of sacrificial libations.\nThou art water and other liquids that are poured in sacrifices with the\naid of Mantras. Thou art in the form of the Deity of Righteousness, the\ndistributor of the fruits that attach to acts good and bad. Thou art the\ngiver of felicity. Thou art always endued with effulgence. Thou art of\nthe form of fire. Thou art of the complexion of the emerald. Thou art\nalways present in the phallic emblem. Thou art the source of blessedness.\nThou art incapable of being baffled by anything in the prosecution of\nyour objects. Thou art the giver of blessings. Thou art of the form of\nblessedness. Thou art he unto whom is given a share of sacrificial\nofferings. Thou art he who distributes unto each his share of that is\noffered in sacrifices. Thou art endued with great speed. Thou art he that\nis dissociated from all things. Thou art he that is possessed of the\nmightiest limb. Thou art he that is employed in the act of generation.\nThou art of a dark complexion, (being of the form of Vishnu). Thou art of\na white complexion (being of the form of Samva, the son of Krishna). Thou\nart the senses of all embodied creatures. Thou art possessed of vast\nfeet. Thou hast vast hands. Thou art of vast body. Thou art endued with\nwide extending fame. Thou hast a vast head.[139] Thou art of vast\nmeasurements. Thou art of vast vision. Thou art the home of the darkness\nof ignorance. Thou art the Destroyer of the Destroyer. Thou art possessed\nof vast years. Thou hast vast lips. Thou art he that has vast cheeks.\nThou hast a vast nose. Thou art of a vast throat. Thou hast a vast neck.\nThou art he that tears the bond of body.[140] Thou hast a vast chest.\nThou hast a vast bosom. Thou art the inner soul which resides in all\ncreatures. Thou hast a deer on thy lap. Thou art he from whom innumerable\nworlds hang down like fruits hanging down from a tree. Thou art he who\nstretches his lips at the time of the universal dissolution for\nswallowing the universe. Thou art the ocean of milk. Thou hast vast\nteeth. Thou hast vast jaws. Thou hast a vast bristle.[141] Thou hast hair\nof infinite length. Thou hast a vast stomach. Thou hast matted locks of\nvast length. Thou art ever cheerful. Thou art of the form of grace. Thou\nart of the form of belief. Thou art he that has mountains for his bow (or\nweapons in battle). Thou art he that is full of affection to all\ncreatures like a parent towards his offspring. Thou art he that has no\naffection. Thou art unvanquished. Thou art exceedingly devoted to (Yoga)\ncontemplation.[142] Thou art of the form of the tree of the world.[143]\nThou art he that is indicated by the tree of the world.[144] Thou art\nnever satiated when eating (because of thy being of the form of fire, for\nof all elements, fire is never satiated with the quantity offered it for\nconsumption). Thou art he that has the Wind for thy vehicle for going\nfrom place to place (in consequence of thy identity with fire). Thou art\nhe that rangest over hills and little eminences. Thou art he that has his\nresidence on the mountains of Meru. Thou art the chief of the celestials.\nThou hast the Atharvans for thy head. Thou hast the Samans for thy mouth.\nThou hast the thousand Richs for thy immeasurable eyes. Thou hast the\nYajushes for thy feet and hands.[145] Thou art the Upanishads. Thou art\nthe entire body of rituals (occurring in the scriptures). Thou art all\nthat is mobile. Thou art he whose solicitations are never unfulfilled.\nThou art he who is always inclined to grace. Thou art he that is of\nbeautiful form. Thou art of the form of the good that one does to\nanother. Thou art that which is dear. Thou art he that always advances\ntowards thy devotees (in proportion as these advance for meeting thee).\nThou art gold and other precious metals that are held dear by all. Thy\neffulgence is like that of burnished gold. Thou art the navel (of the\nuniverse). Thou art he that makes the fruits of sacrifices grow (for the\nbenefit of those that perform sacrifices to thy glory). Thou art of the\nform of that faith and devotion which the righteous have in respect of\nsacrifices. Thou art the artificer of the universe. Thou art all that is\nimmobile (in the form of mountains and other inert objects). Thou art the\ntwo and ten stages of life through which a person passes.[146] Thou art\nhe that causes fright (by assuming the intermediate states between the\nten enumerated). Thou art the beginning of all things. Thou art he that\nunites Jiva with Supreme Brahman through Yoga. Thou art identifiable with\nthat Yoga which causes such a union between Jiva and Supreme Brahman.\nThou art unmanifest (being the deepest stupefaction). Thou art the\npresiding deity of the fourth age (in consequence of thy identity with\nlust and wrath and cupidity and other evil passions that flow from that\ndeity).[147] Thou art eternal Time (because of thy being of the form of\nthat ceaseless succession of birth and death that goes on in the\nuniverse). Thou art of the form of the Tortoise.[148] Thou art worshipped\nby the Destroyer himself. Thou livest in the midst of associates. Thou\nadmittest thy devotees as members of thy Gana. Thou hast Brahma himself\nfor the driver of thy car. Thou sleepest on ashes.[149] Thou protectest\nthe universe with ashes.[150] Thou art he whose body is made of\nashes.[151] Thou art the tree that grants the fruition of all wishes.\nThou art of the form of those that constitute thy Gana. Thou art the\nprotector of the four and ten regions. Thou transcendent all the regions.\nThou art full, (there being no deficiency). Thou art adored by all\ncreatures. Thou art white (being pure and stainless). Thou art he that\nhas his body, speech and mind perfectly stainless. Thou art he who has\nattained to that purity of existence which is called Emancipation. Thou\nart he who is incapable of being stained by impurity of any kind. Thou\nart he who has been attained to by the great preceptors of old. Thou\nresidest in the form of Righteousness or duly in the four modes of life.\nThou art that Righteousness which is of the form of rites and sacrifices.\nThou art of the form of that skill which is possessed by the celestial\nartificer of the universe. Thou art he who is adored as the primeval form\nof the universe. Thou art of vast arms. Thy lips are of a coppery hue.\nThou art of the form of the vast waters that are contained in the Ocean.\nThou art exceedingly stable and fixed (being of the form of mountains and\nhills). Thou art Kapila. Thou art brown. Thou art all the hues whose\nmixture produces white. Thou art the period of life. Thou art ancient.\nThou art recent. Thou art a Gandharva. Thou art the mother of the\ncelestials in the form of Aditi (or the mother of all things, in the form\nof Earth). Thou art Garuda, the prince of birds, born of Vinata by\nKasyapa, otherwise called Tarkshya. Thou art capable of being\ncomprehended with ease. Thou art of excellent and agreeable speech. Thou\nart he that is armed with the battle-axe. Thou art he that is desirous of\nvictory. Thou art he that assists others in the accomplishment of their\ndesigns.[152] Thou art an excellent friend.[153] Thou art he that bears a\nVina made of two hollow gourds. Thou art of terrible wrath (which thou\ndisplayest at the time of the universal dissolution). Thou ownest for thy\noffspring, beings higher than men and deities (viz., Brahma and Vishnu).\nThou art of the form of that Vishnu who floats on the waters after the\nuniversal dissolution. Thou devourest all things with great ferocity.\nThou art he that procreates offspring. Thou art family and race,\ncontinuing from generation to generation. Thou art the blare that a\nbamboo flute gives out. Thou art faultless. Thou art he every limb of\nwhose body is beautiful. Thou art full of illusion. Thou dost good to\nothers without expecting any return. Thou art Wind. Thou art Fire. Thou\nart the bonds of the worlds which bind Jiva. Thou art the creator of\nthose bonds. Thou art the tearer of such bonds. Thou art he that dwells\nwith even the Daityas (who are the foes of all sacrifices). Thou dwellest\nwith those that are the foes of all acts (and that have abandoned all\nacts). Thou art of large teeth, and thou art of mighty weapons. Thou art\nhe that has been greatly censured. Thou art he that stupefied the Rishis\ndwelling in the Daruka forest. Thou art he that did good unto even thy\ndetractors, viz., those Rishis residing in the Daruka forest. Thou art he\nwho dispels all fears and who dispelling all the fears of those Rishis\ngave them Emancipation. Thou art he that has no wealth (in consequence of\nhis inability to procure even his necessary wearing apparel). Thou art\nthe lord of the celestials. Thou art the greatest of the gods (in\nconsequence of thy being adored by even Indra and others that are\nregarded as the highest of the celestials). Thou art an object of\nadoration with even Vishnu. Thou art the slayer of those that are the\nfoes of the deities. Thou art he that resides (in the form of the snake\nSesha) in the nethermost region.[154] Thou art invisible but capable of\nbeing comprehended, even as the wind which though invisible is perceived\nby every body. Thou art he whose knowledge extends to the roots of\neverything and unto whom all things, even in their inner nature, are\nknown. Thou art the object that is enjoyed by him that enjoys it. Thou\nart he among the eleven Rudras who is called Ajaikapat. Thou art the\nsovereign of the entire universe. Thou art of the form of all Jivas in\nthe universe (in consequence of thy being covered by the three well-known\nattributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas). Thou art he that is not subject\nto those three attributes. Thou art he that transcends all attributes and\nis a state of pure existence which is incapable of being described with\nthe aid of any adjective that language can yield. Thou art the prince of\nphysicians called Dhanwantari. Thou art a comet (in consequence of the\ncalamities that flow from thee unto the sinful). Thou art the celestial\ngeneralissimo called Skanda. Thou art the king of the Yakshas, called\nKuvera, who is thy inseparable associate and who is the Lord of all\ntreasures in the world. Thou art Dhatri. Thou art Sakra. Thou art Vishnu.\nThou art Mitra. Thou art Tashtri (the celestial artificer). Thou art the\nPole Star. Thou art he that upholds all things. Thou art he called\nPrabhava amongst the Vasus. Thou art the wind which is capable of going\neverywhere (being the Sutra-atma that connects all things in the universe\nwith a thread). Thou art Aryaman. Thou art Savitri. Thou art Ravi. Thou\nart that ancient king of great celebrity known by the name of Ushangu.\nThou art he who protects all creatures in diverse ways. Thou art\nMandhatri (because of thy competence to gratify all creatures). Thou art\nhe from whom all creatures start into life. Thou art he who exists in\ndiverse form. Thou art he who causes the diverse hues to exist in the\nuniverse. Thou art he who upholds all desires and all attributes (because\nof these flowing from thee). Thou art he who has the lotus on thy\nnavel.[155] Thou art he within whose womb are innumerable mighty\ncreatures. Thou art of face as beautiful as the moon. Thou art wind. Thou\nart fire. Thou art possessed of exceeding might. Thou art endued with\ntranquillity of soul. Thou art old. Thou art he that is known with the\naid of Righteousness.[156] Thou art Lakshmi. Thou art the maker of the\nfield of those actions (by which persons adore the supreme Deity). Thou\nart he who lives in the field of action. Thou art the soul of the field\nof action. Thou art the medicine or provoker of the attributes of\nsovereignty and the others.[157] All things lie in thee (for, as the\nSrutis declare, all things becomes one in thee, thyself being of the\nnature of that unconsciousness which exhibits itself in dreamless\nslumber). Thou art the lord of all creatures endued with life-breaths.\nThou art the god of the gods. Thou art he who is attached to felicity.\nThou art Sat (in the form of cause). Thou art Asat (in the form of\neffect). Thou art he who possesses the best of all things. Thou art he\nwho resides on the mountains of Kailasa. Thou art he who repairs to the\nmountains of Himavat. Thou washest away all things besides thee like a\nmighty current washing away trees and other objects standing on its\nbanks. Thou art the maker of Pushkara and other large lakes and pieces of\nnatural water. Thou art possessed of knowledge of infinite kinds. Thou\nart the giver of infinite blessings. Thou art a merchant (who conveys the\ngoods of this country to that country and brings the goods of that\ncountry to this for the convenience of human beings). Thou art a\ncarpenter. Thou art the tree (of the world that supplies the timber for\nthy axe). Thou art the tree called Vakula (Mimusops Elengi, Linn.) Thou\nart the sandal-wood tree (Santalum album, Linn.). Thou art the tree\ncalled Chcchada (Alstonia Scholaris, syn Echitis, Scholaris, Roxb.). Thou\nart he whose neck is very strong. Thou art he whose shoulder joint is\nvast. Thou art not restless (but endued with steadiness in all thy acts\nand in respect of all thy faculties). Thou art the principal herbs and\nplants with their produce (in the form of rice and wheat and the other\nvarieties of grain). Thou art he that grants success upon others in\nrespect of the objects upon which they bestow their heart. Thou art all\nthe correct conclusions in respect of both the Vedas and Grammar.[158]\nThou art he who utters leonine roars. Thou art endued with leonine fangs.\nThou ridest on the back of a lion for performing thy journeys. Thou\nownest a car that is drawn by a lion. Thou art he called the truth of\ntruth.[159] Thou art he whose dish or plate is constituted by the\nDestroyer of the universe.[160] Thou art always engaged in seeking the\ngood of the worlds. Thou art he who rescues all creatures from distress\n(and leads them to the felicity of Emancipation). Thou art the bird\ncalled Saranga. Thou art a new (Young) swan. Thou art he who is displayed\nin beauty in consequence of the crest thou bearest on thy head (like the\ncock or the peacock). Thou art he who protects the place where assemblies\nof the wise sit for dispensing justice. Thou art the abode of all\ncreatures. Thou art the cherisher of all creatures. Thou art Day and\nNight (which are the constituent elements of Eternity). Thou art he that\nis without fault and therefore, never censured. Thou art the upholder of\nall creatures. Thou art the refuge of all creatures. Thou art without\nbirth. Thou art existent. Thou art ever fruitful. Thou art endued with\nDharana and Dhyana and Samadhi. Thou art the steed Uchchaisravas. Thou\nart the giver of food. Thou art he who upholds the life-breaths of living\ncreatures. Thou art endued with patience. Thou art possessed of\nintelligence. Thou art endued with exertion and cleverness. Thou art\nhonoured by all. Thou art the giver of the fruits of Righteousness and\nsin. Thou art the cherisher of the senses (for the senses succeed in\nperforming their respective functions in consequence of thee that\npresidest over them). Thou art the lord of all the luminaries. Thou art\nall collections of objects. Thou art he whose vestments are made of\ncowhides. Thou art he who dispels the grief of his devotees. Thou hast a\ngolden arm. Thou art he who protects the bodies of Yogins who seek to\nenter their own selves. Thou art he who has reduced to nothingness all\nhis foes.[161] Thou art he the measure of whose gladness is very great.\nThou art he who achieved victory over the deity of desire that is\nirresistible. Thou art he who has subjugated his senses. Thou art the\nnote called Gandhara in the musical octave. Thou art he who has an\nexcellent and beautiful home (in consequence of its being placed upon the\ndelightful mountains of Kailasa). Thou art he who is ever attached to\npenances. Thou art of the form of cheerfulness and contentment. Thou art\nhe called vast or infinite.[162] Thou art he in whose honour the foremost\nof hymns has been composed. Thou art he whose dancing is characterised by\nvast strides and large leaps. Thou art he who is adored with reverence by\nthe diverse tribes of Apsaras. Thou art he who owns a vast standard\n(bearing the device of the bull). Thou art the mountains of Meru. Thou\nart he who roves among all the summits of that great mountain. Thou art\nso mobile that it is very difficult to seize thee. Thou art capable of\nbeing explained by preceptors to disciples, although thou art incapable\nof being described in words. Thou art of the form of that instruction\nwhich preceptors impart to disciples. Thou art he that can perceive all\nagreeable scents simultaneously or at the same instant of time. Thou art\nof the form of the porched gates of cities and palaces. Thou art of the\nform of the moats and ditches that surround fortified towns and give the\nvictory to the besieged garrison. Thou art the Wind. Thou art of the form\nof fortified cities and towns encompassed by walls and moats. Thou art\nthe prince of all winged creatures, (being, as thou art, of the form of\nGaruda). Thou art he who multiplies the creation by union with the\nopposite sexes. Thou art the first of all in respect of virtues and\nknowledge. Thou art superior to even him who is the first of all in\nvirtues and knowledge. Thou transcendest all the virtue and knowledge.\nThou art eternal and immutable as also dependent on thyself. Thou art the\nmaster and protector of the deities and Asuras. Thou art the master and\nprotector of all creatures. Thou art he who wears a coat of mail. Thou\nart he whose arms are competent to grind all foes. Thou art an object of\nadoration with even him who is called Suparvan in heaven.[163] Thou art\nhe who grants the power of bearing or upholding all things.[164] Thou art\nthyself capable of bearing all things. Thou art fixed and steady (without\nbeing at all unstable). Thou art white or pure (being, as thou art,\nwithout any stain or blot). Thou bearest the trident that is competent to\ndestroy (all things).[165] Thou art the grantor of bodies or physical\nforms unto those that constantly revolve in the universe of birth and\ndeath. Thou art more valuable than wealth. Thou art the conduct or way of\nthe righteous (in the form of goodness and courtesy). Thou art he who had\ntorn the head of Brahma after due deliberation (and not impelled by mere\nwrath). Thou art he who is marked with all those auspicious marks that\nare spoken of in the sciences of palmistry and phrenology and other\nbranches of knowledge treating of the physical frame as the indicator of\nmental peculiarities. Thou art that wooden bar which is called the Aksha\nof a car and, therefore, art thou he who is attached to the car\nrepresented by the body. Thou art attached to all things (in consequence\nof thy pervading all things as their soul). Thou art endued with very\ngreat might, being as thou art a hero of heroes. Thou art the Veda. Thou\nart the Smritis, the Itihasas, the Puranas, and other scriptures. Thou\nart the illustrious deity of every sacred shrine. Thou art he who has the\nEarth for his car. Thou art the inert elements that enter into the\ncomposition of every creature. Thou art he who imparts life into every\ncombination of those inert element. Thou art the Pranava and other sacred\nMantras that instil life into dead matter. Thou art he that casts\ntranquil glances. Thou art exceedingly harsh (in consequence of thy being\nthe destroyer of all things). Thou art he in whom are innumerable\nprecious attributes and possessions. Thou hast a body that is red. Thou\nart he who has all the vast oceans as so many ponds filled for thy\ndrinking.[166] Thou art the root of the tree of the world. Thou art\nexceedingly beautiful and shinest with surpassing grandeur. Thou art of\nthe form of ambrosia or nectar. Thou art both cause and effect. Thou art\nan ocean of penances (being as thou art a great Yogin). Thou art he that is\ndesirous of ascending to the highest state of existence. Thou art he that\nhas already attained to that state. Thou art he who is distinguished for\nthe purity of his conduct and acts and observances. Thou art he who art\npossessed of great fame (in consequence of the Righteousness of his\nbehaviour). Thou art the ornament of armies (being as thou art of the\nform of prowess and courage). Thou art he who is adorned with celestial\nornaments. Thou art Yoga. Thou art he from whom flow eternal time\nmeasured by Yugas and Kalpas. Thou art he who conveys all creatures from\nplace.[167] Thou art of the form of Righteousness and sin and their\nintermixture (such as are displayed in the successive Yugas). Thou art\ngreat and formless. Thou art he who slew the mighty Asura that had\napproached against the sacred city of Varanasi in the form of an\ninfuriate elephant of vast proportions. Thou art of the form of death.\nThou givest to all creatures such fruition of their wishes as accords\nwith their merits. Thou art approachable. Thou art conversant with all\nthings that are beyond the ken of the senses. Thou art conversant with\nthe Tattwas (and therefore, thoroughly fixed). Thou art he who\nincessantly shines in beauty. Thou wearest garlands that stretch down\nfrom thy neck to the feet. Thou art that Hara who has the Moon for his\nbeautiful eye. Thou art the salt ocean of vast expanse. Thou art the\nfirst three Yugas (viz., Krita, Treta, and Dwapara). Thou art he whose\nappearance is always fraught with advantage to others. Thou art he who\nhas three eyes (in the form of the scriptures, the preceptor, and\nmeditation). Thou art he whose forms are exceedingly subtile (being as\nthou art the subtile forms of the primal elements). Thou art he whose\nears are bored for wearing jewelled Kundalas. Thou art the bearer of\nmatted locks. Thou art the point (in the alphabet) which indicates the\nnasal sound. Thou art the two dots i.e., Visarga (in the Sanskrit\nalphabet which indicate the sound of the aspirated H). Thou art possessed\nof an excellent face. Thou art the shaft that is shot by the warrior for\nencompassing the destruction of his foe. Thou art all the weapons that\nare used by warriors. Thou art endued with patience capable of bearing\nall things. Thou art he whose knowledge has arisen from the cessation of\nall physical and mental functions.[168] Thou art he who has become\ndisplayed as Truth in consequence of the cessation of all other\nfaculties. Thou art that note which, arising from the region called\nGandhara, is exceedingly sweet to the ear. Thou art he who is armed with\nthe mighty bow (called Pinaka). Thou art he who is the understanding and\nthe desires that exist in all creatures, besides being the supreme\nupholder of all beings. Thou art he from whom all acts flow. Thou art\nthat wind which rises at the time of the universal dissolution and which\nis capable of churning the entire universe even as the staff in the hands\nof the dairy-maid churns the milk in the milkpot. Thou art he that is\nfull. Thou art he that sees all things. Thou art the sound that arises\nfrom slapping one palm against another. Thou art he the palm of whose\nhand serves as the dish or plate whence to take his food. Thou art he who\nis possessed of an adamantine body. Thou art exceedingly great. Thou art\nof the form of an umbrella. Thou art he who has an excellent umbrella.\nThou art well-known to be identical with all creatures. Thou art he who\nhaving put forth three feet covered all the universe with two and wanted\nspace for the remaining one. Thou art he whose head is bald. Thou art he\nwhose form is exceedingly ugly and fierce. Thou art he who has undergone\ninfinite modifications and become all things in the universe. Thou art he\nwho bears the well-known badge of Sanyasa, viz., the stick. Thou art he\nwho has a Kunda. Thou art he who is incapable of being attained to by\nmeans of acts. Thou art he who is identical with the green-eyed king of\nbeasts (viz., the lion). Thou art of the form of all the points of the\ncompass. Thou art he who is armed with the thunder. Thou art he who has a\nhundred tongues. Thou art he who has a thousand feet and thousand\nheads.[169] Thou art the lord and chief of the celestials. Thou art he\nthat is made up of all the gods. Thou art the great Master or preceptor.\nThou art he who has a thousand arms. Thou art he who is competent to\nobtain the fruition of every wish. Thou art he whose protection is sought\nby every one. Thou art he who is the creator of all the worlds. Thou art\nhe who is the great cleanser of all from every kind of sin, in the form\nof shrines and sacred waters. Thou art he who has three high\nMantras.[170] Thou art the youngest son of Aditi and Kasyapa, (being in\nthe form of the dwarf who is otherwise known by the name of Upendra and\nwho beguiled the Asura Vali of his lordship of the three worlds and\nrestored it to the chief of the celestials). Thou art both black and\ntawny (being of the form which is known as Hari-Hara). Thou art the maker\nof the Brahmana's rod.[171] Thou art armed with the hundred-killer, the\nnoose, and the dart. Thou art he that took his birth within the primeval\nlotus.\n\n\"'\"'\"Thou art he who is endued with a vast womb. Thou art he who has the\nVedas in his womb. Thou art he who takes his rise from that infinite waste\nof waters which succeeds the dissolution of the universe. Thou art he who\nis endued with rays of effulgent light. Thou art the creator of the Vedas.\nThou art he who studies the Vedas. Thou art he who is conversant with the\nmeaning of the Vedas. Thou art devoted to Brahman. Thou art the refuge of\nall persons devoted to Brahman. Thou art of infinite forms. Thou art the\nbearer of innumerable bodies. Thou art endued with irresistible\nprowess.[172] Thou art the soul or nature that transcends the three\nuniversal attributes (of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas). Thou art the lord of\nall Jivas. Thou art endued with the speed of the wind. Thou art possessed\nof the fleetness of the mind. Thou art always smeared with sandal-paste.\nThou art the end of the stalk of the primeval lotus.[173] Thou art he who\nbrought the celestial cow Surabhi down from a superior station to an\ninferior one by denouncing a curse upon her.[174] Thou art that Brahma\nwho was unable to see thy end. Thou art adorned with a large wreath of\nKarnikara flowers. Thou art adorned with a diadem of blue gems. Thou art\nthe wielder of the bow called Pinaka. Thou art the master of that\nknowledge which treats of Brahman.[175] Thou art he who has subjugated\nhis senses by the aid of thy knowledge of Brahman. Thou art he who\nbearest Ganga on thy head.[176] Thou art the husband of Uma, the daughter\nof Himavat. Thou art mighty (in consequence of thy having assumed the\nform of the vast Boar for raising the submerged Earth). Thou art he who\nprotects the universe by assuming diverse incarnations. Thou art worthy\nof adoration. Thou art that primeval Being with the equine head who\nrecited the Vedas with a thundering voice. Thou art he whose grace is\nvery great. Thou art the great subjugator. Thou art he who has slain all\nhis foes (in the form of passions). Thou art both white and tawny (being\nas thou art half male and half female).[177] Thou art possessed of a body\nwhose complexion is like that of gold.[178] Thou art he that is of the\nform of pure joy, (being, as thou art, above the five sheathes which the\nJiva consists of, viz., the Anna-maya, the Prana-maya, the Mano-maya, the\nVijnana-maya, and the Ananda-maya ones). Thou art of a restrained soul.\nThou art the foundation upon which rests that Ignorance which is called\nPradhana and which, consisting of the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas,\nand Tamas is the cause whence the universe has sprung. Thou art he whose\nfaces are turned to every direction.[179] Thou art he who has three eyes\n(in the forms of the Sun, the Moon, and Fire). Thou art he who is\nsuperior to all creatures (in consequence of thy righteousness whose\nmeasure is the greatest). Thou art the soul of all mobile beings. Thou\nart of the form of the subtile soul (which is incapable of being\nperceived). Thou art the giver of immortality in the form of Emancipation\nas the fruit of all acts of righteousness achieved by creatures without\nthe desire of fruits.[180] Thou art the preceptor of even those that are\nthe gods of the gods. Thou art Vasu, the son of Aditi. Thou art he who is\nendued with innumerable rays of light, who brings forth the universe, and\nwho is of the form of that Soma which is drunk in sacrifices. Thou art\nVyasa, the author of the Puranas and other sacred histories. Thou art the\ncreations of Vyasa's brain (because of thy being identical with the\nPuranas and other sacred histories) both abridged and unabridged. Thou\nart the sum total of Jivas. Thou art the Season. Thou art the Year. Thou\nart the Month. Thou art the Fortnight. Thou art those sacred Days that\nend or conclude these periods. Thou art the Kalas. Thou art the Kashthas.\nThou art the Lavas. Thou art the Matras. Thou art the Muhurtas and Days\nand Nights. Thou art the Kshanas.[181] Thou art the soil upon which the\ntree of the universe stands. Thou art the seed of all creatures [being of\nthe form of that Unmanifest Chaitanya (consciousness) endued with Maya or\nillusion whence all creatures spring]. Thou art Mahattatwa. Thou art the\nsprout of Jiva, (being of the form of Consciousness which springs up\nafter Mahattatwa). Thou art Sat or Effect. Thou art Asat or Cause. Thou\nart Manifest (being seizable by the senses). Thou art the Father. Thou\nart the Mother. Thou art the Grandfather. Thou art the door to Heaven\n(because of thy identity with Penances). Thou art the door of the\ngeneration of all creatures (because of thy identity with desire). Thou\nart the door of Emancipation (because of thy identity with the absence of\nDesire which alone can lead to the merging into Brahman). Thou art those\nacts of righteousness which lead to the felicity of heaven. Thou art\nNirvana (or that cessation of individual or separate existence which is\nEmancipation). Thou art the gladdener (who gives all kinds of joy to\nevery creature). Thou art that region of Truth (to which they that are\nforemost in righteousness attain). Thou art superior to even that region\nof Truth which is attainable by the righteous. Thou art he who is the\ncreator of both the deities and the Asuras. Thou art he who is the refuge\nof both the deities and the Asuras. Thou art the preceptor of both the\ndeities and the Asuras (being as thou art of the form of both Vrihaspati\nand Sukra). Thou art he who is ever victorious. Thou art he who is ever\nworshipped by the deities and the Asuras. Thou art he who guides the\ndeities and the Asuras even as the Mahamatra guides the elephant. Thou\nart the refuge of all the deities and the Asuras. Thou art he who is the\nchief of both the deities and the Asuras (being as thou art of the form\nof both Indra and Virochana). Thou art he who is the leader in battle of\nboth the deities and the Asuras (being as thou art of the form of\nKarttikeya and Kesi, the leaders of the celestial and the Daitya armies).\nThou art he who transcends the senses and shines by himself. Thou art of\nthe form of the celestial Rishis like Narada and others. Thou art the\ngrantor of boons unto the deities and Asuras (in the form of Brahman and\nRudra). Thou art he who rules the hearts of the deities and the Asuras.\nThou art he into whom the universe enters (when it is dissolved). Thou\nart the refuge of even him who is the ruler of the hearts of both the\ndeities and the Asuras. Thou art he whose body is made up of all the\ndeities.[182] Thou art he who has no Being superior to thee of whom to\nthink. Thou art he who is the inner soul of the deities. Thou art he who\nhas sprung from his own self. Thou art of the form of immobile things.\nThou art he who covers the three worlds with three steps of his. Thou art\npossessed of great learning. Thou art stainless. Thou art he who is freed\nfrom the quality of Rajas. Thou art he who transcends destruction. Thou\nart he in whose honour hymns should be sung. Thou art the master of the\nirresistible elephant represented by Time. Thou art of the form of that\nlord of Tigers who is worshipped in the country of the Kalingas.[183]\nThou art he who is called the lion among the deities (in consequence of\nthe pre-eminence of thy prowess). Thou art he who is the foremost of men.\nThou art endued with great wisdom. Thou art he who first takes a share of\nthe offerings in sacrifice. Thou art imperceptible. Thou art the\nsum-total of all the deities. Thou art he in whom penances predominate.\nThou art always in excellent Yoga. Thou art auspicious. Thou art armed\nwith the thunder-bolt. Thou art the source whence the weapons called\nPrasas have taken their origin. Thou art he whom thy devotees attain to\nin diverse ways. Thou art Guha (the celestial generalissimo). Thou art\nthe supreme limit of felicity.[184] Thou art identical with thy creation.\nThou art he who rescues thy creatures from death (by granting them\nEmancipation). Thou art the cleanser of all including Brahma himself.\nThou art of the form of bulls and other horned animals. Thou art he who\nis fond of mountain summits. Thou art the planet Saturn. Thou art Kuvera,\nthe chief of the Yakshas. Thou art complete faultlessness. Thou art he\nwho inspires gladness. Thou art all the celestials united together. Thou\nart the cessation of all things. Thou art all the duties that appertain\nto all the modes of life. Thou art he who has an eye on his forehead.\nThou art he who sports with the universe as his marble ball. Thou art of\nthe form of deer. Thou art endued with the energy that is of the form of\nknowledge and penance. Thou art the lord of all immobile things (in the\nform of Himavat and Meru). Thou art he who has subjugated his senses by\nvarious regulations and vows. Thou art he whose objects have all been\nfulfilled. Thou art identical with Emancipation. Thou art different from\nhim whom we worship. Thou hast truth for thy penances. Thou art of a pure\nheart. Thou art he who presides over all vows and fasts (in consequence\nof thy being the giver of their fruits). Thou art the highest (being of\nthe form of Turiya). Thou art Brahman. Thou art the highest refuge of the\ndevotees. Thou art he who transcends all bonds (being Emancipate). Thou\nart freed from the linga body. Thou art endued with every kind of\nprosperity. Thou art he who enhances the prosperity of thy devotees. Thou\nart that which is incessantly undergoing changes.\n\n\"'\"'\"I have thus, O Krishna, hymned the praises of the illustrious Deity by\nreciting his names in the order of their importance. Who is there that\ncan hymn the praises of the lord of the universe, that great Lord of all\nwho deserves our adorations and worship and reverence, whom the very gods\nwith Brahma at their head are unable to praise and whom the Rishis also\nfail to sing? Aided, however, by my devotion to him, and having received\nhis permission, I have praised that Lord of sacrifices, that Deity of\nsupreme puissance, that foremost of all creatures endued with\nintelligence. By praising with these names that enhance one's\nauspiciousness of the great lord of blessedness, a worshipper of devoted\nsoul and pure heart succeeds in attaining to his own self. These names\nconstitute a hymn that furnishes the best means of attaining to Brahman.\nWith the aid of this hymn one is sure to succeed in attaining to\nEmancipation. Rishis and the deities all praise the highest deity by\nuttering this hymn. Hymned by persons of restrained soul Mahadeva becomes\ngratified with those that hymn his praises so. The illustrious deity is\nalways full of compassion towards his devotees. Endued with omnipotence,\nhe it is that gives Emancipation to those that worship him. So also, they\namong men that are foremost, that are possessed of faith and devotion\nhear and recite for others and utter with reverence the praises of that\nhighest and eternal Lord viz. Isana, in all their successive lives and\nadore him in thought, word, and deed, and adoring him thus at all times,\nviz. when they are lying or seated or walking or awake or opening the\neyelids or shutting them, and thinking of him repeatedly, become objects\nof reverence with all their fellowmen and derive great gratification and\nexceeding joy. When a creature becomes cleansed of all his sins in course\nof millions of births in diverse orders of being, it is then that\ndevotion springs up in his heart for Mahadeva. It is through good luck\nalone that undivided devotion to Bhava who is the original cause (of the\nuniverse) fully springs up in the heart of one that is conversant with\nevery mode of worshipping that great Deity.[185] Such stainless and pure\ndevotion to Rudra, that has singleness of purpose and that is simply\nirresistible in its course, is seldom to be found among even the deities,\nand never among men. It is through the grace of Rudra that such devotion\narises in the hearts of human beings. In consequence of such devotion,\nmen, identifying themselves wholly with Mahadeva, succeed in attaining to\nthe highest success. The illustrious Deity who is always inclined to\nextend his grace towards them that seek him with humility, and throw\nthemselves with their whole soul upon him rescues them from the world.\nExcept the great Deity who frees creatures from rebirth, all other gods\nconstantly nullify the penances of men, for men have no other source of\npuissance that is as great as these.\"[186] It was even thus Tandi of\ntranquil soul, resembling Indra himself in splendour, praised the\nillustrious Lord of all existent and non-existent things,--that great\nDeity clad in animal skins. Indeed, Brahma had sung this hymn in the\npresence of Sankara. Thou art a Brahmana (being conversant with Brahman\nand devoted to those that are conversant with Brahman). Thou shalt,\ntherefore, comprehend it well. This is cleansing, and washes away all\nsins. This confers Yoga and Emancipation and heaven and contentment. He\nwho recites this hymn with undivided devotion to Sankara succeeds in\nattaining to that high end which is theirs that are devoted to the\ndoctrines of the Sankhya philosophy. That worshipper who recites this\nhymn daily for one year with singleness of devotion succeeds in obtaining\nthe end that he desires. This hymn is a great mystery. It formerly\nresided in the breast of Brahma the Creator. Brahma imparted it unto\nSakra. Sakra imparted unto Mrityu. Mrityu imparted it unto the Rudras.\nFrom the Rudras Tandi got it. Indeed Tandi acquired it in the region of\nBrahman as the reward of his severe austerities. Tandi communicated it to\nSukra, and Sukra of Bhrigu's race communicated it to Gautama. Gautama in\nhis turn, O descendant of Madhu, communicated it to Vaivaswata-Manu. Manu\ncommunicated it unto Narayana of great intelligence, numbered among the\nSadhyas and held exceedingly dear by him. The illustrious Narayana,\nnumbered among the Sadhyas and possessed of glory that knows no\ndiminution, communicated it to Yama. Vaivaswat Yama communicated it to\nNachiketa. Nachiketa, O thou of Vrishni's race, communicated to\nMarkandeya. From Markandeya, O Janarddana, I obtained it as the reward of\nmy vows and fasts. To thee, O slayer of foes, I communicate that hymn\nunheard by others. This hymn leads to heaven. It dispels disease and\nbestows long life. This is worthy of the highest praise, and is\nconsistent with the Vedas.'\"\n\n\"'Krishna continued, \"That person, O Partha, who recites this hymn with a\npure heart observing the vow of Brahmacharyya, and with his senses under\ncontrol, regularly for one whole year, succeeds in obtaining the fruits\nof a horse-sacrifice. Danavas and Yakshas and Rakshasas and Pisachas and\nYatudhanas and Guhyakas and snakes can do no injury to him.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After Vasudeva had ceased to speak, the great Yogin,\nviz. the Island-born Krishna, addressed Yudhisthira, saying,--\"O son, do\nthou recite this hymn consisting of the thousand and eight names of\nMahadeva, and let Maheswara be gratified with thee. In former days, O\nson, I was engaged in the practice of severe austerities on the breast of\nthe mountains of Meru from desire of obtaining a son. It is this very\nhymn that was recited by me. As the reward of this, I obtained the\nfruition of all my wishes, O son of Pandu. Thou wilt also, by reciting\nthis same hymn, obtain from Sarva the fruition of all thy wishes.\"--After\nthis, Kapila, the Rishi who promulgated the doctrines that go by the name\nof Sankhya, and who is honoured by the gods themselves, said,--\"I adore\nBhava with great devotion for many lives together. The illustrious Deity\nat last became gratified with me and gave me knowledge that is capable of\naiding the acquirer in getting over rebirth.\"--After this, the Rishi named\nCharusirsha, that dear friend of Sakra and known otherwise under the name\nof Alamvana's son and who is filled with compassion, said,--\"I, in former\ndays, repaired to the mountains of Gokarna and sat myself to practise\nsevere penances for a hundred years. As the reward of those penances, I\nobtained from Sarva, O son of king Pandu, a hundred sons, all of whom\nwere born without the intervention of woman, of well-restrained soul,\nconversant with righteousness, possessed of great splendour, free from\ndisease and sorrow, and endued with lives extending over a hundred\nthousand years.\"--Then the illustrious Valmiki, addressing Yudhishthira,\nsaid,--\"Once upon a time, in course of a dialectical disputation, certain\nascetics that were possessors of the homa fire denounced me as one guilty\nof Brahmanicide. As soon as they had denounced me as such, the sin of\nBrahmanicide, O Bharata, possessed me. I then, for cleansing myself,\nsought the protection of the sinless Isana who is irresistible in energy.\nI become cleansed of all my sins. That dispeller of all sorrows, viz.,\nthe destroyer of the triple city of the Asuras, said unto me,--'Thy fame\nshall be great in the world.'\"--Then Jamadagni's son, that foremost of all\nrighteous persons, shining like the Sun with blazing splendour in the\nmidst of that conclave of Rishis, said unto the son of Kunti these\nwords:--\"I was afflicted with the sin, O eldest son of Pandu, of\nBrahmanicide for having slain my brothers who were all learned Brahmanas.\nFor purifying myself, I sought the protection, O king, of Mahadeva. I\nhymned the praises of the great Deity by reciting his names. At this,\nBhava became gratified with me and gave me a battle-axe and many other\ncelestial weapons. And he said unto me,--'Thou shalt be freed from sin and\nthou shalt be invincible in battle; Death himself shall not succeed in\novercoming thee for thou shalt be freed from disease.'--Even thus did the\nillustrious and crested Deity of auspicious form said unto me. Through\nthe grace of that Deity of supreme intelligence I obtained all that He\nhad said.\" Then Viswamitra said,--\"I was formerly a Kshatriya. I paid my\nadorations to Bhava with the desire of becoming a Brahmana. Through the\ngrace of that great Deity I succeeded in obtaining the high status of a\nBrahmana that is so difficult to obtain.\"--Then the Rishi Asita-Devala,\naddressing the royal son of Pandu, said,--\"In former days, O son of Kunti,\nthrough the curse of Sakra, all my merit due to the acts of righteousness\nI had performed, was destroyed. The puissant Mahadeva it was who kindly\ngave me back that merit together with great fame and a long life.\"--The\nillustrious Rishi Gritsamada, the dear friend of Sakra, who resembled the\ncelestial preceptor Vrihaspati himself in splendour, addressing\nYudhishthira of Ajamida's race said,--\"The inconceivable Sakra had, in\ndays of yore, performed a sacrifice extending over a thousand years.\nWhile that sacrifice was going on, I was engaged by Sakra in reciting the\nSamans. Vasishtha, the son of that Manu who sprung from the eyes of\nBrahma, came to that sacrifice and addressing me, said,--'O foremost of\nregenerate persons, the Rathantara is not being recited properly by thee.\nO best of Brahmanas, cease to earn demerit by reading so faultily, and\nwith the aid of thy understanding do thou read the Samans correctly. O\nthou of wicked understanding, why dost thou perpetrate such sin that is\ndestructive of sacrifice.'--Having said these words, the Rishi Vasishtha,\nwho was very wrathful, gave way to that passion and addressing me once\nmore, said,--'Be thou an animal divested of intelligence, subject to\ngrief, ever filled with fear, and a denizen of trackless forests\ndestitute of both wind and water and abandoned by other animals. Do thou\nthus pass ten thousand years with ten and eight hundred years in\naddition. That forest in which thou shalt have to pass this period will\nbe destitute of all holy trees and will, besides, be the haunt of Rurus\nand lions. Verily, thou shalt have to become a cruel deer plunged in\nexcess of grief.'--As soon as he had said these words, O son of Pritha, I\nimmediately became transformed into a deer. I then sought the protection\nof Maheswara. The great Deity said unto me,--'Thou shalt be freed from\ndisease of every kind, and besides immortality shall be thine. Grief\nshall never afflict thee. Thy friendship with Indra shall remain\nunchanged, and let the sacrifices of both Indra and thyself increase.' The\nillustrious and puissant Mahadeva favours all creatures in this way. He\nis always the great dispenser and ordainer in the matter of the happiness\nand sorrow of all living creatures. That illustrious Deity is incapable\nof being comprehended in thought, word, or deed. O son, O thou that are\nthe best of warriors (through the grace of Mahadeva), there is none that\nis equal to me in learning.\"--After this, Vasudeva, that foremost of all\nintelligent men, once more said,--\"Mahadeva of golden eyes was gratified\nby me with my penances. Gratified with me, O Yudhishthira, the\nillustrious Deity said unto me,--'Thou shalt, O Krishna, through my grace,\nbecome dearer to all persons than wealth which is coveted by all. Thou\nshalt be invincible in battle. Thy energy shall be equal to that of Fire.'\nThousands of other boons Mahadeva gave unto me on that occasion. In a\nformer incarnation I adored Mahadeva on the Manimantha mountain for\nmillions of years. Gratified with me, the illustrious Deity said unto me\nthese words:--'Blessed be thou, do thou solicit boons as thou wishest.\nBowing unto him with a bend of my head, I said these words,--'If the\npuissant Mahadeva has been gratified with me, then let my devotion to him\nbe unchanged, O Isana! Even this is the boon that I solicit.'--The great\nGod said unto me,--'Be it so'--and disappeared there and then.\"\n\n\"'Jaigishavya said, \"O Yudhishthira, formerly in the city of Varanasi, the\npuissant Mahadeva searching me out, conferred upon me the eight\nattributes of sovereignty.\"\n\n\"'Garga said,--\"O son of Pandu, gratified with me in consequence of mental\nsacrifice which I had performed, the great God bestowed upon me, on the\nbanks of the sacred stream Saraswati, that wonderful science, viz., the\nknowledge of Time with its four and sixty branches. He also bestowed\nupon me, a thousand sons, all possessed of equal merit and fully\nconversant with the Vedas. Through his grace, their periods of life as\nalso that of mine have become extended to ten millions of years.\"\n\n\"'Parasara said,--\"In former times I gratified Sarva, O king. I then\ncherished the desire of obtaining a son that would be possessed of great\nascetic merit, endued with superior energy, and addressed to high Yoga,\nthat would earn world-wide fame, arrange the Vedas, and become the home\nof prosperity, that would be devoted to the Vedas and the Brahmanas and\nbe distinguished for compassion. Even such a son was desired by me from\nMaheswara. Knowing that this was the wish of my heart, that foremost of\nDeities said unto me,--'Through the fruition of that object of thine which\nthou wishest to obtain from me, thou shalt have a son of the name of\nKrishna. In that creation which shall be known after the name of\nSavarni-Manu, that son of thine shall be reckoned among the seven Rishis.\nHe shall arrange the Vedas, and be the propagator of Kuru's race. He\nshall, besides, be the author of the ancient histories and do good to the\nuniverse. Endued with severe penances, he shall, again, be the dear\nfriend of Sakra. Freed from diseases of every kind, that son of thine, O\nParasara, shall besides, be immortal.'--Having said these words, the great\nDeity disappeared there and then. Even such is the good, O Yudhishthira,\nthat I have obtained from that indestructible and immutable God, endued\nwith the highest penances and supreme energy.\"\n\n\"'Mandavya said,--\"In former times though not a thief and yet wrongly\nsuspected of theft, I was impaled (under the orders of a king). I then\nadored the illustrious Mahadeva who said unto me,--'Thou shalt soon be\nfreed from impalement and live for millions of years. The pangs due to\nimpalement shall not be thine. Thou shalt also be freed from every kind\nof affliction and disease. And since, O ascetic, this body of thine hath\nsprung from the fourth foot of Dharma (viz., Truth), thou shalt be\nunrivalled on Earth. Do thou make thy life fruitful. Thou shalt, without\nany obstruction, be able to bathe in all the sacred waters of the Earth.\nAnd after the dissolution of thy body, I shall, O learned Brahmana,\nordain that thou shall enjoy the pure felicity of heaven for unending\nTime.'--Having said these words unto me, the adorable Deity having the\nbull for his vehicle, viz., Maheswara of unrivalled splendour and clad in\nanimal skin, O king, disappeared there and then with all his associates.\"\n\n\"'Galava said, \"Formerly I studied at the feet of my preceptor Viswamitra.\nObtaining his permission I set out for home with the object of seeing my\nfather. My mother (having become a widow), was filled with sorrow and\nweeping bitterly, said unto me,--'Alas, thy father will never see his son\nwho, adorned with Vedic knowledge, has been permitted by his preceptor to\ncome home and who, possessed of all the graces of youth, is endued with\nself-restraint.'--Hearing these words of my mother, I became filled with\ndespair in respect of again beholding my sire. I then paid my adoration\nwith a rapt soul to Maheswara who, gratified with me, showed himself to\nme and said,--'Thy sire, thy mother, and thyself, O son, shall all be\nfreed from death. Go quickly and enter thy abode; thou shall behold thy\nsire there.'--Having obtained the permission of the illustrious Deity, I\nthen repaired to my home, O Yudhishthira, and beheld my father, O son,\ncoming out after having finished his daily sacrifice. And he came out,\nbearing in his hands a quantity of Homa-fuel and Kusa grass and some\nfallen fruits. And he seemed to have already taken his daily food, for he\nhad washed himself properly. Throwing down those things from his hand, my\nfather, with eyes bathed in tears (of joy), raised me, for I had\nprostrated myself at his feet. Embracing me he smelt my head, O son of\nPandu, and said.--'By good luck, O son, art thou seen by me. Thou hast\ncome back, having acquired knowledge from the preceptor.'\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these marvellous and most wonderful\nfeats of the illustrious Mahadeva recited by the ascetics, the son of\nPandu became amazed. Then Krishna, that foremost of all intelligent\npersons, spoke once more unto Yudhishthira, that ocean of righteousness,\nlike Vishnu speaking unto Puruhuta.\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Upamanyu, who seemed to blaze with effulgence like the\nSun, said unto me,--'Those sinful men that are stained with unrighteous\ndeeds, do not succeed in attaining to Isana. Their dispositions being\nstained by the attributes of Rajas and Tamas, they can never approach the\nSupreme Deity. It is only those regenerate persons who are of cleansed\nsouls that succeed in attaining to the Supreme Deity. Even if a person\nlives in the enjoyment of every pleasure and luxury, yet if he be devoted\nto the Supreme Deity, he comes to be regarded as the equal of forest\nrecluses of cleansed souls. If Rudra be gratified with a person, he can\nconfer upon him the states of either Brahma or of Kesava or of Sakra with\nall the deities under him, or the sovereignty of the three worlds. Those\nmen, O sire, who worship Bhava even mentally, succeed in freeing\nthemselves from all sins and attain to a residence in heaven with all the\ngods. A person who razes houses to the ground and destroys tanks and\nlakes indeed, who devastates the whole universe, does not become stained\nwith sin, if he adores and worships the illustrious Deity of three eyes.\nA person that is destitute of every auspicious indication and that is\nstained by every sin, has all his sins destroyed by meditating upon Siva.\nEven worms and insects and birds, O Kesava, that devote themselves to\nMahadeva, are enabled to rove in perfect fearlessness. Even this is my\nsettled conviction that those men who devote themselves to Mahadeva\nbecome certainly emancipated from rebirth.' After this, Krishna again\naddressed Yudhishthira the son of Dharma in the following words.\n\n\"'Vishnu said, \"O Great King, Aditya, Chandra, Wind, Fire, Heaven, Earth,\nthe Vasus, the Viswedevas, Dhatri, Aryyaman, Sukra, Vrihaspati, the\nRudras, the Saddhyas, Varuna, Brahma, Sakra, Maruts, the Upanishads that\ndeal with knowledge of Brahman, Truth, the Vedas, the Sacrifices,\nSacrificial Presents, Brahmanas reciting the Vedas, Soma, Sacrificer, the\nshares of the deities in sacrificial offerings or clarified butter poured\nin sacrifices, Raksha, Diksha, all kinds of restraints in the form of\nvows and fasts and rigid observances, Swaha, Vashat, the Brahmanas, the\ncelestial cow, the foremost acts of righteousness, the wheel of Time,\nStrength, Fame, Self-restraint, the Steadiness of all persons endued with\nintelligence, all acts of goodness and the reverse, the seven Rishis,\nUnderstanding of the foremost order, all kinds of excellent touch, the\nsuccess of all (religious) acts, the diverse tribes of the deities, those\nbeings that drink heat, those that are drinkers of Soma, Clouds, Suyamas,\nRishitas, all creatures having Mantras for their bodies, Abhasuras, those\nbeings that live upon scents only, those that live upon vision only,\nthose that restrain their speech, those that restrain their minds, those\nthat are pure, those that are capable of assuming diverse forms through\nYoga-puissance, those deities that live on touch (as their food), those\ndeities that subsist on vision and those that subsist upon the butter\npoured in sacrifices, those beings that are competent to create by fiats\nof their will the objects they require, they that are regarded as the\nforemost ones among the deities, and all the other deities, O descendant\nof Ajamida, the Suparnas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Danavas,\nYakshas, the Charanas, the snakes, all that is gross and all that is\nexceedingly subtile, all that is soft and all that is not subtile, all\nsorrows and all joys, all sorrows that come after joy and all joy that\ncomes after sorrow, the Sankhya philosophy, Yoga, and that which\ntranscends objects which are regarded as foremost and very superior,--all\nadorable things, all the deities, and all the protectors of the universe\nwho entering into the physical forces sustain and uphold this ancient\ncreation of that illustrious Deity,--have sprung from that Creator of all\ncreatures. All this that I have mentioned is grosser than that which the\nwise think of with the aid of Penances. Indeed, that subtile Brahma is\nthe cause of life. I bow my head in reverence to it. Let that immutable\nand indestructible Master, always adored by us, grant us desirable boons.\nThat person who, subjugating his senses and purifying himself, recites\nthis hymn, without interruption in respect of his vow, for one month,\nsucceeds in obtaining the merit that is attached to a Horse-sacrifice. By\nreciting this hymn the Brahmana succeeds in acquiring all the Vedas; the\nKshatriya becomes crowned with victory, O son of Pritha; the Vaisya\nbecomes successful in obtaining wealth and cleverness; and the Sudra, in\nwinning happiness here and a good end hereafter. Persons of great fame,\nby reciting this prince of hymns that is competent to cleanse every sin\nand that is highly sacred and purifying, set their hearts on Rudra. A man\nby reciting this prince of hymns succeeds in living in heaven for as many\nyears as there are pores in his body.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I ask, O chief of Bharata's race, what is the origin\nof the saying, about discharging all duties jointly at the time of a\nperson's taking the hand of his spouse in marriage? Is that saying in\nrespect of discharging all duties together, due only to what is laid down\nby the great Rishis in days of yore, or does it refer to the duty of\nbegetting offspring from religious motives, or has it reference to only\nthe carnal pleasure that is expected from such union? The doubt that\nfills my mind in this respect is very great. What is spoken of as joint\nduties by the sages is in my consideration incorrect. That which is\ncalled in this world the union for practising all duties together ceases\nwith death and is not to be seen to subsist hereafter. This union for\npractising all duties together leads to heaven. But heaven, O grandsire,\nis attained to by persons that are dead. Of a married couple it is seen\nthat only one dies at a time. Where does the other then remain? Do tell\nme this. Men attain to diverse kinds of fruits by practising diverse\nkinds of duties. The occupations again, to which men betake themselves\nare of diverse kinds. Diverse, again, are the hells to which they go in\nconsequence of such diversity of duties and acts. Women, in particular,\nthe Rishis have said, are false in behaviour. When human beings are such,\nand when women in particular have been declared in the ordinances to be\nfalse, how, O sire, can there be a union between the sexes for purposes\nof practising all duties together? In the very Vedas one may read that\nwomen are false. The word 'Duty', as used in the Vedas, seems to have\nbeen coined in the first instance for general application (so that it is\napplied to practices that have no merit in them). Hence the application\nof that word to the rites of marriage is, instead of being correct, only\na form of speech forcibly applied where application it has none.[187] The\nsubject seems to me to be inexplicable although I reflect upon it\nincessantly. O grandsire, O thou of great wisdom, it behoveth thee to\nexpound this to me in detail, clearly and according to what has been laid\ndown in the Sruti. In fact, do thou explain to me what its\ncharacteristics are, and the way in which it has come to pass!\"[188]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Ashtavakra and the lady known by the name of Disa. In\ndays of yore Ashtavakra of severe penances, desirous of marriage, begged\nthe high-souled Rishi Vadanya of his daughter. The name by which the\ndamsel was known was Suprabha. In beauty she was unrivalled on Earth. In\nvirtues, dignity, conduct, and manners, she was superior to all the\ngirls. By a glance alone that girl of beautiful eyes had robbed him of\nhis heart even as a delightful grove in spring, adorned with flowers,\nrobs the spectator of his heart. The Rishi addressed Ashtavakra and\nsaid,--'Yes, I shall bestow my daughter on thee. Listen, however, to me.\nMake a journey to the sacred North. Thou wilt see many things there!'[189]\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'It behoveth thee to tell me what I shall see in that\nregion. Indeed, I am ready to execute whatever command may be laid upon\nme by thee.'\n\n\"'\"Vadanya said, 'Passing over the dominions of the lord of Treasures thou\nwill cross the Himavat mountains. Thou wilt then behold the plateau on\nwhich Rudra resides. It is inhabited by Siddhas and Charanas. It abounds\nwith the associates of Mahadeva, frolicsome and fond of dance and\npossessed of diverse forms. It is peopled with also many Pisachas, O\nmaster, of diverse forms and all daubed with fragrant powders of diverse\nhues, and dancing with joyous hearts in accompaniment with instruments of\ndifferent kinds made of brass. Surrounded by these who move with electric\nrapidity in the mazes of the dance or refrain at times altogether from\nforward or backward or transverse motion of every kind, Mahadeva dwells\nthere. That delightful spot on the mountains, we have heard, is the\nfavourite abode of the great Deity. It is said that that great god as\nalso his associates are always present there. It was there that the\ngoddess Uma practised the severest austerities for the sake of (obtaining\nfor her lord) the three-eyed Deity. Hence, it is said, that spot is much\nliked by both Mahadeva and Uma. In days of yore there, on the heights of\nthe Mahaparswa, which are situate to the north of the mountains sacred to\nMahadeva, the sessions, and the last Night, and many deities, and many\nhuman beings also (of the foremost order), in their embodied forms, had\nadored Mahadeva.[190] Thou shalt cross that region also in thy northward\njourney. Thou will then see a beautiful and charming forest blue of hue\nand resembling a mass of clouds. There, in that forest, thou wilt behold\na beautiful female ascetic looking like Sree herself. Venerable in age\nand highly blessed, she is in the observance of the Diksha. Beholding her\nthere thou shouldst duly worship her with reverence. Returning to this\nplace after having beheld her, thou wilt take the hand of my daughter in\nmarriage. If thou wanteth to make this agreement, proceed then on thy\njourney and do what I command thee.'\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'So be it. I shall do thy bidding. Verily, I shall\nproceed to that region which thou speakest of, O thou of righteous soul.\nOn thy side, let thy words, accord with truth.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The illustrious Ashtavakra set out on his journey.\nHe proceeded more and more towards the north and at last reached the\nHimavat mountains peopled by Siddhas and Charanas.[191] Arrived at the\nHimavat mountains, that foremost of Brahmanas then came upon the sacred\nriver Vahuda whose waters produce great merit. He bathed in one of the\ndelightful Tirthas of that river, which was free from mud, and gratified\nthe deities with oblations of water. His ablutions being over, he spread\na quantity of Kusa grass and laid himself down upon it for resting awhile\nat his ease.[192] Passing the night in this way, the Brahmana rose with\nthe day. He once more performed his ablutions in the sacred waters of the\nVahuda and then ignited his homa fire and worshipped it with the aid of\nmany foremost of Vedic mantras.[193] He then worshipped with due rites\nboth Rudra and his spouse Uma, and rested for some more time by the side\nof that lake in the course of the Vahuda whose shores he had reached.\nRefreshed by such rest, he set out from that region and then proceeded\ntowards Kailasa. He then beheld a gate of gold that seemed to blaze with\nbeauty. He saw also the Mandakini and the Nalini of the high-souled\nKuvera, the Lord of Treasures.[194] Beholding the Rishi arrived there,\nall the Rakshasas having Manibhadra for their head, who were engaged in\nprotecting that lake abounding with beautiful lotuses, came out in a body\nfor welcoming and honouring the illustrious traveller. The Rishi\nworshipped in return those Rakshasas of terrible prowess and asked them\nto report, without delay, his arrival unto the Lord of Treasures.\nRequested by him to do this, those Rakshasas, O king, said unto\nhim,--'King Vaisravana, without waiting for the news from us, is coming of\nhis own accord to thy presence. The illustrious Lord of Treasures is well\nacquainted with the object of this thy journey. Behold him,--that blessed\nMaster,--who blazes with his own energy.' Then king Vaisravana,\napproaching the faultless Ashtavakra, duly enquired about his welfare.\nThe usual enquiries of politeness being over, the Lord of Treasures then\naddressed the regenerate Rishi, saying,--'Welcome art thou here. Do tell\nme what it is thou seekest at my hands. Inform me of it. I shall, O\nregenerate one, accomplish whatever thou mayst bid me to accomplish. Do\nthou enter my abode as pleases thee, O foremost of Brahmanas. Duly\nentertained by me, and after thy business is accomplished, thou mayst go\nwithout any obstacles being placed in thy way.'--Having said these words,\nKuvera took the hand of that foremost of Brahmanas and led him into his\npalace. He offered him his own seat as also water to wash his feet and\nthe Arghya made of the usual ingredients. After the two had taken their\nseats, the Yakshas of Kuvera headed by Manibhadra, and many Gandharvas\nand Kinnaras, also sat down before them. After all of them had taken\ntheir seats, the Lord of Treasures said these words,--'Understanding what\nthy pleasure is, the diverse tribes of Apsaras will commence their dance.\nIt is meet that I should entertain thee with hospitality and that thou\nshouldst be served with proper ministrations.' Thus addressed, the ascetic\nAshtavakra said, in a sweet voice, 'Let the dance proceed.' Then Urvara and\nMisrakesi, and Rambha and Urvasi, and Alumvusha and Ghritachi, and Chitra\nand Chitrangada and Ruchi, and Manohara and Sukesi and Sumukhi and Hasini\nand Prabha, and Vidyuta, and Prasami and Danta and Vidyota and\nRati,--these and many other beautiful Apsaras began to dance. The\nGandharvas played on diverse kinds of musical instruments. After such\nexcellent music and dance had commenced, the Rishi Ashtavakra of severe\npenances unconsciously passed a full celestial year there in the abode of\nking Vaisravana.[195] Then king Vaisravana said unto the Rishi,--'O\nlearned Brahmana, behold, a little more than a year has passed away since\nthy arrival here. This music and dance, especially known by the name of\nGandharva, is a stealer of the heart (and of time). Do thou act as thou\nwishes or let this go on if that be thy pleasure. Thou art my guest and,\ntherefore, worthy of adoration. This is my house. Givest thou thy\ncommands. We are all bound to thee.' The illustrious Ashtavakra, thus\naddressed by king Vaisravana, replied unto him, with a pleased heart,\nsaying,--'I have been duly honoured by thee. I desire now, O Lord of\nTreasures, to go hence. Indeed, I am highly pleased. All this befits\nthee, O Lord of Treasures. Through thy grace, O illustrious one, and\nagreeably to the command of the high-souled Rishi Vadanya, I shall now\nproceed to my journey's end. Let growth and prosperity be thine.'--Having\nsaid these words, the illustrious Rishi set out of Kuvera's abode and\nproceeded northwards. He crossed the Kailasa and the Mandara as also the\ngolden mountains. Beyond those high and great mountains is situated that\nexcellent region where Mahadeva, dressed as an humble ascetic, has taken\nup his residence. He circumambulated the spot, with concentrated mind,\nbending his head in reverence the while. Descending then on the Earth, he\nconsidered himself sanctified for having obtained a sight of that holy\nspot which is the abode of Mahadeva. Having circumambulated that mountain\nthrice, the Rishi, with face turned towards the north, proceeded with a\njoyous heart. He then beheld another forest that was very delightful in\naspect. It was adorned with the fruits and roots of every season, and it\nresounded with the music of winged warblers numbering by thousands. There\nwere many delightful groves throughout the forest. The illustrious Rishi\nthen beheld a charming hermitage. The Rishi saw also many golden hills\ndecked with gems and possessed of diverse forms. In the begemmed soil he\nsaw many lakes and tanks also. And he saw diverse other objects that were\nexceedingly delightful. Beholding these things, the mind of that Rishi of\ncleansed soul became filled with joy. He then saw a beautiful mansion\nmade of gold and adorned with gems of many kinds. Of wonderful structure,\nthat mansion surpassed the palace of Kuvera himself in every respect.\nAround it there were many hills and mounts of jewels and gems. Many\nbeautiful cars and many heaps of diverse kinds of jewels also were\nvisible in that place. The Rishi beheld there the river Mandakini whose\nwaters were strewn with many Mandara flowers. Many gems also were seen\nthere that were self-luminous, and the soil all around was decked with\ndiamonds of diverse species. The palatial mansion which the Rishi saw\ncontained many chambers whose arches were embellished with various kinds\nof stones. Those chambers were adorned also with nets of pearls\ninterspersed with jewels and gems of different species. Diverse kinds of\nbeautiful objects capable of stealing the heart and the eye, surrounded\nthat palace. That delightful retreat was inhabited by numerous Rishis.\nBeholding these beautiful sights all around, the Rishi began to think\nwhere he would take shelter. Proceeding then to the gate of the mansion,\nhe uttered these words:--'Let those that live here know that a guest has\ncome (desirous of shelter).' Hearing the voice of the Rishi, a number of\nmaidens came out together from that palace. They were seven in number, O\nKing, of different styles of beauty, all of them were exceedingly\ncharming. Every one of those maidens upon whom the Rishi cast his eyes,\nstole his heart. The sage could not, with even his best efforts, control\nhis mind. Indeed, at the sight of those maidens of very superior beauty,\nhis heart lost all its tranquillity. Seeing himself yielding to such\ninfluences, the Rishi made a vigorous effort and possessed as he was of\ngreat wisdom he at last succeeded in controlling himself. Those damsels\nthen addressed the Rishi, saying,--'Let the illustrious one enter.' Filled\nwith curiosity in respect of those exceedingly beautiful damsels as also\nof that palatial mansion, the regenerate Rishi entered as he was bidden.\nEntering the mansion he beheld an old lady, with indications of\ndecrepitude, attired in white robes and adorned with every kind of\nornament. The Rishi blessed her, saying,--'Good be to you.'--The old lady\nreturned his good wishes in proper form. Rising up, she offered a seat to\nthe Rishi. Having taken his seat, Ashtavakra said,--'Let all the damsels\ngo to their respective quarters. Only let one stay here. Let that one\nremain here who is possessed of wisdom and who has tranquillity of heart.\nIndeed, let all the others go away at their will.'--Thus addressed, all\nthose damsels circumambulated the Rishi and then left the chamber. Only\nthat aged lady remained there. The day quickly passed and night came. The\nRishi seated on a splendid bed, addressed the old lady, saying,--'O\nblessed lady, the night is deepening. Do thou address thyself to sleep.'\nTheir conversation being thus put a stop to by the Rishi, the old lady\nlaid herself down on an excellent bed of great splendour. Soon after, she\nrose from her bed and pretending to tremble with cold, she left it for\ngoing to the bed of the Rishi. The illustrious Ashtavakra welcomed her\nwith courtesy. The lady however, stretching her arms, tenderly embraced\nthe Rishi, O foremost of men. Beholding the Rishi quite unmoved and as\ninanimate as a piece of wood, she became very sorry and began to converse\nwith him. 'There is no pleasure, save that which waits upon Kama (desire),\nwhich women can derive from a person of the other sex. I am now under the\ninfluence of desire. I seek thee for that reason. Do thou seek me in\nreturn. Be cheerful, O learned Rishi, and unite thyself with me. Do thou\nembrace me, O learned one, for I desire thee greatly. O thou of righteous\nsoul, even this union with me is the excellent and desirable reward of\nthose severe penances which thou hast undergone. At the first sight I\nhave become disposed to seek thee. Do thou also seek me. All this wealth,\nand everything else of value that thou seest here are mine. Do thou\nverily become the lord of all this along with my person and heart. I\nshall gratify every wish of thine. Do thou sport with me, therefore, in\nthese delightful forests, O Brahmana, that are capable of granting every\nwish. I shall yield thee complete obedience in everything, and thou shall\nsport with me according to thy pleasure. All objects of desire that are\nhuman or that appertain to heaven shall be enjoyed by us. There is no\npleasure more agreeable to women (than that which is derivable from the\ncompanionship of a person of the other sex). Verily, congress with a\nperson of the opposite sex is the most delicious fruit of joy that we can\nreap. When urged by the god of desire, women become very capricious. At\nsuch times they do not feel any pain, even if they walk over a desert of\nburning sand.'\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'O blessed lady, I never approach one that is another's\nspouse. One's congress with another man's wife is condemned by persons\nconversant with the scriptures on morality. I am an utter stranger to\nenjoyments of every kind. O blessed lady, know that I have become\ndesirous of wedlock for obtaining offspring. I swear by truth itself.\nThrough the aid of offspring righteously obtained, I shall proceed to\nthose regions of felicity which cannot be attained without such aid. O\ngood lady, know what is consistent with morality, and knowing it, desist\nfrom thy efforts.'\n\n\"'\"The lady said, 'The very deities of wind and fire and water, or the\nother celestials, O regenerate one, are not so agreeable to women as the\ndeity of desire. Verily, women are exceedingly fond of sexual congress.\nAmong a thousand women, or, perhaps, among hundreds of thousands,\nsometimes only one may be found that is devoted to her husband. When\nunder the influence of desire, they care not for family or father or\nmother or brother or husband or sons or husband's brother (but pursue the\nway that desire points out). Verily, in pursuit of what they consider\nhappiness, they destroy the family (to which they belong by birth or\nmarriage) even as many queenly rivers eat away the banks that contain\nthem. The Creator himself had said this, quickly marking the faults of\nwomen.'\"[196]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The Rishi, bent upon finding out the faults of\nwomen, then addressed that lady, saying,--'Cease to speak to me in this\nstrain. Yearning springs from liking. Tell me what (else) I am to\ndo.'[197]--That lady then said in return,--'O illustrious one, thou shalt\nsee according to time and place (as do whether I have anything agreeable\nin me). Do thou only live here (for some time), O highly blessed one, and\nI shall regard myself amply rewarded.'--Thus addressed by her, the\nregenerate Rishi, O Yudhishthira, expressed his resolution to comply with\nher request, saying,--'Verily, I shall dwell with thee in this place as\nlong as I can venture to do so.'--The Rishi then, beholding that lady\nafflicted with decrepitude, began to reflect earnestly on the matter. He\nseemed to be even tortured by his thoughts. The eyes of that foremost of\nBrahmanas failed to derive any delight from those parts of that lady's\nperson whereupon they were cast. On the other hand, his glances seemed to\nbe dispelled by the ugliness of those particular limbs.--'This lady is\ncertainly the goddess of this palace. Has she been made ugly through some\ncurse? It is not proper that I should hastily ascertain the cause of\nthis.'--Reflecting upon this in the secrecy of his heart, and curious to\nknow the reason, the Rishi passed the rest of that day in an anxious\nstate. The lady then addressed him, saying,--'O illustrious one, behold\nthe aspect of the Sun reddened by the evening clouds. What service shall\nI do unto thee?'--The Rishi addressed her, saying,--.'Fetch water for my\nablutions. Having bathed, I shall say my evening prayers, restraining my\ntongue and the senses.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus commanded, the lady said,--'Be it so.' She then\nbrought oil (for rubbing the Rishi's body therewith) and a piece of cloth\nfor his wear during the ablutions. Permitted by the ascetic, she rubbed\nevery part of his body with the fragrant oil she had brought for him.\nGently was the Rishi rubbed, and when the process of rubbing was over, he\nproceeded to the room set apart for the performance of ablutions. There\nhe sat upon a new and excellent seat of great splendour.[198] After the\nRishi had taken his seat upon it, the old lady began to wash his person\nwith her own soft hands whose touch was exceedingly agreeable. One after\nanother in due order, the lady rendered the most agreeable services to\nthe Rishi in the matter of his ablutions. Between the lukewarm water with\nwhich he was washed, and the soft hands that were employed in washing\nhim, the Rishi of rigid vows failed to understand that the whole night\nhad passed away in the process. Rising from the bath the Rishi became\nhighly surprised. He saw the Sun risen above the horizon on the East. He\nwas amazed at this and asked himself,--'Was it really so or was it an\nerror of the understanding?'--The Rishi then duly worshipped the god of a\nthousand rays. This done, he asked the lady as to what he should do. The\nold lady prepared some food for the Rishi that was as delicious to the\ntaste as Amrita itself. In consequence of the delicious character of that\nfood the Rishi could not take much. In taking that little, however, the\nday passed away and evening came. The old lady then asked the Rishi to go\nto bed and sleep. An excellent bed was assigned to the Rishi and another\nwas occupied by herself. The Rishi and the old lady occupied different\nbeds at first but when it was midnight, the lady left her own bed for\ncoming to that of the Rishi.\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'O blessed lady, my mind turns away from sexual\ncongress with one who is the spouse of another. Leave my bed, O good\nlady. Blessed be thou, do thou desist from this of thy own accord.'\"[199]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus dissuaded by that Brahmana with the aid of his\nself-restraint, the lady answered him, saying,--'I am my own mistress. In\naccepting me thou wilt incur no sin.'\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'Women can never be their own mistresses. This is the\nopinion of the Creator himself, viz., that a woman never deserves to be\nindependent.'\n\n\"'\"The lady said, 'O learned Brahmana, I am tortured by desire. Mark my\ndevotion to thee. Thou incurrest sin by refusing to accost me lovingly.'\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'Diverse faults, drag away the man that acts as he\nlikes. As regards myself, I am able to control my inclinations by\nself-restraint. O good lady, do thou return to thy own bed.'\n\n\"'\"The lady said, 'I bow to thee, bending my head. It behoves thee to show\nme thy grace. O sinless one, I prostrate myself before thee, do thou\nbecome my refuge. If indeed, thou seest such sin in congress with one\nthat is not thy spouse, I yield myself unto thee. Do thou, O regenerate\none, accept my hand in marriage. Thou wilt incur no sin. I tell thee\ntruly. Know that I am my own mistress. If there by any sin in this, let\nit be mine alone. My heart is devoted to thee. I am my own mistress. Do\nthou accept me.'\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'How is it, O good lady, that thou art thy own\nmistress? Tell me the reason of this. There is not a single woman in the\nthree worlds that deserves to be regarded as the mistress of her own\nself. The father protects her while she is a maiden. The husband protects\nher while she is in youth. Sons protect her when she is aged. Women can\nnever be independent as long as they live!'\n\n\"'\"The lady said, 'I have since my maidenhood, adopted the vow of\nBrahmacharyya. Do not doubt it. I am still a maid. Do thou make me thy\nwife. O Brahmana, do not kill this devotion of mine to thee.'\n\n\"'\"Ashtavakra said, 'As thou art inclined to me, so I am inclined to thee.\nThere is this question, however, that should be settled. Is it true that\nby yielding to my inclinations I shall not be regarded as acting in\nopposition to what the Rishi (Vadanya) wishes? This is very wonderful.\nWill this lead to what is beneficial? Here is a maiden adorned with\nexcellent ornaments and robes. She is exceedingly beautiful. Why did\ndecrepitude cover her beauty so long? At present she looks like a\nbeautiful maiden. There is no knowing what form she may take\nhereafter.[200] I shall never swerve from that restraint which I have\nover desire and the other passions or from contentment with what I have\nalready got. Such swerving does not seem to be good. I shall keep myself\nunited with truth!'\"'\"[201]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me why had that lady no fear of Ashtavakra's\ncurse although Ashtavakra was endued with great energy? How also did\nAshtavakra succeed in coming back from that place?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Ashtavakra asked her, saying,--'How dost thou succeed in\naltering thy form so? Thou shouldst not say anything that is untrue. I\nwish to know this. Speakest thou truly before a Brahmana.'\n\n\"'\"The lady said, 'O best of Brahmanas, wherever thou mayst reside in\nheaven or on Earth, this desire of union between the sexes is to be\nobserved. O thou of infallible prowess, listen, with concentrated\nattention, to this all. This trial was devised by me, O sinless one, for\ntesting thee aright. O thou of infallible prowess, thou hast subjugated all\nthe worlds for not foregoing your previous resolution. Know that I am the\nembodiment of the Northern point of the compass. Thou hast seen the\nlightness of the female character. Even women that are aged are tortured by\nthe desire of sexual union. The Grandsire himself and all the deities with\nIndra have been pleased with thee. The object for which thy illustrious\nself has come here (is known to me). O foremost of regenerate persons, thou\nhast been despatched higher by the Rishi Vadanya--the father of thy\nbride--in order that I may instruct thee. Agreeably to the wishes of that\nRishi I have already instructed thee. Thou wilt return home in safety. Thy\njourney back will not be toilsome. Thou wilt obtain for wife any girl\nthou hast chosen. She will bear thee a son. Through desire I had\nsolicited thee, thou madest me the very best answer. The desire for\nsexual union is incapable of being transcended in the three worlds. Go\nback to thy quarters, having achieved such merit. What else is there that\nthou wishest to hear from me? I shall discourse on it, O Ashtavakra, in\naccordance with the truth. I was gratified by the Rishi Vadanya in the\nfirst instance for thy sake, O regenerate ascetic. For the sake of\nhonouring him, I have said all this to thee.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of hers, the regenerate\nAshtavakra joined his hands in a reverential attitude. He then solicited\nthe lady for her permission to go back. Obtaining the permission he came\nback to his own asylum. Resting himself for some time at home and\nobtaining the permission of his kinsmen and friends, he then in a proper\nway, proceeded, O delighter of the Kurus, to the Brahmana Vadanya.\nWelcomed with the usual enquiries by Vadanya, the Rishi Ashtavakra, with\na well-pleased heart, narrated all that he had seen (in course of his\nsojourn to the North). He said,--'Commanded by thee I proceeded to the\nmountains of Gandhamadana. In the regions lying to the north of these\nmountains I beheld a very superior goddess. I was received by her with\ncourtesy. She named you in my hearing and also instructed me in various\nmatters. Having listened to her I have come back, O lord.' Unto him that\nsaid so, the learned Vadanya said,--'Take my daughter's hand according to\ndue rites and under the proper constellations. Thou art the fittest\nbridegroom I can select for the girl.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Ashtavakra said,--'So be it' and took the hand of the\ngirl. Indeed, the highly righteous Rishi, having espoused the girl,\nbecame filled with joy. Having taken as his wife that beautiful damsel,\nthe Rishi continued to dwell in his own asylum, freed from (mental) fever\nof every kind.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Whom do the eternal Brahmanas strictly observing\nreligious rites call a proper object of gifts? Is a Brahmana that bears\nthe symbols of the order of life he follows to be regarded as such or one\nwho does not bear such indications is to be so regarded?\"[202]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O monarch, it has been said that gifts should be made\nunto a Brahmana that adheres to the duties of his own order, whether, he\nbears the indications of a Brahmachari or not, for both are faultless,\nviz., he that bears such indications and he that is divested of them.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What fault does an uncleansed person incur, if he\nmakes gifts of sacrificial butter or food with great devotion unto\npersons of the regenerate order?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Even one that is most destitute of self-restraint\nbecomes, without doubt, cleansed by devotion. Such a man, O thou of great\nsplendour, becomes cleansed in respect of every act (and not with\nreference to gift alone).\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It has been said that a Brahmana that is sought to\nbe employed in an act having reference to the deities, should never be\nexamined. The learned, however, say that with respect to such acts as\nhave reference to the Pitris, the Brahmana that is sought to be employed,\nshould be examined (in the matter of both his conduct and competence).\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"As regards acts that have reference to the deities, these\nfructify not in consequence of the Brahmana that is employed in doing the\nrites but through the grace of the deities themselves. Without doubt,\nthose persons that perform sacrifice obtain the merit attached to those\nacts, through the grace of the deities.[203] The Brahmanas, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, are always devoted of Brahman. The Rishi Markandeya, one of\nthe greatest Rishis endued with intelligence in all the worlds, said this\nin days of yore.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Why, O grandsire, are there five viz., he that is a\nstranger, he that is endued with learning (connected with the duties of\nhis order), he that is connected by marriage, he that is endued with\npenances, and he that adheres to the performance of sacrifices, regarded\nas proper persons?\"[204]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The first three, viz., strangers, relatives, and\nascetics, when possessed of these attributes, viz., purity of birth,\ndevotion to religious acts, learning, compassion, modesty, sincerity, and\ntruthfulness, are regarded as proper persons. The other two, viz., men of\nlearning and those devoted to sacrifices, when endued with five of these\nattributes, viz., purity of birth, compassion, modesty, sincerity,\ntruthfulness, are also regarded as proper persons. Listen now to me, O\nson of Pritha, as I recite to thee the opinions of these four persons of\nmighty energy, viz., the goddess Earth, the Rishi Kasyapa, Agni (the\ndeity of fire) and the ascetic Markandeya.\n\n\"'\"The Earth said, 'As a clod of mud, when thrown into the great ocean\nquickly dissolves away, even so every kind of sin disappears in the three\nhigh attributes viz., officiation at sacrifices, teaching and receiving\nof gifts.'[205]\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'The Vedas with their six branches, the Sankhya\nphilosophy, the Puranas, and high birth, these fail to rescue a\nregenerate person if he falls away from good conduct.'[206]\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'That Brahmana who, engaged in study and regarding himself\nlearned, seeks with the aid of his learning to destroy the reputation of\nothers, falls away from righteousness, and comes to be regarded as\ndissociated from truth. Verily regions of felicity herein-after are never\nattained to by such a person of destructive genius.'\n\n\"'\"Markandeya said, 'If a thousand Horse-sacrifices and Truth were weighed\nin the balance, I do not know whether the former would weigh even half as\nheavy as the latter.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having spoken these words, those four persons, each\nof whom is endued with immeasurable energy, viz., the goddess Earth,\nKasyapa, Agni, and Bhrigu's son armed with weapons, quickly went away.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If Brahmanas observant of the vow of Brahmacharyya\nin this world solicit the offerings one makes (unto one's deceased\nancestors in Sraddhas) I ask, can the Sraddha be regarded well-performed,\nif the performer actually makes over those offerings unto such Brahmanas?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"If, having practised the vow of Brahmacharyya for the\nprescribed period (of twelve years) and acquired proficiency in the Vedas\nand their branches, a Brahmana himself solicits the offering made in\nSraddhas and eats the same, he is regarded to fall away from his vow. The\nSraddha, however, is not regarded as stained in any way.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"The wise have said that duty of righteousness has\nmany ends and numerous doors. Tell me, O grandsire, what however are the\nsettled conclusions in this matter.\"[207]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Abstention from injury to others, truthfulness, the\nabsence of wrath (forgiveness), compassion, self-restraint, and sincerity\nor candour, O monarch, are the indications of Righteousness. There are\npersons who wander over the earth, praising righteousness but without\npractising what they preach and engaged all the while in sin, O king. He\nwho gives unto such persons gold or gems or steeds, has to sink in hell\nand to subsist there for ten years, eating the while the faeces of such\npersons as live upon the flesh of dead kine and buffalos, of men called\nPukkasas, of others that live in the outskirts of cities and villages,\nand of men that publish, under the influence of wrath and folly, the acts\nand the omissions of others.[208] Those foolish men who do give unto a\nBrahmana observant of the vow of Brahmacharyya the offerings made in\nSraddhas (unto one's deceased ancestors), have to go, O monarch into\nregions of great misery.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, what is superior to\nBrahmacharyya? What is the highest indication of virtue? What is the\nhighest kind of purity?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said,--\"I tell thee, O son, that abstention from honey and meat\nis even superior to Brahmacharyya. Righteousness consists in keeping\nwithin boundaries or in self-restraint, the best indication of\nRighteousness is Renunciation (which is also the highest kind of\npurity).\"[209]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"In what time should one practise Righteousness? In\nwhat time should wealth be sought? In what time should pleasure be\nenjoyed? O grandsire, do tell me this.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said,--\"One should earn wealth in the first part of one's life.\nThen should one earn Righteousness, and then enjoy pleasure. One should\nnot, however, attach oneself to any of these. One should regard the\nBrahmanas, worship one's preceptor and seniors, show compassion for all\ncreatures, be of mild disposition and agreeable speech. To utter\nfalsehood in a court of justice, to behave deceitfully towards the king,\nto act falsely towards preceptors and seniors, are regarded as equivalent\n(in heinousness) to Brahmanicide. One should never do an act of violence\nto the king's person. Nor should one ever strike a cow. Both these\noffences are equivalent to the sin of foeticide. One should never abandon\none's (homa) fire. One should also never cast off one's study of the\nVedas. One should never assail a Brahmana by words or acts. All these\noffences are equivalent to Brahmanicide.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said,--\"What kind of Brahmanas should be regarded as good?\nBy making presents unto (what kind of) Brahmanas one may acquire great\nmerit? What kind of Brahmanas are they whom one should feed? Tell me all\nthis, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Those Brahmanas that are freed from wrath, that are\ndevoted to acts of righteousness, that are firm in Truth, and that\npractise self-restraint are regarded as good. By making gifts unto them\none acquires great merit. One wins great merit by making presents unto\nsuch Brahmanas as are free from pride, capable of bearing everything,\nfirm in the pursuit of their objects, endued with mastery over their\nsenses, devoted to the good of all creatures, and disposed to be friendly\ntowards all. One earns great merit by making gifts unto such Brahmanas as\nare free from cupidity, as are pure of heart and conduct, possessed of\nlearning and modesty, truthful in speech and observant of their own\nduties as laid down in the scriptures. The Rishis have declared that\nBrahmana to be a deserving object of gifts who studies the four Vedas\nwith all their branches and is devoted to the six well-known duties (laid\ndown in the scriptures). One acquires great merit by making gifts unto\nBrahmanas possessed of such qualifications. The man who makes gifts unto\na deserving Brahmana multiplies his merit a thousand-fold. A single\nrighteous Brahmana possessed of wisdom and Vedic lore, observant of the\nduties laid down in the scriptures, distinguished by purity of behaviour,\nis competent to rescue a whole race.[210] One should make gifts of kine\nand horses and wealth and food and other kinds of articles unto a\nBrahmana that is possessed of such qualifications. By making such gifts\nunto such persons one earns great happiness in the next world. As I have\nalready told thee even one such Brahmana is fully competent to rescue the\nentire race to which the giver belongs. What need I say, therefore, O\ndear son, of the merit of making gifts unto many Brahmanas of such\nqualifications? In making gifts, therefore one should always select the\nobject to whom the gifts are to be made. Hearing of a Brahmana possessed\nof proper qualifications and regarded with respect by all good people,\none should invite him even if he resides at a distance and welcome him\nwhen he arrives and one should worship him by all means in his power.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire thee, O grandsire, to tell me what the\nordinances are that have been laid down by the acts touching the deities\nand the (deceased) ancestors on occasions of Sraddhas.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having purified oneself (by baths and other purificatory\nacts) and then going through the well-known auspicious rites, one should\ncarefully do all acts relating to the deities in the forenoon, and all\nacts relating to the Pitris in the afternoon. What is given to men should\nbe given in the midday with affection and regard. That gift which is made\nuntimely is appropriated by Rakshasas.[211] Gifts of articles that have\nbeen leapt over by any one, or been licked or sucked, that are not given\npeacefully, that have been seen by women that are impure in consequence\nof their season having come, do not produce any merit. Such gifts are\nregarded as the portion belonging to the Rakshasas. Gifts of articles\nthat have been proclaimed before many people or from which a portion has\nbeen eaten by a Sudra, or that have been seen or licked by a dog, form\nportions of Rakshasas. Food which is mixed with hair or in which there\nare worms, or which has been stained with spittle or saliva or which has\nbeen gazed at by a dog or into which tear-drops have fallen or which has\nbeen trodden upon should be known as forming the portion of Rakshasas.\nFood that has been eaten by a person incompetent to utter the syllable\nOm, or that has been eaten by a person bearing arms, O Bharata, or that\nhas been eaten by a wicked person should be known to form the portion of\nRakshasas.[212] The food that is eaten by a person from which a portion\nhas already been eaten by another, or which is eaten without a part\nthereof having been offered to deities and guests and children, is\nappropriated by Rakshasas. Such stained food, if offered to the deities\nand Pitris is never accepted by them but is appropriated by Rakshasas.\nThe food offered by the three regenerate classes in Sraddhas, in which\nMantras are either not uttered or uttered incorrectly and in which the\nordinances laid down in the scriptures are not complied with, if\ndistributed to guests and other people, is appropriated by Rakshasas. The\nfood that is distributed to guests without having been previously\ndedicated to the deities or the Pitris with the aid of libation on the\nsacred fire, which has been stained in consequence of a portion thereof\nhaving been eaten by a person that is wicked or of irreligious behaviour,\nshould be known to form the portion of Rakshasas.\n\n\"'\"I have told thee what the portions are of the Rakshasas. Listen now to\nme as I lay down the rules for ascertaining who the Brahmana is that is\ndeserving of gift.[213] All Brahmanas that have been outcasted (on\naccount of the commission of heinous sins), as also Brahmanas that are\nidiots and out of mind, do not deserve to be invited to Sraddhas in which\nofferings are made to either the deities or the Pitris. That Brahmana who\nis afflicted with leucoderma, or he that is destitute of virility, or he\nthat has got leprosy, or he that has got phthisis or he that is labouring\nunder epilepsy (with delusions of the sensorium), or he that is blind,\nshould not, O king, be invited.[214] Those Brahmanas that practise the\ncalling of physicians, those that receive regular pay for worshipping the\nimages of deities established by the rich, or live upon the service of\nthe deities, those that are observant of vows from pride or other false\nmotives, and those that sell Soma, do not deserve to be invited. Those\nBrahmanas that are, by profession, vocalists, or dancers or players or\ninstrumental musicians, or reciters of sacred books, or warriors and\nathletes, do not, O king, deserve to be invited. Those Brahmanas who pour\nlibations on the sacred fire for Sudras, or who are preceptors of Sudras,\nor who are servants of Sudra masters, do not deserve to be invited. That\nBrahmana who is paid for his services as preceptor, or who attends as\npupil upon the lectures of some preceptor because of some allowance that\nis granted to him, does not deserve to be invited, for both of them are\nregarded as sellers of Vedic lore. That Brahmana who has been once\ninduced to accept the gift of food in a Sraddha at the very outset, as\nalso he who has married a Sudra wife, even if possessed of every kind of\nknowledge do not deserve to be invited.[215] Those Brahmanas that are\ndestitute of their domestic fire, and they that attend upon corpses, they\nthat are thieves, and they that have otherwise fallen away do not, O\nking, deserve to be invited.[216] Those Brahmanas whose antecedents are\nnot known or are vile, and they that are Putrika-putras, do not, O king,\ndeserve to be invited on occasions of Sraddhas.[217] That Brahmana who\ngives loans of money, or he who subsists upon the interest of the loans\ngiven by him, or he who lives by sale of living creatures, does not\ndeserve, O king, to be invited. Persons who have been subjugated by their\nwives, or they who live by becoming the paramours of unchaste women, or\nthey who abstain from their morning and evening prayers do not deserve, O\nking, to be invited to Sraddhas.\n\n\"'\"Listen now to me as I mention who the Brahmana is that has been\nordained for acts done in honour of the deities and the Pitris. Indeed, I\nshall tell thee what those merits are in consequence of which one may\nbecome a giver or a recipient of gifts in Sraddhas (notwithstanding the\nfaults mentioned above).[218] Those Brahmanas that are observant of the\nrites and ceremonies laid down in the scriptures, or they that are\npossessed of merit, or they that are conversant with the Gayatri, or they\nthat are observant of the ordinary duties of Brahmanas, even if they\nhappen to betake themselves to agriculture for a living, are capable, O\nking, of being invited to Sraddhas. If a Brahmana happens to be wellborn,\nhe deserves to be invited to Sraddhas notwithstanding his profession of\narms for fighting the battle of others.[219] That Brahmana, however, O\nson, who happens to betake himself to trade for a living should be\ndiscarded (even if possessed of merit). The Brahmana who pours libations\nevery day on the sacred fire, or who resides in a fixed habitation, who\nis not a thief and who does the duties of hospitality to guests arrived\nat his house, deserves, O king, to be invited to Sraddhas. The Brahmana,\nO chief of Bharata's race, who recites the Savitri morning, noon, and\nnight, or who subsists upon eleemosynary charity, who is observant of the\nrites and ceremonies laid down in the scriptures for persons of his\norder, deserves, O king, to be invited to Sraddhas.[220] That Brahmana\nwho having earned wealth in the morning becomes poor in the afternoon, or\nwho poor in the morning becomes wealthy in the evening or who is\ndestitute of malice, or is stained by a minor fault, deserves, O king, to\nbe invited to Sraddhas. That Brahmana who is destitute of pride or sin,\nwho is not given to dry disputation, or who subsists upon alms obtained\nin his rounds of mendicancy from house to house deserves, O king, to be\ninvited to sacrifices. One who is not observant of vows, or who is\naddicted to falsehood (in both speech and conduct), who is a thief, or\nwho subsists by the sale of living creatures or by trade in general,\nbecomes worthy of invitation to Sraddhas, O king, if he happens to offer\nall to the deities first and subsequently drink Soma. That man who having\nacquired wealth by foul or cruel means subsequently spends it in adoring\nthe deities and discharging the duties of hospitality, becomes worthy, O\nking, of being invited to Sraddhas. The wealth that one has acquired by\nthe sale of Vedic lore, or which has been earned by a woman, or which has\nbeen gained by meanness (such as giving false evidence in a court of\nlaw), should never be given to Brahmanas or spent in making offerings to\nthe Pitris. That Brahmana, O chief of Bharata's race, who upon the\ncompletion of a Sraddha that is performed with his aid, refuses to utter\nthe words 'astu swadha,' incurs the sin of swearing falsely in a suit for\nland.[221] The time for performing Sraddha, O Yudhishthira, is that when\none obtains a good Brahmana and curds and ghee and the sacred day of the\nnew moon, and the meat of wild animals such as deer and others.[222] Upon\nthe completion of a Sraddha performed by a Brahmana the word Swadha\nshould be uttered. If performed by a Kshatriya the words that should be\nuttered are--Let thy Pitris be gratified.--Upon the completion of a\nSraddha performed by a Vaisya, O Bharata, the words that should be\nuttered are--Let everything become inexhaustible.--Similarly, upon the\nconclusion of a Sraddha performed by a Sudra, the word that should be\nuttered is Swasti,--In respect of a Brahmana, the declaration regarding\nPunyaham should be accompanied with the utterance of the syllable Om. In\nthe case of a Kshatriya, such declaration should be without the utterance\nof syllable Om. In the rites performed by a Vaisya, the words that should\nbe uttered, instead of being the syllable Om, are,--Let the deities be\ngratified.[223]--Listen now to me as I tell thee the rites that should be\nperformed, one after another, conformably to the ordinances, (in respect\nof all the orders). All the rites that go by the name of Jatakarma, O\nBharata, are indispensable in the case of all the three orders (that are\nregenerate). All these rites, O Yudhishthira, in the case of both\nBrahmanas and Kshatriyas as also in that of Vaisyas are to be performed\nwith the aid of mantras. The girdle of a Brahmana should be made of Munja\ngrass. That for one belonging to the royal order should be a bowstring.\nThe Vaisya's girdle should be made of the Valwaji grass. Even this is\nwhat has been laid down in the scriptures. Listen now to me as I expound\nto thee what constitutes the merits and faults of both givers and\nrecipients of gifts. A Brahmana becomes guilty of a dereliction of duty\nby uttering a falsehood. Such an act on his part is sinful. A Kshatriya\nincurs four times and a Vaisya eight times the sin that a Brahmana incurs\nby uttering a falsehood. A Brahmana should not eat elsewhere, having been\npreviously invited by a Brahmana. By eating at the house of the person\nwhose invitation has been posterior in point of time, he becomes inferior\nand even incurs the sin that attaches to the slaughter of an animal on\noccasions other than those of sacrifices.[224] So also, if he eats\nelsewhere after having been invited by a person of the royal order or a\nVaisya, he falls away from his position and incurs half the sin that\nattaches to the slaughter of an animal on occasions other than those of\nsacrifices. That Brahmana, O king, who eats on occasions of such rites as\nare performed in honour of the deities or the Pitris by Brahmanas and\nKshatriyas and Vaisyas, without having performed his ablutions, incurs\nthe sin of uttering an untruth for a cow. That Brahmana, O king, who eats\non occasions of similar rites performed by persons belonging to the three\nhigher orders, at a time when he is impure in consequence either of a\nbirth or a death among his cognates, through temptation, knowing well\nthat he is impure incurs the same sin.[225] He who lives upon wealth\nobtained under false pretences like that of sojourns to sacred places or\nwho solicits the giver for wealth pretending that he would spend it in\nreligious acts, incurs, O monarch, the sin of uttering a falsehood.[226]\nThat person, belonging to any of the three higher orders, O Yudhishthira,\nwho at Sraddhas and on other occasions distributes food with the aid of\nMantras, unto such Brahmanas as do not study the Vedas and as are not\nobservant of vows, or as have not purified their conduct, certainly\nincurs sin.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said,--\"I desire, O grandsire, to know by giving unto whom\nthe things dedicated to the deities and the Pitris, one may earn the\namplest rewards.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said,--\"Do thou, Yudhishthira, feed those Brahmanas whose\nspouses reverently wait for the remnants of the dishes of their husbands\nlike tillers of the soil waiting in reverence for timely showers of rain.\nOne earns great merit by making gifts unto those Brahmanas that are always\nobservant of pure conduct, O king, that are emaciated through abstention\nfrom all luxuries and even full meals, that are devoted to the\nobservances of such vows as lead to the emaciation of the body, and that\napproach givers with the desire of obtaining gifts. By making gifts unto\nsuch Brahmanas as regard conduct in this light of food, as regard conduct\nin the light of spouses and children, as regard conduct in the light of\nstrength, as regard conduct in the light of their refuge for crossing\nthis world and attaining to felicity in the next, and as solicit wealth\nonly when wealth is absolutely needed, one earns great merit. By making\ngifts unto those persons, O Yudhishthira, that having lost everything\nthrough thieves or oppressors, approach the giver, one acquires great\nmerit.[227] By making gifts unto such Brahmanas as solicit food from the\nhands of even a poor person of their order who has just got something\nfrom others, one earns great merit. By making gifts unto such Brahmanas\nas have lost their all in times of universal distress and as have been\ndeprived of their spouses on such occasions, and as come to givers with\nsolicitations for alms, one acquires great merit. By making gifts unto\nsuch Brahmanas as are observant of vows, and as place themselves\nvoluntarily under painful rules and regulations, as are respectful in\ntheir conduct to the declaration laid down in the Vedas, and as come to\nsolicit wealth for spending it upon the rites necessary to complete their\nvows and other observances, one earns great merit. By making gifts unto\nsuch Brahmanas as live at a great distance from the practices that are\nobserved by the sinful and the wicked, as are destitute of strength for\nwant of adequate support, and as are very poor in earthly possessions,\none earns great merit. By making gifts unto such Brahmanas as have been\nrobbed of all their possessions by powerful men but as are perfectly\ninnocent, and as desire to fill their stomachs any how without, that is,\nany scruples respecting the quality of the food they take, one earns\ngreat merit. By making gifts unto such Brahmanas as beg on behalf of\nothers that are observant of penances and devoted to them and as are\nsatisfied with even small gifts, one earns great merit. Thou hast now, O\nbull of Bharata's race, heard what the declarations are of the scriptures\nin respect of the acquisition of great merit by the making of gifts.\nListen now to me as I expound what those acts are that lead to hell or\nheaven. They, O Yudhishthira, that speak an untruth on occasions other\nthan those when such untruth is needed for serving the purpose of the\npreceptor or for giving the assurance of safety to a person in fear of\nhis life, sink into hell[228]. They who ravish other people's spouses, or\nhave sexual congress with them, or assist at such acts of delinquency,\nsink in hell. They who rob others of their wealth or destroy the wealth\nand possessions of other people, or proclaim the faults of other people,\nsink in hell. They who destroy the containers of such pieces of water as\nare used by cattle for quenching thirst, as injure such buildings as are\nused for purposes of public meetings, as break down bridges and\ncauseways, and as pull down houses used for purposes of habitation, have\nto sink to hell. They who beguile and cheat helpless women, or girls, or\naged dames, or such women as have been frightened, have to sink to hell.\nThey who destroy the means of other people's living, they who exterminate\nthe habitations of other people, they who rob others of their spouses,\nthey who sow dissensions among friends, and they who destroy the hopes of\nother people, sink into hell. They who proclaim the faults of others,\nthey who break down bridges or causeways, they who live by following\nvocations laid down for other people, and they who are ungrateful to\nfriends for services received, have to sink in hell. They who have no\nfaith in the Vedas and show no reverence for them, they who break the\nvows made by themselves or oblige others to break them, and they who fall\naway from their status through sin, sink in hell. They who betake\nthemselves to improper conduct, they who take exorbitant rates of\ninterest, and they who make unduly large profits on sales, have to sink\nin hell. They who are given to gambling, they who indulge in wicked acts\nwithout any scruple, and they who are given to slaughter of living\ncreatures, have to sink in hell. They who cause the dismissal by masters\nof servants that are hoping for rewards or are expectant of definite need\nor are in the enjoyment of wages or salaries or are waiting for returns\nin respect of valuable services already rendered, have to sink in hell.\nThey who themselves eat without offering portions thereof unto their\nspouse or their sacred fires or their servants or their guests, and they\nwho abstain from performing the rites laid down in the scriptures for\nhonouring the Pitris and deities, have to sink in hell. They who sell the\nVedas, they who find fault with the Vedas, and they who reduce the Vedas\ninto writing, have all to sink in hell.[229] They who are out of the pale\nof the four well-known modes of life, they who betake themselves to\npractices interdicted by the Srutis and the scriptures, and they who live\nby betaking themselves to acts that are wicked or sinful or that do not\nbelong to their order of birth, have to sink in hell. They who live by\nselling hair, they who subsist by selling poisons, and they who live by\nselling milk, have to sink in hell. They who put obstacles in the path of\nBrahmanas and kine and maidens, O Yudhishthira, have to sink in hell.\nThey who sell weapons, they who forge weapons, they who make shafts, and\nthey who make bows, have to sink in hell. They who obstruct paths and\nroads with stones and thorns and holes have to sink in hell. They who\nabandon and cast off preceptors and servants and loyal followers without\nany offence, O chief of Bharata's race, have to sink in hell. They who\nset bullocks to work before the animals attain to sufficient age, they\nwho bore the noses of bullocks and other animals for controlling them the\nbetter while employed in work, and they who keep animals always tethered,\nhave to sink in hell. Those kings that do not protect their subjects\nwhile forcibly taking from them a sixth share of the produce of their\nfields, and they who, though able and possessed of resources, abstain\nfrom making gifts, have to sink in hell. They who abandon and cast off\npersons that are endued with forgiveness and self-restraint and wisdom,\nor those with whom they have associated for many years, when these are no\nlonger of services to them, have to sink in hell. Those men who\nthemselves eat without giving portions of the food to children and aged\nmen and servants, have to sink in hell.\n\n\"'\"All these men enumerated above have to go to hell. Listen now to me, O\nbull of Bharata's race, as I tell thee who those men are that ascend to\nheaven. The man who transgresses against a Brahmana by impeding the\nperformances of all such acts in which the deities are adored, becomes\nafflicted with the loss of all his children and animals. (They who do not\ntransgress against Brahmanas by obstructing their religious acts ascend\nto heaven). Those men, O Yudhishthira, who follow the duties as laid down\nin the scriptures for them and practise the virtues of charity and\nself-restraint and truthfulness, ascend to heaven. Those men who having\nacquired knowledge by rendering obedient services to their preceptors and\nobserving austere penances, become reluctant to accept gifts, succeed in\nascending to heaven. Those men through whom other people are relieved and\nrescued from fear and sin and the impediments that lie in the way of what\nthey wish to accomplish and poverty and the afflictions of disease,\nsucceed in ascending to heaven. Those men who are endued with a forgiving\ndisposition, who are possessed of patience, who are prompt in performing\nall righteous acts, and who are of auspicious conduct, succeed in\nascending to heaven. Those men who abstain from honey and meat, who\nabstain from sexual congress with the spouses of other people, and who\nabstain from wines and spirituous liquors, succeed in ascending to\nheaven. Those men that help in the establishment of retreats for\nascetics, who become founders of families, O Bharata, who open up new\ncountries for purposes of habitation, and lay out towns and cities\nsucceed in ascending to heaven. Those men who give away cloths and\nornaments, as also food and drink, and who help in marrying others,\nsucceed in ascending to heaven.[230] Those men that have abstained from\nall kinds of injury or harm to all creatures, who are capable of enduring\neverything, and who have made themselves the refuge of all creatures,\nsucceed in ascending to heaven. Those men who wait with humility upon\ntheir fathers and mothers, who have subjugated their senses, and who are\naffectionate towards their brothers, succeed in ascending to heaven.\nThose men that subjugate their senses notwithstanding the fact of their\nbeing rich in worldly goods and strong in might and in the enjoyment of\nyouth, succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men that are kind towards\neven those that offend against them, that are mild of disposition, that\nhave an affection for all who are of mild behaviour, and that contribute\nto the happiness of others by rendering them every kind of service in\nhumility, succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men that protect\nthousands of people, that make gifts unto thousands of people, and that\nrescue thousands of people from distress, succeed in ascending to heaven.\nThose men who make gifts of gold and of kine, O chief of Bharata's race,\nas also those of conveyances and animals, succeed in ascending to heaven.\nThose men who make gifts of such articles as are needed in marriages, as\nalso those of serving men and maids, and cloths and robes, succeed in\nascending to heaven[231]. Those men who make public pleasure-houses and\ngardens and wells, resting houses and buildings for public meetings and\ntanks for enabling cattle and men to quench their thirst, and fields for\ncultivation, O Bharata, succeed in ascending to heaven.[232] Those men\nwho make gifts of houses and fields and populated villages unto persons\nthat solicit them, succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men who having\nthemselves manufactured juicy drinks of sweet taste and seeds and paddy\nor rice, make gifts of them unto others succeed in ascending to heaven.\nThose men who being born in families high or low beget hundreds of\nchildren and live long lives practising compassion and keeping wrath\nunder complete subjection, succeed in ascending to heaven. I have thus\nexpounded to thee, O Bharata, what the rites are in honour of the deities\nand the Pitris which are performed by people for the sake of the other\nworld, what the ordinances are in respect of making gifts, and what the\nviews are of the Rishis of former times in respect of both the articles\nof gift and the manner of giving them.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O royal son of Bharata's race, it behoveth thee to\nanswer this question of mine truly and in detail. What are those\ncircumstances under which a person may become guilty of Brahmanicide\nwithout actually slaying a Brahmana!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Formerly, O monarch, I had one day requested Vyasa to\nexplain to me this very subject. I shall now narrate to thee what Vyasa\ntold me on that occasion. Do thou listen to it with undivided attention.\nRepairing to the presence of Vyasa, I addressed him, saying,--'Thou, O\ngreat ascetic, art the fourth in descent from Vasishtha. Do thou explain\nto me this. What are those circumstances under which one becomes guilty\nof Brahmanicide without actually slaying a Brahmana.'--Thus addressed by\nme, the son of Parasara's loins, O king, well-skilled in the science of\nmorality, made me the following answer, at once excellent and fraught\nwith certainty. 'Thou shouldst know that man as guilty of Brahmanicide who\nhaving of his own will invited a Brahmana of righteous conduct to his\nhouse for giving him alms subsequently refuses to give anything to him on\nthe pretence of there being nothing in the house. Thou shouldst, O\nBharata, know that man as guilty of Brahmanicide who destroys the means\nof living of a Brahmana learned in the Vedas and all their branches, and\nwho is freed from attachments to worldly creatures and goods. Thou\nshouldst, O king, know that man to be guilty of Brahmanicide, who causes\nobstructions in the way of thirsty kine while employed in quenching that\nthirst. Thou shouldst take that man as guilty of Brahmanicide who,\nwithout studying the Srutis that have flowed from preceptor to pupil for\nages and ages together, finds fault with the Srutis or with those\nscriptures that have been composed by the Rishis. Thou shouldst know that\nman as guilty of Brahmanicide who does not bestow upon a suitable\nbride-groom his daughter possessed of beauty and other excellent\naccomplishments. Thou shouldst know that foolish and sinful person to be\nguilty of Brahmanicide who inflicts such grief upon Brahmanas as afflict\nthe very core of their hearts. Thou shouldst know that man to be guilty\nof Brahmanicide who robs the blind, the lame, and idiots of their all.\nThou shouldst know that man to be guilty of Brahmanicide who sets fire to\nthe retreats of ascetics or to woods or to a village or a town.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It has been said that sojourns to sacred waters as\nfraught with merit; that ablutions in such waters is meritorious; and\nthat listening to the excellence of such waters is also meritorious. I\ndesire to hear thee expatiate on this subject, O grandsire. It behoveth\nthee, O chief of Bharata's race, to mention to me the sacred waters that\nexist on this earth. I desire, O thou of great puissance, to hear thee\ndiscourse on this topic.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O thou of great splendour, the following enumeration of\nthe sacred waters on the Earth was made by Angiras. Blessed be thou, it\nbehoveth thee to listen to it for thou shalt then earn great merit. Once\non a time, Gautama of rigid vows, approaching the great and learned Rishi\nAngiras endued with tranquillity of soul, while he was dwelling in a\nforest, questioned him, saying,--'O illustrious one, I have some doubts\nregarding the merits attaching to sacred waters and shrines. So I desire\nto hear thee discourse on that topic. Do thou, therefore, O ascetic,\ndiscourse to me. What merits are earned by a person in respect of the\nnext world, by bathing in the sacred waters on the Earth, O thou of great\nwisdom? Do thou expound to me this truly and according to the ordinance.'\n\n\"'\"Angiras said, 'A person by bathing for seven days in succession in the\nChandrabhaga or the Vitasta whose waters are always seen to dance in\nwaves, observing a fast the while, is sure to become cleansed of all his\nsins and endued with the merit of an ascetic.[233] The very many rivers\nthat flowing through Kasmira, fall into the great river called Sindhu\n(Indus). By bathing in these rivers one is sure to become endued with\ngood character and to ascend to heaven after departing from this world.\nBy bathing in Pushkara, and Prabhasa, and Naimisha, and the ocean, and\nDevika, and Indramarga, and Swarnavindu, one is sure to ascend to heaven\nbeing seated on a celestial car, and filled with transports of joy at the\nadorations of Apsara. By plunging in the waters of Hiranyavindu with a\nconcentrated mind and reverencing that sacred stream, and bathing next at\nKusesaya and Devendra, one becomes cleansed of all one's sins. Repairing\nto Indratoya in the vicinity of the mountains of Gandhamadana and next to\nKaratoya in the country called Kuranga, one should observe a fast for\nthree days and then bathe in those sacred waters with a concentrated\nheart and pure body. By doing this, one is sure to acquire the merit of a\nHorse-sacrifice. Bathing in Gangadwara and Kusavarta and Vilwaka in the\nNita mountains, as also in Kankhala, one is sure to become cleansed of\nall one's sins and then ascend to heaven. If one becomes a Brahmacharin\nand subdues one's wrath, devotes oneself to truth and practises\ncompassion towards all creatures, and then bathes in the Jala parda (Lake\nof Waters), one is sure to acquire the merit of a Horse-sacrifice. That\npart where Bhagirathi-Ganga flows in a northward direction is known as\nthe union of heaven, earth, and the nether regions. Observing a fast for\none month and bathing in that sacred Tirtha which is known to be\nacceptable to Maheswara, one becomes competent to behold the deities. One\nwho gives oblations of water unto one's Pitris at Saptaganga and Triganga\nand Indramarga, obtains ambrosia for food, if one has still to undergo\nrebirth. The man who in a pure state of body and mind attends to his\ndaily Agnihotra and observes a fast for one month and then bathes in\nMahasrama, is sure to attain success in one month. By bathing, after a\nfast of three days and purifying the mind of all evil passions, in the\nlarge lake of Bhrigu Kunda, one becomes cleansed of even the sin of\nBrahmanicide. By bathing in Kanyakupa and performing one's ablutions in\nValaka, one acquires great fame among even the deities and shines in\nglory. Bathing in Devika and the lake known by the name of Sundarika as\nalso in the Tirtha called Aswini, one acquires, in one's next life, great\nbeauty of form. By fasting for a fortnight and bathing in Mahaganga and\nKrittikangaraka, one becomes cleansed of all one's sins and ascends to\nheaven. Bathing in Vaimanika and Kinkinika, one acquires the power of\nrepairing everywhere at will and becomes an object of great respect in\nthe celestial region of the Apsaras.[234] If a person, subduing his wrath\nand observing the vow of Brahmacharyya for three days, bathes in the\nriver Vipasa at the retreat called Kalika, he is sure to succeed in\ntranscending the obligation of rebirth. Bathing in the asylum that is\nsacred to the Krittakas and offering oblations of water to the Pitris,\nand then gratifying Mahadeva, one becomes pure in body and mind and\nascends to heaven. If one, observing a fast for three days with a\npurified body and mind, bathes in Mahapura, one becomes freed from the\nfear of all mobile and immobile animals as also of all animals having two\nfeet. By bathing in the Devadaru forest and offering oblations of water\nto the Pitris and dwelling there for seven nights with a pure body and\nmind, one attains to the region of the deities on departing from this\nworld. Bathing in the waterfalls at Sarastamva and Kusastambha and\nDronasarmapada, one is sure to attain to the region of the Apsaras where\none is waited upon with dutiful services by those superhuman beings. If\none, observing a fast, bathes at Chitrakuta and Janasthana and the waters\nof Mandakini, one is sure to be united with prosperity that is\nroyal.[235] By repairing to the retreat that is known by the name of\nSamya and residing there for a fortnight and bathing in the sacred water\nthat exists there, one acquires the power of disappearing at will (and\nenjoy the happiness that has been ordained for the Gandharvas). Repairing\nto the tirtha known by the name of Kausiki and residing there with a pure\nheart and abstaining from all food and drink for three days, one acquires\nthe power of dwelling (in one's next life) in the happy region of the\nGandharvas. Bathing in the delightful tirtha that goes by the name of\nGandhataraka and residing there for one month, abstaining all the while\nfrom food and drink, one acquires the power of disappearing at pleasure\nand, then one and twenty days, of ascending to heaven. He that bathes in\nthe lake known by the name of Matanga is sure to attain to success in one\nnight. He that bathes in Analamva or in eternal Andhaka, or in Naimisha,\nor the tirtha called Swarga, and offers oblations of water to the Pitris,\nsubduing his senses the while, acquires the merit of a human\nsacrifice.[236] Bathing in Ganga hrada and the tirtha known by the name\nof Utpalavana and daily offering oblations of water there for a full\nmonth to the Pitris, one acquires the merit of a Horse-sacrifice. Bathing\nin the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna as also at the tirtha in\nthe Kalanjara mountains and offering every day oblations of water to the\nPitris for a full month, one acquires the merit that attaches to ten\nHorse-sacrifices. Bathing in the Shashthi lake one acquires merit much\ngreater than what is attached to the gift of food. Ten thousand tirthas\nand thirty millions of other tirthas come to Prayaga (the confluence of\nGanga and Yamuna), O chief of Bharata's race in the month of Magha. He\nwho bathes in Prayaga, with a restrained soul and observing rigid vows\nthe while, in the month of Magha, becomes cleansed of all his sins, O\nchief of Bharata's race, and attains to heaven. Bathing in the tirtha\nthat is sacred to the Maruts, as also in that which is situate in the\nretreat of the Pitris, and also in that which is known by the name of\nVaivaswata, one becomes cleansed of all one's sins and becomes as pure\nand sanctified as a tirtha. Repairing to Brahmasaras as also to the\nBhagirathi and bathing there and offering oblations to the Pitris every\nday for a full month, abstaining from food all the while, one is sure to\nattain to the region of Soma. Bathing in Utpataka and then in Ashtavakra\nand offering oblations of water to the Pitris every day for twelve days\nin succession, abstaining the while from food, one acquires the merits of\na Horse-sacrifice. Bathing in Asmaprishtha and Niravinda mountains and\nKraunchapadi,--all three in Gaya--one becomes cleansed of the sin of\nBrahmanicide. A bath in the first place cleanses one of a single\nBrahmanicide; a bath in the second cleanses one of two offences of that\ncharacter; and a bath in the third cleanses one of three such offences.\nBathing in Kalavinga, one acquires a large quantity of water (for use in\nthe next world). A man, by bathing in the city of Agni, acquires such\nmerit as entitles him to live during his next birth in the city of Agni's\ndaughter. Bathing in Visala in Karavirapura and offering oblations of\nwater unto one's Pitris, and performing one's ablutions in Devahrada too,\none becomes identified with Brahma and shines in glory as such. Bathing\nin Punaravarta-nanda as also Mahananda, a man of restrained senses and\nuniversal compassion repairs to the celestial gardens called Nandana of\nIndra and is waited upon there by Apsaras of diverse tribes. Bathing with\nconcentrated soul in the tirtha that is called after the name of Urvasi\nand that is situate in the river Lohitya, on the day of full moon of the\nmonth of Kartika, one attains to the merits that attach to the sacrifice\ncalled Pundarika. Bathing in Ramahrada and offering oblations of water to\nthe Pitris in the river Vipasa (Beas), and observing a fast for twelve\ndays, one becomes cleansed of all sins. Bathing in the tirtha called\nMaha-hrada with a purified heart and after observing a fast for one\nmonth, one is sure to attain to the end which was the sage Jamadagni's.\nBy exposing oneself to heat in the tirtha called Vindhya, a person\ndevoted to truth and endued with compassion for all creatures should then\nbetake himself to austere penances, actuated by humility. By so doing, he\nis sure to attain to ascetic success in course of a single month. Bathing\nin the Narmada as also in the tirtha known by the name of Surparaka,\nobserving a fast for a full fortnight, one is sure to become in one's\nnext birth a prince of the royal line. If one proceeds with restrained\nsenses and a concentrated soul to the tirtha known under the name of\nJamvumarga, one is sure to attain to success in course of a single day\nand night. By repairing to Chandalikasrama and bathing in the tirtha\ncalled Kokamukha, having subsisted for some time on potherbs alone and\nworn rags for vestments, one is sure to obtain ten maidens of great\nbeauty for one's spouses. One who lives by the side of the tirtha known\nby the name of Kanya-hrada has never to go to the regions of Yama. Such a\nperson is sure to ascend to the regions of felicity that belong to the\ncelestials. One who bathes with restrained senses on the day of the new\nmoon in the tirtha known by the name of Prabhasa, is sure, O thou of\nmighty arms, of at once attaining to success and immortality. Bathing in\nthe tirtha known by the name of Ujjanaka which occurs in the retreat of\nArshtisena's son, and next in the tirtha that is situate in the retreat\nof Pinga, one is sure to be cleansed of all one's sins. Observing a fast\nfor three days and bathing in the tirtha known as Kulya and reciting the\nsacred mantras that go by the name of Aghamarshana, one attains the merit\nof a horse-sacrifice. Observing a fast for one night and bathing in\nPindaraka, one becomes purified on the dawn of the next day and attains\nto the merit of an Agnishtoma sacrifice. One who repairs to Brahmasara\nwhich is adorned by the woods called Dharmaranya, becomes cleansed of all\none's sins and attains to the merit of the Pundarika sacrifice. Bathing\nin the waters of the Mainaka mountain and saying one's morning and\nevening prayers there and living at the spot for a month, restraining\ndesire, one attains to the merit of all the sacrifices. Setting out for\nKalolaka and Nandikunda and Uttara-manasa, and reaching a spot that is\nhundred yojanas remote from any of them, one becomes cleansed of the sin\nof foeticide. One who succeeds in obtaining a sight of image of\nNandiswara, becomes cleansed of all sins. Bathing in the tirtha called\nSwargamarga one is sure to proceed to the regions of Brahman. The\ncelebrated Himavat is sacred. That prince of mountains is the\nfather-in-law of Sankara. He is a mine of all jewels and gems and is the\nresort of the Siddhas and Charanas. That regenerate person who is fully\nconversant with the Vedas and who, regarding this life to be exceedingly\nunstable, casts off his body on those mountains, abstaining from all food\nand drink in accordance with the rites laid down in the scriptures, after\nhaving adored the deities and bent his head in worship of the ascetics,\nis sure to attain to success and proceed to the eternal regions of\nBrahman. There is nothing unattainable to him who resides in a tirtha,\nrestraining lust and subjugating wrath, in consequence of such residence.\nFor the purpose of repairing to all the tirthas in the world, one should\nmentally think of those amongst them that are almost inaccessible or\nsojourns to which are attended with insurmountable difficulties. Sojourns\nto tirthas is productive of the merits of sacrifices. They are competent\nto cleanse everybody of sin. Fraught with great excellence, they are\ncapable of leading to heaven. The subject is truly a great mystery. The\nvery deities should bathe in tirthas. To them also they are\nsin-cleansing. This discourse on tirthas should be imparted to Brahmanas,\nand to such honest or righteous persons as are bent upon achieving what\nis for their own good. It should also be recited in the hearing of one's\nwell-wishers and friends and of one's obedient and devoted disciples.\nAngiras possessed of great ascetic merit, had imparted this discourse to\nGautama. Angiras himself had obtained it from Kasyapa of great\nintelligence. The great Rishi regard this discourse as worthy of constant\nrepetition. It is the foremost of all cleansing things. If one recites it\nregularly every day, one is sure to become cleansed of every sin and to\nproceed to heaven after the termination of this life. One who listens to\nthis discourse recited in his hearing,--this discourse, viz., of Angiras,\nthat is regarded as a mystery,--is sure to attain in one's next life to\nbe born in a good family and, what is more, one would become endued with\nthe memory of one's previous existence.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said,--'Equal unto Vrihaspati in intelligence and Brahma\nhimself in forgiveness, resembling Sakra in prowess and Surya in energy,\nBhishma the son of Ganga, of infinite might, had been overthrown in\nbattle by Arjuna. Accompanied by his brothers and many other people, king\nYudhisthira asked him these questions. The old hero was lying on a bed\nthat is coveted by heroes, in expectation of that auspicious time when he\ncould take leave of the physical frame. Many great Rishis had come there\nfor seeing that foremost one of Bharata's race. Amongst them were Atri\nand Vasishtha and Bhrigu and Pulastya and Pulaha and Kratu. There were\nalso Angiras and Gotama and Agastya and Sumati of well-restrained soul,\nand Viswamitra and Sthulasiras and Samvarta and Pramati and Dama. There\nwere also Vrihaspati and Usanas, and Vyasa and Chyavana and Kasyapa and\nDhruva, and Durvasas and Jamadagni and Markandeya and Galava, and\nBharadwaja and Raibhya and Yavakrita and Trita. There were Sthulaksha and\nSavalaksha and Kanwa and Medhatithi and Krisa and Narada and Parvata and\nSudhanwa and Ekata and Dwita. There were also Nitambhu and Bhuvana and\nDhaumya and Satananda and Akritavrana and Rama, the son of Jamadagni and\nKacha. All these high-souled and great Rishis came there for seeing\nBhishma lying on his bed of arrows. Yudhishthira with his brothers duly\nworshipped those high-souled Rishis who had come there, one after another\nin proper order. Receiving that worship, those foremost of Rishis sat\nthemselves down and began to converse with one another. Their\nconversation related to Bhishma, and was highly sweet and agreeable to\nall the senses. Hearing that talk of theirs having reference to himself,\nBhishma became filled with delight and regarded himself to be already in\nheaven. Those Rishis then, having obtained the leave of Bhishma and of\nthe Pandava princes, made themselves invisible, vanishing in the very\nsight of all the beholders. The Pandavas repeatedly bowed and offered\ntheir adorations to those highly blessed Rishis, even after they had made\nthemselves invisible. They then with cheerful souls waited upon the son\nof Ganga, even as Brahmanas versed in Mantras wait with reverence upon\nthe rising Sun. The Pandavas beheld that the points of the compass blazed\nforth with splendour in consequence of the energy of their penances, and\nbecame filled with wonder at the sight. Thinking of the high blessedness\nand puissance of those Rishis, the Pandava princes began to converse on\nthe subject with their grandsire Bhishma.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The conversation being over, the righteous\nYudhishthira, the son of Pandu, touched Bhishma's feet with his head and\nthen resumed his questions relating to morality and righteousness.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Which countries, which provinces, which retreats,\nwhich mountains, and which rivers, O grandsire, are the foremost in point\nof sanctity?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of a\nconversation between a Brahmana in the observance of the Sila and the\nUnccha vows, O Yudhishthira, and a Rishi crowned with ascetic success.\nOnce on a time, a foremost person, having roamed over this entire earth\nadorned with mountains, arrived at last in the house of a foremost person\nleading the domestic mode of life in accordance with the Sila vow. The\nlatter welcomed his guest with due rites. Received with such hospitality,\nthe happy Rishi passed the night happily in the house of his host. The\nnext morning the Brahmana in the observance of the Sila vow, having\nfinished all his morning acts and rites and purified himself duly, very\ncheerfully approached his guest crowned with ascetic success. Meeting\nwith each other and seated at their ease, the two began to converse on\nagreeable subjects connected with the Vedas and the Upanishads. Towards\nthe conclusion of the discourse, the Brahmana in the observance of the\nSila vow respectfully addressed the Rishi crowned with success. Endued\nwith intelligence, he put this very question which thou, O Yudhisthira,\nhast put to me.\n\n\"'\"The poor Brahmana said, 'What countries, what provinces, what retreats,\nwhat mountains, and what rivers should be regarded as the foremost in\npoint of sanctity? Do thou discourse to me on this.'\n\n\"'\"The Rishi crowned with success said, 'Those countries, those provinces,\nthose retreats, and those mountains, should be regarded as the foremost\nin point of sanctity through which or by the side of which that foremost\nof all rivers, viz., Bhagirathi flows. That end which a creature is\ncapable of attaining by penances, by Brahmacharyya, by sacrifices, or by\npractising renunciation, one is sure to attain by only living by the side\nof the Bhagirathi and bathing in its sacred waters. Those creatures whose\nbodies have been sprinkled with the sacred waters of Bhagirathi or whose\nbones have been laid in the channel of that sacred stream, have not to\nfall away from heaven at any time.[237] Those men, O learned Brahmana,\nwho use the waters of Bhagirathi in all their acts, surely ascend to\nheaven after departing from this world. Even those men who, having\ncommitted diverse kinds of sinful deeds in the first part of their lives,\nbetake themselves in after years to a residing by the side of Ganga,\nsucceed in attaining to a very superior end. Hundreds of sacrifices\ncannot produce that merit which men of restrained souls are capable of\nacquiring by bathing in the sacred waters of Ganga. A person is treated\nwith respect and worshipped in heaven for as long a period as his bones\nlie in the channel of the Ganga. Even as the Sun, when he rises at the\ndawn of day, blazes forth in splendour, having dispelled the gloom of\nnight, after the same manner the person that has bathed in the waters of\nGanga is seen to shine in splendour, cleansed of all his sins. Those\ncountries and those points of the compass that are destitute of the\nsacred waters of Ganga are like nights without the moon or like trees\nwithout flowers. Verily, a world without Ganga is like the different\norders and modes of life when they are destitute of righteousness or like\nsacrifices without Soma. Without doubt, countries and points of the\ncompass that are without Ganga are like the firmament without the Sun, or\nthe Earth without mountains, or the welkin without air. The entire body\nof creatures in the three worlds, if served with the auspicious waters of\nGanga, derive a pleasure, the like of which they are incapable of\nderiving from any other source. He who drinks Ganga water that has been\nheated by the Sun's rays derives merit much greater than that which\nattaches to the vow of subsisting upon the wheat or grains of other corn\npicked up from cowdung. It cannot be said whether the two are equal or\nnot, viz., he who performs a thousand Chandrayana rites for purifying his\nbody and he who drinks the water of Ganga. It cannot be said whether the\ntwo are equal or not, viz., one who stands for a thousand years on one\nfoot and one who lives for only a month by the side of Ganga. One who\nlives permanently by the side of Ganga is superior in merit to one who\nstays for ten thousand Yugas with head hanging downwards. As cotton, when\nit comes into contact with fire, is burnt off without a remnant, even so\nthe sins of the person that has bathed in Ganga become consumed without a\nremnant. There is no end superior to Ganga for those creatures who with\nhearts afflicted by sorrow, seek to attain to ends that may dispel that\nsorrow of theirs. As snakes become deprived of their poison at the very\nsight of Garuda, even so one becomes cleansed of all one's sins at the\nvery sight of the sacred stream of Ganga. They that are without good name\nand that are addicted to deeds of sinfulness, have Ganga for their fame,\ntheir protection, their means of rescue, their refuge or cover. Many\nwretches among men who become afflicted with diverse sins of a heinous\nnature, when they are about to sink into hell, are rescued by Ganga in\nthe next world (if, notwithstanding their sins, they seek the aid of\nGanga in their after-years). They, O foremost of intelligent men, who\nplunge every day in the sacred waters of Ganga, become the equals of\ngreat Munis and the very deities with Vasava at their head. Those\nwretches among men that are destitute of humility or modesty of behaviour\nand that are exceedingly sinful, become righteous and good, O Brahmana,\nby betaking themselves to the side of Ganga. As Amrita is to the deities,\nas Swadha is to the Pitris, as Sudha is to the Nagas, even so is Ganga\nwater to human beings. As children afflicted with hunger solicit their\nmothers for food, after the same manner do people desirous of their\nhighest good pay court to Ganga. As the region of the self-born Brahma is\nsaid to be the foremost of all places, even so is Ganga said to be\nforemost of all rivers for those that desire to bathe. As the Earth and\nthe cow are said to be the chief sustenance of the deities and other\ncelestials, even so is Ganga the chief sustenance of all living\ncreatures.[238] As the deities support themselves upon the Amrita that\noccurs in the Sun and the Moon and that is offered in diverse sacrifices,\neven so do human beings support themselves upon Ganga water. One\nbesmeared with the sand taken from the shores of Ganga regards oneself as\na denizen of heaven, adorned with celestial unguents. He who bears on his\nhead the mud taken from the banks of Ganga presents an effulgent aspect\nequal to that of Sun himself bent on dispelling the surrounding darkness.\nWhen that wind which is moistened with the particles of Ganga-water\ntouches one's person, it cleanses him immediately of every sin. A person\nafflicted by calamities and about to sink under their weight, finds all\nhis calamities dispelled by the joy which springs up in his heart at\nsight of that sacred stream. By the melody of the swans and Kokas and\nother aquatic fowls that play on her breast, Ganga challenges the very\nGandharvas and by her high banks the very mountains on the Earth.\nBeholding her surface teeming with swans and diverse other aquatic fowls,\nand having banks adorned with pasture lands with kine grazing on them.\nHeaven herself loses her pride. The high happiness which one enjoys by a\nresidence on the banks of Ganga, can never be his who is residing even in\nheaven. I have no doubt in this that the person who is afflicted with\nsins perpetrated in speech and thought and overt act, becomes cleansed at\nthe very sight of Ganga. By holding that sacred stream, touching it, and\nbathing in its waters, one rescues one's ancestors to the seventh\ngeneration, one's descendants to the seventh generation, as also other\nancestors and descendants. By hearing of Ganga, by wishing to repair to\nthat river, by drinking its waters, by touching its waters, and by\nbathing in them a person rescues both his paternal and maternal races. By\nseeing, touching, and drinking the waters of Ganga, or even by applauding\nGanga, hundreds and thousands of sinful men become cleansed of all their\nsins. They who wish to make their birth, life and learning fruitful,\nshould repair to Ganga and gratify the Pitris and the deities by offering\nthem oblations of water. The merit that one earns by bathing in Ganga is\nsuch that the like of it is incapable of being earned through the\nacquisition of sons or wealth or the performance of meritorious acts.\nThose who, although possessed of the physical ability, do not seek to\nhave a sight of the auspicious Ganga of sacred current, are, without\ndoubt, to be likened to persons afflicted with congenital blindness or\nthose that are dead or those that are destitute of the power of\nlocomotion through palsy or lameness. What man is there that would not\nreverence this sacred stream that is adored by great Rishis conversant\nwith the Present, the Past, and the Future, as also by the very deities\nwith Indra at their head. What man is there that would not seek the\nprotection of Ganga whose protection is sought for by forest recluses and\nhouseholders, and by Yatis and Brahmacharins alike? The man of righteous\nconduct who, with rapt soul, thinks of Ganga at the time when his\nlife-breaths are about to leave his body, succeeds in attaining to the\nhighest end. That man who dwells by the side of Ganga up to the time of\nhis death, adoring her with reverence, becomes freed from the fear of\nevery kind of calamity, of sin, and of kings. When that highly sacred\nstream fell from the firmament, Maheswara held it on his head. It is that\nvery stream which is adored in heaven.[239] The three regions, viz.,\n(Earth, Heaven, and the nether place called Patala) are adorned by the\nthree courses of this sacred stream. The man who uses the waters of that\nstream becomes certainly crowned with success. As the solar ray is to the\ndeities in heaven, as Chandramas is to the Pitris, as the king is to\nhuman beings, even such is Ganga unto all streams.[240] One who becomes\nbereaved of mother or father or sons or spouses or wealth does not feel\nthat grief which becomes one's, when one becomes bereaved of Ganga. One\ndoes not obtain that joy through acts that lead to the region of Brahma,\nor through such sacrifices and rites that lead to heaven, or through\nchildren or wealth, which one obtain from a sight of Ganga.[241] The\npleasures that men derive from a sight of Ganga is equal to what they\nderive from a sight of the full moon. That man becomes dear to Ganga who\nadores her with deep devotion, with mind wholly fixed upon her, with a\nreverence that refuses to take any other object within its sphere, with a\nfeeling that there is nothing else to the universe worthy of similar\nadoration, and with a steadiness that knows no failing away. Creatures\nthat live on Earth, in the welkin, or in Heaven, indeed, even beings that\nare very superior,--should always bathe in Ganga. Verily, this is the\nforemost of all duties with those that are righteous. The fame of Ganga\nfor sanctity has spread over the entire universe, since she bore all the\nsons of Sagara, who had been reduced to ashes, from here to Heaven.[242]\nMen who are washed by the bright, beautiful, high, and rapidly moving\nwaves, raised by the wind, of Ganga, become cleansed of all their sins\nand resemble in splendour the Sun with his thousand rays. Those men of\ntranquil souls that have cast off their bodies in the waters of Ganga\nwhose sanctity is as great as that of the butter and other liquids poured\nin sacrifices and which are capable of conferring merits equal to those\nof the greatest of sacrifices, have certainly attained to a station equal\nto that of the very deities. Verily, Ganga, possessed of fame and vast\nextent and identical with the entire universe and reverenced by the\ndeities with Indra at their head, the Munis and human beings, is\ncompetent to bestow the fruition of all their wishes upon them that are\nblind, them that are idiots, and them that are destitute of all\nthings.[243] They that sought the refuge of Ganga, that protectress of\nall the universe, that flows in three streams, that is filled with water\nat once highly sacred and sweet as honey and productive of every kind of\ngood, have succeeded in attaining to the beatitude of Heaven.[244] That\nmortal who dwells by the side of Ganga and beholds her every day, becomes\ncleansed by her sight and touch. Unto him the deities give every kind of\nhappiness here and a high end hereafter. Ganga is regarded as competent\nto rescue every creature from sin and lead him to the felicity of Heaven.\nShe is held to be identical with Prisni, the mother of Vishnu. She is\nidentical with the Word or Speech. She is very remote, being incapable of\neasy attainment. She is the embodiment of auspiciousness and prosperity.\nShe is capable of bestowing the six well-known attributes beginning with\nlordship or puissance. She is always inclined to extend her grace. She is\nthe displayer of all things in the universe, and she is the high refuge\nof all creatures. Those who have sought her protection in this life have\nsurely attained heaven. The fame of Ganga has spread all over the welkin,\nand Heaven, and Earth, and all the points, cardinal and subsidiary, of\nthe compass. Mortal creatures, by using the waters of that foremost of\nstreams, always become crowned with high success. That person who himself\nbeholding Ganga, points her out to others, finds that Ganga rescues him\nfrom rebirth and confers Emancipation on him. Ganga held Guha, the\ngeneralissimo of the celestial forces, in her womb. She bears the most\nprecious of all metals, viz., gold, also in that womb of hers. They who\nbathe in her waters every day in the morning, succeed in obtaining the\naggregate of three, viz., Righteousness, Wealth and Pleasure. Those\nwaters are, again, equal in point of sanctity to the butter that is\npoured with Mantras on the sacrificial fire. Capable of cleansing one\nfrom every sin, she has descended from the celestial region, and her\ncurrent is held in high esteem by every one. Ganga is the daughter of\nHimavat, the spouse of Hara, and the ornament of both Heaven and Earth.\nShe is the bestower of everything auspicious, and is competent to confer\nthe six well-known attributes beginning with lordship or puissance.\nVerily O king, Ganga is the one object of great sanctity in the three\nworlds and confers merit upon all. Truly, O monarch, Ganga is\nRighteousness in liquefied form. She is energy also running in a liquid\nform over the Earth. She is endued with the splendour or puissance that\nbelongs to the butter that is poured with Mantras on the sacrificial\nfire. She is always adorned with large waves as also with Brahmanas who\nmay at all times be seen performing their ablutions in her waters.\nFalling from Heaven, she was held by Siva on his head. The very mother of\nthe heavens, she has sprung from the highest mountain for running over\nthe plains and conferring the most precious benefits on all creatures of\nthe Earth. She is the highest cause of all things; she is perfectly\nstainless. She is as subtile as Brahma. She affords the best bed for the\ndying. She leads creatures very quickly to heaven. She bears away a large\nvolume of water. She bestows great fame on all. She is the protectress of\nthe universe.[245] She is identical with every form. She is very much\ncoveted by persons crowned with success. Verily, Ganga is the path to\nHeaven of those that have bathed in her current.[246] The Brahmanas hold\nGanga as equalling the Earth in forgiveness, and in the protection and\nupholding of those that live by her; further, as equalling Fire and Surya\nin energy and splendour; and, lastly, as always equalling Guha himself in\nthe matter of showing favours unto the regenerate class.[247] Those men\nwho, in this life, even mentally seek with their whole souls that sacred\nstream which is praised by the Rishis, which has issued out of the feet\nof Vishnu, which is very ancient, and which is exceedingly sacred,\nsucceed in repairing to the regions of Brahman. Fully convinced that\nchildren and other possessions, as also regions possessed by every kind\nof felicity, are transitory or liable to destruction, men of subdued\nsouls, who are desirous of attaining to that everlasting station which is\nidentical with Brahma, always pay their adorations to Ganga with that\nreverence and love which are due from a son to mother. The men of\ncleansed soul who is desirous of achieving success should seek the\nprotection of Ganga who is like a cow that yields Amrita instead of\nordinary milk, who is prosperity's self, who is possessed of omniscience,\nwho exists for the entire universe of creatures, who is the source of all\nkinds of food, who is the mother of all mountains, who is the refuge of\nall righteous persons, who is immeasurable in puissance and energy, and\nwho charms the heart of Brahma himself. Having, with austere penances,\ngratified all the deities with the Supreme Lord (Vishnu), Bhagiratha\nbrought Ganga down on the Earth. Repairing unto her, men always succeed\nin freeing themselves from every kind of fear both here and hereafter.\nObserving with the aid of intelligence, I have mentioned to thee only a\nsmall part of the merits of Ganga. My power, however, is inadequate to\nspeak of all the merits of the sacred river, or, indeed, to measure her\npuissance and sanctity. One may, by putting forth one's best powers,\ncount the stones that occur in the mountains of Meru or measure the\nwaters that occur in the ocean, but one cannot count all the merits which\nbelong to the waters of Ganga. Hence, having listened to these particular\nmerits of Ganga which I have uttered with great devotion, one should, in\nthought, word and deed, reverence them with faith and devotion. In\nconsequence of thy having listened to those merits which I have recited,\nthou art sure to fill all the three regions with fame and attain to a\nmeasure of success that is very large and that is difficult of being\nattained to by any other person. Verily, thou shalt, soon after that,\nsport in joy many a region of great felicity created by Ganga herself for\nthose that reverence her. Ganga always extends her grace unto those that\nare devoted to her with humbleness of heart. She unites those that are so\ndevoted to her with every kind of happiness. I pray that the\nhighly-blessed Ganga may always inspire thy heart and mine with such\nattributes as are fraught with righteousness'.\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The learned ascetic endued with high intelligence\nand great illumination, and crowned with success, having in this manner\ndiscoursed unto that poor Brahmana in the observance of the Sila vow, on\nthe subjects of the infinite merits of Ganga, then ascended the\nfirmament. The Brahmana in the observance of Sila vow, awakened by the\nwords of that ascetic crowned with success, duly worshipped Ganga and\nattained to high success. Do thou also, O son of Kunti, seek Ganga with\ngreat devotion, for thou shalt then, as the reward thereof, attain to\nhigh and excellent success.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing this discourse from Bhishma that was\nfraught with the praise of Ganga, Yudhishthira with his brothers became\nfilled with great delight. That person who recites or hears recited this\nsacred discourse fraught with the praise of Ganga, becomes cleansed of\nevery sin.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou O grandsire, art endued with wisdom and\nknowledge of the scriptures, with conduct and behaviour, with diverse\nkinds of excellent attributes, and also with years. Thou art\ndistinguished above others by intelligence and wisdom and penances. I\nshall, therefore, O thou that art the foremost of all righteous men,\ndesire to address enquiries to thee respecting Righteousness. There is\nnot another man, O king, in all the worlds, who is worthier of being\nquestioned on such subjects. O best of kings, how may one, if he happens\nto be a Kshatriya or a Vaisya or a Sudra, succeed in acquiring the status\nof a Brahmana? It behoveth thee to tell me the means. Is it by penances\nthe most austere, or by religious acts, or by knowledge of the\nscriptures, that a person belonging to any of the three inferior orders\nsucceeds in acquiring the status of a Brahmana? Do tell me this, O\ngrandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The status of a Brahmana, O Yudhishthira, is incapable of\nacquisition by a person belonging to any of the three other orders. That\nstatus is the highest with respect to all creatures. Travelling through\ninnumerable orders of existence, by undergoing repeated births, one at\nlast, in some birth, becomes born as a Brahmana. In this connection is\ncited an old history, O Yudhishthira, of a conversation between Matanga\nand a she-ass. Once on a time a Brahmana obtained a son who, though\nprocreated by a person belonging to a different order, had, however, the\nrites of infancy and youth performed in pursuance of the ordinances laid\ndown for Brahmanas. The child was called by the name of Matanga and was\npossessed of every accomplishment. His father, desiring to perform a\nsacrifice, ordered him, O scorcher of foes, to collect the articles\nrequired for the act. Having received the command of his father, he set\nout for the purpose, riding on a car of great speed, drawn by an ass. It\nso happened that the ass yoked unto that car was of tender years. Instead\ntherefore, of obeying the reins, the animal bore away the car to the\nvicinity of its dam, viz., the she-ass that had brought it forth.\nMatanga, dissatisfied with this, began to strike repeatedly the animal\nwith his goad on its nose. Beholding those marks of violence on her\nchild's nose, the she-ass, full of affection for him, said--'Do not\ngrieve, O child, for his treatment. A Chandala it is that is driving\nthee. There is no severity in a Brahmana. The Brahmana is said to be the\nfriend of all creatures. He is the teacher also of all creatures and\ntheir ruler. Can he chastise any creature so cruelly? This fellow,\nhowever, is of sinful deeds. He hath no compassion to show unto even a\ncreature of such tender years as thou. He is simply proving the order of\nhis birth by conducting himself in this way. The nature which he hath\nderived from his sire forbids the rise of those sentiments of pity and\nkindness that are natural to the Brahmana.' Hearing these harsh words of\nthe she-ass, Matanga quickly came down from the car and addressing the\nshe-ass, said,--'Tell me, O blessed dame, by what fault is my mother\nstained? How dost thou know that I am a Chandala? Do thou answer me\nwithout delay. How, indeed, dost thou know that I am a Chandala? How has\nmy status as a Brahmana been lost? O thou of great wisdom, tell me all\nthis in detail, from beginning to end.'\n\n\"'\"The she-ass said, 'Begotten thou wert, upon a Brahmana woman excited\nwith desire, by a Sudra following the profession of a barber. Thou art,\ntherefore, a Chandala by birth. The status of Brahmana thou hast not at\nall.'\"\n\n\"'Brahmana continued, 'Thus addressed by the she-ass, Matanga retraced his\nway homewards. Seeing him return, his father said,--'I had employed thee\nin the difficult task of gathering the requisites of my intended\nsacrifice. Why hast thou come back without having accomplished thy\ncharge? Is it the case that all is not right with thee?'\n\n\"'\"Matanga said, 'How can he who belongs to no definite order of birth, or\nto an order that is very low be regarded as all right and happy? How, O\nfather, can that person be happy whose mother is stained? O father, this\nshe-ass, who seems to be more than a human being, tells me that I have\nbeen begotten upon a Brahmani woman by a Sudra. I shall, for this reason,\nundergo the severest penances.'--Having said these words to his father,\nand firmly resolved upon what he had said he proceeded to the great\nforest and began to undergo the austerest of penances. Setting himself to\nthe performance of those penances for the purpose of happily acquiring\nthe status of a Brahmana, Matanga began to scorch the very deities by the\nseverity of his asceticism. Unto him thus engaged in penances, the chief\nof the celestials, viz., Indra, appeared and said,--'Why, O Matanga, dost\nthou pass thy time in such grief, abstaining from all kinds of human\nenjoyments? I shall give thee boons. Do thou name the boons thou\ndesirest. Do not delay, but tell me what is in thy breast. Even if that\nbe unattainable, I shall yet bestow it on thee.'\n\n\"'\"Matanga said, 'Desirous of attaining to the status of Brahmana I have\nbegun to practise these penances. After having obtained it, I shall go\nhome. Even this is the boon solicited by me.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of his, Purandara said unto him,\n'The status of a Brahmana, O Matanga, which thou desirest to acquire is\nreally unattainable by thee. It is true, thou desirest to acquire it, but\nthen it is incapable of acquisition by persons begotten on uncleansed\nsouls. O thou of foolish understanding, thou art sure to meet with\ndestruction if thou persistest in this pursuit. Desist, therefore, from\nthis vain endeavour without any delay. This object of thy desire, viz.,\nthe status of a Brahmana, which is the foremost of everything, is\nincapable of being won by penances. Therefore, by coveting that foremost\nstatus, thou wilt incur sure destruction. One born as a Chandala can\nnever attain to that status which is regarded as the most sacred among\nthe deities and Asuras and human beings!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed by Indra, Matanga of restrained vows and\nwell regulated soul, (without hearkening to the counsels of the chief of\nthe celestials), stood for a hundred years on one foot, O thou of\nunfading glory. Sakra of great fame once more appeared before him and\naddressing him, said,--'The status of a Brahmana, O child, is\nunattainable. Although thou covetest it, it is impossible for thee to\nobtain it. O Matanga, by coveting that very high status thou art sure to\nbe destroyed. Do not, O son, betray such rashness. This cannot be a\nrighteous path for thee to follow. O thou of foolish understanding, it is\nimpossible for thee to obtain it in this world. Verily, by coveting that\nwhich is unattainable, thou art sure to meet with destruction in no time.\nI am repeatedly forbidding thee. By striving, however, to attain that\nhigh status by the aid of thy penances, notwithstanding my repeated\nadmonition, thou art sure to meet with destruction. From the order of\nbrute life one attains to the status of humanity. If born as human being,\nhe is sure to take birth as a Pukkasa or a Chandala. Verily, one having\ntaken birth in that sinful order of existence, viz., Pukkasa, one, O\nMatanga, has to wander in it for a very long time. Passing a period of\none thousand years in that order, one attains next to the status of a\nSudra. In the Sudra order, again, one has to wander for a long time.\nAfter thirty thousand years one acquire the status of a Vaisya. There, in\nthat order, one has to pass a very long period. After a time that is\nsixty times longer than what has been stated as the period of Sudra\nexistence, one becomes a person of the fighting order. In the Kshatriya\norder one has to pass a very long time. After a time that is measured by\nmultiplying the period last referred to by sixty, one becomes born as a\nfallen Brahmana. In this order one has to wander for a long period. After\na time measured by multiplying the period last named by two hundred, one\nbecomes born in the race of such a Brahmana as lives by the profession of\narms. There, in that order, one has to wander for a long period. After a\ntime measured by multiplying the period last named by three hundred, one\ntakes birth in the race of a Brahmana that is given to the recitation of\nthe Gayatri and other sacred Mantras. There, in that order, one has to\nwander for a long period. After a time measured by multiplying the period\nlast named by four hundred, one takes birth in the race of such a\nBrahmana as is conversant with the entire Vedas and the scriptures.\nThere, in that order, one has to wander for a very long period. While\nwandering in that status of existence, joy and grief, desire and\naversion, vanity and evil speech, seek to enter into him and make a\nwretch of him. If he succeeds in subjugating those foes, he then attains\na high end. If, on the other hand, those enemies succeed in subjugating\nhim, he falls down from that high status like a person falling down on\nthe ground from the high top of a palmyra tree. Knowing this for certain,\nO Matanga, I say unto thee, do thou name some other boon, for the status\nof a Brahmana is incapable of being attained by thee (that hast been born\nas a Chandala)!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus advised by Indra, Matanga, observant of vows,\nrefused to hear what he was bid. On the other hand, with regulated vows\nand cleansed soul, he practised austere penances by standing on one foot\nfor a thousand years, and was deeply engaged in Yoga-meditation. After a\nthousand years had passed away, Sakra once more came to see him. Indeed,\nthe slayer of Vala and Vritra said unto him the same words.\n\n\"'\"Matanga said, 'I have passed these thousand years, standing on one foot,\nin deep meditation, observing of the vow of Brahmacharyya. Why is it that\nI have not yet succeeded in acquiring the status of a Brahmana?'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'One born on a Chandala cannot, by any means acquire the\nstatus of a Brahmana. Do thou, therefore name some boon so that all this\nlabour of thine may not prove fruitless.'--Thus addressed by the chief of\nthe celestials, Matanga became filled with grief. He repaired to Prayaga,\nand passed there a hundred years, standing all the while on his toes. In\nconsequence of the observance of such Yoga which was extremely difficult\nto bear, he became very much emaciated and his arteries and veins became\nswollen and visible. He was reduced to only skin and bones. Indeed, it\nhas been heard by us that the righteous-souled Matanga, while practising\nthose austerities at Gaya, dropped down on the ground from sheer\nexhaustion. The lord and giver of boons, engaged in the good of all\ncreatures, viz., Vasava beholding him falling down, quickly came to that\nspot and held him fast.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'It seems, O Matanga, that the status of a Brahmana which\nthou seekest is ill-suited to thee. That status is incapable of being\nattained by thee. Verily, in thy case, it is surrounded by many dangers.\nA person by worshipping a Brahmana obtains happiness; while by abstaining\nfrom such worship, he obtains grief and misery. The Brahmana is, with\nrespect to all creatures, the giver of what they prize or covet and the\nprotector of what they already have. It is through the Brahmanas that the\nPitris and the deities become gratified. The Brahmana, O Matanga, is said\nto be foremost of all created Beings. The Brahmana grants all objects\nthat are desired and in the way they are desired.[248] Wandering through\ninnumerable orders of Being and undergoing repeated rebirths, one\nsucceeds in some subsequent birth in acquiring the status of a Brahmana.\nThat status is really incapable of being obtained by persons of\nuncleansed souls. Do thou, therefore, give up the idea. Do thou name some\nother boon. The particular boon which thou seekest is incapable of being\ngranted to thee.'\n\n\"'\"Matanga said, 'Afflicted as I am with grief, why, O Sakra, dost thou\nafflict me further (with such speeches as these)? Thou art striking one\nthat is already dead, by this behaviour. I do not pity thee for having\nacquired the status of a Brahmana thou now failest to retain it (for thou\nhast no compassion to show for one like me). O thou of a hundred\nsacrifices, the status of a Brahmana as thou sayest be really\nunattainable by any of the three other orders, yet, men that have\nsucceeded in acquiring (through natural means) that high status do not\nadhere to it (for what sins do not even Brahmanas commit). Those who\nhaving acquired the status of a Brahmana that, like affluence, is so\ndifficult to acquire, do not seek to keep it up (by practising the\nnecessary duties), must be regarded to be the lowest of wretches in this\nworld. Indeed, they are the most sinful of all creatures. Without doubt,\nthe status of a Brahmana is exceedingly difficult to attain, and once\nbeing attained, it is difficult to maintain it. It is capable of\ndispelling every kind of grief. Alas, having attained to it, men do not\nalways seek to keep it up (by practising righteousness and the other\nduties that attach to it). When even such persons are regarded as\nBrahmanas why is it that I, who am contented with my own self, who am\nabove all couples of opposites, who am dissociated from all worldly\nobjects, who am observant of the duty of compassion towards all creatures\nand of self-restraint of conduct, should not be regarded as deserving of\nthat status.[249] How unfortunate I am, O Purandara, that through the\nfault of my mother I have been reduced to this condition, although I am\nnot unrighteous in my behaviour? Without doubt, Destiny is incapable of\nbeing warded off or conquered by individual exertion, since, O lord, I am\nunable to acquire, notwithstanding these persistent efforts of mine, the\nobject, upon the acquisition of which I have set my heart. When such is\nthe case, O righteous one, it behoves thee to grant me some other boon\nif, indeed, I have become worthy of thy grace or if I have a little of\nmerit.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The slayer of Vala and Vritra then said unto\nhim,--'Do thou name the boon.'--Thus urged by the great Indra, Matanga said\nthe following words:\n\n\"'\"Matanga said, 'Let me be possessed of the power of assuming any form at\nwill, and journeying through the skies and let me enjoy whatever\npleasures I may set my heart upon. And let me also have the willing\nadorations of both Brahmanas and Kshatriyas. I bow to thee by bending my\nhead, O god. It behoveth thee to do that also by which my fame, O\nPurandara, may live for ever in the world.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Thou shalt be celebrated as the deity of a particular\nmeasure of verse and thou shalt obtain the worship of all women. Thy\nfame, O son, shall become unrivalled in the three worlds.'--Having\ngranted him these boons, Vasava disappeared there and then. Matanga also,\ncasting off his life-breaths, attained to a high place. Thou mayst thus\nsee, O Bharata, that the status of a Brahmana is very high. That status\nis incapable of being acquired here (except in the natural way of birth)\nas said by the great Indra himself.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have heard this great narrative, O perpetuator of\nKuru's race. Thou, O foremost of eloquent men, hast said that the status\nof a Brahmana is exceedingly difficult of acquisition. It is heard,\nhowever, that in former times the status of a Brahmana had been acquired\nby Viswamitra. Thou, however, O best of men, tellest us that status is\nincapable of being acquired. I have also heard that king Vitahavya in\nancient times succeeded in obtaining the status of a Brahmana. I desire\nto hear, O puissant son of Ganga, the story of Vitahavya's promotion. By\nwhat acts did that best of kings succeed in acquiring the status of a\nBrahmana? Was it through some boon (obtained from some one of great\npuissance) or was it through the virtue of penances? It behoveth thee to\ntell me everything.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hear, O monarch, how the royal sage Vitahavya of great\ncelebrity succeeded in ancient times in acquiring the status of a\nBrahmana that is so difficult to attain and that is held in such high\nreverence by all the world. While the high-souled Manu in days of yore\nwas employed in righteously ruling his subjects, he obtained a son of\nrighteous soul who became celebrated under the name of Saryati. In\nSaryati's race, O monarch, two kings took their birth, viz., Haihaya and\nTalajangha. Both of them were sons of Vatsa, O foremost of victorious\nkings. Haihaya, O monarch, had ten wives. Upon them he begot, O Bharata,\na century of sons all of whom were highly inclined to fighting. All of\nthem resembled one another in features and prowess. All of them were\nendued with great strength and all of them were possessed of great skill\nin battle. They all studied the Vedas and the science of weapons\nthoroughly. In Kasi also, O monarch, there was a king who was the\ngrandfather of Divodasa. The foremost of victorious men, he was known by\nthe name of Haryyaswa. The sons of king Haihaya, O chief of men (who was\notherwise known by the name of Vitahavya), invaded the kingdom of Kasi\nand advancing to the country that lies between the rivers Ganga and\nYamuna, fought a battle with king Haryyaswa and also slew him in it.\nHaving slain king Haryyaswa in this way, the sons of Haihaya, those great\ncar-warriors, fearlessly went back to their own delightful city in the\ncountry of the Vatsas. Meanwhile Haryyaswa's son Sudeva, who looked like\na deity in splendour and who was a second god of righteousness, was\ninstalled on the throne of Kasi as its ruler. The delighter of Kasi, that\nrighteous-souled prince ruled his kingdom for some time, when the hundred\nsons of Vitahavya once more invaded his dominions and defeated him in\nbattle. Having vanquished king Sudeva thus, the victors returned to their\nown city. After that Divodasa, the son of Sudeva, became installed on the\nthrone of Kasi as its ruler. Realising the prowess of those high-souled\nprinces, viz., the sons of Vitahavya, king Divodasa, endued with great\nenergy, rebuilt and fortified the city of Baranasi at the command of\nIndra. The territories of Divodasa were full of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas,\nand abounded with Vaisyas and Sudras. And they teemed with articles and\nprovisions of every kind, and were adorned with shops and marts swelling\nwith prosperity. Those territories, O best of kings, stretched northwards\nfrom the banks of Ganga to the southern banks of Gomati, and resembled a\nsecond Amravati (the city of Indra). The Haihayas once again, O Bharata,\nattacked that tiger among kings, as he ruled his kingdom. The mighty king\nDivodasa endued with great splendour, issuing out of his capital, gave\nthem battle. The engagement between the two parties proved so fierce as\nto resemble the encounter in days of old between the deities and the\nAsuras. King Divodasa fought the enemy for a thousand days at the end of\nwhich, having lost a number of followers and animals, he became\nexceedingly distressed.[250] King Divodasa, O monarch, having lost his\narmy and seeing his treasury exhausted, left his capital and fled away.\nRepairing to the delightful retreat of Bhardwaja endued with great wisdom\nthe king, O chastiser of foes joining his hands in reverence, sought the\nRishi's protection. Beholding King Divodasa before him, the eldest son of\nVrihaspati, viz., Bharadwaja of excellent conduct, who was the monarch's\npriest, said unto him, 'What is the reason of thy coming here? Tell me\neverything, O king. I shall do that which is agreeable to thee, without\nany scruple.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'O holy one, the sons of Vitahavya have slain all the\nchildren and men of my house. I only have escaped with life, totally\ndiscomfited by the foe. I seek thy protection. It behoveth thee, O holy\none, to protect me with such affection as thou hast for a disciple. Those\nprinces of sinful deeds have slaughtered my whole race, leaving myself\nonly alive.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Unto him who pleaded so piteously, Bharadwaja of\ngreat energy said, 'Do not fear! Do not fear! O son of Sudeva, let thy\nfears be dispelled. I shall perform a sacrifice, O monarch, in order that\nthou mayst have a son through whom thou shalt be able to smite thousands\nupon thousands of Vitahavya's party.' After this, the Rishi performed a\nsacrifice with the object of bestowing a son on Divodasa. As the result\nthereof, unto Divodasa was born a son named Pratarddana. Immediately on\nhis birth he grew up like a boy of full three and ten years and quickly\nmastered the entire Vedas and the whole of arms. Aided by his Yoga\npowers, Bharadwaja of great intelligence had entered into the prince.\nIndeed, collecting all the energy that occurs in the object of the\nuniverse, Bharadwaja put them together in the body of prince Pratarddana.\nPut on shining mail on his person and armed with the bow, Pratarddana,\nhis praises sung by bards and the celestial Rishis, shone resplendent\nlike the risen star of day. Mounted on his car and with the scimitar tied\nto his belt, he shone like a blazing fire. With scimitar and shield and\nwhirling his shield as he went, he proceeded to the presence of his sire.\nBeholding the prince, the son of Sudeva, viz., king Divodasa, became\nfilled with joy. Indeed, the old king thought the sons of his enemy\nVitahavya as already slain. Divodasa then installed his son Pratarddana\nas Yuvaraja, and regarding himself crowned with success became\nexceedingly happy. After this, the old king commanded that chastiser of\nfoes, viz., prince Pratarddana to march against the sons of Vitahavya and\nslay them in battle. Endued with great powers, Pratarddana, that\nsubjugator of hostile cities speedily crossed Ganga on his car and\nproceeded against the city of the Vitahavyas. Hearing the clatter\nproduced by the wheels of his car, the sons of Vitahavya, riding on their\nown cars that looked like fortified citadels and that were capable of\ndestroying hostile vehicles, issued out of their city. Issuing out of\ntheir capital, those tigers among men, viz., the sons of Vitahavya, who\nwere all skilful warriors cased in mail, rushed with uplifted weapons\ntowards Pratarddana, covering him with showers of arrows. Encompassing\nhim with innumerable cars, O Yudhisthira, the Vitahavyas poured upon\nPratarddana showers of weapons of various kinds like clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain on the breast of Himavat. Baffling their weapons with\nhis own, prince Pratarddana endued with mighty energy slew them all with\nhis shafts that resembled the lighting fire of Indra. Their heads struck\noff, O king, with hundreds and thousands of broad-headed arrows, the\nwarriors of Vitahavya fell down with blood-dyed bodies like Kinsuka trees\nfelled by woodmen with their axes on every side. After all his warriors\nand sons had fallen in battle, king Vitahavya fled away from his capital\nto the retreat of Bhrigu. Indeed, arrived there, the royal fugitive\nsought the protection of Bhrigu. The Rishi Bhrigu, O monarch, assured the\ndefeated king of his protection. Pratarddana followed in the footsteps of\nVitahavya. Arrived at the Rishi's retreat, the son of Divodasa said in a\nloud voice.--'Ho, listen ye disciples of the high souled Bhrigu that may\nhappen to be present, I wish to see the sage. Go and inform him of this.\nRecognising that it was Pratarddana who had come, the Rishi Bhrigu\nhimself came out of his retreat and worshipped that best of kings\naccording to due rites. Addressing him then, the Rishi said,--Tell me, O\nking, what is thy business.' The king, at this, informed the Rishi of the\nreason of his presence.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'King Vitahavya has come here, O Brahmana. Do thou give\nhim up. His sons, O Brahmana, had destroyed my race. They had laid waste\nthe territories and the wealth of the kingdom of Kasi. Hundred sons,\nhowever, of this king proud of his might, have all been slain by me. By\nslaying that king himself I shall today pay off the debt I owe to my\nfather.' Unto him that foremost of righteous men, viz., the Rishi Bhrigu,\npenetrated with compassion, replied by saying,--'There is no Kshatriya in\nthis retreat. They that are here are all Brahmanas.' Hearing these words\nof Bhrigu that must accord he thought with truth, Pratarddana touched the\nRishi's feet slowly and, filled with delight, said,--'By this, O holy one,\nI am without doubt, crowned with success, since this king becomes\nabandoned by the very order of his birth in consequence of my prowess.\nGive me thy permission, O Brahmana, to leave thee, and let me solicit\nthee to pray for my welfare. This king, O founder of the race that goes\nby the name, has been compelled to leave of the very community of his\nbirth, in consequence of my might. Dismissed by the Rishi Bhrigu, king\nPratarddana then departed from that retreat, having even as a snake\nvomits forth its real poison and repaired to the place he had come from.\nMeanwhile, king Vitahavya attained to the status of a Brahmana sage by\nvirtue of the words only of Bhrigu. And he acquired also a complete\nmastery over all the Vedas through the same cause. Vitahavya had a son\nnamed Gritsamada who in beauty of person was a second Indra. Once on a\ntime the Daityas afflicted him much, believing him to be none else than\nIndra. With regard to that high-souled Rishi, one foremost of Srutis in\nthe Richs goes like this viz., He with whom Gritsamada stays, O Brahmana,\nis held in high respect by all Brahmanas. Endued with great intelligence,\nGritsamada become a regenerate Rishi in the observance of Brahmacharyya.\nGritsamada had a regenerate son of the name of Sutejas. Sutejas had a son\nof the name of Varchas, and the son of Varchas was known by the name of\nVihavya. Vihavya had a son of his loins who was named Vitatya and Vitatya\nhad a son of name Satya. Satya had a son of name Santa. Santa had a son,\nviz., the Rishi Sravas. Sravas begot a son named Tama. Tama begot a son\nnamed Prakasa, who was a very superior Brahmana. Prakasa had a son named\nVagindra who was the foremost of all silent reciters of sacred Mantras.\nVagindra begot a son named Pramati who was a complete master of all the\nVedas and their branches. Pramati begot upon the Apsara Ghritachi a son\nwho was named Ruru. Ruru begot a son upon his spouse Pramadvara. That son\nwas the regenerate Rishi Sunaka. Sunaka begot a son who is named Saunaka.\nIt was even thus, O foremost of monarchs, that king Vitahavya, though a\nKshatriya by the order of his birth, obtained the status of a Brahmana, O\nchief of Kshatriyas, through the grace of Bhrigu. I have also told thee\nthe genealogy of the race that sprung from Gritsamada. What else wouldst\nthou ask?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What men, O chief of Bharata's race, are worthy of\nreverent homage in the three worlds? Tell me this in detail verily. I am\nnever satiated with hearing thee discourse on these topics.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Narada and Vasudeva. Beholding Narada on one occasion\nworshipping many foremost of Brahmanas with joined hands, Kesava\naddressed him saying, 'Whom dost thou worship? Whom amongst these\nBrahmanas, O holy one dost thou worship with so great reverence? If it is\na matter that I can hear of, I then wish to hear it. Do, O foremost of\nrighteous men, tell me this!'[251]\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Hear, O Govinda, as to who those are whom I am\nworshipping, O grinder of foes. Who else is there in this world that so\nmuch deserves to hear this? I worship the Brahmanas, O puissant one, who\nconstantly worship Varuna and Vayu and Aditya and Parjanya and the deity\nof Fire, and Sthanu and Skanda and Lakshmi and Vishnu and the Brahmanas,\nand the lord of speech, and Chandramas, and the Waters and Earth and the\ngoddess Saraswati. O tiger of Vrishni's race, I always worship those\nBrahmanas that are endued with penances, that are conversant with the\nVedas, that are always devoted to Vedic study, and that are possessed of\nhigh worth. O puissant one, I bow down my head unto those persons who are\nfreed from boastfulness, who discharge, with an empty stomach, the rites\nin honour of the deities, who are always contented with what they have\nand who are endued with forgiveness. I worship them, O Yadava, that are\nperformers of sacrifices, that are of a forgiving disposition, and self\nrestrained, that are masters of their own senses, that worship truth and\nrighteousness, and that give away land and kine unto good Brahmanas.[252]\nI bow unto them, O Yadava, that are devoted to the observance of\npenances, that dwell in forests, that subsist upon fruits and roots, that\nnever store anything for the morrow, and that are observant of all the\nacts and rites laid down in the scriptures. I bow unto them, O Yadava,\nthat feed and cherish their servants, that are always hospitable to\nguests, and that eat only the remnants of what is offered to the deities.\nI worship them that have become irresistible by studying the Vedas, that\nare eloquent in discoursing on the scriptures, that are observant of the\nvow of Brahmacharyya, and that are always devoted to the duties of\nofficiating at the sacrifices of others and of teaching disciples. I\nworship them that are endued with compassion towards all creatures, and\nthat study the Vedas till noon (i.e. till their backs are heated by the\nsun). I bow unto them, O Yadava, that strive to obtain the grace of their\npreceptors, that labour in the acquisition of their Vedas, that are firm\nin the observance of vows, that wait, with dutiful obedience, upon their\npreceptors and seniors, and that are free from malice and envy. I bow\nunto them, O Yadava, that are observant of excellent vows, that practice\ntaciturnity, that have knowledge of Brahman, that are firm in truth, that\nare givers of libations of clarified butter and oblations of meat. I bow\nto them, O Yadava, that subsist upon eleemosynary alms, that are\nemaciated for want of adequate food and drink, that have lived in the\nabodes of their preceptors, that are averse to and destitute of all\nenjoyments, and that are poor in the goods of this Earth. I bow unto\nthem, O Yadava, that have no affection for things of this Earth, that\nhave no quarrels to wage with others, that do not clothe themselves, that\nhave no wants, that have become irresistible through the acquisition of\nthe Vedas, that are eloquent in the exposition of righteousness, and that\nare utterers of Brahma. I bow unto them that are devoted to the practice\nof the duty of compassion towards all creatures, that are firm in the\nobservance of truth, that are self-restrained, and that are peaceful in\ntheir behaviour. I bow unto them, O Yadava, that are devoted to the\nworship of deities and guests, that are observant of the domestic mode of\nlife, and that follow the practice of pigeons in the matter of their\nsubsistence.[253] I always bow unto those persons whose aggregate of\nthree exists, without being weakened, in all their acts, and who are\nobservant of truth and righteous behaviour.[254] I bow unto them, O\nKesava, that are conversant with Brahma, that are endued with knowledge\nof the Vedas, that are attentive to the aggregate of three, that are free\nfrom cupidity, and that are righteous in their behaviour. I bow unto\nthem, O Madhava, that subsist upon water only, or upon air alone, or upon\nthe remnants of the food that is offered to deities and guests, and that\nare observant of diverse kinds of excellent vows. I always worship them\nthat have no spouses (in consequence of the vow of celibacy they\nobserve), that have spouses and the domestic fire (in consequence of the\ndomestic mode of life they lead), that are the refuge of the Vedas, and\nthat are the refuge of all creatures in the universe (in consequence of\nthe compassion they feel towards them). I always bow unto those Rishis, O\nKrishna, that are the creators of the universe, that are the elders of\nthe universe, that are the eldest members of the race or the family, that\nare dispellers of the darkness of ignorance, and that are the best of all\npersons in the universe (for righteousness of behaviour and knowledge of\nthe scriptures). For these reasons, do thou also, O scion of Vrishni's\nrace, worship every day those regenerate persons of whom I speak.\nDeserving as they are of reverent worship, they will when worshipped,\nconfer happiness on thee, O sinless one. Those persons of whom I speak\nare always givers of happiness in this world as well as in the next.\nReverenced by all, they move about in this world, and if worshipped by\nthee are sure to grant thee happiness. They who are hospitable to all\npersons that come unto them as guests, and who are always devoted to\nBrahmanas and kine, as also to truth (in speech and behaviour), succeed\nin crossing all calamities and obstacles. They who are always devoted to\npeacefulness of behaviour, as also they who are freed from malice and\nenvy, and they who are always attentive to the study of the Vedas,\nsucceed in crossing all calamities and obstacles. They who bow unto all\nthe deities (without showing a preference for any and thereby proving\ntheir tolerance), they who betake themselves to one Veda as their refuge,\nthey who are possessed of faith and are self-restrained, succeed in\ncrossing all calamities and obstacles. They who worship the foremost of\nBrahmanas with reverence and are firm in the observance of excellent vows\nand practise the virtue of charity, succeed in crossing all calamities\nand obstacles. They who are engaged in the practice of penances, they who\nare always observant of the vow of celibacy, and they whose souls have\nbeen cleansed by penances, succeed in crossing all calamities and\nobstacles. They who are devoted to the worship of the deities and guests\nand dependants, as also of the Pitris, and they who eat the remnant of\nthe food that is offered to deities, Pitris, guests and dependants,\nsucceed in crossing all calamities and obstacles. They who, having\nignited the domestic fire, duly keep it burning and worship it with\nreverence and they who have duly poured libations (to the deities) in\nSoma-sacrifices, succeed in crossing all calamities and obstacles. They\nwho behave as they should towards their mothers and fathers and\npreceptors and other seniors even as thou, O tiger among the Vrishnis,\ndost behave, succeed in crossing all calamities and obstacles.'--Having\nsaid these words, the celestial Rishi ceased speaking.\"'\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"For these reasons, do thou also, O son of Kunti,\nalways worship with reverence the deities, the Pitris, the Brahmanas, and\nguests arrived at thy mansion and as the consequence of such conduct thou\nart sure to attain to a desirable end!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said,--\"O grandsire, O thou of great wisdom, O thou that\nart conversant with all branches of knowledge, I desire to hear thee\ndiscourse on topics connected with duty and righteousness. Tell me truly,\nO chief of Bharata's race, what the merits are of those persons that\ngrant protection to living creatures of the four orders when these pray\nfor protection.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O Dharma's son of great wisdom and widespread fame,\nlisten to this old history touching the great merit of granting\nprotection to others when protection is humbly sought. Once on a time, a\nbeautiful pigeon, pursued by a hawk, dropped down from the skies and\nsought the protection of the highly-blessed king Vrishadarbha. The\npure-souled monarch, beholding the pigeon take refuge in his lap from\nfear, comforted him, saying, 'Be comforted, O bird; do not fear. Whence\nhast thou taken such great fright? What hast thou done and where hast\nthou done it in consequence of which thou hast lost thy senses in fear\nand art more dead than alive? Thy colour, beautiful bird, is such as to\nresemble that which adorns a fresh-blown lotus of the blue variety. Thy\neyes are of the hue of the pomegranate or the Asoka flower. Do not fear.\nI bid thee, be comforted. When thou hast sought refuge with me, know that\nno one will have the courage to even think of seizing thee,--thee that\nhast such a protector to take care of thy person. I shall for thy sake,\ngive up today the very kingdom of the Kasi and, if need be, my life too.\nBe comforted, therefore, and let no fear be thine, O pigeon.'\n\n\"'\"The hawk said, 'This bird has been ordained to be my food. It behoves\nthee not, O king, to protect him from me. I have outcoursed this bird and\nhave got him. Verily, with great effort have I got at him at last. His\nflesh and blood and marrow and fat will be of great good to me. This bird\nwill be the means of gratifying me greatly. Do not, O king, place thyself\nbetween him and me in this way. Fierce is the thirst that is afflicting\nme, and hunger is gnawing my bowels. Release the bird and cast him off. I\nam unable to bear the pains of hunger any longer. I pursued him as my\nprey. Behold, his body is bruised and torn by me with my wings and\ntalons. Look, his breath has become very weak. It behoves thee not, O\nking, to protect him from me. In the exercise of that power which\nproperly belongs to thee, thou art, indeed competent to interfere in\nprotecting human beings when they are sought to be destroyed by human\nbeings. Thou canst not, however, be admitted to have any power over a\nsky-ranging bird afflicted with thirst. Thy power may extend over thy\nenemies, thy servants, thy relatives, the disputes that take place\nbetween thy subjects. Indeed, it may extend over every part of thy\ndominions and over also thy own senses. Thy power, however, does not\nextend over the welkin. Displaying thy prowess over such foes as act\nagainst thy wishes, thou mayst establish thy rule over them. Thy rule,\nhowever, does not extend over the birds that range the sky. Indeed, if\nthou hast been desirous of earning merit (by protecting this pigeon), it\nis thy duty to look at me also (and do what is proper for enabling me to\nappease my hunger and save my life)!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the hawk, the royal sage\nbecame filled with wonder. Without disregarding these words of his, the\nking, desirous of attending to his comforts, replied unto him saying the\nfollowing words.\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Let a bovine bull or boar or deer or buffalo be dressed\ntoday for thy sake. Do thou appease thy hunger on such food today. Never\nto desert one that has sought my protection in my firm vow. Behold, O\nbird, this bird does not leave my lap!'\n\n\"'\"The hawk said, 'I do not, O monarch, eat the flesh of the boar or the ox\nor of any of the diverse kinds of fowl. What need have I of food of this\nor that kind? My concern is with that food which has been eternally\nordained for beings of my order. Hawks feed on pigeons,--this is the\neternal ordinance. O sinless Usinara, if thou feelest such affection for\nthis pigeon, do thou then give me flesh from thy own body, of weight\nequal to that of this pigeon.'\n\n\"'\"The king said, 'Great is the favour thou showiest me today by speaking\nto me in this strain. Yes, I shall do what thou biddest.' Having said\nthis, that best of monarchs began to cut off his own flesh and weigh it\nin a balance against the pigeon. Meanwhile, in the inner apartments of\nthe palace, the spouses of king, adorned with jewels and gems, hearing\nwhat was taking place, uttered exclamations of woe and came out, stricken\nwith grief. In consequence of those cries of the ladies, as also of the\nministers and servants, a noise deep as the roar of the clouds arose in\nthe palace. The sky that had been very clear became enveloped with thick\nclouds on every side. The Earth began to tremble, as the consequence of\nthat act of truth which the monarch did. The king began to cut off the\nflesh from his flanks from the arms, and from his thighs, and quickly\nfilled one of the scales for weighing it against the pigeon. In spite of\nall that, the pigeon continued to weigh heavier. When at last the king\nbecame a skeleton of bones, without any flesh, and covered with blood, he\ndesired to give up his whole body and, therefore, ascended the scale in\nwhich he had placed the flesh that he had previously cut off. At that\ntime, the three worlds, with Indra at their head, came to that spot for\nbeholding him. Celestial kettle-drums and diverse drums were struck and\nplayed upon by invisible beings belonging to the firmament. King\nVrishadarbha was bathed in a shower of nectar that was poured upon him.\nGarlands of celestial flowers, of delicious fragrance and touch, were\nalso showered upon him copiously and repeatedly. The deities and\nGandharvas and Apsaras in large bands began to sing and dance around him\neven as they sing and dance around the Grandsire Brahma. The king then\nascended a celestial car that surpassed (in grandeur and beauty) a\nmansion made entirely of gold, that had arches made of gold and gems, and\nthat was adorned with columns made of lapis lazuli. Through the merit of\nhis act, the royal sage Sivi proceeded to eternal Heaven. Do thou also, O\nYudhishthira, act in the same way towards those that seek thy protection.\nHe who protects those that are devoted to him, those that are attached to\nhim from love and affection, and those that depend upon him, and who has\ncompassion for all creatures, succeeds in attaining to great felicity\nhereafter. That king who is of righteous behaviour and who is observant\nof honesty and integrity, succeeds by his acts of sincerity in acquiring\nevery valuable reward. The royal sage Sivi of pure soul and endued with\ngreat wisdom and unbaffled prowess, that ruler of the kingdom of Kasi,\nbecame celebrated over the three worlds for his deeds of righteousness.\nAnybody who would protect in the same way a seeker for protection, would\ncertainly attain (like Sivi himself) to the same happy end, O best of the\nBharatas. He who recites this history of the royal sage Vrishadarbha is\nsure to become cleansed of every sin, and the person who hears this\nhistory recited by another is sure to attain to the same result.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Which act, O grandsire, is the foremost of all those\nthat have been laid down for a king? What is that act by doing which a\nking succeeds in enjoying both this world and the next?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Even this viz., the worship of the Brahmanas, is the\nforemost of all those acts, O Bharata, which have been laid down for a\nking duly installed on the throne, if, indeed, he is desirous of\nobtaining great happiness. Even this is what the foremost of all kings\nshould do. Know this well, O chief of Bharata's race. The king should\nalways worship with reverence all righteous Brahmanas possessed of Vedic\nlore.[255] The king should, with bows and comforting speeches and gifts\nof all articles of enjoyment, worship all Brahmanas possessed of great\nlearning who may dwell in his city or provinces. This is the foremost of\nall acts laid down for the king. Indeed, the king should always keep his\neyes fixed on this. He should protect and cherish these, even as he\nprotects his own self or his own children. The king should worship with\ngreater reverence those amongst the Brahmanas that may be worthy of it\n(for their superior sanctity and learning). When such men are freed from\nall anxiety, the whole kingdom blazes forth in beauty. Such individuals\nare worthy of adoration. Unto such the king should bow his head. Verily,\nthey should be honoured, even as one honours one's sires and grandsires.\nUpon them depends the course of conduct followed by men, even as the\nexistence of all creatures depends upon Vasava. Of prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled and endued with great energy, such men, if enraged, are\ncapable of consuming the entire kingdom to ashes by only fiat of their\nwill, or by acts of incantation, or by other means (derived from the\npower of penance). I do not see anything that can destroy them. Their\npower seems to be uncontrolled, being capable of reaching to the farthest\nend of the universe. When angry, their glances fall upon men and things\nlike a blazing flame of fire upon a forest. The most courageous men are\nstruck with fear at their mein. Their virtues and powers are extraordinary\nand immeasurable. Some amongst them are like wells and pits with mouths\ncovered by grass and creepers, while others resemble the firmament\ncleared of clouds and darkness. Some amongst them are of fierce\ndispositions (like Durvasas and others of that stamp). Some are as mild\nand soft in disposition as cotton (like Gautama and others). Some amongst\nthem are very cunning (like Agastya who devoured the Asura Vatapi, and\nRishis of that class). Some amongst them are devoted to the practice of\npenances. Some amongst them are employed in agricultural pursuits (like\nthe preceptor of Uddalaka). Some amongst them are engaged in the keep of\nkine (as Upamanyu while attending his preceptor). Some amongst them live\nupon eleemosynary alms. Some amongst them are even thieves (like Valmiki\nin his early years and Viswamitra during a famine). Some amongst them are\nfond of fomenting quarrels and disputes (like Narada). Some, again,\namongst them are actors and dancers (like Bharata). Some amongst them are\ncompetent to achieve all feats, ordinary and extraordinary (like Agastya\ndrinking up the entire ocean, as if it were a palmful of water). The\nBrahmanas, O chief of Bharata's race are of diverse aspects and\nbehaviour. One should always utter the praises of the Brahmanas who are\nconversant with all duties, who are righteous of behaviour, who are\ndevoted to diverse kinds of act, and who are seen to derive their\nsustenance from diverse kinds of occupations.[256] The Brahmanas, O ruler\nof men, who are highly blessed, are elder in respect of their origin than\nthe Pitris, the deities, human beings (belonging to the three other\norders), the Snakes and the Rakshasas. These regenerate persons are\nincapable of being vanquished by the deities or the Pitris, or the\nGandharvas or the Rakshasas, or the Asuras or the Pisachas. The Brahmanas\nare competent to make him a deity that is not a deity. They can, again,\ndivest one that is a deity of his status as such. He becomes a king whom\nthey wish to make a king. He, on the other hand, goes to the wall whom\nthey do not love or like. I tell thee truly, O king, that those foolish\npersons, without doubt, meet with destruction who calumniate the\nBrahmanas and utter their dispraise. Skilled in praise and dispraise, and\nthemselves the origin or cause of other people's fame and ignominy the\nBrahmanas, O king, always become angry with those that seek to injure\nothers. That man whom the Brahmanas praise succeeds in growing in\nprosperity. That man who is censured and is cast off by the Brahmanas\nsoon meets with discomfiture. It is in consequence of the absence of\nBrahmanas from among them that the Sakas, the Yavanas, the Kamvojas and\nother Kshatriya tribes have become fallen and degraded into the status of\nSudras. The Dravidas, the Kalingas, the Pulandas, the Usinaras, the\nKolisarpas, the Mahishakas and other Kshatriyas, have, in consequence of\nthe absence of Brahmanas from among their midst, become degraded into\nSudras. Defeat at their hands is preferable to victory over them, O\nforemost of victorious persons. One slaying all other living creatures in\nthe world does not incur a sin so heinous as that of slaying a single\nBrahmana. The great Rishis have said that Brahmanicide is a heinous sin.\nOne should never utter the dispraise or calumny of the Brahmanas. Where\nthe dispraise of Brahmanas is uttered, one should sit with face hanging\ndown or leave that spot (for avoiding both the utterer and his words).\nThat man has not as yet been born in this world or will not take birth\nhere, who has been or will be able to pass his life in happiness after\nquarrelling with the Brahmanas. One cannot seize the wind with one's\nhands. One cannot touch the moon with one's hand. One cannot support the\nEarth on one's arms. After the same manner, O king, one is not able to\nvanquish the Brahmanas in this world.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One should always offer the most reverent worship unto\nthe Brahmanas. They have Soma for their king, and they it is who confer\nhappiness and misery upon others. They, O king, should always be\ncherished and protected as one cherishes and protects one's own sires and\ngrandsires, and should be adored with bows and gifts of food and\nornaments and other articles of enjoyment, as also with such things as\nthey may desire. The peace and happiness of the kingdom flow from such\nrespect shown to the Brahmanas even as the peace and happiness of all\nliving creatures flow from Vasava, the chief of the celestials. Let\nBrahmanas of pure behaviour and Brahma-effulgence be born in a kingdom.\nKshatriyas also that are splendid car-warriors and that are capable of\nscorching all foes, should be desired (amongst those that settle in a\nkingdom). This was said unto me by Narada. There is nothing higher, O\nking, than this, viz., the act of causing a Brahmana possessed of good\nbirth, having a knowledge of morality and righteousness, and steadfast in\nthe observance of excellent vows, to take up his residence in one's\nmansion. Such an act is productive of every kind of blessing. The\nsacrificial offerings given unto Brahmanas reach the very deities who\naccept them. Brahmanas are the sires of all creatures. There is nothing\nhigher than a Brahmana. Aditya, Chandramas, Wind, Water, Earth, Sky and\nthe points of the compass, all enter the body of the Brahmana and take\nwhat the Brahmana eats.[257] In that house where Brahmanas do not eat,\nthe Pitris refuse to eat. The deities also never eat in the house of the\nwretch who hates the Brahmanas. When the Brahmanas are gratified, the\nPitris also are gratified. There is no doubt in this. They that give away\nthe sacrificial butter unto the Brahmanas become themselves gratified (in\nthis and the other world). Such men never meet with destruction. Verily,\nthey succeed in attaining to high ends. Those particular offerings in\nsacrifices with which one gratifies the Brahmanas go to gratify both the\nPitris and the deities. The Brahmana is the cause of that sacrifice\nwhence all created things have sprung. The Brahmana is acquainted with\nthat from which this universe has sprung and unto which, when apparently\ndestroyed, it returns. Indeed the Brahmana knows the path that leads to\nHeaven and the other path that leads to the opposite place. The Brahmana\nis conversant with what has happened and what will happen. The Brahmana\nis the foremost of all two-legged beings. The Brahmana, O chief of the\nBharatas, is fully conversant with the duties that have been laid down\nfor his order. Those persons that follow the Brahmanas are never\nvanquished. Departing from this world, they never meet with destruction.\nIndeed victory is always theirs. Those high-souled persons,--indeed,\nthose persons that have subdued their souls,--who accept the words that\nfall from the lips of the Brahmanas, are never vanquished. Victory always\nbecomes theirs.[258] The energy and might of those Kshatriyas who scorch\neverything with their energy and might become neutralised when they\nencounter the Brahmanas. The Bhrigus conquered the Talajanghas. The son\nof Angiras conquered the Nipas. Bharadwaja conquered the Vitahavyas as\nalso the Ailas, O chief of Bharata's race. Although all these Kshatriyas\nwere capable of using diverse kinds of arms, yet the Brahmanas named,\nowning only black deer skins for their emblems, succeeded in conquering\nthem effectually. Bestowing the Earth upon the Brahmanas and illuminating\nboth the worlds by the splendour of such a deed, one should accomplish\nacts through which one may succeed in attaining to the end of all\nthings.[259] Like fire concealed within wood, everything that is said or\nheard or read in this world, lies ensconced in the Brahmana. In this\nconnection is cited the old history of the conversation between Vasudeva\nand the Earth, O chief of Bharata's race!\n\n\"'\"Vasudeva said, 'O mother of all creatures, O auspicious goddess, I\ndesire to ask thee for a solution of this doubt of mine. By what act does\na man leading the domestic mode of life succeed in cleansing all his\nsins?'\n\n\"'\"The Earth said, 'One should serve the Brahmanas. This conduct is\ncleansing and excellent. All the impurities are destroyed of that man who\nserves the Brahmanas with reverence. From this (conduct) arises\nprosperity. From this arises fame. From this springs forth intelligence\nor knowledge of the soul. A Kshatriya by this conduct, becomes a mighty\ncar-warrior and a scorcher of foes and succeeds in acquiring great fame.\nEven this is what Narada said unto me, viz., that one should always\nrevere a Brahmana that is well-born, of rigid vows and conversant with\nthe scriptures, if one desires every kind of prosperity. That man really\ngrows in prosperity who is applauded by the Brahmanas, who are higher\nthan those that are regarded superior to all men high or low. That man\nwho speaks ill of the Brahmanas soon meets with discomfiture, even as a\nclod of unbaked earth meets with destruction when cast into the sea.\nAfter the same manner, all acts that are hurtful to the Brahmanas are\nsure to bring about discomfiture and ruin. Behold the dark spots on the\nMoon and the salt waters of the ocean. The great Indra had at one time\nbeen marked all over with a thousand sex-marks. It was through the power\nof the Brahmanas that those marks became altered into as so many eyes.\nBehold, O Mahadeva how all those things took place. Desiring fame and\nprosperity and diverse regions of beatitude in the next world, a person\nof pure behaviour and soul should, O slayer of Madhu, live in obedience\nto the dictates of the Brahmanas.'\"[260]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the goddess Earth, the slayer\nof Madhu, O thou of Kuru's race, exclaimed,--Excellent, Excellent--and\nhonoured the goddess in due form. Having heard this discourse between the\ngoddess Earth and Madhava, do thou, O son of Pritha, always, with rapt\nsoul, worship all superior Brahmanas. Doing this, thou shalt verily\nobtain what is highly beneficial for thee!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O blessed king, Brahmana, by birth alone, becomes an\nobject of adoration with all creatures and are entitled, as guests, to\neat the first portion of all cooked food.[261] From them flow all the\ngreat objects of life (viz., Righteousness and Wealth and Pleasure and\nEmancipation). They are the friends of all creatures in the universe.\nThey are again the mouths of the deities (for food poured into their\nmouths is eaten by the deities). Worshipped with reverence, they wish us\nprosperity by uttering words fraught with auspiciousness. Disregarded by\nour foes, let them be enraged with these, and let them wish evil unto\nthose detractors of theirs, uttering words fraught with severe curses. In\nthis connection, persons conversant with ancient history repeat the\nfollowing verses sung of old respecting how in ancient times the Creator,\nafter having created the Brahmanas, ordained their duties.--'A Brahmana\nshould never do anything else than what has been ordained for him.\nProtected, they should protect others. By conducting themselves in this\nway, they are sure to attain to what is mightily advantageous for them.\nBy doing those acts that are ordained for them, they are sure to obtain\nBrahma-prosperity. Ye shall become the exemplars of all creatures, and\nreins for restraining them. A Brahmana possessed of learning should never\ndo that which is laid down for the Sudras. By doing such acts, a Brahmana\nloses merit[262]. By Vedic study he is sure to obtain prosperity and\nintelligence and energy and puissance competent to scorch all things, as\nalso glory of the most exalted kind. By offering oblations of clarified\nbutter unto the deities, the Brahmanas attain to high blessedness and\nbecome worthy of taking the precedence of even children in the matter of\nall kinds of cooked food, and endued with Brahma-prosperity.[263] Endued\nwith faith that is fraught with compassion towards all creatures, and\ndevoted to self-restraint and the study of the Vedas, ye shall attain to\nthe fruition of all your wishes. Whatever things exist in the world of\nmen, whatever things occur in the region of the deities, can all be\nachieved and acquired with the aid of penances and knowledge and the\nobservance of vows and restraints.' I have thus recited to thee, O sinless\none, the verses that were sung by Brahma himself. Endued with supreme\nintelligence and wisdom, the Creator himself ordained this, through\ncompassion for the Brahmanas. The puissance of those among them that are\ndevoted to penances is equal to the might of kings. They are verily\nirresistible, fierce, possessed of the speed of lightning, and\nexceedingly quick in what they do. There are amongst them those that are\npossessed of the might of lions and those that are possessed of the might\nof tigers. Some of them are endued with the might of boars, some with\nthat of the deer, and some with that of crocodiles. Some there are\namongst them whose touch resembles that of snakes of virulent poison, and\nsome whose bite resembles that of sharks. Some amongst them are capable\nof compassing by speech alone the destruction of those that are opposed\nto them; and some are competent to destroy by a glance only of their\neyes. Some amongst them, as already said, are like snakes of virulent\npoison, and some of them are possessed of very mild dispositions. The\ndispositions, O Yudhisthira, of the Brahmanas, are of diverse kinds. The\nMekalas, the Dravidas, the Lathas, the Paundras, the Konwasiras, the\nSaundikas, the Daradas, the Darvas, the Chauras, the Savaras, the\nVarvaras, the Kiratas, the Yavanas, and numerous other tribes of\nKshatriyas, have become degraded into the status of Sudras through the\nwrath of Brahmanas. In consequence of having disregarded the Brahmanas,\nthe Asuras have been obliged to take refuge in the depths of the ocean.\nThrough the grace of the Brahmanas, the deities have become denizens of\nthe happy regions of Heaven. The element of space or ether is incapable\nof being touched. The Himavat mountains are incapable of being moved from\ntheir site. The current of Ganga is incapable of being resisted by a dam.\nThe Brahmanas are incapable of being subjugated. Kshatriyas are incapable\nof ruling the Earth without cultivating the good will of the Brahmanas.\nThe Brahmanas are high-souled beings. They are the deities of the very\ndeities. Do thou always worship them with gifts and obedient services:\nif, indeed, thou wishest to enjoy the sovereignty of the whole Earth with\nher belt of seas. The energy and might of Brahmanas, O sinless one,\nbecome abated in consequence of the acceptance of gift. Thou shouldst\nprotect thy race. O king, from those Brahmanas that do not desire to\naccept gifts!\"'\"[264]\n\n\n\n(Anusasana Parva Continued in Volume XI)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old history of the\ndiscourse between Sakra and Samvara. Do thou listen to it, O\nYudhishthira. Once upon a time Sakra, assuming the guise of an ascetic\nwith matted locks on his head and body smeared with ashes all over, rode\non an ugly car and repaired to the presence of the Asura Samvara.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Through what conduct, O Samvara, hast thou been able to get\nat the head of all individuals of thy race? For what reason do all people\nregard thee as superior? Do thou tell me this truly and in detail.'\n\n\"'\"Samvara said, 'I never cherish any ill-feelings towards the Brahmanas.\nWhatever instructions they impart I accept with unquestioning reverence.\nWhen the Brahmanas are engaged in interpreting the scriptures, I listen\nto them with great happiness. Having heard their interpretations I never\ndisregard them. Nor do I ever offend against the Brahmanas in any way. I\nalways worship those Brahmanas that are endued with intelligence. I\nalways seek information from them. I always worship their feet.\nApproaching me with confidence, they always address me with affection and\nenquire after my welfare. If they ever happen to be heedless, I am always\nheedful. If they happen to sleep, I always remain wakeful. Like bees\ndrenching the cells of the comb with honey, the Brahmanas, who are my\ninstructors and rulers, always drench me with the nectar of knowledge--me\nthat am always devoted to the path pointed out by the scriptures, that am\ndevoted to the Brahmanas, and that am perfectly free from malice or evil\npassion. Whatever they say with cheerful hearts, I always accept aided by\nmemory and understanding. I am always careful of my own faith in them and\nI always think of my own inferiority to them. I always lick the nectar\nthat dwells at the end of their tongue, and it is for this reason that I\noccupy a position far above that of all others of my race like the Moon\ntranscending all the stars. The scriptural interpretations which fall\nfrom the lips of the Brahmanas and listening to which every wise man acts\nin the world, constitute nectar on earth and may also be likened to eyes\nof remarkable excellence.[265] Witnessing the encounter between the\ndeities and the Asuras in days of old, and understanding the puissance of\nthe instructions that fell from the Brahmanas, my father became filled\nwith delight and wonder.[266] Beholding the puissance of high-souled\nBrahmanas, my sire asked Chandramas the question, \"How do the Brahmanas\nattain to success?\"\n\n\"'\"'Soma said, \"The Brahmanas become crowned with success through their\npenances. Their strength consists in speech. The prowess of persons\nbelonging to the kingly order resides in their arms. The Brahmanas,\nhowever, have speech for their weapons. Undergoing the discomforts of a\nresidence in the abode of his preceptor, the Brahmana should study the\nVedas or at least the Pranava. Divesting himself of wrath and renouncing\nearthly attachments, he should become a Yati, viewing all things and all\ncreatures with equal eyes. If remaining in the abode of his sire he\nmasters all the Vedas and acquiring great knowledge attains to a position\nthat should command respect, people still condemn him as untravelled or\nhomekeeping. Like a snake swallowing mice, the earth swallows up these\ntwo, viz., a king that is unwilling to fight and a Brahmana that is\nunwilling to leave home for acquiring knowledge.[267] Pride destroys the\nprosperity of persons of little intelligence. A maiden, if she conceives,\nbecomes stained. A Brahmana incurs reproach by keeping at home. Even this\nis what my father heard from Soma of wonderful aspect. My father, in\nconsequence of this, began to worship and reverence the Brahmanas. Like\nhim, I also worship and adore all Brahmanas of high vows.\"'\"'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words that fell from the mouth of that\nprince of Danavas, Sakra began to worship the Brahmanas, and as a\nconsequence thereof he succeeded in obtaining the chiefdom of the\ndeities.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Which amongst these three persons, O grandsire,\nshould be regarded as the best for making gifts unto, viz., one who is a\nthorough stranger, or one who is living with and who has been known to\nthe giver for a long time, or one who presents himself before the giver,\ncoming from a long distance?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"All these are equal. The eligibility of some consists in\ntheir soliciting alms for performing sacrifices or for paying the\npreceptor's fee or for maintaining their spouses and children. The\neligibility of some for receiving gifts, consists in their following the\nvow of wandering over the earth, never soliciting anything but receiving\nwhen given. We should also give unto one what one seeks.[268] We should,\nhowever, make gifts without afflicting those that depend upon us. Even\nthis is what we have heard. By afflicting one's dependants, one afflicts\none's own self. The stranger,--one, that is, who has come for the first\ntime,--should be regarded as a proper object of gifts. He who is familiar\nand well-known and has been living with the giver, should be regarded in\nthe same light. The learned know that he too who comes from a distant\nplace should be regarded in an equal light.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It is true that we should make gifts unto others\nwithout afflicting anyone and without doing violence to the ordinances of\nthe scriptures. One should, however, correctly ascertain who the person\nis that should be regarded as a proper object for making gifts. He should\nbe such that the gift itself, by being made over to him, may not\ngrieve.\"[269]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"If the Ritwik, the Purohita, the preceptor, the Acharya,\nthe disciple, the relative (by marriage), and kinsmen, happen to be\npossessed of learning and free from malice, then should they be deemed\nworthy of respect and worship. Those persons that do not possess such\nqualifications cannot be regarded as worthy of gifts or hospitality.\nHence, one should with deliberation examine persons with whom one comes\ninto contact. Absence of wrath, truthfulness of speech, abstention from\ninjury, sincerity, peacefulness of conduct, the absence of pride,\nmodesty, renunciation, self-restraint, and tranquillity or contentment of\nsoul, he in whom these occur by nature, and in whom there are no wicked\nacts, should be regarded as a proper object. Such a person deserves\nhonours. Whether the person be one who is well-known and familiar, or one\nwho has come newly, whether he has not been seen before, if he happens to\npossess these qualifications, he should be regarded as worthy of honours\nand hospitality. He who denies the authority of the Vedas, or strives to\nshow that the scriptures should be disregarded, or approves of all\nbreaches of restraint in society,--simply brings about his own ruin (and\nshould not be regarded as worthy of gifts). That Brahmana who is vain of\nhis learning, who speaks ill of the Vedas or who is devoted to the\nscience of useless disputation, or who is desirous of gaining victory (in\ndisputations) in assemblies of good men by disproving the reasons that\nexist for morality and religion and ascribing everything to chance, or\nwho indulges in censuring and reproaching others or who reproves\nBrahmanas, or who is suspicious of all persons, or who is foolish and\nbereft of judgment, or who is bitter of speech, should be known to be as\nhateful as a dog. As a dog encounters others, barking the while and\nseeking to bite, such a person is even so, for he spends his breath in\nvain and seeks to destroy the authority of all the scriptures. Those\npractices that support society, the duties of righteousness, and all\nthose acts which are productive of benefit to one's own self, should be\nattended to. A person that lives, attending to these, grows in prosperity\nfor everlasting time. By paying off the debt one owes to the deities by\nperforming sacrifices, that to the Rishis by studying the Vedas, that to\nthe Pitris by procreating children, that to the Brahmanas by making\npresents unto them and that to guests by feeding them, in due order, and\nwith purity of intention, and properly attending to the ordinances of the\nscriptures, a householder does not fall away from righteousness.\"'\"[270]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O best of the Bharatas, I wish to hear thee\ndiscourse on the disposition of women. Women are said to be the root of\nall evil. They are all regarded as exceedingly frail.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old history of the\ndiscourse between the celestial Rishi Narada and the (celestial)\ncourtezan Panchachuda. Once in ancient times, the celestial Rishi Narada,\nhaving roamed over all the world, met the Apsara Panchachuda of faultless\nbeauty, having her abode in the region of Brahman. Beholding the Apsara\nevery limb of whose body was endued with great beauty, the ascetic\naddressed her, saying, 'O thou of slender waist, I have a doubt in my\nmind. Do thou explain it.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the Rishi, the Apsara said unto\nhim, 'If the subject is one which is known to me and if thou thinkest me\ncompetent to speak on it, I shall certainly say what is in my mind.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'O amiable one, I shall not certainly appoint thee to any\ntask that is beyond thy competence. O thou of beautiful face, I wish to\nhear from thee of the disposition of women.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the celestial Rishi, that\nforemost of Apsaras replied unto him, saying, 'I am unable, being myself\na woman, to speak ill of women. Thou knowest what women are and with what\nnature they are endued. It behoveth thee not, O celestial Rishi, to set\nme to such a task.' Unto her the celestial Rishi said, 'It is very true,\nO thou of slender waist! One incurs fault by speaking what is untrue. In\nsaying, however, what is true, there can be no fault.' Thus addressed by\nhim, the Apsara Panchachuda of sweet smiles consented to answer Narada's\nquestion. She then addressed herself to mention what the true and eternal\nfaults of women are.\n\n\"'\"Panchachuda said, 'Even if high-born and endued with beauty and\npossessed of protectors, women wish to transgress the restraints assigned\nto them. This fault truly stains them, O Narada! There is nothing else\nthat is more sinful than women. Verily, women are the root of all\nfaults. That is certainly known to thee, O Narada! Women, even when\npossessed of husbands having fame and wealth, of handsome features and\ncompletely obedient to them, are prepared to disregard them if they get\nthe opportunity. This, O puissant one, is a sinful disposition with us\nwomen that, casting off modesty, we cultivate the companionship of men of\nsinful habits and intentions. Women betray a liking for those men who\ncourt them, who approach their presence, and who respectfully serve them\nto even a slight extent. Through want of solicitation by persons of the\nother sex, or fear of relatives, women, who are naturally impatient of\nall restraints, do not transgress those that have been ordained for them,\nand remain by the side of their husbands. There is none whom they are\nincapable of admitting to their favours. They never take into\nconsideration the age of the person they are prepared to favour. Ugly or\nhandsome, if only the person happens to belong to the opposite sex, women\nare ready to enjoy his companionship. That women remain faithful to their\nlords is due not to their fear of sin, nor to compassion, nor to wealth,\nnor to the affection that springs up in their hearts for kinsmen and\nchildren. Women living in the bosom of respectable families envy the\ncondition of those members of their sex that are young and well-adorned\nwith jewels and gems and that lead a free life. Even those women that are\nloved by their husbands and treated with great respect, are seen to\nbestow their favours upon men that are hump-backed, that are blind, that\nare idiots, or that are dwarfs. Women may be seen to like the\ncompanionship of even those men that are destitute of the power of\nlocomotion or those men that are endued with great ugliness of features.\nO great Rishi, there is no man in this world whom women may regard as\nunfit for companionship. Through inability to obtain persons of the\nopposite sex, or fear of relatives, or fear of death and imprisonment,\nwomen remain, of themselves, within the restraints prescribed for them.\nThey are exceedingly restless, for they always hanker after new\ncompanions. In consequence of their nature being unintelligible, they are\nincapable of being kept in obedience by affectionate treatment. Their\ndisposition is such that they are incapable of being restrained when bent\nupon transgression. Verily, women are like the words uttered by the\nwise.[271] Fire is never satiated with fuel. Ocean can never be filled\nwith the waters that rivers bring unto him. The Destroyer is never\nsatiated with slaying even all living creatures. Similarly, women are\nnever satiated with men. This, O celestial Rishi, is another mystery\nconnected with women. As soon as they see a man of handsome and charming\nfeatures, unfailing signs of desire appear on their persons. They never\nshow sufficient regard for even such husbands as accomplish all their\nwishes, as always do what is agreeable to them and as protect them from\nwant and danger. Women never regard so highly even articles of enjoyment\nin abundance or ornaments or other possessions of an agreeable kind as\nthey do the companionship of persons of the opposite sex. The destroyer,\nthe deity of wind, death, the nether legions, the equine mouth that roves\nthrough the ocean, vomiting ceaseless flames of fire, the sharpness of\nthe razor, virulent poison, the snake, and Fire--all these exist in a\nstate of union in women. That eternal Brahman whence the five great\nelements have sprung into existence, whence the Creator Brahma hath\nordained the universe, and whence, indeed, men have sprung, verily from\nthe same eternal source have women sprung into existence. At that time,\nagain, O Narada, when women were created, these faults that I have\nenumerated were planted in them!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"All men, O king, in this world, are seen to attach\nthemselves to women, overcome by the illusion that is created by the\ndivine Being. Similarly, women too are seen to attach themselves to men.\nAll this is seen taking place everywhere in the world. On this subject a\ndoubt exists in my mind. Why, O delighter of the Kurus, do men (when\nwomen are stained with so many faults) still attach themselves to women?\nWho, again, are those men with whom women are highly pleased and who are\nthey with whom they are displeased? It behoveth thee, O chief of men, to\nexplain to me how men are capable of protecting women? While men take\npleasure in women and sport with them, women, it seems, are engaged in\ndeceiving men. Then, again, if a man once falls into their hands, it is\ndifficult for him to escape from them. Like kine ever seeking pastures\nnew women seek new men one after another. That illusion which the Asura\nSamvara possessed, that illusion which the Asura Namuchi possessed, that\nillusion which Vali or Kumbbinasi had, the sum total thereof is possessed\nby women. If man laughs, women laugh. If man weeps, they weep. If the\nopportunity requires, they receive the man that is disagreeable to them\nwith agreeable words. That science of policy which the preceptor of the\nAsuras knew, that science of policy which the preceptor of the\ncelestials, Vrihaspati, knew, cannot be regarded to be deeper or more\ndistinguished for subtility than what woman's intelligence naturally\nbrings forth. Verily how can women, therefore, be restrained by men? They\nmake a lie appear as truth, and a truth appear as a lie. They who can do\nthis,--I ask, O hero,--how can they be ruled by persons of the opposite\nsex? It seems to me that Vrihaspati and other great thinkers, O slayer of\nfoes, evolved the science of policy from observation of the\nunderstandings of women. Whether treated by men with respect or with\ndisdain, women are seen to turn the heads and agitate the hearts of\nmen.[272] Living creatures, O thou of mighty arms, are virtuous. Even\nthis is what has been heard by us. (How then, can this be consistent with\nfact)? For treated with affection and respect or otherwise, women\n(forming a fair portion of living creatures) are seen to deserve censure\nfor their conduct towards men.[273] This great doubt fills my mind, viz.,\nwhen their behaviour is such, what man is there that can restrain them\nwithin the bounds of righteousness? Do thou explain this to me, O highly\nblessed scion of Kuru's race! It behoves thee to tell me, O chief of\nKuru's race, whether women are truly capable of being restrained within\nthe bonds prescribed by the scriptures or whether any one before our time\ndid really succeed in so restraining them.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XL\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"It is even so as thou sayest, O thou of mighty arms.\nThere is nothing untrue in all this that thou sayest, O thou of Kuru's\nrace, on the subject of women. In this connection I shall recite to thee\nthe old history of how in days of yore the high-souled Vipula had\nsucceeded in restraining women within the bounds laid down for them. I\nshall also tell thee, O king, how women were created by the Grandsire\nBrahman and the object for which they were created by Him. There is no\ncreature more sinful, O son, than women. Woman is a blazing fire. She is\nthe illusion, O king, that the Daitya Maya created. She is the sharp edge\nof the razor. She is poison. She is a snake. She is fire. She is, verily,\nall these united together. It has been heard by us that all persons of\nthe human race are characterised by righteousness, and that they, in\ncourse of natural progress and improvement, attain to the status of\ndeities. This circumstance alarmed the deities. They, therefore, O\nchastiser of foes, assembled together and repaired to the presence of the\nGrandsire. Informing him of what was in their minds, they stood silent in\nhis presence, with downcast eyes. The puissant Grandsire having\nascertained what was in the hearts of the deities, created women, with\nthe aid of an Atharvan rite. In a former creation, O son of Kunti, women\nwere all virtuous. Those, however, that sprang from this creation by\nBrahman with the aid of an illusion became sinful. The grandsire bestowed\nupon them the desire of enjoyment, all kinds of carnal pleasure. Tempted\nby the desire of enjoyment, they began to pursue persons of the other\nsex. The puissant lord of the deities created Wrath as the companion of\nLust. Persons of the male sex, yielding to the power of Lust and Wrath,\nsought the companionship of women. Women have no especial acts prescribed\nfor them. Even this is the ordinance that was laid down. The Sruti\ndeclares that women are endued with senses the most powerful, that they\nhave no scriptures to follow, and that they are living lies. Beds and\nseats and ornaments and food and drink and the absence of all that is\nrespectable and righteous, indulgence in disagreeable words, and love of\nsexual companionship,--these were bestowed by Brahman upon women. Men are\nquite unable to restrain them within bounds. The Creator himself is\nincapable of restraining them within the limits that are proper: what\nneed then be said of men? This, O chief of men, I heard in former days,\nviz., how Vipula had succeeded in protecting his preceptor's spouse in\nancient times. There was in days of yore a highly blessed Rishi of the\nname of Devasarman of great celebrity. He had a wife, Ruchi by name, who\nwas unequalled on earth for beauty. Her loveliness intoxicated every\nbeholder among the deities and Gandharvas and Danavas. The chastiser of\nPaka, viz., Indra, the slayer of Vritra, O monarch, was in particular\nenamoured of her and coveted her person. The great ascetic Devasarman was\nfully cognisant of the disposition of women. He, therefore, to the best\nof his power and energy, protected her (from every kind of evil\ninfluence). The Rishi knew that Indra was restrained by no scruples in\nthe matter of seeking the companionship of other people's wives. It was\nfor this reason that he used to protect his spouse, putting forth all his\npower. Once on a time, O son, the Rishi became desirous of performing a\nsacrifice. He began to think of how (during his own absence from home)\nhis wife could be protected. Endued with high ascetic merit, he at last\nhit upon the course he should adopt. Summoning his favourite disciple\nwhose name was Vipula and who was of Bhrigu's race, he said as follows:\n\n\"'\"Devasarman said, 'I shall leave home (for a while) in order to perform a\nsacrifice. The chief of the celestials always covets this Ruchi of mine.\nDo thou, during my absence, protect her, putting forth all thy might!\nThou shalt pass thy time heedfully in view of Purandara. O foremost one\nof Bhrigu's race, that Indra assumes various disguises.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by his preceptor, the ascetic Vipula\nwith senses under control, always engaged in severe penances, possessed\nof the splendour, O king, of fire or the sun conversant with all the\nduties of righteousness, and ever truthful in speech, answered him,\nsaying, 'So be it.' Once more, however, as his preceptor was about to set\nout Vipula asked him in these words.\n\n\"'\"Vipula said, 'Tell me, O Muni, what forms does Sakra assume when he\npresents himself? Of what kind is his body and what is his energy? It\nbehoveth thee to say all this to me.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The illustrious Rishi then truly described unto the\nhigh-souled Vipula all the illusions of Sakra, O Bharata.\n\n\"'\"Devasarman said, 'The puissant chastiser of Paka, O regenerate Rishi, is\nfull of illusion. Every moment he assumes those forms that he chooses.\nSometimes he wears a diadem and holds the thunderbolt. Sometimes armed\nwith the thunderbolt and wearing a crown on his head, he adorns himself\nwith ear-rings, in a moment he transforms himself into the shape and\naspect of Chandala. Sometimes, he appears with coronal locks on his head:\nsoon again, O son, he shows himself with matted locks, his person clad\nthe while in rags. Sometimes, he assumes a goodly and gigantic frame. The\nnext moment he transforms himself into one of emaciated limbs, and\ndressed in rags. Sometimes he becomes fair, sometimes darkish, sometimes\ndark of complexion. Sometimes he becomes ugly and sometimes as possessed\nof great comeliness of person. Sometimes he shows himself as young and\nsometimes as old. Sometimes he appears as a Brahmana, sometimes as a\nKshatriya, sometimes as a Vaisya, and sometimes as a Sudra. Verily, he of\na hundred sacrifices appears at times as a person born of impure order,\nthat is as the son of a superior father by an inferior mother or of an\ninferior father by a superior mother. Sometimes he appears as a parrot,\nsometimes as a crow, sometimes as a swan, and sometimes as a cuckoo. He\nassumes the forms also of a lion, a tiger, or an elephant. Sometimes he\nshows himself as a god, sometimes as a Daitya, and sometimes he assumes\nthe guise of a king. Sometimes he appears as fat and plump. Sometimes as\none whose limbs have been broken by the action of disordered wind in the\nsystem, sometimes as a bird, and sometimes as one of exceedingly ugly\nfeatures. Sometimes he appears as a quadruped. Capable of assuming any\nform, he sometimes appears as an idiot destitute of all intelligence. He\nassumes also the forms of flies and gnats. O Vipula, no one can make him\nout in consequence of these innumerable disguises that he is capable of\nassuming. The very Creator of the universe is not equal to that feat. He\nmakes himself invisible when he chooses. He is incapable of being seen\nexcept with the eye of knowledge. The chief of the celestials sometimes\ntransforms himself into the wind. The chastiser of Paka always assumes\nthese disguises. Do thou, therefore, O Vipula, protect this\nslender-waisted spouse of mine with great care. O foremost one of\nBhrigu's race, do thou take every care for seeing that the chief of the\ncelestials may not defile this spouse of mine like a wretched dog licking\nthe Havi kept in view of a sacrifice.' Having said these words, the\nhighly-blessed Muni, viz., Devasarman, intent upon performing a\nsacrifice, set out from his abode, O chief of the Bharatas. Hearing these\nwords of his preceptor, Vipula began to think, 'I shall certainly protect\nthis lady in every respect from the puissant chief of the celestials. But\nwhat should be the means? What can I do in this matter of protecting the\nwife of my preceptor? The chief of the celestials is endued with large\npowers of illusion. Possessed of great energy, he is difficult of being\nresisted. Indra cannot be kept out by enclosing this retreat of ours or\nfencing this yard, since he is capable of assuming innumerable forms.\nAssuming the form of the wind, the chief of the celestials may assault\nthe spouse of my preceptor. The best course, therefore, for me, would be\nto enter (by Yoga-power) the body of this lady and remain there. By\nputting forth my prowess I shall not be able to protect the lady, for the\npuissant chastiser of Paka, it has been heard by me, is capable of\nassuming any form he likes. I shall, therefore, protect this one from\nIndra by my Yoga-power. For carrying out my object I shall with my body\nenter the body of this lady. If my preceptor, coming back, beholds his\nspouse defiled, he will, without doubt, curse me through wrath, for\nendued with great ascetic merit, he is possessed of spiritual vision.\nThis lady is incapable of being protected in the way in which other women\nare protected by men, since the chief of the celestials is endued with\nlarge powers of illusion. Alas, the situation in which I find myself is\nvery critical. The behest of my preceptor should certainly be obeyed by\nme. If, therefore, I protect her by my Yoga-power, the feat will be\nregarded by all as a wonderful one. By my Yoga-power, therefore, I shall\nenter the body of my preceptor's lady. I shall stay within her and yet\nnot touch her person, like a drop of water on a lotus-leaf which lies on\nit and yet does not drench it at all. If I be free from the taint of\npassion, I cannot incur any fault by doing what I wish to do. As a\ntraveller, in course of his sojourn, takes up his residence (for a while)\nin any empty mansion he finds, I shall, after the same manner, reside\nthis day within the body of my preceptor's lady. Verily, with mind rapt up\nin Yoga, I shall dwell today in this lady's body!' Giving his best\nconsideration to these points of righteousness, thinking of all the Vedas\nand their branches, and with eye directed to the large measure of\npenances which his preceptor had and which he himself also was possessed\nof, and having settled in his mind, with a view only to protect the lady,\nto enter her person by Yoga-power. Vipula of Bhrigu's race took great\ncare (for accomplishing his purpose). Listen now to me, O monarch, as I\nrecite to thee what he did. Endued with great penances, Vipula sat\nhimself down by the side of his preceptor's spouse as she of faultless\nfeatures was sitting in her cottage. Vipula then began to discourse to\nher bringing her over to the cause of righteousness and truth. Directing\nhis eyes then to hers and uniting the rays of light that emanated from\nher organs of vision with those that issued from his, Vipula (in his\nsubtile form) entered the lady's body even as the element of wind enters\nthat of ether of space. Penetrating her eyes with his eyes and her face\nwith his face, Vipula stayed, without moving, within her invisibly, like\nher shadow. Restraining every part of the lady's body, Vipula continued\nto dwell within her, intent on protecting her from Indra. The lady\nherself knew nothing of this. It was in this way, O monarch, that Vipula\ncontinued to protect the lady till the time of his high-souled\npreceptor's coming back after accomplishing the sacrifice which he had\ngone out to perform.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One day the chief of the celestials assuming a form of\ncelestial beauty, came to the retreat of the Rishi, thinking that the\nopportunity he had been expecting had at last come. Verily, O king,\nhaving assumed a form unrivalled for comeliness and exceedingly tempting\nto women and highly agreeable to look at, Indra entered the ascetic's\nasylum. He saw the body of Vipula staying in a sitting posture, immovable\nas a stake, and with eyes destitute of vision, like a picture drawn on\nthe canvas. And he saw also that Ruchi was seated there, adorned with\neyes whose ends were extremely beautiful, possessed of full and rotund\nhips, and having a deep and swelling bosom. Her eyes were large and\nexpansive like the petals of the lotus, and her face was as beautiful and\nsweet as the moon at full. Seeing Indra come in that guise, the lady\nwished to rise up and offer him a welcome. Her wonder having been excited\nat the unrivalled beauty of form which the person possessed, she very\nmuch wished to ask him as to who he was. Although, however, she wished to\nrise up and offer him a welcome, yet her limbs having been restrained by\nVipula who was dwelling within her, she failed, O king, to do what she\nwished. In fact, she was unable to move from the place where she sat. The\nchief of the celestials then addressed her in agreeable words uttered\nwith a sweet voice. Indeed, he said, 'O thou of sweet smiles, know that I\nam Indra, arrived here for thy sake! Know, O sweet lady, that I am\nafflicted by the deity of desire provoked by thoughts of thee! O thou of\nbeautiful brows, I have come to thy presence. Time wears off.'[274] These\nwords that Indra spoke were heard by the ascetic Vipula. Remaining within\nthe body of his preceptor's wife, he saw everything that occurred. The\nlady of faultless beauty, though she heard what Indra said, was, however,\nunable to rise up for welcoming or honouring the chief of the celestials.\nHer senses restrained by Vipula, she was unable to utter a word in reply.\nThat scion of Bhrigu's race, of mighty energy, judging from the\nindications afforded by the body of his preceptor's wife that she was not\nunwilling to receive Indra with kindness, restrained her limbs and senses\nall the more effectually, O king, by his Yoga-powers. With Yoga-bonds he\nbound up all her senses. Beholding her seated without any indication of\nagitation on her person, the lord of Sachi, abashed a little, once more\naddressed that lady who was stupefied by the Yoga-powers of her husband's\ndisciple, in these words, 'Come, come, O sweet lady!' Then the lady\nendeavoured to answer him. Vipula, however restrained the words that she\nintended to utter. The words, therefore, that actually escaped her lips\n(under the influence of Vipula) were. 'What is the reason of thy coming\nhither?' These words adorned with grammatical refinements, issued out of\nher mouth that was as beautiful as the moon.[275] Subject to the\ninfluence of another, she uttered these words, but became rather ashamed\nfor uttering them. Hearing her, Purandara became exceedingly cheerless.\nObserving that awkward result, the chief of the celestials, O monarch,\nadorned with a thousand eyes saw every thing with his spiritual eye. He\nthen beheld the ascetic staying within the body of the lady. Indeed, the\nascetic remained within the body of his preceptor's wife like an image or\nreflection on a mirror. Beholding the ascetic endued with the terrible\nmight of penances, Purandara, O monarch, fearing the Rishi's curse,\ntrembled in fright. Vipula then, possessed of high ascetic might, left\nthe body of his preceptor's wife and returned to his own body that was\nlying near. He then addressed the terrified Indra in the following words:\n\n\"'\"Vipula said, 'O wicked-souled Purandara, O thou of sinful mind, O wretch\nthat hast no control over thy senses, neither the deities nor human\nbeings will worship thee for any length of time! Hast thou forgotten it,\nO Sakra,--does it not still dwell in thy remembrance,--that Gautama had\ncursed thee in consequence of which thy body became disfigured with a\nthousand sex-marks, which, owing to the Rishi's compassion, were\nafterwards changed into organs of vision? I know that thou art of an\nexceedingly foolish understanding, that thy soul is uncleansed, and that\nthou art of an exceedingly unstable mind! O fool, know that this lady is\nbeing protected by me. O sinful wretch, go back to that place whence thou\ncamest. O thou of foolish soul, I do not consume thee today into ashes\nwith my energy. Verily, I am filled with compassion for thee. It is for\nthis that I do not, O Vasava, wish to burn thee. My preceptor, endued\nwith great intelligence, is possessed of terrible might. With eyes\nblazing with wrath, he would, if he saw thee, have burnt thy sinful self\ntoday. Thou shouldst not, O Sakra, do like this again. The Brahmanas\nshould be regarded by thee. See that thou dost not, with thy sons and\ncounsellors, meet with destruction, afflicted by the might of the\nBrahmanas. Thou thinkest that thou art an immortal and that, therefore,\nart at liberty to proceed in this way. Do not, however, disregard the\nBrahmanas. Know that there is nothing unattainable by penance.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the high-souled Vipula, Sakra\nwithout saying anything, and overwhelmed with shame, made himself\ninvisible. A moment after he had gone away, Devasarman of high ascetic\nmerit, having accomplished the sacrifice he had intended to perform, came\nback to his own asylum. When his preceptor came back, Vipula, who had\ndone an agreeable deed, gave unto him his wife of faultless beauty whom\nhe had successfully protected against the machinations of Indra. Of\ntranquil soul and full of reverence for his preceptor, Vipula\nrespectfully saluted him and stood in his presence with a fearless heart.\nAfter his preceptor had rested a while and when he was seated with his\nwife on the same seat, Vipula represented unto him everything that Sakra\nhad done. Hearing these words of Vipula, that foremost of Munis, endued\nwith great prowess, became highly gratified with him for his conduct and\ndisposition, his penances, and his observances. Observing Vipula's\nconduct towards himself--his preceptor--and his devotion also, and noting\nhis steadiness in virtue, the puissant Devasarman exclaimed, 'Excellent,\nexcellent!' The righteous-souled Devasarman, receiving his virtuous\ndisciple with a sincere welcome, honoured him with a boon. Indeed,\nVipula, steady in virtue obtained from his preceptor the boon that he\nwould never swerve or fall away from righteousness. Dismissed by his\npreceptor he left his abode and practised the most severe austerities.\nDevasarman also, of severe penances, with his spouse, began from that day\nto live in those solitary woods, perfectly fearless of him who had slain\nVala and Vritra.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having accomplished his preceptor's behest, Vipula\npractised the most severe penances. Possessed of great energy, he at last\nregarded himself as endued with sufficient ascetic merit, Priding himself\nupon the feat he had achieved, he wandered fearlessly and contentedly\nover the earth, O monarch, regarded by all as one possessed of great fame\nfor what he had done. The puissant Bhargava regarded that he had\nconquered both the worlds by that feat of his as also by his severe\npenances. After some time had passed away, O delighter of the Kurus, the\noccasion came for a ceremony of gifts to take place with respect to the\nsister of Ruchi. Abundant wealth and corn were to be given away in\nit.[276] Meanwhile, a certain celestial damsel endued with great beauty,\nwas journeying through the skies. From her body as she coursed through\nthe welkin, some flowers dropped down on the earth. Those flowers\npossessed of celestial fragrance fell on a spot not far from the retreat\nof Ruchi's husband. As the flowers lay scattered on the ground, they were\npicked up by Ruchi of beautiful eyes. Soon after an invitation came to\nRuchi from the country of the Angas. The sister, referred to above, of\nRuchi, named Prabhavati, was the spouse of Chitraratha, the ruler of the\nAngas. Ruchi, of very superior complexion, having attached those flowers\nto her hair, went to the palace of the king of the Angas in answer to the\ninvitation she had received. Beholding those flowers on her hair the\nqueen of the Angas, possessed of beautiful eyes, urged her sister to\nobtain some for her. Ruchi, of beautiful face, speedily informed her\nhusband of that request of her sister. The Rishi accepted the prayer of\nhis sister-in-law. Summoning Vipula into his presence Devasarman of\nsevere penances commanded his disciple to bring him some flowers of the\nsame kind, saying, 'Go, go!' Accepting without hesitation the behest of\nhis preceptor, the great ascetic Vipula, O king, answered, 'So be it!'\nand then proceeded to that spot whence the lady Ruchi had picked up the\nflowers that were coveted by her sister. Arrived at that spot where the\nflowers (picked up by Ruchi) had fallen from the welkin, Vipula saw some\nothers still lying scattered. They were all as fresh as if they had been\nnewly plucked from the plants whereon they had grown. None of them had\ndrooped in the least. He took up those celestial flowers of great beauty.\nPossessed of celestial fragrance, O Bharata, Vipula got them there as the\nresult of his severe penances. The accomplisher of his preceptor's\nbehest, having obtained them, he felt great delight and set out speedily\nfor the city of Champa adorned with festoons of Champaka flowers. As he\nproceeded, he saw on his way a human couple moving in a circle hand in\nhand. One of them made a rapid step and thereby destroyed the cadence of\nthe movement. For this reason, O king, a dispute arose between them.\nIndeed, one of them charged the other, saying, 'Thou hast made a quicker\nstep!' The other answered, 'No, verily', as each maintained his own\nopinion obstinately, each, O king, asserted what the other denied, and\ndenied what the other asserted. While thus disputing with each other with\ngreat assurance, an oath was then heard among them. Indeed, each of them\nsuddenly named Vipula in what they uttered. The oath each of them took\nwas even this, 'That one amongst us two who speaketh falsely, shall in\nthe next world, meet with the end which will be the regenerate Vipula's!'\nHearing these words of theirs, Vipula's face became very cheerless. He\nbegan to reflect, saying unto himself, 'I have undergone severe penances.\nThe dispute between this couple is hot. To me, again, it is painful. What\nis the sin of which I have been guilty that both these persons should\nrefer to my end in the next world as the most painful one among those\nreserved for all creatures?' Thinking in this strain, Vipula, O best of\nmonarchs, hung down his head, and with a cheerless mind began to\nrecollect what sin he had done. Proceeding a little way he beheld six\nother men playing with dice made of gold and silver. Engaged in play,\nthose individuals seemed to him to be so excited that the hair on their\nbodies stood on end. They also (upon a dispute having arisen among them)\nwere heard by Vipula to take the same oath that he had already heard the\nfirst couple to take. Indeed, their words had reference in the same way\nto Vipula, 'He amongst us who, led by cupidity, will act in an improper\nway, shall meet with that end which is reserved for Vipula in the next\nworld!' Hearing these words, however, Vipula, although he strove\nearnestly to recollect failed to remember any transgression of his from\neven his earliest years, O thou of Kuru's race. Verily he began to burn\nlike a fire placed in the midst of another fire. Hearing that curse, his\nmind burnt with grief. In this state of anxiety a long time elapsed. At\nlast he recollected the manner in which he had acted in protecting his\npreceptor's wife from the machinations of Indra. 'I had penetrated the\nbody of that lady, placing limb within limb, face within face, Although I\nhad acted in this way, I did not yet tell my preceptor the truth!' Even\nthis was the transgression, O thou of Kuru's race which Vipula\nrecollected in himself. Indeed, O blessed monarch, without doubt that was\nthe transgression which he had actually committed. Coming to the city of\nChampa, he gave the flowers to his preceptor. Devoted to superiors and\nseniors, he worshipped his preceptor in due form.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Beholding his disciple returned from his mission,\nDevasarman of great energy addressed him in words which I shall recite to\nthee O king!\n\n\"'\"Davasarman said, 'What hast thou seen, O Vipula, in course of thy\nprogress, O disciple, through the great forest? They whom thou hast seen\nknew thee, O Vipula. I, as also my spouse Ruchi, know how thou hadst\nacted in the matter of protecting Ruchi.'\n\n\"'\"Vipula said, 'O regenerate Rishi, who are those two whom I first saw?\nWho also are those other six whom I saw subsequently? All of them know\nme: who, indeed, are they to whom thou alludest in thy speech to me?'\n\n\"'\"Devasarman said, 'The first couple, O regenerate one, whom thou sawest,\nare Day and Night. They are ceaselessly moving like a circle. Both of\nthem know the transgression of which thou hast been guilty, those other\nmen (six in number) whom, O learned Brahmana, thou sawest playing\ncheerfully at dice, are the six Seasons. They also are acquainted with\nthy transgressions. Having committed a sin in secrecy, no sinful man\nshould cherish the assuring thought that his transgression is known only\nto himself and not to any one else. When a man perpetrates a sinful deed\nin secret, the Seasons as also Day and Night behold it always. Those\nregions that are reserved for the sinful shall be thine (for what thou\nhast done). What thou hadst done thou didst not tell me. That thy sin was\nnot known to any one, was thy belief, and this conviction had filled thee\nwith joy. Thou didst not inform the preceptor of the whole truth,\nchoosing to hide from him a material portion. The Seasons, and Day and\nNight, whom thou hast heard speak in that strain, thought it proper to\nremind thee of thy transgression. Day and Night and the Seasons are ever\nconversant of all the good and the bad deeds that are in a man. They\nspoke to thee in that way, O regenerate one, because they have full\nknowledge of what thou hadst done but which thou hadst not the courage to\ninform me of, fearing thou hadst done wrong. For this reason those\nregions that are reserved for the sinful will be thine as much. Thou\ndidst not tell me what thou hadst done. Thou wert fully capable, O\nregenerate one, of protecting my spouse whose disposition by nature is\nsinful. In doing what thou didst, thou didst not commit any sin. I was,\nfor this, gratified with thee! O best of Brahmanas, if I had known thee\nto have acted wickedly, I would without hesitation, have cursed thee.\nWomen become united with men. Such union is very desirable with men. Thou\nhadst, however, protected my wife in a different spirit. If thou hadst\nacted otherwise, a curse would have been uttered upon thee. Even this is\nwhat I think. Thou hadst O son, protected my spouse. The manner in which\nthou didst it hath now become known to me as if thou hadst thyself\ninformed me of it. I have, O son, become gratified with thee. Relieved of\nall anxiety, thou shalt go to heaven!' Having said these words unto\nVipula, the great Rishi Devasarman, ascended to heaven with his wife and\nhis disciple and began to pass his time there in great happiness. In\ncourse of conversation, O king, on a former occasion, the great ascetic\nMarkandeya had narrated to me this history on the banks of the Ganga. I,\ntherefore, recite to thee. Women should always be protected by thee (from\ntemptations and opportunities of every kind). Amongst them both kinds are\nto be seen, that is, those that are virtuous and those that are not so.\nThose women that are virtuous are highly blessed. They are the mothers of\nthe universe (for they it is that cherish all creatures on every side).\nThey it is, O king, that uphold the earth with all her waters and\nforests. Those women that are sinful, that are of wicked behaviour, that\nare the destroyers of their races, and that are wedded to sinful\nresolves, are capable of being ascertained by indications, expressive of\nthe evil that is in them, which appear, O king, on their bodies. It is\neven thus that high-souled persons are capable of protecting women. They\ncannot, O tiger among kings, be protected in any other way. Women, O\nchief of men, are fierce. They are endued with fierce prowess. They have\nnone whom they love or like so much as they that have sexual congress\nwith them. Women are like those (Atharvan) incantations that are\ndestructive of life. Even after they have consented to live with one,\nthey are prepared to abandon him for entering into engagements with\nothers. They are never satisfied with one person of the opposite sex, O\nson of Pandu! Men should feel no affection for them. Nor should they\nentertain any jealousy on account of them. O king, having a regard only\nfor the considerations of virtue, men should enjoy their society, not\nwith enthusiasm and attachment but with reluctance and absence of\nattachment. By acting otherwise, a man is sure to meet with destruction,\nO delighter of the Kurus. Reason is respected at all times and under all\ncircumstances. Only one man, viz., Vipula, had succeeded in protecting\nwoman. There is none else, O king, in the three worlds who is capable of\nprotecting women.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me of that, O grandsire, which is the root of\nall duties, which is the root of kinsmen, of home, of the Pitris and of\nguests. I think this should be regarded as the foremost of all duties,\n(viz., the marriage of one's daughter). Tell me, however, O king, upon\nwhat sort of a person should one bestow one's daughter?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having enquired into the conduct and disposition of the\nperson, his learning and acquirements, his birth, and his acts, good\npeople should then bestow their daughter upon accomplished bridegrooms.\nAll righteous Brahmanas, O Yudhishthira, act in this way (in the matter\nof the bestowal of their daughters). This is known as the Brahma\nmarriage, O Yudhishthira! Selecting an eligible bridegroom, the father of\nthe girl should cause him to marry his daughter, having, by presents of\ndiverse kinds, induced the bridegroom to that act. This form of marriage\nconstitutes the eternal practice of all good Kshatriyas. When the father\nof the girl, disregarding his own wishes, bestows his daughter upon a\nperson whom the daughter likes and who reciprocates the girl's\nsentiments, the form of marriage, O Yudhishthira, is called Gandharva by\nthose that are conversant with the Vedas. The wise have said this, O\nking, to be the practice of the Asuras, viz., wedding a girl after\npurchasing her at a high cost and after gratifying the cupidity of her\nkinsmen. Slaying and cutting off the heads of weeping kinsmen, the\nbridegroom sometimes forcibly takes away the girl he would wed. Such\nwedding, O son, is called by the name of Rakshasa. Of these five (the\nBrahma, the Kshatra, the Gandharva, the Asura, and the Rakshasa), three\nare righteous, O Yudhishthira, and two are unrighteous. The Paisacha and\nthe Asura forms should never be resorted to.[277] The Brahma, Kshatra,\nand Gandharva forms are righteous, O prince of men! Pure or mixed, these\nforms should be resorted to, without doubt. A Brahmana can take three\nwives. A Kshatriya can take two wives. As regards the Vaisya, he should\ntake a wife from only his own order. The children born of these wives\nshould all be regarded as equal.[278] Of the three wives of a Brahmana,\nshe taken from his own order should be regarded as the foremost.\nSimilarly, of the two wives permitted to the Kshatriya, she taken from\nhis own order should be regarded as superior. Some say that persons\nbelonging to the three higher orders may take, only for purposes of\nenjoyment (and not for those of virtue), wives from the lowest or the\nSudra order. Others, however, forbid the practice.\n\n\"'\"The righteous condemn the practice of begetting issue upon Sudra women.\nA Brahmana, by begetting children upon a Sudra woman, incurs the liability\nof performing an expiation. A person of thirty years of age should wed a\ngirl of ten years of age called a Nagnika.[279] Or, a person of one and\ntwenty years of age should wed a girl of seven years of age. That girl\nwho has no brother nor father should not be wed, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, for she may be intended as Putrika of her sire.[280] After the\nappearance of puberty, the girl (if not married) should wait for three\nyears. On the fourth year, she should look for a husband herself (without\nwaiting any longer for her kinsmen to select one for her). The offspring\nof such a girl do not lose their respectability, nor does union with such\na girl become disgraceful. If, instead of selecting a husband for\nherself, she acts otherwise, she incurs the reproach of Prajapati\nherself. One should wed that girl who is not a Sapinda of one's mother or\nof the same Gotra with one's father. Even this is the usage (consistent\nwith the sacred law) which Manu has declared.\"[281]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Desirous of marriage someone actually gives a dower\nto the girl's kinsmen; someone says, the girl's kinsmen consenting\npromises to give a dower; someone says, 'I shall abduct the girl by\nforce;' someone simply displays his wealth (to the girl's kinsmen,\nintending to offer a portion thereof as dower for her); someone, again,\nactually takes the hand of the girl with rites of wedding. I ask thee, O\ngrandsire, whose wife does the girl actually become? Unto its that are\ndesirous of knowing the truth, thou art the eye with which to behold.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Whatever acts of men have been approved or settled in\nconsultation by the wise, are seen to be productive of good. False\nspeech, however, is always sinful.[282] The girl herself that becomes\nwife, the sons born of her, the Ritwiks and preceptors and disciples and\nUpadhyayas present at the marriage all become liable to expiation if the\ngirl bestow her hand upon a person other than he whom she had promised to\nwed. Some are of opinion that no expiation is necessary for such conduct.\nManu does not applaud the practice of a girl living with a person whom\nshe does not like.[283] Living as wife with a person whom she does not\nlike, leads to disgrace and sin. No one incurs much sin in any of these\ncases that follow. In forcibly abducting for marriage a girl that is\nbestowed upon the abductor by the girl's kinsmen, with due rites, as also\na girl for whom dower has been paid and accepted, there is no great sin.\nUpon the girl's kinsmen having expressed their consent, Mantras and Homa\nshould be resorted to. Such Mantras truly accomplish their purpose.\nMantras and Homa recited and performed in the case of a girl that has not\nbeen bestowed by her kinsmen, do not accomplish their purpose. The\nengagement made by the kinsmen of a girl is, no doubt, binding and\nsacred. But the engagement that is entered into by the wedder and wedded,\nwith the aid of Mantras, is very much more so (for it is this engagement\nthat really creates the relationship of husband and wife). According to\nthe dictates of the scriptures, the husband should regard his wife as an\nacquisition due to his own acts of a previous life or to what has been\nordained by God. One, therefore, incurs no reproach by accepting for wife\na girl that had been promised to another by her kinsmen or for whom dower\nhad been accepted by them from another.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When after the receipt of dower for a girl, the\ngirl's sire sees a more eligible person present himself for her\nhand,--one, that is who is endued with the aggregate of Three in\njudicious proportions, does the girl's sire incur reproach by rejecting\nthe person from whom dower had been received in favour of him that is\nmore eligible? In such a case either alternative seems to be fraught with\nfault, for to discard the person to whom the girl has been promised can\nnever be honourable, while to reject the person that is more eligible can\nnever be good (considering the solemn obligation there is of bestowing\none's daughter on the most eligible person). I ask, how should the sire\nconduct himself so that he might be said to do that which is beneficial?\nTo us, of all duties this seems to demand the utmost measure of\ndeliberation. We are desirous of ascertaining the truth. Thou, indeed,\nart our eyes! Do thou explain this to us. I am never satiated with\nlistening to thee!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The gift of the dower does not cause the status of wife\nto attach to the girl. This is well-known to the person paying it. He\npays it simply as the price of the girl. Then again they that are good\nnever bestow their daughters, led by the dowers that others may offer.\nWhen the person desirous of wedding happens to be endued with such\nqualities as do not go down with the girl's kinsmen, it is then that\nkinsmen demand dower from him. That person, however, who won over by\nanother's accomplishments, addresses him, saying, 'Do thou wed my girl,\nadorning her with proper ornaments of gold and gems,'--and that person\nwho complies with this request, cannot be said to demand dower or give\nit, for such a transaction is not really a sale. The bestowal of a\ndaughter upon acceptance of what may strictly be regarded as gifts (of\naffection or love) is the eternal practice. In matters of marriage some\nfathers say, 'I shall not bestow my daughter upon such and such a\nperson;' some say, 'I shall bestow my daughter upon such a one.'--Some\nagain say with vehemence, 'I must bestow my daughter upon such an\nindividual.' These declarations do not amount to actual marriage. People\nare seen to solicit one another for the hands of maidens (and promise and\nretreat). Till the hand is actually taken with due rites, marriage cannot\nbe said to take place. It has been heard by us that even this was the\nboon granted to men in days of old by the Maruts in respect of\nmaidens[284]. The Rishis have laid the command upon all men that maidens\nshould never be bestowed upon persons unless the latter happen to be most\nfit or eligible. The daughter is the root of desire and of descendants of\nthe collateral line. Even this is what I think.[285] The practice has\nbeen known to human beings from a long time,--the practice, of sale and\npurchase of the daughter. In consequence of such familiarity with the\npractice, thou mayst be able, upon careful examination, to find\ninnumerable faults in it. The gift or acceptance of dower alone could not\nbe regarded as creating the status of husband and wife. Listen to what I\nsay on this head.\n\n\"'\"Formerly, having defeated all the Magadhas, the Kasis, and the Kosalas,\nI brought away by force two maidens for Vichitravirya. One of those two\nmaidens was wedded with due rites. The other maiden was not formally\nwedded on the ground that she was one for whom dowry had been paid in the\nform of valour. My uncle of Kuru's race, viz., king Valhika, said that\nthe maiden so brought away and not wedded with due rites should be set\nfree. That maiden, therefore, was recommended to Vichitravirya for being\nmarried by him according to due rites. Doubting my father's words I\nrepaired to others for asking their opinion. I thought that my sire was\nexceedingly punctilious in matters of morality. I then went to my sire\nhimself, O king, and addressed him these words from desire of knowing\nsomething about the practices of righteous people in respect of marriage,\n'I desire, O sire, to know what in truth the practices are of righteous\npeople.' I repeated the expression of my wish several times, so great was\nmy eagerness and curiosity. After I had uttered those words, that\nforemost of righteous men, viz., my sire, Valhika answered me, saying,\n'If in your opinion the status of husband and wife be taken to attach on\naccount of the gift and acceptance of dowry and not from the actual\ntaking of the maiden's hand with due rites, the father of the maiden (by\npermitting his daughter to go away with the giver of the dowry) would so\nhimself to be the follower of a creed other than that which is derivable\nfrom the ordinary scriptures. Even this is what the accepted scriptures\ndeclare. Persons conversant with morality and duty do not allow that\ntheir words are at all authoritative who say that the status of husband\nand wife arises from the gift and acceptance of dowry, and not from the\nactual taking of the hand with due rites. The saying is well-known that\nthe status of husband and wife is created by actual bestowal of the\ndaughter by the sire (and her acceptance by the husband with due rites).\nThe status of wife cannot attach to maidens through sale and purchase.\nThey who regard such status to be due to sale and the gift of dowry are\npersons that are certainly unacquainted with the scriptures. No one\nshould bestow his daughter upon such persons. In fact, they are not men\nto whom one may marry his daughter. A wife should never be purchased. Nor\nshould a father sell his daughter. Only those persons of sinful soul who\nare possessed, besides, by cupidity, and who sell and purchase female\nslaves for making serving women, regard the status of wife as capable of\narising from the gift and acceptance of a dowry. On this subject some\npeople on one occasion had asked prince Satyavat the following question,\n\"If the giver of a dowry unto the kinsmen of a maiden happens to die\nbefore marriage, can another person take the hand of that maiden in\nmarriage? We have doubts on this matter. Do thou remove these doubts of\nours, for thou art endued with great wisdom and art honoured by the wise.\nBe thou the organ of vision unto ourselves that are desirous of learning\nthe truth.\" Prince Satyavat answered saying, \"The kinsmen of the maiden\nshould bestow her upon him whom they consider eligible. There need be no\nscruples in this. The righteous act in this way without taking note of\nthe giver of the dower even if he be alive; while, as regards the giver\nthat is dead, there is not the slightest doubt. Some say that the virgin\nwife or widow,--one, that is, whose marriage has not been consummated\nwith her husband by actual sexual congress in consequence of his absence\nor death,--may be allowed to unite herself with her husband's younger\nbrother or such other relation. The husband dying before such\nconsummation, the virgin-widow may either surrender herself to her\nhusband's younger brother or betake herself to the practice of penances.\nIn the opinion of some, the younger brother of the husband or such other\nrelation may thus use the unused wife or widow, though others maintain\nthat such practice, notwithstanding its prevalence, springs from desire\ninstead of being a scriptural ordinance. They that say so are clearly of\nopinion that the father of a maiden has the right to bestow her upon any\neligible person, disregarding the dowry previously given by another and\naccepted by himself. If after the hand of a maiden has been promised all\nthe initial rites before marriage be performed, the maiden may still be\nbestowed upon a person other than the one unto whom she had been\npromised. Only the giver incurs the sin of falsehood: so far, however, as\nthe status of wife is concerned, no injury can occur thereto. The Mantras\nin respect of marriage accomplish their object of bringing about the\nindissoluble union of marriage at the seventh step. The maiden becomes\nthe wife of him unto whom the gift is actually made with water.[286] The\ngift of maidens should be made in the following way. The wise know it for\ncertain. A superior Brahmana should wed a maiden that is not unwilling,\nthat belongs to a family equal to his own in purity or status, and that\nis given away by her brother. Such a girl should be wed in the presence\nof fire, with due rites, causing her, amongst other things, to\ncircumambulate for the usual number of times.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If a person, after having given dowry for a maiden,\ngoes away, how should the maiden's father or other kinsmen who are\ncompetent to bestow her, act? Do tell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Such a maiden, if she happens to be the daughter of a\nsonless and rich father, should be maintained by the father (in view of\nthe return of him who has given the dowry). Indeed, if the father does\nnot return the dowry unto the kinsmen of the giver, the maiden should be\nregarded as belonging to the giver of the dowry. She may even raise\noffspring for the giver (during his absence) by any of those means that\nare laid down in the scriptures. No person, however, can be competent to\nwed her according to due rites. Commanded by her sire, the princess\nSavitri had in days of old chosen a husband and united herself with him.\nThis act of hers is applauded by some; but others conversant with the\nscriptures, condemn it. Others that are righteous have not acted in this\nway. Others hold that the conduct of the righteous should ever be\nregarded as the foremost evidence of duty or morality.[287] Upon this\nsubject Sukratu, the grandson of the high-souled Janaka, the ruler of the\nVidehas, has declared the following opinion. There is the well-known\ndeclaration of the scriptures that women are incompetent to enjoy freedom\nat any period of their life. If this were not the path trodden by the\nrighteous, how could this scriptural declaration exist? As regards the\nrighteous, therefore, how can there be any question or doubt in respect\nof this matter? How can people condemn that declaration by choosing to\nconduct themselves otherwise? The unrighteous dereliction of eternal\nusage is regarded as the practice of the Asuras. Such practice we never\nhear of in the conduct of the ancients.[288] The relationship of husband\nand wife is very subtile (having reference to the acquisition of destiny,\nand, therefore, capable of being understood with the aid of only the\ninspired declarations in scriptures). It is different from the natural\nrelationship of male and female which consists only in the desire for\nsexual pleasure. This also was said by the king alluded to of Janaka's\nrace.\"[289]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Upon what authority is the wealth of men inherited\n(by others when they happen to have daughters)? In respect of her sire\nthe daughter should be regarded the same as the son.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The son is even as one's own self, and the daughter is\nlike unto the son. How, therefore, can another take the wealth when one\nlives in one's own self in the form of one's daughter? Whatever wealth is\ntermed the Yautuka property of the mother, forms the portion of the\nmaiden daughter. If the maternal grandfather happens to die without\nleaving sons, the daughter's son should inherit it. The daughter's son\noffers pindas to his own father and the father of his mother. Hence, in\naccordance with considerations of justice, there is no difference between\nthe son and the daughter's son. When a person has got only a daughter and\nshe has been invested by him with the status of a son, if he then happens\nto have a son, such a son (instead of taking all the wealth of his sire)\nshares the inheritance with the daughter.[290] When, again, a person has\ngot a daughter and she has been invested by him with the status of a son,\nif he then happens to take a son by adoption or purchase then the\ndaughter is held to be superior to such a son (for she takes three shares\nof her father's wealth, the son's share being limited to only the\nremaining two). In the following case I do not see any reason why the\nstatus of a daughter's son should attach to the sons of one's daughter.\nThe case is that of the daughter who has been sold by her sire. The sons\nborn of a daughter that has been sold by her sire for actual price,\nbelong exclusively to their father (even if he do not beget them himself\nbut obtain them according to the rules laid down in the scriptures for\nthe raising of issue through the agency of others). Such sons can never\nbelong, even as daughter's sons, to their maternal grandfather in\nconsequence of his having sold their mother for a price and lost all his\nrights in or to her by that act.[291] Such sons, again, become full of\nmalice, unrighteous in conduct, the misappropriators of other people's\nwealth, and endued with deceit and cunning. Having sprung from that\nsinful form of marriage called Asura, the issue becomes wicked in\nconduct. Persons acquainted with the histories of olden times, conversant\nwith duties, devoted to the scriptures and firm in maintaining the\nrestraints therein laid down, recite in this connection some metrical\nlines sung in days of yore by Yama. Even this is what Yama had sung. That\nman who acquires wealth by selling his own son, or who bestows his\ndaughter after accepting a dower for his own livelihood, has to sink in\nseven terrible hells one after another, known by the name of Kalasutra.\nThere that wretch has to feed upon sweat and urine and stools during the\nwhole time. In that form of marriage which is called Arsha, the person\nwho weds has to give a bull and a cow and the father of the maiden\naccepts the gift. Some characterise this gift as a dowry (or price),\nwhile some are of opinion that it should not be regarded in that light.\nThe true opinion, however, is that a gift for such a purpose, be it of\nsmall value or large, should, O king, be regarded as dowry or price, and\nthe bestowal of the daughter under such circumstances should be viewed as\na sale. Notwithstanding the fact of its having been practised by a few\npersons it can never be taken as the eternal usage. Other forms of\nmarriage are seen, practised by men, such as marrying girls after\nabducting them by force from amidst their kinsmen. Those persons who have\nsexual intercourse with a maiden, after reducing her to subjection by\nforce, are regarded as perpetrators of sin. They have to sink in darkest\nhell.[292] Even a human being with whom one has no relationship of blood\nshould not form the subject of sale. What need then be said of one's own\nissue? With the wealth that is acquired by doing sinful deeds, no action\nleading to merit can be performed.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"They that are conversant with ancient history recite the\nfollowing verse of Daksha, the son of Prachetas: That maiden, in respect\nof whom nothing is taken by her kinsmen in the form of dowry cannot be\nsaid to be sold.[293] Respect, kind treatment, and everything else that\nis agreeable, should all be given unto the maiden whose hand is taken in\nmarriage. Her sire and brothers and father-in-law and husband's brothers\nshould show her every respect and adorn her with ornaments, if they be\ndesirous of reaping benefits, for such conduct on their part always leads\nto considerable happiness and advantage. If the wife does not like her\nhusband or fails to gladden him, from such dislike and absence of joy,\nthe husband can never have issue for increasing his race. Women, O king,\nshould always be worshipped and treated with affection. There where women\nare treated with respect, the very deities are said to be filled with\njoy. There where women are not worshipped, all acts become fruitless. If\nthe women of a family, in consequence of the treatment they receive,\ngrieve and shed tears, that family soon becomes extinct. Those houses\nthat are cursed by women meet with destruction and ruin as if scorched by\nsome Atharvan rite. Such houses lose their splendour. Their growth and\nprosperity cease. O king, Manu, on the eve of his departure for Heaven,\nmade over women to the care and protection of men, saying that they are\nweak, that they fall an easy prey to the seductive wiles of men,[294]\ndisposed to accept the love that is offered them, and devoted to truth.\nThere are others among them that are full of malice, covetous of honours,\nfierce in disposition, unlovable, and impervious to reason. Women,\nhowever, deserve to be honoured. Do ye men show them honour. The\nrighteousness of men depends upon women. All pleasures and enjoyments\nalso completely depend upon them. Do ye serve them and worship them. Do\nye bend your wills before them. The begetting of offspring, the nursing\nof children already born, and the accomplishment of all acts necessary\nfor the needs of society, behold, all these have women for their cause.\nBy honouring women, ye are sure to attain to the fruition of all objects.\nIn this connection a princess of the house of Janaka the ruler of the\nVidehas, sang a verse. It is this: Women have no sacrifices ordained for\nthem. There are no Sraddhas which they are called upon to perform. They\nare not required to observe any fasts. To serve their husbands with\nreverence and willing obedience is their only duty. Through the discharge\nof that duty they succeed in conquering heaven. In childhood, the sire\nprotects her. The husband protects her in youth. When she becomes old,\nher sons protect her. At no period of her life does woman deserve to be\nfree. Deities of prosperity are women. The person that desire affluence\nand prosperity should honour them. By cherishing women, O Bharata, one\ncherishes the goddess of prosperity herself, and by afflicting her, one\nis said to afflict the goddess of prosperity.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou art fully conversant with the ordinances of all\nthe scriptures. Thou art the foremost of those that are acquainted with\nthe duties of kings. Thou art celebrated over the whole world as a great\ndispeller of doubts. I have a doubt, do thou explain it to me, O\ngrandsire! As regards this doubt that has arisen in my mind, I shall not\nask any other person for its solution. It behoveth thee, O thou of mighty\narms, to expound as to how a man should conduct himself who is desirous\nof treading along the path of duty and righteousness. It has been laid\ndown, O grandsire, that a Brahmana can take four wives, viz., one that\nbelongs to his own order, one that is a Kshatriya, one that is a Vaisya,\nand one that is a Sudra, if the Brahmana wishes to indulge in the desire\nof sexual intercourse. Tell me, O best of the Kurus, which amongst those\nsons deserves to inherit the father's wealth one after another? Who\namongst them, O grandsire, shall take what share of the paternal wealth?\nI desire to hear this, viz., how the distribution has been ordained\namongst them of the paternal property.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya are regarded\nas the three regenerate orders. To wed in these three orders has been\nordained to be the duty of the Brahmana, O Yudhishthira. Through\nerroneous judgment or cupidity or lust, O scorcher of foes, a Brahmana\ntakes a Sudra wife. Such a wife, however, he is not competent to take\naccording to the scriptures. A Brahmana, by taking a Sudra woman to his\nbed, attains to a low end in the next world. He should, having done such\nan act, undergo expiation according to the rites laid down in the\nscriptures. That expiation must be twice heavier or severer if in\nconsequence of such an act, O Yudhishthira, the Brahmana gets offspring.\nI shall now tell thee, O Bharata, how the (paternal) wealth is to be\ndistributed (among the children of the different spouses.) The son born\nof the Brahmana wife shall, in the first place, appropriate from his\nfather's wealth a bull of good marks, and the best car or vehicle. What\nremains of the Brahmana's property, O Yudhishthira, after this should be\ndivided into ten equal portions. The son by the Brahmana wife shall take\nfour of such portions of the paternal wealth. The son that is born of the\nKshatriya wife is, without doubt, possessed of the status of a Brahmana.\nIn consequence, however, of the distinction attaching to his mother, he\nshall take three of the ten shares into which the property has been\ndivided. The son that has been born of the wife belonging to the third\norder, viz., the woman of the Vaisya caste, by the Brahmana sire, shall\ntake, O Yudhishthira, two of the three remaining shares of the father's\nproperty. It has been said that the son that has been begotten by the\nBrahmana sire upon the Sudra wife should not take any portion of the\nfather's wealth, for he is not to be considered an heir. A little,\nhowever, of the paternal wealth should be given to the son of the Sudra\nwife, hence the one remaining share should be given to him out of\ncompassion. Even this should be the order of the ten shares into which\nthe Brahmana's wealth is to be divided. All the sons that are born of the\nsame mother or of mothers of the same order, shall share equally the\nportion that is theirs. The son born of the Sudra wife should not be\nregarded as invested with the status of a Brahmana in consequence of his\nbeing unskilled (in the scriptures and the duties ordained for the\nBrahmana). Only those children that are born of wives belonging to the\nthree higher orders should be regarded as invested with the status of\nBrahmanas. It has been said that there are only four orders, there is no\nfifth that has been enumerated. The son by the Sudra wife shall take the\ntenth part of his sire's wealth (that remains after the allotment has\nbeen made to the others in the way spoken of). That share, however, he is\nto take only when his sire has given it to him. He shall not take it if\nhis sire does not give it unto him. Some portion of the sire's wealth\nshould without doubt, be given, O Bharata, to the son of the Sudra wife.\nCompassion is one of the highest virtues. It is through compassion that\nsomething is given to the son of the Sudra wife. Whatever be the object\nin respect of which compassion arises, as a cardinal virtue it is always\nproductive of merit. Whether the sire happens to have children (by his\nspouses belonging to the other orders) or to have no children (by such\nspouses), unto the son by the Sudra wife, O Bharata, nothing more than a\ntenth part of the sire's wealth should be given. If a Brahmana happens to\nhave more wealth than what is necessary for maintaining himself and his\nfamily for three years, he should with that wealth perform sacrifices. A\nBrahmana should never acquire wealth for nothing.[295] The highest sum\nthat the husband should give unto the wife is three thousand coins (of\nthe prevailing currency). The wealth that the husband gives unto the\nwife, the latter may spend or dispose of as she likes. Upon the death of\nthe childless husband, the wife shall enjoy all his wealth. (She shall\nnot, however, sell or otherwise dispose of any portion of it). The wife\nshould never take (without her husband's knowledge) any portion of her\nhusband's wealth. Whatever wealth, O Yudhishthira, the Brahmana wife may\nacquire by gift from her father, should be taken (after her death) by her\ndaughter, for the daughter is like the son. The daughter, O king, has\nbeen ordained in the scriptures, to be equal to the son, O delighter of\nthe Kurus. Even thus hath the law of inheritance been ordained, O bull of\nBharata's race. Remembering these ordinances about the distribution and\ndisposal of wealth, one should never acquire wealth uselessly.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If the son born of a Sudra woman by a Brahmana\nfather has been declared in the scriptures to be disentitled to any\nwealth, by what exceptional rule then is a tenth part of the paternal\nproperty to be given to him? A son born of a Brahmana wife by a Brahmana\nis unquestionably a Brahmana. One born of a Kshatriya wife or of a Vaisya\nwife, by a Brahmana husband, is similarly invested with the status of a\nBrahmana. Why then, O best of kings, are such sons to share the paternal\nwealth unequally? All of them, thou hast said, are Brahmanas, having been\nborn of mothers that belong to the three higher orders equally entitled\nto the name of regenerate.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O scorcher of foes, all spouses in this world are called\nby the name of Data. Although that name is applied to all, yet there is\nthis great distinction to be observed. If, having married three wives\nbelonging to the three other orders, a Brahmana takes a Brahmana wife the\nvery last of all yet shall she be regarded as the first in rank among all\nthe wives, and as deserving of the greatest respect. Indeed, among all\nthe co-wives, she shall be the foremost in consideration. In her\napartments should be kept all those articles that are necessary in view\nof the husband's baths, personal decorations, washing of teeth, and\napplication of collyrium to the eyes. In her apartments should be kept\nthe Havya and the Kavya and all else that the husband may require for the\nperformance of his religious acts. If the Brahmana wife is in the house,\nno other wife is entitled to attend to these needs of the husband. Only\nthe Brahmana wife, O Yudhishthira, should assist in these acts of the\nhusband. The husband's food and drink and garlands and robes and\nornaments, all these should be given by the Brahmana wife to the husband,\nfor she is the foremost in rank and consideration among all the spouses\nof the husband. These are the ordinances of the scriptures as laid down\nby Manu, O delighter of the Kurus! Even this, O monarch, is seen to be\nthe course of eternal usage. If a Brahmana, O Yudhishthira, led by lust,\nacts in a different way, he shall come to be regarded as a Chandala among\nBrahmanas.[296] The son born of the Kshatriya wife has been said to be\nequal in status to the son born of the Brahmana wife. For all that, a\ndistinction attaches to the son of the Brahmana wife in consequence of\nthe superiority of the Brahmana to the Kshatriya in respect of the order\nof birth. The Kshatriya cannot be regarded as equal to the Brahmana woman\nin point of birth. Hence, O best of kings, the son born of the Brahmana\nwife must be regarded as the first in rank and superior to the son born\nof the Kshatriya wife. Because, again the Kshatriya is not equal in point\nof birth to the Brahmana wife, hence the son of the Brahmana wife takes\none after another, all the best things, O Yudhishthira, among his\nfather's possessions. Similarly, the Vaisya cannot be regarded as the\nequal of the Kshatriya in point of birth. Prosperity, kingdom, and\ntreasury, O Yudhishthira, belong to the Kshatriya. All these have been\nordained for the Kshatriya. The whole earth, O king, with her belt of\nseas, is seen to belong to him. By following the duties of his own order,\nthe Kshatriya acquires an extensive affluence. The sceptre of royalty is\nheld by him. Without the Kshatriya, O king, there can be no protection.\nThe Brahmanas are highly blessed, for they are the deities of the very\ndeities. Following the ordinances laid down by the Rishis, the Kshatriyas\nshould worship the Brahmanas according to due rites. Even this is the\neternal usage. Coveted by thieves and others, the possessions of all men\nare protected by Kshatriyas in the observance of the duties assigned to\ntheir order. Indeed, wealth and spouses and every other possession owned\nby people would have been forcibly taken away but for this protection\nthat the Kshatriyas afford. The Kshatriya, as the king, becomes the\nprotector or rescuer of all the others. Hence, the son of the Kshatriya\nwife shall, without doubt, be held to be superior to him that is born of\nthe Vaisya wife. The son of the Kshatriya wife, for this, takes a larger\nshare of the paternal property than the son of the Vaisya mother.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast duly said what the rules are that apply to\nBrahmanas. What, however, are the rules that apply to the others?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"For the Kshatriya, O delighter of the Kurus, two wives\nhave been ordained. The Kshatriya may take a third wife from the Sudra\norder. Such practice prevails, it is true, but it is not sanctioned by\nthe scriptures. Even this should be the order, O Yudhisthira, of the\nspouses of a Kshatriya. The property of a Kshatriya should, O king, be\ndivided into eight shares. The son of the Kshatriya wife shall take four\nof such shares of the paternal property. The son of the Vaisya wife shall\ntake three of such shares. The remaining one or the eighth share shall be\ntaken by the son of the Sudra wife. The son of the Sudra wife, however,\nshall take only when the father gives but not otherwise. For the Vaisya\nonly one wife has been ordained. A second wife is taken from the Sudra\norder. The practice prevails, it is true, but it is not sanctioned by the\nscriptures. If a Vaisya has two wives, one of whom is a Vaisya and the\nother a Sudra, there is a difference between them in respect of status.\nThe wealth of a Vaisya, O chief of Bharata's race, should be divided into\nfive portions. I shall now speak of the sons of a Vaisya by a wife of his\nown order and by one belonging to the inferior order, as also of the\nmanner in which, O king his wealth is to be distributed among those\nchildren. The son born of the Vaisya wife shall take four of such shares\nof his father's wealth. The fifth share, O Bharata, has been said to\nbelong to the son born of the Sudra wife. Such a son, however, shall take\nwhen the father gives. He should not take anything unless the father\ngives it to him. The son that is begotten on a Sudra wife by persons of\nthe three higher orders should always be regarded as disentitled to any\nshare of the sire's wealth. The Sudra should have only one wife taken\nfrom his own order. He can under no circumstances, take any other spouse.\nEven if he happens to have a century of sons by such a spouse, all of\nthem share equally the wealth that he may leave behind. As regards all\nthe orders, the children born of the spouse taken from the husband's own\norder shall, it has been laid down, share equally the father's wealth.\nThe eldest son's share shall be greater than that of every other son, for\nhe shall take one share more than each of his brothers, consisting of the\nbest things of his father. Even this is the law of inheritance, O son of\nPritha, as declared by the Self-born himself. Amongst children all born\nof the spouse taken from the husband's own order, there is another\ndistinction, O king! In marrying, the elder ones should always precede\nthe younger ones. The spouses being all equal in respect of their order\nof birth, and the children also being all equal in respect of the status\nof their mothers, the son that is first-born shall take one share more\nthan each of his other brothers. The son that comes next in point of age\nshall take a share that is next in value, while the son that is youngest\nshall take the share that belongs to the youngest.[297] Thus among\nspouses of all orders, they that belong to the same order with the\nhusband are regarded as the first. Even this is what was declared by the\ngreat Rishi Kasyapa the son of Marichi.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Through inducements offered by wealth, or through\nmere lust, or through ignorance of the true order of birth (of both males\nand females), or through folly, intermixture happens of the several orders.\nWhat, O grandsire, are the duties of persons that are born in the mixed\nclasses and what are the acts laid down for them? Do thou discourse to me\non this!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In the beginning, the Lord of all creatures created the\nfour orders and laid down their respective acts or duties, for the sake\nof sacrifice.[298] The Brahmana may take four wives, one from each of the\nfour orders. In two of them (viz., the wife taken from his own order and\nthat taken from the one next below), he takes birth himself (the children\nbegotten upon them being regarded as invested with the same status as his\nown). Those sons, however, that are begotten by him on the two spouses\nthat belong to the next two orders (viz., Vaisya and Sudra), are\ninferior, their status being determined not by that of their father but\nby that of their mothers. The son that is begotten by a Brahmana upon a\nSudra wife is called Parasara, implying one born of a corpse, for the\nSudra woman's body is as inauspicious as a corpse. He should serve the\npersons of his (father's) race. Indeed, it is not proper for him to give\nup the duty of service that has been laid down for him. Adopting all\nmeans in his power, he should uphold the burden of his family. Even if he\nhappens to be elder in age, he should still dutifully serve the other\nchildren of his father who may be younger to him in years, and bestow\nupon them whatever he may succeed in earning. A Kshatriya may take three\nwives. In two of them (viz., the one taken from his own order and the\nother that is taken from the order immediately below), he takes birth\nhimself (so that those children are invested with the status of his own\norder). His third wife being of the Sudra order is regarded as very\ninferior. The son that he begets upon her comes to be called as an Ugra.\nThe Vaisya may take two spouses. In both of them (viz., the one taken\nfrom his own order, and the other from the lowest of the four pure\norders), he takes birth himself (so that those children become invested\nwith the status of his own order). The Sudra can take only one wife,\nviz., she that is taken from his own order. The son begotten by him upon\nher becomes a Sudra. A son that takes birth under circumstances other\nthan those mentioned above, comes to be looked upon as a very inferior\none. If a person of a lower order begets a son upon a woman of a superior\norder, such a son is regarded as outside the pale of the four pure\norders. Indeed, such a son becomes on object of censure with the four\nprincipal orders. If a Kshatriya begets a son upon a Brahmana woman, such\na son, without being included in any of the four pure orders, comes to be\nregarded as a Suta. The duties of a Suta are all connected with the\nreciting of eulogies and encomiums of kings and other great men. The son\nbegotten by a Vaisya upon a woman of the Brahmana order comes to be\nregarded as a Vaidehaka. The duties assigned to him are the charge of\nbars and bolts for protecting the privacy of women of respectable\nhouseholds. Such sons have no cleansing rites laid down for them.[299] If\na Sudra unites with a woman belonging to the foremost of the four orders,\nthe son that is begotten is called a Chandala. Endued with a fierce\ndisposition, he must live in the outskirts of cities and towns and the\nduty assigned to him is that of the public executioner. Such sons are\nalways regarded as wretches of their race. These, O foremost of\nintelligent persons, are the offspring of intermixed orders. The son\nbegotten by a Vaisya upon a Kshatriya woman becomes a Vandi or Magadha.\nThe duties assigned to him are eloquent recitations of praise. The son\nbegotten through transgression, by a Sudra upon a Kshatriya woman,\nbecomes a Nishada and the duties assigned to him have reference to the\ncatching of fish. If a Sudra happens to have intercourse with a Vaisya\nwoman, the son begotten upon her comes to be called Ayogava. The duty\nassigned to such a person are those of a Takshan (carpenter). They that\nare Brahmanas should never accept gifts from such a person. They are not\nentitled to possess any kind of wealth. Persons belonging to the mixed\ncastes beget upon spouses taken from their own castes children invested\nwith the status that is their own. When they beget children in women\ntaken from castes that are inferior to theirs, such children become\ninferior to their fathers, for they become invested with the status that\nbelongs to their mothers. Thus as regards the four pure orders, persons\nbeget children invested with their own status upon spouses taken from\ntheir own orders as also upon them that are taken from the orders\nimmediately below their own. When, however, offspring are begotten upon\nother spouses, they come to be regarded as invested with a status that\nis, principally, outside the pale of the four pure orders. When such\nchildren beget sons in women taken from their own classes, those sons\ntake the status of their sires. It is only when they take spouse from\ncastes other than their own, that the children they beget become invested\nwith inferior status. As an example of this it may be said that a Sudra\nbegets upon a woman belonging to the most superior order a son that is\noutside the pale of the four orders (for such a son comes to be regarded\nas a Chandala who is much inferior). The son that is outside the pale of\nthe four orders by uniting with women belonging to the four principal\norders, begets offspring that are further degraded in point of status.\nFrom those outside the pale of the four orders and those again that are\nfurther outside that pale, children multiply in consequence of the union\nof persons with women of classes superior to their own. In this way, from\npersons of inferior status classes spring up, altogether fifteen in\nnumber, that are equally low or still lower in status. It is only from\nsexual union of women with persons who should not have such union with\nthem that mixed classes spring up. Among the classes that are thus\noutside the pale of the four principal or pure orders, children are\nbegotten upon women belonging to the class called Sairindhri by men of\nthe class called Magadha. The occupation of such offspring is the\nadornment of the bodies of kinds and others. They are well-acquainted\nwith the preparation of unguents, the making of wreaths, and the\nmanufacture of articles used for the decoration of the person. Though\nfree by the status that attaches to them by birth, they should yet lead a\nlife of service. From the union of Magadhas of a certain class with women\nof the caste called Sairindhri, there springs up another caste called\nAyogava. Their occupation consists in the making of nets (for catching\nfish and fowl and animals of the chase). Vaidehas, by uniting themselves\nwith women of the Sairindhri caste, beget children called Maireyakas\nwhose occupation consists in the manufacture of wines and spirits. From\nthe Nishadas spring a caste called Madgura and another known by the name\nof Dasas whose occupation consists in plying boats. From the Chandala\nsprings a race called Swapaka whose occupation consists in keeping guard\nover the dead. The women of the Magadhi caste, by union with these four\ncastes of wicked dispositions produce four others who live by practising\ndeceit. These are Mansa, Swadukara, Kshaudra, and Saugandha. From the\nVaideha springs up a cruel and sinful caste that lives by practising\ndeception. From the Nishadas again springs up the Madranabha caste whose\nmembers are seen to ride on cars drawn by asses. From the Chandalas\nsprings up the caste called Pukkasa whose members are seen to eat the\nflesh of asses, horses and elephants. These cover themselves with the\ngarments obtained by stripping human corpses. They are again seen to eat\nfrom broken earthenware[300]. These three castes of very low status are\nborn of women of the Ayogava caste (by fathers taken from different\ncastes). The caste called Kshudra springs from the Vaidehaka. The caste\ncalled Andhra which takes up its residence in the outskirts of towns and\ncities, also springs up (from the Vaidehakas). Then again the Charmakara,\nuniting himself with a woman of Nishada caste, begets the class called\nKaravara. From the Chandala again springs up the caste known by the name\nof Pandusaupaka whose occupation consists in making baskets and other\nthings with cleft bamboos. From the union of the Nishada with a woman of\nthe Vaidehi caste springs one who is called by the name of Ahindaka. The\nChandala begets upon a Saupaka woman, a son that does not differ from the\nChandala in status or occupation. A Nishada woman, by union with a\nChandala, brings forth a son who lives in the outskirts of villages and\ntowns. Indeed, the members of such a caste live in crematoria and are\nregarded by the very lowest orders as incapable of being numbered among\nthem. Thus to these mixed castes spring up from improper and sinful union\nof fathers and mothers belonging to different castes. Whether they live\nin concealment or openly, they should be known by their occupations. The\nduties have been laid down in the scriptures for only the four principal\norders. As regards the others the scriptures are entirely silent. Among\nall the orders, the members of those castes that have no duties assigned\nto them by the scriptures, need have no fears as to what they do (to earn\ntheir livelihood). Persons unaccustomed to the performance or for whom\nsacrifices have not been laid down, and who are deprived of the company\nand the instructions of the righteous whether numbered among the four\nprincipal orders or out of their pale, by uniting themselves with women\nof other castes, led not by considerations of righteousness but by\nuncontrolled lust, cause numerous mixed castes to come into existence\nwhose occupations and abodes depend on the circumstances connected with\nthe irregular unions to which they owe their origin. Having recourse to\nspots where four roads meet, or crematoria, or hills and mountains, or\nforests and trees, they build their habitations there. The ornaments they\nwear are made of iron. Living in such places openly, they betake\nthemselves to their own occupations to earn their livelihood. They may be\nseen to live in this way, adorning their persons with ornaments and\nemployed in the task of manufacturing diverse kinds of domestic and other\nutensils. Without doubt, by assisting kine and Brahmanas, and practising\nthe virtues of abstention from cruelty, compassion, truthfulness of\nspeech, and forgiveness, and, if need be, by preserving others by laying\ndown their very lives, persons of the mixed castes may achieve success. I\nhave no doubt, O chief of men, that these virtues become the causes of\ntheir success. He that is possessed of intelligence, should, taking\neverything into consideration, beget offspring according to the\nordinances of the scriptures, upon women that have been declared proper\nor fit for him. A son begotten upon a woman belonging to a degraded\ncaste, instead of rescuing the sire, brings him to grief even as a heavy\nweight brings to grief a swimmer desirous of crossing water. Whether a\nman happens to be possessed of learning or not, lust and wrath are\nnatural attributes of humanity in this world. Women, therefore, may\nalways be seen to drag men into the wrong path. This natural disposition\nof women is such that man's contact with her is productive of misery to\nhim. Hence, men possessed of wisdom do not suffer themselves to be\nexcessively attached to women.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"There are men who belong to the mixed castes, and\nwho are of very impure birth. Though presenting the features of\nrespectability, they are in reality disrespectable. In consequence of\nthese external aspects we may not be able to know the truth about their\nbirth. Are there any signs, O grandsire, by which the truth may be known\nabout the origin of such men?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A person that is born of an irregular union presents\ndiverse features of disposition. One's purity of birth, again, is to be\nascertained from one's acts which must resemble the acts of those who are\nadmittedly good and righteous. A disrespectable behaviour, acts opposed\nto those laid down in the scriptures, crookedness and cruelty, and\nabstention from sacrifices and other spiritual acts that lead to merit,\nproclaim one's impurity of origin. A son receives the disposition of\neither the sire or the mother. Sometimes he catches the dispositions of\nboth. A person of impure birth can never succeed in concealing his true\ndisposition. As the cub of a tiger or a leopard resembles its sire and\ndam in form and in (the matter of) its stripes of spots, even so a person\ncannot but betray the circumstance of his origin. However covered may the\ncourse of one's descent be, if that descent happens to be impure, its\ncharacter or disposition is sure to manifest itself slightly or largely.\nA person may, for purposes of his own, choose to tread on an insincere\npath, displaying such conduct as seems to be righteous. His own\ndisposition, however, in the matter of those acts that he does, always\nproclaims whether he belongs to a good order or to a different one.\nCreatures in the world are endued with diverse kinds of disposition. They\nare, again, seen to be employed in diverse kinds of acts. Amongst\ncreatures thus employed, there is nothing that is so good or precious as\npure birth and righteous conduct. If a person be born in a low order,\nthat good understanding which arises from a study of the scriptures fails\nto rescue his body from low acts. Absolute goodness of understanding may\nbe of different degrees. It may be high, middling, or low. Even if it\nappears in a person of low extraction, it disappears like autumnal clouds\nwithout producing any consequences. On the other hand, that other\ngoodness of understanding which, according to its measure, has ordained\nthe status in which the person has been born, shows itself in his\nacts[301]. If a person happens to belong to a superior order but still if\nhe happens to be divested of good behaviour, he should receive no respect\nor worship. One may worship even a Sudra if he happens to be conversant\nwith duties and be of good conduct. A person proclaims himself by his own\ngood and acts and by his good or bad disposition and birth. If one's race\nof birth happens to be degraded for any reason, one soon raises it and\nmakes it resplendent and famous by one's acts. For these reasons they\nthat are endued with wisdom should avoid those women, among these diverse\ncastes mixed or pure, upon whom they should not beget offspring.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Do thou discourse to us, O sire, upon the orders and\nclasses separately, upon different kinds of sons begotten upon different\ntypes of women, upon the person entitled to have them as sons, and upon\ntheir status in life. It is known that disputes frequently arise with\nrespect to sons. It behoveth thee, O king, to solve the doubts that have\ntaken possession of our minds. Indeed, we are stupefied with respect to\nthis subject.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The son of one's loins is regarded as one's own self. The\nson that is begotten upon one's wife by a person whom one has invited for\nthe task, is called Niruktaja. The son that is begotten upon one's wife\nby somebody without one's permission, is Prasritaja. The son begotten\nupon his own wife by a person fallen away from his status is called\nPatitaja. There are two other sons, viz., the son given, and the son\nmade. There is another called Adhyudha.[302] The son born of a maiden in\nher father's house is called Kanina. Besides these, there are six kinds\nof sons called Apadhwansaja and six others that are Apasadas. These are\nthe several kinds of sons mentioned in the scriptures, learn, O Bharata!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Who are the six that are called Apadhwansajas? Who\nalso are the Apasadas? It behoveth thee to explain all these to me in\ndetail.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The sons that a Brahmana begets upon spouses taken from\nthe three inferior orders, those begotten by a Kshatriya upon spouses\ntaken from the two orders inferior to his own, O Bharata, and the sons\nthat a Vaisya begets upon a spouse taken from the one order that is\ninferior to his,--are all called Apadhwansajas. They are, as thus\nexplained, of six kinds. Listen now to me as I tell thee who the\nApasadas are. The son that a Sudra begets upon a Brahmana woman is\ncalled a Chandala. Begotten upon a Kshatriya woman by a person of the\nSudra order, the son is called a Vratya. He who is born of a Vaisya woman\nby a Sudra father is called a Vaidya. These three kinds of sons are\ncalled Apasadas. The Vaisya, by uniting himself with a woman of the\nBrahmana order, begets a son that is called a Magadha, while the son that\nhe gets upon a Kshatriya woman is called a Vamaka. The Kshatriya can\nbeget but one kind of son upon a woman of a superior order. Indeed, the\nson begotten by a Kshatriya upon a Brahmana woman, is called a Suta.\nThese three also are called Apasadas. It cannot be said, O king, that\nthese six kinds of sons are no sons.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Some say that one's son is he that is born in one's\nsoil. Some, on the other hand, say that one's son is he who has been\nbegotten from one's seed. Are both these kinds of sons equal? Where,\nagain, is the son to be? Do thou tell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"His is the son from whose seed he has sprung. If,\nhowever, the owner of the seed abandons the son born of it, such a son\nthen becomes his upon whose spouse he has been begotten. The same rule\napplies to the son called Adhyudha. He belongs to the person from whose\nseed he has taken his birth. If, however, the owner of the seed abandons\nhim, he becomes the son of the husband of his mother.[303] Know that even\nthis is what the law declares.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"We know that the son becomes his from whose seed he\nhas taken birth. Whence does the husband of the woman that brings forth\nthe son derive his right to the latter? Similarly, the son called\nAdhyudha should be known to be the son of him from whose seed he has\nsprung. How can they be sons of others by reasons of the engagement about\nowning and rearing them having been broken?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"He who having begotten a son of his own loins, abandons\nhim for some reason or other, cannot be regarded as the sire of such a\nson, for vital seed only cannot create sonship. Such a son must be held\nto belong to the person who owns the soil. When a man, desiring to have a\nson, weds a girl quick with child, the son born of his spouse must belong\nto him, for it is the fruit of his own soil. The person from whose vital\nseed the son has sprung can have no right to such a son. The son that is\nborn in one's soil but not begotten by the owner, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, bears all the marks of the sire that has actually begotten him (and\nnot the marks of one that is only the husband of his mother). The son\nthus born is incapable of concealing the evidences that physiognomy\noffers. He is at once known by eyesight (to belong to another).[304] As\nregards the son made, he is sometimes regarded as the child of the person\nwho has made him a son and so brings him up. In his case, neither the\nvital seed of which he is born nor the soil in which he is born, becomes\nthe cause of sonship.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What kind of a son is that who is said to be a made\nson and whose sonship arises from the fact of his being taken and brought\nup and in whose case neither the vital seed nor the soil of birth, O\nBharata, is regarded as the cause of sonship?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"When a person takes up and rears a son that has been cast\noff on the road by his father and mother, and when the person thus taking\nand rearing him fails to find out his parents after search, he becomes\nthe father of such a son and the latter becomes what is called his made\nson. Not having anybody to own him, he becomes owned by him who brings\nhim up. Such a son, again, comes to be regarded as belonging to that\norder to which his owner or rearer belongs.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How should the purificatory rites of such a person be\nperformed? In whose case what sort of rites are to be performed? With\nwhat girl should he be wedded? Do thou tell me all this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The rites of purification touching such a son should be\nperformed conformably to the usage of the person himself that raises him,\nfor, cast off by his parents, such a son obtains the order of the person\nthat takes him and brings him up. Indeed, O thou of unfading glory, the\nrearer should perform all the purificatory rites with respect to such a\nson according to the practices of the rearer's own race and kinsmen. As\nregards the girl also, O Yudhishthira, that should be bestowed in\nmarriage upon such a son, who belongs to the order of the rearer himself,\nall this is to be done only when the order of son's true mother cannot be\nascertained. Among sons, he that is born of a maiden and he that is born\nof a mother that had conceived before her marriage but had brought him\nforth subsequent to that are regarded as very disgraceful and degraded.\nEven those two, however, should receive the same rites of purification\nthat are laid down for the sons begotten by the father in lawful wedlock.\nWith respect to the son that becomes his sire's in consequence of his\nbirth in the sire's soil and of those sons that are called Apasadas and\nthose conceived by the spouse in her maidenhood but brought forth after\nmarriage, Brahmanas and others should apply the same rites of\npurification that hold good for their own orders. These are the\nconclusions that are to be found in the scriptures with respect to the\ndifferent orders. I have thus told thee everything appertaining to thy\nquestions. What else dost thou wish to hear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION L\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What is the nature of the compassion or pity that is\nfelt at the sight of another's woe? What is the nature of that compassion\nor sympathy that one feels for another in consequence of one's living in\nthe companionship of that other? What is the nature (and degree) of the\nhigh blessedness that attaches to kine? It behoveth thee, O grandsire, to\nexpound all this to me.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall, in this connection, O thou of great effulgence,\nrecite to thee an ancient narrative of a conversation between Nahusha and\nthe Rishi Chyavana. In days of yore O Chief of Bharata's race, the great\nRishi Chyavana of Bhrigu's race, always observant of high vows, became\ndesirous of leading for some time the mode of life called Udavasa and set\nhimself to commence it. Casting off pride and wrath and joy and grief,\nthe ascetic, pledging himself to observe that vow, set himself to live\nfor twelve years according to the rules of Udavasa. The Rishi inspired\nall creatures with a happy trust. And he inspired similar confidence in\nall creatures living in water. The puissant ascetic resembled the Moon\nhimself in his behaviour to all. Bowing unto all the deities and having\ncleansed himself of all sins, he entered the water at the confluence of\nthe Ganga and the Yamuna, and stood there like an inanimate post of wood.\nPlacing his head against it, he bore the fierce and roaring current of\nthe two streams united together,--the current whose speed resembled that\nof the wind itself. The Ganga and the Yamuna, however, and the other\nstreams and lakes, whose waters unite together at the confluence at\nPrayaga, instead of afflicting the Rishi, went past him (to show him\nrespect). Assuming the attitude of a wooden post, the great Muni\nsometimes laid himself down in the water and slept at ease. And\nsometimes, O chief of Bharata's race, the intelligent sage stood in an\nerect posture. He became quite agreeable unto all creatures living in\nwater. Without the least fear, all these used to smell the Rishi's lips.\nIn this way, the Rishi passed a long time at that grand confluence of\nwaters. One day some fishermen came there. With nets in their hands, O\nthou of great effulgence, those men came to that spot where the Rishi\nwas. They were many in number and all of them were bent upon catching\nfish. Well-formed and broad-chested, endued with great strength and\ncourage and never returning in fear from water, those men who lived upon\nthe earnings by their nets, came to that spot, resolved to catch fish.\nArrived at the water which contained many fish, those fishermen, O chief\nof the Bharatas, tied all their nets together. Desirous of fish, those\nKaivartas, many in number united together and surrounded a portion of the\nwaters of the Ganga and the Yamuna with their nets. Indeed, they then\ncast into water their net which was made of new strings, capable of\ncovering a large space, and endued with sufficient length and breadth.\nAll of them, getting into the water, then began to drag with great force\nthat net of theirs which was very large and had been well-spread over a\nlarge space. All of them were free from fear, cheerful, and fully\nresolved to do one another's bidding. They had succeeded in enmeshing a\nlarge number of fish and other aquatic animals. And as they dragged their\nnet, O king, they easily dragged up Chyavana the son of Bhrigu along with\na large number of fish. His body was overgrown with the river moss. His\nbeard and matted locks had become green. And all over his person could be\nseen conchs and other molluscs attached with their heads. Beholding that\nRishi who was well-conversant with the Vedas dragged up by them from\nwater, all the fishermen stood with joined palms and then prostrated\nthemselves on the ground and repeatedly bent their heads. Through fear\nand pain caused by the dragging of the net, and in consequence of their\nbeing brought upon land, the fish enmeshed in the net yielded up their\nlives. The ascetic, beholding that great slaughter of fishes, became\nfilled with compassion and sighed repeatedly.\n\n\"'\"The fishermen said, 'We have committed this sin (of dragging thy sacred\nself from water) through ignorance. Be gratified with us! What wish of\nthine shall we accomplish? Command us, O great ascetic!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"This addressed by them, Chyavana, from among that\nheap of fishes around him, said, 'Do ye with concentrated attention hear\nwhat my most cherished wish is. I shall either die with these fishes or\ndo ye sell me with them. I have lived with them for a long time within\nthe water. I do not wish to abandon them at such a time.' When he said\nthese words unto them, the fishermen became exceedingly terrified. With\npale faces they repaired to king Nahusha and informed him of all that had\ntaken place.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"King Nahusha hearing the pass to which Chyavana was\nreduced, quickly proceeded to that spot accompanied by his ministers and\npriest. Having cleansed himself duly, the king, with joined palms and\nconcentrated attention, introduced himself unto the high-souled Chyavana.\nThe king's priest then worshipped with due ceremonies that Rishi, O\nmonarch, who was observant of the vow of truth and endued with a high\nsoul, and who resembled a god himself (in splendour and energy).\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Tell me, O best of regenerate persons, what act shall we\ndo that may be agreeable to thee? However difficult that act may be,\nthere is nothing, O holy one, that I shall not be able to accomplish at\nthy bidding.'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'These men that live by catching fish have all been tired\nwith labour. Do thou pay them the price that may be set upon me along\nwith the value of these fish.'\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Let my priest give unto these Nishadas a thousand coins\nas a price for purchasing these sacred one as he himself has commanded.'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'A thousand coins cannot represent my price. The question\ndepends upon your discretion. Give them a fair value, settling with thy\nown intelligence what it should be.'\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Let, O learned Brahmana, a hundred thousand coins be\ngiven unto these Nishadas. Shall this be thy price, O holy one, or dost\nthink otherwise?'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'I should not be purchased for a hundred thousand coins,\nO best of monarchs! Let a proper price be given unto them. Do thou\nconsult with thy ministers.'\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Let my priest give unto these Nishadas a crore of coins.\nIf even this does not represent thy price, let more be paid unto them.'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'O king, I do not deserve to be purchased for a crore of\ncoins or even more. Let that price be given unto those men which would be\nfair or proper. Do thou consult with the Brahmanas.'\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Let half of my kingdom or even the whole be given away\nunto these Nishadas. I think that would represent thy price. What,\nhowever, dost thou think, O regenerate one?'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'I do not deserve to be purchased with half thy kingdom\nor even the whole of it, O king! Let thy price which is proper be given\nunto these men. Do thou consult with the Rishis.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the great Rishi, Nahusha\nbecame afflicted with great grief. With his ministers and priest he began\nto deliberate on the matter. There then came unto king Nahusha an ascetic\nliving in the woods and subsisting upon fruit and roots and born of a\ncow. That best of regenerate persons, addressing the monarch, O king,\nsaid these words, 'I shall soon gratify thee. The Rishi also will be\ngratified. I shall never speak an untruth.--no, not even in jest, what\nthen need I say of other occasions? Thou shouldst, without any scruple,\ndo what I bid thee.'\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Do thou, O illustrious one, say what the price is of that\ngreat Rishi of Bhrigu's race. O, save me from this terrible pass, save my\nkingdom, and save my race! If the holy Chyavana became angry, he would\ndestroy the three worlds: what need I say them of my poor self who is\ndestitute of penances and who depends only upon the might of his arm? O\ngreat Rishi, do thou become the raft unto us that have all fallen into a\nfathomless ocean with all our counsellors and our priest! Do thou settle\nwhat the price should be of the Rishi.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing these words of Nahusha, the ascetic born of a cow\nand endued with great energy spoke in this strain, gladdening the monarch\nand all his counsellors, 'Brahmanas, O king, belong to the foremost of\nthe four orders. No value, however great, can be set upon them. Cows also\nare invaluable. Therefore, O chief of men, do thou regard a cow as the\nvalue of the Rishi.' Hearing these words of the great Rishi, Nahusha\nbecame, O king, filled with joy along with all his counsellors and\npriest. Proceeding then to the presence of Bhrigu's son, Chyavana, of\nrigid vows, he addressed him thus, O monarch, for gratifying him to the\nbest of his ability.\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Rise, rise, O regenerate Rishi, thou hast been purchased,\nO son of Bhirgu, with a cow as thy price. O foremost of righteous\npersons, even this, I think, is thy price.'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said. 'Yes, O king of kings, I do rise up. I have been properly\npurchased by thee, O sinless one! I do not, O thou of unfading glory, see\nany wealth that is equal to kine. To speak of kine, to hear others speak\nof them, to make gifts of kine, and to see kine, O king, are acts that\nare all applauded, O hero, and that are highly auspicious and\nsin-cleansing. Kine are always the root of prosperity. There is no fault\nin kine. Kine always afford the best food, in the form of Havi, unto the\ndeities. The sacred Mantras, Swaha and Vashat, are always established\nupon kine. Kine are the chief conductresses of sacrifices. They\nconstitute the mouth of sacrifice. They bear and yield excellent and\nstrength-giving nectar. They receive the worship of all the worlds and\nare regarded as the source of nectar. On earth, kine resemble fire in\nenergy and form. Verily, kine represent high energy, and are bestowers of\ngreat happiness upon all creatures. That country where kine, established\nby their owners, breathe fearlessly, shines in beauty. The sins also of\nthat country are all washed off. Kine constitute the stairs that lead to\nheaven. Kine are adored in heaven itself. Kine are goddesses that are\ncompetent to give everything and grant every wish. There is nothing else\nin the world that is so high or so superior!'\"[305]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Even this is what I say unto thee on the subject of\nthe glory and superiority of kine, O chief of Bharata's race. I am\ncompetent to proclaim a part only of the merits that attach to kine. I\nhave not the ability to exhaust the subject!\n\n\"'\"Then Nishadas said, 'O ascetic, thou hast seen us and hast also spoken\nwith us. It has been said that friendship with those that are good,\ndepends upon only seven words[306]. Do thou then, O lord, show us thy\ngrace. The blazing sacrificial fire eats all the oblations of clarified\nbutter poured upon it. Of righteous soul, and possessed of great energy\nthou art among men, a blazing fire in energy. We propitiate thee, O thou\nof great learning! We surrender ourselves to thee. Do thou, for showing\nus favour, take back from us this cow.'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'The eye of a person that is poor or that has fallen into\ndistress, the eye of an ascetic, or the eye of a snake of virulent\npoison, consumes a man with his very roots, even as a fire that, blazing\nup with the assistance of the wind, consumes a stack of dry grass or\nstraw. I shall accept the cow that ye desire to present me. Ye fishermen,\nfreed from every sin, go ye to heaven without any delay, with these\nfishes also that ye have caught with your nets.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After this, in consequence of the energy of the\ngreat Rishi of cleansed soul, those fishermen along with all those fish\nthrough virtue of those words that he had uttered, proceeded to heaven.\nKing Nahusha, beholding the fishermen ascending to heaven with those\nfishes in their company, became filled with wonder, O chief of Bharata's\nrace. After this, the two Rishis, viz., the one born of a cow and the\nother who was Chyavana of Bhrigu's race, gladdened king Nahusha by\ngranting him many boons. Then king Nahusha of great energy, that lord of\nall the earth, filled with joy, O best of the Bharatas, said,\n'Sufficient!' Like unto a second Indra, the chief of the celestials, he\naccepted the boon about his own steadiness in virtue. The Rishis having\ngranted him the boon, the delighted king worshipped them both with great\nreverence. As regards Chyavana, his vow having been completed, he\nreturned to his own asylum. The Rishi that had taken his birth from the\ncow, and who was endued with great energy, also proceeded to his own\nretreat. The Nishadas all ascended to heaven as also the fishes they had\ncaught, O monarch. King Nahusha, too, having obtained those valuable\nboons, entered his own city. I have thus, O son, told thee everything\nrespecting what thou hadst asked me. The affection that is generated by\nthe sight alone of others as also by the fact of living with them, O\nYudhishthira, and the high-blessedness of kine too, and the ascertainment\nof true righteousness, are the topics upon which I have discoursed. Tell\nme, O hero what else is in thy breast.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou of great wisdom, a doubt I have that is very\ngreat and that is as vast as the ocean itself. Listen to it, O\nmighty-armed one and having learnt what it is, it behoves thee to explain\nit unto me. I have a great curiosity with respect to Jamadagni's son, O\nlord, viz., Rama, that foremost of all righteous persons. It behoveth\nthee to gratify that curiosity. How was Rama born who was endued with\nprowess incapable of being baffled? He belonged by birth to a race of\nregenerate Rishis. How did he become a follower of Kshatriya practices?\nDo thou, then, O king, recite to me in detail the circumstances of Rama's\nbirth. How also did a son of the race of Kusika who was Kshatriya become\na Brahmana? Great, without doubt, was the puissance of the high-souled\nRama, O chief of men, as also of Viswamitra. Why did the grandson of\nRichika instead of his son become a Kshatriya in conduct? Why also did\nthe grandson of Kusika and not his son become a Brahmana? Why did such\nuntoward incidents overtake the grandsons of both, instead of their sons?\nIt behoveth thee to explain the truth in respect of these circumstances.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited an old history of the\ndiscourse between Chyavana and Kusika, O Bharata! Endued with great\nintelligence, Chyavana of Bhrigu's race, that best of ascetics beheld\n(with his spiritual eye) the stain that would affect his own race (in\nconsequence of some descendant of his becoming wedded to Kshatriya\npractice). Reflecting upon the merits and faults of that incident, as\nalso its strength and weakness, Chyavana endued with wealth of asceticism\nbecame desirous of consuming the race of the Kusikas (for it was from\nthat race that the stain of Kshatriya practices would, he knew, affect\nhis own race). Repairing then to the presence of king Kusika, Chyavana\nsaid unto him, 'O sinless one, the desire has arisen in my heart of\ndwelling with thee for some time.'\n\n\"'\"Kusika said, 'O holy one, residence together is an act which the learned\nordain for girls when these are given away. They that are endued with\nwisdom always speak of the practice in such connection only. O Rishi\nendued with wealth of asceticism, the residence which thou seekest with\nme is not sanctioned by the ordinance. Yet, however opposed to the\ndictates of duty and righteousness, I shall do what thou mayst be pleased\nto command.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Ordering a seat to be placed for the great ascetic\nChyavana, king Kusika, accompanied by his wife, stood in the presence of\nthe ascetic. Bringing a little jar of water, the king offered him water\nfor washing his feet. He then, through his servants, caused all the\nrites to be duly performed in honour of his high-souled guest. The\nhigh-souled Kusika, who was observant of restraints and vows, then\ncheerfully presented, according to due forms, the ingredients consisting\nof honey and the other things, to the great Rishi and induced him to\naccept the same. Having welcomed and honoured the learned Brahmana in\nthis way, the king once more addressed him and said, 'We two await thy\norders! Command us what we are to do for thee, O holy one! If it is our\nkingdom or wealth or kine, O thou of rigid vows, or all articles that are\ngiven away in sacrifices, which thou wantest, tell us the word, and we\nshall bestow all upon thee! This palace, the kingdom, this seat of\njustice, await thy pleasure. Thou art the lord of all these! Do thou rule\nthe earth! As regards myself, I am completely dependent upon thee.'\nAddressed in these words by the king, Chyavana of Bhrigu's race, filled\nwith great delight, said unto Kusika these words in reply.\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'I do not, O king, covet thy kingdom, nor thy wealth, nor\nthe damsels thou hast, nor thy kine, nor thy provinces, nor articles\nneeded for sacrifice. Do thou listen to me. If it pleases thee and thy\nwife, I shall commence to observe a certain vow. I desire thee and thy\nwife to serve me during that period without any scruples.' Thus addressed\nby the Rishi, the king and the queen became filled with joy, O Bharata,\nand answered him, saving, 'Be it so, O Rishi!' Delighted with the Rishi's\nwords, the king led him into an apartment of the palace. It was an\nexcellent one, agreeable to see. The king showed him everything in that\nroom. And the king said. 'This, O holy one, is thy bed. Do thou live here\nas thou pleasest! O thou that art endued with wealth of asceticism,\nmyself and my queen shall strive our best to give thee every comfort and\nevery pleasure.' While they were thus conversing with each other, the sun\npassed the meridian. The Rishi commanded the king to bring him food and\ndrink. King Kusika, bowing unto the Rishi, asked him, saying, 'What kind\nof food is agreeable to thee? What food, indeed, shall be brought for\nthee?' Filled with delight, the Rishi answered that ruler of men, O\nBharata, saying, 'Let food that is proper be given to me.' Receiving\nthese words with respect, the king said, 'So be it!' and then offered\nunto the Rishi food of the proper kind. Having finished his meals, the\nholy Chyavana, conversant with every duty, addressed the king and the\nqueen, saying, 'I desire to slumber. O puissant one, sleep hinders me\nnow.' Proceeding thence to a chamber that had been prepared for him, that\nbest of Rishis then laid himself down upon a bed. The king and the queen\nsat themselves down. The Rishi said to them, 'Do not, while I sleep,\nawake me. Do ye keep yourselves awake and continually press my feet as\nlong as I sleep.' Without the least scruple, Kusika, conversant with\nevery duty, said, 'So be it!' Indeed, the king and the queen kept\nthemselves awake all night, duly engaged in tending and serving the Rishi\nin the manner directed. The royal couple, O monarch accomplished the\nRishi's bidding with earnestness and attention. Meanwhile the holy\nBrahmana, having thus laid his commands upon the king, slept soundly,\nwithout changing his posture or turning even once, for a space of one and\ntwenty days. The king, O delighter of the Kurus, foregoing all food,\nalong with his wife, sat joyfully the whole time engaged in tending and\nserving the Rishi. On the expiration of one and twenty days, the son of\nBhrigu rose of his own accord. The great ascetic then went out of the\nroom, without accosting them at all. Famished and toil-worn the king and\nthe queen followed him, but that foremost of Rishis did not deign to cast\na single glance upon any of them. Proceeding a little way, the son of\nBhrigu disappeared in the very sight of the royal couple (making himself\ninvisible by his Yoga-power). At this, the king, struck with grief, fell\ndown on the earth. Comforted, he rose up soon, and accompanied by his\nqueen, the monarch, possessed of great splendour, began to search\neverywhere for the Rishi.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"After the Rishi had disappeared, what did the king\ndo and what also did highly-blessed spouse do? Tell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having lost sight of the Rishi, the king, overwhelmed\nwith shame, toil-worn and losing his senses, returned to his palace,\naccompanied by his queen. Entering his mansion in a cheerless mood, he\nspoke not a word with any one. He thought only of that conduct of\nChyavana. With a despairing heart he then proceeded to his chamber. There\nhe saw the son of Bhrigu stretched as before on his bed. Beholding the\nRishi there, they wondered much. Indeed, they began to reflect upon that\nvery strange incident. The sight of the Rishi dispelled their fatigue.\nTaking their seats once more by his side, they again set themselves to\ngently press his feet as before. Meanwhile, the great ascetic continued\nto sleep soundly as before. Only, he now lay on another side. Endued with\ngreat energy, he thus passed another period measured by one and twenty\nday. Agitated by their fears, the royal couple showed no change in their\nattitude or sentiment towards the Rishi. Awaking then from his slumber,\nthe ascetic addressed the king and the queen, saying, 'Do ye rub my body\nwith oil. I wish to have a bath.' Famishing and toil-worn though they\nwere they readily assented, and soon approached the Rishi with a costly\noil that had been prepared by boiling it a hundred times. While the Rishi\nwas seated at his ease, the king and the queen, restraining speech,\ncontinued to rub him. Endued with high ascetic merit the son of Bhrigu\ndid not once utter the word 'Sufficient.' Bhrigu's son, however, saw that\nthe royal couple were totally unmoved. Rising up suddenly, he entered the\nbathing chamber. The diverse article necessary for a bath and such as\nwere fit for a king's use, were ready there. Without honouring, however,\nany of those articles by appropriating them to his use, the Rishi once\nmore disappeared there and then by his Yoga-power, in the very sight of\nking Kusika (and his spouse). This, however, O chief of the Bharatas,\nfailed to disturb the equanimity of the royal couple. The next time the\npuissant Rishi was seen seated, after a bath on the throne. Indeed, it\nwas from that place that he then showed himself to the king and the\nqueen, O delighter of the Kurus. With a cheerful face, king Kusika,\ntogether with his wife, then offered the Rishi cooked food with great\nreverence. Endued with wisdom, and with heart totally unmoved, Kusika\nmade this offer. 'Let the food be brought' were the words that were then\nuttered by the ascetic. Assisted by his spouse, the king soon brought\nthither the food. There were diverse kinds of meat and different\npreparations also thereof. There was a great variety of vegetables also\nand pot-herbs. There were juicy cakes too among those viands, and several\nagreeable kinds of confectionery, and solid preparations of milk. Indeed,\nthe viands offered presented different kinds of taste. Among them there\nwas also some food--the produce of the wilderness--such as ascetics liked\nand took. Diverse agreeable kinds of fruit, fit to be eaten by kings,\nwere also there. There were Vadaras and Ingudas and Kasmaryas and\nBhallatakas. Indeed, the food that was offered contained such things as\nare taken by persons leading a domestic mode of life as also such things\nas are taken by denizens of the wilderness. Through fear of the Rishi's\ncurse, the king had caused all kinds of food to be collected and dressed\nfor his guest. All this food, brought from the kitchen, was placed before\nChyavana. A seat was also placed for him and a bed too was spread. The\nviands were then caused to be covered with white cloths. Soon, however,\nChyavana of Bhrigu's race set fire to all the things and reduced them to\nashes. Possessed of great intelligence, the royal couple showed no wrath\nat this conduct of the Rishi, who once more, after this made himself\ninvisible before the very eyes of the king and the queen. The Royal sage\nKusika thereupon stood there in the same posture for the whole night,\nwith his spouse by his side, and without speaking a word. Endued with\ngreat prosperity, he did not give way to wrath. Every day, good and pure\nfood of diverse kinds, excellent beds, abundant articles needed for bath,\nand cloths of various kinds, were collected and kept in readiness in the\npalace for the Rishi. Indeed, Chyavana failed to notice any fault in the\nconduct of the king. Then the regenerate Rishi, addressing king Kusika,\nsaid unto him, 'Do thou with thy spouse, yoke thyself unto a car and bear\nme on it to whichever place I shall direct.' Without the least scruple,\nthe king answered Chyavana endued with wealth of asceticism, saying, 'So\nbe it!' and he further enquired of the Rishi, asking, 'Which car shall I\nbring? Shall it be my pleasure-car for making progress of pleasure, or,\nshall it be my battle-car?' Thus addressed by the delighted and contented\nmonarch, the ascetic said unto him, 'Do thou promptly equip that car of\nthine with which thou penetratest into hostile cities. Indeed that\nbattle-car of thine, with every weapon, with its standard and flags, its\ndarts and javelins and golden columns and poles, should be made ready.\nIts rattle resembles the tinkling of bells. It is adorned with numerous\narches made of pure gold. It is always furnished with high and excellent\nweapons numbering by hundreds!' The king said, 'So be it!' and soon\ncaused his great battle-car to be equipped. And he yoked his wife thereto\non the left and his own self on the right. And the king placed on the\ncar, among its other equipments, the goad which had three handles and\nwhich had a point at once hard as the thunderbolt and sharp as the\nneedle.[307] Having placed every requisite upon the car, the king said\nunto the Rishi, 'O holy one, whither shall the car proceed? O, let the\nson of Bhrigu issue his command! This thy car shall proceed to the place\nwhich thou mayst be pleased to indicate.' Thus addressed the holy man\nreplied unto the king, saying, 'Let the car go hence, dragged slowly,\nstep by step. Obedient to my will, do ye two proceed in such a way that I\nmay not feel any fatigue, I should be borne away pleasantly, and let all\nthy people see this progress that I make through their midst. Let no\nperson that comes to me, as I proceed along the road, be driven away. I\nshall make gifts of wealth unto all. Unto them amongst the Brahmanas that\nmay approach me on the way, I shall grant their wishes and bestow upon\nall of them gems and wealth without stint. Let all this be accomplished,\nO king, and do not entertain any scruples.' Hearing these words of the\nRishi, the king summoned his servants and said, 'Ye should, without any\nfear, give away whatever the ascetic will order.' Then jewels and gems in\nabundance, and beautiful women, and pairs of sheep, and coined and\nuncoined gold, and huge elephants resembling hills or mountain summits,\nand all the ministers of the king, began to follow the Rishi as he was\nborne away on that car. Cries of 'Oh' and 'Alas' arose from every part of\nthe city which was plunged in grief at that extraordinary sight. And the\nking and the queen were suddenly struck by the Rishi with that goad\nequipped with sharp point. Though thus struck on the back and the cheeks,\nthe royal couple still showed no sign of agitation. On the other hand,\nthey continued to bear the Rishi on as before. Trembling from head to\nfoot, for no food had passed their lips for fifty nights, and exceedingly\nweak, the heroic couple somehow succeeded in dragging that excellent car.\nRepeatedly and deeply cut by the goad, the royal couple became covered\nwith blood. Indeed, O monarch, they then looked like a couple of Kinsuka\ntrees in the flowering season. The citizens, beholding the plight to\nwhich their king and queen had been reduced, became afflicted with great\ngrief. Filled with fear at the prospect of the curse of the Rishi, they\nkept silent under their misery. Gathering in knots they said unto each\nother, 'Behold the might of penances! Although all of us are angry, we\nare still unable to look at the Rishi! Great is the energy of the holy\nRishi of cleaned soul! Behold also the endurance of the king and his\nroyal spouse! Though worn out with toil and hunger, they are still\nbearing the car!' The son of Bhrigu notwithstanding the misery he caused\nto Kusika and his queen, failed to mark any sign of dissatisfaction or\nagitation in them.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The perpetuator of Bhrigu's race beholding the king\nand the queen totally unmoved, began to give away very largely (wealth\nobtained from the king's treasury) as if he were a second Lord of\nTreasures. At this act also, king Kusika showed no mark of\ndissatisfaction. He did as the Rishi commanded (in the matter of those\ngifts). Seeing all this, that illustrious and best of ascetics became\ndelighted. Coming down from that excellent car, he unharnessed the royal\ncouple. Having freed them, he addressed them duly. Indeed, the son of\nBhrigu, in a soft, deep, and delighted voice, said, 'I am ready to give\nan excellent boon unto you both!' Delicate as they were, their bodies had\nbeen pierced with the goad. That best of ascetics, moved by affection,\nsoftly touched them with his hands whose healing virtues resembled those\nof nectar itself, O chief of the Bharatas. Then the king answered, 'My\nwife and I have felt no toil!' Indeed, all their fatigue had been\ndispelled by the puissance of the Rishi, and hence it was that the king\ncould say so unto the Rishi. Delighted with their conduct, the\nillustrious Chyavana said unto them, 'I have never before spoken an\nuntruth. It must, therefore, be as I have said. This spot on the banks of\nthe Ganga is very delightful and auspicious. I shall, observant of a vow,\ndwell for a little while here, O king! Do thou return to thy city. Thou\nare fatigued! Thou shalt come again. Tomorrow, O king, thou shalt,\nreturning with thy spouse, behold me even here. Thou shouldst not give\nway to wrath or grief. The time is come when thou shalt reap a great\nreward! That which is coveted by thee and which is in thy heart shall\nverily be accomplished.' Thus addressed by the Rishi, king Kusika, with a\ndelighted heart, replied unto the Rishi in these words of grave import,\n'I have cherished no wrath or grief, O highly-blessed one! We have been\ncleansed and sanctified by thee, O holy one! We have once more become\nendued with youth. Behold our bodies have become exceedingly beautiful\nand possessed of great strength. I do not any longer see those wounds and\ncicatrices that were caused by thee on our persons with thy goad. Verily,\nwith my spouse, I am in good health. I see my goddess become as beautiful\nin body as an Apsara. Verily, she is endued with as much comeliness and\nsplendour as she had ever been before. All this, O great ascetic, is due\nto thy grace. Verily, there is nothing astonishing in all this, O holy\nRishi of puissance ever unbaffled.' Thus addressed by the king, Chyavana\nsaid unto him, 'Thou shalt, with thy spouse, return hither tomorrow, O\nmonarch!' With these words, the royal sage Kusika was dismissed. Saluting\nthe Rishi, the monarch, endued with a handsome body, returned to his\ncapital like unto a second chief of the celestials. The counsellors then,\nwith the priest, came out to receive him. His troops and the dancing\nwomen and all his subjects, also did the same. Surrounded by them all,\nking Kusika, blazing with beauty and splendour, entered his city, with a\ndelighted heart, and his praises were hymned by bards and encomiasts.\nHaving entered his city and performed all his morning rites, he ate with\nhis wife. Endued with great splendour, the monarch then passed the night\nhappily. Each beheld the other to be possessed anew of youth. All their\nafflictions and pains having ceased, they beheld each other to resemble a\ncelestial. Endued with the spendour they had obtained as a boon from that\nforemost of Brahmanas, and possessed as they were of forms that were\nexceedingly comely and beautiful, both of them passed a happy night in\ntheir bed. Meanwhile, the spreader of the feats of Bhrigu's race, viz.,\nthe Rishi possessed of the wealth of penances, converted, by his\nYoga-power, that delightful wood on the bank of the Ganga into a retreat\nfull of wealth of every kind and adorned with every variety of jewels and\ngems in consequence of which it surpassed in beauty and splendour the\nvery abode of the chief of the celestials.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"When that night passed away, the high-souled king Kusika\nawoke and went through his morning rites. Accompanied by his wife he then\nproceeded towards that wood which the Rishi had selected for his\nresidence. Arrived there, the monarch saw a palatial mansion made\nentirely of gold. Possessed of a thousand columns each of which was made\nof gems and precious stones, it looked like an edifice belonging to the\nGandharvas.[308] Kusika beheld in every part of that structure evidences\nof celestial design. And he beheld hills with delightful valleys, and\nlakes with lotuses on their bosom, and mansions full of costly and\ncurious articles, and gateways and arches, O Bharata. And the king saw\nmany open glades and open spots carpeted with grassy verdure, and\nresembling level fields of gold. And he saw many Sahakaras adorned with\nblossoms, and Ketakas and Uddalakas, and Dhavas and Asokas, and\nblossoming Kundas, and Atimuktas. And he saw there many Champakas and\nTilakas and Bhavyas and Panasas and Vanjulas and Karnikaras adorned with\nflowers. And the king beheld many Varanapushpas and the creepers called\nAshtapadika all clipped properly and beautifully.[309] And the king\nbeheld trees on which lotuses of all varieties bloomed in all their\nbeauty, and some of which bore flowers of every season. And he noticed\nalso many mansions that looked like celestial cars or like beautiful\nmountains. And at some places, O Bharata, there were tanks and lakes full\nof cool water and at others were those that were full of warm or hot\nwater. And there were diverse kinds of excellent seats and costly beds,\nand bedsteads made of gold and gems and overlaid with cloths and carpets\nof great beauty and value. Of comestible there were enormous quantities,\nwell-dressed and ready for use. And there were talking parrots and\nshe-parrots and Bhringarajas and Kokilas and Catapatras with Koyashtikas\nand Kukkubhas, and peacocks and cocks and Datyuhas and Jivajivakas and\nChakoras and monkeys and swans and Sarasas and Chakravakas.[310] Here and\nthere he beheld bevies of rejoicing Apsaras and conclaves of happy\nGandharvas, O monarch. And he beheld other Gandharvas at other places\nrejoicing with their dear spouses. The king sometimes beheld these sights\nand sometimes could not see them (for they seemed to disappear from\nbefore his eyes). The monarch heard also melodious strains of vocal music\nand the agreeable voices of preceptors engaged in lecturing to their\ndisciples on the Vedas and the scriptures. And the monarch also heard the\nharmonious cackle of the geese sporting in the lakes. Beholding such\nexceedingly wonderful sights, the king began to reflect inwardly, saying,\n'Is this a dream? Or is all this due to an aberration of my mind? Or, is\nit all real? O, I have, without casting off my earthly tenement, attained\nto the beatitude of heaven! This land is either the sacred country of the\nUttara-Kurus, or the abode, called Amaravati, of the chief of the\ncelestials! O, what are these wonderful sights that I behold!' Reflecting\nin this strain, the monarch at last saw that foremost of Rishis. In that\npalace of gold (endued) with columns (made) of jewels and gems, lay the\nson of Bhrigu stretched on a costly and excellent bed. With his wife by\nhis side the king approached with a delighted heart the Rishi as he lay\non that bed. Chyavana, however, quickly disappeared at this, with the bed\nitself upon which he lay. The king then beheld the Rishi at another part\nof those woods seated on a mat made of Kusa grass, and engaged in\nmentally reciting some high Mantras. By his Yoga-power, even thus did\nthat Brahmana stupefy the king. In a moment that delightful wood, those\nbevies of Apsaras, those bands of Gandharvas, those beautiful trees,--all\ndisappeared. The bank of the Ganga became as silent as usual, and\npresented the old aspect of its being covered with Kusa grass and\nant-hills. King Kusika with his wife having beheld that highly wonderful\nsight and its quick disappearance also, became filled with amazement.\nWith a delighted heart, the monarch addressed his wife and said unto her,\n'Behold, O amiable one, the various agreeable scenes and sights,\noccurring nowhere else, which we two have just witnessed! All this is due\nto the grace of Bhrigu's son and the puissance of his penances. By\npenances all that becomes attainable which one cherishes in one's\nimagination. Penances are superior to even the sovereignty over the three\nworlds. By penances well-performed, emancipation itself may be achieved.\nBehold, the puissance of the high-souled and celestial Rishi Chyavana\nderived from his penances. He can, at his pleasure, create even other\nworlds (than those which exist). Only Brahmanas are born in this world to\nattain to speech and understanding and acts that are sacred. Who else\nthan Chyavana could do all this? Sovereignty may be acquired with ease.\nBut the status of a Brahmana is not so attainable. It was through the\npuissance of a Brahmana that we were harnessed to a car like well-broken\nanimals!' These reflections that passed through the king's brain became\nknown to Chyavana. Ascertaining the king's thoughts, the Rishi addressed\nhim and said, 'Come hither quickly!' Thus addressed, the king and the\nqueen approached the great ascetic, and, bending their heads, they\nworshipped him who deserved worship. Uttering a benediction upon the\nmonarch, the Rishi, possessed of great intelligence, O chief of men,\ncomforted the king and said, 'Sit down on that seat!' After this, O\nmonarch, the son of Bhrigu, without guile or insincerity of any kind,\ngratified the king with many soft words, and then said, 'O king, thou\nhast completely subjugated the five organs of action and the five organs\nof knowledge with the mind as their sixth. Thou hast for this come out\nunscathed from the fiery ordeal I had prepared for thee. I have been\nproperly honoured and adored, O son, by thee, O foremost of all persons\npossessed of speech. Thou hast no sin, not even a minute one, in thee!\nGive me leave, O king, for I shall now proceed to the place I came from.\nI have been exceedingly pleased with thee, O monarch! Do thou accept the\nboon I am ready to give.'\n\n\"'\"Kusika said, 'In thy presence, O holy one, I have stayed like one\nstaying in the midst of a fire. That I have not yet, O chief of Bhrigu's\nrace been consumed, is sufficient! Even this is the highest boon that has\nbeen obtained, O delighter of Bhrigu! That thou hast been gratified by\nme, O Brahmana, and that I have succeeded in rescuing my race from\ndestruction, O sinless one, constitute in my case the best boons. This I\nregard, O learned Brahmana, as a distinct evidence of thy grace. The end\nof my life has been accomplished. Even this is what I regard the very end\nof my sovereignty. Even this is the highest fruit of my penances![311]\nIf, O learned Brahmana, thou hast been pleased with me, O delighter of\nBhrigu, then do thou expound some doubts which are in my mind!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LV\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'Do thou accept a boon from me. Do thou also, O chief of\nmen, tell me what the doubt is that is in thy mind. I shall certainly\naccomplish all thy purposes.'\n\n\"'\"Kusika said, 'If thou hast been gratified by me, O holy one, do thou\nthen, O son of Bhrigu, tell me thy object in residing in my palace for\nsome time, for I desire to hear it. What was thy object in sleeping on the\nbed I assigned thee for one and twenty days continuously, without\nchanging sides? O foremost of ascetics, what also was thy object, again,\nin going out of the room without speaking a single word? Why didst thou,\nagain, without any ostensible reason, make thyself invisible, and once\nmore become visible? Why, O learned Brahmana, didst thou again, lay\nthyself down on the bed and sleep as before for one and twenty days? For\nwhat reason didst thou go out after thou wert rubbed by us with oil in\nview of thy bath? Why also, after having caused diverse kinds of food in\nmy palace to be collected, didst thou consume them with the aid of fire?\nWhat was the cause of thy sudden journey through my city on the car? What\nobject hadst thou in view in giving away so much wealth? What was thy\nmotive in showing us the wonders of the forest created by the\nYoga-puissance? What indeed was thy motive for showing, O great ascetic,\nso many palatial mansions made of gold and so many bedsteads supported on\nposts of jewels, and gems? Why also did all these wonders vanish from our\nsight? I wish to hear the cause of all this. In thinking of all these\nacts of thine, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, I became stupefied\nrepeatedly. I fail to find what the certain motive was which influenced\nthee! O thou, that art endued with wealth of penances, I wish to hear the\ntruth about all those acts of thine in detail.'\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'Listen to me as I tell thee in detail the reasons which\nhad impelled me in all these acts of mine. Asked by thee, O monarch, I\ncannot refuse to enlighten thee. In days past, on one occasion, when the\ndeities had assembled together, the Grandsire Brahman said some words. I\nheard them, O king, and shall presently repeat them to thee. \"In\nconsequence of a contention between Brahmana and Kshatriya energy, there\nwill occur an intermixture in my race.[312] Thy grandson, O king, will\nbecome endued with great energy and puissance.\" Hearing this, I came\nhither, resolved to exterminate thy race. Indeed, I came, O Kusika,\nseeking the utter extermination of thy race,--in fact, for consuming into\nashes all thy descendants. Impelled by this motive I came to thy palace,\nO monarch, and said unto thee, \"I shall observe some vow. Do thou attend\nupon me and serve me dutifully.\" While residing, however, in thy house I\nfailed to find any laches in thee. It is for that reason, O royal sage,\nthat thou art still alive, for otherwise thou wouldst have by this time\nbeen numbered with the dead. It was with this resolution that I slept for\none and twenty days in the hope that somebody would awake me before I\narose of my own accord. Thou, however, with thy wife, didst not awaken\nme. Even then, O best of kings, I became pleased with thee. Rising from\nmy bed I went out of the chamber without accosting any of you. I did\nthis, O monarch, in the hope that thou wouldst ask me and thus I would\nhave an opportunity of cursing thee. I then made myself invisible, and\nagain showed myself in the room of thy palace, and, once more betaking\nmyself to Yoga, slept for one and twenty days. The motive that impelled\nme was this. Worn out with toil and hunger you two would be angry with me\nand do what would be unpleasant to me. It was from this intention that I\ncaused thyself and thy spouse to be afflicted with hunger. In thy heart\nhowever, O king, the slightest feeling of wrath or vexation did not rise.\nFor this, O monarch, I became highly delighted with thee. When I caused\ndiverse kinds of food to be brought and then set fire to them, I hoped\nthat thyself with thy wife wouldst give way to wrath at the sight. Even\nthat act however, of mine was tolerated by thee. I then ascended the car,\nO monarch, and addressed thee, saying, \"Do thou with thy wife bear me.\"\nThou didst what I bade, without the least scruple, O king! I became\nfilled with delight at this. The gifts of wealth I made could not provoke\nthy anger. Pleased with thee, O king, I created with the aid of my Yoga\npuissance that forest which thyself with thy wife didst behold here.\nListen, O monarch, to the object I had. For gratifying thee and thy queen\nI caused thee to have a glimpse of heaven. All those things which thou\nhast seen in these woods, O monarch, are a foretaste of heaven. O best of\nkings, for a little while I caused thee and thy spouse to behold, in even\nyour earthly bodies, some sights of heaven. All this was done for showing\nthe puissance of penances and the reward that is in store for\nrighteousness. The desire that arose in thy heart, O monarch, at the\nsight of those delightful objects, is known to me. Thou becamest desirous\nof obtaining the status of a Brahmana and the merit of penances, O lord\nof Earth, disregarding the sovereignty of the earth, nay, the sovereignty\nof very heaven! That which thou thoughtest, O king, was even this. The\nstatus of a Brahmana is exceedingly difficult to obtain; after becoming a\nBrahmana, it is exceedingly difficult to obtain the status of a Rishi;\nfor even a Rishi it is difficult to become an ascetic! I tell thee that\nthy desire will be gratified. From thee, O Kusika, will spring a\nBrahmana, who shall be called after thy name. The person that will be the\nthird in descent from thee shall attain to the status of a Brahmana.\nThrough the energy of the Bhrigus, thy grandson, O monarch, will be an\nascetic endued with the splendour of fire. He shall always strike all\nmen, indeed, the inhabitants of the three worlds, with fear. I tell thee\nthe truth. O royal sage, do thou accept the boon that is now in thy mind.\nI shall soon set out on a tour to all the sacred waters. Time is\nexpiring.'\n\n\"'\"Kusika said, 'Even this, O great ascetic, is a high boon, in my case,\nfor thou hast been gratified by me. Let that take place which thou hast\nsaid. Let my grandson become a Brahmana, O sinless one! Indeed, let the\nstatus of Brahmanahood attach to my race, O holy one. This is the boon I\nask for. I desire to once more ask thee in detail, O holy one! In what\nway, O delighter of Bhrigu, will the status of Brahmanahood attach to my\nrace? Who will be my friend? Who will have my affection and\nrespect?'\"'\"[313]\n\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\n\"'\"Chyavana said, 'I should certainly, O chief of men, tell you everything\nabout the circumstance for which, O monarch, I came hither for\nexterminating thy race. This is well-known, O king, that the Kshatriyas\nshould always have the assistance of the sons of Bhrigu in the matter of\nsacrifices. Through an irresistible decree of Destiny, the Kshatriyas and\nthe Bhargavas will fall out. The Kshatriyas, O king, will slay the\ndescendants of Bhrigu. Afflicted by an ordinance of fate, they will\nexterminate the race of Bhrigu, not sparing even infants in their\nmothers' wombs. There will then spring in Bhrigu's race a Rishi of the\nname of Urva. Endued with great energy, he will in splendour certainly\nresemble fire or the sun. He will cherish such wrath (upon hearing of the\nextermination of his race) as will be sufficient to consume the three\nworlds. He will be competent to reduce the whole earth with all her\nmountains and forests into ashes. For a little while he will quell the\nflames of that fiery rage, throwing it into the Mare's mouth that wanders\nthrough the ocean. He will have a son of the name of Richika. The whole\nscience of arms, O sinless one, in its embodied form will come to him,\nfor the extermination of the entire Kshatriya race, through a decree of\nDestiny. Receiving that science by inward light, he will, by\nYoga-puissance, communicate it to his son, the highly-blessed Jamadagni\nof cleansed soul. That tiger of Bhrigu's race will bear that science in\nhis mind. O thou of righteous soul, Jamadagni will wed a girl, taking her\nfrom thy race, for spreading its glory, O chief of the Bharatas. Having\nobtained for wife the daughter of Gadhi and thy grand-daughter, O king\nthat great ascetic will beget a regenerate son endued with Kshatriya\naccomplishments. In thy race will be born a son, a Kshatriya endued with\nthe virtues of a Brahmana. Possessed of great righteousness, he will be\nthe son of Gadhi. Known by the name of Viswamitra, he will in energy come\nto be regarded as the equal of Vrihaspati himself, the preceptor of the\ncelestials. The illustrious Richika will grant this son to thy race, this\nKshatriya that will be endued with high penances. In the matter of this\nexchange of sons, (viz., a Kshatriya son in the race of Bhrigu and a\nBrahmana son in thy race) the cause will be two women. All this will\nhappen at the command of the grandsire. It will never be otherwise. Unto\none that is third in descent from thee, the status of Brahmanahood will\nattach. Thou shalt become a relative (by marriage) of the Bhargavas.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of the high-souled ascetic\nChyavana, king Kusika became filled with joy, and made answer in the\nfollowing words, 'Indeed, O best of the Bharatas', he said, 'So be it!'\nEndued with high energy, Chyavana once more addressed the king, and urged\nhim to accept a boon from himself. The king replied, 'Very well. From\nthee, O great ascetic, I shall obtain the fruition of my wish. Let my\nrace become invested with the status of Brahmanahood, and let it always\nset its heart upon righteousness.' The ascetic Chyavana, thus solicited,\ngranted the king's prayer, and bidding farewell to the monarch, set out\non his intended tour to the sacred waters. I have now told thee\neverything, O Bharata, relating to thy questions, viz., how the Bhrigus\nand the Kusikas became connected with each other by marriage. Indeed, O\nking, everything fell out as the Rishi Chyavana had said. The birth of\nRama (of Bhrigu's race) and of Viswamitra (of Kusika's race) happened in\nthe way that Chyavana had indicated.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Hearing thy words I become stupefied, O grandsire!\nReflecting that the earth is now destitute of a very large number of\nkings all of whom were possessed of great prosperity, my heart becomes\nfilled with grief. Having conquered the earth and acquired kingdoms\nnumbered by hundreds, O Bharata, I turn with grief, O Grandsire, at the\nthought of the millions of men I have slaughtered. Alas, what will be the\nplight of those foremost ladies who have been deprived by us of husbands\nand sons and maternal uncles and brothers? Having slain those Kurus--our\nkinsmen, that is, our friends and well-wishers,--we shall have to sink in\nhell, heads (hanging) downwards. There is no doubt of this. I desire, O\nBharata, to address my body to severe penances. With that end in view, O\nking, I wish to receive instructions from thee.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The high-souled Bhishma, hearing these words of\nYudhishthira, reflected upon them acutely with the aid of his\nunderstanding, and addressed Yudhishthira in reply.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hear what I say unto thee. It is exceedingly wonderful,\nand constitutes a great mystery. The topic is the object that creatures\nobtain after death as the rewards of particular acts or courses of\nconduct they follow. One attains to Heaven by penances. By penances one\nattains to fame. By penances, O puissant king, one attains to length of\nlife and all articles of enjoyment. By penances one attains to knowledge,\nto science, to health and freedom from disease, beauty of person,\nprosperity, and blessedness, O chief of Bharata's race. By penances one\nattains to wealth. By observing the vow of taciturnity one succeeds in\nbringing the whole world under one's sway. By making gifts one acquires\nall kinds of enjoyable articles. By observing the right of Diksha one\nacquires birth in a good and high family. Those that spend their lives\nsubsisting only upon fruits and roots (and avoiding cooked food) succeed\nin obtaining kingdom and sovereignty. Those that live upon the leaves of\nplants and trees as their food succeed in attaining to heaven. One that\nsubsists upon water only attains to heaven. By making gifts one simply\nincreases one's wealth. By serving with reverence one's preceptor one\nacquires learning. By performing Sraddhas every day in honour of one's\nPitris (manes), one acquires a large number of children. By observing\nDiksha upon potherbs and vegetables, one acquires a large number of kine.\nThose that subsist upon grass and straw succeed in attaining to heaven.\nBy bathing thrice every day with the necessary rites one acquires a large\nnumber of spouses. By drinking water alone one acquires residence in the\nregions of Prajapati. The Brahmana, who bathes every day and recites\nsacred Mantras in the twilights, becomes possessed of the status of\nDaksha himself. By worshipping the deities in a wilderness or desert, one\nacquires a kingdom or sovereignty, and by observing the vow of casting\noff the body by a long fast, one ascends to Heaven. One possessed of the\nwealth of penances and always passing his days in Yoga obtains good beds\nand seats and vehicles. Casting off the body by entering a blazing fire,\none becomes an object of reverence in the region of Brahman. Those that\nlie on the hard and bare ground acquire houses and beds. Those that\nclothe themselves in rags and barks obtain good robes and ornaments. By\navoiding the several agreeable tastes one succeeds in acquiring great\nprosperity. By abstaining from meat and fish, one gets long-lived\nchildren. One who passes some time in that mode of life which is called\nUdavasa, becomes the very lord of Heaven. The man who speaks the truth, O\nbest of men, succeeds in sporting happily with the deities themselves. By\nmaking gifts one acquires great fame in consequence of one's high\nachievements. By abstention from cruelty one acquires health and freedom\nfrom disease. By serving Brahmanas with reverence one attains to kingdom\nand sovereignty, and the high status of a Brahmana. By making gifts of\nwater and other drinks, one acquires eternal fame in consequence of high\nachievements. By making gifts of food one acquires diverse articles of\nenjoyment. One who gives peace unto all creatures (by refraining from\ndoing them any injury), becomes freed from every region. By serving the\ndeities one obtains a kingdom and celestial beauty. By presenting lights\nat places which are dark and frequented by men, one acquires a good\nvision. By giving away good and beautiful objects one acquires a good\nmemory and understanding. By giving away scents and garlands, one\nacquires fame that spreads over a large area. Those who abstain from\nshaving off their hair and beards succeed in obtaining excellent\nchildren. By observing fasts and Diksha and baths, O Bharata, for twelve\nyears (according to the ordinance), one acquires a region that is\nsuperior to that attainable by unreturning heroes. By bestowing one's\ndaughter on an eligible bridegroom according to the Brahma form, one\nobtains, O best of men, male and female slaves and ornaments and fields\nand houses. By performing sacrifices and observing fasts, one ascends to\nHeaven, O Bharata. The man who gives away fruits and flowers succeeds in\nacquiring auspicious knowledge. The man who gives a thousand kine with\nhorns adorned with gold, succeeds in acquiring heaven. Even this has been\nsaid by the very deities in a conclave in heaven. One who gives away a\nKapila cow with her calf, with a brazen pot of milking with horns adorned\nwith gold, and possessed of diverse other accomplishments, obtains the\nfruition of all his wishes from that cow. Such a person, in consequence\nof that act of gift, resides in heaven for as many years as there are\nhairs on the body of the cow and rescues in the next world (from the\nmisery of hell) his sons and grandsons and all his race to the seventh\ndegree.[314] The regions of the Vasus become attainable to that man who\ngives away a cow with horns beautifully decorated with gold, accompanied\nwith a brazen jar for milking, along with a piece of cloth embroidered\nwith gold, a measure of sesame and a sum of money as Dakshina. A gift of\nkine rescues the giver in the next world when he finds himself falling\ninto the deep darkness of hell and restrained by his own acts in this\nworld, like a boat with sails that have caught the air rescuing a person\nfrom being drowned in the sea. He who bestows a daughter according to the\nBrahma form upon an eligible person, or who makes a gift of land unto a\nBrahmana, or who gives food (to a Brahmana) according to due rites,\nsucceeds in attaining to the region of Purandara. That man who makes a\ngift of a house, equipped with every kind of furniture, unto a Brahmana\ngiven to Vedic studies and possessed of every accomplishment and good\nbehaviour, acquires residence in the country of the Uttara-Kurus. By\nmaking gifts of draft bullocks, a person acquires the region of the\nVasus. Gifts of gold lead to heaven. Gifts of pure gold lead to greater\nmerit still. By making a gift of an umbrella one acquires a palatial\nmansion. By making a gift of a pair of sandals or shoes one acquires good\nvehicles. The reward attached to a gift of cloths is personal beauty, and\nby making gifts of scents one becomes a fragrant person in one's next\nlife. One who gives flowers and fruits and plants and trees unto a\nBrahmana, acquires, without any labour, palatial mansion equipped with\nbeautiful women and full of plenty of wealth. The giver of food and drink\nof different tastes and of other articles of enjoyment succeeds in\nacquiring a copious supply of such articles. The giver, again, of houses\nand cloths gets articles of a similar kind. There is no doubt about it.\nThat person who makes gifts of garlands and incense and scents and\nunguents and the articles needed by men after a bath, and floral wreaths,\nunto Brahmanas, becomes freed from every disease and possessed of\npersonal beauty, sports in joy in the region reserved for great kings.\nThe man, O king, who makes unto a Brahmana the gift of a house that is\nstored with grain, furnished with beds full of much wealth, auspicious,\nand delightful, acquires a palatial residence. He who gives unto a\nBrahmana a good bed perfumed with fragrant scents, overlaid with an\nexcellent sheet, and equipped with pillows, wins without any effort on\nhis part a beautiful wife, belonging to a high family and of agreeable\nmanners. The man who takes to a hero's bed on the field of battle becomes\nthe equal of the Grandsire Brahman himself. There is no end higher than\nthis. Even this is what the great Rishis have declared.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of his grandfather,\nYudhishthira, the delighter of the Kurus, became desirous of the end that\nis reserved for heroes and no longer expressed any disgust at leading a\nhouseholder's mode of life. Then, O foremost of men, Yudhishthira,\naddressing all the other sons of Pandu, said unto them, \"Let the words\nwhich our grandfather has said command your faith.\" At this, all the\nPandavas with the famous Draupadi amongst them, applauded the words of\nYudhishthira and said, \"Yes.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire, O chief of the Bharatas, to hear from thee\nwhat the rewards are which are attached, O best of the Kurus, to the\nplanting of trees and the digging of tanks.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A piece of land that is agreeable to the sight, fertile,\nsituate in the midst of delightful scenes adorned with diverse kinds of\nmetals, and inhabited by all sorts of creatures, is regarded as the\nforemost of sports. A particular portion of such land should be selected\nfor digging a tank. I shall tell thee, in due order, about the different\nkinds of tanks. I shall also tell thee what the merits also are that\nattach to the digging of tanks (with the view of drawing water for the\nbenefit of all creatures). The man who causes a tank to be dug becomes\nentitled to the respect and worship of the three worlds. A tank full of\nwater is as agreeable and beneficial as the house of a friend. It is\ngratifying to Surya himself. It also contributes to growth to the\ndeities. It is the foremost of all things that lead to fame (with respect\nto the person who causes it to be excavated). The wise have said that the\nexcavation of a tank contributes to the aggregate of three,\nRighteousness, Wealth and Pleasure. A tank is said to be properly\nexcavated, if it is made on a piece of land that is inhabited by\nrespectable persons. A tank is said to be subservient to all the four\npurposes of living creatures. Tanks, again, are regarded as constituting\nthe excellent beauty of a country. The deities and human beings and\nGandharvas and Pitris and Uragas and Rakshasas and even immobile\nbeings--all resort to a tank full of water as their refuge. I shall,\ntherefore, tell thee what the merits are that have been said by great\nRishis to be attached to tanks, and what the rewards are that are\nattainable by persons that cause them to be excavated. The wise have said\nthat that man reaps the merit of an Agnihotra sacrifice in whose tank\nwater is held in the season of the rains. The high reward in the world\nthat is reaped by the person who makes a gift of a thousand kine is won\nby that man in whose tank water is held in the season of autumn. The\nperson in whose tank water occurs in the cold season acquires the merit\nof one who performs a sacrifice with plentiful gifts of gold. That person\nin whose tanks water occurs in the season of dew, wins, the wise have\nsaid, the merits of an Agnishtoma sacrifice. That man in whose well-made\ntank water occurs in the season of spring acquires the merit of the\nAtiratra sacrifice. That man in whose tank water occurs in the season of\nsummer acquires, the Rishis say, the merits that attach to a\nhorse-sacrifice. That man rescues all his race in whose tank kine are\nseen to allay their thirst and from which righteous men draw their water.\nThat man in whose tank kine slake their thirst as also other animals and\nbirds, and human beings, acquires the merits of a horse-sacrifice.\nWhatever measure of water is drunk from one's tank and whatever measure\nis taken therefrom by others for purposes of bathing, all become stored\nfor the benefit of the excavator of the tank and he enjoys the same for\nunending days in the next world. Water, especially in the other world, is\ndifficult to obtain, O son. A gift of drink produces eternal happiness.\nMake gifts of sesame here. Make gifts of water. Do thou also give lamps\n(for lighting dark places.) While alive and awake, do thou sport in\nhappiness with kinsmen. These are acts which thou shalt not be able to\nachieve in the other world.[315] The gift of drink, O chief of men, is\nsuperior to every other gift. In point of merit it is distinguished above\nall other gifts. Therefore, do thou make gifts of water. Even thus have\nthe Rishis declared what the high merits of the excavation of tanks are I\nshall now discourse to thee on the planting of trees. Of immobile objects\nsix classes have been spoken of. They are Vrikshas, Gulmas, Latas,\nVallis, Twaksaras, and Trinas of diverse kinds.[316] These are the\nseveral kinds of vegetables. Listen now to the merit that attaches to\ntheir planting. By planting trees one acquires fame in the world of men\nand auspicious rewards in the world hereafter. Such a man is applauded\nand reverenced in the world of the Pitris. Such a man's name does not\nperish even when he becomes a citizen of the world of deities. The man\nwho plants trees rescues the ancestors and descendants of both his\npaternal and maternal lines. Do thou, therefore, plant trees, O\nYudhishthira! The trees that a man plants become the planter's children.\nThere is no doubt about this. Departing from this world, such a man\nascends to Heaven. Verily many eternal regions of bliss become his. Trees\ngratify the deities by their flowers; the Pitris by their fruits; and all\nguests and strangers by the shadow they give. Kinnaras and Uragas and\nRakshasas and deities and Gandharvas and human beings, as also Rishis,\nall have recourse to trees as their refuge. Trees that bear flowers and\nfruits gratify all men. The planter of trees is rescued in the next world\nby the trees he plants like children rescuing their own father.\nTherefore, the man that is desirous of achieving his own good, should\nplant trees by the side of tanks and cherish them like his own children.\nThe trees that a man plants are, according to both reason and the\nscriptures, the children of the planter. That Brahmana who excavates a\ntank, and he that plants trees, and he that performs sacrifices, are all\nworshipped in heaven even as men that are devoted to truthfulness of\nspeech. Hence one should cause tanks to be excavated and trees to be\nplanted, worship the deities in diverse sacrifices, and speak the truth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Amongst all those gifts that are mentioned in the\ntreatises other than the Vedas, which gift, O chief of Kuru's race, is\nthe most distinguished in thy opinion? O puissant one, great is the\ncuriosity I feel with respect to this matter. Do thou discourse to me\nalso of that gift which follows the giver into the next world.\"[317]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"An assurance unto all creatures of love and affection and\nabstention from every kind of injury, acts of kindness and favour done to\na person in distress, gifts of articles made unto one that solicits with\nthirst and agreeable to the solicitor's wishes, and whatever gifts are\nmade without the giver's ever thinking of them as gifts made by him,\nconstitute, O chief of Bharata's race, the highest and best of gifts.\nGift of gold, gift of kine, and gift of earth,--these are regarded as\nsin-cleansing. They rescue the giver from his evil acts. O chief of men,\ndo thou always make such gifts unto those that are righteous. Without\ndoubt, gifts rescue the giver from all his sins. That person who wishes\nto make his gifts eternal should always give unto persons possessed of\nthe requisite qualifications whatever articles are desired by all and\nwhatever things are the best in his house. The man who makes gifts of\nagreeable things and who does to others what is agreeable to others,\nalways succeeds in obtaining things that are agreeable to himself. Such a\nperson certainly becomes agreeable unto all, both here and hereafter.\nThat man, O Yudhishthira, is a cruel wretch, who, through vanity, does\nnot, to the extent of his means, attend to the wishes of one who is poor\nand helpless, and who solicits assistance.[318] He is verily the foremost\nof men who shows favour unto even an helpless enemy fallen into distress\nwhen such enemy presents himself and prays for help. No man is equal to\nhim (in merit) who satisfies the hunger of a person that is emaciated,\npossessed of learning, destitute of the means of support, and weakened by\nmisery. One should always, O son of Kunti, dispel by every means in one's\npower, the distress of righteous persons observant of vows and acts, who,\nthough destitute of sons and spouses and plunged into misery, do not yet\nsolicit others for any kind of assistance. Those persons who do not utter\nblessings upon the deities and men (in expectation of gifts), who are\ndeserving of reverence and always contented, and who subsist upon such\nalms as they get without solicitation of any kind, are regarded as\nveritable snakes of virulent poison. Do thou, O Bharata, always protect\nthyself from them by making gifts unto them. They are competent to make\nthe foremost of Ritwikas. Thou art to find them out by means of thy spies\nand agents.[319] Thou shouldst honour those men by gifts of good houses\nequipped with every necessary article, with slaves and serving men, with\ngood robes and vestments, O son of Kuru, and with all articles competent\nto contribute to one's pleasure and happiness. Righteous men of righteous\ndeeds should make such gifts, impelled by the motive that it is their\nduty to act in that way and not from desire of reaping any rewards\ntherefrom. Verily good men should act in this way so that the virtuous\nmen described above might not, O Yudhishthira, feel any disinclination to\naccept those gifts sanctified by devotion and faith. There are persons\nbathed in learning and bathed in vows. Without depending upon anybody\nthey obtain their means of subsistence. These Brahmanas of rigid vows are\ndevoted to Vedic study and penances without proclaiming their practices\nto any one. Whatever gifts thou mayst make unto those persons of pure\nbehaviour, of thorough mastery over their senses, and always contented\nwith their own wedded spouses in the matter of desire, are sure to win\nfor thee a merit that will accompany thee into all the worlds into which\nthou mayst go. One reaps the same merit by making gifts unto regenerate\npersons of restrained souls which one wins by properly pouring libations\nunto the sacred fire morning and evening. Even this is the sacrifice\nspread out for thee,--a sacrifice that is sanctified by devotion and\nfaith and that is endued with Dakshina. It is distinguished above all\nother sacrifices. Let that sacrifice ceaselessly flow from thee as thou\ngivest away.[320] Performed in view of such men, O Yudhishthira, a\nsacrifice in which the water that is sprinkled for dedicating gifts\nconstitutes the oblations in honour of the Pitris, and devotion and\nworship rendered unto such superior men, serves to free one of the debts\none owes to the deities.[321] Those persons that do not yield to wrath\nand that never desire to take even a blade of grass belonging to others,\nas also they that are of agreeable speech, deserve to receive from us the\nmost reverent worship. Such persons and others (because free from desire)\nnever pay their regards to the giver. Nor do they strive for obtaining\ngifts. They should, however, be cherished by givers as they cherish their\nown sons. I bend my head unto them. From them also both Heaven and Hell\nmay become one's.[322] Ritwiks and Purohitas and preceptors, when\nconversant with the Vedas and when behaving mildly towards disciples,\nbecome such. Without doubt, Kshatriya energy loses its force upon a\nBrahmana when it encounters him. Thinking that thou art a king, that thou\nart possessed of great power, and that thou hast affluence, do not, O\nYudhishthira, enjoy thy affluence without giving anything unto the\nBrahmanas. Observing the duties of thy own order, do thou worship the\nBrahmanas with whatever wealth thou hast, O sinless one, for purposes of\nadornment or sustaining thy power. Let the Brahmanas live in whatever way\nthey like. Thou shouldst always bend thy head unto them with reverence.\nLet them always rejoice in thee as thy children, living happily and\naccording to their wishes. Who else than thou, O best of the Kurus, is\ncompetent to provide the means of subsistence for such Brahmanas as are\nendued with eternal contentment as are thy well-wishers, and as are\ngratified by only a little? As women have one eternal duty, in this\nworld, viz., dependence upon and obedient service to their husbands, and\nas such duty constitutes their only end, even so is the service to\nBrahmanas our eternal duty and end. If, at sight of cruelties and other\nsinful acts in Kshatriyas, the Brahmanas, O son, unhonoured by us,\nforsake us all, I say, of what use would life be to us, in the absence of\nall contact with the Brahmanas, especially as we shall then have to drag\non our existence without being able to study the Vedas to perform\nsacrifices, to hope for worlds of bliss hereafter, and to achieve great\nfeats? I shall, in this connection, tell thee what the eternal usage is.\nIn days of yore, O king, the Kshatriyas used to serve the Brahmanas. The\nVaisya in a similar manner used in those days to worship the royal order,\nand the Sudra to worship the Vaisya. Even this is what is heard. The\nBrahmana was like a blazing fire. Without being able to touch him or\napproach his presence, the Sudra used to serve the Brahmana from a\ndistance. It was only the Kshatriya and the Vaisya who could serve the\nBrahmana by touching his person or approaching his presence. The\nBrahmanas are endued with a mild disposition. They are truthful in\nbehaviour. They are followers of the true religion. When angry, they are\nlike snakes of virulent poison. Such being their nature, do thou, O\nYudhishthira, serve and attend upon them with obedience and reverence.\nThe Brahmanas are superior to even those that are higher than the high\nand the low. The energy and penances of even those Kshatriyas who blaze\nforth with energy and might, become powerless and neutralised when they\ncome in contact with the Brahmanas. My sire himself is not dearer to me\nthan the Brahmanas. My mother is not dearer to me than they. My\ngrandsire, O king, is not dearer, my own self is not dearer, my life\nitself is not dearer, O king, to me than the Brahmanas! On earth there is\nnothing, O Yudhishthira, that is dearer to me than thou. But, O chief of\nBharata's race, the Brahmanas are dearer to me than even thou. I tell\nthee truly, O son of Pandu! I swear by this truth, by which I hope to\nacquire all those regions of bliss that have been Santanu's. I behold\nthose sacred regions with Brahma shining conspicuously before them. I\nshall repair thither, O son, and reside in them for unending days.\nBeholding these regions, O best of the Bharatas (with my spiritual eyes),\nI am filled with delight at the thought of all these acts which I have\ndone in aid and honour of the Brahmanas, O monarch!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Unto which of two Brahmanas, when both happen to be\nequally pure in behaviour, equally possessed of learning and purity, of\nbirth and blood, but differing from each other in only this, viz., the\none solicits and the other does not,--I ask, O grandsire, unto which of\nthese two would a gift be more meritorious?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"It has been said. O son of Pritha, that a gift made unto\nan unsoliciting person is productive of greater merit than one made to a\nperson who solicits. One possessed of contentment is certainly more\ndeserving than that person who is destitute of that virtue and is,\ntherefore, helpless amidst the storms and buffets of the world. The\nfirmness of a Kshatriya consists in the protection he gives to others.\nThe firmness of a Brahmana consists in his refusal to solicit. The\nBrahmana possessed of steadiness and learning and contentment gladdens\nthe deities. The wise have said that an act of solicitation on the part\nof a poor man is a great reproach. Those persons that solicit others are\nsaid to annoy the world like thieves and robbers.[323] The person who\nsolicits is said to meet with death. The giver, however, is said not to\nmeet with death. The giver is said to grant life unto him who solicits.\nBy an act of gift, O Yudhishthira, the giver is said to rescue his own\nself also. Compassion is a very high virtue. Let people make gift from\ncompassion unto those that solicit. Those, however, that do not beg, but\nare plunged into poverty and distress should be respectfully invited to\nreceive assistance. If such Brahmanas, who must be regarded as the\nforemost of their order, live in thy kingdom, thou shouldst regard them\nas fire covered with ashes. Blazing with penances, they are capable of\nconsuming the whole earth. Such persons, O son of Kuru's race, though not\ngenerally worshipped, should still be regarded as deserving of worship in\nevery way. Endued with knowledge and spiritual vision and penances and\nYoga, such persons always deserve our worship. O scorcher of foes, do\nthou always offer worship unto such Brahmanas. One should repair of one's\nown accord unto those foremost of Brahmanas that do not solicit anybody\nand make unto them gifts of diverse kinds of wealth in abundance. The\nmerit that flows from properly pouring libations into the sacred fire\nevery morning and evening is won by the person who makes gifts unto a\nBrahmana endued with learning, with the Vedas and with high and excellent\nvows. Thou shouldst, O son of Kunti, invite those foremost of Brahmanas\nwho are cleansed by learning and the Vedas and vows, who live in\nindependence, whose Vedic studies and penances are hidden without being\nproclaimed from the house-top, and who are observant of excellent vows,\nand honour them with gifts of well-constructed and delightful houses\nequipped with servitors and robes and furniture, and with all other\narticles of pleasure and enjoyment. Conversant with all duties and\npossessed of minute vision, those foremost of Brahmanas, O Yudhishthira,\nmay accept the gifts offered to them with devotion and respect, thinking\nthat they should not refuse and disappoint the giver. Thou shouldst\ninvite those Brahmanas whose wives wait for their return like tillers in\nexpectation of rain. Having fed them well thou shouldst make gifts of\nadditional food unto them so that upon their return home their expectant\nwives might be able to distribute that food among their children that had\nclamoured for food but that had been pacified with promises Brahmacharins\nof restrained senses, O son, by eating at one's house in the forenoon,\ncause the three sacrificial fires to be gratified with the householder at\nwhose house they eat. Let the sacrifice of gift proceed in thy house at\nmidday, O son, and do thou also give away kine and gold and robes (unto\nthy guests after feeding them well). By conducting thyself, in this way,\nthou art sure to gratify the chief of the celestials himself. That would\nconstitute thy third sacrifice, O Yudhishthira, in which offerings are\nmade unto the deities, the Pitris, and the Brahmanas. By such sacrifice\nthou art sure to gratify the Viswedevas. Let compassion unto all\ncreatures, giving unto all creatures what is due unto them, restraining\nthe senses, renunciation, steadiness, and truth, constitute the final\nbath of that sacrifice which is constituted by gift. Even this is the\nsacrifice that is spread out for thee,--a sacrifice that is sanctified by\ndevotion and faith, and that has a large Dakshina attached to it. This\nsacrifice which is constituted by gift is distinguished above all other\nsacrifices. O son, let this sacrifice be always performed by thee.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I wish to know in detail, O Bharata, where one meets\nwith the high rewards of gifts and sacrifices. Are those rewards earned\nhere or are they to come hereafter? Which amongst these two (viz., Gift\nand Sacrifice) is said to be productive of superior merit? Unto whom\nshould gifts be made? In what manner are gifts and sacrifices to be made?\nWhen also are they to be made? I ask thee all these, O learned sire! Do\nthou discourse to me on the duty of gifts! Do tell me, O grandsire, what\nleads to the highest reward, viz., gifts made from the sacrificial\nplatform or those made out of that place?\"[324]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O son, a Kshatriya is generally employed in deeds of\nfierceness. In his case, sacrifices and gifts are regarded as cleansing\nor sanctifying him. They, that are good and righteous, do not accept the\ngifts of persons of the royal order, who are given to sinful acts. For\nthis reason, the king should perform sacrifices with abundant gifts in\nthe form of Dakshina.[325] If the good and righteous would accept the\ngifts made unto them, the Kshatriya, O monarch, should incessantly make\ngifts with devotion and faith unto them. Gifts are productive of great\nmerit, and are highly cleansing. Observant of vows, one should perform\nsacrifices and gratify with wealth such Brahmanas as are friends of all\ncreatures, possessed of righteousness, conversant with the Vedas, and\npreeminent for acts, conduct, and penances. If such Brahmanas do not\naccept thy gifts, no merit becomes thine. Do thou perform sacrifices with\ncopious Dakshina, and make gifts of good and agreeable food unto those\nthat are righteous. By making an act of gift thou shouldst regard thyself\nas performing a sacrifice. Thou shouldst with gifts adore those Brahmanas\nwho perform sacrifices. By doing this thou will acquire a share in the\nmerits of those sacrifices of theirs. Thou shouldst support such\nBrahmanas as are possessed of children and as are capable of sending\npeople to Heaven. By conducting thyself in this way thou art sure to get\na large progeny--in fact as large a progeny as the Prajapati himself.\nThey that are righteous support and advance the cause of all righteous\nacts. One should, by giving up one's all, support such men, as also those\nthat do good unto all creatures. Thyself being in the enjoyment of\naffluence, do thou, O Yudhishthira, make unto Brahmanas gifts of kine and\nbullocks and food and umbrellas, and robes and sandals or shoes. Do thou\ngive unto sacrificing Brahmanas clarified butter, as also food and cars\nand vehicles with horses harnessed thereto, and dwelling houses and\nmansions and beds. Such gifts are fraught with prosperity and affluence\nto the giver, and are regarded as pure, O Bharata. Those Brahmanas that\nare not censurable for anything they do, and that have no means of\nsupport assigned to them, should be searched out. Covertly or publicly do\nthou cherish such Brahmanas by assigning them the means of support. Such\nconduct always confers higher benefit upon Kshatriyas than the Rajasuya\nand the Horse-sacrifices. Cleansing thyself of sin, thou art sure of\nattaining to Heaven. Filling thy treasury thou shouldst do good to thy\nkingdom. By such conduct thou art sure to win much wealth and become a\nBrahmana (in thy next life). Do thou, O Bharata, protect thy own means\n(of support and of doing acts of righteousness), as also the means of\nother people's subsistence. Do thou support thy servants as thy own\nchildren. Do thou, O Bharata, protect the Brahmanas in the enjoyment of\nwhat they have and make gifts unto them of such articles as they have\nnot. Let thy life be devoted to the purpose of the Brahmanas. Let it\nnever be said that thou dost not grant protection to the Brahmanas. Much\nwealth or affluence, when possessed by a Brahmana, becomes a source of\nevil to him. Constant association with affluence and prosperity is\ncertain to fill him with pride and cause him to be stupefied (in respect\nof his true duties). If the Brahmanas become stupefied and steeped in\nfolly, righteousness and duties are sure to suffer destruction. Without\ndoubt, if righteousness and duty come to an end, it will lead to the\ndestruction of all creatures. That king who having amassed wealth makes\nit over (for safe keep) to his treasury officers and guards, and then\ncommences again to plunder his kingdom, saying unto his officers, 'Do ye\nbring me as much wealth as you can extort from the kingdom,' and who\nspends the wealth that is thus collected at his command under\ncircumstances of fear and cruelty, in the performance of sacrifices,\nshould know that those sacrifices of his are never applauded by the\nrighteous. The king should perform sacrifices with such wealth as is\nwillingly paid into his treasury by prosperous and unpersecuted subjects.\nSacrifices should never be performed with wealth acquired by severity and\nextortion. The king should then perform great sacrifices with large\npresents in the shape of Dakshina, when in consequence of his being\ndevoted to the good of his subjects, the latter bathe him with copious\nshowers of wealth brought willingly by them for the purpose. The king\nshould protect the wealth of those that are old, of those that are\nminors, of those that are blind, and of those that are otherwise\ndisqualified. The king should never take any wealth from his people, if\nthey, in a season of drought, succeed in growing any corn with the aid of\nwater obtained from wells. Nor should he take any wealth from weeping\nwomen.[326] The wealth taken from the poor and the helpless is sure to\ndestroy the kingdom and the prosperity of the king. The king should\nalways make unto the righteous gifts of all enjoyable articles in\nabundance. He should certainly dispel the fear of famishing which those\nmen may have.[327] There are no men more sinful than those upon whose\nfood children look with wistfulness without being able to eat them duly.\nIf within thy kingdom any learned Brahmana languishes with hunger like\nany of those children, thou shalt then incur the sin of foeticide for\nhaving allowed such an act. King Sivi himself had said this, viz., 'Fie\non that king in whose kingdom a Brahmana or even any other man languishes\nfrom hunger.' That kingdom in which a Brahmana of the Snataka class\nlanguishes with hunger becomes overwhelmed with adversity. Such a kingdom\nwith its king also incurs reproach. That king is more dead than alive in\nwhose kingdom women are easily abducted from the midst of husbands and\nsons, uttering cries and groans of indignation and grief The subjects\nshould arm themselves to slay that King who does not protect them, who\nsimply plunders their wealth, who confounds all distinctions, who is ever\nincapable of taking their lead, who is without compassion, and who is\nregarded as the most sinful of kings. That king who tells his people that\nhe is their protector but who does not or is unable to protect them,\nshould be slain by his combined subjects, like a dog that is affected\nwith the rabies and has become mad. A fourth part of whatever sins are\ncommitted by the subjects clings to that king who does not protect, O\nBharata. Some authorities say that the whole of those sins is taken by\nsuch a king. Others are of opinion that a half thereof becomes his.\nBearing in mind, however, the declaration of Manu, it is our opinion that\na fourth part of such sins becomes the unprotecting king's. That king, O\nBharata, who grants protection to his subjects obtains a fourth part of\nwhatever merits his subjects acquire living under his protection. Do\nthou, O Yudhishthira, act in such a way that all thy subjects may seek\nthee as their refuge as long as thou art alive, even as all creatures\nseek the refuge of the deity of rain or even as the winged denizens of\nthe air seek the refuge of a large tree. Let all thy kinsmen and all thy\nfriends and well-wishers, O scorcher of foes, seek thee as their refuge\neven as the Rakshasas seek Kuvera or the deities seek Indra as theirs.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"People accept with affection the declarations of the\nSrutis which say, 'This is to be given.' 'This other thing is to be\ngiven!' As regards kings, again, they make gifts of various things unto\nvarious men. What, however, O grandsire, is the best or foremost of all\ngifts.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Of all kinds of gifts, the gift of earth has been said to\nbe the first (in point of merit). Earth is immovable and indestructible.\nIt is capable of yielding unto him who owns it all the best things upon\nwhich his heart may be set. It yields robes and vestments, jewels and\ngems, animals, paddy and barley. Amongst all creatures, the giver of\nearth grows in prosperity for ever and ever. As long as the earth lasts,\nso long does the giver thereof grow in prosperity. There is no gift that\nis higher, O Yudhishthira, than the gift of earth. It hath been heard by\nus that all men have given a little quantity of earth. All men have made\ngifts of earth, hence all men enjoy a little of earth. Whether in this or\nin the next world all creatures live under conditions dependent upon\ntheir own acts. Earth is Prosperity's self. She is a mighty goddess. She\nmakes him her lord (in next life) who makes gifts of her in this life to\nother people. That person, O best of kings, who gives away earth, which\nis indestructible, as Dakshina, becomes born in next life as a man and\nbecomes also a lord of earth. The measure of one's enjoyment in this life\nis commensurate with the measure of one's gifts in a previous life. Even\nthis is the conclusion to which the scriptures point. For a Kshatriya\nshould either give away the earth in gift or cast off his life in battle.\nEven this constitutes the highest source of prosperity with regard to\nKshatriyas. It has been heard by us that earth, when given away, cleanses\nand sanctifies the giver. The man that is of sinful behaviour, that is\nguilty of even the slaughter of a Brahmana and of falsehood, is cleansed\nby a gift of earth. Indeed, such a gift rescues even such a sinner from\nall his sins. The righteous accept gifts of earth only and no other thing\nfrom kings that are sinful. Like one's mother, earth, when given away,\ncleanses the giver and the taker. This is an eternal and secret name of\nearth, viz., Priyadatta.[328] Given away or accepted in gift, the name\nthat is dear to her is Priyadatta. The gift of earth is desirable. That\nking who makes a gift of earth unto a learned Brahmana, obtains from that\ngift a kingdom. Upon re-birth in this world, such a man without doubt\nattains to a position that is equal to that of a king. Hence a king as\nsoon as he gets earth, should make gifts of earth unto the Brahmanas.\nNone but a lord of earth is competent to make gifts of earth. Nor should\none that is not a deserving person accept a gift of earth. They who\ndesire earth should, without doubt, conduct themselves in this way (i.e.,\nmake gifts of earth). That person who takes away earth belonging to a\nrighteous person never gets any earth. By making gifts of earth unto the\nrighteous, one gets good earth. Of virtuous soul, such a giver acquires\ngreat fame both here and hereafter. That righteous king respecting whom\nthe Brahmanas say, 'We live on earth given to us by him,' is such that\nhis very enemies cannot utter the least reproach respecting his\nkingdom.[329] Whatever sins a man commits from want of the means of\nsupport, are all washed off by gift of only so much earth as is covered\nby a cow-hide. Those kings that are mean in their acts or are of fierce\ndeeds, should be taught that gift of earth is exceedingly cleansing and\nis at the same time the highest gift (in respect of merit). The ancients\nthought that there was always very little difference between the man who\nperforms a Horse-sacrifice and him that makes a gift of earth unto one\nthat is righteous. The learned doubt the acquisition of merit by doing\nall other acts of righteousness. The only act with respect to which they\ndo not entertain doubt is the gift of earth which, indeed, is the\nforemost of all gifts. The man of wisdom who makes gifts of earth, gives\naway all these, viz., gold, silver, cloth, gems and pearls and precious\nstones. Penances, sacrifice, Vedic lore, good behaviour, absence of\ncupidity, firmness in truth, worship of seniors, preceptors, and the\ndeities--all these dwell in him who makes a gift of earth. They who\nascend to the region of Brahman by leaving off their lives in battle,\nafter having fought without any regard for themselves to secure the\nbenefit to their masters--even they are unable to transcend the merit of\nthose that make gifts of earth. As the mother always nourishes her own\nchild with milk from her breast, even so doth the earth gratify with all\nthe tastes the person that makes a gift of earth. Mrityu, Vaikinkara,\nDanda, Yama, Fire who is possessed of great fierceness, and all heinous\nand terrible sins are incapable of touching the person that makes a gift\nof earth. That man of tranquil soul who makes a gift of earth gratifies\n(by that act) the Pitris dwelling in their own region and the deities\nalso hailing from the region that is theirs. The man who makes a gift of\nearth unto one that is emaciated and cheerless and destitute of the means\nof life and languishing with weakness, and who thereby supplies one with\nthe means of subsistence, becomes entitled to the honour and merit of\nperforming a sacrifice. Even as an affectionate cow runs towards her\ncalf, with full udders dropping milk, the highly-blessed earth after the\nsame manner, runs towards the person who makes a gift of earth. That man\nwho makes unto a Brahmana a gift of earth which has been tilled, or sown\nwith seeds or which contains standing crops, or a mansion well-equipped\nwith every necessary, succeeds in becoming (in next life) the\naccomplisher of the wishes of everybody. The man who causes a Brahmana\npossessed of the means of life, owning a domestic fire and of pure vows\nand practices, to accept a gift of earth, never falls into any danger or\ndistress. As the moon waxes day by day, even so the merit of a gift of\nearth becomes enhanced every time such earth produces crops. Those\nconversant with ancient history sing this verse in connection with the\ngift of earth. Hearing that verse Jamadagni's son (Rama) gave away the\nwhole earth unto Kasyapa. The verse to which I refer is this, 'Receive me\nin gift. Give me away. By giving me away, thou (O giver) shall obtain me\nagain!' That which is given away in this life is re-acquired in the\nnext.[330] That Brahmana who recites this high declaration of the Vedas\nat the time of a Sraddha attains to the highest reward. A gift of earth\nis a high expiation for the sin of those puissant men who betake\nthemselves to Atharvan rites for doing injuries to others. Indeed, by\nmaking a gift of earth one rescues ten generations of one's paternal and\nmaternal race. That person who is even conversant with this Vedic\ndeclaration respecting the merits of a gift of earth, succeeds in\nrescuing ten generations of both his paternal and maternal families. The\nearth is the original source of all creatures (for it is from earth that\nall creatures derive their sustenance). It has been said that the deity\nof fire is the presiding genius of the earth. After the coronation\nceremony has been performed of a king, this Vedic declaration should be\nre-cited to him, so that he may make gifts of earth and may never take\naway earth from a righteous person. Without doubt, the entire wealth\nowned by the king belongs to the Brahmanas. A king well-conversant with\nthe science of duty and morality is the first requisite of the kingdom's\nprosperity. Those people whose king is unrighteous and atheistic in\nconduct and belief can never be happy. Such people can never sleep or\nwake in peace. In consequence of his acts of wickedness his subjects\nbecome always filled with anxiety. Protection of what the subjects\nalready have and new acquisitions according to lawful means are incidents\nthat are not noticeable in the kingdom of such a ruler. Those people,\nagain, who have a wise and righteous king, sleep happily and wake up in\nhappiness. Through the blessed and righteous acts of such a king, his\nsubjects become freed from anxiety. The subjects, restrained from wicked\nacts, grow in prosperity through their own conduct. Capable of retaining\nwhat they have, they go on making new acquisitions. That king who makes\ngifts of earth is regarded as well-born. He is regarded as a man. He is a\nfriend. He is righteous in his acts. He is a giver. He is regarded as\npossessing prowess. Those men who make gifts of ample and fertile earth\nunto Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas, always shine in the world, in\nconsequence of their energy, like so many suns. As seeds scattered on the\nsoil grow and return a goodly crop, even so all one's wishes become\ncrowned with fruition in consequence of one's making gifts of earth.\nAditya and Varuna and Vishnu and Brahman and Soma and Hutasana, and the\nillustrious and trident-bearing Mahadeva, all applaud the man that makes\na gift of earth. Living creatures spring into life from the earth and it\nis into the earth that they become merged when they disappear. Living\ncreatures which are distributed into four classes (i.e., viviparous,\noviparous, filthborn, and vegetables) have earth for their constituent\nessence. The earth is both the mother and father of the universe of\ncreatures, O monarch. There is no element, O ruler of men, that can\ncompare with earth. In this connection is cited the old narrative of a\ndiscourse between the celestial preceptor Vrihaspati and Indra the ruler\nof Heaven, O Yudhishthira. Having adored Vishnu in a hundred sacrifices\neach of which was distinguished by plentiful gifts as Dakshina, Maghavat\nput this question to Vrihaspati, that foremost of all eloquent persons.\n\n\"'\"Maghavat said, 'O illustrious one, by what gift does one succeed in\ncoming to Heaven and attaining to beatitude? O foremost of speakers, do\nthou tell me of that gift which is productive of high and inexhaustible\nmerit.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the chief of the celestials the\npreceptor of the deities, viz., Vrihaspati of great energy, said these\nwords in reply unto him of a hundred sacrifices. 'Endued as he is with the\nmerits that attach to the gift of earth, the region of felicity reserved\nfor the person who makes gift of such earth as is auspicious and rich\nwith every taste, never become exhausted.[331] That king, O Sakra, who\ndesires to have prosperity and who wishes to win happiness for himself,\nshould always make gifts of earth, with due rites, unto deserving\npersons. If after committing numerous sins a person makes gifts of earth\nunto members of the regenerate class, he casts off all those sins like a\nsnake casting off its slough. The person that makes a gift of earth is\nsaid to make gifts of everything, that is, of seas and rivers and\nmountains and forests. By making a gift of earth, the person is said to\ngive away lakes and tanks and wells and streams. In consequence of the\nmoisture of earth, one is said to give away articles of diverse tastes by\nmaking a gift of earth. The man who makes a gift of earth is regarded as\ngiving away herbs and plants possessed of high and efficacious virtues,\ntrees adorned with flowers and fruit, delightful woods, and hillocks. The\nmerit that a person acquires by making a gift of earth is incapable of\nbeing acquired by the performance of even such great sacrifices as the\nAgnishtoma and others with plentiful gifts in the shape of Dakshina. The\ngiver of earth, it has been already said, rescues ten generations of both\nhis paternal and maternal races. Similarly, by taking away earth that was\ngiven away, one hurls oneself into hell and casts ten generations of both\none's paternal and maternal lines into the same place of misery. That man\nwho having promised to make a gift of earth does not actually make it, or\nwho having made a gift takes it back, has to pass a long time, in great\nmisery in consequence of being tied with the noose of Varuna at the\ncommand of Death. Those men have never to go to Yama who honour and\nworship those foremost of Brahmanas that pour libations every day on\ntheir domestic fire, that are always engaged in the performance of\nsacrifices, that have scanty means of livelihood, and that receive with\nhospitality every guest seeking shelter in their abodes. The king, O\nPurandara, should free himself from the debt he owes to the Brahmanas and\nprotect the helpless and the weak belonging to the other orders. The king\nshould never resume, O chief of the deities, earth that has been given\naway by another unto a Brahmana, O ruler of the celestials, that is\ndestitute of the means of life.[332] The tears that would fall from the\neyes of such cheerless and destitute Brahmanas in consequence of their\nlands being taken back are capable of destroying the ancestors and\ndescendants to the third generation of the resumer. That man who succeeds\nby his endeavours in re-establishing a king driven away from his kingdom,\nobtains residence in heaven and is much honoured by the denizens thereof.\nThat king who succeeds in making gifts of earth with such crops standing\nthereon as sugar-cane or barley or wheat, or with kine and horses and\nother draft cattle,--earth that has been won with the might of the\ngiver's arms,--that has mineral wealth in its bowels and that is covered\nwith every kind of wealth of the surface, wins inexhaustible regions of\nfelicity in the next world, and such a king it is that is said to perform\nthe earth-sacrifice. That king who makes a gift of earth becomes washed\nof every sin and is, therefore, pure and approved of the righteous. In\nthis world he is highly honoured and applauded by all righteous men. The\nmerit that attaches to a gift of earth increases every time the earth\ngiven away bears crops for the benefit of the owner, even as a drop of\noil, falling upon water, is seen to extend on every side, and cover the\nwatery surface. Those heroic kings and ornaments of assemblies who cast\noff their lives in battle with faces towards the foe, attain, O Sakra, to\nthe region of Brahman. Beautiful damsels skilled in music and dancing and\nadorned with garlands of celestial flowers, approach, O chief of the\ndeities, the giver of earth as he comes to heaven departing from the\nearth. That king who makes gifts of earth with due rites unto persons of\nthe regenerate order, sports in bliss in the celestial regions, adorned\nall the while by the deities and Gandharvas. A century of Apsaras,\nadorned with celestial garlands, approach, O chief of the deities, the\ngiver of earth as he ascends to the region of Brahman. Flowers of\nexcellent perfumes, an excellent conch and excellent seat, an umbrella\nand excellent steeds with excellent vehicles, are always ready for the\nperson how makes gifts of earth. By making gifts of earth a king can\nalways command flowers of excellent perfumes and heaps of gold. Possessed\nof all kinds of wealth the commands of such a king can never be disobeyed\nanywhere, and cries of victory hail him wheresoever he may approach. The\nrewards that attach to gifts of earth consist of residence in heaven, O\nPurandara, and gold, and flowers, and plants and herbs of medicinal\nvirtue, and Kusa and mineral wealth and verdant grass. A person by making\na gift of earth acquires in his next life nectar yielding earth. There is\nno gift that is equal to a gift of earth. There is no senior worthy of\ngreater respect than the mother. There is no duty higher than truth.\nThere is no wealth more precious than that which is given away.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words from the son of Angiras, Vasava\nmade a gift unto him of the whole earth with all her jewels and gems and\nall her wealth of diverse kinds. If these verses declaring the merit\nattaching to gifts of earth be recited on the occasion of a Sraddha,\nneither Rakshasas nor Asuras can succeed in appropriating any share of\nthe offerings made in it. Without doubt, the offerings one makes unto the\nPitris at such a Sraddha become inexhaustible. Hence, on occasions of\nSraddhas, the man of learning should recite these verses on the subject\nof the merits that attach to gifts of earth, in the presence and hearing\nof the invited Brahmanas when engaged in eating. I have thus, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, discoursed unto thee of that gift which is the foremost of\nall gifts. What else dost thou wish to hear?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When a king becomes desirous of making gifts in this\nworld, what, indeed, are those gifts which he should make, O best of the\nBharatas, unto such Brahmanas as are possessed of superior\naccomplishments? What gift is that by which the Brahmanas become\nimmediately gratified? What fruits do they bestow in return? O thou of\nmighty arms, tell me what is the high reward attainable through the merit\narising from gifts. What gifts, O king, are productive of rewards both\nhere and hereafter? I desire to hear all this from thee. Do thou\ndiscourse to me on all this in detail.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"These very questions were on a former occasion put by me\nto Narada of celestial appearance. Hear me as I recite to thee what that\ncelestial sage told me in reply.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The deities and all the Rishis applaud food. The course of\nthe world and the intellectual faculties have all been established on\nfood. There has never been, nor will be any gift that is equal to the\ngifts of food. Hence, men always desire particularly to make gifts of\nfood. In this world, food is the cause of energy and strength. The\nlife-breaths are established on food. It is food that upholds the wide\nuniverse, O puissant one. All classes of men, householders and mendicants\nand ascetics, exist, depending upon food. The life-breaths depend upon\nfood. There is no doubt in this. Afflicting (if need be) one's relatives,\none that is desirous of one's own prosperity, should make gifts of food\nunto a high-souled Brahmana or a person of the mendicant order. That man\nwho makes a gift of food unto an accomplished Brahmana who solicits the\nsame, secures for himself in the world to come wealth of great value. The\nhouseholder who is desirous of his own prosperity should receive with\nreverence a deserving old man that is spent with toil while proceeding on\nhis way far from home, when such a man honours the householder's abode\nwith his presence. That man who, casting off wrath that overleaps every\nbound and becoming righteous in disposition and freed from malice, makes\ngifts of food, is sure to attain to happiness, O king, both here and\nhereafter. The householder should never disregard the man that comes to\nhis abode, nor should he insult him by sending him away. A gift of food\nmade unto even a Chandala or a dog is never lost. That man who makes a\ngift of clean food unto a person on the way who is toil-worn and unknown\nto the giver, is sure to acquire great merit. The man who gratifies with\ngifts of food the Pitris, the deities, the Rishis, the Brahmanas, and\nguests arrived at his abode, acquires merit whose measure is very large.\nThat person who having committed even a heinous sin makes a gift of food\nunto one that solicits, or unto a Brahmana, is never stupefied by that\nheinous sin. A gift of food made unto a Brahmana becomes inexhaustible.\nOne made to a Sudra becomes productive of great merit. Even this is the\ndifference between the merits that attach to gifts of food made unto\nBrahmanas and Sudras. Solicited by a Brahmana, one should not enquire\nabout his race or conduct or Vedic lore. Asked for food, one should give\nfood to him that asks. There is no doubt in this, O king, that he who\nmakes gifts of food obtains both here and hereafter many trees yielding\nfood and every other object of desire. Like tillers expecting auspicious\nshowers of rain, the Pitris always expect that their sons and grandsons\nwould make offerings unto them of food (in Sraddhas). The Brahmana is a\ngreat being. When he comes into one's abode and solicits, saying, \"Give\nme,\" the owner of the abode, whether influenced or not by the desire of\nacquiring merit, is sure to win great merit by listening to that\nsolicitation. The Brahmana is the guest of all creatures in the universe.\nHe is entitled to the first portion of every food. That house increases\nin prosperity to which the Brahmanas repair from desire of soliciting\nalms and from which they return honoured in consequence of their desires\nbeing fulfilled. The owner of such a house takes birth in his next life\nin a family, O Bharata, that can command all the comforts and luxuries of\nlife. A man, by making gifts of food in this world, is sure to attain to\nan excellent place hereafter. He who makes gifts of sweetmeat and all\nfood that is sweet, attains to a residence in heaven where he is honoured\nby all the deities and other denizens. Food constitutes the life-breath\nof men. Everything is established upon food. He who makes gifts of food\nobtains many animals (as his wealth), many children, considerable wealth\n(in other shape), and a command in abundance of all articles of comfort\nand luxurious enjoyment. The giver of food is said to be the giver of\nlife. Indeed, he is said to be the giver of everything. Hence, O king,\nsuch a man acquires both strength and beauty of form in this world. If\nfood be given duly unto a Brahmana arrived at the giver's house as a\nguest, the giver attains to great happiness, and is adored by the very\ndeities. The Brahmana, O Yudhishthira, is a great being. He is also a\nfertile field. Whatever seed is sown on that field produces an abundant\ncrop of merit. A gift of food is visibly and immediately productive of\nthe happiness of both the giver and the receiver. All other gifts produce\nfruits that are unseen. Food is the origin of all creatures. From food,\ncomes happiness and delight. O Bharata, know that religion and wealth\nboth flow from food. The cure of disease or health also flows from food.\nIn a former Kalpa, the Lord of all creatures said that food is Amrita or\nthe source of immortality. Food is Earth, food is Heaven, food is the\nFirmament. Everything is established on food. In the absence of food, the\nfive elements that constitute the physical organism cease to exist in a\nstate of union. From absence of food the strength of even the strongest\nman is seen to fail. Invitations and marriages and sacrifices all cease\nin the absence of food. The very Vedas disappear when food there is none.\nWhatever mobile and immobile creatures exist in the universe are\ndependent on food. Religion and wealth, in the three worlds, are all\ndependent on food. Hence the wise should make gifts of food. The\nstrength, energy, fame and achievements of the man who makes gifts of\nfood, constantly increase in the three worlds, O king. The lord of the\nlife-breaths, viz., the deity of wind, places above the clouds (the water\nsucked up by the Sun). The water thus borne to the clouds is caused by\nSakra to be poured upon the earth, O Bharata. The Sun, by means of his\nrays, sucks up the moisture of the earth. The deity of wind causes the\nmoisture to fall down from the Sun.[333] When the water falls down from\nthe clouds upon the Earth, the goddess Earth becomes moist, O Bharata.\nThen do people sow diverse kinds of crops upon whose outturn the universe\nof creatures depends. It is in the food thus produced that the flesh,\nfat, bones and vital seed of all beings have their origin. From the vital\nseed thus originated, O king, spring diverse kinds of living creatures.\nAgni and Soma, the two agents living within the body, create and maintain\nthe vital seed. Thus from food, the Sun and the deity of wind and the\nvital seed spring and act. All these are said to constitute one element\nor quantity, and it is from these that all creatures spring. That man who\ngives food unto one who comes into his house and solicits it, is said, O\nchief of the Bharatas, to contribute both life and energy unto living\ncreatures.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by Narada, O king, I have always made\ngifts of food. Do thou also, therefore, freed from malice and with a\ncheerful heart, make gifts of food. By making gifts of food, O king, unto\ndeserving Brahmanas with due rites, thou mayst be sure, O puissant one,\nof attaining to Heaven. Hear me, O monarch, as I tell thee what the\nregions are that are reserved for those that make gifts of food. The\nmansions of those high-souled persons shine with resplendence in the\nregions of Heaven. Bright as the stars in the firmament, and supported\nupon many columns, white as the disc of the moon, and adorned with many\ntinkling bells, and rosy like the newly-risen sun, those palatial abodes\nare either fixed or movable. Those mansions are filled with hundreds upon\nhundreds of things and animals that live on land and as many things and\nanimals living in water. Some of them are endued with the effulgence of\nlapis lazuli and some are possessed of the resplendence of the sun. Some\nof them are made of silver and some of gold. Within those mansions are\nmany trees capable of crowning with fruition every desire of the inmates.\nMany tanks and roads and halls and wells and lakes occur all around.\nThousands of conveyances with horses and other animals harnessed thereto\nand with wheels whose clatter is always loud, may be seen there.\nMountains of food and all enjoyable articles and heaps of cloths and\nornaments are also to be seen there. Numerous rivers that run milk, and\nhills of rice and other edibles, may also be seen there. Indeed, many\npalatial residences looking like white clouds, with many beds of golden\nsplendour, occur in those regions, All these are obtained by those men\nthat make gifts of food in this world. Do thou, therefore, become a giver\nof food. Verily, these are the regions that are reserved for those\nhigh-souled and righteous persons that make gifts of food in this world.\nFor these reasons, men should always make gifts of food in this world.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have heard the discourse regarding the ordinance\nabout the gift of food. Do thou discourse to me now about the conjunction\nof the planets and the stars in relation to the subject of making\ngifts.\"[334]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is recited this ancient narrative of\nthe discourse between Devaki and Narada, that foremost of Rishis. Once on\na time when Narada of godlike feature and conversant with every duty\narrived at Dwaraka, Devaki asked him this question. Unto her that had\nasked him, the celestial Rishi Narada duly answered in the following\nwords. Do thou hear as I recite them.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'By gratifying, O blessed lady, deserving Brahmanas with\nPayasa mixed with ghee, under the constellation Krittika one attains to\nregions of great happiness.[335] Under the constellation Rohini, one\nshould for freeing oneself from the debt one owes to the Brahmanas make\ngift unto them of many handfuls of venison along with rice and ghee and\nmilk, and other kinds of edibles and drinks. One giving away a cow with a\ncalf under the constellation called Somadaivata (or Mrigasiras), proceeds\nfrom this region of human beings to a region in heaven of great felicity.\nOne undergoing a fast and giving away Krisara mixed with sesame,\ntranscends all difficulties in the next world, including those mountains\nwith rocks sharp as razors. By making gifts, O beautiful lady, of cakes\nand other food under the constellation Punarvasu one becomes possessed of\npersonal beauty and great fame and takes birth in one's next life in a\nfamily in which there is abundance of food. Making a gift of wrought or\nunwrought gold, under the constellation Pushya, one shines in effulgence\nlike Soma himself in regions of surrounding gloom. He who makes a gift,\nunder the constellation Aslesha, of silver or a bull, becomes freed from\nevery fear and attains to great affluence and prosperity. By making a\ngift, under the constellation Magha, of earthen dishes filled with\nsesame, one becomes possessed of children and animals in this world and\nattains to felicity in the next.[336] For making gifts unto Brahmanas,\nunder the constellation called Purva-Phalguni of food mixed with Phanita\nthe giver observing a fast the while, reward is great prosperity both\nhere and hereafter.[337] By making a gift, under the constellation called\nUttara-Phalguni, of ghee and milk with rice called Shashthika, one\nattains to great honours in heaven. Whatever gifts are made by men under\nthe constellation of Uttara-Phalguni produce great merit, which, again,\nbecomes inexhaustible. This is very certain. Observing a fast the while,\nthe person that makes, under the constellation Hasta, a gift of a car\nwith four elephants, attains to regions of great felicity that are\ncapable of granting the fruition of every wish. By making a gift, under\nthe constellation Chitra, of a bull and of good perfumes, one sports in\nbliss in regions of Apsaras like the deities sporting in the woods of\nNandana. By making gifts of wealth under the constellation Swati, one\nattains to such excellent regions as one desires and wins besides great\nfame. By making gifts, under constellation Visakha, of a bull, and a cow\nthat yields a copious measure of milk, a cart full of paddy, with a\nPrasanga for covering the same, and also cloths for wear,[338] a person\nnever meets with any calamity and certainly reaches heaven. By\nmaking gifts unto the Brahmanas of whatever articles they solicit,\none attains to such means of subsistence as one desires, and\nbecomes rescued from hell and every calamity that visits a sinner\nafter death. This is the certain conclusion of the scriptures. By\nmaking gifts, under the constellation Anuradha of embroidered cloth and\nother vestments and of food, observing a fast the while, one becomes\nhonoured in heaven for a hundred Yugas. By making a gift under the\nconstellation Jyeshtha, of the potherb called Kalasaka with the roots,\none attains to great prosperity as also to such an end as is desirable.\nBy making unto Brahmanas a gift under the constellation Mula, of fruits\nand roots, with a restrained soul, one gratifies the Pitris and attains\nto a desirable end. By making under the constellation Purvashadha, a\ngift, unto a Brahmana conversant with the Vedas and of good family and\nconduct, of cups filled with curds, while one is in the observance of a\nfast, one takes birth in one's next life in a family possessed of\nabundant kine. One obtains the fruition of every wish, by making gifts,\nunder the constellation Uttarashadha, of jugs full of barley-water, with\nghee and inspissated juice of sugarcane in abundance. By making a gift\nunder the conjunction called Abhijit, of milk with honey and ghee unto\nmen of wisdom, a righteous person attains to heaven and becomes an object\nof attention and honour there. By making under the conjunction Sravana, a\ngift of blankets or other cloth of thick texture, one roves freely\nthrough every region of felicity, riding on a white car of pure\nresplendence. By making with a restrained soul, under the constellation\nDhanishtha, a gift of a vehicle with bulls yoked thereto, or heaps of\ncloths and wealth, one at once attains to heaven in one's next life. By\nmaking gifts, under the constellation Satabhisha, of perfumes with\nAquilaria Agallocha and sandalwood, one attains in the next world to the\ncompanionship of Apsaras as also eternal perfumes of diverse kinds. By\nmaking gifts, under the constellation Purva-Bhadrapada, or Rajamasha, one\nattains to great happiness in the next life and becomes possessed of an\nabundant stock of every kind of edibles and fruits.[339] One who makes,\nunder the constellation Uttara, a gift of mutton, gratifies the Pitris by\nsuch an act attains to inexhaustible merit in the next world. Unto one\nwho makes a gift, under the constellation Revati, of a cow with a vessel\nof white copper for milking her, the cow so given away approaches in the\nnext world, ready to grant the fruition of every wish. By making a gift,\nunder the constellation Aswini, of a car with steeds yoked thereto, one\nis born in one's next life in a family possessed of numerous elephants\nand steeds and cars, and becomes endued with great energy. By making,\nunder the constellation Bharani, a gift unto the Brahmanas of kine and\nsesame, one acquires in one's next life great fame and an abundance of\nkine.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Even thus did Narada discourse unto Devaki upon the\nsubject of what gifts should be made under what constellations. Devaki\nherself, having listened to this discourse, recited it in her turn unto\nher daughters-in-law (viz., the spouses of Krishna).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The illustrious Atri, the son of the Grandsire Brahman,\nsaid, 'They who make gifts of gold are said to make gifts of everything\nin the world.' King Harischandra said that the gift of gold is\nsin-cleansing, leads to long life, and becomes productive of\ninexhaustible merit unto the Pitris. Manu has said that a gift of drink\nis the best of all gifts: therefore should a man cause wells and tanks\nand lakes to be excavated. A well full of water and from which diverse\ncreatures draw water, is said to take off half the sinful acts of the\nperson who has excavated it. The whole race of a person is rescued from\nhell and sin in whose well or tank or lake kine and Brahmanas and\nrighteous people constantly quench their thirst. That man transcends\nevery kind of calamity from whose well or tank every one draws water\nwithout restraint during the summer season. Ghee is said to gratify the\nillustrious Vrihaspati, Pushan, Bhaga, the twin Aswins, and the deity of\nfire. Ghee is possessed of high medicinal virtues. It is a high requisite\nfor sacrifice. It is the best of all liquids. The merit a gift of ghee\nproduces is very superior. That man who is desirous of the reward of\nhappiness in the next world, who wishes for fame and prosperity, should\nwith a cleansed soul and having purified himself make gifts of ghee unto\nthe Brahmanas. Upon that man who makes gifts of ghee unto the Brahmanas\nin the month of Aswin, the twin Aswins, gratified, confer personal\nbeauty. Rakshasas never invade the abode of that man who makes gifts unto\nthe Brahmanas of Payasa mixed with ghee. That man never dies of thirst\nwho makes gifts unto the Brahmanas of jars filled with water. Such a\nperson obtains every necessary of life in abundance, and has never to\nundergo any calamity or distress. That man, who with great devotion and\nrestrained senses makes gifts unto the foremost of Brahmanas, is said to\ntake a sixth part of the merits won by the Brahmanas by their penances.\nThat man who makes presents unto Brahmanas having the means of life, of\nfirewood for purposes of cooking as also of enabling them to drive away\ncold, finds all his purposes and all his acts crowned with success. Such a\none is seen to shine with great splendour over all his enemies. The\nillustrious deity of fire becomes pleased with such a man. As another\nreward, he never becomes divested of cattle, and he is sure to achieve\nvictory in battles. The man who makes a gift of an umbrella obtains\nchildren and great prosperity. Such a person is never affected by any\neye-disease. The merits also that spring from the performance of a\nsacrifice become his. That man who makes a gift of an umbrella in the\nseason of summer or rains, has never to meet with any heart-burning on\nany account. Such a man quickly succeeds in freeing himself from every\ndifficulty and impediment. The highly blessed and illustrious Rishi\nSandilya has said that, of all gifts, the gift of a car, O king, is the\nbest.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire to hear, O grandsire, what the merits are\nof that person who makes the gift of a pair of sandals unto a Brahmana\nwhose feet are burning or being scorched by hot sand, while he is\nwalking.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The man, that gives unto the Brahmanas sandals for the\nprotection of their feet, succeeds in crushing all thorns and gets over\nevery kind of difficulty. Such a man, O Yudhishthira, stays over the\nheads of all his foes. Vehicles of pure splendour, with mules harnessed\nthereto, and made of gold and silver, O monarch, approach him. He who\nmakes a gift of sandals is said to earn the merit of making the gift of a\nvehicle with well-broken steeds yoked thereto.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Do thou tell me in detail once more, O grandsire, of\nthe merits that attach to gifts of sesame and land and kine and food.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Do thou hear, O son of Kunti, what the merits are that\nattach to the gift of sesame. Hearing me, do thou, then, O best of the\nKurus, make gifts of sesame according to the ordinance. Sesame seeds were\ncreated by the Self-born Brahman as the best food for the Pitris. Hence,\ngifts of sesame seeds always gladden the Pitris greatly. The man who\nmakes gifts of sesame seeds, in the month of Magha, unto the Brahmanas,\nhas never to visit hell which abounds with all frightful creatures. He\nwho adores the Pitris with offerings of sesame seeds is regarded as\nworshipping the deities at all the sacrifices. One should never perform a\nSraddha with offerings of sesame seeds without cherishing some\npurpose.[340] Sesame seeds sprang from the limbs of the great Rishi\nKasyapa. Hence, in the matter of gifts, they have come to be regarded as\npossessed of high efficacy. Sesame seeds bestow both prosperity and\npersonal beauty and cleans the giver of all his sins. It is for this\nreason that the gift of sesame seeds is distinguished above the gift of\nevery other article. Apastamva of great intelligence, and Kankha and\nLikhita, and the great Rishi Gautama have all ascended to heaven by\nhaving made gifts of sesame seeds. Those Brahmanas that make Homa with\nofferings of sesame, abstain from sexual intercourse, and are observant\nof the religion of Pravritti or acts, are regarded as equal (in purity\nand efficacy) to bovine Havi. The gift of sesame seeds is distinguished\nabove all gifts. Amongst all gifts, the gifts of sesame is regarded as\nproductive of inexhaustible merit. In ancient times when Havi (clarified\nbutter) on one occasion had become unobtainable the Rishi Kusika, O\nscorcher of foes, made offerings of sesame seeds to his three sacrificial\nfires and succeeded in attaining to an excellent end. I have thus said\nunto thee, O chief of the Kurus, what the regulations are respecting the\nexcellent gift of sesame seeds. It is in consequence of these regulations\nthat the gift of sesame seeds has come to be regarded as endued with very\nsuperior merit. After this, listen to what I would say. Once on a time\nthe deities, desirous of making a sacrifice, repaired, O monarch, to the\npresence of the Self-born Brahman. Having met Brahman, being desirous of\nperforming a sacrifice on earth, they begged him for a piece of\nauspicious earth, saying, 'We want it for our sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"The deities said, 'O illustrious one, thou art the lord of all the earth\nas also of all the deities. With thy permission, O highly blessed one, we\ndesire to perform a sacrifice. The person who has not obtained by lawful\nmeans the earth whereon to make the sacrificial altar, earns not the\nmerit of the sacrifice he performs. Thou art the Lord of all the universe\nconsisting of its mobile and immobile objects. Hence, it behoveth thee to\ngrant us a piece of earth for the sacrifice we wish to make.'\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'Ye foremost of deities, I shall give you a piece of earth\nwhereon, ye sons of Kasyapa, you shall perform your intended sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"The deities said, 'Our wishes, O holy one, have been crowned with\nfruition. We shall perform our sacrifice even here with large Dakshina.\nLet, however, the Munis always adore the piece of earth.' Then there came\nto that place Agastya and Kanwa and Bhrigu and Atri and Vrishakapi, and\nAsita and Devala. The high-souled deities then, O thou of unfading glory,\nperformed their sacrifice. Those foremost of gods concluded it in due\ntime. Having completed that sacrifice of theirs on the breast of that\nforemost of mountains, Himavat, the deities attached to the gift of earth\na sixth part of the merit arising from their sacrifice. The man who makes\na gift of even a span of earth (unto a Brahmana) with reverence and\nfaith, has never to languish under any difficulty and has never to meet\nwith any calamity. By making a gift of a house that keeps out cold, wind,\nand sun, and that stand upon a piece of clean land, the giver attains to\nthe region of the deities and does not fall down even when his merit\nbecomes exhausted. By making a gift of a residential house, the giver,\npossessed of wisdom, lives, O king, in happiness in the company of Sakra.\nSuch a person receives great honours in heaven. That person in whose\nhouse a Brahmana of restrained sense, well-versed in the Vedas, and\nbelonging by birth to a family of preceptors, resides in contentment,\nsucceeds in attaining to and enjoying a region of high felicity.[341]\nAfter the same manner, O best of the Bharatas, by giving away a shed for\nthe shelter of kine that can keep out cold and rain and that is\nsubstantial in structure, the giver rescues seven generations of his race\n(from hell). By giving away a piece of arable earth the giver attains to\nexcellent prosperity. By giving a piece of earth containing mineral\nwealth, the giver aggrandises his family and race. One should never give\naway any earth that is barren or that is burnt (arid); nor should one\ngive away any earth that is in close vicinity to a crematorium, or that\nhas been owned and enjoyed by a sinful person before such gift. When a\nman performs a Sraddha in honour of the Pitris on earth belonging to\nanother person, the Pitris render both the gift of that earth and the\nSraddha itself futile.[342] Hence, one possessed of wisdom should buy\neven a small piece of earth and make a gift of it. The Pinda that is\noffered to one's ancestors on earth that has been duly purchased becomes\ninexhaustible.[343] Forests, and mountains, and rivers, and Tirthas are\nregarded as having no owners. No earth need be purchased here for\nperforming Sraddhas. Even this has been said, O king, on the subject of\nthe merits of making gifts of earth. After this, O sinless one, I shall\ndiscourse to thee on the subject of the gift of kine. Kine are regarded\nas superior to all the ascetics. And since it is so, the divine Mahadeva\nfor that reason performed penance in their company. Kine, O Bharata,\ndwell in the region of Brahman, in the company of Soma. Constituting as\nit does the highest end, regenerate Rishis crowned with success strive to\nattain to that very region. Kine benefit human beings with milk, ghee,\ncurds, dung, skin, bones, horns, and hair, O Bharata. Kine do not feel\ncold or heat. They always work. The season of rains also cannot afflict\nthem at all. And since kine attain to the highest end (viz., residence in\nthe region of Brahman), in the company of Brahmanas, therefore do the\nwise say that king and Brahmanas are equal. In days of yore, king\nRantideva performed a grand sacrifice in which an immense number of kine\nwere offered up and slaughtered. From the juice that was secreted by the\nskins of the slaughtered animals, a river was formed that came to be\ncalled by the name of Charmanwati. Kine no longer form animals fit for\nsacrifice. They now constitute animals that are fit for gift. That king\nwho makes gifts of kine unto the foremost of Brahmanas, O monarch, is\nsure to get over every calamity even if he falls into it. The man who\nmakes a gift of a thousand kine has not to go to hell. Such a person, O\nruler of men, obtains victory everywhere. The very chief of the deities\nhad said that the milk of kine is nectar. For this reason, one who makes\na gift of a cow is regarded as making a gift of nectar. Persons\nconversant with the Vedas have declared that the Ghee manufactured from\ncows' milk is the very best of all libations poured into the sacrificial\nfire. For this reason, the man who makes a gift of a cow is regarded as\nmaking a gift of a libation for sacrifice. A bovine bull is the\nembodiment of heaven. He who makes the gift of a bovine bull unto an\naccomplished Brahmana, receives great honours in heaven. Kine, O chief of\nBharata's race, are said to be the life-breath of living creatures.\nHence, the man who makes the gift of a cow is said to make the gift of\nlife-breath. Persons conversant with the Vedas have said that kine\nconstitute the great refuge of living creatures. Hence, the man who makes\nthe gift of a cow is regarded as making the gift of what is the high\nrefuge for all creatures. The cow should never be given away for\nslaughter (i.e., unto one who will kill her); nor should the cow be given\nunto a tiller of the soil; nor should the cow be given unto an atheist.\nThe cow should not also, O chief of the Bharatas, be given unto one whose\noccupation is the keeping of kine.[344] The wise have said that a person\nwho gives away the cow unto any of such sinful persons has to sink into\neverlasting hell. One should never give unto a Brahmana a cow that is\nlean, or that produces calves that do not live, or that is barren, or\nthat is diseased, or that is defective of limb, or that is worn out with\ntoil. The man that gives away ten thousand kine attains to heaven and\nsports in bliss in the companionship of Indra. The man who makes gifts of\nkine by hundred thousand acquires many regions of inexhaustible felicity.\nThus have I recited to thee the merits attaching to the gift of kine and\nof sesame, as also to the gift of earth. Listen now to me as I discourse\nto thee upon the gift of food, O Bharata. The gift of food, O son of\nKunti, is regarded as a very superior gift. King Rantideva in days of\nyore ascended to heaven by having made gifts of food. That king, who make\na gift of food unto one that is toil-worn and hungry, attains to that\nregion of supreme felicity which is the Self-born's own. Men fail to\nattain by gifts of gold and robes and of other thing, to that felicity to\nwhich givers of food succeed in attaining, O thou of great puissance!\nFood is, indeed, the first article. Food is regarded as the highest\nprosperity. It is from food that life springs, as also energy and prowess\nand strength. He who always makes gifts of food, with attention, unto the\nrighteous, never falls into any distress. Even this has been said by\nParasara. Having worshipped the deities duly, food should be first\ndedicated to them. It has been said, O king, that the kind of food that\nis taken by particular men is taken also by the deities those men\nworship.[345] That man who makes a gift of food in the bright fortnight\nof the month of Kartika, succeeds in crossing every difficulty here and\nattains to inexhaustible felicity hereafter. That man who makes a gift of\nfood unto a hungry guest arrived at his abode, attains to all those\nregions, O chief of Bharata's race, that are reserved for persons\nacquainted with Brahma. The man who makes gifts of food is sure to cross\nevery difficulty and distress. Such a person comes over every sin and\ncleanses himself of every evil act. I have thus discoursed to thee upon\nthe merits of making gifts of food, of sesame, of earth, and of kine.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have heard, O sire, of the merits of the different\nkinds of gift upon which thou hast discoursed to me. I understand, O\nBharata, that the gift of food is especially laudable and superior. What\nhowever, are the great merits of making gifts of drink. I desire to hear\nof this in detail, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall, O chief of Bharata's race, discourse to thee\nupon this subject. Listen to me, O thou of unbaffled prowess, as I speak\nto thee. I shall, O sinless one, discourse unto thee of gifts beginning\nwith that of drink. The merit that a man acquires by making gifts of food\nand drink is such that the like of it, I think, is incapable of being\nacquired through any other gift. There is no gift, therefore, that is\nsuperior to that of either food or drink. It is by food that all living\ncreatures are able to exist. For this reason, food is regarded as a very\nsuperior object in all the worlds. From food the strength and energy of\nliving creatures constantly increases. Hence, the lord of all creatures\nhas himself said that the gift of food is a very superior gift. Thou hast\nheard, O son of Kunti, what the auspicious words are of Savitri herself\n(on the subject of the gift of food). Thou knowest for what reason those\nwords were said, what those words were, and how they were said in course\nof the sacred Mantras, O thou of great intelligence. A man, by making a\ngift of food, really makes a gift of life itself. There is no gift in\nthis world that is superior to the gift of life. Thou art not\nunacquainted with this saying of Lomasa, O thou of mighty arms! The end\nthat was attained in former days by king Sivi in consequence of his\nhaving granted life to the pigeon is acquired by him, O monarch, who\nmakes a gift of food unto a Brahmana. Hence, it has been heard by us that\nthey that give life attain to very superior regions of felicity in after\nlife. Food, O best of the Kurus, may or may not be superior to drink.\nNothing can exist without the aid of what springs from water. The very\nlord of all the planets, viz., the illustrious Soma, has sprung from\nwater. Amrita and Sudha and Swadha and milk as also every kind of food,\nthe deciduous herbs, O monarch, and creepers (medicinal and of other\nvirtues), spring from water. From these, O king, the life-breath of all\nliving creatures flows. The deities have nectar for their food. The Nagas\nhave Sudha. The Pitris have Swadha for theirs. The animals have herbs and\nplants for their food. The wise have said that rice, etc., constitute the\nfood of human beings. All these, O chief of men, spring from water.\nHence, there is nothing superior to the gift of water or drink. If a\nperson wishes to secure prosperity for himself, he should always make\ngifts of drink. The gift of water is regarded as very praiseworthy. It\nleads to great fame and bestows long life on the giver. The giver of\nwater, O son of Kunti, always stays over the heads of his enemies. Such a\nperson obtains the fruition of all his wishes and earns everlasting fame.\nThe giver, O chief of men, becomes cleansed of every sin and obtains\nunending felicity hereafter as he proceeds to heaven, O thou of great\nsplendour. Manu himself has said that such a person earns regions of\ninexhaustible bliss in the other world.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Do thou discourse to me once again, O grandsire,\nupon the merits attaching to gifts of sesame and of lamps for lighting\ndarkness, as also of food and robes.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O Yudhishthira, is recited the\nnarrative of the discourse that took place in ancient times between a\nBrahmana and Yama. In the country lying between the rivers Ganga and\nYamuna, at the foot of the hills called Yamuna, there was a large town\ninhabited by Brahmanas. The town was celebrated under the name of\nParnasala and was very delightful in appearance, O king. A large number\nof learned Brahmanas lived in it. One day, Yama, the ruler of the dead,\ncommanded a messenger of his, who was clad in black, endued with\nblood-red eyes and hair standing erect, and possessed of feet, eyes, and\nnose all of which resembled those of a crow, saying, 'Go thou to the town\ninhabited by Brahmanas and bring hither the person known by the name of\nSarmin and belonging by birth to the race of Agastya. He is intent on\nmental tranquillity and possessed of learning. He is a preceptor engaged\nin teaching the Vedas and his practices are well-known. Do not bring me\nanother person belonging to the same race and living in the same\nneighbourhood. This other man is equal unto him I want, in virtues,\nstudy, and birth. With respect to children and conduct, this other\nresembles the intelligent Sarmin. Do thou bring the individual I have in\nview. He should be worshipped with respect (instead of being dragged\nhither with irreverence).' The messenger having come to the place, did\nthe very reverse of what he had been bidden to do. Attacking that person,\nhe brought him who had been forbidden by Yama to be brought. Possessed of\ngreat energy, Yama rose up at the sight of the Brahmana and worshipped\nhim duly. The king of the dead then commanded his messenger, saying, 'Let\nthis one be taken back, and let the other one be brought to me.' When the\ngreat judge of the dead said these words, that Brahmana addressed him and\nsaid, 'I have completed my study of the Vedas and am no longer attached\nto the world. Whatever period may yet remain of my mortal existence, I\nwish to pass, dwelling even here, O thou of unfading glory!'[346]\n\n\"'\"Yama said, 'I cannot ascertain the exact period, ordained by Time, of\none's life, and hence, unurged by Time, I cannot allow one to take up\none's residence here. I take note of the acts of righteousness (or\notherwise) that one does in the world. Do thou, O learned Brahmana of\ngreat splendour return immediately to thy abode. Tell me what also is\nin thy mind and what I can do for thee, O thou of unfading glory!'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Do thou tell me what those acts are by accomplishing\nwhich one may earn great merit. O best of all beings, thou art the\nforemost of authorities (on the subject) even in the three worlds.'\n\n\"'\"Yama said, 'Do thou hear, O regenerate Rishi, the excellent ordinances\nregarding gifts. The gift of sesame seeds is a very superior one. It\nproduces everlasting merit. O foremost of regenerate ones, one should\nmake gifts of as much sesame as one can. By making gifts of sesame every\nday, one is sure to attain the fruition of one's every wish. The gift of\nsesame at Sraddhas is applauded. Verily the gift of sesame is a very\nsuperior one. Do thou make gifts of sesame unto the Brahmanas according\nto the rites ordained in the scriptures. One should on the day of the\nfull moon of the month of Vaisakha, make gifts of sesame unto the\nBrahmanas. They should also be made to eat and to touch sesame on every\noccasion that one can afford. They that are desirous of achieving what is\nbeneficial to them should, with their whole souls, do this in their\nhouses.[347] Without doubt, men should similarly make gifts of water and\nestablish resting places for the distribution of drinking water.[348] One\nshould cause tanks and lakes and wells to be excavated. Such acts are\nrare in the world, O best of regenerate persons! Do thou always make\ngifts of water. This act is fraught with great merit. O best of\nregenerate persons, thou shouldst establish resting places along the\nroads for the distribution of water. After one has eaten, the gift unto\none should especially be made of water for drink.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After Yama had said these words unto him, the\nmessenger who had borne him from his abode conveyed him back to it. The\nBrahmana, on his return, obeyed the instructions he had received. Having\nthus conveyed him back to his abode the messenger of Yama fetched Sarmin\nwho had really been sought by Yama. Taking Sarmin unto him, he informed\nhis master. Possessed of great energy, the judge of the dead worshipped\nthat righteous Brahmana, and having conversed with him a while dismissed\nhim for being taken back to his abode. Unto him also Yama gave the same\ninstructions. Sarmin, too, coming back into the world of men, did all\nthat Yama had said. Like the gift of water, Yama, from a desire of doing\ngood to the Pitris, applauds the gift of lamps to light dark places.\nHence, the giver of a lamp for lighting a dark place is regarded as\nbenefiting the Pitris. Hence, O best of the Bharatas, one should always\ngive lamps for lighting dark spots. The giving of lamps enhances the\nvisual power of the deities, the Pitris, and one's own self.[349] It has\nbeen said, O king, that the gift of gems is a very superior gift. The\nBrahmana, who, having accepted a gift of gems, sells the same for\nperforming a sacrifice, incurs no fault. The Brahmana, who, having\naccepted a gift of gems makes a gift of them unto Brahmanas, acquires\ninexhaustible merit himself and confers inexhaustible merit upon him from\nwhom he had originally received them. Conversant with every duty Manu\nhimself has said that he, who, observant of proper restraints, earns\nmakes a gift of gems unto a Brahmana observant of proper restraints earns\ninexhaustible merit himself and confers inexhaustible merit upon the\nrecipient. The man who is content with his own wedded wife and who makes\na gift of robes, earns an excellent complexion and excellent vestments\nfor himself. I have told thee, O foremost of men, what the merits are\nthat attach to gifts of kine, of gold, and the sesame agreeably to\ndeserve precepts of the Vedas and the scriptures. One should marry and\nraise offspring upon one's wedded wives. Of all acquisitions, O son of\nKuru's race, that of male issue is regarded as the foremost.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Do thou, O foremost one of Kuru's race, discourse\nunto me once again of the excellent ordinance regarding gifts, with\nespecial reference, O thou of great wisdom, to the gift of earth. A\nKshatriya should make gifts of earth unto a Brahmana of righteous deeds.\nSuch a Brahmana should accept the gift with due rites. None else,\nhowever, than a Kshatriya is competent to make gifts of earth. It behoves\nthee now to tell me what these objects are that persons of all classes\nare free to bestow if moved by the desire of earning merit. Thou shouldst\nalso tell me what has been said in the Vedas on this subject.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"There are three gifts that go by the same name and that\nare productive of equal merits. Indeed, these three confer the fruition\nof every wish. The three objects whose gifts are of such a character are\nkine, earth, and knowledge.[350] That person who tells his disciple words\nof righteous import drawn from the Vedas acquires merit equal to that\nwhich is won by making gifts of earth and kine. Similarly are kine\npraised (as objects of gifts). There is no object of gift higher than\nthey. Kine are supposed to confer merit immediately. They are also, O\nYudhishthira, such that a gift of them cannot but lead to great merit.\nKine are the mothers of all creatures. They bestow every kind of\nhappiness. The person that desires his own prosperity should always make\ngifts of kine. No one should kick at kine or proceed through the midst of\nkine. Kine are goddesses and homes of auspiciousness. For this reason,\nthey always deserve worship. Formerly, the deities, while tilling the\nearth whereon they performed a sacrifice, used the goad for striking the\nbullocks yoked to the plough. Hence, in tilling earth for such a purpose,\none may, without incurring censure or sin, apply the goad to bullocks. In\nother acts, however, bullocks should never be struck with the goad or the\nwhip. When kine are grazing or lying down no one should annoy them in any\nway. When the cows are thirsty and they do not get water (in consequence\nof any one obstructing their access to the pool or tank or river), they,\nby merely looking at such a person, can destroy him with all his\nrelatives and friends. What creatures can be more sacred than kine when\nwith the very dung of kine altars whereon Sraddhas are performed in\nhonour of the Pitris, or those whereon the deities are worshipped, are\ncleansed and sanctified? That man, who, before eating himself gives every\nday, for a year, only a handful of grass unto a cow belonging to another,\nis regarded as undergoing a vow or observance which bestows the fruition\nof every wish. Such a person acquires children and fame and wealth and\nprosperity, and dispels all evils and dreams.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What should be the indications of those kine that\ndeserve to be given away? What are those kine that should be passed over\nin the matter of gifts? What should be the character of those persons\nunto whom kine should be given? Who, again, are those unto whom kine\nshould not be given?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A cow should never be given unto one that is not\nrighteous in behaviour, or one that is sinful, or one that is covetous or\none that is untruthful in speech, or one that does not make offerings\nunto the Pitris and deities. A person, by making a gift of ten kine unto\na Brahmana learned in the Vedas, poor in earthly wealth, possessed of\nmany children, and owning a domestic fire, attains to numerous regions of\ngreat felicity. When a man performs any act that is fraught with merit\nassisted by what he has got in gift from another, a portion of the merit\nattaching to that act becomes always his with whose wealth the act has\nbeen accomplished. He that procreates a person, he that rescues a person,\nand he that assigns the means of sustenance to a person are regarded as\nthe three sires. Services dutifully rendered to the preceptor destroys\nsin. Pride destroys even great fame. The possession of three children\ndestroys the reproach of childlessness, and the possession of ten kine\ndispels the reproach of poverty. Unto one that is devoted to the Vedanta,\nthat is endued with great learning, that has been filled with wisdom,\nthat has a complete control over his senses, that is observant of the\nrestraints laid down in the scriptures, that has withdrawn himself from\nall worldly attachments, unto him that says agreeable words unto all\ncreatures, unto him that would never do an evil act even when impelled by\nhunger, unto one that is mild or possessed of a peaceful disposition,\nunto one that is hospitable to all guests,--verily unto such a Brahmana\nshould a man, possessed of similar conduct and owning children and wives,\nassign the means of sustenance. The measure of merit that attaches to the\ngift of kine unto a deserving person is exactly the measure of the sin\nthat attaches to the act of robbing a Brahmana of what belongs to him.\nUnder all circumstances should the spoliation of what belongs to a\nBrahmana be avoided, and his spouses kept at a distance.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, is\nrecited by the righteous the narrative of the great calamity that\novertook king Nriga in consequence of his spoliation of what had belonged\nto a Brahmana. Some time before, certain young men of Yadu's race, while\nsearching for water, had come upon a large well covered with grass and\ncreepers. Desirous of drawing water from it, they laboured very much for\nremoving the creepers that covered its mouth. After the mouth had been\ncleaned, they beheld within the well a very large lizard residing within\nit. The young men made strong and repeated efforts for rescuing the\nlizard from that situation. Resembling a very hill in size, the lizard\nwas sought to be freed by means of cords and leathern tongs. Not\nsucceeding in their intention the young men then went to Janardana.\nAddressing him they said, 'Covering the entire space of a well, there is\na very large lizard to be seen. Notwithstanding our best efforts we have\nnot succeeded in rescuing it from that situation.' Even this was what\nthey represented unto Krishna. Vasudeva then proceeded to the spot and\ntook out the lizard and questioned it as to who it was. The lizard said\nthat it was identical with the soul of king Nriga who had flourished in\ndays of old and who had performed many sacrifices. Unto the lizard that\nsaid those words, Madhava spoke, 'Thou didst perform many righteous acts.\nNo sin didst thou commit. Why, then, O king, hast thou come to such a\ndistressful end? Do thou explain what this is and why it has been brought\nabout. We have heard that thou didst repeatedly make gifts unto the\nBrahmanas of hundreds upon hundreds of thousands and once again eight\ntimes hundreds upon hundreds of ten thousands of kine.[351] Why,\ntherefore, has this end overtaken thee?' Nriga then replied unto Krishna,\nsaying, 'On one occasion a cow belonging to a Brahmana who regularly\nworshipped his domestic fire, escaping from the owner's abode while he\nwas absent from home entered my flock. The keepers of my cattle included\nthat cow in their tale of a thousand. In time that cow was given away by\nme unto a Brahmana, acting as I did from desire of happiness in heaven.\nThe true owner, returning home, sought for his lost cow and at last saw\nit in the house of another. Finding her, the owner said, \"This cow is\nmine!\" The other person contested his claim, till both, disputing and\nexcited with wrath, came to me. Addressing me one of them said, \"Thou\nhast been the giver of this cow!\" The other one said, \"Thou hast robbed\nme of this cow--she is mine!\" I then solicited the Brahmana unto whom I\nhad given that cow, to return the gift in exchange for hundreds upon\nhundreds of other kine. Without acceding to my earnest solicitations, he\naddressed me, saying. \"The cow I have got is well-suited to time and\nplace. She yields a copious measure of milk, besides being very quiet and\nvery fond of us. The milk she yields is very sweet. She is regarded as\nworthy of every praise in my house. She is nourishing, besides, a weak\nchild of mine that has just been weaned. She is incapable of being given\nup by me.\" Having said these words, the Brahmana went away. I then\nsolicited the other Brahmana offering him an exchange, and saying, \"Do\nthou take a hundred thousand kine for this one cow.\" The Brahmana,\nhowever, replied unto me, saying, \"I do not accept gifts from persons of\nthe kingly order. I am able to get on without help. Do thou then, without\nloss of time, give me that very cow which was mine.\" Even thus, O slayer\nof Madhu, did that Brahmana speak unto me. I offered to make gifts unto\nhim of gold and silver and horses and cars. That foremost of Brahmanas\nrefused to accept any of these as gift and went away. Meanwhile, urged by\ntime's irresistible influence, I had to depart from this world. Wending\nto the region of the Pitris I was taken to the presence of the king of\nthe dead. Worshipping me duly Yama addressed me, saying, \"The end cannot\nbe ascertained, O king, of thy deed. There is, however, a little sin\nwhich was unconsciously perpetrated by thee. Do thou suffer the\npunishment for that sin now or afterwards as it pleases thee. Thou hadst\n(upon thy accession to the throne) sworn that thou wouldst protect (all\npersons in the enjoyment of their own). That oath of thine was not\nrigidly kept by thee. Thou tookest also what belonged to a Brahmana. Even\nthis has been the two-fold sin thou hast committed.\" I answered, saying,\n\"I shall first undergo the distress of punishment, and when that is over,\nI shall enjoy the happiness that is in store for me, O lord!\" After I had\nsaid those words unto the king of the dead, I fell down on the Earth.\nThough fallen down I still could hear the words that Yama said unto me\nvery loudly. Those words were, \"Janardana the son of Vasudeva, will rescue\nthee! Upon the completion of a full thousand years, when the demerit will\nbe exhausted of thy sinful act, thou shalt then attain to many regions of\ninexhaustible felicity that have been acquired by thee through thy own\nacts of righteousness.\" Falling down I found myself, with head downwards,\nwithin this well, transformed into a creature of the intermediate order.\nMemory, however, did not leave me. By thee I have been rescued today.\nWhat else can it testify to than the puissance of thy penances? Let me\nhave thy permission, O Krishna! I desire to ascend to heaven.' Permitted\nthen by Krishna, king Nriga bowed his head unto him and then mounted a\ncelestial car and proceeded to heaven. After Nriga had thus proceeded to\nheaven, O best of the Bharatas, Vasudeva recited this verse, O delighter\nof the Kurus. No one should consciously appropriate anything belonging to\na Brahmana. The property of a Brahmana, if taken, destroys the taker even\nas the Brahmana's cow destroyed king Nriga! I tell thee, again, O Partha,\nthat a meeting with the good never proves fruitless. Behold, king Nriga\nwas rescued from hell through meeting with one that is good. As a gift is\nproductive of merit even so an act of spoliation leads to demerit. Hence\nalso, O Yudhishthira, one should avoid doing any injury to kine.\"'\"[352]\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O sinless one, do thou discourse to me more in\ndetail upon the merits that are attainable by making gifts of kine. O\nthou of mighty arms, I am never satiated with thy words!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is recited the old history of the\ndiscourse between the Rishi Uddalaki and his son called Nachiketa. Once\non a time the Rishi Uddalaki endued with great intelligence, approaching\nhis son Nachiketa, said unto him, 'Do thou wait upon and serve me.' Upon\nthe completion of the vow he had observed the great Rishi once more said\nunto his son, 'Engaged in performing my ablutions and deeply taken up\nwith my Vedic study, I have forgotten to bring with me the firewood, the\nKusa blades, the flowers, the water jar, and the potherbs I had gathered.\nDo thou bring me those things from the riverside.' The son proceeded to\nthe spot indicated, but saw that all the articles had been washed away by\nthe current. Coming back to his father, he said, 'I do not see the\nthings!' Afflicted as he then was with hunger, thirst, and fatigue, the\nRishi Uddalaki of high ascetic merit, in a sudden wrath, cursed his son,\nsaying, 'Do thou meet with Yama today!' Thus struck by his sire with the\nthunder of his speech, the son, with joined palms, said, 'Be appeased\nwith me!' Soon, however, he fell down on the earth, deprived of life.\nBeholding Nachiketa prostrated upon the earth, his sire became deprived\nof his senses through grief. He, too, exclaiming, 'Alas, what have I\ndone,' fell down on the earth. Filled with grief, as he indulged in\nlamentations for his son, the rest of that day passed away and night\ncame. Then Nachiketa, O son of Kuru's race, drenched by the tears of his\nfather, gave signs of returning life as he lay on a mat of Kusa grass.\nHis restoration to life under the tears of his sire resembled the\nsprouting forth of seeds when drenched with auspicious showers. The son\njust restored to consciousness was still weak. His body was smeared with\nfragrant unguents and he looked like one just awaking from a deep\nslumber. The Rishi asked him, saying, 'Hast thou, O son, acquired\nauspicious regions by thy own acts? By good luck, thou hast been restored\nto me! Thy body does not seem to be human!' Thus asked by high-souled\nfather, Nachiketa who had seen every thing with his own eyes, made the\nfollowing answer unto him in the midst of the Rishis, 'In obedience to\nthy command I proceeded to the extensive region of Yama which is\npossessed of a delightful effulgence. There I beheld a palatial mansion\nwhich extended for thousands of Yojanas and emitted a golden splendour\nfrom every part. As soon as Yama beheld me approaching with face towards\nhim, he commanded his attendants saying, \"Give him a good seat, verily,\nthe king of the dead, for thy sake worshipped we with the Arghya and the\nother ingredients.\" Thus worshipped by Yama and seated in the midst of\nhis counsellors, I then said mildly, \"I have come to thy abode, O judge\nof the dead! Do thou assign me those regions which I deserve for my\nacts!\" Yama then answered me, saying, \"Thou art not dead, O amiable one!\nEndued with penances, thy father said unto thee, 'Do thou meet with Yama!'\nThe energy of thy sire is like that of a blazing fire. I could not\npossibly falsify that speech of his. Thou hast seen me. Do thou go hence,\nO child! The author of thy body is indulging in lamentations for thee.\nThou art my dear guest. What wish of thine cherished by thee in thy heart\nshall I grant thee? Solicit the fruition of whatever desire thou mayst\ncherish.\" Thus addressed by him, I replied unto the king of the dead,\nsaying, \"I have arrived within thy dominions from which no traveller ever\nreturns. If I really be an object deserving of thy attentions, I desire,\nO king of the dead, to have a sight of those regions of high prosperity\nand happiness that have been reserved for doers of righteous deeds.\" Thus\naddressed by me, Yama caused me to be mounted upon a vehicle of splendour\nas effulgent as that of the sun and unto which were harnessed many\nexcellent steeds. Bearing me on that vehicle, he showed me, O foremost of\nregenerate persons, all those delightful regions that are reserved for\nthe righteous. I beheld in those regions many mansions of great\nresplendence intended for high-souled persons. Those mansions are of\ndiverse forms and are adorned with every kind of gem. Bright as the disc\nof the moon, they are ornamented with rows of tinkling bells. Hundreds\namong them are of many storeys. Within them are pleasant groves and woods\nand transparent bodies of water. Possessed of the effulgence of lapis\nlazuli and the sun, and made of silver and gold, their complexion\nresembles the colour of the morning sun. Some of them are immovable and\nsome movable. Within them are many hills of viands and enjoyable articles\nand robes and beds in abundance. Within them are many trees capable of\ngranting the fruition of every wish. There are also many rivers and roads\nand spacious halls and lakes and large tanks. Thousands of cars with\nrattling wheels may be seen there, having excellent steeds harnessed unto\nthem. Many rivers that run milk, many hills of ghee, and large bodies of\ntransparent water occur there. Verily, I beheld many such regions, never\nseen by me before of happiness and joy, approved by the king of the dead.\nBeholding all those objects, I addressed the ancient and puissant judge\nof the dead, saying, \"For whose use and enjoyment have these rivers with\neternal currents of milk and ghee been ordained?\" Yama answered me\nsaying, \"These streams of milk and ghee, know thou, are for the enjoyment\nof those righteous persons, that make gifts in the world of men. Other\neternal worlds there are which are filled with such mansions free from\nsorrow of every kind. These are reserved for those persons that are\nengaged in making gifts of kine.[353] The mere gift of kine is not worthy\nof praise. There are considerations of propriety or otherwise about the\nperson unto whom kine should be given, the time for making those gifts,\nthe kind of kine that should form the object of gifts, and the rites that\nshould be observed in making the gifts. Gifts of kine should be made\nafter ascertaining the distinctive qualifications of both Brahmanas (who\nare to receive them) and the kine themselves (which are to be given\naway). Kine should not be given unto one in whose abode they are likely\nto suffer from fire or the sun. That Brahmana who is possessed of Vedic\nlore, who is of austere penances, and who performs sacrifices, is\nregarded as worthy of receiving kine in gift. Those kine that have been\nrescued from distress situation, or that have been given by poor\nhouseholders from want of sufficient means to feed and cherish them, are,\nfor these reasons, reckoned as of high value.[354] Abstaining from all\nfood and living upon water alone for three nights and sleeping the while\non the bare earth, one should, having properly fed the kine one intends\nto give away, give them unto Brahmanas after having gratified them also\n(with other gifts). The kine given away should be accompanied by their\ncalves. They should, again, be such as to bring forth good calves, at the\nproper seasons. They should be accompanied with other articles so given\naway. Having completed the gift, the giver should live for three days on\nonly milk and forbearing from food of every other kind. He, who gives a\ncow that is not vicious, that brings forth good calves at proper\nintervals, and that does not fly away from the owners' house, and\naccompanies such gift with a vessel of white brass for milking her,\nenjoys the felicity of heaven for as many years as are measured by the\nnumber of hairs on the animal's body. He, who gives unto a Brahmana a\nbull well-broken and capable of bearing burdens, possessed of strength\nand young in years, disinclined to do any mischief, large-sized and\nendued with energy, enjoys those regions, that are reserved for givers of\nkine. He is regarded as a proper person for receiving a cow in gift who\nis known to be mild towards kine, who takes kine for his refuge, who is\ngrateful, and who has no means of subsistence assigned unto him. When an\nold man becomes ill, or when a Brahmana intends to perform a sacrifice,\nor when one wishes to till for agriculture, or when one gets a son\nthrough the efficacy of a Homa performed for the purpose, or for the use\nof one's preceptor, or for the sustenance of a child (born in the usual\nway), one should give away a beloved cow. Even these are the\nconsiderations that are applauded (in the matter of making gifts of kine)\nin respect of place and time. The kine that deserve to be given away are\nthose that yield copious measures of milk, or those that are well-known\n(for their docility and other virtues), or those that have been purchased\nfor a price, or those that have been acquired as honoraria for learning,\nor those that have been obtained in exchange by offering other living\ncreatures (such as sheep and goats, etc.), or those that have been won by\nprowess of arms, or those that have been gained as marriage-dower (from\nfathers-in-law and other relations of the wife).\"\n\n\"'\"Nachiketa continued, 'Hearing these words of Vaivaswata, I once more\naddressed him, saying, \"What are those objects by giving which, when kine\nare not procurable, givers may yet go to regions reserved for men making\ngifts of kine?\" Questioned by me, the wise Yama answered, explaining\nfurther what the end is that is attainable by making gifts of kine. He\nsaid, \"In the absence of kine, a person by making gifts of what has been\nregarded as the substitute of kine, wins the merit of making gifts of\nkine. If, in the absence of kine, one makes a gift of a cow made of ghee,\nobservant of a vow the while, one gets for one's use these rivers of ghee\nall of which approach one like an affectionate mother approaching her\nbeloved child. If, in the absence of even a cow made of ghee, one makes a\ngift of a cow made of sesame seeds, observing a cow the while, one\nsucceeds with the assistance of that cow to get over all calamities in\nthis world and to enjoy great happiness hereafter from these rivers of\nmilk that thou beholdest! If in the absence of a cow made of sesame\nseeds, one makes a gift of a cow made of water one succeeds in coming to\nthese happy regions and enjoying this river of cool and transparent\nwater, that is, besides capable of granting the fruition of every wish.\"\nThe king of the dead explained to me all this while I was his guest, and,\nO thou of unfading glory, great was the joy that I felt at sight of all\nthe wonders he showed me. I shall now tell thee what would certainly be\nagreeable to thee. I have now got a great sacrifice whose performance\ndoes not require much wealth. That sacrifice (constituted by gifts of\nkine) may be said to flow from me, O sire! Others will obtain it also. It\nis not inconsistent with the ordinances of the Vedas. The curse that thou\nhadst pronounced upon me was no curse but was in reality a blessing,\nsince it enabled me to have a sight of the great king of the dead. There\nI have beheld what the rewards are that attach to gifts. I shall,\nhenceforth, O thou of great soul, practise the duty of gift without any\ndoubt lurking in my mind respecting its rewards. And, O great Rishi, the\nrighteous Yama, filled with joy, repeatedly told me, \"One, who, by making\nfrequent gifts, has succeeded in acquiring purity of mind should then\nmake gifts of kine specially. This topic (about gifts) is fraught with\nsanctity. Do thou never disregard the duties in respect of gifts. Gifts,\nagain, should be made unto deserving persons, when time and place are\nsuitable. Do thou, therefore, always make gifts of kine. Never entertain\nany doubts in this respect. Devoted to the path of gifts, many\nhigh-souled persons in days of yore used to make gifts of kine. Fearing\nto practise austere penances, they made gifts according to the extent of\ntheir power. In time they cast off all sentiments of pride and vanity,\nand purified their souls. Engaged in performing Sraddhas in honour of the\nPitris and in all acts of righteousness, they used to make, according to\nthe extent of their power, gifts of kine, and as the reward of those acts\nthey have attained to heaven and are shining in effulgence for such\nrighteousness. One should, on the eighth day of the moon that is known by\nthe name of Kamyashtami, make gifts of kine, properly won, unto the\nBrahmanas after ascertaining the eligibility of the recipients (by the\nordinances already laid down). After making the gift, one should then\nsubsist for ten days together upon only the milk of kine, their dung and\ntheir urine (abstaining from all other food the while). The merit that\none acquires by making a gift of a bull is equal to that which attaches\nto the divine vow. By making a gift of a couple of kine one acquires, as\nthe reward thereof, a mastery of the Vedas. By making a gift of cars and\nvehicles with kine yoked thereto, one acquires the merit of baths in\nsacred waters. By making a gift of a cow of the Kapila species, one\nbecomes cleansed of all one's sins. Verily, by giving away even a single\ncow of the Kapila species that has been acquired by legitimate means, one\nbecomes cleansed of all the sins one may have committed. There is nothing\nhigher (in point of tastes) than the milk which is yielded by kine. The\ngift of a cow is truly regarded as a very superior gift. Kine by yielding\nmilk, rescue all the worlds from calamity. It is kine, again, that\nproduce the food upon which creatures subsist. One, who, knowing the\nextent of the service that kine do, does not entertain in one's heart\naffection for kine, is a sinner that is certain to sink in hell.[355] If\none gives a thousand or a hundred or ten or five kine, verily, if one\ngives unto a righteous Brahmana even a single cow which brings forth good\ncalves at proper intervals, one is sure to see that cow approach one in\nheaven in the form of a river of sacred water capable of granting the\nfruition of every wish. In respect of the prosperity and the growth that\nkine confer, in the matter also of the protection that kine grant unto\nall creatures of the earth, kine are equal to the very rays of the sun\nthat fall on the earth.[356] The word that signifies the cow stands also\nfor the rays of the sun. The giver of a cow becomes the progenitor of a\nvery large race that extends over a large part of the earth. Hence, he\nthat gives a cow shines like a second sun in resplendence. The disciple\nshould, in the matter of making gifts of kine, select his preceptor. Such\na disciple is sure to go to heaven. The selection of a preceptor (in the\nmatter of the performance of pious deeds) is regarded as a high duty by\npersons conversant with the ordinances. This is, indeed, the initial\nordinance. All other ordinances (respecting the gift of kine) depend upon\nit.[357] Selecting, after examination, an eligible person among the\nBrahmanas, one should make unto him the gift of a cow that has been\nacquired by legitimate means, and having made the gift cause him to\naccept it. The deities and men and ourselves also, in wishing good to\nother, say, 'Let the merits attaching to gifts be thine in consequence of\nthy righteousness!'\" Even thus did the judge of the dead speak unto me, O\nregenerate Rishi. I then bowed my head unto the righteous Yama. Obtaining\nhis permission I left his dominions and have now come to the sole of thy\nfeet.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed to me the topic\nof gifts of kine in speaking of the Rishi Nachiketa. Thou hast also\nimpliedly discoursed, O puissant one, on the efficacy and pre-eminence of\nthat act. Thou hast also told me, O grandsire of great intelligence, of\nthe exceedingly afflicting character of the calamity that overtook the\nhigh-souled king Nriga in consequence of a single fault of his. He had to\ndwell for a long time at Dwaravati (in the form of a mighty lizard) and\nhow Krishna became the cause of his rescue from that miserable plight. I\nhave, however, one doubt. It is on the subject of the regions of kine. I\ndesire to hear, in detail, about those regions which are reserved for the\nresidence of persons that make gifts of kine.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is recited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Him who sprang from the primeval lotus and him who\nperformed a hundred sacrifices.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'I see, O Grandsire, that those who are residents of the\nregion of kine transcend by their resplendence the prosperity of the\ndenizens of heaven and pass them by (as beings of an inferior station).\nThis has raised a doubt in my mind. Of what kind, O holy one, are the\nregions of kine? Tell me all about them, O sinless one! Verily, what is\nthe nature of those regions that are inhabited by givers of kine? I wish\nto know this of what kind are those regions? What fruits do they bring?\nWhat is the highest object there which the denizens thereof succeeds in\nwinning? What are its virtues? How also do men, freed from every kind of\nanxiety, succeed in going to those regions? For what period does the\ngiver of a cow enjoy the fruits that are borne by his gift? How may\npersons make gifts of many kine and how may they make gifts of a few\nkine? What are the merits attaching to gifts of many kine and what those\nthat attach to gifts of a few only? How also do persons become givers of\nkine without giving any kine in reality? Do thou tell me all this. How\ndoes one making gifts of even many kine, O puissant lord, become the\nequal of one that has made gift of only a few kine? How also does one who\nmake gifts of only a few kine succeed in becoming the equal of one who\nhas made gifts of many kine? What kind of Dakshina is regarded as\ndistinguished for pre-eminence in the matter of gifts of kine? It\nbehoveth thee, O holy one, to discourse unto me on all this agreeably to\ntruth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIII\n\n\"'\"The Grandsire said, 'The questions thou hast asked me in respect of\nkine, beginning with their gift, are such that there is none else in the\nthree worlds, O thou of a hundred sacrifices, who could put them! There\nare many kinds of regions, O Sakra, which are invisible to even thee.\nThose regions are seen by me, O Indra, as also by those women that are\nchaste and that have been attached to only one husband. Rishis observant\nof excellent vows, by means of their deeds of righteousness and piety,\nand Brahmanas of righteous souls, succeed in repairing to them in even\ntheir fleshy forms. Men that are observant of excellent vows behold those\nregions which resemble the bright creations of dreams, aided by their\ncleansed minds and by that (temporary) emancipation which succeeds the\nloss of one's consciousness of body.[358] Listen, O thou of a thousand\neyes, to me as I tell thee what the attributes are with which those\nregions are endued. There the very course of Time is suspended.\nDecrepitude is not there, nor Fire which is omnipresent in the universe.\nThere the slightest evil does not occur, nor disease, nor weakness of any\nkind. The kine that live there, O Vasava, obtain the fruition of every\ndesire which they cherish in their hearts. I have direct experience of\nwhat I say unto thee. Capable of going everywhere at will and actually\nrepairing from place to place with ease, they enjoy the fruition of wish\nafter wish as it arises in their minds. Lakes and tanks and rivers and\nforests of diverse kinds, and mansions and hills and all kinds of\ndelightful objects,--delightful, that is, to all creatures,--are to be\nseen there. There is no region of felicity that is superior to any of\nthese of which I speak. All those foremost of men, O Sakra, who are\nforgiving unto all creatures, who endure everything, who are full of\naffection for all things, who render dutiful obedience unto their\npreceptors, and who are free from pride and vanity, repair to those\nregions of supreme felicity. He, who abstains from every kind of flesh,\nwho is possessed of a cleansed heart, who is endued with righteousness,\nwho worships his parents with reverence, who is endued with truthfulness\nof speech and conduct, who attends with obedience upon the Brahmanas, who\nis faultless in conduct, who never behaves with anger towards kine and\ntowards the Brahmanas, who is devoted to the accomplishment of every\nduty, who serves his preceptors with reverence, who is devoted for his\nwhole life to truth and to gifts, and who is always forgiving towards all\ntransgression against himself, who is mild and self-restrained, who is\nfull of reverence for the deities, who is hospitable to all guests, who\nis endued with compassion,--verily, he, who is adorned with these\nattributes,--succeeds in attaining to the eternal and immutable region of\nkine. He, who is stained with adultery, sees not such a region; nor he,\nwho is a slayer of his preceptor; nor he, who speaks falsely or indulges\nin idle boasts; nor he, who always disputes with others; nor he who\nbehaves with hostility towards the Brahmanas. Indeed, that wicked wight,\nwho is stained with such faults fails to attain even a sight of these\nregions of felicity; also he that injures his friends; also he that is\nfull of guile; also he that is ungrateful; also he that is a cheat; also\nhe that is crooked in conduct; also he that is a disregarder of religion;\nalso he that is a slayer of Brahmanas. Such men are incapable of\nbeholding in even imagination the region of kine that is the abode of\nonly those who are righteous of deeds. I have told thee everything about\nthe region of kine in minute detail, O chief of the deities! Hear now, O\nthou of a hundred sacrifices, the merit that is theirs who are engaged in\nmaking gifts of kine. He, who make gifts of kine, after purchasing them\nwith wealth obtained by inheritance or acquired lawfully by him, attains,\nas the fruit of such an act to many regions of inexhaustible felicity.\nHe, who makes a gift of a cow, having acquired it with wealth won at\ndice, enjoys felicity, O Sakra, for ten thousand years of celestial\nmeasure. He, who acquires a cow as his share of ancestral wealth is said\nto acquire her legitimately. Such a cow may be given away. They that make\ngifts of kine so acquired obtain many eternal regions of felicity that is\ninexhaustible. That person, who, having acquired a cow in gift makes a\ngift of her with a pure heart, succeeds without doubt, O lord of Sachi,\nin obtaining eternal regions of beatitude. That person, who, with\nrestrained senses speaks the truth from his birth (to the time of his\ndeath) and who endures everything at the hands of his preceptor and of\nthe Brahmanas, and who practises forgiveness, succeeds in attaining to an\nend that is equal to that of kine. That speech which is improper, O lord\nof Sachi, should never be addressed to a Brahmana. One, again, should\nnot, in even one's mind, do an injury to a cow. One should, in one's\nconduct, imitate the cow, and show compassion towards the cow.[359] Hear,\nO Sakra, what the fruits are that become his, who is devoted to the duty\nof truth. If such a person gives away a single cow, that one cow becomes\nequal to a thousand kine. If a Kshatriya, possessed of such\nqualifications, makes a gift of a single cow, his merit becomes equal to\nthat of a Brahmana's. That single cow, listen, O Sakra which such a\nKshatriya gives away becomes the source of as much merit as the single\ncow that a Brahmana gives away under similar circumstances. Even this is\nthe certain conclusion of the scriptures. If a Vaisya, possessed of\nsimilar accomplishments, were to make a gift of a single cow, that cow\nwould be equal to five hundred kine (in respect of the merit she would\nproduce). If a Sudra endued with humility were to make a gift of a cow,\nsuch a cow would be equal to a hundred and twenty-five kine (in respect\nof the merit it would produce). Devoted to penances and truth, proficient\n(in the scriptures and all acts) through dutiful services rendered to his\npreceptor, endued with forgiveness of disposition, engaged in the worship\nof the deities, possessed of a tranquil soul, pure (in body and mind),\nenlightened, observant of all duties, and freed from every kind of\negotism, that man who makes a gift of a cow unto a Brahmana, certainly\nattains to great merit through that act of his, viz., the gift, according\nto proper rites, of a cow yielding copious milk. Hence, one, with\nsingleness of devotion, observant of truth and engaged in humbly serving\none's preceptor, should always make gifts of kine.[360] Hear, O Sakra,\nwhat the merit is of that person, who, duly studying the Vedas, shows\nreverence for kine, who always becomes glad at sight of kine, and who,\nsince his birth has always bowed his head unto kine. The merit that\nbecomes one's by performing the Rajasuya sacrifice, the merit that\nbecomes one's by making gifts of heaps of gold, that high merit is\nacquired by a person who shows such reverence for kine. Righteous Rishis\nand high-souled persons crowned with success have said so. Devoted to\ntruth, possessed of a tranquil soul, free from cupidity, always truthful\nin speech, and behaving with reverence towards kine with the steadiness\nof a vow, the man, who, for a whole year before himself taking any food,\nregularly presents some food to kine, wins the merit, by such an act, of\nthe gift of a thousand kine. That man, who takes only one meal a day and\nwho gives away the entire quantity of his other meal unto kine.--verily,\nthat man, who thus reverences kine with the steadiness of a vow and shows\nsuch compassion towards them,--enjoys for ten years' unlimited felicity.\nThat man, who confines himself to only one meal a day and with the other\nmeal saved for some time purchases a cow and makes a gift of it (unto a\nBrahmana), earns, through that gift, O thou of a hundred sacrifices, the\neternal merit that attaches to the gift of as many kine as there are\nhairs on the body of that single cow so given away. These are\ndeclarations in respect of the merit that Brahmanas acquire by making\ngifts of kine. Listen now to the merits that Kshatriyas may win. It has\nbeen said that a Kshatriya, by purchasing a cow in this manner and making\na gift of it unto a Brahmana, acquires great felicity for five years. A\nVaisya, by such conduct, acquires only half the merit of a Kshatriya, and\na Sudra, by such conduct, earns half the merit that a Vaisya does. That\nman, who sells himself and with the proceeds thereof purchases kine and\ngives them away unto Brahmanas, enjoy felicity in heaven for as long a\nperiod as kine are seen on earth. It has been said, O highly blessed one,\nthat in every hair of such kine as are purchased with the proceeds\nobtained by selling oneself, there is a region of inexhaustible felicity.\nThat man, who having acquired kine by battle makes gifts of them (unto\nBrahmanas), acquires as much merit as he, who makes gifts of kine after\nhaving purchased the same with the proceeds of selling oneself. That man,\nwho, in the absence of kine, makes a gift of a cow made of sesame seeds,\nrestraining his senses the while, is rescued by such a cow from every\nkind of calamity or distress. Such a man sports in great felicity. The\nmere gift of kine is not fraught with merit. The considerations of\ndeserving recipients, of time, of the kind of kine, and of the ritual to\nbe observed, should be attended to. One should ascertain the proper time\nfor making a gift of kine. One should also ascertain the distinctive\nqualifications of both Brahmanas (who are to receive them) and of kine\nthemselves (which are to be given away). Kine should not be given unto\none in whose abode they are likely to suffer from fire or the sun. One,\nwho is rich in Vedic lore, who is of pure lineage, who is endued with a\ntranquil soul, who is devoted to the performance of sacrifices, who fears\nthe commission of sin, who is possessed of varied knowledge, who is\ncompassionate towards kine, who is mild in behaviour, who accords\nprotection unto all that seek it of him, and who has no means of\nsustenance assigned unto him, is regarded as a proper person for\nreceiving a gift of kine. Unto a Brahmana who has no means of sustenance,\nunto him while he is exceedingly afflicted for want of food (in a time,\nof famine, for example) for purposes of agriculture, for a child born in\nconsequence of Homa, for the purposes of his preceptor, for the\nsustenance of a child born (in the ordinary course), should a cow be\ngiven. Verily, the gift should be made at a proper time and in a proper\nplace[361]. Those kine, O Sakra, whose dispositions are well-known, which\nhave been acquired as honoraria for knowledge, or which have been\npurchased in exchange for other animals (such as goats, sheep, etc.), or\nwhich have been won by prowess of arms, or obtained as marriage-dower; or\nwhich have been acquired by being rescued from situations of danger, or\nwhich incapable of being maintained by their poor owner have been made\nover for careful keep to another's house are, for such reasons, regarded\nas proper objects of gift. Those kine which are strong of body, which\nhave good dispositions, and which emit an agreeable fragrance, are\napplauded in the matter of gifts. As Ganga is the foremost of all\nstreams, even so is a Kapila cow the foremost of all animals of the\nbovine breed. Abstaining from all food and living only upon water for\nthree nights, and sleeping for the same period upon the bare earth, one\nshould make gifts of kine unto Brahmanas after having gratified them with\nother presents. Such kine, freed from every vice should, at the same\ntime, be accompanied by healthy calves that have not been weaned. Having\nmade the gift, the giver should live for the next three days in\nsuccession on food consisting only of the products of the cow.[362] By\ngiving away a cow that is of good disposition, that quietly suffers\nherself to be milked, that always brings forth living and hale calves, and\nthat does not fly away from the owner's abode, the giver enjoys felicity\nin the next world for as many years as there are hairs on her body.\nSimilarly, by giving unto a Brahmana a bull that is capable of bearing\nheavy burden, that is young and strong and docile, that quietly bears the\nyoke of the plough, and that is possessed of such energy as is sufficient\nto undergo even great labour one attains to such regions as are his who\ngives away ten kine. That person, who rescues kine and Brahmanas (from\ndanger) in the wilderness, O Kausika, becomes himself rescued from every\nkind of calamity. Hear what his merit is.[363] The merit such a man\nacquires is equal to the eternal merit of a Horse-sacrifice. Such a\nperson attains to whatever end he desires at the hour of death. Many a\nregion of felicity,--in fact, whatever happiness he covets in his\nheart,--becomes attainable to him in consequence of such an act of his.\nVerily, such man, permitted by kine, lives honoured in every region of\nfelicity. That man, who follows kine every day in the woods himself\nsubsisting the while on grass and cowdung and leaves of trees, his heart\nfreed from desire of fruit, his senses restrained from every improper\nobject and his mind purified of all dross,--that man,--O thou of a\nhundred sacrifices, lives in joy and freed from the dominion of desire in\nmy region or in any other region of happiness that he wishes, in the\ncompany of the deities!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIV\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'I wish to know, O Grandsire, what the end is that is\nattained by him who consciously steals a cow or who sells one from\nmotives of cupidity.'\n\n\"'\"The Grandsire said, 'Hear what the consequences are that overtake those\npersons that steal a cow for killing her for food or selling her for\nwealth, or making a gift of her unto a Brahmana. He, who, without being\nchecked by the restraints of the scriptures, sells a cow, or kills one,\nor eats the flesh of a cow, or they, who, for the sake of wealth, suffer\na person to kill kine,--all these, viz., he that kills, he that eats, and\nhe that permits the slaughter,--rot in hell for as many years as there\nare hairs on the body of the cow so slain.[364] O thou of great\npuissance, those faults and those kinds of faults that have been said to\nattach to one that obstructs a Brahmana's sacrifice, are said to attach\nto the sale and the theft of kine. That man, who, having stolen a cow\nmakes a gift of her unto a Brahmana, enjoys felicity in heaven as the\nreward of the gift but suffers misery in hell for the sin of theft for as\nlong a period. Gold has been said to constitute the Dakshina, O thou of\ngreat splendour, in gifts of kine. Indeed, gold has been said to be the\nbest Dakshina in all sacrifices. By making a gift of kine one is said to\nrescue one's ancestors to the seventh degree as also one's descendants to\nthe seventh degree. By giving away kine with Dakshina of gold one rescues\none's ancestors and descendants of double the number. The gift of gold is\nthe best of gifts. Gold is, again, the best Dakshina. Gold is a great\ncleanser, O Sakra, and is, indeed, the best of all cleansing objects. O\nthou of a hundred sacrifices, gold has been said to be the sanctifier of\nthe entire race of him who gives it away. I have thus, O thou of great\nsplendour, told thee in brief of Dakshina.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Even this was said by the Grandsire unto Indra, O chief\nof Bharata's race! Indra imparted it unto Dasaratha, and Dasaratha in his\nturn unto his son Rama. Rama of Raghu's race imparted it unto his dear\nbrother Lakshmana of great fame. While dwelling in the woods, Lakshmana\nimparted it unto the Rishis. It has then come down from generation to\ngeneration, for the Rishis of rigid vows held it amongst themselves as\nalso the righteous kings of the earth. My preceptor, O Yudhishthira,\ncommunicated it to me. That Brahmana, who recites it every day in the\nassemblies of Brahmanas, in sacrifices or at gifts of kine, or when two\npersons meet together, obtains hereafter many regions of inexhaustible\nfelicity where he always resides with the deities as his companions. The\nholy Brahman, the Supreme Lord, had said so (unto Indra on the subject of\nkine).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have been greatly assured, O thou of puissance, by\nthee thus discoursing unto me of duties. I shall, however, give\nexpression to the doubts I have. Do thou explain them to me, O grandsire!\nWhat are the fruits, declared in the scriptures, of the vows that men\nobserve. Of what nature are the fruits, O thou of great splendour, of\nobservances of other kinds? What, again, are the fruits, of one's\nstudying the Vedas properly?[365] What are the fruits of gifts, and what\nthose of holding the Vedas in memory? What are the fruits that attach to\nthe teaching of the Vedas? I desire to know all this. What, O grandsire,\nare the merits attaching to the non-acceptance of gifts in this world?\nWhat fruits are seen to attach to him who makes gifts of knowledge? What\nare the merits acquired by persons that are observant of the duties of\ntheir order, as also by heroes that do not flee from battle? What are the\nfruits that have been declared to attach to the observance of purity and\nto the practice of Brahmacharya? What are the merits that attach to the\nservice of the father and of the mother? What also are the merits of\nserving preceptors and teachers, and what are the merits of compassion\nand kindness? I desire to know all these, O grandsire, truly and in\ndetail, O thou that art conversant with all the scriptures! Great is the\ncuriosity I feel.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Eternal regions of felicity become his, who, having\nproperly commenced a Vrata (vow) completes its observance according to\nthe scriptures, without a break. The fruits of Niyamas, O king, are\nvisible even in this world. These rewards that thou hast won are those of\nNiyamas and sacrifices. The fruits that attach to the study of the Vedas\nare seen both here and hereafter. The person, who is devoted to the study\nof the Vedas is seen to sport in felicity both in this world and in the\nregion of Brahma. Listen now to me, O king, as I tell thee in detail what\nthe fruits are of self-restraint. They that are self-restrained are happy\neverywhere. They that are self-restrained are always in the enjoyment of\nthat felicity which attaches to the absence or subjugation of desire.\nThey that are self-restrained are competent to go everywhere at will.\nThey that are self-restrained are capable of destroying every foe.\nWithout doubt, they that are self-restrained succeed in obtaining\neverything they seek. They that are self-restrained, O son of Pandu,\nobtain the fruition of every wish. The happiness that men enjoy in heaven\nthrough penances and prowess (in arms), through gift, and through diverse\nsacrifices, becomes theirs that are self-restrained and forgiving.\nSelf-restraint is more meritorious than gift. A giver, after making a\ngift unto the Brahmanas, may yield to the influence of wrath. A\nself-restrained man, however, never yields to wrath. Hence,\nself-restraint is superior (in point of merit) to gift. That man, who\nmakes gifts without yielding to wrath, succeeds in attaining to eternal\nregions of felicity. Wrath destroys the merit of a gift. Hence,\nself-restraint is superior to gift. There are various invisible places, O\nmonarch, numbering by ten thousands, in heaven. Existing in all the\nregions of heaven, these places belong to the Rishis. Persons, leaving\nthis world, attain to them and become transformed into deities. O king,\nthe great Rishis repair thither, aided only by their self-restraint, and\nas the end of their efforts to attain to a region of superior happiness.\nHence, self-restraint is superior (in efficacy) to gift. The person, who\nbecomes a preceptor (for teaching the Vedas), and who duly worships the\nfire, taking leave of all his afflictions in this world, enjoys\ninexhaustible felicity, O king, in the region of Brahma. That man, who,\nhaving himself studied the Vedas, imparts a knowledge thereof unto\nrighteous disciples, and who praises the acts of his own preceptor,\nattains to great honours in heaven. That Kshatriya, who takes to the study\nof the Vedas, to the performance of sacrifices, to the making of gifts,\nand who rescues the lives of others in battle, similarly attains to\ngreat honours in heaven. The Vaisya, who, observant of the duties of his\norder, makes gifts, reaps as the fruit of those gifts, a crowning reward.\nThe Sudra, who duly observes the duties of his order (which consist of\nservices rendered to the three other orders) wins heaven as the reward of\nsuch services. Diverse kinds of heroes have been spoken of (in the\nscriptures). Listen to me as I expound to thee what the rewards are that\nthey attain to. The rewards are fixed of a hero belonging to a heroic\nrace. There are heroes of sacrifice, heroes of self-restraint, heroes of\ntruth, and others equally entitled to the name of hero. There are heroes\nof battle, and heroes of gift of liberality among men. There are many\npersons, who may be called the heroes of the Sankhya faith as, indeed,\nthere are many others that are called heroes of Yoga. There are others\nthat are regarded as heroes in the matter of forest-life, of householding\nor domesticity, and of renunciation (or Sannyasa). Similarly, there are\nothers that are called heroes of the intellect, and also heroes of\nforgiveness. There are other men, who live in tranquillity and who are\nregarded as heroes of righteousness. There are diverse other kinds of\nheroes that practise diverse other kinds of vows and observances. There\nare heroes devoted to the study of the Vedas and heroes devoted to the\nteaching of the same. There are, again, men that come to be regarded as\nheroes for the devotion with which they wait upon and serve their\npreceptors, as indeed, heroes in respect of the reverence they show to\ntheir sires. There are heroes in respect of obedience to mothers, and\nheroes in the matter of the life of mendicancy they lead. There are\nheroes in the matter of hospitality to guests, whether living as\nhouseholders. All these heroes attain to very superior regions of\nfelicity which are, of course, acquired by them as the rewards of their\nown acts. Holding all the Vedas in memory, or ablutions performed in all\nthe sacred waters, may or may not be equal to telling the Truth every day\nin one's life. A thousand horse sacrifices and Truth were once weighed in\nthe balance. It was seen that Truth weighed heavier than a thousand\nhorse-sacrifices. It is by Truth that the sun is imparting heat, it is by\nTruth that fire blazes up, it is by Truth that the winds blow; verily,\neverything rests upon Truth. It is Truth that gratifies the deities, the\nPitris and the Brahmanas. Truth has been said to be the highest duty.\nTherefore, no one should ever transgress Truth. The Munis are all devoted\nto Truth. Their prowess depends upon Truth. They also swear by Truth.\nHence, Truth is pre-eminent. All truthful men, O chief of Bharata's race,\nsucceed by their truthfulness in attaining to heaven and sporting there\nin felicity. Self-restraint is the attainment of the reward that attaches\nto Truth. I have discoursed on it with my whole heart. The man of humble\nheart who is possessed of self-restraint, without doubt, attains to great\nhonours in heaven. Listen now to me, O lord of Earth, as I expound to\nthee the merits of Brahmacharya. That man, who practises the vow of\nBrahmacharya from his birth to the time of his death, know, O king, has\nnothing unattainable! Many millions of Rishis are residing in the region\nof Brahma. All of them, while here, were devoted to Truth, and\nself-restrained and had their vital seed drawn up. The vow of\nBrahmacharya, O king, duly observed by a Brahmana, is sure to burn all\nhis sins. The Brahmana is said to be a blazing fire. In those Brahmanas\nthat are devoted to penances, the deity of fire becomes visible. If a\nBrahmacharin yields to wrath in consequence of any slight the chief of\nthe deities himself trembles in fear. Even this is the visible fruit of\nthe vow of Brahmacharya that is observed by the Rishis. Listen to me, O\nYudhishthira, what the merit is that attaches to the worship of the\nfather and the mother. He, who dutifully serves his father without ever\ncrossing him in anything, or similarly serves his mother or (elder)\nbrother or other senior or preceptor, it should be known, O king, earns a\nresidence in heaven. The man of cleansed soul, in consequence of such\nservice rendered to his seniors, has never even to behold hell.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I desire, O king, to hear thee discourse in detail\nupon those high ordinances which regulate gifts of kine, for it is by\nmaking gifts (of kine) according to those ordinances that one attains to\ninnumerable regions of eternal felicity.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"There is no gift, O lord of Earth, that is higher in\npoint of merit than the gift of kine. A cow, lawfully acquired, if given\naway, immediately rescues the whole race of the giver. That ritual which\nsprang for the benefit of the righteous, was subsequently declared for\nthe sake of all creatures. That ritual has come down from primeval time.\nIt existed even before it was declared. Verily, O king, listen to me as I\nrecite to thee that ritual which affects the gift of kine.[366] In days\nof yore when a number of kine (intended to be given away) was brought\n(before him), king Mandhatri, filled with doubt in respect of the ritual\nhe should observe (in actually giving them away), properly questioned\nVrihaspati (the preceptor of the celestials) for an explanation of that\ndoubt. Vrihaspati said, 'Duly observing restraints the while, the giver\nof kine should, on the previous day, properly honour the Brahmanas and\nappoint the (actual) time of gift. As regards the kine to be given away,\nthey should be of the class called Rohini. The kine also should be\naddressed with the words--Samange and Vahule--Entering the fold where the\nkine are kept, the following Srutis should be uttered,--The cow is my\nmother. The bull is my sire. (Give me) heaven and earthly prosperity! The\ncow is my refuge!--Entering the fold and acting in this way, the giver\nshould pass the night there. He should again utter the formula when\nactually giving away the kine.[367] The giver, thus residing with the\nkine in the fold without doing anything to restrain their freedom, and\nlying down on the bare earth (without driving away the gnats and other\ninsects that would annoy him as they annoy the kine), becomes immediately\ncleansed of all his sins in consequence of his reducing himself to a\nstate of perfect similitude with the kine. When the sun rises in the\nmorning, thou shouldst give away the cow, accompanied by her calf and a\nbull. As the reward of such an act, heaven will certainly become\nattainable to thee. The blessings also that are indicated by the Mantras\nwill also be thine. The Mantras contain these references to kine: Kine\nare endued with the elements of strength and energetic exertion. Kine\nhave in them the elements of wisdom. They are the source of that\nimmortality which sacrifice achieves. They are the refuge of all energy.\nThey are the steps by which earthly prosperity is won. They constitute\nthe eternal course of the universe. They lead to the extension of one's\nrace. Let the kine (I give away) destroy my sins. They have that in them\nwhich partakes in the nature of both Surya, and Soma. Let them be aids to\nmy attainment of heaven. Let them betake themselves to me as a mother\ntakes to her offspring. Let all other blessings also be mine that have\nnot been named in the Mantras I have uttered! In the alleviation or cure\nof phthisis and other wasting diseases, and in the matter of achieving\nfreedom from the body, if a person takes the help of the five products of\nthe cow, kine become inclined to confer blessings upon the person like\nthe river Saraswati--Ye kine, ye are always conveyers of all kinds of\nmerit! Gratified with me, do ye appoint a desirable end for me! I have\ntoday become what ye are! By giving you away, I really give myself away.\n(After these words have been uttered by giver, the receiver should\nsay),--Ye are no longer owned by him who gives you away! Ye have now\nbecome mine. Possessed of the nature of both Sutya and Soma, do ye cause\nboth the giver and the receiver to blaze forth with all kinds of\nprosperity!--(As already indicated), the giver should duly utter the\nwords occurring in the first part of the above verse. The regenerate\nrecipient, conversant with the ritual that regulates the gift of kine,\nshould, when receiving the kine in gift, utter (as already) said the\nwords occurring in the latter half of the above verse. The man who,\ninstead of a cow, gives away the usual value thereof or cloths or gold,\ncomes to be regarded as the giver of a cow. The giver, when giving away\nthe usual value of a cow (as the substitute of a cow) should utter the\nwords,--This cow with face upturned is being given away. Do thou accept\nher!--The man who gives away cloths (as the substitute of a cow) should\nutter the words,--Bhavitavya--(meaning that the gift should be regarded\nas representing a cow). The man who gives away gold (as the substitute of\na cow) should utter the word,--Vaishnavi (meaning, this gold that I give\naway is of the form and nature of a cow).--Even these are the words that\nshould be uttered in the order of the kind of gift mentioned above. The\nreward that is reaped by making such vicarious gifts of kine is residence\nin Heaven for six and thirty thousand years, eight thousand years, and\ntwenty thousand years respectively. Even these are the merits,\nrespectively, of gifts of things as substitute of kine. While as regards\nhim who gives an actual cow all the merits that attach to vicarious gifts\nof kine become his at only the eight step (homewards) of the\nrecipient.[368] He that gives an actual cow becomes endued with righteous\nbehaviour in this world. He that gives the value of a cow becomes freed\nfrom every kind of fear. He that gives a cow (as a substitute in way for\na real cow) never meet with sorrow. All the three, as also they that\nregularly go through their ablutions and other acts at early dawn, and he\nthat is well-conversant with the Mahabharata, it is well-known, attain to\nthe regions of Vishnu and Soma. Having given away a cow, the giver\nshould, for three nights, adopt the vaccine vow, and pass one night with\nkine. Commencing again from that lunation, numbering the eight, which is\nknown by the name of Kamya, he should pass three nights, supporting\nhimself entirely on milk and urine and dung of the cow.[369] By giving\naway a bull, one attains to the merit that attaches to the divine vow\n(Brahmacharya). By giving away a couple of kine, one acquires the mastery\nof the Vedas. That man who performs a sacrifice and makes gifts of kine\nagreeably to the ritual laid down, attains to many regions of a superior\ncharacter. These, however, are not attainable by the person who is\nunacquainted with that ritual (and who, therefore, gives away kine\nwithout observing the scriptural declarations). That man who gives away\neven a single cow that yields a copious measure of milk, acquires the\nmerit of giving away all desirable things on Earth collected together.\nWhat need, therefore, be said of the gift of many such kine as yield\nHavya and Kavya in consequence of their full udders? The merit that\nattaches to the gift of superior oxen is greater than that which attaches\nto the gift of kine. One should not, by imparting a knowledge of this\nritual, benefit a person that is not one's disciple or that is not\nobservant of vows or that is bereft of faith or that is possessed of a\ncrooked understanding. Verily, this religion is a mystery, unknown to\nmost people. One that knows it should not speak of it at every place.\nThere are, in the world, many men that are bereft of faith. There are\namong men many persons that are mean and that resemble Rakshasas. This\nreligion, if imparted unto them, would lead to evil. It would be\nproductive of equal evil if imparted to such sinful men as have taken\nshelter in atheism.'--Listen to me, O king, as I recite to thee the names\nof those righteous monarchs that have attained to regions of great\nfelicity as the reward of those gifts of kine which they made agreeable\nto the instructions of Vrihaspati, Usinara, Viswagaswa, Nriga,\nBhagiratha, the celebrated Mandhatri the son of Yuvanaswa, king\nMuchukunda, Bhagiratha, Naishadha, Somaka, Pururavas, Bharata of imperial\nsway to whose race belongs all the Bharatas, the heroic Rama the son of\nDasaratha, and many other celebrated kings of great achievement, and also\nking Dilipa of widely known deeds, all, in consequence of their gifts of\nkine agreeable to the ritual, attained to Heaven. King Mandhatri was\nalways observant of sacrifices, gifts, penances, kingly duties, and gifts\nof kine. Therefore, O son of Pritha, do thou also bear in mind those\ninstructions of Vrihaspati which I have recited unto thee (in respect of\ngifts of kine). Having obtained the kingdom of the Kurus, do thou, with a\ncheerful heart, make gifts of good kine unto foremost of Brahmanas!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by Bhishma on the subject of\nproperly making gifts of kine, king Yudhishthira did all that Bhishma\nwished. Verily, king Yudhishthira bore in mind the whole of that religion\nwhich the preceptor of the deities imparted unto the royal Mandhatri.\nYudhishthira from that time began to make always gifts of kine and to\nsupport himself on grains of barley and on cowdung as both his food and\ndrink. The king also began to sleep from that day on the bare earth, and\npossessed of restrained soul and resembling a bull in conduct, he became\nthe foremost of monarchs.[370] The Kuru king from that day became very\nattentive to kine and always worshipped them, hymning their praises. From\nthat day, the king gave up the practice of yoking kine unto his vehicles.\nWheresoever he had occasion to go, he proceeded on cars drawn by horses\nof good mettle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'King Yudhishthira endued with humility, once again\nquestioned the royal son of Santanu on the subject of gifts of kine in\ndetail.'\n\n\"'The king said, \"Do thou, O Bharata, once more discourse to me in detail\non the merits of giving away kine. Verily, O hero, I have not been\nsatiated with hearing thy nectar-like words!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by king Yudhishthira the just,\nSantanu's son began to discourse to him once again, in detail on the\nmerits attaching to the gift of kine.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"By giving unto a Brahmana a cow possessed of a calf,\nendued with docility and other virtues, young in years, and wrapped round\nwith a piece of cloth, one becomes cleansed of all one's sins. There are\nmany regions (in Hell) which are sunless. One who makes the gift of a cow\nhas not to go thither. That man, however, who gives unto a Brahmana a cow\nthat is incapable of drinking or eating, that has her milk dried up, that\nis endued with senses all of which have been weakened, and that is\ndiseased and overcome with decrepitude, and that may, therefore, be\nlikened to a tank whose water has been dried up,--indeed, the man who\ngives such a cow unto a Brahmana and thereby inflicts only pain and\ndisappointment upon him, has certainly to enter into dark Hell. That cow\nwhich is wrathful and vicious, or diseased, or weak or which has been\npurchased without the price agreed upon having been paid,--or which would\nonly afflict the regenerate recipient with distress and disappointment,\nshould never be given. The regions such a man may acquire (as the rewards\nof other acts of righteousness performed by him) would fail to give him\nany happiness or impart to him any energy. Only such kine as are strong,\nendued with good behaviour, young in years, and possessed of fragrance,\nare applauded by all (in the matter of gift). Verily, as Ganga is the\nforemost of all rivers, even so is a Kapila cow the foremost of all kine.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Why, O grandsire, do the righteous applaud the gift\nof a Kapila cow (as more meritorious) when all good kine that are given\naway should be regarded as equal? O thou of great puissance, I wish to\nhear what the distinction is that attaches to a Kapila cow. Thou art,\nverily, competent to discourse to me on this topic!\"[371]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I have, O son, heard old men recite this history\nrespecting the circumstances under which the Kapila cow was created. I\nshall recite that old history to thee! In days of yore, the Self-born\nBrahman commanded the Rishi Daksha, saying,--'Do thou create living\ncreatures!' From desire of doing good to creatures, Daksha, in the first\ninstance, created food. Even as the deities exist, depending upon nectar,\nall living creatures, O puissant one, live depending upon the sustenance\nassigned by Daksha. Among all objects mobile and immobile, the mobile are\nsuperior. Among mobile creatures Brahmanas are superior. The sacrifices\nare all established upon them. It is by sacrifice that Soma (nectar) is\ngot. Sacrifice has been established upon kine.[372] The gods become\ngratified through sacrifices. As regards the Creation then, the means of\nsupport came first, creatures came next. As soon as creatures were born,\nthey began to cry aloud for food. All of them then approached their\ncreator who was to give them food like children approaching their father\nor mother. Knowing the intention which moved all his creatures, the holy\nlord of all creatures, viz., Daksha, for the sake of the beings he had\ncreated, himself drank a quantity of nectar. He became gratified with the\nnectar he quaffed and thereupon an eructation came out, diffusing an\nexcellent perfume all around. As the result of that eructation, Daksha\nsaw that it gave birth to a cow which he named Surabhi. This Surabhi was\nthus a daughter of his, that had sprung from his mouth. The cow called\nSurabhi brought forth a number of daughters who came to be regarded as\nthe mothers of the world. Their complexion was like that of gold, and\nthey were all Kapilas. They were the means of sustenance for all\ncreatures. As those kine, whose complexion resembled that of Amrita,\nbegan to pour milk, the froth of that milk arose and began to spread on\nevery side, even as when the waves of a running stream dashing against\none another, copious froth is produced that spreads on every side. Some\nof that froth fell, from the mouths of the calves that were sucking, upon\nthe head of Mahadeva who was then sitting on the Earth. The puissant\nMahadeva thereupon, filled with wrath, cast his eyes upon those kine.\nWith that third eye of his which adorns his forehead, he seemed to burn\nthose kine as he looked at them. Like the Sun tingeing masses of clouds\nwith diverse colours the energy that issued from the third eye of\nMahadeva produced, O monarch, diverse complexion in those kine. Those\namongst them, however, which succeeded in escaping from the glance of\nMahadeva by entering the region of Soma, remained of the same colour with\nwhich they were born, for no change was produced in their complexion.\nSeeing that Mahadeva had become exceedingly angry, Daksha, the lord of\nall creatures, addressed him, saying--'Thou hast, O great deity, been\ndrenched with nectar. The milk or the froth that escapes from the mouths\nof calves sucking their dams is never regarded as impure remnant.[373]\nChandramas, after drinking the nectar, pours it once more. It is not,\nhowever, on that account, looked upon as impure. After the same manner,\nthe milk that these kine yield, being born of nectar, should not be\nregarded as impure (even though the udders have been touched by the\ncalves with their mouths). The wind can never become impure. Fire can\nnever become impure. Gold can never become impure. The Ocean can never\nbecome impure. The Nectar, even when drunk by the deities, can never\nbecome impure. Similarly, the milk of a cow, even when her udders are\nsucked by her calf, can never become impure. These kine will support all\nthese worlds with the milk they will yield and the ghee that will be\nmanufactured therefrom. All creatures wish to enjoy the auspicious\nwealth, identifiable with nectar, that kine possess!'--Having said these\nwords, the lord of creatures, Daksha, made a present unto Mahadeva of a\nbull with certain kine. Daksha gratified the heart of Rudra, O Bharata,\nwith that present. Mahadeva, thus gratified, made that bull his vehicle.\nAnd it was after the form of that bull that Mahadeva adopted the device\non the standard floating on his battle-car. For this reason it is that\nRudra came to be known as the bull-bannered deity. It was on that\noccasion also that the celestials, uniting together, made Mahadeva the\nlord of animals. Indeed, the great Rudra became the Master of kine and is\nnamed as the bull-signed deity. Hence, O king, in the matter of giving\naway kine, the gift is regarded as primarily desirable of Kapila kine\nwhich are endued with great energy and possessed of colour unchanged\n(from white). Thus are kine, the foremost of all creatures in the world.\nIt is from them that the means have flowed of the sustenance of all the\nworlds. They have Rudra for their master. They yield Soma (nectar) in the\nform of milk. They are auspicious and sacred, and grantors of every wish\nand givers of life. A person by making a gift of a cow come to be\nregarded as making a gift of every article that is desired to be enjoyed\nby men. That man who, desiring to attain to prosperity, reads with a pure\nheart and body these verses on the origin of kine, becomes cleansed of\nall his sins and attains to prosperity and children and wealth and\nanimals. He who makes a gift of a cow, O king, always succeeds in\nacquiring the merits that attach to gifts of Havya and Kavya, to the\noffer of oblations of water unto the Pitris, to other religious acts\nwhose performance brings peace and happiness, to the gift of vehicles and\ncloths, and to the cherishing of children and the old.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of his grandsire, Pritha's\nson, viz., the royal Yudhishthira of Ajamida's race, uniting with his\nbrothers, began to make gifts of both bulls and kine of different colours\nunto foremost of Brahmanas. Verily, for the purpose of subduing regions\nof felicity in the next, and winning great fame, king Yudhishthira\nperformed many sacrifices and, as sacrificial presents, gave away\nhundreds of thousands of kine unto such Brahmanas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In days of yore, king Saudasa born of Ikshvaku's race,\nthat foremost of eloquent men, on one occasion approached his family\npriest, viz., Vasishtha, that foremost of Rishis, crowned with ascetic\nsuccess, capable of wandering through every region, the receptacle of\nBrahma, and endued with eternal life and put him the following question.\n\n\"'\"Saudasa said, 'O holy one, O sinless one, what is that in the three\nworlds which is sacred and by reciting which at all times a man may\nacquire high merit?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Unto king Saudasa who stood before him with head bent in\nreverence, the learned Vasishtha having first bowed unto kine and\npurified himself (in body and mind), discoursed upon the mystery relating\nto kine, a topic that is fraught with result highly beneficial to all\npersons.\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'Kine are always fragrant. The perfume emanated by the\nexudation of the Amytis agallochum issues out of the bodies. Kine are the\ngreat refuge of all creatures. Kine constitute the great source of\nblessing unto all.[374] Kine are the Past and the Future. Kine are the\nsource of eternal growth. Kine are the root of Prosperity. Anything given\nto kine is never lost. Kine constitute the highest food. They are the\nbest Havi for the deities. The Mantras called Swaha and Vashat are\nforever established in kine. Kine constitute the fruit of sacrifices.\nSacrifices are established in kine. Kine are the Future and the Past, and\nSacrifice rest on them. Morning and evening kine yield unto the Rishis, O\nforemost of men, Havi for use in Homa, O thou of great effulgence. They\nwho make gift of kine succeed in transcending all sins which they may\nhave committed and all kinds of calamities into which they may fall, O\nthou of great puissance. The man possessing ten kine and making a gift of\none cow, he possessing a hundred kine and making a gift of ten kine, and\nhe possessing a thousand kine and making a gift of a hundred kine, all\nearn the same measure of merit. The man who, though possessed of hundred\nkine, does not establish a domestic fire for daily worship, that man who\nthough possessed of a thousand kine does not perform sacrifices, and that\nman who though possessed of wealth acts as a miser (by not making gift\nand discharging the duties of hospitality), are all three regarded as not\nworthy of any respect. Those men who make gift of Kapila kine with their\ncalves and with vessel of white brass for milking them,--kine, that is,\nwhich are not vicious and which while given away, are wrapped round with\ncloths,--succeed in conquering both this and the other world. Such\npersons as succeed in making gift of a bull that is still in the prime of\nyouth, that has all its senses strong, and that may be regarded as the\nforemost one among hundreds of herds, that has large horns adorned with\nornaments (of gold or silver), unto a Brahmana possessed of Vedic\nlearning, succeed, O scorcher of foes, in attaining to great prosperity\nand affluence each time they take birth in the world. One should never go\nto bed without reciting the names of kine. Nor should one rise from bed\nin the morning without a similar recitation of the names of kine. Morning\nand evening one should bend one's head in reverence to kine. As the\nconsequence of such acts, one is sure to attain to great prosperity. One\nshould never feel any repugnance for the urine and the dung of the cow.\nOne should never eat the flesh of kine. As the consequence of this, one\nis sure to attain to great prosperity. One should always take the names\nof kine. One should never show any disregard for kine in any way. If evil\ndreams are seen, men should take the names of kine. One should always\nbathe, using cow-dung at the time. One should sit on dried cowdung. One\nshould never cast one's urine and excreta and other secretions on\ncowdung. One should never obstruct kine in any way. One should eat,\nsitting on a cowhide purified by dipping it in water, and then cast one's\neyes towards the west. Sitting with restrained speech, one should eat\nghee, using the bare earth as one's dish. One reaps, in consequence of\nsuch acts, that prosperity of which kine are the source[375]. One should\npour libations on the fire, using ghee for the purpose. One should cause\nBrahmanas to utter blessings upon one, by presents of ghee. One should\nmake gift of ghee. One should also eat ghee. As the reward of such acts\none is sure to attain to that prosperity which kine confer. That man who\ninspires a vaccine form made of sesame seeds by uttering the Vedic\nMantras called by the name of Gomati, and then adorns that form with\nevery kind of gems and makes a gift of it, has never to suffer any grief\non account of all his acts of omission and commission,--\"Let kine that\nyield copious measures of milk and that have horns adorned with\ngold,--kine viz., that are Surabhis or the daughters of\nSurabhis.--approach me even as rivers approach the ocean! I always look\nat kine. Let kine always look at me. Kine are ours. We are theirs.\nOurselves are there where kine are!\"--Even thus, at night or day, in\nhappiness or woe, verily, at times of even great fear,--should a man\nexclaim. By uttering such words he is certain to become freed from every\nfear.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIX\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'The kine that had been created in a former age\npractised the austerest penances for a hundred thousand years with the\ndesire of attaining to a position of great pre-eminence. Verily, O\nscorcher of foes, they said unto themselves,--\"We shall, in this world,\nbecome the best of all kinds of Dakshina in sacrifices, and we shall not\nbe liable to be stained with any fault! By bathing in water mixed with\nour dung people shall become sanctified. The deities and men shall use\nour dung for the purpose of purifying all creatures mobile and immobile.\nThey also that will give us away shall attain to those regions of\nhappiness which will be ours.\"[376]--The puissant Brahman, appearing unto\nthem at the conclusion of their austerities, gave them the boons they\nsought, saying,--\"it shall be as ye wish! Do ye (thus) rescue all the\nworlds!\"--Crowned with fruition in respect of their wishes, they all rose\nup,--those mothers of both the Past and the Future. Every morning, people\nshould bow with reverence unto kine. As the consequence of this, they are\ncertain to win prosperity. At the conclusion of their penances O monarch,\nkine became the refuge of the world. It is for this that kine are said to\nbe highly blessed, sacred, and the foremost of all things. It is for this\nthat kine are said to stay at the very head of all creatures. By giving\naway a Kapila cow with a calf resembling herself, yielding a copious\nmeasure of milk, free from every vicious habit, and covered with a piece of\ncloth, the giver attains to great honours in the region of Brahma. By\ngiving away a cow of red complexion, with a calf that resembles herself,\nyielding milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth,\none attains to great honours in the region of Surya. By giving away a cow\nof variegated hue, with a calf similar to herself, yielding milk, free\nfrom every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth, one attains to great\nhonours in the region of Soma. By giving away a cow of white complexion,\nwith a calf similar to herself, yielding milk, free from every vice, and\ncovered with a piece of cloth, one attains to great honours in the region\nof Indra. By giving away a cow of dark complexion, with a calf similar to\nherself, yielding milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of\ncloth, one attains to great honours in the region of Agni. By giving away\na cow of the complexion of smoke, with a calf similar to herself,\nyielding milk, free from every vice, and covered with a piece of cloth,\none attains to great honours in the region of Yama. By giving away a cow\nof the complexion of the foam of water, with a calf and a vessel of white\nbrass for milking her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one attains to\nthe region of Varuna. By giving away a cow whose complexion is like that\nof the dust blown by the wind, with a calf, and a vessel of white brass\nfor milking her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one attains to great\nhonours in the region of the Wind-god. By giving a cow of the complexion\nof gold, having eyes of a tawny hue with a calf and a vessel of white\nbrass for milking her and covered with a piece of cloth, one enjoys the\nfelicity of the region of Kuvera. By giving away a cow of the complexion\nof the smoke of straw, with a calf and a vessel of white brass for\nmilking her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one attains to great\nhonours in the region of the Pitris. By giving away a fat cow with the\nflesh of its throat hanging down and accompanied by her calf, one attains\nwith ease to the high region of the Viswedevas. By giving away a Gouri\ncow, with calf similar to her, yielding milk, free from every vice, and\ncovered with a piece of cloth, one attains to the region of the Vasus. By\ngiving away a cow of the complexion of a white blanket, with a calf and a\nvessel of white brass, and covered with a piece of cloth, one attains to\nthe region of the Sadhyas. By giving away a bull with a high hump and\nadorned with every jewel, the giver, O king, attains to the region of the\nMaruts. By giving away a bull of blue complexion, that is full-grown in\nrespect of years and adorned with every ornament, the giver attains to\nthe regions of the Gandharvas and the Apsaras. By giving away a cow with\nthe flesh of her throat hanging down, and adorned with every ornament,\nthe giver, freed from every grief, attains to those regions that belong\nto Prajapati himself. That man, O king, who habitually makes gifts of kine,\nproceeds, piercing through the clouds, on a car of solar effulgence to\nHeaven and shines there in splendour. That man who habitually makes gifts\nof kine comes to be regarded as the foremost of his species. When thus\nproceeding to Heaven, he is received by a thousand celestial damsels of\nbeautiful hips and adorned with handsome robes and ornaments. These girls\nwait upon him there and minister to his delight. He sleeps there in peace\nand is awakened by the musical laughter of those gazelle-eyed damsels,\nthe sweet notes of their Vinas, the soft strains of their Vallakis, and\nthe melodious tinkle of their Nupuras.[377] The men who makes gifts of\nkine resides in Heaven and is honoured there for as many years as there\nare hairs on the bodies of the kine he gives away. Falling off from\nHeaven (upon the exhaustion of his merit), such a man takes birth in the\norder of humanity and, in fact, in a superior family among men.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXX\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, '\"Kine are yielders of ghee and milk. They are the\nsources of ghee and they have sprung from ghee. They are rivers of ghee,\nand eddies of ghee. Let kine ever be in my house! Ghee is always my\nheart. Ghee is even established in my navel. Ghee is in every limb of\nmine. Ghee resides in my mind. Kine are always at my front. Kine are\nalways at my rear. Kine are on every side of my person. I live in the\nmidst of kine!\"--Having purified oneself by touching water, one should,\nmorning and evening, recite these Mantras every day. By this, one is sure\nto be cleansed of all the sins one may commit in course of the day. They\nwho make gifts of a thousand kine, departing from this world, proceed to\nthe regions of the Gandharvas and the Apsaras where there are many\npalatial mansions made of gold and where the celestial Ganga, called the\ncurrent of Vasu, runs. Givers of a thousand kine repair thither where run\nmany rivers having milk for their water, cheese for their mire, and curds\nfor their floating moss. That man who makes gifts of hundreds of\nthousands of kine agreeably to the ritual laid down in the scriptures,\nattains to high prosperity (here) and great honours in Heaven. Such a man\ncauses both his paternal and maternal ancestors to the tenth degree to\nattain to regions of great felicity, and sanctifies his whole race. Kine\nare sacred. They are the foremost of all things in the world. They are\nverily the refuge of the universe. They are the mothers of the very\ndeities. They are verily incomparable. They should be dedicated in\nsacrifices. When making journeys, one should proceed by their right\n(i.e., keeping them to one's left). Ascertaining the proper time, they\nshould be given away unto eligible persons. By giving away a Kapila cow\nhaving large horns, accompanied by a calf and a vessel of white brass for\nmilking her, and covered with a piece of cloth, one succeeds in entering,\nfreed from fear, the palace of Yama that is so difficult to enter. One\nshould always recite this sacred Mantra, viz.,--\"Kine are of beautiful\nform. Kine are of diverse forms. They are of universal form. They are the\nmothers of the universe. O, let kine approach me!\"--There is no gift more\nsacred than the gift of kine. There is no gift that produces more blessed\nmerit. There has been nothing equal to the cow, nor will there be\nanything that will equal her. With her skin, her hair, her horns, the\nhair of her tail, her milk, and her fat,--with all these together,--the\ncow upholds sacrifice. What thing is there that is more useful than the\ncow? Bending my head unto her with reverence, I adore the cow who is the\nmother of both the Past and the Future, and by whom the entire universe\nof mobile and immobile creatures is covered. O best of men, I have thus\nrecited to thee only a portion of the high merits of kine. There is no\ngift in this world that is superior to the gift of kine. There is also\nno refuge in this world that is higher than kine.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"That high-souled giver of land (viz., king Saudasa),\nthinking these words of the Rishi Vasishtha to be foremost in point of\nimportance, then made gifts of a very large number of kine unto the\nBrahmanas, restraining his senses the while, and as the consequence of\nthose gifts, the monarch succeeded in attaining to many regions of\nfelicity in the next world.\"'\"[378]\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, what is that which is the most\nsacred of all sacred things in the world, other than that which has been\nalready mentioned, and which is the highest of all sanctifying objects.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Kine are the foremost of all objects. They are highly\nsacred and they rescue men (from all kinds of sin and distress). With\ntheir milk and with the Havi manufactured therefrom, kine uphold all\ncreatures in the universe. O best of the Bharatas, there is nothing that\nis more sacred than kine. The foremost of all things in the three worlds,\nkine are themselves sacred and capable of cleansing others. Kine reside\nin a region that is even higher than the region of the deities. When\ngiven away, they rescue their givers. Men of wisdom succeed in attaining\nto Heaven by making gifts of kine. Yuvanaswa's son Mandhatri, Yayati, and\n(his sire) Nahusha, used always to give away kine in thousands. As the\nreward of those gifts, they have attained to such regions as are\nunattainable by the very deities. There is, in this connection, O sinless\none, a discourse delivered of old. I shall recite it to thee. Once on a\ntime, the intelligent Suka, having finished his morning rites, approached\nwith a restrained mind his sire, that foremost of Rishis, viz., the\nIsland-born Krishna, who is acquainted with the distinction between that\nwhich is superior and that which is inferior, and saluting him, said,\n'What is that sacrifice which appears to thee as the foremost of all\nsacrifices? What is that act by doing which men of wisdom succeed in\nattaining to the highest region? What is that sacred act by which the\ndeities enjoy the felicity of Heaven? What constitutes the character of\nsacrifice as sacrifice? What is that upon which sacrifice rests? What is\nthat which is regarded as the best by the deities? What is that sacrifice\nwhich transcends the sacrifices of this world? Do thou also tell me, O\nsire, what is that which is the most sacred of all things.' Having heard\nthese words of his son, O chief of Bharata's race, Vyasa, the foremost of\nall persons conversant with duties, discoursed as follows unto him.\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Kine constitute the stay of all creatures. Kine are the\nrefuge of all creatures. Kine are the embodiment of merit. Kine are\nsacred, and kine are sanctifiers of all. Formerly kine were hornless as\nit has been heard by us. For obtaining horns they adored the eternal and\npuissant Brahman. The puissant Brahman, seeing the kine paying their\nadorations to him and sitting in praya, granted unto each of them what\neach desired. Thereafter their horns grew and each got what each desired.\nOf diverse colours, and endued with horns, they began to shine in beauty,\nO son! Favoured by Brahman himself with boons, kine are auspicious and\nyielders of Havya and Kavya. They are the embodiments of merit. They are\nsacred and blessed. They are possessed of excellent form and attributes.\nKine constitute high and highly excellent energy. The gift of kine is\nvery much applauded. Those good men who, freed from pride, make gifts of\nkine, are regarded as doers of righteous deeds and as givers of all\narticles. Such men, O sinless one, attain to the highly sacred region of\nkine. The trees there produce sweet fruits. Indeed, those trees are\nalways adorned with excellent flowers and fruits. Those flowers, O best\nof regenerate persons, are endued with celestial fragrance. The entire\nsoil of that region is made of gems. The sands there are all gold. The\nclimate there is such that the excellencies of every season are felt.\nThere is no more mire, no dust. It is, indeed, highly auspicious. The\nstreams that run there shine in resplendence for the red lotuses blooming\nupon their bosoms, and for the jewels and gems and gold that occur in\ntheir banks and that display the effulgence of the morning Sun. There are\nmany lakes also in that region on whose breasts are many lotuses, mixed\nhere and there with Nymphoea stellata, and having their petals made of\ncostly gems, and their filaments adorned with a complexion like that of\ngold. They are also adorned with flowering forests of the Nerium odorum\nwith thousands of beautiful creepers twining round them, as also with\nforests of Santanakas bearing their flowery burdens. There are rivers\nwhose banks are variegated with many bright pearls and resplendent gems\nand shining gold. Portions of those regions are covered with excellent\ntrees that are decked with jewels and gems of every kind. Some of them\nare made of gold and some display the splendour of fire. There stand many\nmountains made of gold, and many hills and eminences made of jewels and\ngems. These shine in beauty in consequence of their tall summits which\nare composed of all kinds of gems. The trees that adorn those regions\nalways put forth flowers and fruits, and are always covered with dense\nfoliage. The flowers always emit a celestial fragrance and the fruits are\nexceedingly sweet, O chief of Bharata's race. Those persons that are of\nrighteous deeds, O Yudhishthira, always sport there in joy. Freed from\ngrief and wrath, they pass their time there, crowned with the fruition of\nevery wish. Persons of righteous deeds, possessed of fame, sport there in\nhappiness, moving from place to place, O Bharata, on delightful vehicles\nof great beauty. Auspicious bands of Apsaras always amuse them\nthere, with music and dance. Indeed O Yudhishthira, a person goes to such\nregions as the reward of his making gifts of kine. Those regions which\nhave for their lords Pushan, and the Maruts of great puissance, are\nattained to by givers of kine. In affluence the royal Varuna is regarded\nas pre-eminent. The giver of kine attains to affluence like that of\nVaruna himself. One should, with the steadiness of a vow, daily recite\nthese Mantras declared by Prajapati himself (in respect of kine).\nViswarupa and viz.,--Yugandharah, Surupah, Vahurupah, and\nMatara.[379]--He who serves kine with reverence and who follows them with\nhumility, succeeds in obtaining many invaluable boons from kine who\nbecome gratified with him. One should never, in even one's heart, do an\ninjury to kine. One should, indeed, always confer happiness on them. One\nshould always reverence kine and worship them, with bends of one's head.\nHe who does this, restraining his senses the while and filled with\ncheerfulness, succeeds in attaining to that felicity which is enjoyed by\nkine (and which kine alone can confer). One should for three days drink\nthe hot urine of the cow. For the next three days one should drink the\nhot milk of the cow. Having thus drunk for three days hot milk, one\nshould next drink hot ghee for three days. Having in this way drunk hot\nghee for three days, one should subsist for the next three days on air\nonly. That sacred thing by whose aid the deities enjoy regions of\nfelicity, that which is the most sacred of all sacred things, viz., ghee\nshould then be borne on the head.[380] With the aid of ghee one should\npour libations on the sacred fire. By making gifts of ghee, one should\ncause the Brahmana to utter benedictions on oneself. One should eat ghee\nand make gifts of ghee. As the reward of this conduct, one may then\nattain to that prosperity which belongs to kine. That man who, for a\nmonth, subsists upon the gruel of barley picked up every day from cow\ndung becomes cleansed of sins as grave as the slaughter of a Brahmana.\nAfter their defeat at the hands of the Daityas, the deities practised\nthis expiation. It was in consequence of this expiation that they\nsucceeded in regaining their position as deities. Verily, it was through\nthis that they regained their strength and became crowned with success.\nKine are sacred. They are embodiments of merit. They are high and most\nefficacious cleansers of all. By making gifts of kine unto the Brahmanas\none attains to Heaven. Living in a pure state, in the midst of kine, one\nshould mentally recite those sacred Mantras that are known by the name of\nGomati, after touching pure water. By doing this, one becomes purified\nand cleansed (of all sins). Brahmanas of righteous deeds, who have been\ncleansed by knowledge, study of the Vedas, and observance of vows,\nshould, only in the midst of sacred fires or kine or assemblies of\nBrahmanas, impart unto their disciples a knowledge of the Gomati Mantras\nwhich are every way like unto a sacrifice (for the merit they produce).\nOne should observe a fast for three nights for receiving the boon\nconstituted by a knowledge of the import of the Gomati Mantras. The man\nwho is desirous of obtaining a son may obtain one by adoring these\nMantras. He who desires the possession of wealth may have his desire\ngratified by adoring these Mantras. The girl desirous of having a good\nhusband may have her wish fulfilled by the same means. In fact, one may\nacquire the fruition of every wish one may cherish, by adoring these\nsacred Mantras. When kine are gratified with the service one renders\nthem, they are, without doubt, capable of granting the fruition of every\nwish. Even so, kine are highly blessed. They are the essential requisites\nof sacrifices. They are grantors of every wish. Know that there is\nnothing superior to kine.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by his high-souled sire, Suka, endued\nwith great energy, began from that time to worship kine every day. Do\nthou also, O son, conduct thyself in the same way.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have heard that the dung of the cow is endued with\nSree. I desire to hear how this has been brought about. I have doubts, O\ngrandsire, which thou shouldst dispel.\"[381]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old story, O monarch, of\nthe conversation between kine and Sree, O best of the Bharatas! Once on a\ntime the goddess Sree, assuming a very beautiful form, entered a herd of\nkine. The kine, beholding her wealth of beauty, became filled with\nwonder.\n\n\"'\"The kine said, 'Who art thou, O goddess? Whence hast thou become\nunrivalled on earth for beauty? O highly blessed goddess, we have been\nfilled with wonder at thy wealth of beauty. We desire to know who thou\nart. Who, indeed, art thou? Whither wilt thou proceed? O thou of very\nsuperior splendour of complexion, do tell us in detail all we wish to\nknow.'\n\n\"'\"Sri said, 'Blessed be ye, I am dear unto all creatures. Indeed, I am\nknown by the name of Sri. Forsaken by me, the Daityas have been lost for\never. The deities, viz., Indra, Vivaswat, Soma, Vishnu, Varuna, and Agni,\nhaving obtained me, are sporting in joy and will do so for ever. Verily,\nthe Rishis and the deities, only when they are endued with me, have\nsuccess. Ye kine, those beings meet with destruction into whom I do not\nenter. Religion, wealth, and pleasure, only when endued with me, become\nsources of happiness. Ye kine who are givers of happiness, know that I am\npossessed of even such energy! I wish to always reside in every one of\nyou. Repairing to your presence, I solicit you. Be all of you endued with\nSri.'\n\n\"'\"The kine said, 'Thou art fickle and restless. Thou sufferest thyself to\nbe enjoyed by many persons. We do not desire to have thee. Blessed be\nthou, go wheresoever thou pleasest. As regards ourselves, all of us are\npossessed of good forms. What need have we with thee? Go wheresoever thou\nlikest. Thou hast already (by answering our questions) gratified us\nexceedingly.'\n\n\"'\"Sri said, 'Is it proper with you, ye kine that you do not welcome me? I\nam difficult of being attained. Why then do you not accept me? It seems,\nye creatures of excellent vows, that the popular proverb is true, viz.,\nthat it is certain that when one come to another of one's own accord and\nwithout being sought, one meets with disregard. The Gods, the Danavas,\nthe Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Uragas, the Rakshasas and human beings\nsucceed in obtaining me only after undergoing the severest austerities.\nYou who have such energy, do ye take me. Ye amiable ones, I am never\ndisregarded by any one in the three worlds of mobile and immobile\ncreatures.'\n\n\"'\"The kine said, 'We do not disregard thee, O goddess. We do not show thee\na slight! Thou art fickle and of a very restless heart. It is for this\nonly that we take leave of thee. What need of much talk? Do thou go\nwheresoever thou choosest. All of us are endued with excellent forms.\nWhat need have we with thee, O sinless one?'\n\n\"'\"Sri said, 'Ye givers of honours, cast off by you in this way, I shall\ncertainly be an object of disregard with all the world. Do ye show me\ngrace. Ye are all highly blessed. Ye are ever ready to grant protection\nunto those that seek your protection. I have come to you soliciting your\nprotection. I have no fault. Do you rescue me (from this situation). Know\nthat I shall always be devoted to you. I am desirous of residing in any\nparts, however repulsive, of your bodies. Indeed, I wish to reside in\neven your rectum. Ye sinless ones, I do not see that ye have any part in\nyour bodies that may be regarded as repulsive, for ye are sacred, and\nsanctifying, and highly blessed. Do ye, however, grant my prayer. Do ye\ntell me in which part, of your bodies I shall take up my residence.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by Sri, the kine, always auspicious\nand inclined to kindness unto all who are devoted to them, took counsel\nwith one another, and then addressing Sri, and unto her, O king, these\nwords.\n\n\"'\"The kine said, 'O thou of great fame, it is certainly desirable that we\nshould honour thee. Do thou live in our urine and dung. Both these are\nsacred, O auspicious goddess!'\n\n\"'\"Sri said, 'By good luck, ye have shown me much grace implying your\ndesire to favour me. Let it be even as ye say! Blessed be ye all, I have\nreally been honoured by you, ye givers of happiness!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having, O Bharata, made this compact with the kine,\nSri, there and then, in the very sight of those kine, rendered herself\ninvisible. I have thus told thee, O son, the glory of the dung of kine. I\nshall once again discourse to thee on the glory of kine. Do thou listen\nto me.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"They who make gifts of kine, and who subsist upon the\nremnants of things offered as libations on the sacred fire, are regarded,\nO Yudhishthira, as always performing sacrifices of every kind. No\nsacrifice can be performed without the aid of curds and ghee. The very\ncharacter as sacrifice which sacrifices have, depends upon ghee. Hence\nghee (or, the cow from which it is produced) is regarded as the very root\nof sacrifice. Of all kinds of gifts, the gift of kine is applauded as the\nhighest. Kine are the foremost of all things. Themselves sacred, they are\nthe best of cleansers and sanctifiers. People should cherish kine for\nobtaining prosperity and even peace. The milk, curds, and ghee that kine\nyield are capable of cleansing one from every kind of sin. Kine are said\nto represent the highest energy both in this world and the world that is\nabove. There is nothing that is more sacred or sanctifying than kine, O\nchief of Bharata's race. In this connection is recited the ancient\nnarrative, O Yudhishthira, of the discourse between the Grandsire and the\nchief of celestials. After the Daityas had been defeated and Sakra had\nbecome the lord of the three worlds all creatures grew in prosperity and\nbecame devoted to the true religion. Then, on one occasion, the Rishis,\nthe Gandharvas, the Kinnaras, the Uragas, the Rakshasas, the Deities, the\nAsuras, the winged creatures and the Prajapatis, O thou of Kuru's race,\nall assembled together and adored the Grandsire. There were Narada and\nParvata and Viswavasu and Haha-Huhu, who sang in celestial strains for\nadoring that puissant lord of all creatures. The deity of wind bore\nthither the fragrance of celestial flowers. The Seasons also, in their\nembodied forms, bore the perfumes of flowers peculiar to each, unto that\nconclave of celestials, that gathering of all creatures of the universe,\nwhere celestial maidens danced and sang in accompaniment with celestial\nmusic. In the midst of that assembly, Indra, saluting the Lord of all the\ndeities and bowing his head unto him with reverence, asked him, saying,\n'I desire, O Grandsire, to know why the region of kine is higher, O holy\none, than the region of the deities themselves who are the lords of all\nthe worlds. What austerities, what Brahmacharya, O lord, did kine perform\nin consequence of which they are able to reside happily in a region that\nis even above that of the deities?' Thus addressed by Indra, Brahman said\nunto the slayer of Vala, 'Thou hast always, O slayer of Vala, disregarded\nkine. Hence, thou art not acquainted with the glorious pre-eminence of\nkine. Listen now to me, O puissant one, as I explain to thee the high\nenergy and glorious pre-eminence of kine, O chief of the celestials! Kine\nhave been said to be the limbs of sacrifice. They represent sacrifice\nitself, O Vasava! Without them, there can be no sacrifice. With their\nmilk and the Havi produced therefrom, they uphold all creatures. Their\nmale calves are engaged in assisting at tillage and thereby produce\ndiverse kinds of paddy and other seeds. From them flow sacrifices and\nHavya and Kavya, and milk and curds and ghee. Hence, O chief of the\ndeities, kine are sacred. Afflicted by hunger and thirst, they bear\ndiverse burdens. Kine support the Munis. They uphold all creatures by\ndiverse acts. O Vasava, kine are guileless in their behaviour. In\nconsequence of such behaviour and of many well-performed acts, they are\nenabled to live always in regions that are even above ours. I have thus\nexplained to thee today, O thou of a hundred sacrifices, the reason, O\nSakra of kine residing in a place that is high above that of the deities.\nKine obtained many excellent forms, O Vasava, and are themselves givers\nof boons (to others). They are called Surabhis. Of sacred deeds and\nendued with many auspicious indications, they are highly sanctifying.\nListen to me also, O slayer of Vala, as I tell thee in detail the reason\nwhy kine,--the offspring of Surabhi,--have descended on the earth, O best\nof the deities. In day of yore, O son, when in the Devayuga the high\nsouled Danavas became lords of the three worlds, Aditi underwent the\nseverest austerities and got Vishnu within her womb (as the reward\nthereof). Verily, O chief of the celestials, she had stood upon one leg\nfor many long years, desirous of having a son.[382] Beholding the great\ngoddess Aditi thus undergoing the severest austerities, the daughter of\nDaksha, viz., the illustrious Surabhi, herself devoted to righteousness,\nsimilarly underwent very severe austerities upon the breast of the\ndelightful mountains of Kailasa that are resorted to by both the deities\nand the Gandharvas. Established on the highest Yoga she also stood upon\none leg for eleven thousand years. The deities with the Rishis and the\ngreat Nagas all became scorched with the severity of her penances.\nRepairing thither with me, all of them began to adore that auspicious\ngoddess. I then addressed that goddess endued with penances and said, \"O\ngoddess, O thou of faultless conduct, for what purpose, dost thou undergo\nsuch severe austerities. O highly blessed one, I am gratified with thy\npenances, O beautiful one! Do thou, O goddess, solicit what boon thou\ndesirest. I shall grant thee whatever thou mayst ask.\" Even these were my\nwords unto her, O Purandara. Thus addressed by me, Surabhi answered me,\nsaying, \"I have no need, O Grandsire, of boons. Even this, O sinless one,\nis a great boon to me that thou hast been gratified with me.\" Unto the\nillustrious Surabhi, O chief of the celestials who said so unto me, O\nlord of Sachi, I answered even in these words, O foremost of the deities,\nviz., \"O goddess, at this exhibition of thy freedom from cupidity and\ndesire and at these penances of thine, O thou of beautiful face, I have\nbeen exceedingly gratified. I, therefore, grant thee the boon of\nimmortality. Thou shalt dwell in a region that is higher than the three\nworlds, through my grace. That region shall be known to all by the name\nof Goloka. Thy offspring, ever engaged in doing good acts, will reside in\nthe world of men. In fact, O highly blessed one, thy daughters will\nreside there. All kinds of enjoyment, celestial and human, that thou\nmayst think of, will immediately be thine. Whatever happiness exists in\nHeaven, will also be thine, O blessed one.\" The regions, O thou of a\nhundred eyes, that are Surabhi's are endued with means for the\ngratification of every wish. Neither Death, nor Decrepitude, nor fire,\ncan overcome its denizens. No ill luck, O Vasava, exists there. Many\ndelightful woods, and delightful ornaments and objects of beauty may be\nseen there. There many beautiful cars, all excellently equipped, which\nmove at the will of the rider, may be seen, O Vasava. O thou of eyes like\nlotus-petals, it is only by Brahmacharya, by penances, by Truth, by\nself-restraint, by gifts, by diverse kinds of righteous deeds, by\nsojourns to sacred waters, in fact, by severe austerities and righteous\nacts well-performed, that one can attain to Goloka. Thou hast asked me, O\nSakra, and I have answered thee in full. O slayer of Asuras, thou shouldst\nnever disregard kine.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having heard these words of the self-born Brahman, O\nYudhishthira, Sakra of a thousand eyes began from that time to worship\nkine every day and to show them the greatest respect. I have thus told\nthee everything about the sanctifying character of kine, O thou of great\nsplendour. The sacred and high pre-eminence and glory of kine, that is\ncapable of cleansing one from every sin, has, O chief of men, been thus\nexplained to thee. That man who with senses withdrawn from every other\nobject will recite this account unto Brahmanas, on occasions when Havya\nand Kavya are offered, or at sacrifices, or on occasions of adoring the\nPitris, succeeds in conferring upon his ancestors an inexhaustible\nfelicity fraught with the fruition of every wish. That man who is devoted\nto kine succeeds in obtaining the fruition of every wish of his. Indeed,\neven those women that are devoted to kine succeed in obtaining the\naccomplishment of every wish of theirs. He that desireth sons obtaineth\nthem. He that desireth daughters obtaineth them. He that desireth wealth\nsucceedeth in acquiring it and he that desireth religious merit succeedeth\nin winning it. He that desireth knowledge acquireth it and he that\ndesireth felicity succeedeth in acquiring it. Indeed, O Bharata, there is\nnothing that is unattainable to one that is devoted to kine.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed to me on the gift\nof kine that is fraught with great merit. In the case of kings observant\nof their duties, that gift is most meritorious. Sovereignty is always\npainful. It is incapable of being borne by persons of uncleansed souls.\nIn the generality of cases, kings fail to attain to auspicious ends. By\nalways making, however, gifts of earth, they succeed in cleansing\nthemselves (of all their sins). Thou hast, O prince of Kuru's race,\ndiscoursed to me on many duties. Thou hast discoursed to me on the gifts\nof kine made by king Nriga in days of old. The Rishi Nachiketa, in\nancient times, had discoursed on the merits of this act. The Vedas and\nthe Upanishads also have laid down that in all sacrifices,--in fact, in\nall kinds of religious acts,--the Dakshina should be earth or kine or\ngold. The Srutis, however, declare that in all Dakshinas, gold is\nsuperior and is, indeed, the best. I desire, O grandsire, to hear thee\ndiscourse truly on this topic. What is gold? How did it spring up? When\ndid it come into existence? What is its essence? Who is its presiding\ndeity? What are its fruits? Why is it regarded as the foremost of all\nthings? For what reason do men of wisdom applaud the gift of gold? For\nwhat reason is gold regarded as the best Dakshinas in all sacrifices? Why\nalso is gold regarded as a cleanser superior to earth itself and kine?\nWhy, indeed, is it regarded so superior as a Dakshina? Do thou, O\ngrandsire, discourse to me on all this!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, with concentrated attention to me as I\nrecite to thee in detail the circumstances connected with the origin of\ngold as understood by me. When my father Santanu of great energy departed\nfrom this world, I proceeded to Gangadwara for performing his Sraddha.\nArrived there, I commenced the Sraddha of my father. My mother Jahnavi,\ncoming there, rendered me great help. Inviting many ascetics crowned with\nsuccess and causing them to take their seats before me, I commenced the\npreliminary rites consisting of gifts of water and of other things.\nHaving with a concentrated mind performed all preliminary rites as laid\ndown in the scriptures, I set myself to duly offer the obsequial cake. I\nthen saw, O king, that a handsome arm, adorned with Angadas and other\nornaments, rose up, piercing the ground, through the blades of Kusa grass\nwhich I had spread. Beholding that arm rise from the ground, I became\nfilled with wonder. Indeed, O chief of Bharata's race, I thought that my\nfather had come himself for accepting the cake I was about to offer.\nReflecting then, by the light of the scriptures, the conviction soon came\nupon me that the ordinance does occur in the Vedas that the cake should\nnot be presented into the hand of him whose Sraddha is performed. Even\nthis was the conviction that took possession of my mind, viz., that the\nobsequial cake should never be presented in this world by a man into the\nvisible hand of the man whose obsequial rites are performed. The Pitris\ndo not come in their visible forms for taking the cake. On the other\nhand, the ordinance provides that it should be presented on the blades of\nKusa grass spread on the earth for the purpose. I then, disregarding that\nhand which constituted an indication of my father's presence, and\nrecollecting the true ordinance depending upon the authority of the\nscriptures respecting the mode of presenting the cake, offered the entire\ncake, O chief of the Bharatas, upon those blades of Kusa grass that were\nspread before me. Know, O prince of men, that what I did was perfectly\nconsistent with the scriptural ordinance. After this, the arm of my sire,\nO monarch, vanished in our very sight. On that night as I slept, the\nPitris appeared to me in a dream. Gratified with me they said, O chief of\nBharata's race, even these words, 'We have been pleased with thee, for\nthe indication thou hast afforded today of thy adherence to the\nordinance. It has pleased us to see that thou hast not swerved from the\ninjunctions of the scriptures. The scriptural ordinance, having been\nfollowed by thee, has become more authoritative, O king. By such conduct\nthou hast honoured and maintained the authority of thyself, the\nscriptures, the auditions of the Vedas, the Pitris and the Rishis, the\nGrandsire Brahman himself, and those seniors, viz., the Prajapatis.\nAdherence to the scriptures has been maintained. Thou hast today, O chief\nof the Bharatas, acted very properly. Thou hast made gifts of earth and\nkine. Do thou make gifts of gold. The gifts of gold is very cleansing. O\nthou that art well-conversant with duties, know that by such acts of\nthine, both ourselves and our forefathers will all be cleansed of all our\nsins. Such gifts rescue both ancestors and descendants to the tenth\ndegree of the person who makes them.' Even these were the words that my\nancestors, appearing unto me in a dream, said unto me. I then awoke, O\nking, and became filled with wonder. Indeed, O chief of Bharata's race, I\nset my heart then upon making gifts of gold. Listen now, monarch, to this\nold history. It is highly praiseworthy and it extends the period of his\nlife who listens to it. It was first recited to Rama, the son of\nJamadagni. In former days Jamadagni's son Rama, filled with great wrath,\nexterminated the Kshatriyas from off the face of the earth for thrice\nseven times. Having subjugated the entire earth the heroic Rama of eyes\nlike lotus-petals began to make preparations for performing a\nHorse-sacrifice, O king, that is praised by all Brahmanas and Kshatriyas\nand that is capable of granting the fruition of every wish. That\nsacrifice cleanses all creatures and enhances the energy and splendour of\nthose who succeed in performing it. Endued with great energy, Rama, by\nthe performance of that sacrifice became purified. Having, however,\nperformed that foremost of sacrifices, the high-souled Rama failed yet to\nattain to perfect lightness of heart. Repairing unto Rishis conversant\nwith every branch of learning as also the deities, Rama of Bhrigu's race\nquestioned them. Filled with repentance and compassion, he addressed\nthem, saying, 'Ye highly blessed ones, do ye declare that which is more\ncleansing still for men engaged in fierce deeds.' Thus addressed by him,\nthose great Rishis, fully acquainted with the Vedas and the scriptures,\nanswered him, saying, 'O Rama, guided by the authority of the Vedas, do\nthou honour all learned Brahmanas. Following this conduct for some time\ndo thou once more ask the regenerate Rishis as to what should be done by\nthee for cleansing thyself. Follow the advice which those persons of\ngreat wisdom give.' Repairing then to Vasishtha and Agastya and Kasyapa,\nthat delighter of the Bhrigus, endued with great energy, asked them that\nquestion, 'Ye foremost of Brahmanas, even this is the wish that has\narisen in my heart. How, indeed, may I succeed in cleansing myself? By\nwhat acts and rites may this be brought about? Or, if by gifts, what is\nthat article by giving away which this wish of mine may be accomplished?\nYe foremost of righteous persons, if your minds be inclined to do me a\nfavour, then do tell me, ye that are endued with wealth of asceticism,\nwhat is that by which I may succeed in cleansing myself.'\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'O delighter of the Bhrigus, the mortal that has sinned\nbecomes cleansed by making gifts of kine, of earth, and of wealth. Even\nthis is what we have heard. There is another gift that is regarded as a\ngreat cleanser. Listen to us, O regenerate Rishi, as we discourse on it.\nThat article is excellent and is endued with wonderful aspect and is,\nbesides, the offspring of Fire. In days of yore, the god Agni burnt all\nthe world. It has been heard by us that from his seed sprung gold of\nbright complexion. It came to be celebrated under the name of good\ncomplexioned. By making gifts of gold thou art sure to have thy wish\ncrowned with fruition.' Then the illustrious Vasishtha in especial, of\nrigid vows, addressing him, said, 'Hear, O Rama, how gold, which has the\nsplendour of fire sprang into existence. That gold will confer merit on\nthee. In matters of gifts, gold is highly applauded. I shall also tell\nthee what is gold, whence it has come, and how it has come to be invested\nwith superior attributes. Listen to me, O thou of mighty arms, as I\ndiscourse upon these topics. Know this as certain that gold is of the\nessence of Fire and Soma. The goat is Fire (for if given, it leads to the\nregion of the deity of fire); the sheep is Varuna (for it leads to the\nregion of Varuna the lord of waters); the horse is Surya (for it leads to\nthe region of Surya); elephants are Nagas (for they lead to the world of\nNagas); buffaloes are Asuras (for they lead to the region of Asuras);\ncocks and boars are Rakshasas (for they lead to the regions of the\nRakshasas), O delighter of the Bhrigus; earth is sacrifice, kine, water,\nand Soma (for it leads to the merits of sacrifice, and to the region of\nkine, of the lord of waters and of Soma). Even these are the declarations\nof the Smritis. Churning the entire universe, a mass of energy was found.\nThat energy is gold. Hence, O regenerate Rishi, compared to all these\nobjects (which I have named above) gold is certainly superior. It is a\nprecious thing, high and excellent.[383] It is for this reason that the\ndeities and Gandharvas and Uragas and Rakshasas and human beings and\nPisachas hold it with care. All these beings, O son of Bhrigu's race,\nshine in splendour, with the aid of gold, after converting it into crowns\nand armlets and diverse kinds of ornaments. It is also for this reason\nthat gold is regarded as the most cleansing of all cleansing things such\nas earth and kine and all other kinds of wealth, O prince of men. The\ngift of gold, O puissant king, is the highest gift. It is distinguished\nabove the gifts of earth, of kine, and of all other things. O thou that\nart endued with the effulgence of an immortal, gold is an eternal\ncleanser. Do thou make gifts of it unto the foremost of Brahmanas as it\nis the foremost of cleansing things. Of all kinds of Dakshina, gold is\nthe best. They who make gifts of gold are said to be givers of all\nthings. Indeed, they who make gifts of gold come to be regarded as givers\nof deities. Agni is all the deities in one, and gold has Agni for its\nessence. Hence it is that the person who makes gifts of gold gives away\nall the deities. Hence, O chief of men, there is no gift higher than the\ngift of gold.'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha continued, 'Hear once more, O regenerate Rishi, as I discourse\nupon it, the pre-eminence of gold, O foremost of all wielders of weapons.\nI heard this formerly in the Purana, O son of Bhrigu's race. I represent\nthe speech of Prajapati himself. After the wedding was over of the\nillustrious and high-souled Rudra armed with the trident, O son of\nBhrigu's race, with the goddess who became his spouse, on the breast of\nthat foremost of mountains, viz., Himavat, the illustrious and\nhigh-souled deity wished to unite himself with the goddess. Thereupon all\nthe deities, penetrated with anxiety, approached Rudra. Bending their\nheads with reverence and gratifying Mahadeva and his boon giving spouse\nUma, both of whom were seated together, they addressed Rudra, O\nperpetuator of Bhrigu's race, saying, \"This union, O illustrious and\nsinless one, of thine with the goddess, is a union of one endued with\npenances with another of penances as severe! Verily, it is the union, O\nlord, of one possessed of very great energy with another whose energy is\nscarcely less! Thou, O illustrious one, art of energy that is\nirresistible. The goddess Uma, also is possessed of energy that is\nequally irresistible. The offspring that will result from a union like\nthis, will, without doubt, O illustrious deity, be endued with very great\nmight. Verily, O puissant lord, that offspring will consume all things in\nthe three worlds without leaving a remnant. Do thou then, O lord of all\nthe universe, O thou of large eyes, grant unto these deities prostrated\nbefore thee, a boon from desire of benefiting the three worlds! Do thou,\nO puissant one, restrain this high energy of thine which may become the\nseed of offspring. Verily, that energy is the essence of all forces in\nthe three worlds. Ye two, by an act of congress, are sure to scorch the\nuniverse! The offspring that will be born of you two will certainly be\nable to afflict the deities! Neither the goddess Earth, nor the\nFirmament, nor Heaven, O puissant one, nor all of them together, will be\nable to bear thy energy, we firmly believe. The entire universe is\ncertain to be burnt through the force of thy energy. It behoveth thee, O\npuissant one, to show us favour, O illustrious deity. That favour\nconsists in thy not begetting a son, O foremost of the deities, upon the\ngoddess Uma. Do thou, with patience, restrain thy fiery and puissant\nenergy!\" Unto the deities that said so the holy Mahadeva having the bull\nfor his sign, O regenerate Rishi, answered, saying, \"So be it!\" Having\nsaid so, the deity that has the bull for his vehicle, drew up his vital\nseed. From that time he came to be called by the name of Urdhvaretas\n(one that has drawn up the vital seed). The spouse of Rudra, however, at\nthis endeavour of the deities to stop procreation, became highly\nincensed. In consequence of her being of the opposite sex (and,\ntherefore, endued with little control upon her temper) she used harsh\nwords, thus, \"Since ye have opposed my lord in the matter of procreating\na child when he was desirous of procreating one upon me, as the\nconsequence of this act, ye deities, ye all shall become sonless. Verily,\nsince ye have opposed the birth of issue from me, therefore, ye shall\nhave no offspring of your own.\" At the time this curse was denounced, O\nperpetuator of Bhrigu's race, the deity of fire was not there. It is in\nconsequence of this curse of the goddess that the deities have become\nchildless. Rudra, solicited by them, held in himself his energy of\nincomparable puissance. A small quantity, however, that came out of his\nbody fell down on the earth. That seed, falling on the earth, leaped into\na blazing fire and there began to grow (in size and power) most\nwonderfully. The energy of Rudra, coming in contact with another energy\nof great puissance, became identified with it in respect of essence.\nMeanwhile, all the deities having Sakra at their head, were scorched a\ngood deal by the Asura named Taraka. The Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras,\nthe Maruts, the Aswins, and the Sadhyas all became exceedingly afflicted\nin consequence of the prowess of that son of Diti. All the regions of the\ndeities, their beautiful cars, and their palatial mansions, and the\nretreats of the Rishis, were snatched away by the Asuras. Then the\ndeities and the Rishis, with cheerless hearts, sought the protection of\nthe illustrious and puissant Brahman of unfading glory.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXV\n\n\"'\"'The Deities said, \"The Asura named Taraka who has received boons from\nthee, O puissant one, is afflicting the deities and the Rishis. Let his\ndeath be ordained by thee. O Grandsire, great has been our fear from him.\nO illustrious one, do thou rescue us. We have no other refuge than thee.\"\n\n\"'\"'Brahman said, \"I am equal in my behaviour towards all creatures. I\ncannot, however, approve of unrighteousness. Let Taraka, that opponent of\nthe deities and Rishis, be quickly destroyed. The Vedas and the eternal\nduties shall not be exterminated, ye foremost of celestials! I have\nordained what is proper in this matter. Let the fever of your hearts be\ndispelled.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Deities said, \"In consequence of thy having granted him boons, that\nson of Diti has been proud of his might. He is incapable of being slain,\nby the deities. How then will his death be brought about? The boon which,\nO Grandsire, he has obtained from thee is that he should not be slayable\nby deities or Asuras or Rakshasas. The deities have also been cursed by\nthe spouse of Rudra in consequence of their endeavour in former days to\nstop propagation. The curse denounced by her has been, O lord of the\nuniverse, even this, viz., that they are not to have any offspring.\"\n\n\"'\"'Brahman said, \"Ye foremost of deities, Agni was not there at the time\nthe curse was denounced by the goddess. Even he will beget a son for the\ndestruction of the enemies of the gods. Transcending all the deities and\nDanavas and Rakshasas and human beings and Gandharvas and Nagas and\nfeathery creatures, the offspring of Agni with his dart, which in his\nhands will be a weapon incapable of being baffled if once hurled at the\nfoe, will destroy Taraka from whom your fear hath arisen. Verily, all\nother enemies of yours will also be slain by him. Will is eternal. That\nWill is known by the name of Kama and is identical with Rudra's seed a\nportion of which fell into the blazing form of Agni. That energy, which\nis a mighty substance, and which resembles a second Agni, will be cast by\nAgni into Ganga for producing a child upon her in order to effect the\ndestruction of the enemies of the gods. Agni did not come within the\nrange of Uma's curse. The eater of sacrificial libations was not present\nthere when the curse was denounced. Let the deity of fire, therefore, be\nsearched out. Let him now be set to this task. Ye sinless ones, I have\ntold you what the means are for the destruction of Taraka. The curses of\nthose that are endued with energy fail to produce any effect upon those\nthat are endued with energy. Forces, when they come into contact with\nsomething that is endued with stronger force, become weakened. They that\nare endued with penances are competent to destroy even the boon-giving\ndeities who are indestructible. Will, or Like, or Desire (which is\nidentifiable with Agni) sprang in former times and is the most eternal of\nall creatures. Agni is the Lord of the universe. He is incapable of being\napprehended or described. Capable of going everywhere and existing in all\nthings, he is the Creator of all beings. He lives in the hearts of all\ncreatures. Endued with great puissance, He is older than Rudra himself.\nLet that eater of sacrificial libations, who is a mass of energy, be\nsearched out. That illustrious deity will accomplish this desire of your\nhearts.\" Hearing these words of the Grandsire, the high-souled gods then\nproceeded to search out the god of fire with hearts cheerful in\nconsequence of their purpose having been achieved. The gods and the\nRishis then searched every part of the three worlds, their hearts filled\nwith the thought of Agni and eagerly desiring to obtain a sight of him.\nEndued with penances, possessed of prosperity, celebrated over all the\nworlds, those high-souled ones, all crowned with ascetic success,\nsojourned over every part of the universe, O foremost one of Bhrigu's\nrace. They failed, however, to find out the eater of sacrificial\nlibations who had concealed himself by merging his self into self.[384]\nAbout this time, a frog, living in water, appeared on the surface thereof\nfrom the nethermost regions, with cheerless heart in consequence of\nhaving been scorched by the energy of Agni. The little creature addressed\nthe deities who had become penetrated with fear and who were all very\neager to obtain a sight of the deity of fire, saying, \"Ye gods, Agni is\nnow residing in the nethermost regions. Scorched by the energy of that\ndeity, and unable to bear it longer, I have come hither. The illustrious\nbearer of sacrificial libations, ye gods, is now under the waters. He has\ncreated a mass of waters within which he is staying. All of us have been\nscorched by his energy. If, ye gods, ye desire to obtain a sight of\nhim,--verily, if ye have any business with him,--do ye go to him thither.\nDo, indeed, repair thither. As regards ourselves, we shall fly from this\nplace, ye deities, from fear of Agni.\" Having said this much, the frog\ndived into the water. The eater of sacrificial libations learnt of the\ntreachery of the frog. Coming to that animal, he cursed the whole\nbatrachian race, saying, \"Ye shall henceforth be deprived of the organ of\ntaste.\" Having denounced this curse on the frog, he left the spot speedily\nfor taking up his abode elsewhere. Verily, the puissant deity did not\nshow himself. Seeing the plight to which the frogs were reduced for\nhaving done them a service, the deities, O best of the Bhrigus, showed\nfavour unto those creatures. I shall tell thee everything regarding it.\nDo thou listen to me, O mighty-armed hero.\n\n\"'\"'The Deities said, \"Though deprived of tongues through the curse of Agni\nand, therefore, reft of the sensation of taste, ye shall yet be able to\nutter diverse kinds of speech. Living within holes, deprived of food,\nreft of consciousness, wasted and dried up, and more dead than alive, all\nof you will be held by the Earth nevertheless. Ye shall also be able to\nwander about at night-time when everything is enveloped in thick\ndarkness.\" Having said this unto the frogs, the deities once more went\nover every part of the earth for finding out the deity of blazing flames.\nIn spite of all their efforts, however, they failed to get at him. Then,\nO perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, an elephant, as large and mighty as the\nelephant of Sakra, addressed the gods, saying, \"Agni is now residing\nwithin this Aswattha tree!\" Incensed with wrath, Agni cursed all the\nelephants, O descendant of Bhrigu saying, \"Your tongues will be bent\nback.\" Having been pointed out by the elephants, the deity of fire cursed\nall elephants even thus and then went away and entered the heart of the\nSami tree from the desire of residing within it for some time. Listen\nnow, O puissant hero, what favour was shown unto the elephants, O\nforemost one of Bhrigu's race, by the deities of unbaffled prowess who\nwere all gratified with the service a representative of their had done\nthem.\n\n\"'\"'The Deities said, \"With the aid of even your tongues bent inwards ye\nshall be able to eat all things, and with even those tongues ye shall be\nable to utter cries that will only be indistinct.\" Having blessed the\nelephants in this way, the denizens of Heaven once more resumed their\nsearch after Agni. Indeed, having issued out of the Aswattha tree, the\ndeity of fire had entered the heart of Sami. This new abode of Agni was\ndivulged by a parrot. The gods thereupon proceeded to the spot. Enraged\nwith the conduct of the parrot, the deity of blazing flames cursed the\nwhole parrot race, saying, \"Ye shall from this day be deprived of the\npower of speech.\" Indeed, the eater of sacrificial libations turned up\nthe tongues of all the parrots. Beholding Agni at the place pointed out\nby the parrot, and witnessing the curse denounced upon him, the gods,\nfeeling a compassion for the poor creature, blessed him, saying, \"In\nconsequence of thy being a parrot, thou shalt not be wholly deprived of\nthe power of speech. Though thy tongue has been turned backwards, yet\nspeech thou shalt have, confined to the letter K. Like that of a child or\nan old man, thy speech shall be sweet and indistinct and wonderful.\"\nHaving said these words unto the parrot, and beholding the deity of fire\nwithin the heart of the Sami, the gods made Sami wood a sacred fuel fit\nfor producing fire in all religious rites. It was from that time that\nfire is seen to reside in the heart of the Sami. Men came to regard the\nSami as proper means for producing fire (in sacrifice).[385] The waters\nthat occur in the nethermost regions had come into contact with the deity\nof blazing flames. Those heated waters, O thou of Bhrigu's race, are\nvomited forth by the mountain springs. In consequence, indeed, of Agni\nhaving resided in them for some time, they became hot through his energy.\nMeanwhile, Agni, beholding the gods, became grieved. Addressing the\ndeities, he asked them, \"What is the reason of your presence here?\" Unto\nhim the deities and the great Rishi said, \"We wish to set thee to a\nparticular task. It behoveth thee to accomplish it. When accomplished, it\nwill redound greatly to thy credit.\"\n\n\"'\"'Agni said, \"Tell me what your business is. I shall, ye gods, accomplish\nit. I am always willing to be set by you to any task you wish. Do not\nscruple, therefore, to command me.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Deities said, \"There is an Asura of the name of Taraka who has been\nfilled with pride in consequence of the boon he has obtained from\nBrahman. Through his energy he is able to oppose and discomfit us. Do\nthou ordain his destruction. O sire, do thou rescue these deities, these\nPrajapatis, and these Rishis, O highly blessed Pavaka! O puissant one, do\nthou beget a heroic son possessed of thy energy, who will dispel, O\nbearer of sacrificial libations, our fears from that Asura. We have been\ncursed by the great goddess Uma. There is nothing else than thy energy\nwhich can be our refuge now. Do thou, therefore, O puissant deity, rescue\nus all.\" Thus addressed, the illustrious and irresistible bearer of\nsacrificial libations answered, saying, \"Be it so\", and he than proceeded\ntowards Ganga otherwise called Bhagirathi. He united himself in\n(spiritual) congress with her and caused her to conceive. Verily, in the\nwomb of Ganga the seed of Agni began to grow even as Agni himself grows\n(when supplied with fuel and aided by the wind). With the energy of that\ngod, Ganga became exceedingly agitated at heart. Indeed, she suffered\ngreat distress and became unable to bear it. When the deity of blazing\nflames cast his seed endued with great energy into the womb of Ganga, a\ncertain Asura (bent on purposes of his own) uttered a frightful roar. In\nconsequence of that frightful roar uttered by the Asura for purposes of\nhis own (and not for terrifying her), Ganga became very much terrified\nand her eyes rolled in fear and betrayed her agitation. Deprived of\nconsciousness, she became unable to bear her body and the seed within her\nwomb. The daughter of Jahnu, inseminated with the energy of the\nillustrious deity, began to tremble. Overwhelmed with the energy of the\nseed she held in her womb, O learned Brahmana, she then addressed the\ndeity of blazing fire, saying, \"I am no longer capable, O illustrious\none, of bearing thy seed in my womb. Verily, I am overcome with weakness\nby this seed of thine. The health I had in days before is no longer mine.\nI have been exceedingly agitated, O illustrious one, and my heart is dead\nwithin me, O sinless one. O foremost of all persons endued with penances,\nI am incapable of bearing thy seed any longer. I shall cast it off,\ncompelled by the distress that has overtaken me, and not by caprice.\nThere has been no actual contact of my person with thy seed, O\nillustrious deity of blazing flames! Our union, having for its cause the\ndistress that has overtaken the deities, has been suitable and not of the\nflesh, O thou of great splendour. Whatever merit or otherwise there may\nbe in this act (intended to be done by me), O eater of sacrificial\nlibations, must belong to thee. Verily, I think, the righteousness or\nunrighteousness of this deed must be thine.\" Unto her the deity of fire\nsaid, \"Do thou bear the seed. Do, indeed, bear the foetus endued with my\nenergy. It will lead to great results. Thou art, verily, capable of\nbearing the entire earth. Thou wilt gain nothing by not holding this\nenergy.\" That foremost of streams, though thus passed by the deity of\nfire as also by all the other deities, cast off the seed on the breast of\nMeru, that foremost of all mountains. Capable (somehow) of bearing that\nseed, yet oppressed by the energy of Rudra (for Agni is identical with\nRudra), she failed to hold that seed longer in consequence of its burning\nenergy. After she had cast it off, through sheer distress, that blazing\nseed having the splendour of fire, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, Agni\nsaw her, and asked that foremost of streams, \"Is it all right with the\nfoetus thou hast cast off? Of what complexion has it been, O goddess? Of\nwhat form does it look? With what energy does it seem to be endued? Do\nthou tell me all about it.\"\n\n\"'\"'Ganga said, \"The foetus is endued with the complexion of gold. In\nenergy it is even like thee, O sinless one! Of an excellent complexion,\nperfectly stainless, and blazing with splendour, it has illuminated the\nentire mountain. O foremost of all persons endued with penances, the\nfragrance emitted by it resembles the cool perfume that is scattered by\nlakes adorned with lotuses and Nyphoea stellata, mixed with that of the\nNauclea Cadamba. With the splendour of that foetus everything around it\nseemed to be transformed into gold even as all things on mountain and low\nland seem to be transformed into gold by the rays of the Sun. Indeed, the\nsplendour of that foetus, spreading far, falls upon mountains and rivers\nand springs. Indeed, it seems that the three worlds, with all their\nmobile and immobile creatures, are being illuminated by it. Even of this\nkind is thy child, O illustrious bearer of sacrificial libations. Like\nunto Surya or thy blazing self, in beauty it is even like a second Soma.\"\nHaving said these words, the goddess disappeared there and then. Pavaka\nalso, of great energy, having accomplished the business of the deities\nproceeded to the place he liked, O delighter of the Bhrigus. It was in\nconsequence of the result of this act that the Rishis and the deities\nbestowed the name of Hiranyaretas upon the deity of fire.[386] And\nbecause the Earth held that seed (after the goddess Ganga had cast it\nupon her), she also came to be called by the name of Vasumati. Meanwhile,\nthat foetus, which had sprung from Pavaka and been held for a time by\nGanga,[387] having fallen on a forest of reeds, began to grow and at last\nassumed a wonderful form. The presiding goddess of the constellation\nKrittika beheld that form resembling the rising sun. She thenceforth\nbegan to rear that child as her son with the sustenance of her breast.\nFor this reason, that child of pre-eminent splendour came to be called\nKartikeya after her name. And because he grew from seed that fell out of\nRudra's body, he came to be called Skanda. The incident also of his birth\nhaving taken place in the solitude of a forest of reeds, concealed from\neverybody's view, led to his being called by the name of Guha. It was in\nthis way that gold came into existence as the offspring of the deity of\nblazing flames.[388] Hence it is that gold came to be looked upon as the\nforemost of all things and the ornament of the very gods. It was from\nthis circumstance that gold came to be called by the name of\nJatarupam.[389] It is the foremost of all costly things, and among\nornaments also it is the foremost. The cleanser among all cleansing\nthings, it is the most auspicious of all auspicious objects. Gold is\ntruly the illustrious Agni, the Lord of all things, and the foremost of\nall Prajapatis. The most sacred of all sacred things is gold, O foremost\nof re-generate ones. Verily, gold is said to have for its essence Agni\nand Soma.'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha continued, 'This history also, O Rama, called Brahmadarsana,\nwas heard by me in days of yore, respecting the achievement of the\nGrandsire Brahman who is identifiable with the Supreme Soul. To a\nsacrifice performed in days of yore by that foremost of gods, viz., Lord\nRudra, O thou of great might, who on that occasion had assumed the form\nof Varuna, there came the Munis and all the deities with Agni at their\nhead. To that sacrifice also came all the sacrificial limbs (in their\nembodied forms), and the Mantra called Vashat in his embodied form. All\nthe Samans also and all the Yajushes, numbering by thousands and in their\nembodied forms, came there. The Rig-Veda also came there, adorned with\nthe rules of orthoepy. The Lakshanas, the Suras, the Niruktas, the Notes\narranged in rows, and the syllable Om, as also Nigraha and Pragraha, all\ncame there and took their residence in the eye of Mahadeva. The Vedas\nwith the Upanishads, Vidya and Savitri, as also, the Past, the Present,\nand the Future, all came there and were held by the illustrious Siva. The\npuissant Lord of all then poured libations himself into his own self.\nIndeed, the wielder of Pinaka caused that Sacrifice of multifarious form\nto look exceedingly beautiful. He is Heaven, Firmament, Earth, and the\nWelkin. He is called the Lord of the Earth. He is the Lord whose sway is\nowned by all obstacles. He is endued with Sri and He is identical with\nthe deity of blazing flames. That illustrious deity is called by various\nnames. Even He is Brahman and Siva and Rudra and Varuna and Agni and\nPrajapati. He is the auspicious Lord of all creatures. Sacrifice (in his\nembodied form), and Penance, and all the union rites, and the goddess\nDiksha blazing with rigid observances, the several points of the compass\nwith the deities that respectively preside over them, the spouses of all\nthe deities, their daughters, and the celestial mothers, all came\ntogether in a body to Pasupati, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race. Verily,\nbeholding that sacrifice of the high-souled Mahadeva who had assumed the\nform of Varuna, all of them became highly pleased. Seeing the celestial\ndamsels of great beauty, the seed of Brahman came out and fell upon the\nearth. In consequence of the seed having fallen on the dust, Pushan\n(Surya) took up that dust mixed with the particles of seed from the earth\nwith his hands and cast it into the sacrificial fire. Meanwhile, the\nsacrifice with the sacred fire of blazing flames was commenced and it\nwent on. Brahman (as the Hotri) was pouring libations on the fire. While\nthus employed, the grandsire became excited with desire (and his seed\ncame out). As soon as that seed came out, he took it up with the\nsacrificial ladle and poured it as a libation of ghee, O delighter of the\nBhrigus, with the necessary Mantras, on the blazing fire. From that seed,\nBrahman of great energy caused the four orders of creatures to spring\ninto existence. That seed of the Grandsire was endued with the three\nattributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas. From that element in it which\nrepresented the principle of Rajas, sprang all mobile creatures endued\nwith the principle of Pravritti or action.[390] From the element of Tamas\nin it, sprang all immobile creatures. The principle of Sattwa, however,\nwhich dwelt in that seed, entered both kinds of existences. That\nattribute of Sattwa is of the nature of Tejas or Light (being identical\nwith Buddhi or the Understanding). It is eternal and of it is unending\nSpace.[391] In all creatures the attribute of Sattwa is present and is\nidentical with that light which shows what is right and what is wrong.\nWhen the seed of Brahman was thus poured as a libation on that\nsacrificial fire, there sprang from it, O mighty one, three beings into\nexistence. They were three male persons, endued with bodies that partook\nof the characters of the circumstances from which they respectively\nsprang. One arose first from the flames of the fire (called Bhrig) and\nhence he came to be called by the name of Bhrigu. A second came from the\nburning charcoals (called Angara) and hence he came to be called by the\nname of Angiras. The third sprang from a heap of extinguished charcoals\nand he came to be called by the name of Kavi. It has been already said\nthat the first came out with flames emanating from his body and hence he\nwas called Bhrigu. From the rays of the sacrificial fire sprang another\ncalled Marichi. From Marichi (afterwards) sprang Kasyapa. It has been\nalready said that from the (burning) charcoals sprang Angiras. The\n(diminutive) Rishis called Valakhilyas sprang from the blades of Kusa\ngrass spread out in that sacrifice. From the same blades of Kula grass, O\nthou of great puissance, sprang Atri. From the ashes of the fire sprang\nall those that are numbered among the regenerate Rishis, viz., the\nVaikhanasas, endued with penances and devoted to Vedic lore and all\nexcellent accomplishments. From the eyes of Agni sprang the twin Aswins\nendued with great beauty of person. At last, from his ears, sprang all\nthe Prajapatis. The Rishis sprang from the pores of Agni's body. From his\nsweat sprang Chhandas, and from his strength sprang Mind. For this\nreason, Agni has been said to be all the deities in his individual self,\nby Rishis endued with Vedic lore, guided by the authority of the Vedas.\nThe pieces of wood that keep alive the flames of Agni are regarded as the\nMonths. The Juices that the fuel yields constitute the Fortnights. The\nliver of Agni is called the Day and Night, and his fierce light is called\nthe Muhurtas. The blood of Agni is regarded as the source of the Rudras.\nFrom his blood sprang also the gold-complexioned deities called the\nMaitradevatas. From his smoke sprang the Vasus. From his flames sprang\nthe Rudras as also the (twelve) Adityas of great effulgence. The Planets\nand Constellations and other stars that have been set in their respective\norbits in the firmament, are regarded as the (burning) charcoals of Agni.\nThe first Creator of the universe declared Agni to be Supreme Brahma and\nEternal, and the giver of all wishes. This is verily a mystery.\n\n\"'\"'After all these births had taken place, Mahadeva who had assumed the\nform of Varuna (for his sacrifice) and who had Pavana for his soul, said,\n\"This excellent Sacrifice is mine. I am the Grahapati in it. The very\nbeings that first sprang from the sacrificial fire are mine. Without\ndoubt, they should be regarded as my offspring. Know this, ye gods who\nrange through the skies! They are the fruits of this Sacrifice.\"\n\n\"'\"'Agni said, \"These offspring have sprung from my limbs. They have all\ndepended upon me as the cause of their starting into life. They should,\ntherefore, be regarded as my children. Mahadeva in the form of Varuna is\nin error in respect of this matter.\"[392] After this, the master of all\nthe worlds, the Grandsire of all creatures, viz., Brahman, then said,\n\"These children are mine. The seed was mine which I poured upon the\nsacrificial fire. I am the accomplisher of this Sacrifice. It was I who\npoured on the sacrificial fire the seed that came out of myself. The\nfruit is always his who has planted the seed. The principal cause of\nthese births is the seed owned by me.\" The deities then repaired to the\npresence of the Grandsire and having bowed their heads unto him joined\ntheir hands in reverence and they said unto him, \"All of us, O\nillustrious one, and the entire universe of mobile and immobile\ncreatures, are thy offspring. O sire, let Agni of blazing flames, and the\nillustrious and puissant Mahadeva who has, for this sacrifice, assumed\nthe form of Varuna, have their wish (in the matter of the offspring).\" At\nthese words, although born of Brahman, the puissant Mahadeva in the form\nof Varuna, the ruler of all aquatic creatures received the firstborn one,\nviz., Bhrigu endued with the effulgence of the sun as his own child. The\nGrandsire then intended that Angiras should become the son of Agni.\nConversant with the truth in respect of everything, the Grandsire then\ntook Kavi as his own son. Engaged in procreating creatures for peopling\nthe earth, Bhrigu who is regarded as a Prajapati thence came to be called\nas Varuna's offspring. Endued with every prosperity, Angiras came to be\ncalled the offspring of Agni, and the celebrated Kavi came to be known as\nthe child of Brahman himself. Bhrigu and Angiras who had sprung from the\nflame and the charcoals of Agni respectively, became the procreators of\nextensive races and tribes in the world. Verily, these three, viz.,\nBhrigu and Angiras and Kavi, regarded as Prajapati, are the progenitors\nof many races and tribes. All are the children of these three. Know this,\nO puissant hero. Bhrigu begot seven sons all of whom became equal to him\nin merits and accomplishments. Their names are Chyavana, Vajrasirsha,\nSuchi, Urva, Sukra, that giver of boons, Vibhu, and Savana. These are the\nseven. They are children of Bhrigu and are hence Bhargavas. They are also\ncalled Varunas in consequence of their ancestor Bhrigu having been\nadopted by Mahadeva in the form of Varuna. Thou belongest to the race of\nBhrigu. Angiras begot eight sons. They also are known as Varunas. Their\nnames are Vrihaspati, Utathya, Payasya, Santi, Dhira, Virupa, Samvarta,\nand Sudhan was the eighth. These eight are regarded also as the offspring\nof Agni. Freed from every evil, they are devoted to knowledge only. The\nsons of Kavi who was appropriated by Brahman himself are also known as\nVarunas. Numbering eight, all of them became progenitors of races and\ntribes. Auspicious by nature, they are all conversant with Brahma. The\nnames of the eight sons of Kavi are Kavi, Kavya, Dhrishnu, Usanas endued\nwith great intelligence, Bhrigu, Viraja, Kasi, and Ugra conversant with\nevery duty. These are the eight sons of Kavi. By them the whole world has\nbeen peopled. They are all Prajapatis, and by them have been procreated\nmany offspring. Thus, O chief of Bhrigu's race, hath the whole world been\npeopled with the progeny of Angiras, and Kavi and Bhrigu. The puissant\nand supreme Lord Mahadeva in the form of Varuna which he had assumed for\nhis sacrifice had first, O learned Brahmana, adopted both Kavi and\nAngiras. Hence, these two are regarded as of Varuna. After that the eater\nof sacrificial libations, viz., the deity of blazing flames, adopted\nAngiras. Hence, all the progeny of Angiras are known as belonging to the\nrace of Agni. The Grandsire Brahman was, in olden days, gratified by all\nthe deities who said unto him, \"Let these lords of the universe\n(referring to Bhrigu and Angiras and Kavi and their descendants) rescue\nus all. Let all of them become progenitors of offspring (for peopling the\nearth). Let all of them become endued with penances. Through thy grace,\nlet all these rescue the world (from becoming an uninhabited wilderness).\nLet them become procreators and extenders of races and tribes and let\nthem increase thy energy. Let all of them become thorough masters of the\nVedas and let them be achievers of great deeds. Let all of them be\nfriends to the cause of the deities. Indeed, let all of them become\nendued with auspiciousness. Let them become founders of extensive races\nand tribes and let them be great Rishis. Let all of them be endued with\nhigh penances and let all of them be devoted to high Brahmacharya, All of\nus, as also all these are thy progeny, O thou of great puissance. Thou, O\nGrandsire, art the Creator of both, deities and the Brahmanas. Marichi is\nthy first son. All these also that are called Bhargavas are thy progeny.\n(Ourselves also are so). Looking at this fact, O Grandsire, we shall all\naid and support one another. All these shall, in this way, multiply their\nprogeny and establish thyself at the commencement of each creation after\nthe universal destruction.\" Thus addressed by them, Brahman, the\nGrandsire of all the worlds, said unto them, \"So be it! I am gratified\nwith you all!\" Having said so unto the deities he proceeded to the place\nhe had come from. Even this is what happened in days of old in that\nsacrifice of the high-souled Mahadeva, that foremost one of all the\ndeities, in the beginning of creation, when he for the purposes of his\nsacrifice had assumed the form of Varuna. Agni is Brahman. He is\nPasupati. He is Sarva. He is Rudra. He is Prajapati.[393] It is\nwell-known that gold is the offspring of Agni. When fire is not\nobtainable (for the purposes of a sacrifice), gold is used as substitute.\nGuided by the indications afforded by the auditions of the Veda, one that\nis conversant with authorities and that knows the identity of gold with\nfire, acts in this way. Placing a piece of gold on some blades of Kusa\ngrass spread out on the ground, the sacrificer pours libations upon it.\nUpon also the pores of an ant-hill, upon the right ear of a goat, upon a\npiece of level earth, upon the waters of a Tirtha, or on the hand of a\nBrahmana, if libations are poured, the illustrious deity of fire becomes\ngratified and regards it as a source of his own aggrandisement as also\nthat of the deities through his. Hence, it is that we have heard that all\nthe deities regard Agni as their refuge and are devoted to him. Agni\nsprang from Brahman, and from Agni sprang gold.[394] Hence, it has been\nheard by us, that those persons observant of righteousness that make\ngifts of gold are regarded as giving away all the deities. The man who\nmakes gifts of gold attains to a very high end. Regions of blazing\neffulgence are his. Verily, O Bhargava, he becomes installed as the king\nof kings in heaven. That person who, at sunrise, makes a gift of gold\naccording to the ordinance and with proper Mantras, succeeds in warding\noff the evil consequences foreshadowed by ominous dreams. The man who, as\nsoon as the sun has risen, makes a gift of gold becomes cleansed of all\nhis sins. He who makes a gift of gold at midday destroys all his future\nsins. He who with restrained soul, makes a gift of gold at the second\ntwilight succeeds in attaining to a residence with Brahman and the deity\nof wind and Agni and Soma in their respective regions. Such a man attains\nto auspicious fame in regions of great felicity that belong to Indra\nhimself. Attaining to great fame in this world also, and cleansed of all\nhis sins, he sports in joy and happiness. Verily, such a man attains to\nmany other regions of happiness and becomes unequalled for glory and\nfame. His course perfectly unobstructed, he succeeds in going everywhere\nat will. He has never to fall down from the regions to which he attains\nand the glory he acquires becomes great. Indeed, by making gifts of gold\none attains to innumerable regions of felicity all of which he enjoys for\neternity. That man who, having ignited a fire at sunrise, makes gifts of\ngold in view of the observance of a particular vow, succeeds in attaining\nto the fruition of all his wishes. It has been said that gold is\nidentical with Agni. The gift of gold, therefore, is productive of great\nfelicity. The gift of gold leads to the possession of those merits and\naccomplishments that are desired, and cleanses the heart.[395] I have\nthus told thee, O sinless one, the origin of gold. O thou of puissance,\nhear how Kartikeya grew up, O delighter of Bhrigu's race. After a long\ntime Kartikeya grew up. He was then, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race,\nchosen by all the deities with Indra at their head, as the generalissimo\nof the celestial forces. He slew the Daitya Taraka as also many other\nAsuras, at the command of the chief of the celestials, O Brahmana, and\nactuated also by the desire of benefiting all the worlds. I have also, O\nthou of great might, discoursed to thee on the merits of making gifts of\ngold. Do thou, therefore, O foremost of all speakers make gifts of gold.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by Vasishtha, Jamadagni's son of\ngreat prowess then made gifts of gold unto the Brahmanas and became\ncleansed of his sins. I have thus told thee, O king, everything about the\nmerits of the gifts of gold and about its origin also, O Yudhishthira. Do\nthou also, therefore, make abundant gifts of gold unto the Brahmanas.\nVerily, O king, by making such gifts of gold, thou wilt surely be\ncleansed of all thy sins!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed to me, in detail\non the merits that attach to the gift of gold agreeably with the\nordinances laid down in the scriptures as indicated in the auditions of\nthe Veda. Thou hast also narrated what the origin is of gold. Do thou\ntell me now how Taraka met with destruction. Thou hast said, O king, that\nAsura had become unslayable by the gods. Do thou tell me in detail how\nhis destruction was brought about. O perpetuator of Kuru's race, I desire\nto hear this from thee. I mean the details of Taraka's slaughter. Great\nis my curiosity to hear the narrative.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The gods and the Rishis, O monarch, reduced to great\ndistress (by Taraka's prowess and the conduct of Ganga in casting off\nAgni's seed), urged the six Krittikas to rear that child. Amongst the\ncelestial ladies there were none, save these, that could, by their\nenergy, bear the seed of Agni in their wombs. The god of fire became\nexceedingly gratified with those goddesses for their readiness to sustain\nthe conception caused by the cast off seed of Agni which was endued with\nhis own high energy. When the energy of Agni, O king, was divided into\nsix portions and placed within the channels (leading to the womb), the\nsix Krittikas began to nourish the portion that each held in her womb. As\nthe high-souled Kumara, however, began to grow within their wombs, their\nbodies being afflicted by his energy, they failed to obtain peace\nanywhere (in heaven or on earth). Filled with energy as their bodies\nwere, the time at last came for delivery. All of them, it so happened, O\nprince of men, delivered at the same time. Though held in six different\nwombs, yet all the portions, as they came out, united into one. The\ngoddess Earth held the child, taking it up from a heap of gold. Verily,\nthe child, endued with excellent form, blazed with splendour even like\nthe god of Fire. Of beautiful features, he began to grow in a delightful\nforest of reeds. The six Krittikas beheld that child of theirs looking\nlike the morning sun in splendour. Filled with affection for\nhim,--indeed, loving him very much,--they began to rear him with the\nsustenance of their breasts. In consequence of his having been born of\nthe Krittikas and reared by them, he came to be known throughout the\nthree worlds as Kartikeya. Having sprung from the seed which had fallen\noff from Rudra he was named Skanda, and because of his birth in the\nsolitude of a forest of reeds he came to be called by the name of Guha\n(the secret-born). The gods numbering three and thirty, the points of the\ncompass (in their embodied forms) together with the deities presiding\nover them, and Rudra and Dhatri and Vishnu and Yama and Pushan and\nAryaman and Bhaga, and Angas and Mitra and the Sadhyas and Vasava and the\nVasus and the Aswins and the Waters and the Wind and the Firmament and\nChandramas and all the Constellations and the Planets and Surya, and all\nthe Ricks and Samans and Yajuses in their embodied forms, came there to\nbehold that wonderful child who was the son of the deity of blazing\nflames. The Rishis uttered hymns of praise and the Gandharvas sang in\nhonour of that child called Kumara of six heads, twice six eyes, and\nexceedingly devoted to the Brahmanas. His shoulders were broad, and he\nhad a dozen arms, and the splendour of his person resembled that of fire\nand Aditya. As he lay stretched on a clump of heath, the gods with the\nRishis, beholding him, became filled with great delight and regarded the\ngreat Asura as already slain. The deities then began to bring him diverse\nkinds of toys and articles that could amuse him. As he played like a\nchild, diverse kinds of toys and birds were given unto him. Garuda of\nexcellent feathers gave unto him a child of his, viz., a peacock endued\nwith plumes of variegated hue. The Rakshasas gave unto him a boar and a\nbuffalo. Aruna himself gave him a cock of fiery splendour. Chandramas\ngave him a sheep, and Aditya gave him some dazzling rays of his. The\nmother of all kine, viz., Surabhi, gave him kine by hundreds and\nthousands. Agni gave him a goat possessed of many good qualities. Ila\ngave him an abundant quantity of flowers and fruit. Sudhanwan gave him a\nriding chariot and a car of Kuvara. Varuna gave him many auspicious and\nexcellent, products of the Ocean, with some elephants. The chief of the\ncelestials gave him lions and tigers and pards and diverse kinds of\nfeathery denizens of the air, and many terrible beasts of prey and many\numbrellas also of diverse kinds. Rakshasas and Asuras, in large bands,\nbegan to walk in the train of that puissant child. Beholding the son of\nAgni grow up, Taraka sought, by various means, to effect his destruction,\nbut he failed to do anything unto that puissant deity. The god in time\ninvested Agni's son born in the solitude (of a forest of reeds) with the\ncommand of their forces. And they also informed him of the oppressions\ncommitted upon them by the Asura Taraka. The generalissimo of the\ncelestial forces grew up and became possessed of great energy and\npuissance. In time Guha slew Taraka, with his irresistible dart. Verily,\nKumara slew the Asura as easily as if in sport. Having accomplished the\ndestruction of Taraka he re-established the chief of the deities in his\nsovereignty of the three worlds. Endued with mighty prowess, the\ncelestial generalissimo blazed with beauty and splendour. The puissant\nSkanda became the protector of the deities and did what was agreeable to\nSankara. The illustrious son of Pavaka was endued with a golden form.\nVerily, Kumara is always the leader of the celestial forces. Gold is the\npuissant energy of the god of fire and was born with Kartikeya (from the\nsame seed). Hence is Gold highly auspicious and, as a valuable, is\nexcellent and endued with inexhaustible merit. Even thus, O son of Kuru's\nrace, did Vasishtha recite this discourse unto Rama of Bhrigu's race in\ndays of old. Do thou, therefore, O king of men, try to make gifts of\nGold. By making gifts of Gold, Rama became cleansed of all his sins, and\nfinally attained to a high place in heaven that is unattainable by other\nmen.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast discoursed to me, O thou of righteous\nsoul, on the duties of the four orders. Do thou, after the same manner, O\nking, discourse to me now on all the ordinances respecting the Sraddha\n(of deceased ancestors).\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, the son of\nSantanu set himself to declare unto him the following ritual, consistent\nwith the ordinance of the Sraddha.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, with close attention, to me as I\ndiscourse to you on the ritual of the Sraddha. That ritual is auspicious,\nworthy of praise, productive of fame and progeny, and is regarded as a\nsacrifice, O scorcher of foes, in honour of the Pitris. Gods or Asuras or\nhuman beings, Gandharvas or Uragas or Rakshasas, Pisachas or\nKinnaras,--every one should always worship the Pitris. It is seen that\npeople worship the Pitris first, and gratify the deities next by offering\nthem their adorations. Hence, one should always worship the Pitris with\nevery care.[396] It is said, O king, that the Sraddha performed in honour\nof the Pitris is performable afterwards. But this general rule is\nrestrained by a special one (which directs that the Sraddha in honour of\nthe Pitris should be performed on the afternoon of the day of the New\nmoon).[397] The (deceased) grandsires become gratified with the Sraddha\nthat may be performed on any day. I shall, however, tell thee now what\nthe merits and demerits are of the respective lunar days (in view of\ntheir adaptability to the performance of the Sraddha). I shall discourse\nto thee, O sinless one, what fruits are attained on what days by\nperforming the Sraddha. Do thou listen to me with close attention. By\nadoring the Pitris on the first day of the lighted fortnight, one obtains\nin one's abode beautiful spouses capable of producing many children all\npossessed of desirable accomplishments. By performing the Sraddha on the\nsecond day of the lighted fortnight one gets many daughters. By\nperforming it on the third day, one acquires many steeds. By performing\nit on the fourth day, one gets a large herd of smaller animals (such as\ngoats and sheep) in one's house. They, O king, who perform the Sraddha on\nthe fifth day, get many sons. Those men who perform the Sraddha on the\nsixth day acquire great splendour. By performing it on the seventh day, O\nmonarch, one acquires great fame. By performing it on the eighth day one\nmakes great profits in trade. By performing it on the ninth day one\nacquires many animals of uncloven hoofs. By performing it on the tenth\nday one acquires much wealth in kine. By performing it on the eleventh\nday one becomes the possessor of much wealth in clothes and utensils (of\nbrass and other metals). Such a man also obtains many sons all of whom\nbecome endued with Brahma splendour. By performing the Sraddha on the\ntwelfth day one always beholds, if one desires, diverse kinds of\nbeautiful articles made of silver and gold. By performing the Sraddha on\nthe thirteenth day one attains to eminence over one's kinsmen. Without\ndoubt, all the young men in the family of him who performs the Sraddha on\nthe fourteenth day meet with death. Such a man becomes entangled in war.\nBy performing the Sraddha on the day of the new moon, one obtains the\nfruition of every wish. In the dark fortnight, all the days commencing\nwith the tenth (and ending with that of the new moon), leaving only the\nfourteenth day out, are laudable days for the performance of the Sraddha.\nOther days of that fortnight are not so. Then, again, as the dark\nfortnight is better than the lighted one, so the afternoon of the day is\nbetter than the forenoon in the matter of the Sraddha.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object\nis which, if dedicated to the Pitris, becomes inexhaustible! What Havi,\nagain, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if\npresented) becomes eternal?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which\npersons conversant with the ritual of the Sraddha regard as suitable in\nview of the Sraddha and what the fruits are that attach to each. With\nsesame seeds and rice and barley and Masha and water and roots and\nfruits, if given at Sraddhas, the Pitris, O king, remain gratified for\nthe period of a month.[398] Manu has said that if a Sraddha is performed\nwith a copious measure of sesame, such Sraddha becomes inexhaustible. Of\nall kinds of food, sesame seeds are regarded as the best. With fishes\noffered at Sraddhas, the Pitris remain gratified for a period of two\nmonths. With mutton they remain gratified for three months and with the\nflesh of the hare for four. With the flesh of the goat, O king, they\nremain gratified for five months, with bacon for six months, and with the\nflesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer that are\ncalled Prishata, they remain gratified for eight months, and with that\nobtained from the Ruru for nine months, and with the meat of the Gavaya\nfor ten months. With the meat of the buffalo their gratification lasts\nfor eleven months. With beef presented at the Sraddha, their\ngratification, it is said, lasts for a full year. Payasa mixed with ghee\nis as much acceptable to the Pitris as beef. With the meat of the\nVadhrinasa the gratification of the Pitris lasts for twelve years.[399]\nThe flesh of the rhinoceros, offered to the Pitris on the anniversaries\nof the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible. The potherb\ncalled Kalasaka, the petals of the Kanchana flower, and meat of the goat\nalso, thus offered, prove inexhaustible.[400] In this connection, O\nYudhishthira, there are some verses, originally sung by the Pitris, that\nare sung (in the world). They were communicated to me in former days by\nSanatkumara.--'He that has taken birth in our race should give us Payasa\nmixed with ghee on the thirteenth day (of the dark fortnight), under the\nconstellation Magha, during the Sun's southward course. One born in our\nrace should, under the constellation Magha, as if in the observance of a\nvow, offer the meat of goat or the petals of the Kanchana flower. One\nshould also offer us, with due rites, Payasa mixed with ghee, dedicating\nit on a spot covered by the shadow of an elephant.'--Many sons should be\ncoveted so that even one may go to Gaya (for performing the Sraddha of\nhis ancestors), where stands the banian that is celebrated over all the\nworlds and that makes all offerings made under its branches\ninexhaustible.[401] Even a little of water, roots, fruits, meat, and\nrice, mixed with honey, if offered on the anniversary of the day of death\nbecomes inexhaustible.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, as I tell thee what\nthose optional Sraddhas are that should be performed under the different\nconstellations and that were first spoken of by Yama unto king\nSasavindu.[402] That man who always performs the Sraddha under the\nconstellation Krittika is regarded as performing a sacrifice after\nestablishing the sacred fire. Such a person, freed from fear, ascends to\nheaven with his children. He that is desirous of children should perform\nthe Sraddha under the constellation Rohini, while he that is desirous of\nenergy should do it under the constellation Mrigasiras. By performing the\nSraddha under the constellation Ardra, a man becomes the doer of fierce\ndeeds. A mortal, by performing the Sraddha under Punarvasu, makes such\nagain by agriculture. The man that is desirous of growth and advancement\nshould perform the Sraddha under Pushya. By doing it under the\nconstellation Aslesha one begets heroic children. By doing it under the\nMaghas one attains to pre-eminence among kinsmen. By doing it under the\nprior Phalgunis, the doer of it becomes endued with good fortune. By\ndoing the Sraddha under the later Phalgunis one attains to many children;\nwhile by performing it under Hasta, one attains to the fruition of one's\nwishes. By performing it under the constellation Chitra one obtains\nchildren endued with great beauty. By doing it under the constellation\nSwati, one makes much profit by trade. The man that desires children\nacquires the fruition of his wish by performing the Sraddha under the\nconstellation Visakha. By doing it under Anuradha one becomes a king of\nkings.[403] By making offerings in honour of the Pitris under the\nconstellation Jyeshtha with devotion and humility, one attains to\nsovereignty, O foremost one of Kuru's race. By doing the Sraddha under\nMula one attains to health, and by doing it under the prior Ashadha, one\nacquires excellent fame. By performing it under the later Ashadha one\nsucceeds in roving over the whole world, freed from every sorrow. By\ndoing it under the constellation Abhijit one attains to high knowledge.\nBy doing it under Sravana one, departing from this world, attains to a\nvery high end. The man that performs the Sraddha under the constellation\nDhanishtha becomes the ruler of a kingdom. By doing it under the\nconstellation presided over by Varuna (viz., Satabhisha), one attains to\nsuccess as a physician. By performing the Sraddha under the constellation\nof the prior Bhadrapada one acquires large property in goats and sheep;\nwhile by doing it under the later Bhadrapada one acquires thousands of\nkine. By performing the Sraddha under the constellation Revati one\nacquires much wealth in utensils of white brass and copper. By doing it\nunder Aswini one acquires many steeds, while under Bharani one attains to\nlongevity. Listening to these ordinances about the Sraddha, king\nSasavindu acted accordingly, and succeeded in easily subjugating and\nruling the whole earth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XC\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoves thee, O foremost one of Kuru's race, to\ntell me unto what kind of Brahmanas, O grandsire, should the offers made\nat Sraddhas be given away.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Kshatriya who is conversant with the ordinances about\ngift should never examine Brahmanas (when making gifts unto them). In all\nacts, however, that relate to the worship of the deities and the Pitris,\nan examination has been said to be proper. The deities are worshipped on\nearth by men only when they are filled with devotion that comes from the\ndeities themselves. Hence, one should, approaching them, make gifts unto\nall Brahmanas (without any examination of their merits), regarding such\ngifts as are made to the deities themselves. In Sraddhas, however, O\nmonarch, the man of intelligence should examine the Brahmanas (to be\nemployed for assisting the doers of the Sraddha in getting through the\nritual and making gifts unto them of the offerings made to the Pitris).\nSuch examination should concern itself with their birth and conduct and\nage and appearance and learning and nobility (or otherwise) of parentage.\nAmongst the Brahmanas there are some that pollute the line and some that\nsanctify it. Listen to me, O king, as I tell thee who those Brahmanas are\nthat should be excluded from the line.[404] He that is full of guile, or\nhe that is guilty of foeticide, or he that is ill of consumption, or he\nthat keeps animals, or is destitute of Vedic study, or is a common\nservant of a village, or lives upon the interest of loans, or he that is\na singer, or he that sells all articles, or he that is guilty of arson,\nor he that is a poisoner or he that is a pimp by profession, or he that\nsells Soma, or he that is a professor of palmistry, or he that is in the\nemploy of the king, or he that is seller of oil, or he that is a cheat\nand false swearer, or he that has a quarrel with his father, or he that\ntolerates a paramour of his wife in his house, or he that has been\ncursed, or he that is a thief, or he that lives by some mechanical art,\nor he that puts on disguises, or he that is deceitful in his behaviour,\nor he that is hostile to those he calls his friends, or he that is an\nadulterer, or he that is a preceptor of Sudras, or he that has betaken\nhimself to the profession of arms, or he that wanders with dogs (for\nhunting), or he that has been bit by a dog, or he that has wedded before\nhis elder brothers, or he that seems to have undergone circumcision,[405]\nhe that violates the bed of his preceptor, he that is an actor or mime,\nhe that lives by setting up a deity and he that lives by calculating the\nconjunctions of stars and planets and asterisms[406], are regarded as fit\nto be excluded from the line. Persons conversant with the Vedas say that\nthe offerings made at Sraddhas, if eaten by such Brahmanas, go to fill\nthe stomachs of Rakshasas (instead of filling those of the Pitris), O\nYudhishthira. That person who having eaten at a Sraddha does not abstain\nthat day from study of the Vedas or who has sexual congress that day with\na Sudra woman, must know that his Pitris, in consequence of such acts of\nhis, have to lie for a month on his dung. The offerings made at Sraddhas\nif presented to a Brahmana who sells Soma, become converted into human\nordure; if presented to a Brahmana who is engaged in the practice of\nMedicine, they become converted into pus and blood; if presented to one\nwho lives by setting up a deity, they fail to produce any fruit; if\npresented to one who lives upon the interest of loans they lead to\ninfamy; if presented to one who is engaged in trade, they become\nproductive of no fruits either here or hereafter. If presented to a\nBrahmana who is born of a widowed mother (by a second husband), they\nbecome as fruitless as libations poured on ashes[407]. They who present\nthe Havya and Kavya (offered at Sraddhas) unto such Brahmanas as are\ndivested of the duties ordained for them and of those rules of good\nconduct that persons of their order should observe, find such presents\nproductive of no merits hereafter. That man of little intelligence who\nmakes gifts of such articles unto such men knowing their dispositions,\nobliges, by such conduct, his Pitris to eat human ordure in the next\nworld. Thou shouldst know that these wretches among Brahmanas deserve to\nbe excluded from the line. Those Brahmanas also of little energy who are\nengaged in instructing Sudras are of the same class. A Brahmana that is\nblind stains sixty individual of the line; one that is destitute of\nvirile power a hundred; while one that is afflicted with white leprosy\nstains as many as he looks upon, O king. Whatever offerings made at\nSraddhas are eaten by one with his head wrapped round with a cloth,\nwhatever is eaten by one with face southwards, and whatever is eaten with\nshoes or sandals on all goes to gratify the Asuras. Whatever, again, is\ngiven with malice, and whatever is given without reverence, have been\nordained by Brahmana himself as the portion of the prince of Asuras\n(viz., Vali). Dogs, and such Brahmanas as are polluters of lines, should\nnot be allowed to cast their eyes upon the offerings made at Sraddhas.\nFor this reason, Sraddhas should be performed in a spot that is properly\nhedged around or concealed from the view. That spot should also be strewn\nwith sesame seeds. That Sraddha which is performed without sesame seeds,\nor that which is done by a person in anger, has its Havi robbed by\nRakshasas and Pisachas. Commensurate with the number of Brahmanas seen by\none that deserves to be excluded from the line, is the loss of merit he\ncauses of the foolish performer of the Sraddha who invites him to the\nfeast.\n\n\"'\"I shall now, O chief of Bharata's race, tell thee who are sanctifiers of\nthe line. Do thou find them out by examination. All those Brahmanas that\nare cleansed by knowledge, Vedic study, and vows and observances, and\nthey that are of good and righteous behaviour, should be known as\nsanctifiers of everything. I shall now tell thee who deserve to sit in\nthe line. Thou shouldst know them to be such whom I shall indicate\npresently. He that is conversant with the three Nachiketas, he that has\nset up the five sacrificial fires, he that knows the five Suparnas, he\nthat is conversant with the six branches (called Angas) of the Veda, he\nthat is a descendant of sires who were engaged in teaching the Vedas and\nis himself engaged in teaching, he that is well-conversant with the\nChhandas, he that is acquainted with the Jeshtha Saman, he that is\nobedient to the sway of his parents, he that is conversant with the Vedas\nand whose ancestors have been so for ten generations, he that has\ncongress with only his wedded wives and this at their seasons, and he who\nhas been cleansed by knowledge, by the Veda, and by vows and\nobservances,--even such a Brahmana,--sanctifies the line. He who reads\nthe Atharva-siras, who is devoted to the observance of Brahmacharya\npractices, and who is steady in observance of righteous vows, who is\ntruthful and of righteous conduct, and who is duly observant of the\nduties laid down for his order, they also that have undergone fatigue and\nlabour for bathing in the waters of tirthas, that have undergone the\nfinal bath after performing sacrifices with proper Mantras that are freed\nfrom the sway of wrath, that are not restless, that are endued with\nforgiving dispositions, that are self-restrained masters of their senses,\nand they are devoted to the good of all creatures,--these should be\ninvited to Sraddhas. Anything given to these becomes inexhaustible. These\nindeed, are sanctifiers of lines. There are others also, highly blessed,\nthat should be regarded as sanctifiers of the line. They are Yatis and\nthose that are conversant with the religion of Moksha, and they that are\ndevoted to Yoga, and they that properly observe excellent vows and they\nthat, with collected mind recite (sacred) histories unto foremost of\nBrahmanas. They that are conversant with Bhashyas, they also that are\ndevoted to grammatical studies, they that study the Puranas and they that\nstudy the Dharmasastras and having studied them (i.e., the Puranas and\nDharmasastras) act up to the standard laid down in them, he that has\nlived (for the stated period) in the abode of his preceptor, he that is\ntruthful in speech, he that is a giver of thousands, they that are\nforemost in (their knowledge of) all the Vedas and the scriptural and\nphilosophical aphorisms,--these sanctify the line as far they look at it.\nAnd because they sanctify all who sit in the line, therefore are they\ncalled sanctifiers of lines. Utterers of Brahma say that even a single\nperson that happens to be the descendant of sires who were teachers of\nthe Veda and that is himself a Vedic teacher, sanctifies full seven miles\naround him. If he that is not a Ritwik and that is not a Vedic teacher\ntakes the foremost seat in a Sraddha, with even the permission of the\nother Ritwiks there present, he is said to take (by that act of his) the\nsins of all who may be sitting in the line. If, on the other hand, he\nhappens to be conversant with the Vedas and freed from all those faults\nthat are regarded as capable of polluting the line, he shall not, O king,\nbe regarded as fallen (by taking the foremost seat in a Sraddha). Such a\nman would then be really a sanctifier of the line. For these reasons, O\nking, thou shouldst properly examine the Brahmanas before inviting them\nto Sraddhas. Thou shouldst invite only such among them as are devoted to\nthe duties laid down for their order, and as are born in good families,\nand as are possessed of great learning. He who performs Sraddhas for\nfeeding only his friends and whose Havi does not gratify the deities and\nthe Pitris, fails to ascend to Heaven. He who collects his friends and\nrelatives only on the occasion of the Sraddha he performs (without\nkeeping an eye on properly honouring deserving persons by inviting and\nfeeding them), fails to proceed (after death) by the path of the deities\n(which is a lighted one and free from all afflictions and impediments).\nThe man who makes the Sraddha he performs an occasion for only gathering\nhis friends, never succeeds in ascending to heaven. Verily, the man who\nconverts the Sraddha into an occasion for treating his friends, becomes\ndissociated from heaven even like a bird dissociated from the perch when\nthe chain tying it breaks.[408] Therefore, he that performs a Sraddha\nshould not honour (on such occasions) his friends. He may make gifts of\nwealth unto them on other occasions by collecting them together. The Havi\nand the Kavi offered at Sraddhas should be served unto them that are\nneither friends nor foes but are only indifferent or neutral. As seed\nsown on a sterile soil does not sprout forth, or as one that has not sown\ndoes not get a share of the produce, even so that Sraddha the offerings\nin which are eaten by an unworthy person, yields no fruit either here or\nhereafter.[409] That Brahmana who is destitute of Vedic study is like a\nfire made by burning grass or straw; and becomes soon extinguished even\nlike such a fire. The offerings made at Sraddhas should not be given to\nhim even as libations should not be poured on the ashes of the\nsacrificial fire. When the offerings made at Sraddhas are exchanged by\nthe performers with one another (instead of being given away unto worthy\npersons), they come to be regarded as Pisacha presents. Such offerings\ngratify neither the gods nor the Pitris. Instead of reaching the other\nworld, they wander about even here like a cow that has lost her calf\nwandering about within the fold. As those libations of ghee that are\npoured upon the extinguished ashes of a sacrificial fire never reach\neither the gods or the Pitris, after the same manner a gift that is made\nto a dancer or a singer or a Dakshina presented to a lying or deceitful\nperson, produces no merit. The Dakshina that is presented to a lying or\ndeceitful person destroys both the giver and the receiver without\nbenefiting them in any respect. Such a Dakshina is destructive and highly\ncensurable. The Pitris of the person making it have to fall down from the\npath of the deities. The gods know them to be Brahmanas who always tread,\nO Yudhishthira, within the bounds set up by the Rishis who are conversant\nwith all duties, and who have a firm faith in their efficacy. Those\nBrahmanas that are devoted to Vedic study, to knowledge, to penances, and\nto acts, O Bharata, should be known as Rishis. The offerings made at\nSraddhas should be given unto those that are devoted to knowledge.\nVerily, they are to be regarded as men who never speak ill of the\nBrahmanas. Those men should never be fed on occasions of Sraddhas who\nspeak ill of Brahmanas in course of conversation in the midst of\nassemblies. If Brahmanas, O king, be calumniated, they would destroy\nthree generations of the calumniator.[410] This is the declaration, O\nking, of the Vaikhanasa Rishis. Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas\nshould be examined from a distance. Whether one likes them or feels a\ndislike for them, one should give unto such Brahmanas the offerings made\nat Sraddhas. That man who feeds thousands upon thousands of false\nBrahmanas acquires merit that is attainable by feeding even one Brahmana\nif the latter happens to be possessed of a knowledge of the Vedas, O\nBharata!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"By whom was the Sraddha first conceived and at what\ntime? What also is its essence? During the time when the world was\npeopled by only the descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras, who was the muni\nthat established the Sraddha? What acts should not be done at Sraddha?\nWhat are those Sraddhas in which fruits and roots are to be offered? What\nspecies also of paddy should be avoided in Sraddhas? Do thou tell me all\nthis, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen to me, O ruler of men, as I tell thee how the\nSraddha was introduced, the time of such introduction, the essences of\nthe rite, and the Muni who conceived it. From the Self-born Brahman\nsprang Atri, O thou of Kuru's race. In Atri's race was born a Muni of the\nname of Dattatreya. Dattatreya got a son of the name of Nimi possessed of\nwealth of asceticism. Nimi got a son named Srimat who was endued with\ngreat beauty of person. Upon the expiration of a full thousand years,\nSrimat, having undergone the severest austerities, succumbed to the\ninfluence of Time and departed from this world. His sire Nimi, having\nperformed the Purificatory rites according to the ritual laid down in the\nordinance, became filled with great grief, thinking continually of the\nloss of his son.[411] Thinking of that cause of sorrow the high-souled\nNimi collected together various agreeable objects (of food and drink) on\nthe fourteenth day of the moon. The next morning he rose from bed. Pained\nhis heart was with grief, as he rose from sleep that day--he succeeded in\nwithdrawing it from the one object upon which it had been working. His\nunderstanding succeeded in busying itself with other matters. With\nconcentrated attention he then conceived the idea of a Sraddha. All those\narticles of his own food, consisting of fruits and roots, and all those\nkinds of staple grains that were agreeable to him, were carefully thought\nof by that sage possessed of wealth of penances. On the day of the New\nmoon he invited a number of adorable Brahmanas (to his asylum). Possessed\nof great wisdom, Nimi caused them to be seated on seats (of Kusa grass)\nand honoured them by going around their persons. Approaching seven such\nBrahmanas whom he had brought to his abode together, the puissant Nimi\ngave unto them food consisting of Syamaka rice, unmixed with salt.\nTowards the feet of those Brahmanas engaged in eating the food that was\nserved unto them a number of Kusa blades was spread out on the seats they\noccupied, with the top ends of the blades directed towards the south.\nWith a pure body and mind and with concentrated attention, Nimi, having\nplaced those blades of sacred grass in the way indicated, offered cakes\nof rice unto his dead son, uttering his name and family. Having done\nthis, that foremost of Munis became filled with regret at the idea of\nhaving achieved an act that had not (to his knowledge) been laid down in\nany of the scriptures. Indeed, filled with regret he began to think of\nwhat he had done.[412] 'Never done before by the Munis, alas, what have I\ndone! How shall I (for having done an act that has not been ordained)\navoid being cursed by the Brahmanas (as an introducer of strange rites)?'\nHe then thought of the original progenitor of his race. As soon as he was\nthought of, Atri endued with wealth of penances came there. Beholding him\nexceedingly afflicted with grief on account of the death of his son, the\nimmortal Atri comforted him with agreeable counsels. He said unto him, 'O\nMuni, this rite that thou hast conceived, is a sacrifice in honour of the\nPitris. Let no fear be thine, O thou that art possessed of the wealth of\nasceticism! The Grandsire Brahman himself, in days of old, laid it down!\nThis rite that thou hast conceived has been ordained by the Self-born\nhimself. Who else than the Self-born could ordain this ritual in\nSraddhas? I shall presently tell thee, O son, the excellent ordinance\nlaid down in respect of Sraddhas. Ordained by the Self-born himself, O\nson, do thou follow it. Listen to me first! Having first performed the\nKarana on the sacred fire with the aid of Mantras, O thou that art\npossessed of wealth of penances, one should always pour libations next\nunto the deity of fire, and Soma, and Varuna. Unto the Viswedevas also,\nwho are always the companions of the Pitris, the Self-born then ordained\na portion of the offerings. The Earth also, as the goddess that sustains\nthe offerings made at Sraddhas, should then be praised under the names of\nVaishnavi, Kasyapi, and the inexhaustible.[413] When water is being\nfetched for the Sraddha, the deity Varuna of great puissance should be\npraised. After this, both Agni and Soma should be invoked with reverence\nand gratified (with libations), O sinless one. Those deities that are\ncalled by the name of Pitris were created by the Self-born. Others also,\nhighly blessed, viz., the Ushnapsa, were created by him. For all these\nshares have been ordained of the offerings made at Sraddhas. By adoring\nall these deities at Sraddhas, the ancestors of the persons performing\nthem become freed from all sins. The Pitris referred to above as those\ncreated by the Self-born number seven. The Viswedevas having Agni for\ntheir mouth (for it is through Agni that they feed), have been mentioned\nbefore. I shall now mention the names of those high-souled deities who\ndeserve shares of the offerings made at Sraddhas. Those names are Vala,\nDhriti, Vipapa, Punyakrit, Pavana, Parshni, Kshemak, Divysanu, Vivaswat,\nViryavat, Hrimat, Kirtimat, Krita, Jitatman, Munivirya, Diptaroman,\nBhayankara, Anukarman, Pratia, Pradatri, Ansumat, Sailabha, Parama\nKrodhi, Dhiroshni, Bhupati, Sraja, Vajrin, and Vari,--these are the\neternal Viswedevas. There are others also whose names are Vidyutvarchas,\nSomavarchas, and Suryasri. Others also are numbered amongst them, viz.,\nSomapa, Suryasavitra, Dattatman, Pundariyaka, Ushninabha, Nabhoda,\nViswayu, Dipti, Chamuhara, Suresa, Vyomari, Sankara Bhava, Isa, Kartri,\nKriti, Daksha, Bhuvana, Divya, Karmakrit, Ganita Panchavirya, Aditya,\nRasmimat, Saptakrit, Somavachas, Viswakrit, Kavi, Anugoptri, Sugoptri,\nNaptri, and Iswara:--these highly blessed ones are numbered as the\nViswedevas. They are eternal and conversant with all that occurs in Time.\nThe species of paddy which should not be offered at Sraddhas are those\ncalled Kodrava, and Pulka. Assafoetida also, among articles used in\ncooking, should not be offered, as also onions and garlic, the produce of\nthe Moringa pterygosperma, Bauhinia Variegata, the meat of animals slain\nwith envenomed shafts, all varieties of Sucuribita Pepo, Sucuribita\nlagenaria, and black salt. The other articles that should not be offered\nat Sraddhas are the flesh of the domesticated hog, the meat of all\nanimals not slaughtered at sacrifices, Nigella sativa, salt of the\nvariety called Vid, the potherb that is called Sitapaki, all sprouts\n(like those of the bamboo), and also the Trapa bispinosa. All kinds of\nsalt should be excluded from the offerings made at Sraddhas, and also the\nfruits of the Eugenia Jamblana. All articles, again, upon which any one\nhas spat or upon which tears have fallen should not be offered at\nSraddhas. Among offerings made to the Pitris or with the Havya and Kavya\noffered to the deities, the potherb called Sudarsana (Menispermum\ntomentosum, Rox) should not be included. Havi mixed with this is not\nacceptable to Pitris. From the place where the Sraddha is being\nperformed, the Chandala and the Swapacha should be excluded, as also all\nwho wear clothes steeped in yellow, and persons affected with leprosy, or\none who has been excasted (for transgressions), or one who is guilty of\nBrahmanicide, or a Brahmana of mixed descent or one who is the relative\nof an excasted man. These all should be excluded by persons possessed of\nwisdom from the place where a Sraddha is being performed,' Having said\nthese words in days of old unto the Rishi Nimi of his own race, the\nillustrious Atri possessed of wealth of penances then went back to the\nGrandsire's assembly in Heaven.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After Nimi had acted in the way described above, all the\ngreat Rishis began to perform the sacrifice in honour of the Pitris\n(called the Sraddha) according to rites laid down in the ordinance.\nFirmly devoted to the discharge of all duties, the Rishis, having\nperformed Sraddhas, began to also offer oblations (unto the Pitris) of\nsacred waters, with attention. In consequence, however, of the offerings\nmade by persons of all classes (unto the Pitris), the Pitris began to\ndigest that food. Soon they, and the deities also with them, became\nafflicted with indigestion. Indeed, afflicted with the heaps of food that\nall persons began to give them, they repaired to the presence of Soma.\nApproaching Soma they said, 'Alas, great is our affliction in consequence\nof the food that is offered to us at Sraddhas. Do thou ordain what is\nnecessary for our ease.' Unto them Soma answered, saying, 'If, ye gods,\nye are desirous of obtaining ease, do ye repair then unto the abode of\nthe Self-born. Even he will do what is for your good.' At these words of\nSoma, the deities and the Pitris then proceeded, O Bharata, to the\nGrandsire where he was seated on the summit of the mountains of Meru.\n\n\"'\"The Deities said, 'O illustrious one, with the food that is offered us\nin sacrifices and Sraddhas, we are being exceedingly afflicted. O lord,\nshow us grace and do what would be for our good.' Hearing these words of\ntheirs, the Self-born said unto them in reply, 'Here, the god of fire is\nsitting beside me, Even he will do what is for your benefit.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'Ye sires, when a Sraddha comes, we shall together eat the\nofferings made to us. If ye eat those offerings with me, ye shall then,\nwithout doubt, succeed in digesting them easily.' Hearing these words of\nthe deity of fire, the Pitris became easy of heart. It is for this reason\nalso that in making offerings at Sraddhas a share is first offered to the\ndeity of fire, O king. If a portion of the offerings be first made to the\ndeity of fire at a Sraddha, O prince of men, Rakshasas of regenerate\norigin cannot then do any injury to such a Sraddha.[414] Beholding the\ndeity of fire at a Sraddha Rakshasas fly away from it. The ritual of the\nSraddha is that the cake should first be offered to the (deceased) sire.\nNext, one should be offered to the grandsire. Next should one be offered\nto the great-grandsire. Even this is the ordinance in respect of the\nSraddha. Over every cake that is offered, the offerer should, with\nconcentrated attention, utter the Savitri Mantras. This other Mantra also\nshould be uttered, viz., unto Soma who is fond of the Pitris. A woman\nthat has become impure in consequence of the advent of her season, or one\nwhose ears have been cut off, should not be allowed to remain where a\nSraddha is being performed. Nor should a woman (for cooking the rice to\nbe offered in the Sraddha) be brought from a Gotra other than that of the\nperson who is performing the Sraddha.[414] While crossing river, one\nshould offer oblations of water unto one's Pitris, naming them all.\nIndeed, when one comes upon a river one should gratify one's Pitris with\noblations of water. Having offered oblations of water first unto the\nancestors of one's own race, one should next offer such oblations to\none's (deceased) friends and relatives. When one crosses a stream on a\ncar unto which is yoked a couple of oxen of variegated hue, or from them\nthat cross a stream on boats, the Pitris expect oblations of water. Those\nthat know this always offer oblations of water with concentrated\nattention unto the Pitris. Every fortnight on the day of the New moon,\none should make offerings unto one's deceased ancestors. Growth,\nlongevity, energy, and prosperity become all attainable through devotion\nto the Pitris. The Grandsire Brahman, Pulastya, Vasishtha, Pulaha,\nAngiras, Kratu and the great Rishi Kasyapa--these, O prince of Kuru's\nrace, are regarded as great masters of Yoga. They are numbered among the\nPitris. Even this is the high ritual in respect of the Sraddha, O\nmonarch! Through Sraddhas performed on earth the deceased members of one\nrace become freed from a position of misery. I have thus, O prince of\nKuru's race, expounded to thee agreeably with the scriptures, the\nordinances in respect of Sraddhas. I shall once more discourse to thee on\ngifts.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"If Brahmanas that are in the observance of a vow\n(viz., fast) eat, at the invitation of a Brahmana, the Havi (offered at a\nSraddha), can they be charged with the transgression or a violation of\ntheir vow, or should they refuse the invitation of a Brahmana when such\ninvitation is received by them? Tell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Let those Brahmanas eat, impelled by desire, who are\nobservant of such vows as are not indicated in the Vedas. As regards\nthose Brahmanas, however, that are observant of such vows are indicated\nin the Vedas, they are regarded as guilty of a breach of their vow, O\nYudhishthira, by eating the Havi of a Sraddha at the request of him who\nperforms the Sraddha.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Some people say that fast is a penance. Is penance\nreally identifiable with fast or is it not so? Tell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"People do regard a regular fast for a month or a half\nmonth as a penance. The truth, however, is that one who mortifies one's\nown body is not to be regarded either as an ascetic or as one conversant\nwith duty[415]. Renunciation, however, is regarded as the best of\npenances. A Brahmana should always be an abstainer from food, and observe\nthe vow called Brahmacharya.[416] A Brahmana should always practise\nself-denial restraining even speech, and recite the Vedas. The Brahmana\nshould marry and surround himself with children and relatives, from\ndesire of achieving righteousness. He should never sleep. He should\nabstain from meat. He should always read the Vedas and the scriptures. He\nshould always speak the truth, and practise self-denial. He should eat\nVighasa (viz., what remains after serving the deities and guests).\nIndeed, he should be hospitable towards all that come to his abode. He\nshould always eat Amrita (viz., the food that remains in the house after\nall the family, including guests and servants have eaten) He should duly\nobserve all rites and perform sacrifices.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How may one come to be regarded as always observant\nof fasts? How may one become observant of vows? How, O king, may one come\nto be an eater of Vighasa? By doing what may one be said to be found of\nguest?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"He who takes food only morning and evening at the\nprescribed hours and abstains from all food during the interval between,\nis said to be an abstainer from food. He who has congress with only his\nwedded wife and that only at her season, is said to be observant of the\nvow of Brahmacharya. By always making gifts, one comes to be regarded as\ntruthful in speech. By abstaining from all meat obtained from animals\nslaughtered for nothing, one becomes an abstainer from meat.[417] By\nmaking gifts one becomes cleansed of all sins, and by abstaining from\nsleep during daytime one comes to be regarded as always awake. He who\nalways eats what remains after serving the needs of guests and servants\nis said to always eat Amrita. He who abstains from eating till Brahmanas\nhave eaten (of that food), is regarded as conquering heaven by such\nabstention. He who eats what remains after serving the deities, the\nPitris, and relatives and dependants, is said to eat Vighasa. Such men\nacquire many regions of felicity in the abode of Brahman himself. There,\nO king, they dwell in the company of Apsaras and Gandharvas. Indeed, they\nsport and enjoy all sports of delight in those regions, with the deities\nand guests and the Pitris in their company, and surrounded by their own\nchildren and grandchildren. Even such becomes their high end.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"People are seen to make diverse kinds of gifts unto\nthe Brahmanas. What, however, is the difference, O grandsire, between the\ngiver and the receiver?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Brahmana accepts gifts from him that is righteous,\nand from him that is unrighteous. If the giver happens to be righteous,\nthe receiver incurs little fault. If on the other hand, the giver happens\nto be unrighteous the receiver sinks in hell. In this connection is cited\nan old history of the conversation between Vrishadarbhi and the seven\nRishis, O Bharata. Kasyapa and Atri and Vasishtha and Bharadwaja and\nGautama and Viswamitra and Jamadagni, and the chaste Arundhati (the wife\nof Vasishtha), all had a common maidservant whose name was Ganda. A Sudra\nof the name of Pasusakha married Ganda and became her husband. Kasyapa\nand others, in days of old, observed the austerest penances and roved\nover the world, desirous of attaining to the eternal region of Brahman by\nthe aid of Yoga-meditation. About that time, O delighter of the Kurus,\nthere occurred a severe drought. Afflicted by hunger, the whole world of\nliving creatures became exceedingly weak. At a sacrifice which had been\nperformed in former times by Sivi's son he had given away unto the\nRitwiks a son of his as the sacrificial present. About this time,\nunendued with longevity as the prince was, he died of starvation. The\nRishis named, afflicted with hunger, approached the dead prince and sat\nsurrounding him. Indeed, those foremost of Rishis, beholding the son of\nhim at whose sacrifice they had officiated, O Bharata, thus dead of\nstarvation, began to cook the body in a vessel, impelled by the pangs of\nhunger. All food having disappeared from the world of men, those\nascetics, desirous of saving their lives, had recourse, for purposes of\nsustenance, to such a miserable shift. While they were thus employed.\nVrishadarbha's son, viz., king Saivya, in course of his roving, came upon\nthose Rishis. Indeed, he met them on his way, engaged in cooking the dead\nbody, impelled by the pangs of hunger.\n\n\"'\"The son of Vrishadarbha said, 'The acceptance of a gift (from me) will\nimmediately relieve you all. Do you, therefore, accept a gift for the\nsupport of your bodies! Ye ascetics endued with wealth of penances,\nlisten to me as I declare what wealth I have! That Brahmana who solicits\nme (for gifts) is ever dear to me. Verily, I shall give unto you a\nthousand mules. Unto each of you I shall give a thousand kine of white\nhair, foremost in speed, each accompanied by a bull, and each having a\nwell-born calf, and, therefore, yielding milk. I shall also give unto you\na thousand bulls of white complexion and of the best breed and capable of\nbearing heavy burdens. I shall also give you a large number of kine, of\ngood disposition, the foremost of their kind, all fat, and each of which,\nhaving brought forth her first calf, is quick with her second.[418] Tell\nme what else I shall give of foremost villages, of grain, of barley, and\nof even the rarer and costly jewels. Do not seek to eat this food that is\ninedible. Tell me what I should give unto you for the support of your\nbodies!'\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'O king, an acceptance of gifts from a monarch is very\nsweet at first but it is poison in the end. Knowing this well, why do\nyou, O king, tempt us then with these offers? The body of the Brahmana is\nthe field of the deities. By penance, it is purified. Then again, by\ngratifying the Brahmana, one gratifies the deities. If a Brahmana accepts\nthe gifts made to him by the king, he loses, by such acceptance, the\nmerit that he would otherwise acquire by his penances that day. Indeed,\nsuch acceptance consumes that merit even as a blazing conflagration\nconsumes a forest. Let happiness be thine, O king, as the result of the\ngifts thou makest to those that solicit thee!' Saying these words unto\nthem, they left the spot, proceeding by another way. The flesh those\nhigh-souled ones had intended to cook remained uncooked. Indeed,\nabandoning that flesh, they went away, and entered the woods in search of\nfood. After this, the ministers of the king, urged by their master,\nentered those woods and plucking certain figs endeavoured to give them\naway unto those Rishis. The officers of the king filled some of those\nfigs with gold and mixing them with others sought to induce those\nascetics to accept them. Atri took up some of those figs, and finding\nthem heavy refused to take them. He said, 'We are not destitute of\nknowledge. We are not fools! We know that there is gold within these\nfigs. We have our senses about us. Indeed, we are awake instead of being\nasleep. If accepted in this world, those will produce bitter consequence\nhereafter. He who seeks happiness both here and hereafter should never\naccept these.'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'If we accept even one gold coin, it will be counted as\na hundred or even a thousand (in assigning the demerit that attaches to\nacceptance). If, therefore, we accept many coins, we shall surely attain\nto an unhappy end hereafter!'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'All the paddy and barley on earth, all the gold and\nanimals and women that occur in the world, are incapable of gratifying\nthe desire of a single person. Hence, one possessed of wisdom should\ndispelling cupidity, adopt tranquillity!'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'The horns of a Ruru, after their first appearance,\nbegin to grow with the growth of the animal. The cupidity of man is even\nlike this. It has no measure!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'All the objects that exist in the world are incapable of\ngratifying even a single person. Man is even like the ocean, for he can\nnever be filled (even as the ocean can never be filled by all the waters\nthat are discharged into it by the rivers).'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'When one desire cherished by a person becomes\ngratified, there springs up immediately another whose gratification is\nsought and which pierces him like a shaft.'\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'Abstention from accepting gifts supports penances as\ntheir foundation. Acceptance, however, destroys that wealth (viz., the\nmerit of penances).'\n\n\"'\"Arundhati said, 'Some people are of opinion that things of the world may\nbe stored with a view to spend them upon the acquisition of righteousness\n(by gifts and sacrifices). I think, however, that the acquisition of\nrighteousness is better than that of worldly wealth.'\n\n\"'\"Ganda said, 'When these my lords, who are endued with great energy, are\nso very much afraid of this which seems to be a great terror a weak man\nas I am fear it the more.'\n\n\"'\"Pasusakha said, 'The wealth there is in righteousness is very superior.\nThere is nothing superior to it. That wealth is known to the Brahmans. I\nwait upon them as their servant, only for learning to value that wealth.'\n\n\"'\"The Rishis (all together) said, 'Let happiness be his, as the result of\nthe gifts he makes, who is the king of the people of this land. Let his\ngift be successful who has sent these fruits to us, enclosing gold within\nthem.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words, those Rishis of steadfast\nvows, abandoning the figs having gold within them, left that spot and\nproceeded to whatever destination they liked.\n\n\"'\"The ministers said, 'O king, coming to know of the existence of gold\nwithin the figs, the Rishis have gone away! Let this be known to thee!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by his ministers, king Vrishadarbhi\nbecame filled with wrath against all those Rishis. Indeed, to take\nvengeance upon them, the monarch entered his own chamber. Observing the\nausterest of penances, he poured on his sacred fire libations of ghee,\naccompanying each with Mantras uttered by him. From that fire there then\narose as the result of the incantation, a form capable of striking every\none with fear. Vrishadarbhi named her as Yatudhani. That form which had\nbeen from the incantations of the king, looking as terrible as the Last\nNight, appeared with joined hands before the monarch. Addressing king\nVrishadarbhi, she said, 'What shall I accomplish?'\n\n\"'\"Vrishadarbhi said, 'Go and follow the seven Rishis, as also Arundhati,\nand the husband of their maid-servant, and the maid-servant herself, and\ncomprehend what the meanings are of their names. Having ascertained their\nnames, do thou slay all of them. After slaying them thou mayst go\nwhatever destination thou likest.'\"[419]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Saying, 'So be it!' the Rakshasi who had been named\nYatudhani, in her proper form, proceeded to that forest in which the\ngreat Rishis wandered in search of food. Indeed, O king, those great\nRishis, with Atri among them, roved within the forest, subsisting upon\nfruits and roots. In course of their wanderings they saw a mendicant of\nbroad shoulders, and plump arms and legs and well-nourished face and\nabdomen. Of limbs that were all adipose, he was wandering with a dog in\nhis company. Beholding that mendicant whose limbs were all well-developed\nand handsome, Arundhati exclaimed, addressing the Rishis, 'None of you\nwill ever be able to show such well-developed features!'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'The sacred fire of this person is not like ours for\nwhile he is able to pour libations on it, morning and evening, none of us\nare able to do the same. It is for this reason that we see both him and\nhis dog so well-developed.'\n\n\"'\"Atri said, 'This man does not, like us, feel the pangs of hunger. His\nenergy has not sustained, like ours, any diminution. Acquired with the\ngreatest difficulty, his Vedas have not, like ours, disappeared. Hence,\nit is that we see both him and his dog so well-developed.'[420]\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'This man is not, like us, unable to observe the\neternal duties inculcated in the scriptures. I have become idle. I feel\nthe pangs of hunger. I have lost the knowledge I had acquired. This man\nis not like us in this respect. Hence I see both him and his dog so\nwell-developed.'\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'This man has not to think of storing his annual grain\nand fuel as we are compelled to do. Hence I see both him and his dog so\nwell-developed!'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'This man has not, like us, four brothers of the whole\nblood who are begging from house to house, uttering the words,\n\"Give--Give!\" Hence it is that I see him and his dog so well-developed.'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'This man hath no regret like ours for having condemned\nand cursed his spouse. He hath not acted so wickedly and senselessly.\nHence I see both him and his dog so well-developed!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'This man hath not like us only three pieces of covering\nmade of Kusa grass, and a single Ranku-skin, each of which again, is\nthree years old. Hence it is that I see both him and his dog so\nwell-developed!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The wandering mendicant, beholding those great\nRishis, approached them, and accosted them all by touching their hand\naccording to the custom. Conversing then with each other about the\ndifficulty of obtaining sustenance in that forest and the consequent\nnecessity of bearing the pangs of hunger, all of them left that spot.\nIndeed, they wandered through that wilderness, all bent upon a common\npurpose, viz., the plucking of fruits and the extraction of roots for\nsustenance. One day, as they were wandering they beheld a beautiful lake\novergrown with lotuses. Its banks were covered with trees that stood\nthickly near one another. The waters of the lake were pure and\ntransparent. Indeed, the lotuses that adorned the lake were all of the\nhue of the morning sun. The leaves that floated on the water were of the\ncolour of lapis lazuli. Diverse kinds of aquatic fowls were sporting on\nits bosom. There was but one path leading to it. The banks were not miry\nand the access to the water was easy. Urged by Vrishadarbhi, the Rakshasi\nof frightful mien who had sprung from his incantations and who had been\nnamed Yatudhani, guarded the lake. Those foremost of Rishis, with\nPasusakha in their company, proceeded towards the lake, which was thus\nguarded by Yatudhani for the object of gathering some lotus stalks.[421]\nBeholding Yatudhani of frightful aspect standing on the banks of the\nlake, those great Rishis addressed her, saying, 'Who art thou that thus\nstandest alone in these solitary woods? For whom dost thou wait here?\nWhat, indeed, is thy purpose? What dost thou do here on the banks of this\nlake adorned with lotuses?'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'It matters not who I am. I deserve not to be questioned\n(respecting my name and race and purposes). Ye that are possessed of\nascetic wealth, know that I am the guard set to watch this lake.'\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'All of us are hungry. We have nothing else to eat.\nWith thy permission we would gather some lotus-stalks!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'Agreeably with a compact, do ye take the lotus-stalks\nas ye please. Ye must, one by one, give me your names. Ye may then,\nwithout delay, take the stalks!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Ascertaining that her name was Yatudhani and that\nshe stood there for slaying them (after knowing, from the meanings their\nnames, what the extent was of their power), Atri, who was famishing with\nhunger, addressed her, and said these words.'\n\n\"'\"Atri said, 'I am called Atri because I cleanse the world from sin. For,\nagain, thrice studying the Vedas every day, I have made days of my\nnights. That, again, is no night in which I have not studied the Vedas.\nFor these reasons also I am called Atri, O beautiful lady!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'O thou of great effulgence, the explanation thou hast\ngiven me of thy name is incapable of being comprehended by me. Do thou,\ntherefore, go and plunge into this tank filled with lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'I am endued with the wealth (that consists of the Yoga\nattributes of puissance, etc.) I lead, again, a domestic mode of life,\nand am regarded as the foremost of all persons that lead such a mode of\nlife. In consequence of being endued with (such) wealth, of my living as\na householder, and of my being regarded as the foremost of all\nhouseholders, I am called Vasishtha.'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The etymological explanation of thy name is perfectly\nincomprehensible to me, in as much as the inflections which the original\nroots have undergone are unintelligible. Go and plunge into this lake of\nlotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'I always protect my body, and in consequence of my\npenances I have become endued with effulgence. For thus protecting the\nbody and for this effulgence that is due to my penances, I have come to\nbe called by the name of Kasyapa!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'O thou of great effulgence, the etymological\nexplanation thou hast given of thy name is incapable of being\ncomprehended by me. Go and plunge into this lake filled with lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'I always support my sons, my disciples, the deities,\nthe Brahmanas, and my wife. In consequence of thus supporting all with\nease, I am called Bharadwaja!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The etymological explanation thou hast given me of thy\nname is perfectly incomprehensible to me, in consequence of the many\ninflections the root has undergone. Go and plunge into this lake filled\nwith lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Gotama said, 'I have conquered heaven and earth by the aid of\nself-restraint. In consequence of my looking upon all creatures and\nobjects with an equal eye, I am like a smokeless fire. Hence I am\nincapable of being subjugated by thee. When, again, I was born, the\neffulgence of my body dispelled the surrounding darkness. For these\nreasons I am called Gotama!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The explanation thou hast given me of thy name, O great\nascetic, is incapable of being understood by me. Go and plunge into this\nlake of lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'The deities of the universe are my friends. I am also\nthe friend of the universe. Hence, O Yatudhani, know that I am called\nViswamitra!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The explanation thou hast given of thy name is\nincomprehensible to me in consequence of the inflections the root has\nundergone. Go and plunge into this lake of lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'I have sprung from the sacrificial fire of the deities.\nHence am I called Jamadagni, O thou of beautiful features!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The etymological explanation thou hast given me, O\ngreat ascetic, of thy name, is incomprehensible to me (in consequence of\nthe diverse inflections the root has undergone). Do thou go and plunge\ninto this lake of lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Arundhati said, 'I always stay by the side of my husband, and hold the\nearth jointly with him. I always incline my husband's heart towards me. I\nam, for these reasons called Arundhati!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The explanation thou hast given me of thy name is\nperfectly incomprehensible to me in consequence of the inflections the\nroots have undergone. Go and plunge into this lake of lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Ganda said, 'The Ganda means a portion of the cheek. As I have that\nportion a little elevated above the others, I am, O thou that hast sprung\nfrom the sacrificial fire of Saivya, called by the name of Ganda!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The explanation which thou hast given me of thy name is\nperfectly incomprehensible to me in consequence of the inflections which\nthe root has undergone. Go and plunge into this lake of lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Pasusakha said, 'I protect and tend all animals that I see, and I am\nalways a friend to all animals. Hence am I called Pasusakha, O thou that\nhast sprung from the (sacrificial) fire (of king Vrishadarbhi).'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'The explanation thou hast given me of thy name is\nperfectly incomprehensible to me in consequence of the inflections which\nthe roots have undergone. Go and plunge into this lake of lotuses!'\n\n\"'\"Sunahsakha said,[422] 'I am incapable of explaining the etymology of my\nname after the manner of these ascetics. But know, O Yatudhani, that I am\ncalled by the name of Sunahsakha!'\n\n\"'\"Yatudhani said, 'Thou hast mentioned thy name only once. The explanation\nthou hast offered I have not able to catch. Do thou, therefore, mention\nit again, O regenerate one!'\n\n\"'\"Sunahsakha said, 'Since thou hast been unable to catch my name in\nconsequence of my having mentioned it only once, I shall strike thee with\nmy triple stick! Struck with it, be thou consumed into ashes without\ndelay!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Struck then, on the head, by the Sannyasin, with his\ntriple stick which resembled the chastisement inflicted by a Brahmana,\nthe Rakshasi who had sprung from the incantations of king Vrishadarbhi\nfell down on the earth and became reduced to ashes.[423] Having thus\ndestroyed the mighty Rakshasi, Sunahsakha thrust his stick into the earth\nand sat himself down on a grassy plot of land. The Rishis then, having,\nas they liked, plucked a number of lotuses and taken up a number of\nlotus-stalks, came up from the lake, filled with joy. Throwing on the\nground the heap of lotuses which they had gathered with much toil, they\nplunged once more into it for offering oblations of water to the Pitris.\nComing up, they proceeded to that part of the bank where they had\ndeposited the lotus-stalks. Reaching that spot, those foremost of men\nfound that the stalks were nowhere to be seen.\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'What sinful and hard-hearted man has stolen away the\nlotus-stalks gathered by our hungry selves from desire of eating?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Those foremost of regenerate persons, suspecting one\nanother, O crusher of foes, said, 'We shall each have to swear to our\ninnocence!' All those ascetics then, famishing with hunger and worn out\nwith exertion, agreeing to the proposal, took these oaths.\n\n\"'\"Atri said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalk touch kine with his\nfoot, make water facing the sun, and study the Vedas on excluded days!'\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalks abstain from\nstudying the Vedas, or leash hounds, or be a wandering mendicant\nunrestrained by the ordinances laid down for that mode of life, or be a\nslayer of persons that seek his protection, or live upon the proceeds of\nthe sale of his daughter, or solicit wealth from those that are low and\nvile!'\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalks utter all kinds\nof words in all places, give false evidence in a court of law, eat the\nflesh of animals not slain in sacrifices, make gifts to undeserving\npersons or to deserving persons at unseasonable times, and have sexual\ncongress with women during daytime!'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalks be cruel and\nunrighteous in his conduct towards women and kinsmen and kine. Let him\nhumiliate Brahmanas, in disputations, by displaying his superior\nknowledge and skill. Let him study the Riks and the Yajuses, disregarding\nhis preceptor! Let him pour libations upon fires made with dry grass or\nstraw!'[424]\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalks be guilty of\nthrowing filth and dirt on water. Let him be inspired with animosity\ntowards kine. Let him be guilty of having sexual congress with women at\ntimes other than their season. Let him incur the aversion of all persons.\nLet him derive his maintenance from the earnings of his wife! Let him\nhave no friends and let him have many foes! Let him be another's guest\nfor receiving in return those acts of hospitality which he has done to\nthat other![425]'\n\n\"'\"Gotama said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalks be guilty of\nthrowing away the Vedas after having studied them! Let him cast off the\nthree sacred fires! Let him be a seller of the Soma (plant or juice)! Let\nhim live with that Brahmana who resides in a village which has only one\nwell from which water is drawn by all classes and who has married a Sudra\nwoman!'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalks be fated to\nsee his preceptors and seniors and his servants maintained by others\nduring his own life-time. Let him not have a good end. Let him be the\nfather of many children! Let him be always impure and a wretch among\nBrahmanas! Let him be proud of his possessions! Let him be a tiller of\nthe soil and let him be filled with malice! Let him wander in the season\nof rains. Let him be a paid servant! Let him be the priest of the king!\nLet him assist at the sacrifices of such impure persons as do not deserve\nto be assisted at their sacrifices!'\n\n\"'\"Arundhati said, 'Let her who has stolen the lotus-stalks always\nhumiliate her mother-in-law! Let her be always vexed with her husband!\nLet her eat whatever good things come to her house without sharing them\nwith others! Disregarding the kinsmen of her lord, let her live in her\nhusband's house and eat, at the day's close, the flour of fried barely!\nLet her come to be regarded as unenjoyable (in consequence of the stains\nthat would tarnish her)! Let her be the mother of a heroic son![426]'\n\n\"'\"Ganda said, 'Let her who has stolen the lotus-stalks be always a\nspeaker of falsehoods! Let her always quarrel with her kinsmen! Let her\nbestow her daughter in marriage for a pecuniary consideration! Let her\neat the food which she has cooked, alone and without sharing it with\nanybody! Let her pass her whole life in slavery! Indeed, let her who has\nstolen the lotus-stalks be quick with child in consequence of sexual\ncongress under circumstances of guilt.'\n\n\"'\"Pasusakha said, 'Let him who has stolen the lotus-stalks be born of a\nslave-mother. Let him have many children all of whom are worthless! And\nlet him never bow to the deities.'\n\n\"'\"Sunahsakha said, 'Let him who has removed the lotus-stalks obtain the\nmerit of bestowing his daughter in marriage upon a Brahmana, who has\nstudied all the Samans and the Yajuses and who has carefully observed the\nvow of Brahmacharya. Let him perform the final ablutions after having\nstudied all the Atharvans!'\n\n\"'\"All the Rishis said, 'The oath thou hast taken is no oath at all, for\nall the acts which thou hast mentioned are very desirable for the\nBrahmanas! It is evident, O Sunahsakha, that thou hast appropriated our\nlotus-stalks!'\n\n\"'\"Sunahsakha said, 'The lotus stalks deposited by you not being seen, what\nyou say is perfectly true, for it is I who have actually stolen them. In\nthe very sight of all of you I have caused the disappearance of those\nstalks! Ye sinless ones, the act was done by me from desire of testing\nyou! I came hither for protecting you. That woman who lies slain there\nwas called Yatudhani. She was of a fierce disposition. Sprung from the\nincantations of king Vrishadarbhi, she had come here from the desire of\nslaying all of you! You ascetics endued with wealth of penances, egged on\nby that king, she had come, but I have slain her. That wicked and sinful\ncreature, sprung from the sacrificial fire, would otherwise have taken\nyour lives. It was for killing her and saving you that I came here, ye\nlearned Brahmanas! Know that I am Vasava! Ye have completely freed\nyourselves from the influence of cupidity. In consequence of this, ye\nhave won many eternal regions fraught with the fruition of every wish as\nsoon as it rises in the heart! Do ye rise, without delay, from this place\nand repair to those regions of beatitude, ye regenerate ones, that are\nreserved for you!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The great Rishis, highly gratified at this, replied\nunto Purandara, saying, 'So be it!' They then ascended to heaven in\ncompany of Indra himself. Even thus, those high-souled persons, though\nfamishing with hunger and though tempted at such a time with the offer of\ndiverse kinds of enjoyable articles, refrained from yielding to\ntemptation. As the result of such self-denial, they attained to heaven.\nIt seems, therefore, that one should, under all circumstances, cast off\ncupidity from oneself. Even this, O king, is the highest duty. Cupidity\nshould be cast off. The man who recites this account (of the deeds of the\nrighteous Rishis) in assemblies of men, succeeds in acquiring wealth.\nSuch a man has never to attain to a distressful end. The Pitris, the\nRishis, and the deities become all pleased with him. Hereafter, again, he\nbecomes endued with fame and religious merit and wealth!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old history of the oaths\n(taken by many Rishis one after another) on the occasion of a sojourn to\nthe sacred waters. O best of the Bharatas, the act of theft had been done\nby Indra, and the oaths were taken by many royal and regenerate Rishis.\nOnce on a time, the Rishis, having assembled together, proceeded to the\nwestern Prabhasa. They held a consultation there which resulted in a\nresolve on their part to visit all the sacred waters on earth. There were\nSakra and Angiras and Kavi of great learning and Agastya and Narada and\nPravata; and Bhrigu and Vasishtha and Kasyapa and Gautama and Viswamitra\nand Jamadagni, O king! There were also the Rishi Galava, and Ashtaka and\nBharadwaja and Arundhati and the Valakhilyas; and Sivi and Dilipa and\nNahusha and Amvarisha and the royal Yayati and Dhundhumara and Puru.\nThese foremost of men, placing the high-souled Satakratu, the slayer of\nVritra, at their head, went to all the sacred waters one after another,\nand at last reached the highly sacred Kausiki on the day of the full moon\nin the month of Magha. Having cleansed themselves of all sins by\nablutions performed in all the sacred waters, they at last proceeded to\nthe very sacred Brahmasara. Bathing in that lake, those Rishis endued\nwith energy like that of fire began to gather and eat the stalks of the\nlotus. Amongst those Brahmanas, some had extracted the stalks of the\nlotus and some the stalks of the Nymphoea stellata. Soon they found that\nthe stalks extracted by Agastya (and deposited on the bank) had been\ntaken away by somebody. The foremost of Rishis, Agastya, addressing them\nall, said, 'Who has taken away the good stalks which I had extracted and\ndeposited here? I suspect some one amongst you must have done the act.\nLet him who has taken them away give them back to me. It behoves you not\nthus to misappropriate my stalks! It is heard that Time assails the\nenergy of Righteousness. That Time has come upon us. Hence, Righteousness\nis afflicted. It is meet that I should go to heaven for good, before\nunrighteousness assails the world and establishes itself here![427]\nBefore the time comes when Brahmanas, loudly uttering the holy Vedas,\nwithin the precincts of villages and inhabited places, cause the Sudras\nto hear them, before the time comes when kings often against the rules of\nRighteousness from motives of policy, I shall go to heaven for good!\nBefore men cease to regard the distinctions between the lower, the\nmiddle, and the higher classes, I shall go to heaven for good. Before\nIgnorance assails the world and envelops all things in darkness, I shall\ngo to heaven for good.[428] Before the time comes when the strong begin\nto lord it over the weak and treat them as slaves, I shall go to heaven\nfor good. Indeed, I dare not remain on earth for witnessing these\nthings.' The Rishis, much concerned at what he said, addressed that great\nascetic and said, 'We have not stolen thy stalks! Thou shouldst not\nharbour these suspicions against us. O great Rishi, we shall take the\nmost frightful oaths!' Having said these words, conscious of their own\ninnocence, and desirous of upholding the cause of righteousness, those\nRishis and sages of royal descent then began to swear, one after another,\nthe following oaths.\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks censure when censured,\nassail when assailed, and eat the flesh that is attached to the back-bone\nof animals (slaughtered in sacrifice)!'[429]\n\n\"'\"Vasishtha said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks neglect his Vedic\nstudies, leash hounds, and having taken himself to the mendicant order\nlive in a city or town!'[430]\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks sell all things in all\nplaces, misappropriate deposits, and give false evidence!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks live, displaying pride\nin all things, with an understanding that does not see all creatures with\nan equal eye, and always yielding himself to the influence of desire and\nwrath! Let him be a cultivator of the soil, and let him be inspired by\nmalice!'[431]\n\n\"'\"Angiras said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be always impure! Let\nhim be a censurable Brahmana (for his misdeeds)! Let him leash hounds.\nLet him be guilty of Brahmanicide. Let him be averse to expiations after\nhaving committed transgressions!'\n\n\"'\"Dhundhumara said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be ungrateful to\nhis friends! Let him take birth in a Sudra woman! Let him eat alone any\ngood food (coming to the house), without sharing it with others!'[432]\n\n\"'\"Dilipa said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks descend to those regions\nof misery and infamy which are reserved for that Brahmana who resides in\na village having but one well and who has sexual congress with a Sudra\nwoman!'[433]\n\n\"'\"Puru said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks adopt the occupation of a\nphysician! Let him be supported by the earnings of his wife! Let him draw\nhis sustenance from his father-in-law!'\n\n\"'\"Sukra said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks eat the flesh of animals\nnot slain in sacrifices! Let him have sexual congress at day-time! Let\nhim be a servant of the king!'\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks study the Vedas on\nforbidden days or occasions! Let him feed friends at Sraddhas performed\nby him! Let him eat at the Sraddha of a Sudra!'\n\n\"'\"Sivi said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks die without having\nestablished a fire (for daily worship)! Let him be guilty of obstructing\nthe performance of sacrifices by others! Let him quarrel with those that\nare observant of penances!'\n\n\"'\"Yayati said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be guilty of having\nsexual congress with his wife when she is not in her season and when he\nis himself in the observance of a vow and bears matted locks on his head!\nLet him also disregard the Vedas!'\n\n\"'\"Nahusha said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks live in domesticity\nafter having betaken himself to the vow of mendicancy! Let him act in\nwhatever way he pleases (and without restraint of any kind), after having\nundergone the initiatory rites in view of a sacrifice or some solemn\nobservance! Let him take pecuniary gratification for prelections to\ndisciples (on any branch of knowledge that the latter come to learn)!'\n\n\"'\"Amvarisha said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be cruel and\nunrighteous in his behaviour towards women and kinsmen and kine! Let him\nbe guilty also of Brahmanicide!'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be one that identifies\nthe body with the soul! Let him study the scriptures with a preceptor\nthat is censurable! Let him chant the Vedas, offending at each step\nagainst the rules of orthoepy! Let him disregard all his seniors!'\n\n\"'\"Nabhaga said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks always speak\nfalse-hoods and quarrel with those that are righteous! Let him bestow his\ndaughter in marriage after accepting a pecuniary gratification offered by\nhis son-in-law!'\n\n\"'\"Kavi said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks he guilty of striking a\ncow with his foot! Let him make water, facing the sun! Let him cast off\nthe person that seeks shelter at his hands!'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks become a servant\nthat behaves with deceit towards his master! Let him be the priest of a\nking! Let him be the Ritwik of one that should not be assisted at his\nsacrifices!'\n\n\"'\"Parvata said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be the chief of a\nvillage! Let him make journeys on asses! Let him leash hounds for a\nliving!'\n\n\"'\"Bharadwaja said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be guilty of all the\ndemerits that become his who is cruel in his behaviour and untruthful in\nspeech!'\n\n\"'\"Ashtaka said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be a king destitute of\nwisdom capricious and sinful in his behaviour, and disposed to rule the\nEarth unrighteously!'\n\n\"'\"Galava said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be more infamous than a\nsinful man! Let him be sinful in his acts towards his kinsmen and\nrelatives! Let him proclaim the gifts he makes to others!'\n\n\"'\"Arundhati said, 'Let her who has stolen thy stalks speak ill of her\nmother-in-law! Let her feel disgust for her lord. Let her eat alone any\ngood food that comes to her house!'\n\n\"'\"The Valakhilyas said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks stand on one\nfoot at the entrance of a village (for earning his subsistence)! Let him.\nwhile knowing all duties, be guilty of every breach!'[434]\n\n\"'\"Sunahsakha said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be a Brahmana that\nsleeps in happiness, having disregarded his daily Homa! Let him, after\nbecoming a religious mendicant, behave in whatever way he pleases,\nwithout observing any restraint!'\n\n\"'\"Surabhi said, 'Let her who has stolen thy stalks be milked, with her\n(hind) legs bound with a rope of human hair, and with the aid of a calf\nnot her own, and, while milked, let her milk be held in a vessel of white\nbrass!'\"[435]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After the Rishis and the royal sages had sworn these\ndiverse oaths, O Kuru king, the thousand-eyed chief of the deities,\nfilled with joy, cast his looks on the angered Rishi Agastya. Addressing\nthe Rishi who was very angry at the disappearance of his lotus-stalks,\nMaghavat thus declared what was passing in his mind. Hear, O king, what\nthe words were that Indra spoke in the midst of those regenerate and\ncelestial Rishis and royal sages.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Let him who has stolen thy stalks be possessed of the merit\nof him who bestows his daughter in marriage upon a Brahmana that has duly\nobserved the vow of Brahmacharya or that has duly studied the Samans and\nthe Yajuses! Let him also have the merit of one that undergoes the final\nbath after completing one's study of the Atharva Veda! Let him who has\nstolen thy stalks have the merit of having studied all the Vedas. Let him\nbe observant of all duties and righteous in his behaviour! Indeed, let\nhim go to the region of Brahman!'\n\n\"'\"Agastya said, 'Thou hast, O slayer of Vala, uttered a benediction\ninstead of a curse! (It is evident), thou hast taken my stalks! Give\nthem to me, for that is the eternal duty!'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'O holy one, I did not remove thy stalks, led by cupidity!\nIndeed, I removed them from desire of hearing this conclave recite what\nthe duties are that we should observe. It behoveth thee not to give way\nto anger! Duties are the foremost of Srutis. Duties constitute the\neternal path (for crossing the sea of the world)! I have listened to this\ndiscourse of the Rishis (on duties) that is eternal and immutable, and\nthat transcends all change![436] Do thou then, O foremost of learned\nBrahmanas, take back these stalks of thine! O holy one, it behoves thee\nto forgive my transgression, O thou that art free from every fault!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the chief of the deities, the\nascetic, viz., Agastya, who had been very angry, took back his stalks.\nEndued with great intelligence, the Rishi became cheerful. After this,\nthose denizens of the woods proceeded to diverse other sacred waters.\nIndeed, repairing to those sacred waters they performed their ablutions\neverywhere. The man who reads this narrative with close attention on\nevery Parva day, will not have to become the progenitor of an ignorant\nand wicked son. He will never be destitute of learning. No calamity will\never touch him. He will, besides, be free from every kind of sorrow.\nDecrepitude and decay will never be his. Freed from stains and evil of\nevery kind, and endued with merit, he is sure to attain to Heaven. He who\nstudies this Sastra observed by the Rishis, is sure, O prince of men, to\nattain to the eternal region of Brahman that is full of felicity!\"'\"[437]\n\n\n\nSECTION XCV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O chief of Bharata's race, by whom was the custom of\ngiving umbrellas and sandals at obsequial ceremonies introduced? Why was\nit introduced and for what purpose are those gifts made? They are given\nnot only at obsequial ceremonies but also at other religious rites. They\nare given on many occasions with a view to acquiring religious merit. I\nwish to know, in detail, O regenerate one, the true meaning of this\ncustom!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Do thou, O prince, attentively listen to the details I\nshall recite in respect of the custom of giving away umbrellas and shoes\nat religious rites, and as to how and by whom it was introduced. I shall\nalso tell thee in full, O prince, how it acquired the force of a\npermanent observance and how it came to be viewed as a meritorious act. I\nshall, in this connection, recite the narrative of the discourse between\nJamadagni and the high-souled Surya. In ancient times, the illustrious\nJamadagni, O puissant king, of Bhrigu's race, was engaged in practising\nwith his bow. Taking his aim, he shot arrow after arrow. His wife Renuka\nused to pick up the shafts when shot and repeatedly bring them back to\nthat descendant, endued with blazing energy, of Bhrigu's race. Pleased\nwith the whizzing noise of his arrows and the twang of his bow, he amused\nhimself thus by repeatedly discharging his arrows which Renuka brought\nback into him. One day, at noontide, O monarch, in that month when the\nsun was in Jyesthamula, the Brahmana, having discharged all his arrows,\nsaid to Renuka, 'O large-eyed lady, go and fetch me the shafts I have\nshot from my bow, O thou of beautiful eye-brows! I shall again shoot them\nwith my bow.' The lady proceeded on her errand but was compelled to sit\nunder the shade of a tree, in consequence of her head and feet being\nscorched by the heat of the sun. The black-eyed and graceful Renuka,\nhaving rested for only a moment, feared the curse of her husband and,\ntherefore, addressed herself again to the task of collecting and bringing\nback the arrows. Taking them with her, the celebrated lady of graceful\nfeatures came back, distressed in mind and her feet smarting with pain.\nTrembling with fear, she approached her husband. The Rishi, filled with\nwrath, repeatedly addressed his fair-faced spouse, saying, 'O Renuka, why\nhast thou been so late in returning?'\n\n\"'\"Renuka said, 'O thou that art endued with wealth of penances, my head\nand feet were scorched by the rays of the sun! Oppressed by the heat, I\nhad betaken myself to the shade of a tree! Just this has been the cause\nof the delay! Informed of the cause, do thou, O lord, cease to be angry\nwith me!'\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'O Renuka, this very day shall I destroy, with the fiery\nenergy of my weapons, the star of day with his blazing rays, that has\nafflicted thee in this way!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Drawing his celestial bow, and taking up many\narrows, Jamadagni stood, turning his face towards the sun and watching\nhim as he moved (in his diurnal course). Then, O son of Kunti, beholding\nhim addressed for fight, Surya approached him in the guise of a Brahmana,\nand said unto him. 'What has Surya done to displease thee? Coursing\nthrough the firmament, he draws up the moisture from the earth, and in\nthe form of rains he pours it down once more on her. It is through this,\nO regenerate one, that the food of human beings springs up,--food that is\nso agreeable to them! The Vedas say that it is food that constitutes the\nlife-breaths. O Brahmana, hidden in the clouds and encompassed by his\nrays, the sun drenches the seven islands with showers of rain. O puissant\none, the moisture, thus poured, diffusing itself into the leaves and\nfruits of vegetables and herbs, is transformed into food. O son of\nBhrigu, the rites of nativity, religious observances of every kind,\ninvestiture with the sacred thread, gifts of kine, weddings, all articles\nin view of sacrifices, the rules for the governance of men, gifts, all\nsorts of union (between man and man), and the acquisition of wealth, have\ntheir origin in food! Thou knowest this well! All the good and agreeable\nthings in the universe, and all the efforts made by living creatures,\nflow from food. I duly recite what is well-known to thee! Indeed, thou\nfully knowest all that I have said! Do thou, therefore, O regenerate\nRishi, appease thy anger! What wilt thou gain by annihilating the sun?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What did that foremost of ascetics, viz., Jamadagni\nendued with great energy, do when thus besought by the maker of day?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O descendant of Kuru, despite all the supplications of\nSurya, the sage Jamadagni, endued with the effulgence of fire, continued\nto cherish his anger. Then, O king, Surya, in the guise of a Brahmana,\nbowed his head unto him and addressed him, with folded hands, in these\nsoft words, 'O regenerate Rishi, the sun is always in motion! How shalt\nthou pierce the Lord of day who is continually moving forward?'\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'With the eye of knowledge I know thee to be both moving\nand motionless! I shall surely read thee a lesson this day. At midday\nthou seemest to stay in the heavens for a moment. It is then, O Surya,\nthat I shall pierce thee with my arrows! There is no swerving from this\nmy resolution!'\n\n\"'\"Surya said, 'O regenerate Rishi, without doubt, thou knowest me, O best\nof archers! But, O holy one, though I have offended, behold, I am a\nsuppliant for thy protection!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"At this, the adorable Jamadagni smilingly addressed\nthe maker of day, saying, 'O Surya, when thou hast sought my protection,\nthou hast nothing to fear! He would transcend the simplicity that exists\nin Brahmanas, the stability that exists in the Earth, the mildness\nexisting in the Moon, the gravity existing in Varuna, the effulgence\nexisting in Agni, the brightness of Meru, and the heat of the sun, who\nwould slay a suppliant for protection! The man that can slay a suppliant\nis capable of violating the bed of his preceptor, of slaying a Brahmana,\nand of drinking alcohol. Do thou, therefore, think of some remedy for\nthis evil, by which people may be relieved when heated by thy rays!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"So saying, that excellent descendant of Bhrigu\nremained silent for a while, and Surya forthwith made over to him an\numbrella and a pair of sandals.\n\n\"'\"Surya said, 'Do thou, O great Rishi, take this umbrella wherewith the\nhead may be protected and my rays warded off. This pair of sandals is\nmade of leather for the protection of the feet. From this day forth the\ngift of these articles in all religious rites shall be established as an\ninflexible usage!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"This custom of giving umbrellas and shoes was\nintroduced by Surya! O descendant of Bharata, these gifts are considered\nmeritorious in the three worlds. Do thou, therefore, give away umbrellas\nand shoes to Brahmanas. I have no doubt that thou shalt then acquire\ngreat religious merit by the act. O foremost one of Bharata's race, he\nwho gives away a white umbrella with a hundred ribs to a Brahmana,\nattains to eternal felicity after death and resides in the region of\nIndra, respected by Brahmanas, Apsaras, and Devas. O puissant one, he who\ngives shoes to Snataka Brahmanas as also to Brahmanas practising the\nrites of religion whose feet have become sore with the heat of the sun,\nattains to regions coveted by the very deities. Such a man, O Bharata,\ndwells in happiness in the highest Heaven after his death. O foremost one\nof Bharata's race, I have thus recited to thee in full, the merits of\ngiving away shoes and umbrellas at religious ceremonies!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O foremost one of Bharata's race, do thou relate to\nme all the duties of the household mode and tell me all that a man should\ndo in order to attain to prosperity in this world.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O Bharata, I shall, in this connection, recite to thee\nthe old story of Vasudeva and the goddess Earth. The puissant Vasudeva, O\nexcellent prince of Bharata's race, after hymning the praises of the\ngoddess Earth, questioned her about this very topic that thou hast\nenquired about.\n\n\"'\"Vasudeva said, 'Having adopted the state of a householder, what acts\nshould I, or one like me, perform and how are such acts to fructify in\ngood?'\n\n\"'\"The goddess Earth said, 'O Madhava, the Rishis, the deities, the Pitris,\nand men should be worshipped, and sacrifices should be performed, by a\nhouseholder. Do thou also learn this from me that the deities are always\npleased with sacrifices, and men are gratified with hospitality.\nTherefore, the householder should gratify them with such objects as they\ndesire. By such acts, O slayer of Madhu, the Rishis also are gratified.\nThe householder, abstaining from food, should daily attend to his sacred\nfire and to his sacrificial offerings. The deities, O slayer of Madhu,\nare gratified with such acts. The householder should daily offer\noblations of food and water, or of fruits, roots and water, for the\ngratification of the Pitris, and the Vaiswadeva offering should be\nperformed with rice boiled, and oblations of clarified butter unto Agni,\nSoma, and Dhanwantari. He should offer separate and distinct oblations\nunto Prajapati. He should make sacrificial offerings in due order; to\nYama in the Southern region, to Varuna in Western region, to Soma in the\nNorthern region, to Prajapati within the homestead, to Dhanwantari in the\nNorth-eastern region, and to Indra in the Eastern region. He should offer\nfood to men at the entrance of his house. These, O Madhava, are known as\nthe Vali offerings. The Vali should be offered to the Maruts and the\ndeities in the interior of one's house. To the Viswedevas it should be\noffered in open air, and to the Rakshasas and spirits the offerings\nshould be made at night. After making these offerings, the householder\nshould make offerings unto Brahmanas, and if no Brahmana be present, the\nfirst portion of the food should be thrown into the fire. When a man\ndesires to offer Sraddha to his ancestors, he should, when the Sraddha\nceremony is concluded, gratify his ancestors and then make the Vali\nofferings in due order. He should then make offerings unto the\nViswedevas. He should next invite Brahmanas and then properly regale\nguests arrived at his house, with food. By this act, O prince, are guests\ngratified. He who does not stay in the house long, or, having come, goes\naway after a short time, is called a guest. To his preceptor, to his\nfather, to his friend and to a guest, a householder should say, \"I have\ngot this in my house to offer thee today!\" And he should offer it\naccordingly every day. The householder should do whatever they would ask\nhim to do. This is the established usage. The householder, O Krishna,\nshould take his food last of all after having offered food to all of\nthem. The householder should worship, with offerings of Madhuparka his\nking, his priest, his preceptor, and his father-in-law as also Snataka\nBrahmanas even if they were to stay in his house for a whole year. In the\nmorning as well as in the evening, food should be offered on the ground\nto dogs, Swapachas,[438] and birds. This is called the Vaiswadeva\noffering. The householder, who performs these ceremonies with a mind\nunclouded by passion, obtains the blessings of the Rishis in this world,\nand after death attains to the heavenly regions.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The puissant Vasudeva, having listened to all this\nfrom the goddess Earth, acted accordingly. Do thou also act in the same\nway. By performing these duties of a householder, O king, thou shalt\nacquire fame in this world and attain to heaven after death!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Of what kind is the gift of light, O chief of\nBharata's race? How did this gift originate? What are the merits that\nattach to it? Do thou tell me all this.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection, O Bharata, is recited the old\nnarrative of the discourse between Manu, that lord of creatures, and\nSuvarna. There was in days of yore an ascetic, O Bharata, of the name of\nSuvarna. His complexion was like that of gold and hence he was called\nSuvarna (the gold-complexioned). Endued with a pure lineage, good\nbehaviour, and excellent accomplishments, he had mastered all the Vedas.\nIndeed, by the accomplishments he possessed, he succeeded in surpassing\nmany persons of high lineage. One day that learned Brahmana saw Manu, the\nlord of all creatures, and approached him. Meeting with each other, they\nmade the usual enquiries of politeness. Both of them were firm in the\nobservance of truth. They sat down on the delightful breast of Meru, that\nmountain of gold. Seated there they began to converse with each other on\ndiverse subjects connected with the high-souled deities and regenerate\nRishis and Daityas of ancient times. Then Suvarna, addressing the\nSelf-born Manu, said these words, 'It behoveth thee to answer one\nquestion of mine for the benefit of all creatures. O lord of all\ncreatures, the deities are seen to be worshipped with presents of flowers\nand other good scents. What is this? How has this practice been\noriginated? What also are the merits that attach to it? Do thou discourse\nto me on this topic.'\n\n\"'\"Manu said, 'In this connection is recited the old history of the\ndiscourse between Sukra and the high-souled (Daitya) Vali. Once on a\ntime, Sukra of Bhrigu's race approached the presence of Vali, the son of\nVirochana, while he was ruling the three worlds. The chief of the Asuras,\nthat giver of sacrificial presents in abundance, having worshipped the\ndescendant of Bhrigu with the Arghya (and offering him a seat), sat down\nafter his guest had seated himself. This very topic that thou hast\nstated relating to the merits attaching to the gift of flowers and\nincense and lamps, came up on the occasion. Indeed, the chief of the\nDaityas put this high question to Sukra, that most learned of all\nascetics.\n\n\"'\"'Vali said, \"O foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, what,\nindeed, is the merit of giving flowers and incense and lamps? It behoveth\nthee, O foremost of Brahmanas, to discourse to me on this.\"\n\n\"'\"'Sukra said, \"Penance first sprang into life. Afterwards came Dharma (or\ncompassion and other virtues). In the interval between started into life\nmany creepers and herbs.[439] Innumerable were the species of those. All\nof them have (the deity) Soma for their lord. Some of these creepers and\nherbs came to be regarded as Amrita and some came to be regarded as\nPoison. Others that were neither this nor that formed one class. That is\nAmrita which gives immediate gratification and joy to the mind. That is\nPoison which tortures the mind exceedingly by its odour. Know again that\nAmrita is highly auspicious and that Poison is highly inauspicious. All\nthe (deciduous) herbs are Amrita. Poison is born of the energy of fire.\nFlowers gladden the mind and confer prosperity. Hence, men of righteous\ndeeds bestowed the name Sumanas on them. That man who in a state of\npurity offers flowers into the deities finds that the deities become\ngratified with him, and as the consequence of such gratification bestow\nprosperity upon him. O ruler of the Daityas, those deities unto whom\nworshippers offer flowers, O lord, uttering their names the while, become\ngratified with the offers in consequence of their devotion. The\n(deciduous) herbs are of diverse kinds and possess diverse kinds of\nenergy. They should be classed as fierce, mild, and powerful. Listen to\nme as I tell thee which trees are useful for purposes of sacrifice and\nwhich are not so. Hear also what garlands are acceptable to Asuras, and\nwhat are beneficial when offered to the deities. I shall also set forth\nin their due order what garlands are agreeable to the Rakshasas, what to\nthe Uragas, what to the Yakshas, what to human beings, and what to the\nPitris, in proper order. Flowers are of diverse kinds. Some are wild;\nsome are from trees that grew in the midst of human habitations; some\nbelong to trees that never grow unless planted on well-tilled soil; some\nare from trees growing on mountains; some are from trees that are not\nprickly; and some from trees that are prickly. Fragrance, beauty of form,\nand taste also may offer grounds of classification. The scent that\nflowers yield is of two kinds, agreeable and disagreeable. Those flowers\nthat emit agreeable scent should be offered to the deities. The flowers\nof trees that are destitute of thorns are generally white in hue. Such\nflowers are always acceptable to the deities, O lord! One possessed of\nwisdom should offer garlands of aquatic flowers, such as the lotus and\nthe like, unto the Gandharvas and Nagas and Yakshas. Such plants and\nherbs as produce red flowers, as are possessed of keen scent, and as are\nprickly, have been laid down in the Atharvana as fit for all acts of\nincantation for injuring foes. Such flowers as are possessed of keen\nenergy, as are painful to the touch, as grow on trees and plants having\nthorns, and as are either bloody-red or black, should be offered to\n(evil) spirits and unearthly beings. Such flowers as gladden the mind and\nheart, as are very agreeable when pressed, and as are of beautiful form,\nhave been said, O lord, to be worthy of being offered to human beings.\nSuch flowers as grow on cemeteries and crematoria, or in places dedicated\nto the deities, should not be brought and used for marriage and other\nrites having growth and prosperity for their object, or for acts of\ndalliance and pleasure in secrecy. Such flowers as are born on mountains\nand in vales, and as are agreeable in scent and aspect, should be offered\nunto the deities. Sprinkling them with sandal-paste, such agreeable\nflowers should be duly offered according to the ordinances of the\nscriptures. The deities become gratified with the scent of flowers; the\nYakshas and Rakshasas with their sight, the Nagas with their touch; and\nhuman beings with all three, viz., scent, sight, and touch. Flowers, when\noffered to the deities gratify them immediately. They are capable of\naccomplishing every object by merely wishing its accomplishment. As such,\nwhen gratified with devotees offering them flowers, they cause all the\nobjects cherished by their worshippers to be immediately accomplished.\nGratified, they gratify their worshippers. Honoured, they cause their\nworshippers to enjoy all honours. Disregarded and insulted, they cause\nthose vilest of men to be ruined and consumed. I shall, after this, speak\nto thee of the merits that attach to the ordinances about the gift of\nincense. Know, O prince of Asuras, that incenses are of diverse kinds.\nSome of them are auspicious and some inauspicious. Some incenses consist\nof exudations. Some are made of fragrant wood set on fire. And some are\nartificial, being made by the hand, of diverse articles mixed together.\nTheir scent is of two kinds, viz., agreeable and disagreeable. Listen to\nme as I discourse on the subject in detail.[440] All exudations except\nthat of the Boswellia serrata are agreeable to the deities. It is,\nhowever, certain that the best of all exudations is that of the\nBalsamodendron Mukul. Of all Dhupas of the Sari class, the Aquilaria\nAgallocha is the best. It is very agreeable to the Yakshas, the\nRakshasas, and Nagas. The exudation of the Boswellia serrata, and others\nof the same class, are much desired by the Daityas. Dhupas made of the\nexudation of the Shorea robusta and the Pinus deodara, mixed with various\nspirits of strong scent, are, O king, ordained for human beings. Such\nDhupas are said to immediately gratify the deities, the Danavas, and\nspirits. Besides these, there are many other kinds of Dhupas used by men\nof purposes of pleasure or enjoyment. All the merits that have been\nspoken of as attaching to the offer of flowers should be known equally to\nattach to the gift of such Dhupas as are productive of gratification. I\nshall now speak of the merits that attach to the gift of lights, and who\nmay give them at what time and in what manner, and what should be the\nkind of lights that should be offered. Light is said to be energy and\nfame and has an upward motion. Hence the gift of light, which is energy,\nenhances the energy of men[441]. There is a hell of the name of\nAndhatamas. The period also of the sun's southward course is regarded as\ndark. For escaping that hell and the darkness of this period, one should\ngive lights during the period when the sun is in his northward course.\nSuch an act is applauded by the good.[442] Since, again, light has an\nupward course and is regarded as a remedy for darkness, therefore, one\nshould be a giver of light. Even this is the conclusion of the\nscriptures. It is owing to the lights offered that the deities have\nbecome endued with beauty, energy, and resplendence. By abstention from\nsuch an act, the Rakshasas have become endued with the opposite\nattributes. Hence, one should always give lights. By giving lights a man\nbecomes endued with keen vision and resplendence. One that gives lights\nshould not be an object of jealousy with others. Lights, again, should\nnot be stolen, nor extinguished when given by others. One that steals a\nlight becomes blind. Such a man has to grope through darkness (in the\nnext world) and becomes destitute of resplendence. One that gives lights\nshines in beauty in the celestial regions like a row of lights. Among\nlights, the best are those in which ghee is burnt. Next in order are\nthose in which the juice of (the fruits yielded by) deciduous herbs is\nburnt. One desirous of advancement and growth should never burn (for\nlight) fat or marrow or the juice that flows from the bones of\ncreatures.[443] The man who desires his own advancement and prosperity\nshould always give lights at descents from mountains, in roads through\nforests and inaccessible regions, under sacred trees standing in the\nmidst of human habitations, and in crossings of streets. The man who\ngives lights always illumines his race, attains to purity of soul and\neffulgence of form. Verily, such a man, after death, attains to the\ncompanionship of the luminous bodies in the firmament. I shall now\ndiscourse to thee upon the merits, with the fruits they bring about, that\nattach to Vali offerings made to the deities, the Yakshas, the Uragas,\nhuman beings, spirits, and Rakshasas. Those unscrupulous and wicked men\nthat eat without first serving Brahmanas and deities and guests and\nchildren, should be known as Rakshasas. Hence, one should first offer the\nfood one has got ready unto the deities after having worshipped them duly\nwith restrained senses and concentrated attention. One should offer the\nVali unto the deities, bending one's head in reverence. The deities are\nalways supported by food that householders offer. Verily, they bless such\nhouses in which offerings are made to them. The Yakshas and Rakshasas and\nPannagas, as also guests and all homeless persons, are supported by the\nfood that are offered by persons leading the domestic mode of life.\nIndeed, the deities and the Pitris derive their sustenance from such\nofferings. Gratified with such offerings they gratify the offerer in\nreturn with longevity and fame and wealth. Clean food, of agreeable scent\nand appearance, mixed with milk and curds, should, along with flowers, be\noffered to the deities. The Valis that should be offered to Yakshas and\nRakshasas should be rich with blood and meat, with wines and spirits\naccompanying, and adorned with coatings of fried paddy.[444] Valis mixed\nwith lotuses and Utpalas are very agreeable to the Nagas. Sesame seeds,\nboiled in raw sugar, should be offered to the spirits and other unearthly\nBeings. He who never takes any food without first serving therefrom the\nBrahmanas and deities and guests, becomes entitled to first portions of\nfood. Such a man becomes endued with strength and energy. Hence, one\nshould never take any food without first offering a portion thereof to\nthe deities after worshipping them with reverence. One's house always\nblazes forth with beauty in consequence of the household deities that\nlive in it. Hence, he that desires his own advancement and prosperity\nshould worship the household deities by offering them the first portion\nof every food.\"' Even thus did the learned Kavi of Bhrigu's race discourse\nto Vali, the chief of the Asuras. That discourse was next recited by Manu\nunto the Rishi Suvarna. Suvarna, in his turn, recited it to Narada. The\ncelestial Rishi Narada recited unto me the merits that attach to the\nseveral acts mentioned. Informed of those merits, do thou, O son, perform\nthe several acts mentioned!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have, O chief of the Bharatas, heard what the\nmerits are that are won by presenters of flowers and incense and lights.\nI have heard thee speak also of the merits that attach to a due\nobservance of the ordinances in respect of the presentation of the Vali.\nIt behoveth thee, O grandsire, to discourse unto me once more on this\nsubject. Indeed, tell me, O sire, once more of the merits of presenting\nincense and lights. Why are Valis offered on the ground by persons\nleading the domestic mode of life?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is recited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse between Nahusha and Agastya and Bhrigu. The royal sage Nahusha,\nO monarch, possessed of wealth of penances, acquired the sovereignty of\nHeaven by his own good deeds. With restrained senses, O king, he dwelt in\nHeaven, engaged in doing diverse acts of both human and celestial nature.\nFrom that high-souled monarch flowed diverse kinds of human acts and\ndiverse kinds of celestial acts also, O chief of men. The diverse rites\nwith respect to the sacrificial fire, the collection of sacred fuel and\nof Kusa grass, as also of flowers, and the presentation of Vali\nconsisting of food adorned with fried paddy (reduced to powder), and the\noffer of incense and of light,--all these, O monarch, occurred daily in\nthe abode of that high-souled king while he dwelt in heaven. Indeed,\nthough dwelling in heaven, he performed the sacrifice of Japa (or silent\nrecitation) and the sacrifice of meditation. And, O chastiser of foes,\nNahusha, although he had become the chief of the deities, yet worshipped\nall the deities, as he used to do in days of yore, with due rites and\nceremonies. Some time after, Nahusha realised his position as the chief\nof all the deities. This filled him with pride. From that time all his\nacts (of the kind spoken of) were suspended. Filled with arrogance in\nconsequence of the boon he had received from all the deities, Nahusha\ncaused the very Rishis to bear him on their shoulders. In consequence,\nhowever, of his abstention from all religious acts, his energy began to\nsustain a diminution. The time was very long for which Nahusha filled\nwith pride, continued to employ the foremost of Rishis, possessed of\nwealth of penances, as the bearers of his vehicles. He caused the Rishis\nto discharge by turns his humiliating work. The day came when it was\nAgastya's turn to bear the vehicles, O Bharata. At that time, Bhrigu,\nthat foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, repaired to the\npresence of Agastya while the latter was seated in his asylum, and\naddressing him, said, 'O great ascetic, why should we patiently put up\nwith such indignity inflicted on us by this wicked-souled Nahusha who has\nbecome the chief of the deities?'\n\n\"'\"Agastya said, 'How can I succeed in cursing Nahusha, O great Rishi? It\nis known to thee how the boon-giving (Brahman) himself has given Nahusha\nthe best of boons! Coming to heaven, the boon that Nahusha solicited was\nthat whoever would come within the range of his vision would, deprived of\nall energy, come within his sway. The self-born Brahman granted him even\nthis boon, and it is for that reason that neither thyself nor I have been\nable to consume him. Without doubt, it is for this reason that none else\namongst the foremost of Rishis has been able to consume or hurl him down\nfrom his high position. Formerly, O Lord, nectar was given by Brahman to\nNahusha for quaffing. For that reason also we have become powerless\nagainst him. The supreme deity, it seems, gave that boon to Nahusha for\nplunging all creatures into grief. That wretch among men behaves most\nunrighteously towards the Brahmanas. O foremost of all speakers, do thou\ntell us what should be done in view of the situation. Without doubt, I\nshall do what thou wilt advise.'\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'It is at the command of the Grandsire that I have come to\nthee with the view of counteracting the puissance of Nahusha who is\npossessed of great energy but who has been stupefied by fate. That\nexceedingly wicked-souled wight who has become the chief of the deities\nwill today yoke thee to his car. With the aid of my energy I shall today\nhurl him down from his position as Indra in consequence of his having\ntranscended all restraints! I shall today, in thy very sight,\nre-establish the true Indra in his position--him, viz., who has performed\na hundred horse-sacrifices,--having hurled the wicked-souled and sinful\nNahusha from that seat! That unrighteous chief of the deities will today\ninsult thee by a kick, in consequence of his understanding being\nafflicted by fate and for bringing about his own downfall. Incensed at\nsuch an insult I shall today curse that sinful wretch, that enemy of the\nBrahmanas, that has transcended all restraints, saying, \"Be thou\ntransformed into a snake!\" In thy very sight, O great ascetic, I shall\ntoday hurl down on the earth the wicked-souled Nahusha who shall be\ndeprived of all energy in consequence of the cries of \"Fie\" that will be\nuttered from all sides.[445] Verily, I shall hurl down Nahusha today,\nthat wight of unrighteous deeds, who has, besides, been stupefied by\nlordship and power. I shall do this, if it be acceptable to thee, O\nascetic!' Thus addressed by Bhrigu, Mitravaruna's son Agastya of unfading\npuissance and glory, became highly gratified and freed from every\nanxiety.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION C\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How was Nahusha plunged into distress? How was he\nhurled down on the earth? How, indeed, was he deprived of the sovereignty\nof the gods? It behoveth thee to recite everything to me.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Even thus did those two Rishis, viz., Bhrigu and Agastya,\nconverse with each other. I have already told thee how Nahusha, when he\nfirst became the chief of the gods, acted in a becoming way. Verily, all\nacts of human and celestial nature flowed from that high souled royal\nsage! The offering of light, and all other rites of a similar kind, the\ndue presentation of Valis, and all rites as are performed on especially\nsacred days,--all these were properly observed by the high-souled Nahusha\nwho had become the sovereign of the deities.[446] Pious acts are always\nobserved by those that are possessed of wisdom, in both the world of men\nand that of the deities. Verily, O foremost of kings, if such acts are\nobserved, householders always succeed in acquiring prosperity and\nadvancement. Even such is the effect of the gift of lamps and of incense,\nas also of bows and prostrations, to the deities. When food is cooked,\nthe first portion thereof should be offered to a Brahmana. The particular\nofferings called Vali should also be presented to the household deities.\nThe deities become gratified with such gifts.[447] It is also well-known\nthat the measure of gratification which the deities derive from such\nofferings is a hundred times as great as that which the householder\nhimself derives from making them. Persons endued with piety and wisdom\nmake offerings of incense and lights, accompanying them with bows and\nprostrations. Such acts are always fraught with advancement and\nprosperity to those that do them. Those rites which the learned go\nthrough in course of their ablutions, and with the aid of waters,\naccompanied with bows unto the gods, always contribute to the\ngratification of the gods. When worshipped with proper rites, the highly\nblessed Pitris, Rishis possessed of wealth of asceticism, and the\nhousehold deities, all become gratified. Filled with such ideas, Nahusha,\nthat great king, when he obtained the sovereignty of the deities,\nobserved all these rites and duties fraught with great glory. Some time\nafter the good fortune of Nahusha waned, and as the consequence thereof,\nhe disregarded all these observances and began to act in defiance of all\nrestraints in the manner I have already adverted to. The chief of the\ndeities, in consequence of his abstention from observing the ordinances\nabout the offers of incense and light, began to decline in energy. His\nsacrificial rites and presents were obstructed by Rakshasas. It was at\nthis time that Nahusha yoked that foremost of Rishis, viz., Agastya, to\nhis car. Endued with great strength, Nahusha, smiling the while, set that\ngreat Rishi quickly to the task, commanding him to bear the vehicle from\nthe banks of the Saraswati (to the place he would indicate). At this\ntime, Bhrigu, endued with great energy, addressed the son of Mitravaruna,\nsaying, 'Do thou close thy eyes till I enter into the matted locks on thy\nhead.' Having said this, Bhrigu of unfading glory and mighty energy\nentered into the matted locks of Agastya who stood still like a wooden\npost for hurling king Nahusha from the throne of Heaven. Soon after\nNahusha saw Agastya approach him for bearing his vehicle. Beholding the\nlord of the deities Agastya addressed him, saying, 'Do thou yoke me to\nthy vehicle without delay. To what region shall I bear thee? O lord of\nthe deities, I shall bear thee to the spot which thou mayst be pleased to\ndirect.' Thus addressed by him, Nahusha caused the ascetic to be yoked to\nhis vehicle. Bhrigu, who was staying within the matted locks of Agastya,\nbecame highly pleased at this act of Nahusha. He took care not to cast\nhis eyes upon Nahusha. Fully acquainted with the energy which the\nillustrious Nahusha had acquired in consequence of the boon which Brahman\nhad granted him, Bhrigu conducted himself in this way. Agastya also,\nthough treated by Nahusha in this way, did not give way to wrath. Then, O\nBharata, king Nahusha urged Agastya on with his goad. The\nrighteous-souled Rishi did not still give way to anger. The lord of the\ndeities, himself giving way to anger, then struck Agastya on the head\nwith his left foot. When the Rishi was thus struck on the head, Bhrigu,\nwho was staying within Agastya's matted locks, became incensed and cursed\nNahusha of sinful soul, saying, 'Since thou hast struck with thy foot on\nthe head of this great Rishi, do thou, therefore, fall down on the earth,\ntransformed into a snake, O wretch of wicked understanding!' Thus cursed\nby Bhrigu who had not been seen, Nahusha immediately became transformed\ninto a snake and fell down on the earth, O chief of Bharata's race! If O\nmonarch, Nahusha had seen Bhrigu, the latter would not then have\nsucceeded, by his energy, in hurling the former down on the earth. In\nconsequence of the various gifts that Nahusha had made, as also his\npenances and religious observances though hurled down on the earth, O\nking, he succeeded in retaining his memory. He then began to propitiate\nBhrigu with a view to the working out of the curse. Agastya also, filled\nwith compassion, joined Nahusha in pacifying Bhrigu for bringing about an\nend of the curse. At last Bhrigu felt compassion for Nahusha and\nprovided for the working out of the curse.\n\n\"'\"Bhrigu said, 'There will appear a king (on earth) of the name of\nYudhishthira, the foremost of his race. He will rescue thee from this\ncurse.' Having said this, the Rishi vanished in the very sight of\nNahusha. Agastya also, of mighty energy, having thus accomplished the\nbusiness of the true Indra, that performer of a hundred sacrifices,\nreturned to his own asylum, worshipped by all members of the regenerate\norder. Thou hast, O king, rescued Nahusha from Bhrigu's curse. Verily,\nrescued by thee, he ascended to the region of Brahman in thy sight. As\nregards Bhrigu, having hurled Nahusha on the earth, he went to the region\nof Brahman and informed the Grandsire of it. The Grandsire, having called\nIndra back, addressed the deities, saying. 'Ye deities, through the boon\nI had granted him, Nahusha had obtained the sovereignty of heaven.\nDeprived, however, of that sovereignty by the enraged Agastya, he has\nbeen hurled on the earth. Ye deities, ye will not succeed in living\nwithout a chief. Do ye, therefore, once more install Indra in the\nsovereignty of Heaven.' Unto the Grandsire, O son of Pritha, who said so\nunto them, the deities filled with joy, replied, saying, 'So be it!' The\ndivine Brahman then, O best of monarchs, installed Indra in the\nsovereignty of heaven. Made once more the chief of the deities, Vasava\nbegan to shine in beauty and resplendence. Even this is what occurred in\ndays of yore through the transgression of Nahusha. In consequence,\nhowever, of the merits he had acquired through acts of the kind I have\nmentioned Nahusha succeeded in once more regaining his lost position.\nHence, when evening comes, persons leading the domestic mode of life\nshould give lights. The giver of lights is sure to acquire celestial\nsight after death. Verily, givers of light become as resplendent as the\nfull moon. The giver of lights becomes endued with beauty of form and\nstrength for as many years as correspond with the number of twinkles for\nwhich the lights given by him burn or blaze.\"'\"[448]\n\n\n\nSECTION CI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Where do those foolish, wretched, and sinful men go,\nO chief of men, that steal or misappropriate such articles as belong to\nBrahmanas?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall, in this connection, O Bharata, recite to thee\nthe old narrative of a conversation between a Chandala and a low\nKshatriya.[449]\n\n\"'\"The person of the royal order said, 'Thou seemest, O Chandala, to be old\nin years, but thy conduct seems to be like that of a boy! Thy body is\nbesmeared with the dust raised by dogs and asses, but without minding\nthat dust thou art anxious about the little drops of vine milk that have\nfallen upon thy body! It is plain that such acts as are censured by the\npious are ordained for the Chandala. Why, indeed, dost thou seek to wash\noff the spots of milk from thy body?'[450]\n\n\"'\"The Chandala said, 'Formerly, O king, certain kine belonging to Brahmana\nwere stolen. While they were being carried away, some milk from their\nudders fell upon a number of Soma plants that grew by the roadside. Those\nBrahmanas that drank the juice of the plants thus bedewed with milk, as\nalso the king who performed the sacrifice in which that Soma was drunk,\nhad to sink in hell. Indeed, for having thus appropriated some thing that\nhad belonged to a Brahmana, the king with all the Brahmanas that had\nassisted him had to go to hell. All those men also, Brahmanas and\nKshatriyas, that drank milk or ghee or curds, in the palace of the king\nwho had stolen the Brahmana's kine, had to fall into hell. The stolen\nkine also, shaking their bodies, slew with their milk the sons and\ngrandsons of those that had stolen them, as also the king and the queen\nalthough the latter treated the animals with great care and attention. As\nregards myself, O king, I used to live in the observance of the vow of\nBrahmacharya in that place where these kine were placed after they had\nbeen stolen away. The food I had obtained by begging became sprinkled\nover with the milk of those kine. Having taken that food, O thou of the\nroyal order, I have, in this life, become a Chandala. The king who had\nstolen the kine belonging to a Brahmana obtained an infamous end. Hence,\none should never steal or appropriate anything that belongs to a\nBrahmana. Behold to what state I am reduced in consequence of my having\neaten food that had been sprinkled over with milk belonging to a\nBrahmana! It is for this reason that Soma plants become unsaleable by a\nperson possessed of wisdom. They who sell the Soma plant are censured by\nthe wise. Indeed, O son, they who purchase Soma and they who sell it,\nboth sink in the hell called Raurava when, departing from this world,\nthey repair to the region of Yama. That man who, possessing a knowledge\nof the Vedas, duly sells Soma, becomes in his next life a usurer and\nquickly meets with destruction. For three hundred times he has to sink\ninto hell and become transformed into an animal that subsists upon human\nordure. Serving a person that is vile and low, pride, and rape upon a\nfriend's wife, if weighed against one another in a balance, would show\nthat pride, which transcends all restraints, is the heaviest. Behold this\ndog, so sinful and disagreeably pale and lean! (He was a human being in\nhis former life). It is through pride that living creatures attain to\nsuch a miserable end. As regards myself, I was born in a large family, in\na former birth of mine, O lord, and I was a thorough master of all\nbranches of knowledge and all the sciences. I knew the gravity of all\nthese faults, but influenced by pride, I became blinded and ate the meat\nattached to the vertebral columns of animals. In consequence of such\nconduct and such food, I have come to this state. Behold the reverses\nbrought about by Time! Like a person whose cloth has taken fire at one\nend, or who is pursued by bees, behold, I am running, penetrated with\nfear, and smeared with dust! They that lead the domestic mode of life are\nrescued from all sins by a study of the Vedas, as also by gifts of other\nkinds, as declared by the wise.[451] O thou of the royal order, a\nBrahmana that is sinful in conduct, becomes rescued from all his sins by\nthe study of the Vedas if he betakes himself to the forest mode of life\nand abstains from attachment of every kind. O chief of Kshatriyas, I am\nin this life, born in a sinful order! I fail to see clearly how I may\nsucceed in cleansing myself from all sins. In consequence of some\nmeritorious act of a former life, I have not lost the memory of my\nprevious lives. O king, I throw myself on the mercy! I ask thee! Do thou\nresolve my doubt. By what auspicious course of conduct should I wish to\nachieve my emancipation? O foremost of men, by what means shall I succeed\nin getting rid of my status as a Chandala?'\n\n\"'\"The person of the royal order said, 'Know, O Chandala, the means by\nwhich thou mayst be able to attain to emancipation. By casting off thy\nlife-breaths for the sake of a Brahmana thou mayst attain a desirable\nend! By throwing thy body on the fire of battle as a libation to the\nbeasts and birds of prey for the sake of a Brahmana, indeed, by casting\noff thy life-breaths thus, thou mayst achieve emancipation! By no other\nmeans wilt thou succeed in achieving it!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, that Chandala, O scorcher of foes,\npoured his life-breaths as a libation on the fire of battle for the sake\nof protecting a Brahmana's wealth and as the consequence of that act\nattained to a very desirable end. Hence, O son, thou shouldst always\nprotect the property of the Brahmanas, if, O chief of Bharata's race,\nthou desirest, O thou of mighty arms, an end that is eternal felicity!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, it has been said that all pious men\nattain to the same region after death. Is it true, O Bharata, that there\nis difference of position or status among them?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"By different deeds, O son of Pritha, men attain to\ndifferent regions. They who are righteous in conduct attain to regions of\nfelicity, while they who are sinful attain to regions that are fraught\nwith misery. In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\ndiscourse, O son, between the ascetic Gautama and Vasava. A certain\nBrahmana of the name of Gautama, mild and self-restrained and with all\nhis senses under complete control, beheld an infant elephant that had\nlost his mother and that was exceedingly cheerless on that account. Full\nof compassion and steady in the observance of his vows, the ascetic\nnursed that infant animal. After a long time the little beast grew up\ninto a large and mighty elephant. One day, Indra, assuming the form of\nking Dhritarashtra, seized that mighty elephant which was as huge as a\nhill and from whose rent temples the juice was trickling down. Beholding\nthe elephant dragged away, the great ascetic Gautama of rigid vows\naddressed king Dhritarashtra and said, 'O ungrateful Dhritarashtra, do\nnot rob me of this elephant. It is looked upon by me as a son and I have\nreared it with much pain. It is said that between the righteous,\nfriendship springs up if only they exchange seven words.[452] Thou\nshouldst see, O king, that the sin of injuring a friend does not touch\nthee! It behoveth thee not, O king, to take away by force this elephant\nthat brings me my fuel and water, that protects my asylum when I am away,\nthat is exceedingly docile and obedient to his instructor, that is mindful\nof doing all the offices that his preceptor commands, that is mild and\nwell-broken, and that is grateful and very dear to me! Indeed, thou\nshouldst not bear it away, disregarding my protestations and cries!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I shall give thee a thousand kine, a hundred\nmaid-servants, and five hundred pieces of gold. I shall also, O great\nRishi, give thee diverse other kinds of wealth. What use can Brahmanas\nhave with elephants?'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Keep, O king, thy kine and maid-servants and coins of\ngold and various gems and diverse other kinds of wealth! What, O monarch,\nhave Brahmanas to do with wealth?'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Brahmana, have no use for elephants. Verily, O\nlearned Brahmana, elephants are meant for persons of the royal order. In\ntaking away an animal, viz., this foremost of elephants, for my use as\nvehicle, I cannot be regarded as committing any sin. Do thou cease\nobstructing me in this way, O Gautama!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'O illustrious king, repairing even to that region of Yama\nwhere the righteous live in joy and the sinful in grief, I shall take\nfrom thee this my elephant!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'They that are destitute of (religious) acts, they\nthat have no faith and are atheists, they that are of sinful souls and\nare always engaged in gratifying their senses, only they have to go to\nthe region of Yama and endure the misery he inflicts. Dhritarashtra shall\ngo to a higher region, and not thither!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'The region of Yama is such that men are there controlled.\nNo untruth can be told there. Only truth prevails in that place. There\nthe weak persecute the strong. Repairing thither I shall force thee to\nyield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Only those persons, that intoxicated with pride,\nconduct themselves towards their eldest sister and father and mother as\ntowards foes, have to repair, O great ascetic, to such a region. I shall\nrepair to a higher region. Indeed, Dhritarashtra shall not have to go\nthither!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'The region, called Mandakini, of king Vaisravana is\nattained by those highly blessed persons for whom are every joy and\ncomfort. There Gandharvas and Yakshas and Apsaras live (gladdening all\nthe denizens with enchanting dances and music). Repairing even thither, O\nking, I shall force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those persons who regard hospitality to guests as a\nvow, who are observant of good vows (having other objects), who give\nshelter to Brahmanas, and who eat what remains after distribution among\nall those that are dependent upon them, adorn the region called Mandakini\nof Kuvera. (I shall not go thither, for a higher region is reserved for\nme)!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'If thou repairest to those delightful woods decked with\nflowers, that stand on the summit of Meru, that echo with melodious voice\nof Kinnaris, and that are graced with beautiful Jamvus of wide-spreading\nbranches, I shall proceed even thither and force thee to yield up this\nelephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those Brahmanas that are endued with mild\ndispositions, that are devoted to truth, that are possessed of great\nlearning in the scriptures, that are compassionate unto all creatures,\nthat study the Puranas with all the histories, that pour libations on the\nsacred fire and make gifts of honey unto the Brahmanas, repair to such\nregions, O great Rishi! I shall repair to a region that is higher. Indeed\nDhritarashtra shall not go thither. If thou art acquainted with any other\nwell-known region of felicity, speak unto me, for I shall repair even\nthither!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'If thou proceedest to the woods owned by Narada and held\ndear by him, that are adorned with flowers and that echo with the\nmelodious songs of the prince of Kinnaras, and that are the eternal abode\nof Gandharvas and Apsaras, I shall follow thee thither and force thee to\nyield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'They who never solicit alms, they who cultivate\nmusic and dancing, and always rove about in joy, proceed to such regions.\nO great Rishi, I shall repair to a region that is higher. Indeed,\nDhritarashtra shall not have to go thither!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'If thou goest to that region where the Uttara-Kurus blaze\nin beauty and pass their days in gladness, O king, in the company of the\nvery deities, where those beings that have their origin in fire, those\nthat have their origin in water, and those having their origin in\nmountains, reside in happiness, and where Sakra raineth down the fruition\nof every wish, and where women live in perfect freedom, unrestrained by\nrules of any kind regulating their conduct or motions, and where there is\nno feeling of jealousy between the sexes,--if thou repairest thither,\neven thither shall I proceed and force thee to yield up this elephant to\nme!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those men that are freed from desire with respect\nto all articles of enjoyment, that abstain from meat, that never take up\nthe rod of chastisement, and never inflict the least harm on mobile and\nimmobile creatures, that have constituted themselves the soul of all\ncreatures, that are entirely freed from the idea of meum, that have cast\noff attachments of every kind, that regard gain and loss as also praise\nand blame as equal,--only those men, O great Rishi, repair to such\nregions. I shall repair to a higher region. Verily, Dhritarashtra shall\nnot go thither!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Next to these blaze in beauty those eternal regions,\nredolent with excellent perfumes, that are free from passions of every\nkind and that are destitute of sorrow. These constitute the abode of the\nhigh-souled king Soma. If thou repairest thither, even thither shall I\nproceed and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those men that always make gifts without receiving\nany gift, who never accept any service from others, who own nothing which\nthey cannot give to a deserving person, who are hospitable to all\ncreatures, who are inclined to show grace to every one, who are endued\nwith forgiving dispositions, who never speak ill of others, who protect\nall creatures by throwing over them the shroud of compassion, and who are\nalways righteous in their behaviour,--only those men, O great Rishi,\nproceed to such regions. I shall proceed to a higher region. Verily,\nDhritarashtra shall not go there!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Next to these blaze in beauty other regions that are\neternal, free from passion and darkness and sorrow, and that lie at the\nfoot of the high-souled deity of the Sun. If thou repairest thither, even\nthither shall I go and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those men that are attentive to the study of the\nVedas, that are devoted to the service of their preceptors, that are\nobservant of penances and excellent vows, that are firm in truth, that\nnever utter anything that smacks of disobedience or enmity to their\npreceptors, that are always alert, and ever ready in service of seniors\nand preceptors,--they repair, O great Rishi, to such regions, they that\nare pure (of mind and body), that are endued with cleansed souls, that\nare of restrained speech, that are firm in truth, and that are\nwell-versed in the Vedas. I shall proceed to a higher region! Verily,\nDhritarashtra shall not go thither!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Next to those are the eternal regions that blaze in\nbeauty, that are redolent with excellent perfumes, that are free from\npassion, and that are free from every sorrow. They constitute the abode\nof the high-souled king Varuna. If thou proceedest thither, even thither\nshall I go and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those men who worship the deities by observing the\nvow called Chaturmasya, that perform a hundred and ten sacrifices, that\npour libations every day on their sacred fire with devotion and faith for\nthree years agreeably with the ordinances declared in the Vedas, that\nbear without flinching the burden of all duties, that walk steadily along\nthe way trod by the righteous, that steadily sustain the course of\nconduct followed by the righteous-souled,--only they repair to such\nregions. I shall repair to a higher region. Verily, Dhritarashtra shall\nnot go thither!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Above them are the regions of Indra, free from passion\nand sorrow, that are difficult of access and coveted by all men.\nProceeding even to the abode of Indra himself of mighty energy, I shall,\nO king, force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'He who lives for a hundred years, who is endued\nwith heroism, who studies the Vedas, and who performs sacrifices with\ndevotion, verily, such men proceed to the region of Sakra. I shall repair\nto a higher region. Verily, Dhritarashtra shall not go there!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Above the Heavens are the regions of the Prajapatis of\nsuperior felicity abounding in every happiness, and divested of sorrow.\nBelonging to those puissant ones from whom the creation has sprung, they\nare coveted by all persons. If thou repairest thither, even thither shall\nI go and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those kings that have bathed upon the completion of\nthe Rajasuya sacrifice, that are endued with righteous souls, that have\nprotected their subjects properly, and that have washed their limbs with\nsanctified water upon the completion of the horse-sacrifice, repair to\nsuch regions. Verily, Dhritarashtra shall not go there!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Next to those, blaze in beauty those eternal regions,\nredolent with delicious perfumes, free from passion, and transcending all\nsorrow. Those are the regions of kine difficult of attainment where\noppression can never be. If thou repairest thither, I shall proceed even\nthither and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'He who, owning thousand kine, gives away a hundred\nkine every year, or owning a hundred kine gives away ten every year to\nthe best of his might, or owning only ten or even five kine gives away\ntherefrom one cow, and they who attain to a mature old age practising the\nvows of Brahmacharya all their days, who obey the declarations of the\nVedas, and who, endued with energy of mind, betake themselves to\npilgrimages to sacred waters and shrines, dwell in felicity in the region\nof kine. They who repair to Prabhasa and Manasa, the lakes of Pushkara,\nthe large lake called Mahatsara, the sacred woods of Naimisha, Vahuda,\nKaratoya, Ganga, Gayasiras, Vipasa, Sthulavaluka, Krishna, the five\nrivers (of the Punjab), the extensive lake called Mahahrada, Gomati,\nKausiki, Champa, Saraswati, Drisadwati, and Yamuna,--indeed, those\nillustrious Brahmanas, steady in the observance of vows, who go to these\nsacred waters,--repair to the regions of which thou speakest. Endued with\ncelestial bodies and adorned with celestial garlands those blessed\nindividuals, always emitting the most delightful perfumes, repair to\nthose regions of joy and gladness. Verily, Dhritarashtra shall not go\nthere!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Next to these are regions where there is no fear of the\nleast cold or heat, no hunger, no thirst, no pain, no sorrow, no joy, no\none that is agreeable or disagreeable, no friend, and no enemy: where\ndecrepitude and death are not, and where there is neither righteousness\nnor sin. Proceeding even to that region which is freed from passion,\nwhich abounds with equable happiness, and where there is wisdom and the\nattribute of Sattwa,--verily, proceeding to even that sacred abode of the\nself-born Brahman,--I shall force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'They who are freed from all attachments, who are\npossessed of cleansed souls, who are steady in the observance of the\nforemost vows, who are devoted to the Yoga that depends on tranquillising\nthe mind, and who have (in this life) attained to the happiness of\nheaven,--those persons wedded to the attribute of Sattwa--attain to the\nsacred region of Brahman. O great ascetic, thou shalt not be able to\ndiscover Dhritarashtra there!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'There where the foremost of Rathantaras is sung, where\naltars are strewn with the sacred Kusa blades, for the performance of\nPundarika sacrifices, there where Soma-drinking Brahmanas go on vehicles\ndrawn by excellent steeds,[453] proceeding even thither I shall force\nthee to yield up this elephant. I think, thou art the slayer of Vritra,\nviz., the deity that has performed a hundred sacrifices, engaged in\nroving through all the regions of the universe! I hope, I have not,\nthrough mental weakness (not recognising thee before) committed any fault\nby the words I have addressed thee!'\n\n\"'\"The deity of a hundred sacrifices said, 'Yes, I am Maghavat. I came to\nthe world of human beings, for seizing this elephant. I bow to thee. Do\nthou command me! I shall readily accomplish all that thou mayst be\npleased to say!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'Do thou give me, O chief of the deities, this elephant\nthat is of white complexion and that is so young, for it is only ten\nyears of age. I have brought it up as a child of my own. Dwelling in\nthese woods, it has grown under my eye and has been to me a dear\ncompanion. Do thou set free this my child that thou hast seized and\nwishest to drag away!'\n\n\"'\"The deity of a hundred sacrifices said, 'This elephant that has been a\nson to thee, O foremost of Brahmanas, cometh to thee looking wishfully at\nthee! Behold, it sniffs thy feet with its nostrils! My salutations to\nthee! Do thou pray for my welfare!'\n\n\"'\"Gautama said, 'O chief of the deities, I do always think of thy good! I\nalways offer thee worship! Do thou also, O Sakra, bestow thy blessings on\nme! Given by thee, I accept this elephant!'\n\n\"'\"The deity of a hundred sacrifices said, 'Amongst all those high-souled\nand foremost of Rishis that firmly adhere to truth and that have the\nVedas planted in their heart, thou alone hast been able to recognise me.\nFor this reason I am exceedingly pleased with thee! Do thou, therefore, O\nBrahmana, come with me quickly, accompanied by this thy son! Thou\ndeservest to attain to diverse regions of great felicity without the\ndelay of even a single day!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said these words, the wielder of the\nthunderbolt, taking Gautama with him and placing him before, along with\nhis son, viz., that elephant, proceeded to heaven, that is difficult of\nattainment by even the righteous. He who would listen to this history\nevery day or would recite it, restraining his senses the while,\nproceedeth (after death) to the region of Brahman even as Gautama\nhimself.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast discoursed to us on diverse kinds of gift,\non tranquillity of soul, on Truth, on compassion, on contentment with\none's wedded wife, and the merits of gift. It is known to thee, O\ngrandsire, that there is nothing whose puissance is superior to that of\npenances. It behoveth thee to expound to us what constitutes the highest\npenances.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I tell thee, O Yudhishthira, that one attains to a region\nof felicity that corresponds with the kind of penances that one observes.\nThis is what I hold, O son of Kunti, that there is no penance that is\nsuperior to abstention from food! In this connection is recited the\nancient narrative of the discourse between Bhagiratha and the illustrious\nBrahman (the Grandsire of the Creation). It has been heard by us, O\nBharata, that Bhagiratha attained to that region which transcends that of\nthe deities, of kine, and of the Rishis. Beholding this, O monarch, the\nGrandsire Brahman, addressing Bhagiratha, said, 'How, O Bhagiratha, hast\nthou attained to this region that is so difficult of attainment? Neither\nthe deities, nor Gandharvas, nor human beings, O Bhagiratha succeed in\ncoming here without having practised the severest austerities. How,\nindeed, hast thou attained to this region?'\n\n\"'\"Bhagiratha said, 'I used to make gifts of hundreds of thousands of gold\ncoin unto the Brahmanas, observing the Brahmacharya vow all the while, it\nis not through the merit on those gifts, O learned one, that I have\nattained to this region. I performed the Ekaratra sacrifice for ten\ntimes, and the Pancharatra sacrifice for as many times. The Ekadasaratra\nsacrifice was performed by me eleven times. The great sacrifice of\nJyotishtoma was performed by me a hundred times. It is not, however,\nthrough the merits of those sacrifices that I have attained to this\nregion of felicity.[454] For a hundred years I lived continuously by the\nside of the holy Jahnavi, all the while practising the severest\nausterities. There I made gifts unto the Brahmanas of thousands of male\nand female slaves. By the side of the Pushkara lakes I made gifts unto\nthe Brahmanas, for a hundred thousand times, a hundred thousand steeds,\nand two hundred thousand kine. I also gave away a thousand damsels of\ngreat beauty, each adorned with golden moons, and sixty thousand more\ndecked with ornaments of pure gold. It is not, however, through the\nmerits of those acts that I have succeeded in attaining to these\nregions.[455] O lord of the universe, performing those sacrifices known\nby the name of Gosava, I gave away ten Arvudas of kine, presenting each\nBrahmana with ten kine, each of whom was accompanied with her calf, each\nof whom yielded milk at the time, and with each of whom were given a\nvessel of gold and one of white brass for milking her. Performing many\nSoma sacrifices, I gave away unto each Brahmana ten kine each of whom\nyielded milk, and each of whom had brought forth only her first calf,\nbesides making presents unto them of hundreds of kine belonging to that\nspecies which is known by the name of Rohini. I also gave away unto the\nBrahmanas twice ten Prayutas of other kine, all yielding milk. It is not\nthrough the merit of those gifts, O Brahman, that I have succeeded in\nattaining to this region of felicity. I also gave away a hundred thousand\nhorses of the Valhika breed, all white of complexion, and adorned with\ngarlands of gold. It is not, however, through the merits of those acts\nthat I have attained to this region. I gave away eight crores of golden\ncoins unto the Brahmanas, O Brahman, and then another ten crores also, in\neach sacrifice that I performed. It is not, however, through the merits\nof those acts that I have attained to this region of felicity. I also\ngave away ten and then seven crores of steeds, O Grandsire, each of green\ncomplexion, each having ears that were dark, and each adorned with\ngarlands of gold. I also gave away ten and seven thousand elephants of\nhuge size, of teeth as large as plough-shares, each having those whorls\non its body which are called Padmas, and each adorned with garlands of\ngold. I gave away ten thousand cars, O Grandsire, whose limbs were made\nof gold, and which were adorned with diverse ornaments of gold. I also\ngave away seven thousand other cars with steeds yoked unto each. All the\nsteeds that were yoked unto them were adorned with ornaments of gold.\nThose cars represented the Dakshinas of a sacrifice and were of exactly\nthat kind which is indicated in the Vedas. In the ten great Vajapeya\nsacrifices that I performed, I gave away a thousand horses each endued\nwith the puissance of Indra himself, judged by their prowess and the\nsacrifices they had performed. Spending a vast sum of money, O Grandsire,\nand performing eight Rajasuya sacrifices, I gave away (unto the Brahmanas\nthat officiated in them) a thousand kings whose necks were adorned with\ngarlands of gold, after having vanquished them in battle. It is not,\nhowever, through the merits of those acts that I have attained to this\nregion. In those sacrifices, O Lord of the universe, the presents that\nflowed from me were as copious as the stream of Ganga herself. Unto each\nBrahmana I gave two thousand elephants decked with gold, as many steeds\nadorned with golden ornaments, and a hundred villages of the best kind.\nVerily, I gave these unto each Brahmana for three times in succession.\nObservant of penances, subsisting on regulated diet, adopting\ntranquillity of soul, and restraining speech, I dwelt for a long time on\nthe breast of Himavat by the side of that Ganga whose irresistible\ncurrent (as it fell from heaven) was borne by Mahadeva on his head. It is\nnot through the merit of these acts, O Grandsire, that I have attained\nto this region. Throwing the Sami, I adored the gods in myriads of such\nsacrifices as are completed in course of a single day, and such others as\ntake twelve days for completing, and others still as can be completed in\nthree and ten days, besides many Pundarikas. I have not attained to this\nregion through the merits of any of those sacrifices.[456] I gave unto\nthe Brahmanas eight thousand white-complexioned bulls, each graced with a\nbeautiful hump, and each having one of its horns covered with gold. Unto\nthem I also gave beautiful wives whose necks were adorned with chains of\ngold. I also gave away large heaps of gold and wealth of other kinds.\nVerily, I gave away hills of gems and precious stones. Villages,\nnumbering by thousands and teeming with wealth and corn, were also given\naway by me. With all my senses about me, I gave away unto the Brahmanas a\nhundred thousand kine each of whom had brought forth only her first calf,\nat many great sacrifices which I performed. It is not, however, through\nthe merits of those acts that I have attained to this region. I adored\nthe deities in a sacrifice that is completed in eleven days. Twice I\nadored them in sacrifices that are completed in twelve days. I adored\nthem also many a time in the horse-sacrifices. Six and ten times I\nperformed the Arkayana sacrifice. It is not through the merits of those\nacts that I have attained to this region. I also gave unto each Brahmana\na forest of Kanchana trees extending for a Yojana on every side, and with\neach tree adorned with jewels and gems. It is not through the merits of\nthat act that I have attained to this region. For thirty years, with\nheart perfectly freed from wrath, I observed the Turayana vow that is\npossessed of very superior merit, and gave away unto the Brahmanas every\nday nine hundred kine. Indeed, O Lord of the universe, every one of those\nkine belonged to the Rohini species, and yielded milk at the time I gave\nthem away. It is not through the merits of those acts, O chief of the\ndeities, that I have attained to this region. I worshipped thirty fires,\nO Brahmana, every day. I adored the deities in eight sacrifices in which\nthe fat of all animals was poured on the fire. I adored them in seven\nsacrifices in which the fat of human beings was poured on the fire. I\nadored them in a thousand and twenty-eight Viswajit sacrifices. It is not\nthrough the merits of those sacrifices O Lord of all the deities, that I\nhave attained to this region. On the banks of Sarayu and Vahuda and Ganga\nas also in the woods of Naimisha, I gave away millions of kine unto the\nBrahmanas. It is not through the merits of those acts that I have\nattained to this region. The vow of fast had been known to Indra. He had,\nhowever, kept it a secret. Sukra, the descendant of Bhrigu, obtained a\nknowledge of it by means of spiritual sight acquired through penances.\nBlazing with energy as he does, it is Usanas who first made it known to\nthe universe. I observed that vow, O boon giving Deity! When I\naccomplished that very superior vow, the Brahmanas became all gratified\nwith me. A thousand Rishis came thither. All those Brahmanas and Rishis,\nO puissant lord, gratified with me, said, \"Do thou repair to the region\nof Brahman!\" It is in consequence of the merits of that vow that I have\nsucceeded in attaining to this region of very superior felicity. There is\nno doubt in this. Asked by the Supreme Ordainer of all things, I have\nduly expounded the merits of the vow of fast. In my opinion, there is no\npenance higher than fast. I vow to thee, O foremost of all the deities!\nBe thou propitious unto me!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"King Bhagiratha, who had said so and who deserved\nevery honour was on the conclusion of his speech, honoured by Brahman\naccording to the rites ordained for that purpose. Do thou, therefore, O\nYudhishthira, observe the vow of fast and worship the Brahmanas every\nday. The words uttered by Brahmanas can accomplish everything both here\nand hereafter. Indeed, the Brahmanas should ever be gratified with gifts\nof robes, food and white complexioned kine and good dwelling houses and\nmansions. The very deities should gratify the Brahmanas. Freeing thyself\nfrom cupidity, do thou practise this vow of very superior merit that is\nnot known to all!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Man, it is said, is endued with a period of life\nextending for a hundred years, and with energy and might that are\nconsiderable. Why then, O grandsire, do human beings die even when they\nare very young? By what does a man become endued with longevity, and by\nwhat is his life shortened? Through what does a man acquire the fame that\nrests upon great achievements? Through what does one attain to wealth and\nprosperity? Is it by penances, or Brahmacharya, or silent recitation of\nsacred Mantras, or drugs? Is it by his acts, or speech? Do thou explain\nto me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall tell thee what thou askest me. In fact, I shall\ntell thee what the reason is for which one becomes shortlived, and what\nthe reason is for which one becomes endued with longevity. I shall also\nexplain to thee the reason for which one succeeds in acquiring the fame\nthat rests on great achievements, and the reason for which one succeeds\nin acquiring wealth and prosperity. Indeed, I shall enlighten thee as to\nthe manner in which one must live in order to be endued with all that is\nbeneficial for him. It is by conduct that one acquires longevity, and it\nis by conduct that one acquires wealth and prosperity. Indeed, it is by\nconduct that one acquires the fame that rests upon great achievements\nboth here and hereafter. The man whose conduct is improper or wicked\nnever acquires a long life. All creatures become afraid of such a man and\nare oppressed by him. If, therefore, one wishes one's own advancement and\nprosperity, one should, in this world, betake to conduct that is proper\nand good. Good conduct succeeds in dispelling the inauspiciousness and\nmisery of even one that is sinful.[457] Righteousness has conduct for its\nindication. They that are good and righteous are so in consequence of the\nconduct they follow. The indications, again, of good conduct are afforded\nby the acts of those that are good or righteous. People esteem that man\nwho acts righteously and who does good acts even if they only hear of him\nwithout actually seeing him. They that are atheists, they that are\ndestitute of all acts, they that are disobedient to preceptors and\ntransgress the injunctions of the scriptures, they that are unacquainted\nwith and, therefore, unobservant of duties, and they that are wicked of\nconduct, become shortlived. They that are of improper behaviour, they\nthat transgress all restraints, they that are unscrupulous in respect of\nsexual congress, become shortlived here and have to go to Hell hereafter.\nEven those men live for a hundred years who, though destitute of all\naccomplishments, betake themselves to propriety and righteousness of\nconduct and become endued with faith and freed from malice. He that is\nfree from wrath, that is truthful in speech, that never does any injury\nto any creature in the universe, that is divested of malice and\ncrookedness and insincerity, succeeds in living for a hundred years. He\nwho always breaks little clods of earth, or tears up the grass that grows\nunder his feet, or cuts off his nails with his teeth, or is always\nimpure, or very restless, never succeeds in acquiring a long life.[458]\nOne should wake up from sleep at the hour known as the Brahma Muhurta and\nthen think of both religion and profit. Getting up from bed, one should\nthen wash one's face and mouth, and joining one's hands in an attitude of\nreverence, say the morning prayers.[459] In this way, one should when\nevening comes, say one's evening prayers also, restraining speech (with\nother people) the while. One should never look at the rising sun, nor at\nthe setting sun.[460] Nor should one look at the sun when he is in\neclipse; nor at his image in the water; nor at midday when he is at the\nmeridian. The Rishis, in consequence of their adoring the two twilights\nwith great regularity succeeded in attaining to longevity. Hence, one\nshould, restraining speech, say one's prayers regularly at the two\ntwilights. As regards those Brahmanas that do not say their prayers at\nthe two twilights, a righteous king should set them to accomplish such\nacts as are ordained for the Sudras. Persons of every order should never\nhave sexual congress with other people's wives. There is nothing that\nshortens life so effectually as sexual congress with other people's\nwives. For as many thousand years shall the adulterer have to live in\nHell as the number of pores on the bodies of the women with whom he may\ncommit the offence. One should dress one's hair, apply collyrium to one's\neyes, and wash one's teeth, as also worship the deities, in the forenoon.\nOne should not gaze at urine or faeces, or tread on it or touch it with\none's feet. One should not set out on a journey at early dawn, or at\nmidday, or in the evening twilight, or with a companion that is unknown,\nor with a Sudra, or alone. While going along a road, one should, standing\naside, always make way to a Brahmana, to kine, to kings, to an old man,\nto one that is weighted with a burden, to a woman quick with child, or to\none that is weak. When one meets a large tree that is known, one should\nwalk round it. One should also, when coming upon a spot where four roads\nmeet, walk round it before pursuing one's journey. At midday, or at\nmidnight, or at night in general, or at the two twilights, one should not\nproceed to spots where four roads meet. One should never wear sandals or\nclothes that have been worn by another. One should always observe the vow\nof Brahmacharya, and should never cross one's legs. One should observe\nthe vow of Brahmacharya on the day of the new moon, as also on that of\nthe full moon, as also on the eighth lunar day of both fortnights. One\nshould never eat the flesh of animals not slain in sacrifice. One should\nnever eat the flesh of the back of an animal. One should avoid censuring\nand calumniating others, as also all kinds of deceitful behaviour.[461]\nOne should never pierce others with wordy shafts. Indeed, one should\nnever utter any cruel speech. One should never accept a gift from a\nperson that is low and vulgar. One should never utter such words as\ntrouble other people or as are inauspicious or are as sinful. Wordy\nshafts fall from the mouth. Pierced therewith, the victim grieves day and\nnight. The man of wisdom should never shoot them for piercing the vitals\nof other people. A forest, pierced with shafts or cut down with the axe,\ngrows again. The man, however, that is pierced with words unwisely\nspoken, becomes the victim of wounds that fester and lead to death.[462]\nBarbed arrows and Nalikas and broadheaded shafts are capable of being\nextracted from the body. Wordy shafts, however, are incapable of being\nextracted, for they lie embedded in the very heart. One should not taunt\na person that is defective of a limb or that has a limb in excess, or one\nthat is destitute of learning, or one that is miserable, or one that is\nugly or poor, or one that is destitute of strength. One should avoid\natheism, calumniating the Vedas, censuring the deities, malice, pride,\narrogance, and harshness. One should not, in wrath, take up the rod of\nchastisement for laying it upon another. Only the son or the pupil, it\nhas been said, can be mildly chastised for purposes of instruction. One\nshould not speak ill of Brahmanas; nor should he point at the stars with\none's fingers. If asked, one should not say what the lunation is on a\nparticular day. By telling it, one's life becomes shortened. Having\nanswered calls of nature or having walked over a road, one should wash\none's feet. One should also wash one's feet before sitting to recite the\nVedas or to eat any food. These are the three things which are regarded\nas pure and sacred by the deities and as such fit for the Brahmana's use,\nviz., that whose impurity is unknown, that which has been washed in\nwater, and that which has been well-spoken of. Samyava, Krisara, meat,\nSashakuli and Payasa should never be cooked for one's own self. Whenever\ncooked, these should be offered to the deities.[463] One should attend\nevery day to one's fire. One should every day give alms. One should,\nrestraining speech the while, clean one's teeth with the tooth-stick. One\nshould never be in bed when the sun is up. If one fails any day to be up\nwith the sun, one should then perform an expiation. Rising from bed, one\nshould first salute one's parents, and preceptors, or other seniors\ndeserving of respect. By so doing one attains to long life. The\ntooth-stick should be cast off when done with, and a new one should be\nused every day. One should eat only such food as is not forbidden in the\nscriptures, abstaining from food of every kind on days of the new moon\nand the full moon. One should, with senses restrained, answer calls of\nnature, facing the north. One should not worship the deities without\nhaving first washed one's teeth. Without also worshipping the deities\nfirst, one should never repair to any person save one's preceptor or one\nthat is old in years or one that is righteous or one that is possessed of\nwisdom. They that are wise should never see themselves in an unpolished\nor dirty mirror. One should never have sexual congress with a woman that\nis unknown or with one that is quick with child. One should never sleep\nwith head turned towards the north or the west. One should not lie down\nupon a bed-stead that is broken or rickety. One should not sleep on a bed\nwithout having examined it first with the aid of a light. Nor should one\nsleep on a bed with another (such as wife) by one's side. One should\nnever sleep in a transverse direction. One should never make a compact\nwith atheists or do anything in conjunction with them.[464] One should\nnever drag a seat with the foot and sit on it. One should never bathe in\na state of nudity, nor at night. One possessed of intelligence should\nnever suffer one's limbs to be rubbed or pressed after bathing. One\nshould never smear unguents upon one's body without having first taken\nbath. Having bathed, one should never wave one's cloth in the air (for\ndrying it). One should not always wear wet clothes. One should never take\noff one's body the garlands of flowers one may wear. Nor should one wear\nsuch garlands over one's outer garments. One should never even talk with\na woman during the period of her functional change. One should not answer\na call of nature on a field (where crops are grown) or at a place too\nnear an inhabited village. One should never answer a call of nature on a\nwater. One should first wash one's mouth thrice with water before eating\nany food. Having finished one's meals, one should wash one's mouth thrice\nwith water and twice again. One should eat, with face turned eastwards,\none's food, restraining speech the while and without censuring the food\nthat is eaten. One should always leave a remnant of the food that is\nplaced before one for eating. Having finished one's meals, one should\nmentally touch fire. If one eats with face turned eastwards, one becomes\nendued with longevity. By eating with face turned southwards, one\nacquires great fame. By eating with face turned westwards, one acquires\ngreat wealth. By eating with face turned northwards, one becomes truthful\nin speech. Having finished one's meals one should wash all the upper\nholes of one's body with water.[465] Similarly, all the limbs, the navel,\nand the palms of the hands should be washed with water. One should never\nseat oneself upon husk of corn, or upon hair, or upon ashes, or upon\nbones. One should, on no account, use the water that has been used by\nanother for bathing. One should always perform the Homa for propitiating\nthe deities, and recite the Savitri Mantra. One should always eat in a\nseated posture. One should never eat while walking. One should never\nanswer a call of nature in a standing posture. One should never answer a\ncall of nature on ashes or in a cow-pen. One should wash one's feet\nbefore sitting to one's meals. One should never sit or lie down for sleep\nwith wet feet. One who sits to one's meals after having washed one's\nfeet, lives for a hundred years. One should never touch these three\nthings of great energy, while one is in an impure state, viz., fire, a\ncow, and a Brahmana. By observing this rule, one acquires longevity. One\nshould not, while one is in an impure state, cast one's eyes on these\nthree things of great energy, viz., the sun, the moon, and the stars. The\nlife-breaths of a young man go upwards when an old and venerable person\ncomes to his abode. He gets them back by standing up and properly\nsaluting the guest. Old men should always be saluted. One should, upon\nseeing them, offer seats with one's own hand. After the old man has taken\nhis seat, one should seat oneself and remain with hands joined in\nreverence. When an old man goes along the road, one should always follow\nhim instead of walking ahead. One should never sit on a torn or broken\nseat. One should, without using it any longer, cast away a broken vessel\nof white brass. One should never eat without a piece of upper garment\nwrapping one's body. One should never bathe in a state of nudity. One\nshould never sleep in a state of nudity. One should never even touch the\nremnants of other people's dishes and plates. One should never, while one\nis in an impure state, touch another's head, for it is said in the\nscriptures that the life-breaths are all concentrated in the head. One\nshould never strike another on the head or seize another by the hair. One\nshould not join one's hands together for scratching one's head. One\nshould not, while bathing, repeatedly dip one's head in water. By so\ndoing one shortens one's life. One who has bathed by dipping the head in\nwater should not, afterwards, apply oil to any part of one's body. One\nshould never take a meal without eating some sesame. One should never\nteach (the Vedas or any scriptures) at a time when one is impure. Nor\nshould one study while one is impure. When a storm rises or a bad odour\npermeates in the atmosphere, one should never think of the Vedas. Persons\nconversant with ancient history recite a Gatha sung by Yama in days of\nold. He that runs while impure or studies the Vedas under similar\ncircumstances, indeed, that regenerate Brahman who studies the Vedas at\nforbidden times, loses his Vedas and shortens his life. Hence, one should\nnever study the Vedas with concentrated attention at forbidden times.\nThey who answer a call of nature, with face towards the sun, or towards a\nblazing fire, or towards a cow, or towards a regenerate person, or on the\nroad, become shortlived. At daytime both calls of nature should be\nanswered with face turned towards the north. At night, those calls should\nbe answered facing the south. By so doing one does not shorten one's\nlife. One that wishes to live long should never disregard or insult any\nof these three, however weak or emaciated they may appear to be, viz.,\nthe Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the snake. All three are endued with\nvirulent poison. The snake, if angry, burns the victim with only a glance\nof its eyes. The Kshatriya also, if angry, burns the objects of his\nwrath, as soon as he sees him, with his energy. The Brahmana, stronger\nthan any of these two, destroys not only the objects of his wrath but his\nwhole race as well, not by vision alone but by thought also.[466] The man\nof wisdom should, therefore, tend these three with care. One should\nnever engage in any disputation with one's preceptor. O Yudhishthira, if\nthe preceptor becomes angry, he should always be pacified by due honours\nbeing paid to him. Even if the preceptor happens to be entirely wrong,\none should still follow and honour him. Without doubt, calumnious sayings\nagainst the preceptor always consume the lives of those that utter them.\nOne should always answer a call of nature at a spot far removed from\none's habitation. One should wash one's feet at a distance from one's\nhabitation. One should always throw the remnants of one's dishes and\nplates at a spot far removed from one's habitation. Verily, he who\ndesires his own good should do all these. One should not wear garlands of\nred flowers. Indeed, they who are possessed of wisdom should wear\ngarlands of flowers that are white in hue. Rejecting the lotus and the\nlily, O thou of great might, one may bear on one's head, however, a\nflower that is red, even if it be an aquatic one.[467] A garland of gold\ncan under no circumstances become impure. After one has bathed, O king,\none should use perfumes mixed with water.[468] One should never wear\none's upper garment for covering the lower limbs or the lower garments\nfor covering the upper ones. Nor should one wear clothes worn by another.\nOne should not, again, wear a piece of cloth that has not its lateral\nfringes.[469] When one goes to bed, O king, one should wear a different\npiece of cloth. When making a journey also on a road, one should wear a\ndifferent piece of cloth. So also, when worshipping the deities, one\nshould wear a different piece of cloth.[470] The man of intelligence\nshould smear his limbs with unguents made of Priyangu, sandalwood, Vilwa,\nTagara, and Kesara.[471] In observing a fast, one should purify oneself\nby a bath, and adorn one's person with ornaments and unguents. One should\nalways abstain from sexual congress on days of the full moon and the new\nmoon. One should never, O monarch, eat off the same plate with another\neven if that other happens to be of one's own or equal rank. Nor should\none ever eat any food that has been prepared by a woman in her functional\nperiod. One should never eat any food or drink, any liquid whose essence\nhas been taken off. Nor should one eat anything without giving a portion\nthereof to persons that wishfully gaze at the food that one happens to\ntake. The man of intelligence should never sit close to one that is\nimpure. Nor should one sit close to persons that are foremost in\npiety.[472] All food that is forbidden in ritual acts should never be\ntaken even on other occasions. The fruits of the Ficus religiosa and the\nFicus Bengalensis as also the leaves of the Crotolaria Juncea, and the\nfruits of the Ficus glomerata, should never be eaten by one who is\ndesirous of his own good. The flesh of goats, of kine, and the peacock,\nshould never be eaten. One should also abstain from dried flesh and all\nflesh that is stale. The man of intelligence should never eat any salt,\ntaking it up with his hand. Nor should he eat curds and flour of fried\nbarley at night. One should abstain also from flesh of animals not slain\nin sacrifices. One should, with concentrated attention, eat once in the\nmorning and once in the evening, abstaining entirely from all food,\nduring the interval. One should never eat any food in which one may\ndetect a hair. Nor should one eat at the Sraddha of an enemy. One should\neat silently; one should never eat without covering one's person with an\nupper garment, and without sitting down.[473] One should never eat any\nfood placing it on the bare ground. One should never eat except in a\nsitting posture. One should never make any noise while eating.[474] The\nman of intelligence should first offer water and then food to one that\nhas become his guest, and after having served the guest thus, should then\nsit to his meals himself. He who sits down to dinner in a line with\nfriends and himself eats any food without giving thereof to his friends,\nis said to eat virulent poison. As regards water and Payasa and flour of\nfried barley and curds and ghee and honey, one should never, after\ndrinking or eating these, offer the remnants thereof to others. One\nshould never, O chief of men, eat any food doubtingly.[475] One desirous\nof food should never drink curds at the conclusion of a meal. After the\nmeal is finished, one should wash one's mouth and face with the (right)\nhand only, and taking a little water should then dip the toe of the right\nfoot in it. After washing, one should touch the crown of one's head with\nthe (right) hand. With concentrated attention, one should next touch\nfire. The man who knows how to observe all these ordinances with care,\nsucceeds in attaining to the foremost place among his kinsmen. One\nshould, after finishing one's meals, with one's nose and eyes and ears\nand navel and both hands wash with water. One should not, however, keep\none's hands wet. Between the tip and the root of the thumb is situate the\nsacred Tirtha known by the name of Brahma. On the back of the little\nfinger, it is said, is situate the Deva-tirtha. The intervening space\nbetween the thumb and the forefinger, O Bharata, should be used for\ndischarging the Pitri rites, after touching water according to the\nordinance.[476] One should never indulge in other people's calumny. Nor\nshould one ever utter anything that is disagreeable. The man that desires\nhis own good should never seek to provoke against himself the wrath of\nothers. One should never seek to converse with a person that has fallen\naway from his order. The very sight of such a person should be avoided.\nOne should never come in contact with a fallen person. By avoiding such\ncontact one succeeds in attaining to a long life. One should never\nindulge in sexual congress at day-time. Nor should one have congress with\na maiden, nor with a harlot nor with a barren woman. One should never\nhave congress with a woman that has not bathed after the expiry of her\nfunctional period. By avoiding such acts one succeeds in attaining to a\nlong life. After washing the several limbs directed, in view of religious\nacts, one should wash one's lips thrice, and once more twice. By doing\nthis, one becomes purified and fit for religious acts. The several organs\nof sense should each be washed once, and water should also be sprinkled\nover the whole body. Having done this, one should go through the worship\nof the Pitris and the deities, agreeably with the ordinances of the\nVedas. Listen to me, O thou of Kuru's race, as I tell thee what\npurification is cleansing and beneficial for a Brahmana. Before beginning\nto eat and after finishing the meal, and in all acts requiring\npurification, the Brahmana should perform the achamana with water placed\non the limb called the Brahmatirtha.[477] After ejecting any matter from\nthe throat or spitting, one should wash one's mouth before one can become\npure. A kinsman who happens to be old, or a friend who happens to be\npoor, should be established in one's house and his comforts looked after\nas if he were a member of the family. By doing this, one succeeds in\nacquiring both fame and long life. The establishment of pigeons in one's\nhouse is fraught with blessedness, as also of parrots both male and\nfemale. If female these taken to one's abode, they succeed in dispelling\ncalamity. The same is the case with cockroaches, If fireflies and\nvultures and wood-pigeons and bees enter a house or seek residence in it,\nacts of propitiating the deities should be performed. These are creatures\nof evil omen, as also ospreys. One should never divulge the secrets of\nhigh-souled men; one should never have sexual congress with a forbidden\nwoman. Nor should one ever have such congress with the spouse of a king\nor with women that are the friends of queens. One should never cultivate\nintimacy with physicians, or with children, or with persons that are old,\nor with one's servants, O Yudhishthira. One should always provide for\nfriends, for Brahmanas, and for such as seek one's protection. By doing\nthis, O king, one acquires a long life. The man of wisdom should reside\nin such a house as has been constructed with the aid of a Brahmana and an\nengineer skilled in his profession, if indeed, O king, he desires his own\ngood.[478] One should not, O king, sleep at the evening twilight. Nor\nshould one study at such an hour for acquiring any branch of knowledge.\nThe man of intelligence should never eat also at such an hour. By acting\nin this way one acquires a long life. One should never perform any act in\nhonour of the Pitris at night time. One should not deck one's person\nafter finishing one's meals. One should bathe at night, if one desires\none's own advancement. One should also, O Bharata, always abstain from\nthe flour of fried barley at night. The remnants of food and drink, as\nalso the flowers with which one has worshipped the deities, should never\nbe used. Inviting a guest at night, one should never, with excessive\ncourtesy, force him to eat to the point of gratification. Nor should one\neat oneself to the point of gratification, at night. One should not slay\na bird (for eating it), especially after having fed it.[479] One\npossessed of wisdom should wed a maiden born in a high family, endued\nwith auspicious indications, and of full age. Begetting children upon her\nand thus perpetuating one's race by that means, one should make over\none's sons to a good preceptor for acquiring general knowledge, O\nBharata, as also a knowledge of the especial customs of the family, O\nmonarch. The daughters that one may beget should be bestowed upon youths\nof respectable families, that are again possessed of intelligence. Sons\nshould also be established and a portion of the family inheritance, given\nto them, O Bharata, as their provision. One should bathe by dipping one's\nhead in water before one sits down to perform any act in honour of the\nPitris of the deities. One should never perform a Sraddha under the\nconstellation of one's nativity. No Sraddha should be performed under any\nof the Bhadrapadas (prior or later), nor under the constellation\nKrittika, O Bharata. The Sraddha should never be performed under any of\nthose constellations that are regarded as fierce (such as Aslesha, etc.)\nand any of those that, upon calculation, seem to be hostile. Indeed, in\nthis respect, all these constellations should be avoided which are\nforbidden in treatises on astrology. One should sit facing either the\neast or the north while undergoing a shave at the hands of the barber. By\nso doing, O great king, one succeeds in acquiring a long life. One should\nnever indulge in other people's calumny or self-reproach, for, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, it is said that calumny is sinful, whether of others or of\noneself. In wedding, one should avoid a woman that is deficient of any\nlimb. A maiden too, if such, should also be avoided. A woman of the same\nPravaras should also be avoided; as also one that has any malformation;\nas also one that has been born in the race to which one's mother\nbelongs.[480] One possessed of wisdom should never have sexual congress\nwith a woman that is old, or one that has abandoned the domestic mode of\nlife for entering the forest mode, or one that is true to her lord, or\none whose organs of generation are not healthy or well-formed.[481] It\nbehoveth thee not to wed a woman that is of a yellow complexion, or one\nthat is afflicted with leprosy, or one born in a family in which there\nhas been epilepsy, or one that is low in birth and habits, or one that is\nborn in a family in which the disease called Switra (leprosy) has\nappeared, or one belonging by birth to a race in which there are early\ndeaths. Only that maiden who is endued with auspicious indications, and\nwho is accomplished for qualifications of diverse kinds, who is agreeable\nand handsome, should be wedded. One should wed, O Yudhishthira, in a\nfamily that is higher or at least equal to one's own. One who is desirous\nof one's own prosperity, should never wed a woman that is of an inferior\norder or that has fallen away from the order of her birth. Carefully\nigniting the fire, one should accomplish all those acts which have been\nordained and declared in the Vedas or by the Brahmanas.[482] One should\nnever seek to injure women. Spouses should always be protected. Malice\nalways shortens life. Hence, one should always abstain from cherishing\nmalice. Sleep at day-time shortens life. To sleep after the sun has risen\nshortens life. They who sleep at any of the twilights, or at nightfall or\nwho go to sleep in a state of impurity, have their lives shortened.\nAdultery always shortens life. One should not remain in a state of\nimpurity after shaving.[483] One should, O Bharata, carefully abstain\nfrom studying or reciting the Vedas, and eating, and bathing, at\neventide. When the evening twilight comes, one should collect one's\nsenses for meditation, without doing any act. One should, O king, bathe\nand then worship the Brahmanas. Indeed, one should bathe before\nworshipping the deities and reverentially saluting the preceptor. One\nshould never go to a sacrifice unless invited. Indeed, one may go there\nwithout an invitation if one wishes only to see how the sacrifice is\nconducted. If one goes to a sacrifice (for any other purpose) without an\ninvitation and if one does not, on that account, receive proper worship\nfrom the sacrificer, one's life becomes shortened. One should never go\nalone on a journey to foreign parts. Nor should one ever proceed alone to\nany place at night. Before evening comes, one should come back to one's\nhouse and remain within it. One should always obey the commands of one's\nmother and father and preceptor, without at all judging whether those\ncommands are beneficial or otherwise. One should, O king, attend with\ngreat care to the Vedas and the science of arms. Do then, O king,\ncarefully attend to the practice of riding an elephant, a steed, and a\nwar-chariot. The man who attends to these with care succeeds in attaining\nto happiness. Such a king succeeds in becoming unconquerable by foes, and\nsway his servants and kinsmen without any of them being able to get the\nbetter of him. The king that attains to such a position and that\ncarefully attends to the duty of protecting his subjects, has never to\nincur any loss. Thou shouldst acquire, O king, the science of reasoning,\nas also the science of words, the science of the Gandharvas, and the four\nand sixty branches of knowledge known by the name of Kala. One should\nevery day hear the Puranas and the Itihasas and all the other narratives\nthat exist, as also the life-stories of all high-souled personages. When\none's spouse passes through functional period, one should never have\ncongress with her, nor even summon her for conversation. The man endued\nwith wisdom may accept her companionship on the fourth day after the bath\nof purification. If one indulges in congress on the fifth day from the\nfirst appearance of the functional operation, one gets a daughter. By\nindulging in congress on the sixth day, one happens to have a son. The\nman of wisdom should in the matter of congress, attend to this rule\n(about odd and even days). Kinsmen and relatives by marriage and friends\nshould all be treated with respect. One should, according to the best of\none's power, adore the deities in sacrifices, giving away diverse kinds\nof articles as sacrificial Dakshina. After the period ordained for the\ndomestic mode of life has been passed, one should, O king, enter the life\nof a forest recluse. I have thus told thee all the indications, in brief,\nof persons who succeed in living long.[484] What remains untold by me\nshould be heard by thee from the mouths of persons well-versed in the\nthree Vedas, O Yudhishthira. Thou shouldst know that conduct is the root\nof prosperity. Conduct is the enhancer of fame. It is conduct that\nprolongs life. It is conduct that destroys all calamities and evils.\nConduct has been said to be superior to all the branches of knowledge. It\nis conduct that begets righteousness, and it is righteousness that\nprolongs life. Conduct is productive of fame, of long life, and of\nheaven. Conduct is the most efficacious rite of propitiating the deities\n(for bringing about auspiciousness of every kind). The Self-born Brahman\nhimself has said that one should show compassion unto all orders of\nmen.\"'\"[485]\n\n\n\nSECTION CV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O chief of Bharata's race, how the eldest\nbrother should behave towards his younger brothers and how the younger\nbrothers should behave towards their eldest brother.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Do thou, O son, always behave towards thy younger\nbrothers as their eldest brother should. Thou art always the eldest of\nall these thy brothers. That high conduct which the preceptor should\nalways adopt towards his disciples should be adopted by thee towards thy\nyounger brothers. If the preceptor happens to be unendued with wisdom,\nthe disciple cannot possibly behave towards him in a respectful or proper\nway. If the preceptor happens to be possessed of purity and highness of\nconduct, the disciple also succeeds in attaining to conduct of the same\nkind, O Bharata. The eldest brother should at times be blind to the acts\nof his younger brothers, and though possessed of wisdom should at times\nact as if he does not understand their acts. If the younger brothers be\nguilty of any transgression, the eldest brother should correct them by\nindirect ways and means. If there be good understanding among brothers\nand if the eldest brother seek to correct his younger brothers by direct\nor ostensible means, persons that are enemies, O son of Kunti, that are\nafflicted with sorrow at the sight of such good understanding and who,\ntherefore, always seek to bring about a disunion, set themselves to\ndisunite the brothers and cause dissension among them. It is the eldest\nbrother that enhances the prosperity of the family or destroys it\nentirely. If the eldest brother happens to be unendued with sense and\nwicked in behaviour, he brings about the destruction of the whole family.\nThe eldest brother who injures his younger brothers ceases to be regarded\nas the eldest and forfeits his share in the family property and deserves\nto be checked by the king. That man who acts deceitfully, has, without\ndoubt, to go to regions of grief and every kind of evil. The birth of\nsuch a person serves no useful purpose even as the flowers of the\ncane.[486] That family in which a sinful person takes birth becomes\nsubject to every evil. Such a person brings about infamy, and all the\ngood acts of the family disappear. Such among the brothers as are wedded\nto evil acts forfeit their shares of the family property. In such a case,\nthe eldest brother may appropriate the whole Yautuka property without\ngiving any portion thereof to his younger brothers. If the eldest brother\nmakes any acquisition, without using the paternal property and by going\nto a distant place he may appropriate for his own use, such acquisitions,\nwithout giving any share thereof to his younger brothers. If unseparated\nbrothers desire (during the lifetime of their father) to portion the\nfamily property, the father should give equal shares unto all his sons.\nIf the eldest brother happens to be of sinful acts and undistinguished by\naccomplishments of any kind he may be disregarded by his younger\nbrothers. If the wife or the younger brother happens to be sinful, her or\nhis good must still be looked after. Persons conversant with the efficacy\nof righteousness say that righteousness is the highest good. The\nUpadhyaya is superior to even ten Acharyas. The sire is equal to ten\nUpadhyayas. The mother is equal to ten sires or even the whole earth.\nThere is no senior equal to the mother. Verily, she transcends all in\nrespect of the reverence due to her.[487] It is for this reason that\npeople regard the mother to deserve so much reverence. After the father\nhas ceased to breathe, O Bharata, the eldest brother should be regarded\nas the father. It is the eldest brother who should assign unto them their\nmeans of support and protect and cherish them. All the younger brothers\nshould bow to him and obey his authority. Indeed, they should live in\ndependence upon him even as they did upon their father while he was\nalive. So far as the body is concerned, O Bharata, it is the father and\nthe mother that create it. That birth, however, which the Acharya\nordains, is regarded as the true birth, that is, besides, really unfading\nand immortal. The eldest sister, O chief of Bharata's race, is like unto\nthe mother. The wife of the eldest brother also is like unto the mother,\nfor the younger brother, in infancy, receives suck from her.\"'\"[488]\n\n\n\nSECTION CVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"The disposition is seen, O grandsire, in all the\norders of men, including the very Mlechchhas, of observing fasts. The\nreason, however, of this is not known to us. It has been heard by us that\nonly Brahmanas and Kshatriyas should observe the vow of fasts. How, O\ngrandsire, are the other orders to be taken as earning any merit by the\nobservance of fasts? How have vows and fasts come to be observed by\npersons of all orders, O king? What is that end to which one devoted to\nthe observance of fasts attains? It has been said that fasts are highly\nmeritorious and that fasts are a great refuge. O prince of men, what is\nthe fruit that is earned in this world by the man that observe fasts? By\nwhat means is one cleansed of one's sins? By what means doth one acquire\nrighteousness? By what means, O best of the Bharatas, doth one succeed in\nacquiring heaven and merit? After having observed a fast, what should one\ngive away, O king? O, tell me, what those duties are by which one may\nsucceed in obtaining such objects as lead to happiness?\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Unto Kunti's son by the deity of Dharma, who\nwas conversant with every duty and who said so unto him, Santanu's son,\nBhishma, who was acquainted with every duty, answered in the following\nwords.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In former days, O king, I heard of these high merits, O\nchief of Bharata's race, as attaching to the observance of fasts\naccording to the ordinance. I had, O Bharata, asked the Rishi Angiras of\nhigh ascetic merit, the very same questions which thou hast asked me\ntoday. Questioned by me thus, the illustrious Rishi, who sprang from the\nsacrificial fire, answered me even thus in respect of the observance of\nfasts according to the ordinance.\n\n\"'\"Angiras said, 'As regards Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, fasts for three\nnights at a stretch are ordained for them, O delighter of the Kurus.\nIndeed, O chief of men, a fast for one night, for two nights, and for\nthree nights, may be observed by them. (They should never go beyond three\nnights). As regards Vaisyas and Sudras, the duration of fasts prescribed\nfor them is a single night. If, from folly, they observe fasts for two or\nthree nights, such fasts never lead to their advancement. Indeed, for\nVaisyas and Sudras, fasts for two nights have been ordained (on certain\nspecial occasions). Fasts for three nights, however, have not been laid\ndown for them by persons conversant with and observant of duties. That\nman of wisdom who, with his senses and soul under control, O Bharata,\nfasts, by abstaining from one of the two meals, on the fifth and the\nsixth days of the moon as also on the day of the full moon, becomes\nendured with forgiveness and beauty of person and conversance with the\nscriptures. Such a person never becomes childless and poor. He who\nperforms sacrifices for adoring the deities on the fifth and sixth days\nof the moon, transcends all the members of his family and succeeds in\nfeeding a large number of Brahmanas. He who observes fasts on the eighth\nand the fourteenth days of the dark fortnight, becomes freed from\nmaladies of every kind and possessed of great energy. The man who\nabstains from one meal every day throughout the month called Margasirsha,\nshould, with reverence and devotion, feed a number of Brahmanas. By so\ndoing he becomes freed from all his sins. Such a man becomes endued with\nprosperity, and all kinds of grain become his. He becomes endued with\nenergy. In fact, such a person reaps an abundance of harvest from his\nfields, acquires great wealth and much corn. That man, O son of Kunti,\nwho passes the whole month of Pausha, abstaining every day from one of\ntwo meals, becomes endued with good fortune and agreeable features and\ngreat fame. He who passes the whole month of Magha, abstaining every day\nfrom one of the two meals, takes birth in a high family and attains to a\nposition of eminence among his kinsmen. He who passes the whole month of\nBhagadaivata, confining himself every day to only one meal becomes a\nfavourite with women who, indeed, readily own his sway. He who passes the\nwhole of the month of Chaitra, confining himself every day to one meal,\ntakes birth in a high family and becomes rich in gold, gems, and pearls.\nThe person, whether male or female, who passes the month of Vaisakha,\nconfining himself or herself every day to one meal, and keeping his or\nher senses under control, succeeds in attaining to a position of eminence\namong kinsmen. The person who passes the month of Jyaishtha confining\nhimself every day to one meal a day, succeeds in attaining to a position\nof eminence and great wealth. If a woman, she reaps the same reward. He\nwho passes the month of Ashadha confining himself to one meal a day and\nwith senses steadily concentrated upon his duties, becomes possessed of\nmuch corn, great wealth, and a large progeny. He who passes the month of\nSravana, confining himself to one meal a day, receives the honours of\nAbhisheka wherever he may happen to reside, and attains to a position of\neminence among kinsmen whom he supports. That man who confines himself to\nonly one meal a day for the whole month of Proshthapada, becomes endued\nwith great wealth and attains to swelling and durable affluence. The man\nwho passes the month of Aswin, confining himself to one meal a day,\nbecomes pure in soul and body, possessed of animals and vehicles in\nabundance, and a large progeny. He who passes the month of Kartika,\nconfining himself to one meal every day, becomes possessed of heroism,\nmany spouses, and great fame. I have now told thee, O chief of men what\nthe fruits are that are obtained by men by observing fasts for the two\nand ten months in detail. Listen now, O king, to me as I tell thee what\nthe rules are in respect of each of the lunar days. The man who,\nabstaining from it every day, takes rice at the expiration of every\nfortnight, becomes possessed of a great many kine, a large progeny, and a\nlong life. He who observes a fast for three nights every month and\nconducts himself thus for two and ten years, attains to a position of\nsupremacy among his kinsmen and associates, without a rival to contest\nhis claim and without any anxiety caused by any one endeavouring to rise\nto the same height. These rules that I speak of, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, should be observed for two and ten years. Let the inclination be\nmanifested towards it. That man who eats once in the forenoon and once\nafter evening and abstains from drinking (or eating anything) in the\ninterval, and who observes compassion, towards all creatures and pours\nlibations of clarified butter on his sacred fire every day, attains to\nsuccess, O king, in six years. There is no doubt in this. Such a man\nearns the merit that attaches to the performance of the Agnishtoma\nsacrifice. Endued with merit and freed from every kind of stain, he\nattains to the region of the Apsaras that echo with the sound of songs\nand dance, and passes his days in the company of a thousand damsels of\ngreat beauty. He rides on a car of the complexion of melted gold and\nreceives high honours in the region of Brahma. After the exhaustion of\nthat merit such a person comes back to earth and attains to pre-eminence\nof position. That man who passes one whole year, confining himself every\nday to only one meal, attains to the merit of the Atiratra sacrifice. He\nascends to heaven after death and receives great honours there. Upon the\nexhaustion of that merit he returns to earth and attains to a position of\neminence. He who passes one whole year observing fasts for three days in\nsuccession and taking food on every fourth day, and abstaining from\ninjury from every kind, adheres to truthfulness of speech and keeps his\nsenses under control, attains to the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.\nSuch a person ascends to heaven after death and receives high honours\nthere. That man, O son of Kunti, who passes a whole year observing fasts\nfor five days and taking food on only the sixth day, acquires the merit\nof the Horse-sacrifice. The chariot he rides is drawn by Chakravakas.\nSuch a man enjoys every kind of happiness in heaven for full forty\nthousand years. He who passes a whole year observing fasts for seven days\nand taking food on only every eighth day, acquires the merit of the\nGavamaya sacrifice. The chariot he rides is drawn by swans and cranes.\nSuch a person enjoys all kinds of happiness in Heaven for fifty thousand\nyears. He who passes a whole year, O king, eating only at intervals of a\nfortnight, acquires the merit of a continuous fast for six months. This\nhas been said by the illustrious Angiras himself. Such a man dwells in\nheaven for sixty thousand years. He is roused every morning from his bed\nby the sweet notes of Vinas and Vallakis and flutes, O king. He who\npasses a whole year, drinking only a little water at the expiration of\nevery month, acquires, O monarch, the merit of the Viswajit sacrifice.\nSuch a man rides a chariot drawn by lions and tigers. He dwells in heaven\nfor seventy thousand years in the enjoyment of every kind of happiness.\nNo fast for more than a month, O chief of men, has been ordained. Even\nthis, O son of Pritha, is the ordinance in respect of fasts that has been\ndeclared by sages conversant with duties. That man who, unafflicted by\ndisease and free from every malady, observes a fast, verily acquires, at\nevery step the merits that attach to Sacrifices. Such a man ascends to\nHeaven on a car drawn by swans. Endued with puissance, he enjoys every\nkind of happiness in heaven for a hundred years. A hundred Apsaras of the\nmost beautiful features wait upon and sport with him. He is roused from\nhis bed every morning by the sound of the Kanchis and the Nupuras of\nthose damsels.[489] Such a person rides on a car drawn by a thousand\nswans. Dwelling, again, in a region teeming with hundreds of the most\nbeautiful damsels, he passes his time in great joy. The person who is\ndesirous of heaven does not like the accession of strength when he\nbecomes weak, or the cure of wounds when he is wounded, or the\nadministration of healing drugs when he is ill, or soothing by others\nwhen he is angry, or the mitigation, by the expenditure of wealth, of\nsorrows caused by poverty. Leaving this world where he suffers only\nprivations of every kind, he proceeds to heaven and rides on cars adorned\nwith gold, his person embellished with ornaments of every kind. There, in\nthe midst of hundreds of beautiful damsels, he enjoys all kinds of\npleasure and happiness, cleansed of every sin. Indeed, abstaining from\nfood and enjoyments in this world, he takes leave of this body and\nascends to heaven as the fruit of his penances. There, freed from all his\nsins, health and happiness become his and whatever wishes arise in his\nmind become crowned with fruition. Such a person rides on a celestial car\nof golden complexion, of the effulgence of the morning sun, set with\npearls and lapis lazuli, resounding with the music of Vinas and Murajas,\nadorned with banners and lamps, and echoing with the tinkle of celestial\nbells, such a person enjoys all kinds of happiness in heaven for as many\nyears as there are pores in his body. There is no Sastra superior to the\nVeda. There is no person more worthy of reverence than the mother. There\nis no acquisition superior to that of Righteousness, and no penance\nsuperior to fast. There is nothing, more sacred, in heaven or earth, than\nBrahmanas. After the same manner there is no penance that is superior to\nthe observance of fasts. It was by fasts that the deities have succeeded\nin becoming denizens of heaven. It is by fasts that the Rishis have\nattained to high success. Viswamitra passed a thousand celestial years,\nconfining himself every day to only one meal, and as the consequence\nthereof attained to the status of a Brahmana. Chyavana and Jamadagni and\nVasishtha and Gautama and Bhrigu--all these great Rishis endued with the\nvirtue of forgiveness, have attained to heaven through observance of\nfasts. In former days Angiras declared so unto the great Rishis. The man\nwho teaches another the merit of fasts have never to suffer any kind of\nmisery. The ordinances about fasts, in their due order, O son of Kunti,\nhave flowed from the great Rishi Angiras. The man who daily reads these\nordinances or hears them read, becomes freed from sins of every kind. Not\nonly is such a person freed from every calamity, but his mind becomes\nincapable of being touched by any kind of fault. Such a person succeeds\nin understanding the sounds of all creatures other than human, and\nacquiring eternal fame, become foremost of his species.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O high-souled grandsire, thou hast duly discoursed\nto us on the subject of Sacrifices, including the merits in detail that\nattach to them both here and hereafter. It should be remembered, however,\nO grandsire, that Sacrifices are incapable of being performed, by people\nthat are poor, for these require a large store of diverse kinds of\narticles. Indeed, O grandsire, the merit attaching to Sacrifices can be\nacquired by only kings and princes. That merit is incapable of being\nacquired by those that are destitute of wealth and divested of ability\nand that live alone and are helpless. Do thou tell us, O grandsire, what\nthe ordinances are in respect of those acts that are fraught with merit\nequal to what attaches to sacrifices and which, therefore, are capable of\nbeing performed by persons destitute of means.\"[490]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O Yudhishthira! Those ordinances that I have told\nthee of,--those, viz., that were first promulgated by the great Rishi\nAngiras, and that have reference to meritorious fasts for their\nsoul,--are regarded as equal to Sacrifices (in respect of the fruits they\nbring about both here and hereafter). That man who takes one meal in the\nforenoon and one at night, without taking any food or drink during the\ninterval, and who observes this regulation for a period of six years in\nsuccession, abstaining all the while from injuring any creature and\nregularly pouring libations on his sacred fire every day, attains,\nwithout doubt, to success. Such a man acquires hereafter a car of the\ncomplexion of heated gold, and attains to a residence, for millions of\nyears, in the region of Prajapati, in the company of celestial damsels,\nthat ever echoes with the sound of music and dance, and blazes with the\neffulgence of fire. He who passes three years, confining himself every\nday to one meal and abstaining all the while from congress with any other\nwoman save his own wedded wife, attains to the merit of the Agnishtoma\nsacrifice. Such a man is regarded as having performed a Sacrifice, with\nplenty of gifts in gold, that is dear to Vasava himself. By practising\ntruthfulness of speech, making gifts, reverencing the Brahmanas, avoiding\nmalice, becoming forgiving and self-restrained, and conquering wrath, a\nman attains to the highest end. Riding on a car of the complexion of\nwhite clouds that is drawn by swans, he lives, for millions and million\nof years, in the company of Apsaras. Fasting for a whole day and eating\nonly one meal on the second day, he who pours libations upon his sacred\nfire for the period of a whole year,--verily, he who observes such a fast\nand attends every day to his fire and rises every day from bed before\nsunrise, attains to the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Such a man\nacquires a car drawn by swans and cranes. Surrounded by the most\nbeautiful damsels, he resides in the region of Indra. That man who eats\nonly one meal every third day, and pours libations every day on his\nsacred fire for a period of a whole year,--indeed, he who thus attends to\nhis fire every day and wakes up from sleep every morning before the sun\nis up, attains to the high merit of the Atiratra sacrifice. He acquires a\ncar drawn by peacocks and swans and cranes. Proceeding to the region of\nthe seven (celestial) Rishis, he takes up his residence there, surrounded\nby Apsaras of great beauty. It is well-known that such residence lasts\nfor full three Padmas of years.[491] Fasting for three days in\nsuccession, he who takes only one meal every fourth day, and pours\nlibations every day on his sacred fire, acquires the high merit of the\nVajapeya sacrifice. The car he acquires is graced by celestial damsels\nof great beauty that have Indra for their father. He resides in the\nregion of Indra for millions and millions of years and experiences great\nhappiness by witnessing the sports of the chief of the deities. Fasting\nfor four days in succession, he who eats only one meal every fifth day,\nand pours libations on the sacred fire every day for the period of a\nwhole year, and who lives without cupidity, telling the truth,\nreverencing the Brahmanas, abstaining from every kind of injury, and\navoiding malice and sin, acquires the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.\nThe car he rides is made of gold and drawn by swans and endued with the\neffulgence of many suns rising together. He acquires a palatial mansion\nof pure white. He lives there in great happiness for full one and fifty\nPadmas of years.[492] Fasting for five days, he who takes food on only\nthe sixth day, and pours libations on his sacred fire every day for a\nwhole year, and who performs three ablutions in course of the day for\npurifying himself and saying his prayers and doing his worship, and who\nleads a life of Brahmacharya, divested of malice in his conduct, acquires\nthe merit of the Gomedha sacrifice. He acquires an excellent car adorned\nwith pure gold, possessed of the effulgence of a blazing fire and drawn\nby swans and peacocks. He sleeps on the lap of Apsaras and is awakened\nevery morning by the melodious tinkle of Nupuras and Kanchis. He leads\nsuch a life of happiness for ten thousand million years and three\nthousand million besides and eight and ten Padmas and two Patakas.[493]\nSuch a man resides also, honoured by all, in the region of Brahma for as\nmany years as there are hairs on the bodies of hundreds of bears. Fasting\nfor six days, he who eats only one meal every seventh day and pours\nlibations on the sacred fire every day, for a full year, restraining\nspeech all the while and observing the vow of Brahmacharya, and\nabstaining from the use of flowers and unguents and honey and meat,\nattains to the region of the Maruts and of Indra. Crowned with the\nfruition of every desire as it springs up in the mind, he is waited upon\nand adored by celestial damsels. He acquires the merits of a sacrifice in\nwhich abundance of gold is given away. Proceeding to the regions named,\nhe lives there for countless years in the greatest happiness[494]. He who\nshows forgiveness to all and fasting for seven days eats on every eighth\nday for a whole year, and, pouring libations every day on the sacred\nfire, adores the deities regularly, acquires the high merits of the\nPaundarika sacrifice. The car he rides is of a colour like that of the\nlotus. Without doubt, such a man acquires also a large number of damsels,\npossessed of youth and beauty, some having complexions that are dark,\nsome with complexions like that of gold, and some that are Syamas, whose\nlooks and attitudes are of the most agreeable kind. He who fasts for\neight days and takes only one meal on every ninth day for a whole year,\nand pours libations on the sacred fire every day, acquires the high\nmerits of a thousand Horse-sacrifices. The car he rides in Heaven is as\nbeautiful as a lotus. He always makes his journeys on that car,\naccompanied by the daughters of Rudra adorned with celestial garlands and\nendued with the effulgence of the midday sun or the fires of blazing\nflames. Attaining to the regions of Rudra, he lives there in great\nhappiness for countless years. He who fasts for nine days and takes only\none meal every tenth day for a whole year, and pours libations on his\nsacred fire every day, acquires the high merit of a thousand\nHorse-sacrifices, and attains to the companionship of Brahmanas'\ndaughters endued with beauty capable of charming the hearts of all\ncreatures. These damsels, possessed of such beauty, and some of them\npossessed of complexion like that of the lotus and some like that of the\nsame flower of the blue variety, always keep him in joy[495]. He acquires\na beautiful vehicle, that moves in beautiful circles and that looks like\nthe dense cloud called Avarta, verily, it may be said to resemble also an\nocean-wave. That vehicle resounds with the constant tinkle of rows of\npearls and gems, and the melodious blare of conchs, and is adorned with\ncolumns made of crystals and diamonds, as also with an altar constructed\nof the same minerals. He makes his journeys on such a car, drawn by swans\nand cranes and lives for millions and millions of years in great\nhappiness in heaven. He who fasts for ten days and eats only ghee on\nevery eleventh day for a whole year and pours libations on his sacred\nfire every day, who never, in word or thought, covets the companionship\nof other people's wives and who never utters an untruth even for the sake\nof his mother and father, succeeds in beholding Mahadeva of great\npuissance seated on his car. Such a person acquires the high merit of a\nthousand Horse-sacrifices. He beholds the car of the Self-born Brahman\nhimself approach for taking him on it. He rides in it, accompanied by\ncelestial damsels possessed of great beauty, and complexion as effulgent\nas that of pure gold. Endued with the blazing splendour of the Yoga-fire,\nhe lives for countless years in a celestial mansion in heaven, full of\nevery happiness. For those countless years he experiences the joy of\nbending his head in reverence unto Rudra adored by deities and Danavas.\nSuch a person obtains every day the sight of the great deity. That man\nwho having fasted for eleven days eats only a little ghee on the twelfth,\nand observes this conduct for a whole year, succeeds in obtaining the\nmerits attaching to all the sacrifices. The car he rides in is possessed\nof the effulgence of a dozen suns. Adorned with gems and pearls and\ncorals of great value, embellished with rows of swans and snakes and of\npeacocks and Chakravakas uttering their melodious notes, and beautified\nwith large domes, is the residence to which he attains in the region of\nBrahman. That abode, O king, is always filled with men and women (who\nwait upon him for service). Even this is what the highly blessed Rishi\nAngiras, conversant with every duty, said (regarding the fruits of such a\nfast). That man who having fasted for twelve days eats a little ghee on\nthe thirteenth, and bears himself in this way for a whole year, succeeds\nin attaining to the merits of the divine sacrifice. Such a man obtains a\ncar of the complexion of the newly-blown lotus, adorned with pure gold\nand heaps of jewels and gems. He proceeds to the region of the Maruts\nthat teem with celestial damsels, that are adorned with every kind of\ncelestial ornament, that are redolent with celestial perfumes, and that\ncontain every element of felicity. The number of years he resides in\nthose happy regions is countless[496]. Soothed with the sound of music\nand the melodious voice of Gandharvas and the sounds and blare of drums\nand Panavas, he is constantly gladdened by celestial damsels of great\nbeauty. That man who having fasted for thirteen days eats a little ghee\non the fourteenth day, and bears himself in this way for a full year,\nobtains the merits of the Mahamedha sacrifice.[497] Celestial damsels of\nindescribable beauty, and whose age cannot be guessed for they are for\never young in appearance, adorned with every ornament and with armlets of\nblazing effulgence, wait upon him with many cars and follow him in his\njourneys. He is waked every morning from his bed by the melodious voice\nof swans, the tinkle of Nupuras, and the highly agreeable jingle of\nKanchis. Verily, he resides in a superior abode, waited upon by such\ncelestial damsels, for years as countless as the sands on the shores of\nGanga. That man who, keeping his senses under control, fasts for a\nfortnight and takes only one meal on the sixteenth day, and bears himself\nin this way for a whole year, pouring libations every day on his sacred\nfire, acquires the high merits that attach to a thousand Rajasuya\nsacrifices. The car he rides in is possessed of great beauty and is drawn\nby swans and peacocks. Riding in such a vehicle, that is, besides,\nadorned with garlands of pearls and the purest gold and graced with\nbevies of celestial damsels decked with ornaments of every kind, having\none column and four arches and seven altars exceedingly auspicious,\nendued with thousands of banners and echoing with the sound of music,\ncelestial and of celestial attributes, embellished with gems and pearls\nand corals, and possessed of the effulgence of lightning, such a man\nlives in heaven for a thousand Yugas, having elephants and rhinoceroses\nfor dragging that vehicle of his. That man who having fasted for fifteen\ndays takes one meal on the sixteenth day and bears himself in this way\nfor one whole year, acquires the merits attaching to the Soma sacrifice.\nProceeding to Heaven he lives in the company of Soma's daughters. His\nbody fragrant with unguents whose perfumes are as sweet as those of Soma\nhimself, he acquires the power of transporting himself immediately to any\nplace he likes. Seated on his car he is waited upon by damsels of the\nmost beautiful features and agreeable manners, and commands all articles\nof enjoyment. The period for which he enjoys such happiness consists of\ncountless years.[498] That man who having fasted for sixteen days eats a\nlittle ghee on the seventeenth day and bears himself in this way for a\nwhole year, pouring libations every day on his sacred fire, proceeds to\nthe regions of Varuna and Indra, and Rudra and the Maruts and Usanas and\nBrahman himself. There he is waited upon by celestial damsels and obtains\na sight of the celestial Rishi called Bhurbhuva and grasps the whole\nuniverse in his ken. The daughters of the deity of the deities gladden\nhim there. Those damsels, of agreeable manners and adorned with every\nornament, are capable of assuming two and thirty forms. As long as the\nSun and the Moon move in firmament, so long does that man of wisdom\nreside in those regions of felicity, subsisting upon the succulence of\nambrosia and nectar. That man who having fasted for seventeen days eats\nonly one meal on the eighteenth day, and bears himself in this way for a\nwhole year, succeeds in grasping the seven regions, of which the universe\nconsist, in his ken. While performing his journeys on his car he is\nalways followed by a large train of cars producing the most agreeable\nrattle and ridden by celestial damsels blazing with ornament and beauty.\nEnjoying the greatest happiness, the vehicle he rides in is celestial and\nendued with the greatest beauty. It is drawn by lions and tigers, and\nproduces a rattle as deep as the sound of the clouds. He lives in such\nfelicity for a thousand Kalpas subsisting upon the succulence of ambrosia\nthat is as sweet as nectar itself. That man who having fasted for\neighteen days eats only one meal on the nineteenth day and bears himself\nin this way for a full year, succeeds in grasping within his ken all the\nseven regions of which the universe consists. The region to which he\nattains is inhabited by diverse tribes of Apsaras and resounds with the\nmelodious voice of Gandharvas. The car he rides in is possessed of the\neffulgence of the sun. His heart being freed from every anxiety, he is\nwaited upon by the foremost of celestial damsels. Decked with celestial\ngarlands, and possessed of beauty of form, he lives in such happiness for\nmillions and millions of years. That man who having fasted for nineteen\ndays eats only one meal on every twentieth day and bears himself in this\nway for a full year, adhering all the while to truthfulness of speech and\nto the observance of other (excellent) rituals, abstaining also from\nmeat, leading the life of a Brahmacharin, and devoted to the good of all\ncreatures, attains to the extensive regions of great happiness,\nbelonging to the Adityas. While performing his journeys on his own car,\nhe is followed by a large train of cars ridden by Gandharvas and Apsaras\ndecked with celestial garlands and unguents. That man who having fasted\nfor twenty days takes a single meal on the twenty-first day and bears\nhimself in this way for a full year, pouring libations every day on his\nsacred fire, attains to the regions of Usanas and Sakra, of the Aswins\nand the Maruts, and resides there in uninterrupted happiness of great\nmeasure. Unacquainted with sorrow of every kind, he rides in the foremost\nof cars for making his journeys, and waited upon by the foremost of\ncelestials, damsels, and possessed of puissance, he sports in joy like a\ncelestial himself. That man who having fasted for one and twenty days\ntakes a single meal on the twenty-second day and bears himself in this\nway for a full year, pouring libations on his sacred fire every day,\nabstaining from injuring any creature, adhering to truthfulness of\nspeech, and freed from malice attains to the regions of the Vasus and\nbecomes endued with effulgence of the sun. Possessed of the power of\ngoing everywhere at will, subsisting upon nectar, and riding in the\nforemost of cars, his person decked with celestial ornaments, he sports\nin joy in the company of celestial damsels. That man who having fasted\nfor two and twenty days takes a single meal on the twenty-third day and\nbears himself in this way for a full year, thus regulating his diet and\nkeeping his senses under control, attains to the regions of the deity of\nWind, of Usanas, and of Rudra. Capable of going everywhere at will and\nalways roving at will, he is worshipped by diverse tribes of Apsaras.\nRiding in the foremost of cars and his person decked with celestial\nornaments, he sports for countless years in great felicity in the company\nof celestial damsels. That man who having fasted for three and twenty\ndays eats a little ghee on the twenty-fourth day, and bears himself in\nthis way for a full year, pouring libations on his sacred fire, resides\nfor countless years in great happiness in the regions of the Adityas, his\nperson decked with celestial robes and garlands and celestial perfumes\nand unguents. Riding in an excellent car made of gold and possessed of\ngreat beauty and drawn by swans, he sports in joy in the company of\nthousands and thousands of celestial damsels. That man who having fasted\nfor four and twenty days eats a single meal on the twenty-fifth day and\nbears himself thus for a full year, succeeds in obtaining a car of the\nforemost kind, full of every article of enjoyment. He is followed in his\njourneys by a large train of cars drawn by lions and tigers, and\nproducing a rattle as deep as the roar of the clouds ridden by celestial\ndamsels, and all made of pure gold and possessed of great beauty. Himself\nriding on an excellent celestial car possessed of great beauty, he\nresides in those regions for a thousand Kalpas, in the company of\nhundreds of celestial damsels, and subsisting upon the succulence of\nambrosia that is sweet as nectar itself. That man who having fasted for\nfive and twenty days eats only one meal on the twenty-sixth day, and\nbears himself thus for a full year in the observance of such a regulation\nin respect of diet, keeping his senses under control, freed from\nattachment (to worldly objects), and pouring libations every day on his\nsacred fire,--that blessed man,--worshipped by the Apsaras, attains to\nthe regions of the seven Maruts and of the Vasus. When performing his\njourneys he is followed by a large train of cars made of excellent\ncrystal and adorned with all kinds of gems, and ridden by Gandharvas and\nApsaras who show him every honour. He resides in those regions, in\nenjoyment of such felicity, and endued with celestial energy, for two\nthousand Yugas. That man who having fasted for six and twenty days eats a\nsingle meal on the twenty-seventh day and bears himself in this way for a\nfull year, pouring libations every day on his sacred fire, acquires great\nmerit and proceeding to Heaven receives honours from the deities.\nResiding there, he subsists on nectar, freed from thirst of every kind,\nand enjoying every felicity. His soul purified of every dross and\nperforming his journeys on a celestial car of great beauty, he lives\nthere, O king, bearing himself after the manner of the celestial Rishis\nand the royal sages. Possessed of great energy, he dwells there in great\nhappiness in the company of celestial damsels of highly agreeable\nmanners, for three thousand Yugas and Kalpas. That man who having fasted\nfor seven and twenty days eats a single meal on the twenty-eighth day and\nbears himself in this way for a full year, with soul and senses under\nperfect control, acquires very great merit, which, in fact, is equal to\nwhat is acquired by the celestial Rishis. Possessed of every article of\nenjoyment, and endued with great energy, he blazes with the effulgence of\nthe midday sun. Sportive damsels of the most delicate features and endued\nwith splendour of complexion, having deep bosoms, tapering thighs and\nfull and round hips, decked with celestial ornaments, gladden him with\ntheir company while he rides on a delightful and excellent car possessed\nof the effulgence of the sun and equipped with every article of\nenjoyment, for thousands and thousands of Kalpas. That man who having\nfasted for eight and twenty days eats a single meal on the twenty-ninth\nday, and bears himself in this way for a full year, adhering all the\nwhile to truthfulness of speech, attains to auspicious regions of great\nhappiness that are worshipped by celestial Rishis and royal sages. The\ncar he obtains is endued with the effulgence of the sun and the moon,\nmade of pure gold and adorned with every kind of gem, ridden by Apsaras\nand Gandharvas singing melodiously. Thereon he is attended by auspicious\ndamsels adorned with celestial ornaments of every kind. Possessed of\nsweet dispositions and agreeable features, and endued with great energy,\nthese gladden him with their company. Endued with every article of\nenjoyment and with great energy, and possessed of the splendour of a\nblazing fire, he shines like a celestial, with a celestial form having\nevery excellence. The regions he attains are those of the Vasus and the\nMaruts, of the Sadhyas and the Aswins, of the Rudras and of Brahman\nhimself. That man who having fasted for a full month takes a single meal\non the first day of the following month and bears himself in this way for\na full year, looking on all things with an equal eye attains to the\nregions of Brahman himself. There he subsists upon the succulence of\nambrosia. Endued with a form of great beauty and highly agreeable to all,\nhe shines with energy and prosperity like the sun himself of a thousand\nrays. Devoted to Yoga and adorned with celestial robes and garlands and\nsmeared with celestial perfumes and unguents, he passes his time in great\nhappiness, unacquainted with the least sorrow. He shines on his car\nattended by damsels that blaze forth with effulgence emitted by\nthemselves. Those damsels, the daughters of the celestial Rishis and the\nRudras, adore him with veneration. Capable of assuming diverse forms that\nare highly delightful and highly agreeable, their speech is characterised\nby diverse kinds of sweetness, and they are able to gladden the person\nthey wait upon in diverse kinds of ways. While performing his journeys,\nhe rides on a car that looks like the firmament itself in colour (for\nsubtlety of the material that compose it). In his rear are cars that look\nlike the moon; before him are those that resemble the clouds; on his\nright are vehicles that are red; below him are those that are blue; and\nabove him are those that are of variegated hue. He is always adored by\nthose that wait upon him. Endued with great wisdom, he lives in the\nregion of Brahman for as many years as are measured by the drops of rain\nthat fall in course of a thousand years on that division of the earth\nwhich is called Jamvudwipa. Verily, possessed of the effulgence of a\ndeity, he lives in that region of unalloyed felicity for as many years as\nthe drops of rain that fall upon the earth in the season of showers. The\nman who, having fasted for a whole month, eats on the first day of the\nfollowing month, and bears himself in this way for ten years, attains to\nthe status of a great Rishi. He was not to undergo any change of form\nwhile proceeding to heaven for enjoying the rewards of his acts in his\nlife. Verily, even this is the status to which one attains by restraining\nspeech, practising self-denial, subjugating wrath, sexual appetite, and\nthe desire to eat, pouring libations on the sacred fire, and regularly\nadoring the two twilights. That man who purifies himself by the\nobservance of these and similar vows and practices, and who eats in this\nway, becomes as stainless as ether and endued with effulgence like that\nof the sun himself.[499] Such a man, O king, proceeding to heaven in even\nhis own carnal form, enjoys all the felicity that is there like a deity\nat his will.\n\n\"I have thus told thee, O chief of the Bharatas, what the excellent\nordinances are in respect of sacrifices, one after another, as dependent\nupon the fruits of fasts.[500] Poor men, O son of Pritha (who are unable\nto perform sacrifices) may, nevertheless, acquire the fruits thereof (by\nthe observance of fasts). Verily, by observing these fasts, even a poor\nman may attain to the highest end, O foremost one of Bharata's race,\nattending all the while, besides, to the worship of the deities and the\nBrahmanas. I have thus recited to thee in detail the ordinances in respect\nof fasts. Do not harbour any doubt in respect of those men that are so\nobservant of vows, that are so heedful and pure and high-souled, that are\nso freed from pride and contentions of every kind, that are endued with\nsuch devoted understandings, and that pursue their end with such\nsteadiness and fixity of purpose without ever deviating from their path.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Do thou tell me, O grandsire, of that which is\nregarded as the foremost of all Tirthas. Indeed, it behoveth thee to\nexpound to me what that Tirtha is which conduces to the greatest\npurity.\"[501]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Without doubt, all Tirthas are possessed of merit.\nListen, however, with attention to me as I tell thee what the Tirtha, the\ncleanser, is of men endued with wisdom. Adhering to eternal Truth, one\nshould bathe in the Tirtha called Manasa, which is unfathomable (for its\ndepth), stainless, and pure, and which has Truth for its waters and the\nunderstanding for its lake.[502] The fruits in the form of cleansing,\nthat one acquires by bathing in that Tirtha, are freedom from cupidity,\nsincerity, truthfulness, mildness (of behaviour), compassion, abstention\nfrom injuring any creature, self-restraint, and tranquillity. Those men\nthat are freed from attachments, that are divested of pride, that\ntranscend all pairs of opposites (such as pleasure and pain, praise and\nblame, heat and cold, etc.), that have no spouses and children and houses\nand gardens, etc., that are endued with purity, and that subsist upon the\nalms given to them by others, are regarded as Tirthas. He who is\nacquainted with the truths of all things and who is freed from the idea\nof meum, is said to be the highest Tirtha.[503] In searching the\nindications of purity, the gaze should ever be directed towards these\nattributes (so that where these are present, thou mayst take purity to be\npresent, and where these are not, purity also should be concluded to be\nnot). Those persons from whose souls the attributes of Sattwa and Rajas\nand Tamas have been washed off, they who, regardless of (external) purity\nand impurity pursue the ends they have proposed to themselves, they who\nhave renounced everything, they who are possessed of omniscience and\nendued with universal sight, and they who are of pure conduct, are\nregarded as Tirthas possessing the power of cleansing. That man whose\nlimbs only are wet with water is not regarded as one that is washed. He,\non the other hand, is regarded as washed who has washed himself by\nself-denial. Even such a person is said to be pure both inwardly and\noutwardly. They who never concern themselves with what is past, they who\nfeel no attachment to acquisitions that are present, indeed, they who are\nfree from desire, are said to be possessed of the highest purity.\nKnowledge is said to constitute the especial purity of the body. So also\nfreedom from desire, and cheerfulness of mind. Purity of conduct\nconstitutes the purity of the mind. The purity that one attains by\nablutions in sacred waters is regarded as inferior. Verily, that purity\nwhich arises from knowledge, is regarded as the best. Those ablutions\nwhich one performs with a blazing mind in the waters of the knowledge of\nBrahma in the Tirtha called Manasa, are the true ablutions of those that\nare conversant with Truth. That man who is possessed of true purity of\nconduct and who is always devoted to the preservation of a proper\nattitude towards all, indeed, he who is possessed of (pure) attributes\nand merit, is regarded as truly pure. These that I have mentioned have\nbeen said to be the Tirthas that inhere to the body. Do thou listen to me\nas I tell thee what those sacred Tirthas are that are situate on the\nearth also. Even as especial attributes that inhere to the body have been\nsaid to be sacred, there are particular spots on earth as well, and\nparticular waters, that are regarded as sacred. By reciting the names of\nthe Tirthas, by performing ablutions there, and by offering oblations to\nthe Pitris in those places, one's sins are washed off. Verily, those men\nwhose sins are thus washed off succeed in attaining to heaven when they\nleave this world. In consequence of their association with persons that\nare righteous, through the especial efficacy of the earth itself of those\nspots and of particular waters, there are certain portions of the earth\nthat have come to be regarded as sacred. The Tirthas of the mind are\nseparate and distinct from those of the earth. That person who bathes in\nboth attains to success without any delay. As strength without exertion,\nor exertion without strength can never accomplish anything singly, and\nas these, when combined, can accomplish all things, even so one that\nbecomes endued with the purity that is contributed by the Tirthas in the\nbody as also by that which is contributed by the Tirthas on the earth,\nbecomes truly pure and attains to success. That purity which is derived\nfrom both sources is the best.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoveth thee, O grandsire, to tell me what are\nthe highest, the most beneficial, and the most certain fruit of all kinds\nof fasts in this world.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O king, to what was sung by the Self-born himself\nand by accomplishing which a person, without doubt, attains to the\nhighest happiness. That man who fasts on the twelfth day of the moon in\nthe month called Margasirsha and worships Krishna as Kesava for the whole\nday and night, attains to the merit of the Horse-sacrifice and becomes\ncleansed of all his sins. He who, after the same manner, fasts on the\ntwelfth day of the moon in the month of Pausha and worships Krishna as\nNarayana, for the whole day and night, attains to the merits of the\nVajapeya sacrifice and the highest success. He who fasts on the twelfth\nday of the moon in the month of Magha and worships Krishna as Madhava,\nfor the whole day and night, attains to the merits of the Rajasuya\nsacrifice, and rescues his own race (from misery).[504] He who fasts on\nthe twelfth day of the moon in the month of Phalguna and worships Krishna\nas Govinda, for the whole day and night, attains to the merit of the\nAtiratra sacrifice and goes to the region of Soma. He who fasts on the\ntwelfth day of the moon in the month of Chaitra and worships Krishna as\nVishnu, for the whole day and night, attains to the merit of the\nPundarika sacrifice and proceeds to the region of the deities. By\nobserving a similar fast on the twelfth day of the month of Vaisakha and\nworshipping Krishna as the slayer of Madhu for the whole day and night,\none attains to the merits of the Agnishtoma sacrifice and proceeds to the\nregion of Soma. By observing a fast on the twelfth lunar day in the month\nof Jyaishtha and worshipping Krishna as him who had (in Vali's sacrifice)\ncovered the universe with three steps of his, one attains to the merits\nof the Gomedha sacrifice and sports with the Apsaras in great happiness.\nBy observing a fast on the twelfth day of the moon in the month of\nAshadha and worshipping Krishna as the dwarf (who beguiled the Asura king\nVali), one attains to the merits of the Naramedha[505] sacrifice and\nsports in happiness with the Apsaras. By observing a fast for the twelfth\nlunar day of the month Sravana and worshipping Krishna for day and night\nas Sridhara, one attains to the merits of the sacrifice called\nPanchayajna and acquires a beautiful car in Heaven whereon he sports in\njoy. By observing a fast on the twelfth day of the moon in the month of\nBhadrapada and worshipping Krishna as Hrishikesa for the whole day and\nnight, one attains to the merits of the Sautramani sacrifice and becomes\ncleansed of all sins. By observing a fast for the twelfth day of the moon\nin the month of Aswin and worshipping Krishna as Padmanabha, one attains\nwithout doubt, to the merits of the sacrifice in which a thousand kine\nare given away. By observing a fast for the twelfth day of the moon in\nthe month of Kartika and worshipping Krishna as Damodara, one attains,\nwithout doubt, to the combined merits of all the sacrifices. He who, in\nthis way, adores Krishna for a whole year as Pundarikaksha, acquires the\npower of recollecting the incidents of his past births and wins much\nwealth in gold. Similarly, he who worships Krishna every day as Upendra\nattains to identity with him. After Krishna has been worshipped in this\nway, one should, at the conclusion of one's vow, feed a number of\nBrahmanas or make gifts unto them of ghee. The illustrious Vishnu, that\nancient Being, has himself said that there is no fast that possesses\nmerits superior to what attach to fast of this kind.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Approaching the Kuru grandsire, venerable in years,\nviz., Bhishma, who was then lying on his bed of arrows, Yudhishthira\npossessed of great wisdom put the following question.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"How, O grandsire, does one acquire beauty of form\nand prosperity and agreeableness of disposition? How, indeed, does one\nbecome possessed of religious merit and wealth and pleasure? How does one\nbecome endued with happiness?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In the month of Margasirsha, when the moon comes in\nconjunction with the asterism called Mula, when his two feet are united\nwith that very asterism, O king, when Rohini is in his calf, when his\nknee-joints are in Aswini, and his shins are in the two Ashadhas, when\nPhalguni makes his anus, and Krittika his waist, when his navel is in\nBhadrapada, his ocular region in Revati, and his back on the\nDhanishthas, when Anuradha makes his belly, when with his two arms he\nreaches the Visakhas, when his two hands are indicated by Hasta, when\nPunarvasu, O king, makes his fingers, Aslesha his nails, when Jyeshtha is\nknown for his neck, when by Sravana is pointed out his ears, and his\nmouth by Pushya, when Swati is said to constitute his teeth and lips,\nwhen Satabhisha is his smile and Magha his nose, when Mrigasiras is known\nto be in his eye, and Chitra in his forehead, when his head is in\nBharani, when Ardra constitutes his hair, O king, the vow called\nChandravrata should be commenced. Upon the completion of that vow, gift\nof ghee should be made unto Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas. As the\nfruit of that vow, one becomes possessed about knowledge. Indeed, one\nbecomes, in consequence of such a vow, as full (of every blessed\nattribute) as the moon himself when he is at full.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou that art possessed of great\nwisdom and conversant with all the scriptures, I desire to know those\nexcellent ordinances in consequence of which mortal creatures have to\ntravel through their rounds of rebirth. What is that conduct by following\nwhich, O king, men succeed in attaining to high heaven, and what is that\nconduct by which one sinks in Hell? When, abandoning the dead body that\nis as inert as a piece of wood or clod of earth, people proceed to the\nother world, what are those that follow them thither?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Yonder comes the illustrious Vrihaspati of great\nintelligence! Do thou ask his blessed self. The subject is an eternal\nmystery. None else is capable of explaining the matter. There is no\nspeaker like Vrihaspati.\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'While the son of Pritha and the son of Ganga were\nthus speaking with each other, there came to that spot from the firmament\nthe illustrious Vrihaspati of cleansed soul. King Yudhishthira, and all\nothers, with Dhritarashtra at their head, stood up and received\nVrihaspati with proper honours. Verily, the worship they offered to the\npreceptor of the celestials was excellent. Then Dharma's royal son,\nYudhishthira, approaching the illustrious Vrihaspati, asked him the\nquestion in proper form, desirous of knowing the truth.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O illustrious one, thou art conversant with all\nduties and all the scriptures. Do thou tell me, what is truly the friend\nof mortal creatures? Is the father, or mother, or son, or preceptor, or\nkinsmen, or relatives, or those called friends, that may be said to truly\nconstitute the friend of a mortal creature? One goes to the next world,\nleaving one's dead body that is like a piece of wood or a clod of earth.\nWho is it that follows him thither?\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"One is born alone, O king, and one dies alone; one\ncrosses alone the difficulties one meets with, and one alone encounters\nwhatever misery falls to one's lot. One has really no companion in these\nacts. The father, the mother, the brother, the son, the preceptor,\nkinsmen, relatives, and friends, leaving the dead body as if it were a\npiece of wood or a clod of earth, after having mourned for only a moment,\nall turn away from it and proceed to their own concerns. Only\nRighteousness follows the body that is thus abandoned by them all. Hence,\nit is plain, that Righteousness is the only friend and that Righteousness\nonly should be sought by all. One endued with righteousness would attain\nto that high end which is constituted by heaven. If endued with\nunrighteousness, he goes to Hell. Hence, the man of intelligence should\nalways seek to acquire religious merit through wealth won by lawful\nmeans. Piety is the one only friend which creatures have in the world\nhereafter. Let by cupidity, or stupefaction, or compassion, or fear, one\ndestitute of much knowledge is seen to do improper acts, for the sake of\neven another, his judgment thus stupefied by cupidity.[506] Piety, wealth\nand pleasure,--these three constitute the fruit of life. One should\nacquire these three by means of being free from impropriety and sin.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have carefully heard the words spoken by thy\nillustrious self,--these words that are fraught with righteousness, and\nthat are highly beneficial. I wish now to know of the existence of the\nbody (after death).[507] The dead body of man becomes subtil and\nunmanifest. It becomes invisible. How is it possible for piety to follow\nit?\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, Light, Mind, Yama (the king\nof the dead), Understanding, the Soul, as also Day and Night, all\ntogether behold as witnesses the merits (and demerits) of all living\ncreatures. With these, Righteousness follows the creature (when\ndead).[508] When the body becomes bereft of life, skin, bones, flesh, the\nvital seed, and blood, O thou of great intelligence, leave it at the same\ntime. Endued with merit (and demerit) Jiva (after the destruction of this\nbody) attains to another. After the attainment by Jiva of that body, the\npresiding deities of the five elements once more behold as witnesses all\nhis acts good and bad. What else dost thou wish to hear? If endued with\nrighteousness, Jiva enjoys happiness. What other topic, belonging to this\nor the other world, shall I discourse upon?\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thy illustrious self has explained how Righteousness\nfollows Jiva. I desire to know how the vital seed is originated.\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"The food that these deities, O king, who dwell in the\nbody, viz., Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, Light, and Mind eat, gratifies\nthem. When those five elements become gratified, O monarch, with Mind\nnumbering as their sixth, their vital seed then becomes generated, O thou\nof cleansed soul! When an act of union takes place between male and\nfemale, the vital seed flows out and causes conception. I have thus\nexplained to thee what thou hast asked. What else dost thou wish to hear?\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast, O illustrious one, said how conception\ntakes place. Do thou explain how the Jiva that takes birth grows (by\nbecoming possessed of body).\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"As soon as Jiva enters the vital seed, he becomes\noverwhelmed by the elements already mentioned. When Jiva becomes\ndisunited therewith, he is said to attain to the other end (viz., death).\nEndued as Jiva becomes with all those elements, he attains, in\nconsequence thereof, a body. The deities, that preside over those\nelements behold as witnesses all his acts, good and bad. What else dost\nthou wish to hear?\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Leaving off skin and bone and flesh, and becoming\ndestitute of all those elements, in what does Jiva reside, O illustrious\none, for enjoying and enduring happiness and misery?\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"Endued with all his acts, the Jiva quickly enters the\nvital seed, and utilizing the functional flow of women, takes birth in\ntime, O Bharata. After birth, the Jiva receives woe and death from the\nmessengers of Yama. Indeed, misery and a painful round of rebirth are his\ninheritance. Endued with life, O king, the Jiva in this world, from the\nmoment of his birth, enjoys and endures his own (previous) acts,\ndepending upon righteousness (and its reverse). If the Jiva, according to\nthe best of his power, follows righteousness from the day of his birth,\nhe then succeeds in enjoying, when reborn, happiness without\ninterruption. If, on the other hand, without following righteousness\nwithout interruption, he acts sinfully, he reaps happiness at first as\nthe reward of his righteousness and endures misery after that. Endued\nwith unrighteousness, the Jiva has to go to the dominions of Yama and\nsuffering great misery there, he has to take birth in an intermediate\norder of being.[509] Listen to me as I tell thee what the different acts\nare by doing which the Jiva, stupefied by folly, has to take birth in\ndifferent orders of being, as declared in the Vedas, the scriptures, and\nthe (sacred) histories. Mortals have to go to the frightful regions of\nYama. In those regions, O king, there are places that are fraught with\nevery merit and that are worthy on that account of being the abodes of\nthe very deities. There are, again, places in those regions that are\nworse than those which are inhabited by animals and birds. Indeed, there\nare spots of these kinds in the abode of Yama which (so far as its\nhappier regions are concerned) is equal to the region of Brahman himself\nin merits. Creatures, bound by their acts, endure diverse kinds of\nmisery. I shall, after this, tell thee what those acts and dispositions\nare in consequence of which a person obtains to an end that is fraught\nwith great misery and terror. If a regenerate person, having studied the\nfour Vedas, becomes stupefied by folly and accepts a gift from a fallen\nman, he has then to take birth in the asinine order. He has to live as an\nass for five and ten years. Casting off his asinine form, he has next to\ntake birth as an ox, in which state he has to live for seven years.\nCasting off his bovine form, he has next to take birth as a Rakshasa of\nregenerate order. Living as Rakshasa of the regenerate order for three\nmonths, he then regains his status (in his next birth) of a\nBrahmana.[510] A Brahmana, by officiating at the sacrifice of a fallen\nperson, has to take birth as a vile worm. In this form he has to live for\nfive and ten years, O Bharata. Freed from the status of a worm, he next\ntakes birth as an ass. As an ass he has to live for five years, and then\na hog, in which state also he has to remain for as many years. After\nthat, he takes birth as a cock, and living for five years in that form,\nhe takes birth as a jackal and lives for as many years in that state. He\nhas next to take birth as a dog, and living thus for a year he regains\nhis status of humanity. That foolish disciple who offends his preceptor\nby doing any injury to him, has certainly to undergo three\ntransformations in this world. Such a person, O monarch, has in the first\ninstance to become a dog. He has then to become a beast of prey, and then\nan ass. Living his asinine form, he has to wander for some time in great\naffliction as a spirit. After the expiration of that period, he has to\ntake birth as a Brahmana. That sinful disciple who even in thought\ncommits adultery with the wife of his preceptor, has in consequence of\nsuch a sinful heart, to undergo many fierce shapes in this world. First\ntaking birth in the canine order he has to live for three years. Casting\noff the canine form when death comes, he takes birth as a worm or vile\nvermin. In this form he has to live for a year. Leaving that form he\nsucceeds in regaining his status as a human being of the regenerate\norder. If the preceptor kills, without reason, his disciple who is even\nas a son to him, he has, in consequence of such a wilful act of sin on\nhis part, to take birth as a beast of prey. That son who disregards his\nfather and mother, O king, has to take birth, after leaving off his human\nform as an animal of the asinine order. Assuming the asinine form he has\nto live for ten years. After that he has to take birth as a crocodile, in\nwhich form he has to live for a year. After that he regains the human\nform. That son with whom his parents become angry, has, in consequence of\nhis evil thoughts towards them, to take birth as an ass. As an ass he has\nto live for ten months. He has then to take birth as a dog and to remain\nas such for four and ten months. After that he has to take birth as a cat\nand living in that form for seven months he regains his status of\nhumanity. Having spoken ill of parents, one has to take birth as a\nSarika. Striking them, one has to take birth, O king, as tortoise. Living\nas a tortoise for ten years, he has next to take birth as a porcupine.\nAfter that he has to take birth as a snake, and living for six months in\nthat form he regains the status of humanity. That man who, while\nsubsisting upon the food that his royal master supplies, commits acts\nthat are injurious to the interests of his master,--that man, thus\nstupefied by folly, has after death to take birth as an ape. For ten\nyears he has to live as an ape, and after that for five years as a mouse.\nAfter that he has to become a dog, and living in that form for a period\nof six months he succeeds in regaining his status of humanity. That man\nwho misappropriates what is deposited with him in trustfulness has to\nundergo a hundred transformations. He at last takes birth as a vile worm.\nIn that order he has to live for a period of ten and five years, O\nBharata. Upon the exhaustion of his great demerit in this way, he\nsucceeds in regaining his status of humanity. That man who harbours\nmalice towards others has, after death, to take birth as a Sarngaka. That\nman of wicked understanding who becomes guilty of breach of trust has to\ntake birth as a fish. Living as a fish for eight years, he takes birth, O\nBharata, as a deer. Living as a deer for four months, he has next to take\nbirth as a goat. After the expiration of a full year he casts off his\ngoatish body, he takes birth then as a worm. After that he succeeds in\nregaining his status of humanity. That shameless insensate man who,\nthrough stupefaction, steals paddy, barley, sesame, Masha, Kulattha,\noil-seeds, oats, Kalaya, Mudga, wheat, Atasi, and other kinds of corn,\nhas to take birth as a mouse[511]. After leading the life for some time\nhe has to take birth as a hog. As soon as he takes birth as a hog he has\nto die of disease. In consequence of his sin, that foolish man has next\nto take birth as a dog, O king. Living as a dog for five years, he then\nregains his status of humanity. Having committed an act of adultery with\nthe spouse of another man, one has to take birth as a wolf. After that he\nhas to assume the forms of a dog and jackal and vulture. He has next to\ntake birth as a snake and then as a Kanka and then as a crane.[512] That\nman of sinful soul who, stupefied by folly, commits an act of sexual\ncongress with the spouse of a brother, has to take birth as a male Kokila\nand to live in that form for a whole year, O king. He who, through lust,\ncommits an act of sexual congress with the wife of a friend, or the wife\nof preceptor, or the wife of his king, has, after death, to take the form\nof a hog. He has to live in his porcine form for five years and then to\nassume that of a wolf for ten years. For the next five years he has to\nassume that of a wolf for ten years. For the next five years he has to\nlive as a cat and then for the next ten years as a cock. He has next to\nlive for three months as an ant, and then as a worm for a month. Having\nundergone these transformations he has next to live as a vile worm for\nfour and ten years. When his sin becomes exhausted by such chastisement,\nhe at last regains the status of humanity. When a wedding is about to\ntake place, or a sacrifice, or an act of gifts is about to be made, O\nthou of great puissance, the man who offers any obstruction, has to take\nbirth in his next life as a vile worm. Assuming such a form he has to\nlive, O Bharata, for five and ten years. When his demerit is exhausted by\nsuch suffering, he regains the status of humanity. Having once bestowed\nhis daughter in marriage upon a person, he who seeks to bestow her again\nupon a second husband, has, O king, to take birth among vile worms.\nAssuming such a form, O Yudhisthira, he has to live for a period of three\nand ten years. Upon the exhaustion of his demerit by such sufferance, he\nregains the status of humanity. He who eats without having performed the\nrites in honour of the deities or those in honour of the Pitris or\nwithout having offered (even) oblations of water to both the Rishis and\nthe Pitris, has to take birth as a crow. Living as a crow for a hundred\nyears he next assumes the form of a cock. His next transformation is that\nof a snake for a month. After this, he regains the status of humanity. He\nwho disregards his eldest brother who is even like a sire, has, after\ndeath, to take birth in the order of cranes. Having assumed that form he\nhas to live in it for two years. Casting off that form at the conclusion\nof that period, he regains the status of humanity. That Sudra who has\nsexual intercourse with a Brahmana woman, has, after death, to take birth\nas a hog. As soon as he takes birth in the porcine order he dies of\ndisease, O king. The wretch has next to take birth as a dog, O king, in\nconsequence of his dire act of sin. Casting off his canine form he\nregains upon the exhaustion of his demerit, the status of humanity. The\nSudra who begets offspring upon a Brahmana woman, leaving off his human\nform, becomes reborn as a mouse. The man who becomes guilty of\ningratitude O king, has to go to the regions of Yama and there to undergo\nvery painful and severe treatment at the hands of the messengers,\nprovoked to fury, of the grim king of the dead. Clubs with heavy hammers\nand mallets, sharp-pointed lances, heated jars, all fraught with severe\npain, frightful forests of sword-blades, heated sands, thorny\nSalmalis--these and many other instruments of the most painful torture\nsuch a man has to endure in the regions of Yama, O Bharata! The\nungrateful person, O chief of Bharata's race, having endured such\nterrible treatment in the regions of the grim king of the dead, has to\ncome back to this world and take birth among vile vermin.[513] He has to\nlive as a vile vermin for a period of five and ten years, O Bharata. He\nhas then to enter the womb and die prematurely before birth. After this,\nthat person has to enter the womb a hundred times in succession. Indeed,\nhaving, undergone a hundred rebirths, he at last becomes born as a\ncreature in some intermediate order between man and inanimate nature.\nHaving endured misery for a great many years, he has to take birth as a\nhairless tortoise. A person that steals curds has to take birth as a\ncrane. One becomes a monkey by stealing raw fish. That man of\nintelligence who steals honey has to take birth as a gadfly. By stealing\nfruits or roots or cakes one becomes an ant. By stealing Nishpava one\nbecomes a Halagolaka.[514] By stealing Payasa one becomes in one's next\nbirth a Tittiri bird. By stealing cakes one becomes a screech-owl. That\nman of little intelligence who steals iron has to take birth as a cow.\nThat man of little understanding who steals white brass has to take birth\nas a bird of the Harita species. By stealing a vessel of silver one\nbecomes a pigeon. By stealing a vessel of gold one has to take birth as a\nvile vermin. By stealing a piece of silken cloth, one becomes a Krikara.\nBy stealing a piece of cloth made of red silk, one becomes a\nVartaka.[515] By stealing a piece of muslin one becomes a parrot. By\nstealing a piece of cloth that is of fine texture, one becomes a duck\nafter casting off one's human body. By stealing a piece of cloth made of\ncotton, one becomes a crane. By stealing a piece of cloth made of jute,\none becomes a sheep in one's next life. By stealing a piece of linen, one\nhas to take birth as a hare. By stealing different kinds of colouring\nmatter one has to take birth as a peacock. By stealing a piece of red\ncloth one has to take birth as a bird of the Jivajivaka species. By\nstealing unguents (such as sandal-paste) and perfumes in this world, the\nman possessed of cupidity, O king, has to take birth as a mole. Assuming\nthe form of a mole one has to live in it for a period of five and ten\nyears. After the exhaustion of his demerit by such sufferings he regains\nthe status of humanity. By stealing milk, one becomes a crane. That man,\nO king, who through stupefaction of the understanding, steals oil, has to\ntake birth, after casting off this body, as an animal that subsists upon\noil as his form.[516] That wretch who himself well armed, slays another\nwhile that other is unarmed, from motives of obtaining his victim's\nwealth or from feelings of hostility, has, after casting off his human\nbody, to take birth as an ass. Assuming that asinine form he has to live\nfor a period of two years and then he meets with death at the edge of a\nweapon. Casting off in this way his asinine body he has to take birth in\nhis next life as a deer always filled with anxiety (at the thought of\nfoes that may kill him). Upon the expiration of a year from the time of\nhis birth as a deer, he has to yield up his life at the point of a\nweapon. Thus casting off his form of a deer, he next takes birth as a\nfish and dies in consequence of being dragged up in net, on the\nexpiration of the fourth month. He has next to take birth as a beast of\nprey. For ten years he has to live in that form, and then he takes birth\nas a pard in which form he has to live for a period of five years.\nImpelled by the change that is brought about by time, he then casts off\nthat form, and his demerit having been exhausted he regains the status of\nhumanity. That man of little understanding who kills a woman has to go\nto the regions of Yama and to endure diverse kinds of pain and misery. He\nthen has to pass through full one and twenty transformations. After that,\nO monarch, he has to take birth as a vile vermin. Living as a vermin for\ntwenty years, he regains the status of humanity. By stealing food, one\nhas to take birth as a bee. Living for many months in the company of\nother bees, his demerit becomes exhausted and he regains the status of\nhumanity. By stealing paddy, one becomes a cat. That man who steals food\nmixed with sesame cakes has in his next birth to assume the form of a\nmouse large or small according to the largeness or smallness of the\nquantity stolen. He bites human beings every day and as the consequence\nthereof becomes sinful and travels through a varied round of rebirths.\nThat man of foolish understanding who steals ghee has to take birth as a\ngallinule. That wicked person who steals fish has to take birth as a\ncrow. By stealing salt one has to take birth as a mimicking bird. That\nman who misappropriates what is deposited with him through confidence,\nhas to sustain a diminution in the period of his life, and after death\nhas to take birth among fishes. Having lived for some time as a fish he\ndies and regains the human form. Regaining, however, the status of\nhumanity, he becomes short-lived. Indeed, having committed sins, O\nBharata, one has to take birth in an order intermediate between that of\nhumanity and vegetables. Those people are entirely unacquainted with\nrighteousness which has their own hearts for its authority. Those men\nthat commit diverse acts of sin and then seek to expiate them by\ncontinuous vows and observances of piety, become endued with both\nhappiness and misery and live in great anxiety of heart.[517] Those men\nthat are of sinful conduct and that yield to the influence of cupidity\nand stupefaction, without doubt, take birth as Mlechchhas that do not\ndeserve to be associated with. Those men on the other hand, who abstain\nfrom sin all their lives, become free from disease of every kind, endued\nwith beauty of form and possessed of wealth. Women also, when they act in\nthe way indicated, attain to births of the same kind. Indeed, they have\nto take births as the spouses of the animals I have indicated. I have\ntold thee all the faults that relate to the appropriation of what belongs\nto others. I have discoursed to thee very briefly on the subject, O\nsinless one. In connection with some other subject, O Bharata, thou shalt\nagain hear of those faults. I heard all this, O king, in days of old,\nfrom Brahman himself, and I asked all about it in a becoming way, when he\ndiscoursed on it in the midst of the celestial Rishis. I have told thee\ntruly and in detail all that thou hadst asked me. Having listened to all\nthis, O monarch, do thou always set thy heart on righteousness.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast told me, O regenerate one, what the end is\nof unrighteousness or sin. I desire now to hear, O foremost of speakers,\nof what the end is of Righteousness. Having committed diverse acts of\nsin, by what acts of people succeed in attaining to an auspicious end in\nthis world? By what acts also do people attain to an auspicious end in\nheaven?\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"By committing sinful acts with perverted mind, one\nyields to the sway of unrighteousness and as a consequence goeth to hell.\nThat man who, having perpetrated sinful acts through stupefaction of\nmind, feels the pangs of repentance and sets his heart on contemplation\n(of the deity), has not to endure the consequences of his sins. One\nbecomes freed from one's sins in proportion as one repents for them. If\none having committed a sin, O king, proclaims it in the presence of\nBrahmanas conversant with duties, one becomes quickly cleansed from the\nobloquy arising from one's sin. Accordingly as one becomes cleansed\ntherefrom fully or otherwise, like a snake freed from his diseased\nslough. By making, with a concentrated mind, gifts of diverse kinds unto\na Brahmana, and concentrating the mind (on the deity), one attains to an\nauspicious end. I shall now tell thee what those gifts are, O\nYudhisthira, by making which a person, even if guilty of having committed\nsinful acts, may become endued with merit. Of all kinds of gifts, that of\nfood is regarded as the best. One desirous of attaining to merit should,\nwith a sincere heart, make gifts of food. Food is the life-breath of men.\nFrom it all creatures are born. All the worlds of living creatures are\nestablished upon food. Hence food is applauded. The deities, Rishis,\nPitris, and men, all praise food. King Rantideva, in days of old,\nproceeded to Heaven by making gifts of food. Food that is good and that\nhas been acquired lawfully, should be given, with a cheerful heart, unto\nsuch Brahmanas as are possessed of Vedic lore. That man has never to take\nbirth in an intermediate order, whose food, given with a cheerful heart\nis taken by a thousand Brahmanas. A person, O chief of men, by feeding\nten thousand Brahmanas, becomes cleansed of the piety and devoted to Yoga\npractices. A Brahmana conversant with the Vedas, by giving away food\nacquired by him as alms, unto a Brahmana devoted to the study of the\nVedas, succeeds in attaining to happiness here. That Kshatriya who,\nwithout taking anything that belongs to a Brahmana, protects his subjects\nlawfully, and makes gifts of food, obtained by the exercise of his\nstrength, unto Brahmanas foremost in Vedic knowledge, with concentrated\nheart, succeeds by such conduct, O thou of righteous soul, in cleansing\nhimself, O son of Pandu, of all his sinful acts. That Vaisya who divides\nthe produce of his fields into six equal shares and makes a gift of one\nof those shares unto Brahmanas, succeeds by such conduct in cleansing\nhimself from every sin. That Sudra who, earning food by hard labour and\nat the risk of life itself, makes a gift of it to Brahmanas, becomes\ncleansed from every sin. That man who, by putting forth his physical\nstrength, earns food without doing any act of injury to any creature, and\nmakes gift of it unto Brahmanas succeeds in avoiding all calamities. A\nperson by cheerfully making gifts of food acquired by lawful means unto\nBrahmanas pre-eminent for Vedic lore, becomes cleansed of all his sins.\nBy treading in the path of the righteous one becomes freed from all sins.\nA person by making gifts of such food as is productive of great energy,\nbecomes himself possessed of great energy. The path made by charitable\npersons is always trod by those that are endued with wisdom. They that\nmake gifts of food are regarded as givers of life. The merit they acquire\nby such gifts is eternal. Hence, a person should, under all\ncircumstances, seek to earn food by lawful means, and having earned to\nmake always gifts of it unto deserving men. Food is the great refuge of\nthe world of living creatures. By making gifts of food, one has never to\ngo to hell. Hence, one should always make gifts of food, having earned it\nby lawful means. The householder should always seek to eat after having\nmade a gift of food unto a Brahmana. Every man should make the day\nfruitful by making gifts of food.[518] A person by feeding, O king, a\nthousand Brahmanas all of whom are conversant with duties and the\nscriptures and the sacred histories, has not to go to Hell and to return\nto this world for undergoing rebirths. Endued with the fruition of every\nwish, he enjoys great felicity hereafter. Possessed of such merit, he\nsports in happiness, freed from every anxiety, possessed of beauty of\nform and great fame and endued with wealth. I have thus told thee all\nabout the high merit of gifts of food. Even this is the root of all\nrighteousness and merit, as also of all gifts, O Bharata!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Abstention from injury, the observance of the Vedic\nritual, meditation, subjugation of the senses, penances, and obedient\nservices rendered to the preceptors,--which amongst these is fraught with\nthe greatest merit with respect to a person?\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"All these six are fraught with merit. They are\ndifferent doors of piety. I shall discourse upon them presently. Do thou\nlisten to them, O chief of the Bharatas! I shall tell thee what\nconstitutes the highest good of a human being. That man who practises the\nreligion of universal compassion achieves his highest good. That man who\nkeeps under control the three faults, viz., lust, wrath, and cupidity, by\nthrowing them upon all creatures (and practises the virtue of\ncompassion), attains to success[519]. He who, from motives of his own\nhappiness, slays other harmless creatures with the rod of chastisement,\nnever attains to happiness, in the next world. That man who regards all\ncreatures as his own self, and behaves towards them as towards his own\nself, laying aside the rod of chastisement and completely subjugating his\nwrath, succeeds in attaining to happiness. The very deities, who are\ndesirous of a fixed abode, become stupefied in ascertaining the track of\nthat person who constitutes himself the soul of all creatures and looks\nupon them all as his own self, for such a person leaves no track\nbehind.[520] One should never do that to another which one regards as\ninjurious to one's own self. This, in brief, is the rule of\nRighteousness. One by acting in a different way by yielding to desire,\nbecomes guilty of unrighteousness. In refusals and gifts, in happiness\nand misery, in the agreeable, and the disagreeable, one should judge of\ntheir effects by a reference to one's own self.[521] When one injures\nanother, the injured turns round and injures the injurer. Similarly, when\none cherishes another, that other cherishes the cherisher. One should\nframe one's rule of conduct according to this. I have told thee what\nRighteousness is even by this subtile way.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The preceptor of the deities, possessed of\ngreat intelligence, having said this unto king Yudhishthira the just,\nascended upwards for proceeding to Heaven, before our eyes.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After this, king Yudhishthira, endued with great\nenergy, and the foremost of eloquent men, addressed his grandsire lying\non his bed of arrows, in the following words.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou of great intelligence, the Rishis and\nBrahmanas and the deities, led by the authority of the Vedas, all applaud\nthat religion which has compassion for its indication. But, O king, what\nI ask thee is this: how does a man, who has perpetrated acts of injury to\nothers in word, thought and deed, succeed in cleansing himself from\nmisery?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Utterers of Brahma have said that there are four kinds of\ncompassion or abstention from injury. If even one of those four kinds be\nnot observed, the religion of compassion, it is said, is not observed. As\nall four-footed animals are incapable of standing on three legs, even so\nthe religion of compassion cannot stand if any of those four divisions or\nparts be wanting. As the footprints of all other animals are engulfed in\nthose of the elephant, even so all other religions are said to be\ncomprehended in that of compassion. A person becomes guilty of injury\nthrough acts, words and thoughts[522]. Discarding it mentally at the\noutset, one should next discard in word and thought. He who, according to\nthis rule, abstains from eating meat is said to be cleansed in a\nthreefold way. It is heard that utterers of Brahma ascribe to three\ncauses (the sin of eating meat). That sin may attach to the mind, to\nwords, and to acts. It is for this reason that men of wisdom who are\nendued with penances refrain from eating meat. Listen to me, O king, as I\ntell thee what the faults are that attach to the eating of meat. The meat\nof other animals is like the flesh of one's son. That foolish person,\nstupefied by folly, who eats meat is regarded as the vilest of human\nbeings. The union of father and mother produces an offspring. After the\nsame manner, the cruelty that a helpless and sinful wretch commits,\nproduces its progeny of repeated rebirths fraught with great misery. As\nthe tongue is the cause of the knowledge or sensation of taste, so the\nscriptures declare, attachment proceeds from taste.[523] Well-dressed,\ncooked with salt or without salt, meat, in whatever form one may take it,\ngradually attracts the mind and enslaves it. How will those foolish men\nthat subsist upon meat succeed in listening to the sweet music of\n(celestial) drums and cymbals and lyres and harps? They who eat meat\napplaud it highly, suffering themselves to be stupefied by its taste\nwhich they pronounce to be something inconceivable, undescribable, and\nunimaginable. Such praise even of meat is fraught with demerit. In former\ndays, many righteous men, by giving the flesh of their own bodies,\nprotected the flesh of other creatures and as a consequence of such acts\nof merit, have proceeded to heaven. In this way, O monarch the religion\nof compassion is surrounded by four considerations. I have thus declared\nto thee that religion which comprises all other religions within it.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast told it many times that abstention from\ninjury is the highest religion. In Sraddhas, however, that are performed\nin honour of the Pitris, persons for their own good should make offerings\nof diverse kinds of meat. Thou hast said so while discoursing formerly\nupon the ordinances in respect of Sraddhas. How can meat, however, be\nprocured without slaying a living creature? Thy declarations, therefore,\nseem to me to be contradictory. A doubt has, therefore, arisen in our\nmind respecting the duty of abstaining from meat. What are the faults\nthat one incurs by eating meat, and what are the merits that one wins?\nWhat are the demerits of him who eats meat by himself killing a living\ncreature? What are the merits of him who eats the meat of animals killed\nby others? What the merits and demerits of him who kills a living\ncreature for another? Or of him who eats meat buying it of others? I\ndesire, O sinless one, that thou shouldst discourse to me on this topic\nin detail. I desire to ascertain this eternal religion with certainty.\nHow does one attain to longevity? How does one acquire strength? How does\none attain to faultlessness of limbs? Indeed, how does one become endued\nwith excellent indications?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen to me, O scion of Kuru's race, what the merit is\nthat attaches to abstention from meat. Listen to me as I declare to thee\nwhat the excellent ordinances, in truth, are on this head. Those\nhigh-souled persons who desire beauty, faultlessness of limbs, long life,\nunderstanding, mental and physical strength, and memory, should abstain\nfrom acts of injury. On this topic, O scion of Kuru's race, innumerable\ndiscourses took place between the Rishis. Listen, O Yudhishthira, what\ntheir opinion was. The merit acquired by that person, O Yudhishthira,\nwho, with the steadiness of a vow, adores the deities every month in\nhorse-sacrifices, is equal to his who discards honey and meat. The seven\ncelestial Rishis, the Valakhilyas, and those Rishis who drink the rays of\nthe sun, endued with great wisdom, applaud abstention from meat. The\nSelf-born Manu has said that that man who does not eat meat, or who does\nnot slay living creatures, or who does not cause them to be slain, is a\nfriend of all creatures. Such a man is incapable of being oppressed by\nany creature. He enjoys the confidence of all living beings. He always\nenjoys, besides, the approbation and commendation of the righteous. The\nrighteous-souled Narada has said that that man who wishes to increase his\nown flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures, meets with calamity.\nVrihaspati has said that that man who abstains from honey and meat\nacquires the merit of gifts and sacrifices and penances. In my\nestimation, these two persons are equal, viz., he who adores the deities\nevery month in a horse-sacrifice for a space of hundred years and he who\nabstains from honey and meat. In consequence of abstention from meat one\ncomes to be regarded as one who always adores the deities in sacrifices,\nor as one who always makes gifts to others, or as one who always\nundergoes the severest austerities. That man who having eaten meat gives\nit up afterwards, acquires merit by such an act that is so great that a\nstudy of all the Vedas or a performance, O Bharata, of all the\nsacrifices, cannot bestow its like. It is exceedingly difficult to give\nup meat after one has become acquainted with its taste. Indeed, it is\nexceedingly difficult for such a person to observe the high vow of\nabstention from meat, a vow that assures every creature by dispelling all\nfear. That learned person who giveth to all living creatures the Dakshina\nof complete assurance comes to be regarded, without doubt, as the giver\nof life-breaths in this world.[524] Even this is the high religion which\nmen of wisdom applaud. The life-breaths of other creatures are as dear to\nthem as those of one's to one's own self. Men endued with intelligence\nand cleansed souls should always behave towards other creatures after the\nmanner of that behaviour which they like others to observe towards\nthemselves. It is seen that even those men who are possessed of learning\nand who seek to achieve the highest good in the form of Emancipation, are\nnot free from the fear of death. What need there be said of those\ninnocent and healthy creatures endued with love of life, when they are\nsought to be slain by sinful wretches subsisting by slaughter? For this\nreason, O monarch, know that the discarding of meat is the highest refuge\nof religion, of heaven, and of happiness. Abstention from injury is the\nhighest religion. It is, again, the highest penance. It is also the\nhighest truths from which all duty proceeds. Flesh cannot be had from\ngrass or wood or stone. Unless a living creature is slain, it cannot be\nhad. Hence is the fault in eating flesh. The deities who subsist upon\nSwaha, Swadha, and nectar, are devoted to truth and sincerity. Those\npersons, however, who are for gratifying the sensation of taste, should\nbe known as Rakshasas wedded to the attribute of Passion. That man who\nabstains from meat, is never put in fear, O king, by any creature,\nwherever he may be, viz., in terrible wildernesses or inaccessible\nfastnesses, by day or by night, or at the two twilights, in the open\nsquares of towns or in assemblies of men, from upraised weapons or in\nplaces where there is great fright from wild animals or snakes. All\ncreatures seek his protection. He is an object of confidence with all\ncreatures. He never causes any anxiety in others, and himself has never\nto become anxious. If there were nobody who ate flesh there would then be\nnobody to kill living creatures. The man who kills living creatures kills\nthem for the sake of the person who eats flesh. If flesh were regarded as\ninedible, there would then be no slaughter of living creatures. It is for\nthe sake of the eater that the slaughter of living creatures goes on in\nthe world. Since, O thou of great splendour, the period of life is\nshortened of persons who slaughter living creatures or cause them to be\nslaughtered, it is clear that the person who wishes his own good should\ngive up meat entirely. Those fierce persons who are engaged in slaughter\nof living creatures, never find protectors when they are in need. Such\npersons should always be molested and persecuted even as beasts of prey.\nThrough cupidity or stupefaction of the understanding, for the sake of\nstrength and energy, or through association with the sinful, the\ndisposition manifests itself in men for sinning. That man who seeks to\nincrease his own flesh by (eating) the flesh of others, has to live in\nthis world in great anxiety and after death has to take birth in\nindifferent races and families. High Rishis devoted to the observance of\nvows and self-restraint have said that abstention from meat is worthy of\nevery praise, productive of fame and Heaven, and a great propitiation by\nitself. This I heard in days of old, O son of Kunti, from Markandeya when\nthat Rishi discoursed on the demerits of eating flesh. He who eats the\nflesh of animals that are desirous of living but that have been killed by\neither himself or others, incurs the sin that attaches to the slaughter\nfor his act of cruelty. He who purchases flesh slays living\ncreatures through his wealth. He who eats flesh slays living creatures\nthrough such act of eating. He who binds or seizes and actually kills\nliving creatures is the slaughterer. Those are the three kinds of\nslaughter, each of these three acts being so. He who does not himself eat\nflesh but approves of an act of slaughter becomes stained with the sin of\nslaughter. By abstaining from meat and showing compassion to all\ncreatures one becomes incapable of being molested by any creature, and\nacquires a long life, perfect health, and happiness. The merit that is\nacquired by a person by abstaining from meat, we have heard, is superior\nto that of one who makes presents of gold, of kine, and of land. One\nshould never eat meat of animals not dedicated in sacrifices and that\nare, therefore, slain for nothing, and that has not been offered to the\ngods and Pitris with the aid of the ordinances. There is not the\nslightest doubt that a person by eating such meat goes to Hell. If one\neats the meat that has been sanctified in consequence of its having been\nprocured from animals dedicated in sacrifices and that have been slain\nfor the purpose of feeding Brahmanas, one incurs a little fault. By\nbehaving otherwise, one becomes stained with sin. That wretch among men\nwho slays living creatures for the sake of those who would eat them,\nincurs great demerit. The eater's demerit is not so great. That wretch\namong men who, following the path of religious rites and sacrifices laid\ndown in the Vedas, would kill a living creature from desire of eating its\nflesh, would certainly become a resident of hell. That man who having\neaten flesh abstains from it afterwards, attains to great merit in\nconsequence of such abstention from sin. He who arranges for obtaining\nflesh, he who approves of those arrangements, he who slays, he who buys\nor sells, he who cooks, and he who eats, are all regarded as eaters of\nflesh. I shall now cite another authority, depending upon that was\ndeclared by the ordainer himself, and established in the Vedas. It has\nbeen said that that religion which has acts for its indications has been\nordained for householders, O chief of kings, and not for those men who\nare desirous of emancipation. Manu himself has said that meat which is\nsanctified with mantras and properly dedicated, according to the\nordinances of the Vedas, in rites performed in honour of the Pitris, is\npure. All other meat falls under the class of what is obtained by useless\nslaughter, and is, therefore, uneatable, and leads to Hell and infamy.\nOne should never eat, O chief of Bharata's race, like a Rakshasa, any\nmeat that has been obtained by means not sanctioned by the ordinance.\nIndeed, one should never eat flesh obtained from useless slaughter and\nthat has not been sanctified by the ordinance. That man who wishes to\navoid calamity of every kind should abstain from the meat of every living\ncreature. It is heard that in the ancient Kalpa, persons, desirous of\nattaining to regions of merit hereafter, performed sacrifices with seeds,\nregarding such animals as dedicated by them. Filled with doubts\nrespecting the propriety of eating flesh, the Rishis asked Vasu the ruler\nof the Chedis for solving them. King Vasu, knowing that flesh is\ninedible, answered that is was edible, O monarch. From that moment Vasu\nfell down from the firmament on the earth. After this he once more\nrepeated his opinion, with the result that he had to sink below the earth\nfor it. Desirous of benefiting all men, the high-souled Agastya, by the\naid of his penances, dedicated, once for all, all wild animals of the\ndeer species to the deities. Hence, there is no longer any necessity of\nsanctifying those animals for offering them to the deities and the\nPitris. Served with flesh according to the ordinance, the Pitris become\ngratified. Listen to me, O king of kings, as I tell thee this, O sinless\none. There is complete happiness in abstaining from meat, O monarch. He\nthat undergoes severe austerities for a hundred years and he that\nabstains from meat, are both equal in point of merit. Even this is my\nopinion, In the lighted fortnight of the month of Karttika in especial,\none should abstain from honey and meat. In this, it has been ordained,\nthere is great merit. He who abstains from meat for the four months of\nthe rains acquires the four valued blessings of achievements, longevity,\nfame and might. He who abstains for the whole month of Karttika from meat\nof every kind, transcends all kinds of woe and lives in complete\nhappiness. They who abstain from flesh by either months or fortnights at\na stretch have the region of Brahma ordained for them in consequence of\ntheir abstention from cruelty. Many kings in ancient days, O son of\nPritha, who had constituted themselves the souls of all creatures and who\nwere conversant with the truths of all things, viz., Soul and Not-soul,\nhad abstained from flesh either for the whole of the month of Karttika or\nfor the whole of the lighted fortnight in that month. They were Nabhaga\nand Amvarisha and the high-souled Gaya and Ayu and Anaranya and Dilipa\nand Raghu and Puru and Kartavirya and Aniruddha and Nahusha and Yayati\nand Nrigas and Vishwaksena and Sasavindu and Yuvanaswa and Sivi, the son\nof Usinara, and Muchukunda and Mandhatri, and Harischandra. Do thou\nalways speak the truth. Never speak an untruth. Truth is an eternal duty.\nIt is by truth that Harischandra roves through heaven like a second\nChandramas. These other kings also, viz., Syenachitra, O monarch, and\nSomaka and Vrika and Raivata and Rantideva and Vasu and Srinjaya, and\nDushmanta and Karushma and Rama and Alarka and Nala, and Virupaswa and\nNimi and Janaka of great intelligence, and Aila and Prithu and Virasena,\nand Ikshvaku, and Sambhu, and Sweta, and Sagara, and Aja and Dhundhu and\nSuvahu, and Haryaswa and Kshupa and Bharata, O monarch, did not eat flesh\nfor the month of Karttika and as the consequence thereof attained to\nheaven, and endued with prosperity, blazed forth with effulgence in the\nregion of Brahman, adored by Gandharvas and surrounded by thousand\ndamsels of great beauty. Those high-souled men who practise this\nexcellent religion which is characterised by abstention from injury\nsucceed in attaining to a residence in heaven. These righteous men who,\nfrom the time of birth, abstain from honey and meat and wine, are\nregarded as Munis. That man who practises this religion consisting of\nabstention from meat or who recites it for causing others to hear it,\nwill never have to go to hell even if he be exceedingly wicked in conduct\nin other respects. He, O king, who (often-times) reads these ordinances\nabout abstention from meat, that are sacred and adored by the Rishis, or\nhears it read, becomes cleansed of every sin and attains to great\nfelicity in consequence of the fruition of every wish. Without doubt, he\nattains also to a position of eminence among kinsmen. When afflicted with\ncalamity, he readily transcends it. When obstructed with impediments, he\nsucceeds in freeing himself from them with the utmost ease. When ill with\ndisease, he becomes cured speedily, and afflicted with sorrow he becomes\nliberated from it with greatest ease. Such a man has never to take birth\nin the intermediate order of animals or birds. Born in the order of\nhumanity, he attains to great beauty of person. Endued with great\nprosperity, O chief of Kuru's race, he acquires great fame as well. I\nhave thus told thee, O king, all that should be said on the subject of\nabstention from meat, together with the ordinances respecting both the\nreligion of Pravritti and Nivritti as framed by the Rishis.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Alas, those cruel men, who, discarding diverse kinds\nof food, covet only flesh, are really like great Rakshasas! Alas, they do\nnot relish diverse kinds of cakes and diverse sorts of potherbs and\nvarious species of Khanda with juicy flavour so much as they do flesh! My\nunderstanding, for this reason, becomes stupefied in this matter. I\nthink, when such is the case, that, there is nothing which can compare\nwith flesh in the matter of taste. I desire, therefore, O puissant one,\nto hear what the merits are of abstention from flesh, and the demerits\nthat attach to the eating of flesh, O chief of Bharata's race. Thou art\nconversant with every duty. Do thou discourse to me in full agreeably to\nthe ordinances on duty, on this subject. Do tell me what, indeed, is\nedible and what inedible. Tell me, O grandsire, what is flesh, of what\nsubstances it is, the merits that attach to abstention from it, and what\nthe demerits are that attach to the eating of flesh.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"It is even so, O mighty-armed one, as thou sayest. There\nis nothing on earth that is superior to flesh in point of taste. There is\nnothing that is more beneficial then flesh to persons that are lean, or\nweak, or afflicted with disease, or addicted to sexual congress or\nexhausted with travel. Flesh speedily increases strength. It produces\ngreat development. There is no food, O scorcher of foes, that is superior\nto flesh. But, O delighter of the Kurus, the merits are great that attach\nto men that abstain from it. Listen to me as I discourse to thee on it.\nThat man who wished to increase his own flesh by the flesh of another\nliving creature is such that there is none meaner and more cruel than he.\nIn this world there is nothing that is dearer to a creature than his\nlife. Hence (instead of taking that valuable possession), one should show\ncompassion to the lives of others as one does to one's own life. Without\ndoubt, O son, flesh has its origin in the vital seed. There is great\ndemerit attaching to its eating, as, indeed, there is merit in abstaining\nfrom it. One does not, however, incur any fault by eating flesh\nsanctified according to the ordinances of the Vedas. The audition is\nheard that animals were created for sacrifice. They who eat flesh in any\nother way are said to follow the Rakshasa practice. Listen to me as I\ntell thee what the ordinance is that has been laid down for the\nKshatriyas. They do not incur any fault by eating flesh that has been\nacquired by expenditure of prowess. All deer of the wilderness were\ndedicated to the deities and the Pitris in days of old, O king, by\nAgastya. Hence, the hunting of deer is not censured. There can be no\nhunting without risk of one's own life. There is equality of risk between\nthe slayer and the slain. Either the animal is killed or it kills the\nhunter. Hence, O Bharata, even royal sages betake themselves to the\npractice of hunting. By such conduct they do not become stained with sin.\nIndeed, the practice is not regarded as sinful. There is nothing, O\ndelighter of the Kurus, that is equal in point of merit, either here or\nhereafter, to the practice of compassion to all living creatures. The man\nof compassion has no fear. Those harmless men that are endued with\ncompassion have both this world and the next. Persons conversant with\nduty say that that Religion is worthy of being called Religion which has\nabstention from cruelty for its indication. The man of cleansed soul\nshould do only such acts as have compassion for their soul. That flesh\nwhich is dedicated in sacrifices performed in honour of the deities and\nthe Pitris is called Havi (and, as such, is worthy of being eaten). That\nman who is devoted to compassion and who behaves with compassion towards\nothers, has no fear to entertain from any creature. It is heard that all\ncreatures abstain from causing any fear unto such a creature. Whether he\nis wounded or fallen down or prostrated or weakened or bruised, in\nwhatever state he may be, all creatures protect him. Indeed, they do so,\nunder all circumstances, whether he is on even or uneven ground. Neither\nsnakes nor wild animals, neither Pisachas nor Rakshasas, ever slay him.\nWhen circumstances of fear arise, he becomes freed from fear who frees\nothers from situations of fear. There has never been, nor will there ever\nbe, a gift that is superior to the gift of life. It is certain that there\nis nothing dearer to oneself than one's life. Death, O Bharata, is a\ncalamity or evil unto all creatures. When the time comes for Death, a\ntrembling of the whole frame is seen in all creatures. Enduring birth in\nthe uterus, decrepitude and afflictions of diverse kinds, in this ocean\nof the world, living creatures may be seen to be continually going\nforward and coming back. Every creature is afflicted by death. While\ndwelling in the uterus, all creatures are cooked in the fluid juices,\nthat are alkaline and sour and bitter, of urine and phlegm and\nfaeces,--juices that produce painful sensations and are difficult to\nbear. There in the uterus, they have to dwell in a state of helplessness\nand are even repeatedly torn and pierced. They that are covetous of meat\nare seen to be repeatedly cooked in the uterus in such a state of\nhelplessness. Attaining to diverse kinds of birth, they are cooked in the\nhell called Kumbhipaka. They are assailed and slain, and in this way have\nto travel repeatedly. There is nothing so dear to one as one's life when\none comes to this world. Hence, a person of cleansed soul should be\ncompassionate to all living creatures. That man, O king, who abstains\nfrom every kind of meat from his birth, without doubt, acquires a large\nspace in Heaven. They who eat the flesh of animals who are desirous of\nlife, are themselves eaten by the animals they eat, without doubt. Even\nthis is my opinion. 'Since he hath eaten me, I shall eat him in\nreturn,'--even this, O Bharata, constitutes the character as Mansa of\nMansa.[525] The slayer is always slain. After him the eater meets with\nthe same fate. He who acts with hostility towards another (in this life)\nbecomes the victim of similar acts done by that other. Whatever acts one\ndoes in whatever bodies, one has to suffer the consequences thereof in\nthose bodies.[526] Abstention from cruelty is the highest Religion.\nAbstention from cruelty is the highest self-control. Abstention from\ncruelty is the highest gift. Abstention from cruelty is the highest\npenance. Abstention from cruelty is the highest sacrifice. Abstention\nfrom cruelty is the highest puissance. Abstention from cruelty is the\nhighest friend. Abstention from cruelty is the highest happiness.\nAbstention from cruelty is the highest truth. Abstention from cruelty is\nthe highest Sruti. Gifts made in all sacrifices, ablutions performed in\nall sacred waters, and the merit that one acquires from making all kinds\nof gifts mentioned in the scriptures,--all these do not come up to\nabstention from cruelty (in point of the merit that attaches to it). The\npenances of a man that abstains from cruelty are inexhaustible. The man\nthat abstains from cruelty is regarded as always performing sacrifices.\nThe man that abstains from cruelty is the father and mother of all\ncreatures. Even these, O chief of Kuru's race, are some of the merits of\nabstention from cruelty. Altogether, the merits that attach to it are so\nmany that they are incapable of being exhausted even if one were to speak\nfor a hundred years.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Desiring to die or desiring to live, many persons\ngive up their lives in the great sacrifice (of battle). Tell me, O\ngrandsire, what is the end that these attain to. To throw away life in\nbattle is fraught with sorrow for men. O thou of great wisdom, thou\nknowest that to give up life is difficult for men whether they are in\nprosperity, or adversity, in felicity or calamity. In my opinion, thou\nart possessed of omniscience. Do thou tell me the reason of this.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In prosperity or adversity, in happiness or woe, living\ncreatures, O lord of the earth, coming into this world, live according to\na particular tenor. Listen to me as I explain the reason to thee. The\nquestion thou hast asked me is excellent, O Yudhishthira! In this\nconnection, O king, I shall explain to thee the old narrative of the\ndiscourse that took place in former times between the Island-born Rishi\nand a crawling worm. In days of old, when that learned Brahmana, viz.,\nthe Island-born Krishna, having identified himself with Brahma, roamed\nover the world, he beheld, on a road over which cars used to pass, a worm\nmoving speedily. The Rishi was conversant with the course of every\ncreature and the language of every animal. Possessed of omniscience, he\naddressed the worm he saw in these words.\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'O worm, thou seemest to be exceedingly alarmed, and to be\nin great haste. Tell me, whither dost thou run, and whence hast thou been\nafraid.'\n\n\"'\"The worm said, 'Hearing the rattle of yonder large car I am filled with\nfear. O thou of great intelligence, fierce is the roar it makes. It is\nalmost come! The sound is heard. Will it not kill me? It is for this that\nI am flying away. The sound, as it is heard from a near point, I catch,\nof the bulls I hear. They are breathing hard under the whip of the\ndriver, as they are drawing the heavy burden. I hear also the diverse\nsounds made by the men who are driving the bulls. Such sounds are\nincapable of being heard by a creature that like us has taken his birth\nin the order of worms. It is for this reason that I am flying from this\nsituation of great fright. Death is felt by all creatures to be fraught\nwith pain. Life is an acquisition difficult to make. Hence, I fly away in\nfear, I do not wish to pass from a state of happiness to one of woe.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, the Island-born Vyasa said, 'O worm,\nwhence can be thy happiness? Thou belongest to the intermediate order of\nbeing. I think, death would be fraught with happiness to thee! Sound,\ntouch, taste, scent, and diverse kinds of excellent enjoyments are\nunknown to thee, O worm! I think, death will prove a benefit to thee!'\n\n\"'\"The worm said, 'A living creature, in whatever situation he may be\nplaced, becomes attached to it. In even this order of being I am happy, I\nthink, O thou of great wisdom! It is for this that I wish to live. In\neven this condition, every object of enjoyment exists for me according to\nthe needs of my body. Human beings and those creatures that spring from\nimmobile objects have different enjoyments. In my former life I was a\nhuman being. O puissant one, I was a Sudra possessed of great wealth. I\nwas not devoted to the Brahmanas. I was cruel, vile in conduct, and a\nusurer. I was harsh in speech. I regarded cunning as wisdom. I hated all\ncreatures. Taking advantage of pretexts in compacts made between myself\nand others, I was always given to taking away what belonged to others.\nWithout feeding servants and guests arrived at my house, I used to fill,\nwhen hungry, my own stomach, under the impulse of pride, covetous of good\nfood. Greedy I was of wealth, I never dedicated, with faith and\nreverence, any food to the deities and the Pitris although duty required\nme to dedicate food unto them. Those men that came to me, moved by fear,\nfor seeking my protection, I sent adrift without giving them any\nprotection. I did not extend my protection to those that came to me with\nprayers for dispelling their fear. I used to feel unreasonable envy at\nseeing other people's wealth, and corn, and spouses held dear by them,\nand articles of drink, and good mansions. Beholding the happiness of\nothers, I was filled with envy and I always wished them poverty.\nFollowing that course of conduct which promised to crown my own wishes\nwith fruition, I sought to destroy the virtue, wealth, and pleasures of\nother people. In that past life of mine, I committed diverse deeds\nlargely fraught with cruelty and such other passions. Recollecting those\nacts I am filled with repentance and grief even as one is filled with\ngrief at the loss of one's dear son. In consequence of these acts of mine\nI do not know what the fruits are of good deeds. I, however, worshipped\nmy old mother and on one occasion worshipped a Brahmana. Endued with\nbirth and accomplishments, that Brahmana, in course of his wanderings,\ncame to my house once as a guest. I received him with reverent\nhospitality. In consequence of the merit attaching to that act, my memory\nhas not forsaken me. I think that in consequence of that act I shall once\nmore succeed in regaining happiness. O thou of ascetic wealth, thou\nknowest everything. Do thou in kindness tell me what is for my good.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVIII\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'It is in consequence of a meritorious act, O worm, that\nthou, though born in the intermediate order of being, art not stupefied.\nThat act is mine, O worm, in consequence of which thou art not\nstupefied.[527] In consequence of the puissance of my penances, I am able\nto rescue a being of demerit by granting him a sight only of my person.\nThere is no stronger might than the might that attaches to penances. I\nknow, O worm, that thou hast taken birth in the order of worms through\nthe evil acts of thy past life. If, however, thou thinkest of attaining\nto righteousness and merit, thou mayst again attain to it. Deities as\nwell as beings crowned with ascetic success, enjoy or endure the\nconsequence of acts done by them in this field of action. Amongst men\nalso, when acts of merit are performed, they are performed from desire of\nfruit (and not with disregard for fruit). The very accomplishment that\none seeks to acquire are sought from desire of the happiness they will\nbring.[528] Learned or ignorant (in a former life) the creature that is,\nin this life, destitute of speech and understanding and hands and feet,\nis really destitute of everything.[529] He that becomes a superior\nBrahmana adores, while alive, the deities of the sun and the moon,\nuttering diverse sacred Mantras. O worm, thou shalt attain to that state\nof existence. Attaining to that status, thou wilt enjoy all the elements\nconverted into articles of enjoyment. When thou hast attained to that\nstate, I shall impart to thee Brahma. Or, if thou wishest, I may place\nthee in any other status!' The worm, agreeing to the words of Vyasa, did\nnot leave the road, but remained on it. Meanwhile, the large vehicle\nwhich was coming in that direction came to that spot.[530] Torn to pieces\nby the assault of the wheels, the worm gave up his life-breath. Born at\nlast in the Kshatriya order through the grace of Vyasa of immeasurable\npuissance, he proceeded to see the great Rishi. He had, before becoming a\nKshatriya, to pass through diverse orders of being, such as hedgehog and\nIguana and boar and deer and bird, and Chandala and Sudra and Vaisya.\nHaving given an account of his various transformations unto the\ntruth-telling Rishi, and remembering the Rishi's kindness for him, the\nworm (now transformed into a Kshatriya) with joined palms fell at the\nRishi's feet and touched them with his head.\n\n\"'\"The worm said, 'My present status is that high one which is coveted by\nall and which is attainable by the possession of the ten well-known\nattributes. Indeed, I who was formerly a worm have thus attained to the\nstatus of a prince. Elephants of great strength, decked with golden\nchains, bear me on their backs. Unto my cars are yoked Kamvoja steeds of\nhigh mettle. Numerous vehicles, unto which are attached camels and mules,\nbear me. With all my relatives and friends I now eat food rich with meat.\nWorshipped by all, I sleep, O highly blessed one, on costly beds in\ndelightful rooms into which disagreeable winds cannot blow. Towards the\nsmall hours of every night, Sutas and Magadhas and encomiasts utter my\npraises even as the deities utter the agreeable praises of Indra, their\nchief. Through the grace of thyself that art firm in truth and endued\nwith immeasurable energy, I who was before a worm have now become a\nperson of the royal order. I bow my head to thee, O thou of great wisdom.\nDo thou command me as to what I should do now. Ordained by the puissance\nof thy penances, even this happy status hath now become mine!'\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'I have today been worshipped by thee, O king, with diverse\nwords expressive of reverence. Transformed into a worm, thy memory had\nbecome clouded. That memory has again appeared. The sin thou committed in\na former life has not yet been destroyed,--that sin, viz., which was\nearned by thee while thou wert a Sudra covetous of wealth and cruel in\nbehaviour and hostile to the Brahmanas. Thou wert able to obtain a sight\nof my person. That was an act of merit to thee while thou wert a worm. In\nconsequence of thy having saluted and worshipped me thou shalt rise\nhigher, for, from the Kshatriya order thou shalt rise to the status of a\nBrahmana, if only thou castest off thy life-breaths on the field of\nbattle for the sake of kine or Brahmanas. O prince, enjoying much\nfelicity and performing many sacrifices with copious presents, thou shalt\nattain to heaven and transformed into eternal Brahma, thou wilt have\nperfect beatitude. Those that take birth in the intermediate order (of\nanimals) become (when they rise) Sudras. The Sudra rises to the status of\nthe Vaisya; and the Vaisya to that of the Kshatriya. The Kshatriya who\ntakes pride in the discharge of the duties of his order, succeeds in\nattaining to the status of a Brahmana. The Brahmana, by following a\nrighteous conduct, attains to heaven that is fraught with great\nfelicity.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Having cast off the status of a worm and taken birth as a\nKshatriya of great energy, the person (of whom I am speaking),\nremembering his previous transformations, O monarch, began to undergo\nsevere austerities. Beholding those severe austerities of the Kshatriya\nwho was well-conversant with religion and wealth, the Island-born\nKrishna, that foremost of Brahmanas, went to him.\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'The penances that appertain, O worm, to the Kshatriya order\nconsist of the protection of all creatures. Do thou regard these duties\nof the Kshatriya order to be the penances laid down for thee. Thou shalt\nthen attain to the status of a Brahmana. Ascertaining what is right and\nwhat is wrong, and cleansing thy soul, do thou duly cherish and protect\nall creatures, judiciously gratifying all good desires and correcting all\nthat is unholy. Be thou of cleansed soul, be thou contented and be thou\ndevoted to the practice of righteousness. Conducting thyself in this way,\nthou wilt then, when thou castest off thy life-breaths, become a\nBrahmana!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Although he had retired into the woods, yet, O\nYudhishthira, having heard the words of the great Rishi he began to\ncherish and protect his subjects righteously. Soon, O best of kings, that\nworm, in consequence of the due discharge of the duty of protecting his\nsubjects, became a Brahmana after casting off his Kshatriya body.\nBeholding him transformed into a Brahmana, the celebrated Rishi, viz.,\nthe Island-born Krishna of great wisdom, came to him.\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'O chief of Brahmanas, O blessed one, be not troubled\n(through fear of death)! He who acts righteously attains to respectable\nbirth. He, on the other hand, who acts unrighteously attains to a low and\nvile birth, O thou that art conversant with righteousness, one attains to\nmisery agreeably the measure of one's sin. Therefore, O worm, do not be\ntroubled through fear of death. The only fear thou shouldst entertain is\nabout the loss of righteousness. Do thou, therefore, go on practising\nrighteousness.'\n\n\"'\"The worm said, 'Through thy grace, O holy one, I have attained from\nhappy to happier positions! Having obtained such prosperity as has its\nroots in righteousness, I think, my demerits have been lost.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The worm having, at the command of the holy Rishi,\nattained to the status of a Brahmana that is so difficult to attain,\ncaused the earth to be marked with a thousand sacrificial stakes. That\nforemost of all persons conversant with Brahma then obtained a residence\nin the region of Brahman himself. Indeed, O son of Pritha, the worm\nattained to the highest status, viz., that of eternal Brahma, as the\nresult of his own acts done in obedience to the counsels of Vyasa. Those\nbulls among Kshatriyas, also, who have cast off their life-breaths (on\nthe field of Kurukshetra) exerting their energy the while, have all\nattained to a meritorious end. Therefore O king, do not mourn on their\naccount.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Which amongst these three is superior, viz.,\nknowledge, penances, and gifts? I ask thee, O foremost of righteous\npersons! Do tell me this, O grandsire!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited the old narrative of the\nconversation between Maitreya and the Island-born Krishna. Once on a\ntime, the Island-born Krishna, O king, while wandering over the world in\ndisguise, proceeded to Baranasi and waited upon Maitreya who belonged by\nbirth to a race of Munis[531]. Seeing Vyasa arrive, that foremost of\nRishis, viz., Maitreya, gave him a seat and after worshipping him with\ndue rites, fed him with excellent food. Having eaten that good food which\nwas very wholesome and which produced every kind of gratification, the\nhigh-souled Krishna became exceedingly delighted and as he sat there, he\neven laughed aloud. Seeing Krishna laugh, Maitreya addressed him, saying,\n'Tell me, O righteous-souled one, what the reason is of thy laughter!\nThou art an ascetic, endued with capacity to control thy emotions. Great\njoy, it seems, has come over thee! Saluting thee, and worshipping thee\nwith bent head, I ask thee this, viz., what the puissance is of my\npenances and what the high blessedness is that is thine! The acts I do\nare different from those which thou doest. Thou art already emancipated\nthough still owning life-breaths. I, however, am not yet freed. For all\nthat I think that there is not much difference between thee and me. I am\nagain, distinguished by birth.'[532]\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'This wonder that has filled me hath arisen from an\nordinance that looks like a hyperbole, and from its paradoxical statement\nfor the comprehension of the people. The declaration of the Vedas seems\nto be untrue. But why should the Vedas say an untruth? It has been said\nthat there are three tracks which constitute the best vows of a man. One\nshould never injure; one should always tell the truth; and one should\nmake gifts. The Rishis of old announced this, following the declarations\nof the Vedas. These injunctions were heard in days of old,--they should\ncertainly be followed by us even in our times. Even a small gift, made\nunder the circumstances laid down, produces great fruits[533]. Unto a\nthirsty man thou hast given a little water with a sincere heart. Thyself\nthirsty and hungry, thou hast, by giving me such food, conquered many\nhigh regions of felicity, O puissant one, as, one does by many\nsacrifices. I am exceedingly delighted with thy very sacred gift, as also\nwith thy penances. Thy puissance is that of Righteousness: Thy appearance\nis that of Righteousness. The fragrance of Righteousness is about thee. I\nthink that all thy acts are performed agreeably to the ordinance. O son,\nsuperior to ablutions in sacred waters, superior to the accomplishment of\nall Vedic vows, is gift. Indeed, O Brahmana, gift is more auspicious than\nall sacred acts. If it be not more meritorious than all sacred acts,\nthere can be no question about its superiority. All those rites laid down\nin the Vedas which thou applaudest do not come up to gift, for gift\nwithout doubt, is as I hold, fraught with very superior merit. The track\nthat has been made by those men who make gifts is the track that is\ntrodden by the wise. They who make gifts are regarded as givers of even\nthe life-breaths. The duties that constitute Righteousness are\nestablished in them. As the Vedas when well-studied, as the restraining\nof the senses, as a life of universal Renunciation, even so is gift which\nis fraught with very superior merit. Thou, O son, wilt rise from joy to\ngreater joy in consequence of thy having betaken thyself to the duty of\nmaking gifts. The man of intelligence (who practises this duty) certainly\nrises from joy to greater joy. We have without doubt, met with many\ndirect instances of this. Men endued with prosperity succeed in acquiring\nwealth, making gifts, performing sacrifices, and earning happiness as the\nresult thereof. It is always observed, O thou of great wisdom, to happen\nnaturally that happiness is followed by misery and misery is followed by\nhappiness.[534] Men of wisdom have said that human beings in this world\nhave three kinds of conduct. Some are righteous, some are sinful, and\nsome are neither righteous nor sinful. The conduct of the person who is\ndevoted to Brahma is not regarded either way. His sins are never regarded\nas sins. So also the man who is devoted to the duties laid down for him\nis regarded as neither righteous nor sinful (for the observance of those\nduties). Those men that are devoted to sacrifices, gifts, and penances,\nare regarded as righteous. These, however, that injure other creatures\nand are unfriendly to them, are regarded as sinful. There are some men\nwho appropriate what belongs to others. These certainly fall into Hell\nand meet with misery. All other acts that men do are indifferent, being\nregarded as neither righteous nor sinful. Do thou sport and grow and\nrejoice and make gifts and perform sacrifices. Neither men of knowledge\nnor those endued with penances will then be able to get the better of\nthee!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed by Vyasa, Maitreya, who was a worshipper\nof acts, who had been born in a race endued with great prosperity, who\nwas wise and possessed of great learning said unto him these words.\n\n\"'\"Maitreya said, 'O thou of great wisdom, without doubt it is as thou hast\nsaid. O puissant one, with thy permission I desire to say something.'\n\n\"'\"Vyasa said, 'Whatever thou wishest to say, O Maitreya, do thou say, O\nman of great wisdom, for I wish to hear thee.'\n\n\"'\"Maitreya said. 'Thy words on the subject of Gift are faultless and pure.\nWithout doubt, thy soul has been cleansed by knowledge and penances. In\nconsequence of thy soul being cleansed, even this is the great advantage\nI reap from it. With the aid of my understanding I see that thou art\nendued with high penances. As regards ourselves we succeed in acquiring\nprosperity through only a sight of personages like thee I think, that is\ndue to thy grace and flows from the nature of my own acts.[535] Penances,\nknowledge of the Vedas, and birth in a pure race,--these are the causes\nof the status which one acquires of a Brahmana. When one has these three\nattributes, then does he come to be called a regenerate person. If the\nBrahmana be gratified, the Pitris and the deities are also gratified.\nThere is nothing superior to a Brahmana possessed of Vedic lore. Without\nthe Brahmana, all would be darkness. Nothing would be known. The four\norders would not exist. The distinction between Righteousness and\nUnrighteousness, Truth and Falsehood, would cease. On a well-tilled\nfield, an abundant harvest can be reaped. Even so, one may reap great\nmerit by making gifts unto a Brahmana possessed of great learning. If\nthere were no Brahmanas endued with Vedic lore and good conduct for\naccepting gifts, the wealth possessed by wealthy people would be useless.\nThe ignorant Brahmana, by eating the food that is offered to him,\ndestroys what he eats (for it produces no merit to him who gives it). The\nfood that is eaten also destroys the eater (for the eater incurs sin by\neating what is offered to him). That ought to be properly termed an\neatable which is given away to a deserving man, in all other cases, he\nthat takes it makes the donor's gift thrown away and the receiver is\nlikewise ruined for his improperly accepting it. The Brahmana possessed\nof learning becomes the subjugator of the food that he eats. Having eaten\nit, he begets other food. The ignorant who eats the food offered to him\nloses his right to the children he begets, for the latter become his\nwhose food has enabled the progenitor to beget them. Even this is the\nsubtle fault that attaches to persons eating other people's food when\nthey have not the puissance to win that food. The merit which the giver\nacquires by making the gift, is equal to what the taker acquires by\naccepting the food. Both the giver and the acceptor depend equally upon\neach other. Even this is what the Rishis have said. There where Brahmanas\nexist, possessed of Vedic lore and conduct, people are enabled to earn\nthe sacred fruits of gifts and to enjoy them both here and hereafter.\nThose men who are of pure lineage, who are exceedingly devoted to\npenances, and who make gifts, and study the Vedas, are regarded as worthy\nof the most reverent worship. It is those good men that have chalked out\nthe path by treading on which one does not become stupefied. It is those\nmen that are the leaders of others to heaven. They are the men who bear\non their shoulders the burden of sacrifices and live for eternity.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed, the holy one replied unto Maitreya,\nsaying 'by good luck, thou art endued with knowledge. By good luck, thy\nunderstanding is of this kind! They that are good highly applaud all\nrighteous attributes. That personal beauty and youth and prosperity do\nnot succeed in overwhelming thee is due to good luck. This favour done to\nthee is due to the kindness of the deities. Listen to me as I discourse\nto thee upon what is even superior (in efficacy) to gift. Whatever\nscriptures and religious treatises there are, whatever (righteous)\ninclinations are observable in the world, they have flowed in their due\norder, agreeably with the lead of the Vedas, according to their due\norder. Following them I applaud gift. Thou praisest penances and Vedic\nlore. Penances are sacred. Penances are the means by which one may\nacquire the Vedas and heaven also. With the aid of penances and of\nknowledge, one attains to the highest fruits, we have heard. It is by\npenances that one destroys one's sins and all else that is evil. It has\nbeen heard by us that with whatever purpose in view one undergoes\npenances, one attains the fruition thereof in consequence of those\npenances. The same may be said of knowledge. Whatever is difficult to\naccomplish, whatever is difficult to conquer, what is difficult to\nattain, and whatever is difficult to cross, can all be achieved with the\naid of penances. Of all things, penances are possessed of very superior\nmight. The man who drinks alcohol, or he that takes by force what belongs\nto others, or he that is guilty of foeticide, or he that violates the bed\nof his preceptor, succeeds in crossing with the aid of penances. Indeed,\none becomes cleansed of all these sins through penances. One possessed of\nall knowledge and, therefore, having true vision, and an ascetic of\nwhatever kind, are equal. One should always bow unto these two[536]. All\nmen who have the Vedas for their wealth should be worshipped. Similarly,\nall men endued with penances deserve to be worshipped. Those who make\ngifts obtain happiness hereafter and much prosperity here. Righteous men\nof this world, by making gifts of food obtain both this world and that of\nBrahman himself with many other regions of superior felicity. Those men\nwho are adored by all, themselves adore him who makes gifts. Those men\nthat are honoured everywhere themselves honour him who make gifts.\nWherever the giver goes, he hears himself praised. He who does acts and\nhe who omits to do them gets each what is proportionate to his acts and\nomissions. Whether one dwells in the upper regions or in the nether, one\nalways attains to those places to which one becomes entitled by one's\nacts. As regards thyself, thou wilt certainly obtain whatever food and\ndrink thou mayst covet, for thou art endued with intelligence, good\nbirth, Vedic lore, and compassion! Thou art possessed of youth, O\nMaitreya! Thou art observant of vows. Be thou devoted to Righteousness.\nDo thou take instructions from me regarding those duties which thou\nshouldst first follow,--the duties, viz., of householders. In that house\nin which the husband is gratified with his wedded wife, and the wife\ngratified with her husband, all auspicious results ensue. As filth is\nwashed away from the body with water, as darkness is dispelled by the\nsplendour of fire even so is sin washed off by gifts and penances. Bless\nthee, O Maitreya, let mansions be thine! I depart hence in peace. Do thou\nkeep in mind what I have said. Thou shalt then be able to reap many\nadvantages!' Maitreya then walked round his illustrious guest and bowed\nhis head unto him, and joining his hands in reverence said, 'Let blessing\nbe to thee also, O holy one!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou that art conversant with all duties, I desire\nto hear, in detail, what the excellent behaviour is of good and chaste\nwomen. Do thou, O grandsire, discourse to me on this.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Once on a time, in the celestial regions, a lady named\nSumana of Kekaya's race addressing Sandili possessed of great energy and\nconversant with the truth relating to everything and endued with\nomniscience, said, 'By what conduct, O auspicious lady, by what course of\nacts, hast thou succeeded in attaining to heaven, purged of every sin?\nThou blazest forth with thy own energy like a flame of fire. Thou seemest\nto be a daughter of the Lord of stars, come to heaven in thy own\neffulgence. Thou wearest vestments of pure white, and art quite cheerful\nand at thy ease. Seated on that celestial chariot, thou shinest, O\nauspicious dame, with energy multiplied a thousandfold. Thou hast not, I\nween, attained to this region of happiness by inconsiderable penances and\ngifts and vows. Do thou tell me the truth'. Thus questioned sweetly by\nSumana, Sandili of sweet smiles, addressing her fair interrogatrix, thus\nanswered her out of the hearing of others, 'I did not wear yellow robes;\nnor barks of trees. I did not shave my head; nor did I keep matted locks\non my head. It is not in consequence of these acts that I have attained\nto the status of a celestial. I never, in heedlessness, addressed any\ndisagreeable or evil speech to my husband. I was always devoted to the\nworship of the deities, the Pitris, and the Brahmanas. Always heedful I\nwaited upon and served my mother-in-law and father-in-law. Even this was\nmy resolution that I should never behave with deceit. I never used to\nstay at the door of our house nor did I speak long with anybody. I never\ndid any evil act; I never laughed aloud; I never did any injury. I never\ndisclosed any secret. Even thus did I bear myself always. When my\nhusband, having left home upon any business, used to come back, I always\nserved him by giving him a seat, and worshipped him with reverence. I\nnever ate food of any kind which was unknown to my husband and at which\nmy husband was not pleased. Rising at early dawn I did and caused to be\ndone whatever was brought about and required to be accomplished for the\nsake of relatives and kinsmen. When my husband leaves home for going to a\ndistant place on any business, I remain at home engaged in diverse kinds\nof auspicious acts for blessing his enterprise. Verily, during the\nabsence of my husband I never use collyrium, or ornaments; I never wash\nmyself properly or use garlands and unguents, or deck my feet with\nlac-dye, or person with ornaments. When my husband sleeps in peace I\nnever awake him even if important business required his attention. I was\nhappy to sit by him lying asleep. I never urged my husband to exert more\nenergetically for earning wealth to support his family and relatives. I\nalways kept secrets without disclosing them to others. I used to keep\nalways our premises clean. That woman who with concentrated attention,\nadheres to this path of duty, becomes the recipient of considerable\nhonours in heaven like a second Arundhati.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"The illustrious and highly blessed Sandili, of\nrighteous conduct, having said these words unto Sumana on the subject of\nwoman's duties towards her husband, disappeared there and then. That man,\nO son of Pandu, who reads this narrative at every full moon and new moon,\nsucceeds in attaining to heaven and enjoying great felicity in the woods\nof Nandana.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Which is of superior efficacy, Conciliation or\nGifts? Tell me, O chief of Bharata's race, which of these two is superior\nin point of efficacy.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Some become gratified by conciliation, while others are\ngratified by gifts. Every man, according to his own nature, affects the\none or the other. Listen to me, O king, as I explain to thee the merits\nof conciliation, O chief of Bharata's race, so that the most furious\ncreatures may be appeased by it. In this connection is cited the ancient\nnarrative of how a Brahmana, who had been seized in the forest by a\nRakshasa, was freed (with the aid of conciliation). A certain Brahmana,\nendued with eloquence and intelligence, fell into distress, for he was\nseized in a lone forest by a Rakshasa who wished to feed on him. The\nBrahmana, possessed of understanding and learning, was not at all\nagitated. Without suffering himself to be stupefied at the sight of that\nterrible cannibal, he resolved to apply conciliation and see its effect\non the Rakshasa. The Rakshasa, respectfully saluting the Brahmana so far\nas words went, asked him this question, 'Thou shalt escape, but tell me\nfor what reason I am pale of hue and so lean!' Reflecting for a brief\nspace of time, the Brahmana accepted the question of the Rakshasa and\nreplied in the following well-spoken words.\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Dwelling in a place that is distant from thy abode,\nmoving in a sphere that is not thy own, and deprived of the companionship\nof thy friends and kinsmen, thou art enjoying vast affluence. It is for\nthis that thou art so pale and lean. Verily, O Rakshasa, thy friends,\nthough well-treated by thee, are still not well-disposed towards thee in\nconsequence of their own vicious nature. It is for this that thou art\npale and lean. Thou art endued with merit and wisdom and a well-regulated\nsoul. Yet it is thy lot to see others that are destitute of merit and\nwisdom honoured in preference to thyself. It is for this that thou art\npale and lean. Persons possessed of wealth and affluence much greater\nthan thine but inferior to thee in point of accomplishments are, verily,\ndisregarding thee. It is for this that thou art pale and lean. Though\ndistressed through want of the means of support, thou art led by the\nhighness of thy soul to disregard such means as are open to thee for\ndrawing thy sustenance. It is for this that thou art pale and lean. In\nconsequence of thy righteousness thou hadst stinted thyself for doing\ngood to another. This other, O righteous Rakshasa, thinks thee deceived\nand subjugated (by his superior intelligence). It is for this that thou\nart pale and lean. I think, thou art grieving for those persons who with\nsouls overwhelmed by the lust and wrath are suffering misery in this\nworld. It is for this that thou art pale and lean. Though graced with the\npossession of wisdom, thou art ridiculed by others who are entirely\ndestitute of it. Verily, persons of wicked conduct are condemning thee.\nIt is for this that thou art pale and lean. Verily, some enemy of thine,\nwith a friendly tongue, coming to thee behaved at first like a righteous\nperson and then has left thee, beguiling thee like a knave. It is for\nthis that thou art pale and lean. Thou art well-conversant with the\ncourse of world's affairs. Thou art well-skilled in all mysteries. Thou\nart endued with capacity. Those who know thee to be such do not yet\nrespect and praise thee. It is for this that thou art pale and lean.\nStaying in the midst of bad men engaged together in some enterprise, thou\nhadst discoursed to them, dispelling their doubts. For all that they did\nnot admit thy superior merits. It is for this that thou art pale and\nlean. Verily, though destitute of wealth and intelligence and Vedic lore,\nthou desirest yet, with the aid of thy energy alone, to accomplish\nsomething great. It is for this that thou art pale and lean. It seems\nthat although thou art resolved to undergo severe austerities by retiring\ninto the forest, yet thy kinsmen art not favourably inclined towards this\nproject of thine. It is for this that thou art pale and lean. Some\nneighbour of thine, possessed of great wealth and endued with youth and\nhandsome features, verily, covets thy dear spouse. It is for this that\nthou art pale and lean. The words spoken by thee, even when excellent, in\nthe midst of wealthy men, are not regarded by them as wise or well-timed.\nIt is for this that thou art pale and lean. Some dear kinsman of thine,\ndestitute of intelligence though repeatedly instructed in the scriptures,\nhas become angry. Thou hast not succeeded in pacifying him. It is for\nthis that thou art pale and lean. Verily, somebody, having first set\nthee to the accomplishment of some object desirable to thee is now\nseeking to snatch the fruit thereof from thy grasp. It is for this that\nthou art pale and lean. Verily, though possessed of excellent\naccomplishments and worshipped by all on that account, thou art yet\nregarded by thy kinsmen as worshipped for their sake and not for thy own.\nIt is for this that thou art pale and lean. Verily, through shame thou\nart unable to give out some purpose in thy heart, moved also by the\ninevitable delay that will occur in its accomplishment. It is for this\nthat thou art pale and lean. Verily, thou desirest, with the aid of thy\nintelligence, to bring under thy influence, diverse persons with diverse\nkinds of understandings and inclinations. It is for this that thou art\npale and lean.[537] Destitute of learning, without courage, and without\nmuch wealth, thou seekest such fame as is won by knowledge and prowess\nand gifts. Verily, it is for this that thou hast been pale and lean. Thou\nhast not been able to acquire something upon which thou hast set thy\nheart for a long time. Or, that which thou seekest to do is sought to be\nundone by somebody else. It is for this that thou art pale and lean.\nVerily, without being able to see any fault on thy part, thou hast been\ncursed by somebody. It is for this that thou art pale and lean.[538]\nDestitute of both wealth and accomplishments thou seekest in vain to\ndispel the grief of thy friends and the sorrows of sorrowing men. It is\nfor this that thou art pale and lean. Beholding righteous persons the\ndomestic mode of life, unrighteous persons living according to the forest\nmode, and emancipated persons attached to domesticity and fixed abodes,\nthou hast become pale and lean. Verily, thy acts connected with\nRighteousness, with Wealth, and with Pleasure, as also the well-timed\nwords spoken by thee, do not bear fruit. It is for this that thou art\npale and lean. Though endued with wisdom, yet desirous of living, thou\nlivest with wealth obtained by thee in gift from somebody of evil\nconduct. It is for this that thou art pale and lean. Beholding\nunrighteousness increasing on every side and righteousness languishing,\nthou art filled with grief. It is for this that thou art pale and lean.\nUrged by time thou seekest to please all thy friends even when they are\ndisputing and ranged on sides opposite to one another. It is for this\nthat thou art pale and lean. Beholding persons possessed of Vedic lore\nengaged in improper acts, and persons of learning unable to keep their\nsenses under control, thou art filled with grief. It is for this that\nthou art pale and lean.' Thus praised, the Rakshasa worshipped that\nlearned Brahmana in return, and making him his friend and bestowing\nsufficient wealth upon him in gift, let him off (without devouring him).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, how a poor man, desirous of\nachieving his own good, should bear himself after having acquired the\nstatus of humanity and come into this region of acts that is so difficult\nto attain. Tell me also what is the best of all gifts, and what should be\ngiven under what circumstances. Tell me, O son of Ganga, who art truly\ndeserving of honour and worship. It behoveth thee to discourse to us on\nthese mysteries.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus questioned by that famous monarch, viz.,\nthe son of Pandu, Bhishma explained (in these words) unto that king these\nhigh mysteries appertaining to duty.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen to me with concentrated attention, O king, as I\nexplain to thee, O Bharata, these mysteries appertaining to duties, after\nthe same manner in which the holy Vyasa had explained them to me in days\nof yore. This subject is a mystery to the very deities, O monarch. Yama\nof stainless deeds, with the aid of vows well-observed and Yoga\nmeditation, had acquired the knowledge of these mysteries as the high\nfruits of his penances.[539] What pleases what deity, what pleases the\nPitris, the Rishis, the Pramathas (associates of Mahadeva), the goddess\nSri, Chitragupta (the recording assistant of Yama), and the mighty\nElephants at the cardinal points of the compass, what constitutes the\nreligion of the Rishis--the religion, which has many mysteries and which\nis productive of high fruits,--the merits of what are called great gifts,\nand the merits that attach to all the sacrifices, he who knows these, O\nsinless one, and knowing acts according to his knowledge, becomes freed\nfrom stains if he has stains and acquires the merits indicated. Equal to\nten butchers is one oilman. Equal to ten oilmen is one drinker of\nalcohol. Equal to ten drinkers of alcohol is one courtezan. Equal to ten\ncourtezans is a single (territorial) chief.[540] A great king is said to\nbe equal to half of these all. Hence, one should not accept, gifts from\nthese. On the other hand, one should attend to the science, that is\nsacred and that has righteousness for its indications, of the aggregate\nof three (viz., Religion, Wealth, and Pleasure). Amongst these, Wealth\nand Pleasure are naturally attractive. Hence, one should, with\nconcentrated attention, listen to the sacred expositions of Religion (in\nparticular), for the fruits are very great of listening to the mysteries\nof Religion. One should certainly hear every topic connected with\nReligion as ordained by the deities themselves. In it is contained the\nritual in respect of the Sraddha in which have been declared the\nmysteries connected with the Pitris. The mysteries connected with all the\ndeities have also been explained there. It comprehends the duties and\npractices, productive of great merit, of the Rishis also, together with\nthe mysteries attaching to them. It contains an exposition of the merits\nof great sacrifices and those that attach to all kinds of gifts. Those\nmen who always read the scriptures bearing on these topics, those who\nbear them properly in their mind, and he who, having listened to them,\nfollows them in practice, are all regarded to be as holy and sinless as\nthe puissant Narayana himself. The merits that attach to the gift of\nkine, those that belong to the performance of ablutions in sacred waters,\nthose that are won by the performance of sacrifices,--all these are\nacquired by that man who treats guests with reverence. They who listen to\nthese scriptures, they who are endued with faith, and they who have a\npure heart, it is well-known, conquer many regions of happiness. Those\nrighteous men who are endued with faith, become cleansed of all stains\nand no sin can touch them. Such men always increase in righteousness and\nsucceed in attaining to heaven. Once on a time, a celestial messenger,\ncoming to the court of Indra of his own accord, but remaining invisible,\naddressed the chief of the deities in these words, 'At the command of\nthose two deities who are the foremost of all physicians, and who are\nendued with every desirable attribute, I have come to this place where I\nbehold human beings and Pitris and the deities assembled together. Why,\nindeed, is sexual congress interdicted for the man who performs a Sraddha\nand for him also who eats at a Sraddha (for the particular day)? Why are\nthree rice-balls offered separately at a Sraddha? Unto whom should the\nfirst of those balls be offered? Unto whom should the second one be\noffered? And whose has it been said is the third or remaining one? I\ndesire to know all this.' After the celestial messenger had said these\nwords connected with righteousness and duty, the deities who were seated\ntowards the east, the Pitris also, applauding that ranger of the sky,\nbegan as follows.\n\n\"'\"The Pitris said, 'Welcome art thou, and blessings upon thee! Do thou\nlisten, O best of all rangers of the sky! The question thou hast asked is\na high one and fraught with deep meaning. The Pitris of that man who\nindulges in sexual congress on the day he performs a Sraddha, or eats at\na Sraddha, have to lie for the period of a whole month on his vital seed.\nAs regards the classification of the rice-balls offered at a Sraddha, we\nshall explain what should be done with them one after another. The first\nrice-ball should be conceived as thrown into the waters. The second ball\nshould be given to one of the wives to eat. The third ball should be cast\ninto the blazing fire. Even this is the ordinance that has been declared\nin respect of the Sraddha. Even this is the ordinance that is followed in\npractice according to the rites of religion. The Pitris of that man who\nact according to this ordinance become gratified with him and remain\nalways cheerful. The progeny of such a man increases and inexhaustible\nwealth always remains at his command.'\n\n\"'\"The celestial messenger said, 'Thou hast explained the division of the\nrice-balls and their consignment one after another to the three (viz.,\nwater, the spouse, and the blazing fire), together with the reasons\nthereof.[541] Whom does that rice-ball which is consigned to the waters\nreach? How does it, by being so consigned, gratify the deities and how\ndoes it rescue the Pitris? The second ball is eaten by the spouse. That\nhas been laid down in ordinance. How do the Pitris of that man (whose\nspouse eats the ball) become the eaters thereof? The last ball goes into\nthe blazing fire. How does that ball succeed in finding its way to thee,\nor who is he unto whom it goes? I desire to hear this,--that is, what are\nthe ends attained by the rice-balls offered at Sraddhas when thus\ndisposed of by being cast into the water, given to the spouse, and thrown\ninto the blazing fire!'\n\n\"'\"The Pitris said, 'Great is this question which thou hast asked. It\ninvolves a mystery and is fraught with wonder. We have been exceedingly\ngratified with thee, O ranger of the sky! The very deities and the Munis\napplaud acts done in honour of the Pitris. Even they do not know what the\ncertain conclusions are of the ordinances in respect of the acts done in\nhonour of the Pitris. Excepting the high souled, immortal, and excellent\nMarkandeya, that learned Brahmana of great fame, who is ever devoted to\nthe Pitris, none amongst them is conversant with the mysteries of the\nordinances in respect of the Pitris. Having heard from the holy Vyasa\nwhat the end is of the three rice-balls offered at the Sraddha, as\nexplained by the Pitris themselves in reply to the question of the\ncelestial messenger, I shall explain the same to thee. Do thou hear, O\nmonarch, what the conclusions are with respect to the ordinances about\nthe Sraddha. Listen with rapt attention, O Bharata, to me as I explain\nwhat the end is of the three rice-balls. That rice-ball which goes into\nwater is regarded as gratifying the deity of the moon. That deity, thus\ngratified, O thou of great intelligence, gratifies in return the other\ndeities and the Pitris also with them. It has been laid down that the\nsecond rice-ball should be eaten by the spouse (of the man that performs\nthe Sraddha). The Pitris, who are ever desirous of progeny, confer\nchildren on the woman of the house. Listen now to me as I tell thee what\nbecomes of the rice-ball that is cast into the blazing fire. With that\nball the Pitris are gratified and as the result thereof they grant the\nfruition of all wishes unto the person offering it. I have thus told thee\neverything about the end of the three rice-balls offered at the Sraddha\nand consigned to the three (viz., water, the spouse, and the fire). That\nBrahmana who becomes the Ritwik at a Sraddha constitutes himself, by that\nact, the Pitri of the person performing the Sraddha. Hence, he should\nabstain that day from sexual intercourse with even his own spouse[542]. O\nbest of all rangers of the sky, the man who eats at Sraddha should bear\nhimself with purity for that day. By acting otherwise, one surely incurs\nthe faults I have indicated. It cannot be otherwise. Hence, the Brahmana\nwho is invited to a Sraddha for eating the offerings should eat them\nafter purifying himself by a bath and bear himself piously for that day\nby abstaining from every kind of injury or evil. The progeny of such a\nperson multiply and he also who feeds him reaps the same reward.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After the Pitris said so, a Rishi of austere\npenances, named Vidyutprabha, whose form shone with splendour like that\nof the sun, spoke. Having heard those mysteries of religion as propounded\nby the Pitris, he addressed Sakra, saying, 'Stupefied by folly, men slay\nnumerous creatures born in the intermediate orders, such as worms and\nants and snakes and sheep and deer and birds. Heavy is the measure of sin\nthey incur by these acts. What, however, is the remedy?' When this\nquestion was asked, all the gods and Rishis endued with wealth of\npenances and the highly blessed Pitris, applauded that ascetic.\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'Thinking in one's mind of Kurukshetra and Gaya and Ganga\nand Prabhasa and the lakes of Pushkara, one should dip one's head in\nwater. By so doing one becomes cleansed of all one's sins like Chandramas\nfreed from Rahu. One should bathe in this way for three days in\nsuccession and then fast for every day. Besides this, one should touch\n(after bathing) the back of a cow and bow one's head to her tail.'\nVidyutprabha, after this, once more addressing Vasava, said, 'I shall\ndeclare a rite that is more subtle. Listen to me, O thou of a hundred\nsacrifices. Rubbed with the astringent powder of the hanging roots of the\nbanian and anointed with the oil of Priyangu, one should eat the\nShashtika paddy mixed with milk. By so doing one becomes cleansed of all\none's sins[543]. Listen now to another mystery unknown to many but which\nwas discovered by the Rishis with the aid of meditation. I heard it from\nVrihaspati while he recited it in the presence of Mahadeva. O chief of\nthe deities, do thou hear it with Rudra in thy company, O lord of Sachi!\nIf a person, ascending a mountain, stands there on one foot, with arms\nupraised and joined together, and abstaining from food looks at a blazing\nfire, he acquires the merits of severe penances and obtains the rewards\nthat attach to fasts. Heated by the rays of the sun, he becomes cleansed\nof all his sins. One who acts in this way in both the summer and the\nwinter seasons, becomes freed from every sin. Cleansed of every sin, one\nacquires a splendour of complexion for all time. Such a man blazes with\nenergy like the Sun or shines in beauty like the Moon!' After this, the\nchief of the deities, viz., he of a hundred sacrifices, seated in the\nmidst of the gods, then sweetly addressed Vrihaspati, saying these\nexcellent words, 'O holy one, do thou duly discourse on what those\nmysteries of religion are that are fraught with happiness to human\nbeings, and what the faults are which they commit, together with the\nmysteries that attach to them!'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'They who pass urine, facing the sun, they who do not\nshow reverence for the wind, they who do not pour libations on the\nblazing fire, they who milk a cow whose calf is very young, moved by the\ndesire of obtaining from her as much milk as possible, commit sins. I\nshall declare what those faults are, O lord of Sachi! Do thou listen to\nme. The Sun, Wind, the bearer of sacrificial oblations, O Vasava, and\nkine who are the mothers of all creatures, were created by the Self-born\nhimself, for rescuing all the worlds, O Sakra! These are the deities of\nhuman beings. Listen all of ye to the conclusions of religion. Those\nwicked men and wicked women who pass urine facing the sun, live in great\ninfamy for six and eighty years. That man, O Sakra, who cherishes no\nreverence for the wind, gets children that fall away prematurely from the\nwomb of his spouse. Those men who do not pour libations on the blazing\nfire find that the fire, when they do ignite it for such rites as they\nwish to perform, refuses to eat their libations[544]. Those men who drink\nthe milk of kine whose calves are very young, never get children for\nperpetuating their races.[545] Such men see their children die and their\nraces shrink. Even these are the consequences of the acts referred to, as\nobserved by regenerate persons venerable for age in their respective\nraces. Hence, one should always avoid that which has been interdicted,\nand do only that which has been directed to be done, if one is desirous\nof achieving prosperity. This that I say unto thee is very true.' After\nthe celestial preceptor had said this, the highly blessed deities, with\nthe Maruts, and the highly blessed Rishis questioned the Pitris, saying,\n'Ye Pitris, at what acts of human beings, who are generally endued with\nlittle understanding, do ye become gratified? What gifts, made in course\nof such rites as are gone through for improving the position of deceased\npersons in the other world, become inexhaustible in respect of their\nefficacy?[546] By performing what acts can men become freed from the debt\nthey owe to the Pitris? We desire to hear this. Great is the curiosity we\nfeel.'\n\n\"'\"The Pitris said, 'Ye highly blessed ones, the doubt existing in your\nminds has been properly propounded. Listen as we declare what those acts\nare of righteous men that gratify us. Bulls endued with blue complexion\nshould be set free. Gifts should be made to us, on the day of the new\nmoon, of sesame seeds and water. In the season of rains, lamps should be\nlighted. By these acts of men, they can free themselves from the debt\nthey owe to the Pitris.[547] Such gifts never become vain. On the other\nhand, they become inexhaustible and productive of high fruits. The\ngratification we derive from them is regarded to be inexhaustible. Those\nmen who, endued with faith, beget offspring, rescue their deceased\nancestors from miserable Hell'. Hearing these words of the Pitris,\nVriddha-Gargya, possessed of wealth of penances and high energy, became\nfilled with wonder so that the hair on his body stood erect. Addressing\nthem he said, 'Ye that are all possessed of wealth of penances, tell us\nwhat the merits are that attach to the setting free of bulls endued with\nblue complexion. What merits, again, attach to the gift of lamps in the\nseason of rains and the gift of water with sesame seeds?'\n\n\"'\"The Pitris said, 'If a bull of blue complexion, upon being set free,\nraises a (small) quantity of water with its tail, the Pitris (of the\nperson that has set that bull free) become gratified with that water for\nfull sixty thousand years. The mud such a bull raises with its horns from\nthe banks (of a river or lake), succeeds, without doubt, in sending the\nPitris (of the person that sets the animal free) to the region of Soma.\nBy giving lamps in the season of rains, one shines with effulgence like\nSoma himself. The man who gives lamps is never subject to the attribute\nof Darkness. Those men who make gifts, on the day of the new moon, of\nsesame seeds and water, mixed with honey and using a vessel of copper, O\nthou that art possessed of wealth of penances, are regarded as duly\nperforming a Sraddha with all its mysteries. These men get children of\nsound health and cheerful minds. The merit acquired by the giver of the\nPinda (to the Pitris) takes the form of the growth of his race. Verily,\nhe who performs these acts with faith, becomes freed from the debt he\nowes to the Pitris. Even thus has been laid down the proper time for the\nperformance of the Sraddha, the ordinance in respect of the rites to be\nobserved, the proper person that should be fed at the Sraddha, and the\nmerits that attach to it.' I have declared everything to thee in due\norder.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The chief of the deities, Indra, after the Pitri has\nceased to speak, addressed the puissant Hari, saying, 'O Lord, what are\nthose acts by which thou becomest gratified? How, indeed, do men succeed\nin gratifying thee?'\n\n\"'\"Vishnu said, 'That which I greatly hate is the detraction of Brahmanas;\nwithout doubt, if the Brahmanas are worshipped, I regard myself\nworshipped. All superior Brahmanas should always be saluted with\nreverence, after feeding them with hospitality. One should reverence\none's own feet also (in the evening). I am gratified with men who act in\nthis way, as also with those who worship and make offerings to the whirl\nthat is noticeable on cowdung (when it first drops from the cow)[548].\nThey who behold a Brahmana that is a dwarf in stature, or a boar that has\njust risen from water and that bears on his head a quantity of mud taken\nup from the bank, have never to meet with any evil. They become freed\nfrom every sin. That man who worships every day the Aswattha (Ficus\nreligiosa) and the substance called Gorochana and the cow, is regarded as\nworshipping the whole universe with the deities and Asuras and human\nbeings. Verily, staying within these, I accept, in my own form, the\nworship that is offered to them. The worship that is offered to these is\nthe worship offered to me. This has been so as long as the worlds have\nbeen created. Those men of little understanding that worship me in a\ndifferent way worship me in vain, for the worship of that kind I never\naccept. Verily, the worship of other kinds is not at all gratifying to\nme.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Why dost thou applaud the circular marks on cowdung, the\nfeet, the boar, the Brahmana that is a dwarf in stature, and mud raised\nup from the soil? It is thou who createst and it is thou who destroyest\nthem. Thou art the eternal nature of all mortal or transitory things.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of Indra, Vishnu smiled a little\nand then said, 'It was with my circular disc that the Daityas were slain.\nIt was with my two feet that the world was covered. Assuming the form of\na boar I slew Hiranyaksha. Assuming the form of a dwarf I conquered (the\nAsura) king Vali. Those high-souled men who worship these gratify me.\nVerily, they who worship me in these forms never meet with discomfiture.\nIf one beholding a Brahmana leading the Brahmacharya mode of life arrived\nat one's house, offers unto him the first portion of one's food that\nbelongs as of right to a Brahmana, and eats what remains thereafter, one\nis regarded as eating Amrita. If one, after adoring the morning twilight,\nstands with face directed towards the sun, one reaps the merit that\nattaches to the performance of ablutions in all tirthas and becomes\ncleansed of all sins. Ye Rishis possessed of wealth of penances, I have\ntold you in details what constitutes a great mystery. On what else shall\nI discourse unto you? Tell me your doubts.'\n\n\"'\"Baladeva said, 'Listen now to another great mystery that is fraught with\nhappiness to men. Ignorant persons, unacquainted with it, meet with much\ndistress at the hands of other creatures. That man who, rising at early\ndawn, touches a cow, ghee, and curds, as also mustard seeds and the\nlarger variety thereof called Priyangu, becomes cleansed of all sins. As\nregards Rishis possessed of wealth of penances, they always avoid all\ncreatures both before and behind, as also all that is impure while\nperforming Sraddhas.'[549]\n\n\"'\"The deities said, 'If a person, taking a vessel of copper, filling it\nwith water, and facing the east, resolves upon a fast or the observance\nof a particular vow, the deities become gratified with him and all his\nwishes become crowned with success. By observing fasts, or vows in any\nother way, men of little understandings gain nothing.[550] In uttering\nthe resolution about the observance of fasts and in making offerings to\nthe deities, the use of a vessel of copper is preferable. In presenting\nthe offerings to the deities, in (giving and accepting) alms, in\npresenting the ingredients of the Arghya and in offering oblations of\nwater mixed with sesame seeds to the Pitris, a vessel of copper should be\nused. By doing these acts in any other way, one acquires little merit.\nEven these mysteries have been laid down relating to how the deities are\ngratified.'\n\n\"'\"Dharma said, 'The offerings made in all rites in honour of the deities\nand in those in honour of the Pitris should never be given away to a\nBrahmana that has accepted service under the king, or that rings the bell\nor attends to subsidiary duties in acts of worship or at Sraddhas, or\nthat keeps kine, or that is engaged in trade, or that follows some art as\na profession, or that is an actor, or that quarrels with friends or that\nis destitute of Vedic studies, or that marries a Sudra woman[551]. The\nperformer of the Sraddha who gives away such offerings unto such a\nBrahmana falls away from prosperity and multiplies not his race. He\nfails, again, to gratify his Pitris by doing such an act. From the house\nof that person whence a guest returns unsatisfied, the Pitris, the\ndeities, and the sacred fires, all return disappointed in consequence of\nsuch treatment of the guest. That man who does not discharge the duties\nof hospitality towards the guest arrived at his abode, comes to be\nregarded as equally sinful with those that are slayers of women or of\nkine, that are ungrateful towards benefactors, that are slayers of\nBrahmanas, or that are violators of the beds of their preceptors.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'Listen ye with concentrated attention. I shall recite the\ndemerits of that man of wicked understanding who lifts up his feet for\nstriking therewith a cow or a highly blessed Brahmana or a blazing fire.\nThe infamy of such a man spreads throughout the world and touches the\nconfines of heaven itself. His Pitris become filled with fear. The\ndeities also become highly dissatisfied on his account. Endued with great\nenergy, Fire refuses to accept the libations poured by him. For a hundred\nlives he has to rot in hell. He is never rescued at any time. One should,\ntherefore, never touch a cow with one's feet, or a Brahmana of high\nenergy, or a blazing fire, if one is endued with faith and desires one's\nown good. These are the demerits declared by me of one who lifts up one's\nfeet towards these three.'\n\n\"'\"Viswamitra said, 'Listen to a high mystery that is unknown to the\ngenerality of men and that is connected with religion. He who offers the\nPitris rice boiled in sugared milk, sitting with face directed to the\nsouth at noontide in the shade caused by an elephant's body, in the month\nof Bhadrapada, under the constellation Magha, acquires great merits.\nListen to what those merits are. The man who makes such an offering to\nthe Pitris under such circumstances, is regarded as performing a great\nSraddha each year for thirteen years in succession.'[552]\n\n\"'\"The kine said, 'That man becomes cleansed of all his sins who adores a\ncow with these Mantras, viz., 'O Vahula, O Samanga, O thou that art\nfearless everywhere, O thou that art forgiving and full of\nauspiciousness, O friend, O source of all plenty, in the region of\nBrahman, in days of yore, thou wert present with thy calf in the\nsacrifice of Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. Thou tookest thy\nstation in the firmament and in the path of Agni. The deities with Narada\namong them adored thee on that occasion by calling thee Sarvamsaha. Such\nman attains to the region of Purandara. He acquires, besides, the merits\nthat attach to kine, and the splendour of Chandramas also. Such a man\nbecomes freed from every sin, every fear, every grief. At the end, he\nobtains residence in the happy region of the Thousand-eyed Indra!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After this, the highly blessed and celebrated seven\nRishis, with Vasishtha at their head, rose and circumambulating the\nLotus-born Brahman, stood around him with hands joined in reverence.\nVasishtha, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, became\ntheir spokesman and asked this question that is beneficial to every\ncreature, but especially so to Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, 'By doing what\nacts may men of righteous conduct who are, however, destitute of the good\nof this world, succeed in acquiring merits attaching to sacrifices?'\nHearing this question of theirs, the Grandsire Brahman began to say what\nfollows.\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'Excellent is this question, ye highly blessed ones! It is\nat once auspicious and high and fraught with a mystery. This question\nthat ye have put is subtil and is fraught with high benefit to mankind.\nYe Rishis possessed of wealth of penances, I shall recite everything to\nyou in detail. Do ye listen with attention to what I say as to how men\nacquire the merits attaching to sacrifices (even when they are unable to\nperform them through poverty.) In the lighted fortnight of the month of\nPausha, when the constellation Rohini is in conjunction, if one,\npurifying oneself by a bath, lies under the cope of heaven, clad in a\nsingle piece of raiment, with faith and concentrated attention, and\ndrinks the rays of the moon, one acquires the merits that attach to the\nperformance of great sacrifices. Ye foremost of regenerate persons, this\nis a high mystery that I declare unto you in reply to your questions, ye\nthat are possessed of insight into the subtil truths of all topics of\nenquiry.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVII\n\n\"'\"Vibhavasu (otherwise called Surya) said, 'There are two offerings. One\nof those consists of a palmful of water and the other called Akshata\nconsists of rice-grains with ghee. One should, on the day of the full\nmoon, stand facing that bright orb and make unto him the two offerings\nmentioned, viz., a palmful of water and the rice-grains with ghee called\nAkshata. The man who presents these offerings is said to adore his sacred\nfire. Verily, he is regarded as one that has poured libations on the\nthree (principal) fires. That man of little understanding who cutteth\ndown a large tree on the day of the new moon, becomes stained with the\nsin of Brahmanicide. By killing even a single leaf one incurs that sin.\nThat foolish man who chews a tooth-brush on the day of the new moon is\nregarded as injuring the deity of the moon by such an act. The Pitris of\nsuch a person become annoyed with him.[553] The deities do not accept the\nlibations poured by such a man on days of the full moon and the new moon.\nHis Pitris become enraged with him, and his race and the family become\nextinct.'\n\n\"'\"Sree said, 'That sinful house, in which eating and drinking vessels and\nseats and beds lie scattered, and in which women are beaten, the deities\nand Pitris leave in disgust. Verily, without accepting the offerings made\nunto them by the owners of such houses, the deities and the Pitris fly\naway from such a sinful habitation.'\n\n\"'\"Angiras said, 'The offspring of that man increase who stands every night\nfor a full year under a Karanjaka tree with a lamp for lighting it, and\nholds besides in his hand the roots of the Suvarchala plant.'[554]\n\n\"'\"Gargya said, 'One should always do the duties of hospitality to one's\nguests. One should give lamps in the hall or shed where sacrifices are\nperformed. One should avoid sleep during the day, and abstain from all\nkinds of flesh or food. One should never injure kine and Brahmanas. One\nshould always recite names of the Pushkara lakes and the other sacred\nwaters. Such a course of duty, is the foremost. Even this constitutes a\nhigh religion with its mysteries. If observed in practice, it is sure to\nproduce great consequences. If a person performs even a hundred\nsacrifices, he is doomed to see the exhaustion of the merits attaching to\nthe libations poured therein. The duties, however, which I have mentioned\nare such that when observed by a person endued with faith, their merit\nbecomes inexhaustible. Listen now to another high mystery concealed from\nthe view of many. The deities do not accept the libations (poured upon\nthe fire) on the occasion of Sraddhas and rites in their honour or on the\noccasion of those rites that are performable on ordinary lunar days or on\nthe especially sacred days of the full moon and the new moon, if they\nbehold a woman in her season of impurity or one that is the daughter of a\nmother afflicted with leprosy. The Pitris of the man who allows such a\nwoman to come near the place where the Sraddha is being performed by him,\ndo not become gratified with him for thirteen years. Robed in raiment of\nwhite, and becoming pure in body and mind, one should invite Brahmanas\nand cause them to utter their benedictions (when one performs the\nSraddha). On such occasions one should also recite the Bharata. It is by\nobserving all these that the offerings made at Sraddhas become\ninexhaustible.'\n\n\"'\"Dhaumya said, 'Broken utensils, broken bedsteads, cocks and dogs, as\nalso such trees as have grown within the dwelling houses, are all\ninauspicious objects. In a broken utensil is Kali himself, while in a\nbroken bedstead is loss of wealth. When a cock or a dog is in sight, the\ndeities do not eat the offerings made to them. Under the roots of a tree\nscorpions and snakes undoubtedly find shelter. Hence, one should never\nplant a tree within one's abode.'[555]\n\n\"'\"Jamadagni said, 'That man whose heart is not pure is sure to go to Hell\neven if he adores the deities in a Horse-sacrifice or in a hundred\nVajapeya sacrifices, or if he undergoes the severest austerities with\nhead downmost. Purity of heart is regarded as equal to sacrifices and\nTruth. A very poor Brahmana, by giving only a Prastha of powdered barley\nwith a pure heart unto a Brahmana, attained to the region of Brahman\nhimself. This is a sufficient proof (of the importance of purity of\nheart).'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVIII\n\n\"'\"Vayu said, 'I shall recite some duties the observance of which is\nfraught with happiness to mankind. Do ye listen also with concentrated\nattention to certain transgressions with the secret causes upon which\nthey depend. That man who offers for the four months of the rainy season\nsesame and water (unto the Pitris), and food, according to the best of\nhis power, unto a Brahmana well-conversant with the duties, who duly\npours libations on the sacred fire, and makes offerings of rice boiled in\nsugared milk, who gives lamps in honour of the Pitris, with sesame and\nwater,--verily he who does all this with faith and concentrated attention\nacquires all the merits that attach to a hundred sacrifices in which\nanimals are offered to the deities. Listen to this other high mystery\nthat is unknown to all. That man who thinks it all right when a Sudra\nignites the fire upon which he is to pour libations or who does not see\nany fault when women who are incompetent to assist at Sraddhas and other\nrites are allowed to assist at them, really becomes stained with\nsin[556]. The three sacrificial fires become enraged with such a person.\nIn his next life he has to take birth as a Sudra. His Pitris, together\nwith the deities are never gratified with him. I shall now recite what\nthe expiations are which one must go through for cleansing oneself from\nsuch sins. Listen to me with attention. By performing those expiatory\nacts, one becomes happy and free from fever. Fasting all the while, one\nshould, for three days, with concentrated attention, pour libation, on\nthe sacred fire, of the urine of the cow mixed with cowdung and milk and\nghee. The deities accept the offerings of such a man on the expiration of\na full year. His Pitris also, when the time comes for him for performing\nthe Sraddha, become gratified with him. I have thus recited what is\nrighteous and what is unrighteous, with all their unknown details, in\nrespect of human beings desirous of attaining to heaven. Verily, men who\nabstain from these transgressions or who having committed them undergo\nthe expiatory rites indicated, succeed in attaining to heaven when they\nleave this world.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIX\n\n\"'\"Lomasa said, 'The Pitris of those men who, without having wedded wives\nof their own, betake themselves to the wives of other people, become\nfilled with disappointment when the time for the Sraddhas comes. He who\nbetakes himself to the wives of other people, he who indulges in sexual\nunion with a woman that is barren, and he who appropriates what belongs\nto a Brahmana, are equally sinful. Without doubt, the Pitris of such\npeople cut them off without desiring to have any intercourse with them.\nThe offerings they make fail to gratify the deities and the Pitris.\nHence, one should always abstain from sexual congress with women that are\nthe wedded wives of others, as also with women that are barren. The man\nwho desires his own good should not appropriate what belongs to a\nBrahmana. Listen now to another mystery, unknown to all with regard to\nreligion. One should, endued with faith, always do the bidding of one's\npreceptor and other seniors. On the twelfth lunar day, as also on the day\nof the full moon, every month, one should make gifts unto Brahmanas of\nghee and the offerings that constitute Akshata. Listen to me as I say\nwhat the measure is of the merit that such a person acquires. By such an\nact one is said to increase Soma and the Ocean. Vasava, the chief of the\ncelestials, confers upon him a fourth part of the merits that attach to a\nHorse-sacrifice. By making such gifts, a person becomes endued with great\nenergy and prowess. The divine Soma, well-pleased with him, grants him\nthe fruition of his wishes. Listen now to another duty, together with the\nfoundation on which it rests, that is productive of great merit. In this\nage of Kali, that duty, if performed, brings about much happiness to men.\nThat man who, rising at early dawn and purifying himself by a bath,\nattires himself in white robes and with the concentrated attention makes\ngifts unto Brahmanas of vessels full of sesame seeds, who makes offerings\nunto the Pitris of water with sesame seeds and honey, and who gives lamps\nas also the food called Krisara acquires substantial merits. Listen to me\nas I say what those merits are. The divine chastiser of Paka has ascribed\nthese merits to the gift of vessels of copper and brass filled with\nsesame seeds. He who makes gifts of kine, he who makes gifts of land that\nare productive of eternal merit, he who performs the Agnishtoma sacrifice\nwith copious presents in the form of Dakshina to the Brahmanas, are all\nregarded by the deities as acquiring merits equal to those which one\nacquires by making gifts of vessels filled with sesame seeds. Gifts of\nwater with sesame seeds are regarded by the Pitris as productive of\neternal gratification to them. The grandsires all become highly pleased\nwith gifts of lamps and Krisara. I have thus recited the ancient\nordinance, laid down by the Rishis, that is highly applauded by both the\nPitris and the deities in their respective regions.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The Rishis there assembled, together with the Pitris and\nthe deities, then, with concentrated attention, questioned Arundhati (the\nspouse of Vasishtha) who was endued with great ascetic merit. Possessed\nof abundant wealth of penances, Arundhati was equal to her husband, the\nhigh-souled Vasishtha in energy for in both vows and conduct she was her\nhusband's equal. Addressing her they said, 'We desire to hear from thee\nthe mysteries of duty and religion. It behoveth thee, O amiable lady, to\ntell us what thou regardest as a high mystery.'\n\n\"'\"Arundhati said, 'The great progress I have been able to achieve in\npenances is due to your consideration for me in thus remembering my poor\nself. With your gracious permission I shall now discourse on duties that\nare eternal, on duties that are high mysteries. I shall discourse thereon\nwith the causes on which they depend. Listen to me as I discourse to you\nelaborately. A knowledge of these should be imparted unto him only that\nis possessed of faith or that has a pure heart. These four, viz., he that\nis bereft of faith, he that is full of pride, he that is guilty of\nBrahmanicide, and he that violates the bed of his preceptor, should never\nbe talked to. Religion and duty should never be communicated unto them.\nThe merits acquired by a person who gives away a Kapila cow every day for\na period of two and ten years, or by a person who adores the deities\nevery month in a sacrifice, or by him who gives away hundreds of\nthousands of kine in the great Pushkara, do not come up to those that are\nhis with whom a guest is gratified. Listen now to another duty whose\nobservance is fraught with happiness to mankind. It should be observed\nwith its secret ritual by a person endued with faith. Its merits are\ncertainly high. Listen to what they are. If a person, rising at early\ndawn and taking with him a quantity of water and a few blades of Kusa\ngrass, proceeds into a cow-pen and arriving there washes a cow's horns by\nsprinkling thereon that water with those blades of Kusa grass and then\ncauses the water to drip down on his own head, he is regarded, in\nconsequence of such a bath, as one that has performed his ablutions in\nall the sacred waters that the wise have heard to exist in the three\nworlds and that are honoured and resorted to by Siddhas and Charanas.'\nAfter Arundhati had said these words, all the deities and Pitris\napplauded her, saying, 'Excellent, Excellent,' Indeed, all the beings\nthere were highly gratified and all of them worshipped Arundhati.\n\n\"'\"Brahman said, 'O highly blessed one, excellent is the duty that thou\nhast enunciated, together with its secret ritual. Praise be to thee! I\ngrant thee this boon, viz., that thy penances will continually increase!'\n\n\"'\"Yama said, 'I have heard from thee an excellent and agreeable discourse.\nListen now to what Chitragupta has said and what is agreeable to me.\nThose words relate to duty with its secret ritual, and are worthy of\nbeing heard by the great Rishis, as also by men endued with faith and\ndesirous of achieving their own good. Nothing is lost of either piety or\nsin that is committed by creatures. On days of the full moon and the new\nmoon, those acts are conveyed to the sun where they rest. When a mortal\ngoes into the region of the dead, the deity of the sun bears witness to\nall his acts. He that is righteous acquires the fruits of his\nrighteousness there. I shall now tell you of some auspicious duties that\nare approved by Chitragupta. Water for drink, and lamps for lighting\ndarkness, should always be given, as also sandals and umbrellas and\nKapila kine with due rites. In Pushkara especially should one make the\ngift of a Kapila cow unto a Brahmana conversant with the Vedas. One\nshould also always maintain one's Agnihotra with great care. Here is\nanother duty which was proclaimed by Chitragupta. It behoveth them that\nare the best of creatures to listen to what the merits are of that duty\nseparately. In course of time, every creature is destined to undergo\ndissolution. They that are of little understanding meet with great\ndistress in the regions of the dead, for they become afflicted by hunger\nand thirst. Indeed, they have to rot there, burning in pain. There is no\nescape for them from such calamity. They have to enter into a thick\ndarkness. I shall now tell you of those duties by performing which one\nmay succeed in crossing such calamity. The performance of those duties\ncosts very little but is fraught with great merit. Indeed, such\nperformance is productive of great happiness in the other world. The\nmerits that attach to the gift of water for drink are excellent. In the\nnext world in especial, those merits are very high. For them that make\ngifts of water for drink there is ordained in the other world a large\nriver full of excellent water. Indeed, the water contained in that river\nis inexhaustible and cool and sweet as nectar. He who makes gifts of\nwater in this world drinks from that stream in the world hereafter when\nhe goes thither. Listen now to the abundant merits that attach to the\ngiving of lamps. The man who gives lamps in this world has never to even\nbehold the thick darkness (of Hell). Soma and Surya and the deity of fire\nalways give him their light when he repairs to the other world. The\ndeities ordain that on every side of such a person there should be\nblazing light. Verily, when the giver of lights repairs to the world of\nthe dead, he himself blazes forth in pure effulgence like a second Surya.\nHence, one should give lights while here and water for drink in especial.\nListen now to what the merits are of the person who makes the gift of a\nKapila cow to a Brahmana conversant with the Vedas, especially if the\ngift be made in Pushkara. Such a man is regarded as having made a gift of\na hundred kine with a bull, a gift that is productive of eternal merit.\nThe gift of a single Kapila cow is capable of cleansing whatever sins the\ngiver may be guilty of even if those sins be as grave. Brahmanicide, for\nthe gift of a single Kapila cow is regarded as equal in point of merit to\nthat of a hundred kine. Hence, one should give away a Kapila cow at that\nPushkara which is regarded as the senior (of the two Tirthas known by\nthat name) on the day of the full moon in the month of Karttika. Men that\nsucceed in making such a gift have never to encounter distress of any\nkind, or sorrow, or thorns giving pain. That man who gives away a pair of\nsandals unto a superior Brahmana that is deserving of the gift, attains\nto similar merits. By giving away an umbrella a person obtains\ncomfortable shade in the next world. (He will not have to be exposed to\nthe sun). A gift made to a deserving person is never lost. It is certain\nto produce agreeable consequences to the giver.' Hearing these opinions\nof Chitragupta, Surya's hairs stood on their ends. Endued with great\nsplendour, he addressed all the deities and the Pitris, saying 'Ye have\nheard the mysteries relating to duty, as propounded by the high-souled\nChitragupta. Those human beings who, endued with faith, make these gifts\nunto high-souled Brahmanas, become freed from fear of every kind. These\nfive kinds of men, stained with vicious deeds, have no escape. Verily, of\nsinful behaviour and regarded as the worst of men, they should never be\ntalked to. Indeed they should always be avoided. Those five are he who is\nthe slayer of a Brahmana, he who is the slayer of a cow, he who is\naddicted to sexual congress with other people's wives, he who is bereft\nof faith (in the Vedas), and he who derives his sustenance by selling the\nvirtue of his wife. These men of sinful conduct, when they repair to the\nregion of the dead, rot in hell like worms that live upon pus and blood.\nThese five are avoided by the Pitris, the deities, the Snataka Brahmanas,\nand other regenerate persons that are devoted to the practice of\npenances.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then all the highly blessed deities and the Pitris, and\nthe highly blessed Rishis also, addressing the Pramathas, said,[557] 'Ye\nare all highly blessed beings. Ye are invisible wanderers of the night.\nWhy do you afflict those men that are vile and impure and that are\nunclean? What acts are regarded as impediments to your power? What,\nindeed, are those acts in consequence of which ye become incompetent to\nafflict men? What are those acts that are destructive of Rakshasas and\nthat prevent you from asserting your power over the habitations of men?\nYe wanderers of the night, we desire to hear all this from you.'\n\n\"'\"The Pramathas said, 'Men are rendered unclean by acts of sexual\ncongress. They who do not purify themselves after such acts, they who\ninsult their superiors, they who from stupefaction eat different kinds of\nmeat, the man also who sleeps at the foot of a tree, he who keeps any\nanimal matter under his pillow while lying down for sleep, and he who\nlies down or sleeps placing the head where his feet should be placed or\nhis feet where the head should be placed,--these men are regarded by us\nas unclean. Verily, these men have many holes. Those also are numbered in\nthe same class who throw their phlegm and other unclean secretions into\nthe water. Without doubt these men deserve to be slain and eaten up by\nus. Verily, we afflict those human beings who are given to such conduct.\nListen now to what those acts are which are regarded as antidotes and in\nconsequence of which we fail to do any injury to men. Those men upon\nwhose persons occur streaks of Gorochana, or who hold Vachas in their\nhands, or who make gifts of ghee with those ingredients that go by the\nname of Akshata, or who place ghee and Akshata on their heads, or those\nwho abstain from meat are incapable of being afflicted by us. That man in\nwhose house the sacred fire burns day and night without being ever put\nout, or who keeps the skin or teeth of a wolf in his abode or a\nhill-tortoise, or from whose habitation the sacrificial smoke is seen to\ncurl upwards, or who keeps a cat or a goat that is either tawny or black\nin hue, is free from our power. Verily, those householders who keep these\nthings in their houses always find them free from the inroads of even the\nfiercest spirits that live on carrion. Those beings also, that like us\nrange through different worlds in pursuit of pleasure, are unable to do\nany injury to such houses. Hence, ye deities, should men keep such\narticles in their houses,--articles that are destructive of Rakshasas\n(and other beings of the kind). We have thus told you everything about\nthat respecting which ye had great doubts.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After this, the Grandsire Brahman, sprung from the\nprimeval lotus and resembling the lotus (in agreeableness and fragrance),\naddressed the deities with Vasava, the lord of Sachi, at their\nhead,--'Yonder sits the mighty Naga who is a resident of the nether\nregions. Endued with great strength and energy, and with great prowess\nalso, his name is Renuka. He is certainly a great being. Those mighty\nelephants endued with great energy and power, who hold the entire earth\nwith her hills, waters, and lakes should be interviewed by this Renuka at\nyour request. Let Renuka go to them and ask them about the mysteries of\nreligion or duty.'--Hearing these words of the Grandsire, the deities,\nwith well-pleased minds commissioned (the elephant) Renuka to where those\nupholders of the world are.\n\n\"'\"Renuka, proceeding to where those elephants are, addressed them, saying,\n'Ye mighty creatures, I have been commanded by the deities and the Pitris\nto question you about the mysteries of religion and duty. I desire to\nhear you discourse on that subject in detail. Ye highly blessed ones, do\nye discourse on the subject as your wisdom may dictate.'\n\n\"'\"The (eight) elephants standing in the eight quarters said, 'On the\nauspicious eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Karttika when\nthe constellation Aslesha is in the ascendant, one should make gifts of\ntreacle and rice. Casting aside wrath, and living on regulated diet, one\nshould make these offerings at a Sraddha, uttering these mantras the\nwhile--\"Let Valadeva and other Nagas possessed of great strength, let\nother mighty snakes of huge bodies that are indestructible and eternal,\nand let all the other great snakes that have taken their birth in their\nrace, make Vali offerings to me for the enhancement of my strength and\nenergy. Verily, let my strength be as great as that of the blessed\nNarayana when he raised the submerged Earth!\"--Uttering these mantras, one\nshould make Vali offerings upon an ant-hill. When the maker of day\nretires to his chambers in the west, upon the ant-hill selected should\nofferings be made of raw sugar and rice. The ant-hill should previously\nbe scattered with Gajendra flowers. Offerings should also be made of blue\ncloths and fragrant unguents. If offerings are made in this way, those\nbeings that live in the nether regions, bearing the weight of the upper\nregions upon their heads or shoulders, become well-pleased and gratified.\nAs regards ourselves, we also do not feel the labour of upholding the\nEarth, in consequence of such offerings being made to us. Afflicted with\nthe burden we bear, even this is what we think (beneficial for men),\nwithout the slightest regard for selfish concerns. Brahmanas and\nKshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, by observing this rule for a full\nyear, fasting on each occasion, acquire great merits from such gifts. We\nthink that the making of such Vali offerings on the ant-hill is really\nfraught with very superior merits. By making such offerings, one is\nregarded as doing the duties of hospitality for a hundred years to all\nthe mighty elephants that exist in the three worlds.' Hearing these words\nof the mighty elephants, the deities and the Pitris and the highly\nblessed Rishis, all applauded Renuka.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIII\n\n\"'\"Maheswara said, 'Searching your memories, excellent are the duties ye\nall have recited. Listen all of you now to me as I declare some mysteries\nrelating to religion and duty. Only those persons whose understanding has\nbeen set on religion and who are possessed of faith, should be instructed\nin respect of those mysteries of duty and religion that are fraught with\nhigh merits. Hear what the merits are that become his who, with heart\nfree from anxiety, gives food everyday, for a month, to kine and contents\nhimself with one meal a day throughout such period. The kine are highly\nblessed. They are regarded as the most sacred of all sacred things.\nVerily, it is they that are upholding the three worlds with the deities,\nthe Asuras, and human beings. Respectful services rendered to them are\nfraught with high merit and grave consequences. That man who every day\ngives food to kine advances every day in religious merit. Formerly, in\nthe Krita age I had expressed my approval of these creatures. Afterwards\nBrahman, born of the primeval lotus, solicited me (to show kindness\ntowards kine).[558] It is for this reason that a bull to this day stands\nas the device on my standard overhead. I always sport with kine. Hence\nshould kine be worshipped by all. Kine are possessed of great power. They\nare givers of boons. If worshipped, they would grant boons. That person\nwho gives food to kine even for a single day receives from those\nbeneficent creatures for that act a fourth part of the merits he may win\nby all his good acts in life.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIV\n\n\"'\"Skanda said, 'I shall now declare a duty that is approved of by me. Do\nye listen to it with concentrated attention. That person who takes a\nlittle earth from the horns of a bull of blue complexion, smears his body\ntherewith for three days, and then performs his ablutions, acquires great\nmerits. Hear what those merits are. By such an act he would wash away\nevery stain and evil, and attain to sovereign sway hereafter. As many\ntimes he takes his birth in this world, so many times does he become\ncelebrated for his heroism. Listen now to another mystery unknown to all.\nTaking a vessel of copper and placing therein some cooked food after\nhaving mixed it with honey, one should offer it as Vali unto the rising\nmoon on the evening of the day when that luminary is at full. Do ye\nlearn, with faith, what the merits are of the person that acts in this\nway. The Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Viswedevas, the twin\nAswins, the Maruts, and the Vasus, all accept that offering. By such an\noffering Soma increases as also the ocean, that vast receptacle of\nwaters. This duty that is declared by me and that is unknown to all, if\nperformed, is certainly fraught with great happiness.'\n\n\"'\"Vishnu said, 'That person who, endued with faith and freed from malice,\nlistens every day with concentrated attention to the mysteries in respect\nof religion and duty that are preserved by the high-souled deities and\nthose mysteries also of the same kind that are preserved by the Rishis,\nhas never to succumb to any evil. Such a person becomes also freed from\nevery fear. That man who, with his senses under thorough control, reads\nthese sections which treat of these auspicious and meritorious duties,\ntogether with their mysteries,--duties that have been declared (by the\nprevious speakers), acquires all the merits that attach to their actual\nperformance. Sin can never overmaster him. Verily, such a man can never\nbe stained with faults of any kind. Indeed, one wins abundant merits by\nreading these mysteries (as declared), or by reciting them to others, or\nby hearing them recited. The deities and the Pitris eat forever the\nHavya and the Kavya offered by such a creature. Both these, in\nconsequence of the virtues of the offerer become inexhaustible. Even such\nis the merit that attaches to the person who, with concentrated\nattention, recites these mysteries to foremost of Brahmanas on days of\nthe full moon or the new moon. Such a person, in consequence of such an\nact, becomes steady in the observance of all duties. Beauty of form and\nprosperity also become his. He succeeds, besides this, in becoming the\nfavourite, for all time, of the Rishis and the deities and the Pitris. If\na person becomes guilty of all sins save those which are classed as grave\nor heinous, he becomes cleansed of them all by only listening to the\nrecitation of these mysteries about religion and duty.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Even these, O king of men, are the mysteries in\nrespect of religion and duty dwelling in the breasts of the deities. Held\nin high respect by all the gods and promulgated by Vyasa, they have now\nbeen declared by me for thy benefit. One who is conversant with religion\nand duty thinks that this excellent knowledge is superior (in value) to\neven the whole earth full of riches and wealth. This knowledge should not\nbe imparted to one that is bereft of faith, or to one that is an atheist,\nor to one that has fallen away from the duties of his order, or to one\nthat is destitute of compassion, or to one that is devoted to the science\nof empty disputations, or to one that is hostile to one's preceptors, or\nto one that thinks all creatures to be different from oneself.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Who are those persons, O Bharata, from whom a\nBrahmana in this world may accept his food? From whom may a Kshatriya, a\nVaisya, and a Sudra take their food respectively?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"A Brahmana may take his food from another Brahmana or\nfrom a Kshatriya or a Vaisya, but he must never accept food from a Sudra.\nA Kshatriya may take his food from a Brahmana, a Kshatriya or a Vaisya.\nHe must, however, eschew food given by Sudras who are addicted to evil\nways and who partake of all manner of food without any scruple. Brahmanas\nand Kshatriyas can partake of food given by such Vaisyas as tend the\nsacred fire every day, as are faultless in character, and as perform the\nvow of Chaturmasya. But the man who takes food from a Sudra, swallows the\nvery abomination of the earth, and drinks the excretions of the human\nbody, and partakes of the filth of all the world. He partakes of the very\nfilth of the earth who takes his food thus from a Sudra. Verily, those\nBrahmanas that take their food from Sudras, take the dirt of the earth.\nIf one engages in the service of a Sudra, one is doomed to perdition\nthough one may duly perform all the rites of one's order. A Brahmana, a\nKshatriya, or a Vaisya, so engaging, is doomed, although devoted to the\ndue performance of religious rites. It is said that a Brahmana's duty\nconsists in studying the Vedas and seeking the welfare of the human race;\nthat a Kshatriya's duty consists in protecting men, and that a Vaisya's\nin promoting their material prosperity. A Vaisya lives by distributing\nthe fruits of his own acts and agriculture. The breeding of kine and\ntrade are the legitimate work in which a Vaisya may engage without fear\nof censure. The man who abandons his own proper occupation and betakes\nhimself to that of a Sudra, should be considered as a Sudra and on no\naccount should any food be accepted from him. Professors of the healing\nart, mercenary soldiers, the priest who acts as warder of the house, and\npersons who devote a whole year to study without any profit, are all to\nbe considered as Sudras. And those who impudently partake of food offered\nat ceremonials in a Sudra's house are afflicted with a terrible calamity.\nIn consequence of partaking such forbidden food they lose their family,\nstrength, and energy, and attain to the status of animals, descending to\nthe position of dogs, fallen in virtue and devoid of all religious\nobservances. He who takes food from a physician takes that which is no\nbetter than excrement; the food of a harlot is like urine; that of a\nskilled mechanic is like blood. If a Brahmana approved by the good, takes\nthe food of one who lives by his learning, he is regarded as taking the\nfood of a Sudra. All good men should forego such food. The food of a\nperson who is censured by all is said to be like a draught from a pool of\nblood. The acceptance of food from a wicked person is considered as\nreprehensible as the slaying of a Brahmana. One should not accept food if\none is slighted and not received with due honours by the giver. A\nBrahmana, who does so, is soon overtaken by disease, and his race soon\nbecomes extinct. By accepting food from the warder of a city, one\ndescends to the status of the lowest outcaste. If a Brahmana accepts food\nfrom one who is guilty of killing either a cow or a Brahmana or from one\nwho has committed adultery with his preceptor's wife or from a drunkard,\nhe helps to promote the race of Rakshasas. By accepting food from a\neunuch, or from an ungrateful person, or from one who has misappropriated\nwealth entrusted to his charge, one is born in the country of the Savaras\nsituated beyond the precincts of the middle country. I have thus duly\nrecited to thee the persons from whom food may be accepted and from whom\nit may not. Now tell me, O son of Kunti, what else thou wishest to hear\nfrom me today.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast told me in full of those from whom food\nmay be accepted and of those from whom it should not be taken. But I have\ngrave doubts on one point. Do thou, O sire, enlighten me, do thou tell me\nwhat expiation a Brahmana should make (for the sin he incurs) upon\naccepting the different kinds of food, those especially offered in honour\nof the gods and the oblations made to the manes.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall tell thee, O prince, how high-souled Brahmanas\nmay be absolved from all sin incurred by accepting food from others. In\naccepting clarified butter, the expiation is made by pouring oblations on\nthe fire, reciting the Savitri hymn. In accepting sesamum, O\nYudhishthira, the same expiation has to be made. In accepting meat, or\nhoney, or salt, a Brahmana becomes purified by standing till the rising\nof the sun. If a Brahmana accepts gold from any one, he becomes cleansed\nof all sins by silently reciting the great Vedic prayer (Gayatri) and by\nholding a piece of iron in his hand in the presence of the public. In\naccepting money or clothes or women or gold, the purification is the same\nas before. In accepting food, or rice boiled in milk and sugar, or\nsugarcane juice, or sugar-cane, or oil, or any sacred thing, one becomes\npurified by bathing thrice in the course of the day, viz., at morn, noon\nand eve. If one accepts paddy, flowers, fruits, water, half-ripe barley,\nmilk, or curdled milk, or anything made of meal or flour, the expiation\nis made by reciting the Gayatri prayer a hundred times. In accepting\nshoes or clothes at obsequial ceremonies, the sin is destroyed by\nreciting devoutly the same hymn a hundred times. The acceptance of the\ngift of land at the time of an eclipse or during the period of impurity,\nis expiated by observing a fast during three successive nights. The\nBrahmana who partakes of oblations offered to deceased ancestors, in\ncourse of the dark fortnight, is purified by fasting for a whole day and\nnight. Without performing his ablutions a Brahmana should not say his\nevening prayers, nor betake himself to religious meditation, nor take his\nfood a second time. By so doing he is purified. For this reason, the\nSraddha of deceased ancestors has been ordained to be performed in the\nafternoon and then the Brahmana who has been invited beforehand should be\nfeasted. The Brahmana who partakes of food at the house of a dead person\non the third day after the death, is purified by bathing three times\ndaily for twelve days. After the expiration of twelve days, and going\nthrough the purification ceremonies duly, the sin is destroyed by giving\nclarified butter to Brahmanas. If a man takes any food in the house of a\ndead person, within ten days after the death, he should go through all\nthe expiations before mentioned, and should recite the Savitri hymn and\ndo the sin-destroying Ishti and Kushmanda penances. The Brahmana who\ntakes his food in the house of a dead person for three nights, becomes\npurified by performing his ablutions thrice daily for seven days, and\nthus attains all the objects of his desire, and is never troubled by\nmisfortunes. The Brahmana who takes his food in the company of Sudras is\npurged from all impurity by duly observing the ceremonies of\npurification. The Brahmana who takes his food in the company of Vaisyas\nis absolved from sin by living on alms for three successive nights. If a\nBrahmana takes his food with Kshatriyas, he should make expiation by\nbathing with his clothes on. By eating with a Sudra from off the same\nplate the Sudra loses his family respectability; the Vaisya by eating\nfrom off the same plate with a Vaisya, loses his cattle and friends. The\nKshatriya loses his prosperity, and the Brahmana his splendour and\nenergy. In such cases, expiations should be made, and propitiatory rites\nshould be observed, and oblations offered to the gods. The Savitri hymn\nshould be recited and the Revati rites and Kushmanda penances should be\nobserved with the view of destroying the sin. If any of the above four\nclasses partake of food partly eaten by a person of any other class, the\nexpiation is undoubtedly made by smearing the body with auspicious\nsubstances like Rochana, Durva grass, and turmeric.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O Bharata, of the two things charity and devotion,\ndo thou condescend to tell me, O sire, which is the better in this world?\nDo thou, by this, remove a great doubt from my mind.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Do thou, listen to me as I recite the names of the\nprinces who having been devoted to virtue, and having cleansed their\nhearts by penances and practised gifts and other acts of piety,\nundoubtedly attained to the different celestial regions. The Rishi Atreya\nrevered by all, attained, O monarch, to the excellent celestial regions,\nby imparting the knowledge of the unconditional Supreme Being to his\npupils. King Sivi, the son of Usinara, by offering the life of his dear\nson, for the benefit of a Brahmana, was translated from this world to\nheaven. And Pratardana, the king of Kasi, by giving his son to a\nBrahmana, secured to himself unique and undying fame in this as well as\nin the other world. Rantideva, the son of Sankriti, attained to the\nhighest heaven by duly making gifts to the high-souled Vasishtha.\nDevavriddha too went to heaven by giving a hundred-ribbed and excellent\ngolden umbrella to a Brahmana for a sacrifice. The worshipful Amvarisha\ntoo has attained to the region of the gods, by making a gift of all his\nkingdom to a Brahmana of great power. King Janamejaya of the solar race,\nwent to the highest heaven by making a gift of ear-rings, fine vehicles,\nand cows to Brahmanas. The Royal sage Vrishadarbhi went to heaven by\nmaking gifts of various jewels and beautiful houses to Brahmanas. King\nNimi of Vidarva, attained to heaven with his sons, friends and cattle, by\ngiving his daughter and kingdom to the high-souled Agastya. The far-famed\nRama, the son of Jamadagni, attained to the eternal regions, far beyond\nhis expectation, by giving lands to Brahmanas. Vasishtha, the prince of\nBrahmanas, preserved all the creatures at a time of great drought when\nthe god Parjjanya did not bestow his grateful showers upon the earth, and\nfor this act he has secured eternal bliss for himself. Rama, the son of\nDasaratha, whose fame is very high in this world, attained to the eternal\nregions by making gifts of wealth at sacrifices. The far-famed royal sage\nKakshasena, went to heaven by duly making over to the high-souled\nVasishtha the wealth which he had deposited with him. Marutta, the son of\nParikshita and the grandson of Karandhama, by giving his daughter in\nmarriage to Angiras, immediately went to heaven. The highly devout king\nof Panchalal Brahmadatta, attained the blessed way by giving away a\nprecious conch-shell. King Mitrasaha, by giving his favourite wife\nMadayanti to the high-souled Vasishtha, ascended to heaven. Sudyumna, the\nson of Manu, by causing the proper punishment to be inflicted upon the\nhigh-souled Likhita, attained to the most blessed regions. The celebrated\nroyal sage Saharachitta went to the blessed regions, by sacrificing his\ndear life for the sake of a Brahmana. The king Satadyumna went to heaven\nby giving to Maudgaya a golden mansion replete with all the objects of\ndesire. In ancient times, king Sumanyu by giving to Sandilya heaps of\nfood looking like a hill, proceeded to heaven. The Salwa prince Dyutimat\nof great splendour attained to the highest regions by giving his kingdom\nto Richika. The Royal sage Madiraswa by giving his slender-waisted\ndaughter to Hiranyahasta went to the region of the gods. The lordly\nLomapada attained all the vast objects of his desire by giving his\ndaughter Santa in marriage to Rishyasringa. The royal sage Bhagiratha, by\ngiving his famous daughter Hansi in marriage to Kautsa, went to the\neternal regions. King Bhagiratha by giving hundreds and thousands of kine\nwith their young ones to Kohala attained to the most blessed regions.\nThese and many other men, O Yudhishthira, have attained to heaven, by the\nmerit of their charities and penances and they have also returned from\nthence again and again. Their fame will endure as long as the world will\nlast. I have related to thee, O Yudhishthira, this story of those good\nhouseholders who have attained to eternal regions by dint of their\ncharities and penances. By their charities and by performing sacrifices\nand by procreating offspring, these people have attained to the heavenly\nregions. O foremost scion of Kuru's race, by always performing acts of\ncharity, these men applied their virtuous intellects to the performance\nof sacrifices and charities. O mighty prince, as night has approached I\nshall explain to thee in the morning whatever doubts may arise in thy\nmind.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have heard from thee, O sire, the names of those\nkings that have ascended to heaven. O thou whose power is great in the\nobservance of the vow of truth by following the religion of gift, how\nmany kinds of gift are there that should be given? What are the fruits of\nthe several kinds of gifts respectively? For what reasons, what kinds of\ngifts, made to what persons are productive of merits? Indeed, unto what\npersons should what gifts be made? For what reasons are how many kinds of\ngifts to be made? I desire to hear all this in detail.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O son of Kunti, in detail to me, O sinless one as\nI discourse on the subject of gifts. Indeed, I shall tell you, O Bharata,\nhow gifts should be made unto all the orders of men. From desire of\nmerit, from desire of profit, from fear, from free choice, and from pity,\ngifts are made, O Bharata! Gifts, therefore, should be known to be of\nfive kinds. Listen now to the reasons for which gifts are thus\ndistributed in five classes. With mind freed from malice one should make\ngifts unto Brahmanas, for by making gifts unto the one acquires fame here\nand great felicity hereafter. (Such gifts are regarded as made from\ndesire of merit.) 'He is in the habit of making gifts; or he has already\nmade gifts to me.' Hearing such words from solicitors one gives away all\nkinds of wealth unto a particular solicitor. (Such gifts are regarded as\nmade from desire of profit.) 'I am not his, nor is he mine. If\ndisregarded, he may injure me.' From such motives of fear even a man of\nlearning and wisdom may make gifts unto an ignorant wretch. (Such gifts\nare regarded as made from fear.) 'This one is dear to me, I am also dear\nto him.' Influenced by considerations like these, a person of\nintelligence, freely and with alacrity, make gifts unto a friend. (Such\ngifts are regarded as made from free choice.) 'The person that solicits me\nis poor. He is, again, gratified with a little. 'From considerations such\nas these, one should always make gifts unto the poor, moved by pity.\n(Gifts made from such considerations are regarded as made from pity.)\nThese are the five kinds of gift. They enhance the giver's merits and\nfame. The Lord of all creatures (Brahman himself) has said that one\nshould always make gifts according to one's power.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, thou art possessed of great wisdom.\nIndeed, thou art fully conversant with every branch of learning. In our\ngreat race thou art the only individual that swellest with all the\nsciences. I desire to hear from thee discourses that are interwoven with\nReligion and Profit, that lead to felicity hereafter, and that are\nfraught with wonder unto all creatures. The time that has come is fraught\nwith great distress. The like of it does not generally come to kinsmen\nand friends. Indeed, save thee, O foremost of men, we have now none else\nthat can take the place of an instructor. If, O sinless one, I with my\nbrothers deserve the favour, it behoveth thee to answer the question I\ndesire to ask thee. This one is Narayana who is endued with every\nprosperity and is honoured by all the kings. Even he waits upon thee,\nshowing thee every indulgence and honouring thee greatly. It behoveth\nthee to discourse unto me, through affection, for my benefit as also for\nthat of my brothers, in the presence of Vasudeva himself and of all these\nkings.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira,\nBhishma, the son of the river called after Bhagiratha, filled with joy in\nconsequence of his affection for the monarch and his brothers, said what\nfollows.'[559]\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I shall certainly recite to thee discourses that are\ndelightful, on the subject, O king, of the puissance of this Vishnu as\ndisplayed in days of yore and as I have heard (from my preceptors).\nListen to me also as I describe the puissance of that great god who has a\nbull for his device. Listen to me as I narrate also the doubt that filled\nthe mind of the spouse of Rudra and that of Rudra himself. Once on a time\nthe righteous souled Krishna observed a vow extending for ten and two\nyears. For beholding him who had gone through the rite of initiation for\nthe observance of his great vow, there came to that place Narada and\nParvata, and the Island-born Krishna, and Dhaumya, that foremost of\nsilent reciters, and Devala, and Kasyapa, and Hastikasyapa. Other Rishis\nalso, endued with Diksha and self-restraint, followed by their disciples\nand accompanied by many Siddhas and many ascetics of great merit, came\nthere. The son of Devaki offered them such honours of hospitality as are\ndeserving of the highest praise and as are offered unto the gods alone.\nThose great Rishis sat themselves down upon seats some of which were\ngreen and some endued with the colour of gold and some that were fraught\nwith the plumes of the peacock and some that were perfectly new and\nfresh. Thus seated, they began to converse sweetly with one another on\nsubjects connected with Religion and duty as also with many royal sages\nand deities. At that time the energy, in the form of fire, Narayana,\nrising from the fuel that consisted of the rigid observance of his vow,\nissued out of the mouth of Krishna of wonderful feats. That fire began to\nconsume those mountains with their trees and creepers and little plants,\nas also with their birds and deer and beasts of prey and reptiles. Soon\nthe summit of that mountain presented a distressing and pitiful\nappearance, Inhabited by animals of diverse kinds which began to utter\ncries of woe and pain, the summit soon became bereft of every living\ncreature. That fire of mighty flames, having consumed everything without\nleaving a remnant at last came back to Vishnu and touched his feet like a\ndocile disciple. That crusher of foes, viz., Krishna, beholding that\nmountain burnt, cast a benignant look upon it and thereby brought it back\nto its former condition. That mountain thereupon once more became adorned\nwith flowering trees and creepers, and once more echoed with the notes\nand cries of birds and deer and animals of prey and reptiles. Seeing that\nwonderful and inconceivable sight, all the ascetics became amazed. Their\nhairs stood on end and their vision was blurred with tears. That foremost\nof speakers, Narayana, beholding those Rishis thus filled with wonder,\naddressed them in these sweet and refreshing words, 'Why, indeed, has\nwonder filled the hearts of this assemblage of Rishis, these ascetics\nthat are always free from attachment of every kind, that are divested of\nthe idea of meum, and that are fully conversant with every sacred\nscience? It behoveth these Rishis possessed of wealth of penances and\nfreed from every stain to explain to me truly this doubt that has arisen\nin my mind.'\n\n\"'\"The Rishis said, 'It is thou that createst all the worlds, and it is\nthou that destroyest them again. It is thou that art Winter, it is thou\nthat art Summer, and it is thou that art the season of rains. Of all the\ncreatures, mobile and immobile, that are found on the earth, thou art the\nfather, thou art the mother, thou art the master, and thou art the\norigin! Even this, O slayer of Madhu, is a matter of wonder and doubt\nwith us. O source of all auspiciousness, it behoveth Thee to resolve to\nus that doubt, viz., the issue of fire from Thy mouth. Our fears being\ndispelled we shall then, O Hari, recite to thee what we have heard and\nseen.'\n\n\"'\"Vasudeva said, 'The fire that issued from my mouth and that resembles\nthe all-consuming Yuga-fire in splendour, and by which this mountain has\nbeen crushed and scorched, is nothing else than the energy of Vishnu. Ye\nRishis, ye are persons that have subjugated wrath, that have brought your\nsenses under complete control, that are endued with wealth of penances,\nand that are very gods in puissance. Yet ye have suffered yourselves to\nbe agitated and distressed! I am now engaged wholly with the observances\nrelating to rigid vow. Verily, in consequence of my observing the vows of\nan ascetic, a fire issued from my mouth. It behoves you not to suffer\nyourselves to be agitated. It is for observing a rigid vow that I came to\nthis delightful and auspicious mountain. The object that has brought me\nhere is to acquire by the aid of penances a son that would be my equal in\nenergy. In consequence of my penances, the Soul existing in my body\nbecame transformed into fire and issued out of my mouth. That fire had\nrepaired to behold the boon-giving Grandsire of all the universe. The\nGrandsire, ye foremost of ascetics, told my soul that half the energy of\nthe great god having the bull for his device would take birth as my son.\nThat fire returning from its mission, has come back to me and approached\nmy feet like a disciple desirous of serving me dutifully. Indeed, casting\noff its fury it has come back to me to its own proper nature. I have thus\ntold you, in brief, a mystery appertaining to Him who has the lotus for\nhis origin and who is endued with great intelligence. Ye Rishis possessed\nof wealth of penances, ye should not give way to fear! Ye are endued with\nfar-reaching vision. Ye can proceed to every place without any\nimpediment. Blazing with vows observed by ascetics, ye are adorned with\nknowledge and science. I now ask you to tell me something that is highly\nwonderful which you have heard of or seen on earth or in heaven. I feel\nan eager desire to taste the honey of that speech which will drop from\nyour lips, the honey that will, I am sure, be as sweet as a jet of nectar\nitself. If I behold anything on earth or in heaven, which is highly\ndelightful and of wonderful aspect but which is unknown to all of you, ye\nRishis that look like so many gods, I say that that is in consequence of\nmy own Supreme Nature which is incapable of being obstructed by anything.\nAnything wonderful whose knowledge dwelleth in me or is acquired by my\nown inspiration ceases to appear wonderful to me. Anything, however, that\nis recited by pious persons and that is heard from those that are good,\ndeserves to be accepted with respect and faith. Such discourses exist on\nearth for a long time and are as durable as characters engraved on rocks.\nI desire, therefore, to hear, at this meeting something dropping from the\nlips of persons that are good and that cannot fail to be productive of\ngood to men.' Hearing these words of Krishna all those ascetics became\nfilled with surprise. They began to gaze at Janardana with those eyes of\ntheirs that were as beautiful and large as the petals of the lotus. Some\nof them began to glorify him and some began to worship him with\nreverence. Indeed, all of them then hymned the praises of the slayer of\nMadhu with words whose meanings were adorned with the eternal Riks. All\nthose ascetics then appointed Narada, that foremost of all persons\nconversant with speech, to gratify the request of Vasudeva.\n\n\"'\"The ascetics said, 'It behoveth thee, O Narada, to describe, in full,\nfrom the beginning, unto Hrishikesa, that wonderful and inconceivable\nincident which occurred, O puissant one, on the mountains of Himavat and\nwhich, O ascetic, was witnessed by those of us that had proceeded thither\nin course of our pilgrimage to the sacred waters. Verily, for the benefit\nof all the Rishis here assembled, it behoveth thee to recite that\nincident.' Thus addressed by those ascetics, the celestial Rishi, viz.,\nthe divine Narada, then recited the following story whose incidents had\noccurred some time before.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXL\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then Narada, that holy Rishi, that friend of Narayana,\nrecited the following narrative of the discourse between Sankara and his\nspouse Uma.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Once on a time the righteous-souled lord of all the\ndeities, viz., Mahadeva with the bull for his device, practised severe\npenances on the sacred mountains of Himavat that are the resort of\nSiddhas and Charanas. Those delightful mountains are overgrown with\ndiverse kinds of herbs and adorned with various species of flowers. At\nthat time they were peopled by the different tribes of Apsaras and crowds\nof ghostly beings. There the great god sat, filled with joy, and\nsurrounded by hundreds of ghostly beings who presented diverse aspects to\nthe eye of the beholder. Some of them were ugly and awkward, some were of\nvery handsome features, and some presented the most wonderful\nappearances. Some had faces like the lion's, some like the tiger's and\nsome like the elephant's. In fact, the faces of those ghostly creatures\npresented every variety of animal faces. Some had faces resembling that\nof the jackal, some whose faces resembled the pard's, some like the\nape's, some like the bull's. Some of them had faces like the owl's; some\nlike the hawk's; some had faces like those of deer of diverse varieties.\nThe great god was also surrounded by Kinnaras and Yakshas and Gandharvas\nand Rakshasas and diverse other created beings. The retreat to which\nMahadeva had betaken himself also abounded with celestial flowers and\nblazed with celestial rays of light. It was perfumed with celestial\nsandal, and celestial incense was burnt on every side. And it echoed with\nthe sounds of celestial instruments. Indeed, it resounded with the beat\nof Mridangas and Panavas, the blare of conchs, and the sound of drums. It\nteemed with ghostly beings of diverse tribes that danced in joy and with\npeacocks also that danced with plumes outspread. Forming as it did the\nresort of the celestial Rishis, the Apsaras danced there in joy. The\nplace was exceedingly agreeable to the sight. It was exceedingly\nbeautiful, resembling Heaven itself. Its entire aspect was wonderful and,\nindeed, it is indescribable in respect of its beauty and sweetness.\nVerily, with the penances of that great deity who sleeps on mountain\nbreasts, that prince of mountains shone with great beauty. It resounded\nwith the chant of the Vedas uttered by learned Brahmanas devoted to Vedic\nrecitation. Echoing with the hum of bees, O Madhava, the mountain became\nincomparable in beauty. The ascetics, beholding the great deity who is\nendued with a fierce form and who looks like a great festival, became\nfilled, O Janardana, with great joy. All the highly blessed ascetics, the\nSiddhas who have drawn in their vital seed, the Maruts, the Vasus, the\nSadhyas, the Viswedevas, Vasava himself, the Yakshas, the Nagas, the\nPisachas, the Regents of the world, the several sacred Fires, the Winds,\nand all the great creatures dwelt on that mountain with minds\nconcentrated in Yoga. All the Seasons were present there and scattered\nthose regions with all kinds of wonderful flowers. Diverse kinds of\nblazing herbs illuminated the woods and forests on that mountain. Various\nspecies of birds, filled with joy, hopped about and sang merrily on the\ndelightful breast of that mountain. Those birds were exceedingly lovable\nin consequence of the notes they uttered. The high-souled Mahadeva sat,\ndisplayed in beauty, on one of the peaks that was adorned with excellent\nminerals, as if it served the purposes of a fine bedstead. Round his\nloins was a tiger-skin, and a lion-skin formed his upper garments. His\nsacred thread consisted of a snake. His arms were decked with a pair of\nred Angadas. His beard was green. He had matted locks on his head. Of\nterrible features, he it is that inspires with fear the hearts of all the\nenemies of the gods. It is he, again, that assures all creatures by\ndispelling their fears. He is adored by his worshippers as the deity\nhaving the bovine bull for his device. The great Rishis, beholding\nMahadeva, bowed to him by touching the ground with their heads. Endued\nwith forgiving souls, they all became (in consequence of the sight they\nhad obtained of the great deity) freed from every sin and thoroughly\ncleansed. The retreat of that lord of all creatures with many terrible\nforms, shone with a peculiar beauty. Abounding with many large snakes, it\nbecame unapproachable and unbearable (by ordinary beings). Within the\ntwinkling of the eye, O slayer of Madhu, everything there became\nexceedingly wonderful. Indeed, the abode of that great deity having the\nbovine bull for his device began to blaze with a terrible beauty. Unto\nMahadeva seated there, came his spouse, the daughter of Himavat,\nsurrounded by the wives of the ghostly beings who are the companions of\nthe great deity. Her attire was like that of her lord and the vows she\nobserved were like those of his. She held a jar on her loins that was\nfilled with the waters of every Tirtha, and was accompanied by the\npresiding deities (of her own sex) of all the mountain streams. Those\nauspicious ladies walked in her train. The goddess approached raining\nflowers on every side and diverse kinds of sweet perfumes. She who loved\nto reside on the breast of Himavat advanced in this guise towards her\ngreat lord. The beautiful Uma, with smiling lips and desirous of playing\na jest, covered from behind, with her two beautiful hands, the eyes of\nMahadeva. As soon as Mahadeva's eyes were thus covered, all the regions\nbecame dark and life seemed to be extinct everywhere in the universe. The\nHoma rites ceased. The universe became suddenly deprived of the sacred\nVashat also. All living creatures became cheerless and filled with fear.\nIndeed, when the eyes of the lord of all creatures were thus closed, the\nuniverse seemed to become sunless. Soon, however, that overspreading\ndarkness disappeared. A mighty and blazing flame of fire emanated from\nMahadeva's forehead. A third eye, resembling another sun, appeared (on\nit). That eye began to blaze forth like the Yuga-fire and began to\nconsume that mountain. The large-eyed daughter of Himavat, beholding what\noccurred, bowed her head unto Mahadeva endued with that third eye which\nresembled a blazing fire. She stood there with gaze fixed on her lord.\nWhen the mountain forests burned on every side, with their Was and other\ntrees of straight trunks, and their delightful sandals and diverse\nexcellent medicinal herbs, herds of deer and other animals, filled with\nfright, came with great speed to the place where Hara sat and sought his\nprotection. With those creatures almost filling it, the retreat of the\ngreat deity blazed forth with a kind of peculiar beauty. Meanwhile, that\nfire, swelling wildly, soared up to the very heavens and endued with the\nsplendour and unsteadiness of lightning and looking like a dozen suns in\nmight and effulgence, covered every side like the all-destroying\nYuga-fire. In a moment, the Himavat mountains were consumed, with their\nminerals and summits and blazing herbs. Beholding Himavat crushed and\nconsumed, the daughter of that prince of mountains sought the protection\nof the great deity and stood before him her hands joined in reverence.\nThen Sarva, seeing Uma overcome by an accession of womanly mildness and\nfinding that she was unwilling to behold her father Himavat reduced to\nthat pitiable plight, cast benignant looks upon the mountain. In a moment\nthe whole of Himavat was restored to his former condition and became as\nbeautiful to look at as ever. Indeed, the mountain put forth a cheerful\naspect. All its trees became adorned with flowers. Beholding Himavat to\nhis natural condition, the goddess Uma, divested of every fault,\naddressed her lord, that master of all creatures, the divine Maheswara,\nin these words.\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, O lord of all creatures, O deity that art armed\nwith the trident, O thou of high vows, a great doubt has filled my mind.\nIt behoveth thee to resolve that doubt for me. For what reason has this\nthird eye appeared in thy forehead? Why also was the mountain consumed\nwith the woods and all that belonged to it? Why also, O illustrious\ndeity, hast thou restored the mountain to its former condition? Indeed,\nhaving burnt it once, why hast thou again caused it to be covered with\ntrees?\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"O goddess without any fault, in consequence of thy\nhaving covered my eyes through an act of indiscretion the universe became\nin a moment devoid of light. When the universe became sunless and,\ntherefore, all became dark, O daughter of the prince of mountains, I\ncreated the third eye desirous of protecting all creatures. The high\nenergy of that eye crushed and consumed this mountain. For pleasing\nthee, however, O goddess, I once more made Himavat what he was by\nrepairing the injury.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, why are those faces of thine which are on the\neast, the north, and the west, so handsome and so agreeable to look at\nlike the very moon? And why is that face of thine which is on the south\nso terrible? Why are thy matted locks tawny in hue and so erect? Why is\nthy throat blue after the manner of the peacock's plumes? Why, O\nillustrious deity, is the Pinaka always in thy hand? Why art thou always\na Brahmacharin with matted locks? O lord, it behoves thee to explain all\nthese to me. I am thy spouse who seeks to follow the same duties with\nthee. Further, I am thy devoted worshipper, O deity, having the bull for\nthy mark!\"'\n\n\"'\"Narada continued, 'Thus addressed by the daughter of the prince of\nmountains, the illustrious wielder of Pinaka, the puissant Mahadeva,\nbecame highly gratified with her. The great god then addressed her\nsaying, \"O blessed lady, listen to me as I explain, with the reasons\nthereof, why my forms are so.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLI\n\n\"'\"'The blessed and holy one said, \"In days of yore, a blessed woman was\ncreated by Brahman, called Tilottama, by culling grains of beauty from\nevery beautiful object in the universe. One day, that lady of beautiful\nface, unrivalled in the universe for beauty of form, came to me, O\ngoddess, for circumambulating me but really impelled by the desire of\ntempting me. In whatever direction that lady of beautiful teeth turned, a\nnew face of mine instantly appeared (so eager did I become to see her).\nAll those faces of mine became agreeable to look at. Thus, in consequence\nof the desire of beholding her, I became four-faced, through\nYoga-puissance. Thus, I showed my high Yoga-power in becoming four-faced.\nWith that face of mine which is turned towards the east, I exercise the\nsovereignty of the universe. With that face of mine which is turned\ntowards the north, I sport with thee, O thou of faultless features! That\nface of mine which is turned towards the west is agreeable and\nauspicious. With it I ordain the happiness of all creatures. That face of\nmine which is turned towards the south is terrible. With it I destroy all\ncreatures. I live as a Brahmacharin with matted locks on my head,\nimpelled by the desire of doing good to all creatures. The bow Pinaka is\nalways in my hand for accomplishing the purposes of the deities. In days\nof yore, Indra, desirous of acquiring my prosperity, had hurled his\nthunderbolt at me. With that weapon my throat was scorched. For this\nreason I have become blue-throated.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"When, O foremost of all creatures, there are so many\nexcellent vehicles endued with great beauty, why is it that thou hast\nselected a bovine bull for thy vehicle?\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"In the days of yore, the Grandsire Brahma created the\ncelestial cow Surabhi yielding abundant milk. After her creation there\nsprang from her a large number of kine all of which yielded copious\nquantities of milk sweet as nectar. Once on a time a quantity of froth\nfell from the mouth of one of her calves on my body. I was enraged at\nthis and my wrath scorched all the kine which thereupon became\ndiversified in hue. I was then pacified by the Master of all the worlds,\nviz., Brahma, conversant with all topics. It was he who gave me this bull\nboth as a vehicle for bearing me and as a device on my banner.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"Thou hast many abodes in heaven, of diverse forms and\npossessed of every comfort and luxury. Why, O holy one, dost thou reside\nin the crematorium, abandoning all those delightful mansions? The\ncrematorium is full of the hair and bones (of the dead), abounds with\nvulture and jackals, and is strewn with hundreds of funeral pyres. Full\nof carrion and muddy with fat and blood, with entrails and bones strewn\nall over it, and always echoing with the howls of jackals, it is\ncertainly an unclean place.\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"I always wander over the whole earth in search of a\nsacred spot. I do not, however, see any spot that is more sacred than the\ncrematorium. Hence, of all abodes, the crematorium pleases my heart most,\nshaded that it generally is by branches of the banian and adorned with\ntorn garlands of flowers. O thou of sweet smiles, the multitudes of\nghostly beings that are my companions love to reside in such spots. I do\nnot like, O goddess, to reside anywhere without those ghostly creatures\nbeing by my side. Hence, the crematorium is a sacred abode to me. Indeed,\nO auspicious lady, it seems to me to be the very heaven. Highly sacred\nand possessed of great merit, the crematorium is much applauded by\npersons desirous of having holy abodes.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, O lord of all creatures, O foremost of all\nobservers of duties and religious rites, I have a great doubt, O wielder\nof Pinaka, O giver of boons. These ascetics, O puissant lord, have\nundergone diverse kinds of austerities. In the world are seen ascetics\nwandering everywhere under diverse forms and clad in diverse kinds of\nattire. For benefiting this large assemblage of Rishis, as also myself,\ndo thou kindly resolve, O chastiser of all foes, this doubt of mine. What\nindications has Religion or Duty been said to possess? How, indeed, do\nmen become unacquainted with the details of Religion or Duty to succeed\nin observing them? O puissant lord, O thou that art conversant with\nReligion, do thou tell me this.\"'\n\n\"'\"Narada continued, 'When the daughter of Himavat put this question,\nconclave of Rishis there present worshipped the goddess and adored her\nwith words adorned with Riks and with hymns fraught with deep import.\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Abstention from injury, truthfulness of speech,\ncompassion towards all beings, tranquillity of soul, and the making of\ngifts to the best of one's power, are the foremost duties of the\nhouseholder. Abstention from sexual congress with the spouses of other\nmen, protection of the wealth and the woman committed to one's charge,\nunwillingness to appropriate what is not given to one, and avoidance of\nhoney and meat,--these are the five chief duties. Indeed, Religion or\nDuty has many branches all of which are fraught with happiness. Even\nthese are the duties which these embodied creatures who regard duty as\nsuperior should observe and practise. Even these are the sources of\nmerit.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, I wish to ask thee another question about which\nI have great doubts. It behoveth thee to answer it and dispel my doubts.\nWhat are the meritorious duties of the four several orders? What duties\nappertain to the Brahmana? What to the Kshatriya? What are the\nindications of those duties that appertain to the Vaisya? And what kind\nof duties appertain to the Sudra?\"\n\n\"'\"'The holy one said, \"O highly blessed lady, the question thou hast asked\nis a very proper one. Those persons that belong to the regenerate order\nare regarded as highly blessed, and are, indeed, gods on earth. Without\ndoubt, the observance of fasts (i.e., subjugation of the senses) is\nalways the duty of the Brahmana. When the Brahmana succeeds in properly\nobserving all his duties, he attains to identity with Brahma.[560] The\nproper observance of the duties of Brahmacharya, O goddess, are his\nritual. The observance of vows and the investiture with the sacred thread\nare his other duties. It is by these that he becomes truly regenerate. He\nbecomes a Brahmana for worshipping his preceptors and other seniors as\nalso the deities. Verily, that religion which has for its soul the study\nof the Vedas is the source of all piety. Even that is the religion which\nthose embodied creatures who are devoted to piety and duty should observe\nand practise.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, my doubts have not been dispelled. It behoveth\nthee to explain in detail what the duties are of the four respective\norders of men.\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Listening to the mysteries of religion and duty,\nobservance of the vows indicated in the Vedas, attention to the sacred\nfire, and accomplishment of the business of the preceptor, leading a\nmendicant life, always bearing the sacred thread, constant recitation of\nthe Vedas, and rigid observance of the duties of Brahmacharya, are the\nduties of the Brahmana. After the period of study is over, the Brahmana,\nreceiving the command of his preceptor, should leave his preceptor's\nabode for returning to his father's house. Upon his return he should duly\nwed a wife that is fit for him. Another duty of the Brahmana consists in\navoiding the food prepared by the Sudra. Walking along the path of\nrighteousness, always observing fasts and the practices of Brahmacharya,\nare his other duties.[561] The householder should keep up his domestic\nfire for daily worship. He should study the Vedas. He should pour\nlibations in honour of the Pitris and the deities. He should keep his\nsenses under proper control. He should eat what remains after serving\ngods and guests and all his dependants. He should be abstemious in food,\ntruthful in speech, and pure both externally and internally. Attending to\nguests is another duty of the householder, as also the keeping up of the\nthree sacrificial fires. The householder should also attend to the\nordinary sacrifices that go by the name of Ishti and should also dedicate\nanimals to the deities according to the ordinances. Indeed, the\nperformance of sacrifices is his highest duty as also a complete\nabstention from injury to all creatures. Never to eat before serving the\ndeities and guests and dependants is another duty of the householder. The\nfood that remains after serving gods and guests and dependants is called\nVighasa. The householder should eat Vighasa. Indeed, to eat after the\nmembers of one's family including servants and other dependants, is\nregarded as one of the special duties of the regenerate householder, who\nshould be conversant with the Vedas. The conduct of husband and wife, in\nthe case of householder, should be equal. He should every day make\nofferings of flowers and other articles unto those deities that preside\nover domesticity. The householder should take care that his house is\nevery day properly rubbed (with cowdung and water). He should also\nobserve fasts every day. Well-cleaned and well-rubbed, his house should\nalso be every day fumigated with the smoke of clarified butter poured on\nhis sacred fire in honour of the deities and the Pitris. Even these are\nthe duties appertaining to the householder's mode of life as observable\nby a regenerate person. Those duties really uphold the world. Verily,\nthose duties always and eternally flow from those righteous persons among\nthe Brahmanas that lead a life of domesticity. Do thou listen to me with\nconcentrated attention, O goddess, for I shall now tell thee what the\nduties are which appertain to the Kshatriya and about which thou hast\nasked me. From the beginning it has been said that the duty of the\nKshatriya is to protect all creatures. The king is the acquirer of a\nfixed share of the merits earned by his subjects. By that means the king\nbecomes endued with righteousness. That ruler of men who rules and\nprotects his subjects righteously, acquires, by virtue of the protection\nhe offers to others, many regions of felicity in the world to come. The\nother duties of a person of the kingly order consist of self-restraint\nand Vedic study, the pouring of libations on the sacred fire, the making\nof gifts, study, the bearing of the sacred thread, sacrifices, the\nperformance of religious rites, the support of servants and dependants,\nand perseverance in acts that have been begun. Another duty of his is to\naward punishments according to the offences committed. It is also his\nduty to perform sacrifices and other religious rites according to the\nordinances laid down in the Vedas. Adherence to the practice of properly\njudging the disputes of litigants before him, and a devotion to\ntruthfulness of speech, and interference for aiding the distressed, are\nthe other duties by discharging which the king acquires great glory both\nhere and hereafter. He should also lay down his life on the field of\nbattle, having displayed great prowess on behalf of kine and Brahmanas.\nSuch a king acquires in Heaven such regions of felicity as are capable of\nbeing won by the performance of Horse-sacrifices. The duties of the\nVaisya always consist of the keeping of cattle and agriculture, the\npouring of libations on the sacred fire, the making of gifts, and study.\nTrade, walking in the path of righteousness, hospitality, peacefulness,\nself-restraint, welcoming of Brahmanas, and renouncing things (in favour\nof Brahmanas), are the other eternal duties of the Vaisya. The Vaisya,\nengaged in trade and walking in the path of righteousness, should never\nsell sesame and perfumery and juices or liquid substances. He should\ndischarge the duties of hospitality towards all. He is at liberty to\npursue religion and wealth and pleasure according to his means and as\nmuch as is judicious for him. The service of the three regenerate classes\nconstitutes the high duty of the Sudra. That Sudra who is truthful in\nspeech and who has subdued his senses is regarded as having acquired\nmeritorious penances. Verily, the Sudra, who having got a guest,\ndischarges the duties of hospitality towards him, is regarded as\nacquiring the merit of high penances. That intelligent Sudra whose\nconduct is righteous and who worships the deities and Brahmanas, becomes\nendued with the desirable rewards of righteousness. O beautiful lady, I\nhave thus recited to thee what the duties are of the four orders. Indeed,\nO blessed lady, I have told thee what their respective duties are. What\nelse dost thou wish to hear?\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"Thou has recited to me what the respective duties are of the\nfour orders, auspicious and beneficial for them. Do thou now tell me, O\nholy one, what the common duties are of all the orders.\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"The foremost of all beings in the universe viz., the\nCreator Brahma, ever desirous of righteous accomplishments, created the\nBrahmanas for rescuing all the worlds. Among all created beings, they\nare, verily, gods on earth. I shall at the outset tell thee what the\nreligious acts are which they should do and what the rewards are which\nthey win through them. That religion which has been ordained for the\nBrahmanas is the foremost of all religions. For the sake of the\nrighteousness of the world, three religions were created by the Self-born\nOne. Whenever the world is created (or re-created), those religions are\ncreated by the Grandsire. Do thou listen. These are the three eternal\nreligions. The religion that is propounded in the Vedas is the highest;\nthat which is propounded in the Smritis is the next in the order of\nimportance; the third in importance is that which is based upon the\npractices of those who are regarded as righteous. The Brahmans possessed\nof learning should have the three Vedas. He should never make the study\nof the Vedas (or recitation of the scriptures) the means of his\nliving.[562] He should devote himself to the three well-known acts (of\nmaking gifts, studying the Vedas, and performing sacrifices). He should\ntranscend the three (viz., lust, wrath, and covetousness). He should be\nthe friend of all creatures. A person that possesses these attributes is\ncalled a Brahmana. The lord of the universe declared these six acts for\nthe observance of Brahmanas. Listen to those eternal duties. The\nperformance of sacrifices, officiating at the sacrifices of others, the\nmaking of gifts, the acceptance of gifts, teaching, and study, are the\nsix acts by accomplishing which a Brahmans wins religious merit. Verily,\nthe daily study of the Vedas is a duty. Sacrifice is (another) eternal\nduty. The making of gifts according to the measure of his power and\nagreeable to the ordinance, is, in his case, much applauded. Tranquillity\nof mind is a high duty that has always been current among them that are\nrighteous. Householders of pure mind are capable of earning very great\nmerit. Indeed, he who cleanses his soul by the performance of the five\nsacrifices, who is truthful in speech, who is free from malice, who makes\ngifts, who treats with hospitality and honour all regenerate guests, who\nlives in well-cleaned abodes, who is free from pride, who is always\nsincere in his dealings, who uses sweet and assuring words towards\nothers, who takes pleasure in serving guests and others arrived at his\nabode, and who eats the food that remains after the requirements have\nbeen gratified of all the members of his family and dependants, wins\ngreat merit. That man who offers water to his guests for washing their\nfeet and hands, who presents the Arghya for honouring the recipient, who\nduly gives seats, and beds, and lamps for lighting the darkness, and\nshelter to those that come to his abode, is regarded as highly righteous.\nThat householder who rises at dawn and washes his mouth and face and\nserves food to his guests, and having honoured them duly dismisses them\nfrom his abode and follows them (as a mark of honour) for a little\ndistance, acquires eternal merit. Hospitality towards all, and the\npursuit of the aggregate of three, are the duties of the householder. The\nduties of the Sudra consist in the pursuit of the aggregate of three. The\nReligion ordained for the householder is said to have Pravritti for its\nchief indication. Auspicious, and beneficial to all creatures, I shall\nexpound it to thee. The householder should always make gifts according to\nthe measure of his power. He should also perform sacrifices frequently\nafter the same manner. Indeed, he who wishes to achieve his own good\nshould always achieve meritorious acts. The householder, should acquire\nwealth by righteous means. The wealth thus acquired should be carefully\ndivided into three portions, keeping the requirements of righteousness in\nview. With one of those portions he should accomplish all acts of\nrighteousness. With another he should seek to gratify his cravings for\npleasure. The third portion he should lay out for increasing. The\nReligion of Nivritti is different. It exists for emancipation (from\nre-birth by absorption into Brahman). I shall tell thee the conduct that\nconstitutes it. Listen to me in detail, O goddess. One of the duties\ninculcated by that religion is compassion towards all creatures. The man\nthat follows it should not reside in one place for more than one day.\nDesirous of achieving emancipation, the followers of this Religion free\nthemselves from the bonds of hope (or desire). They have no attachment to\nhabitation, to the Kamandalu they bear for keeping water, to the robes\nthat cover their loins, or the seat whereupon they rest, or the triple\nstick they bear in their hands, or the bed they sleep on, or the fire\nthey want, or the chamber that houses them. A follower of this Religion\nsets his heart upon the workings of his soul. His mind is devoted to\nSupreme Brahman. He is filled with the idea of attaining to Brahman. He\nis always devoted to Yoga and the Sankhya Philosophy. He desires no other\nshelter than the foot of a tree. He houses himself in empty abodes of\nmen. He sleeps on the banks of rivers. He takes pleasure in staying by\nsuch banks. He is freed from every attachment, and from every tie of\naffection. He merges the existence of his own soul into the Supreme Soul.\nStanding like a stake of wood, and abstaining from all food he does only\nsuch acts as point to Emancipation. Or, he may wander about, devoted to\nYoga. Even these are the eternal duties of a follower of the Religion of\nNivritti. He lives aloof from his species. He is freed from all\nattachments. He never resides in the same place for more than a day.\nFreed from all bonds he roves over the world. Emancipated from all ties,\nhe never sleeps on even the same river-bank for more than a day. Even\nthis is the religion of persons conversant with Emancipation as declared\nin the Vedas. Even this is the righteous path that is trodden by the\nrighteous. He who follows in this track leaves no vestige behind.\nBhikshus (or followers of the religion of Emancipation) are of four\nkinds. They are Kutichakas, Vahudakas, Hansas, and Paramahansas. The\nsecond is superior to the first, the third to the second, and the fourth\nto the third. There is nothing superior to the Paramahansa; nor is there\nanything inferior to it or beside it or before it. It is a condition that\nis divested of sorrow and happiness; that is auspicious and freed from\ndecrepitude and death and that knows no change.\"[563]\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"Thou hast recited the religion of the householders, that of\nEmancipation, and that which is based upon the observances of the\nrighteous. These paths are high and exceedingly beneficial to the world\nof living creatures. O thou that art conversant with every religion, I\ndesire now to hear what is the high religion of the Rishis. I always have\na liking for those that dwell in ascetic retreats. The perfume that\nemanates from the smoke of the libations of clarified butter poured on\nthe sacred fire seems to pervade the entire retreats and make them\ndelightful. Marking this, O great god, my heart becomes always filled\nwith delight. O puissant deity, I have doubts regarding the religion of\nthe ascetics. Thou art conversant with the details of all religions. Do\nthou enlighten me, O god of gods, in detail, respecting this topic truly\nabout which I have asked thee, O great deity!\"\n\n\"'\"'The blessed and holy one said, \"Yes, I shall recite to thee the high\nand excellent religion of the ascetics. By following the dictates of that\nreligion, O auspicious lady, the ascetics attain to success through the\nsevere penances they practise. O highly blessed one, do thou hear, from\nthe beginning, what the duties are of those righteous Rishis that are\nconversant with every duty and that are known by the name of Phenapas.\nThe Grandsire Brahma (during the days he devoted to the observance of\npenances) drank some nectar (in the form of water). That water had flowed\nin heaven from a great sacrifice. The froth of that water is highly\nauspicious and (in consequence of Brahma's having drunk it) it partook of\nHis own nature. Those Rishis that subsist upon the measure of froth that\nthus issued (from the water indicated) are called Phenapas\n(Froth-eaters). Even this is the conduct of those pure-souled Rishis, O\nlady, possessed of wealth of penances! Listen now to me as I explain to\nthee who the Valkhilyas are. The Valkhilyas are ascetics that have won\nsuccess by their penances. They reside in the solar disc. Adopting the\nmeans of subsistence that is followed by the birds, those Rishis,\nconversant with every duty of righteousness, live according to the Unchha\nmode. Their attire consists of deer-skins or barks of trees. Freed from\nevery pair of opposites, the Valkhilyas, possessed of wealth of penances,\nwalk in this track of righteousness. They are as big as a digit of the\nthumb. Distributed into classes, each class lives in the practice of the\nduties assigned to it. They desire only to practise penance. The merits\nthey win by their righteous conduct are very high. They are regarded as\nhaving attained to an equality with the gods and exist for the\naccomplishment of the purposes of the gods. Having burnt off all their\nsins by severe penances, they blaze forth in effulgence, illuminating all\nthe points of the compass. Others, called Chakracharas, are endued with\ncleansed souls and devoted to the practice of compassion. Righteous in\ntheir conduct and possessed of great sanctity, they live in the region of\nSoma. Thus residing near enough to the region of the Pitris, they duly\nsubsist by drinking the rays of Soma. There are others called\nSamprakshalas and Asmkuttas and Dantolukhalas.[564] These live near the\nSoma-drinking deities and others that drink flames of fire. With their\nwedded spouses, and with passions under complete control, they too\nsubsist upon the rays of Soma. They pour libations of clarified butter on\nthe sacred fire, and adore the Pitris under proper forms. They also\nperform the well-known sacrifices. Even this is said to constitute their\nreligion. The religion of the Rishis, O goddess, is always observed by\nthose who are houseless and who are free to rove through every region\nincluding that of the gods. There are, again, other classes about whom I\nshall speak presently. Do thou listen. It is necessary that they who\nobserve the different religions of the Rishis, should subjugate their\npassions and know the Soul. Indeed, in my opinion, lust and wrath should\nbe completely conquered. With corn (wealth) acquired by the Unchha mode,\nthey should discharge the following duties, viz., the pouring of\nlibations on the sacred fire, occupying a fixed seat employing oneself\nthe while in the sacrifice called Dharmaratri, performance of she\nSoma-sacrifice, acquisition of especial knowledge, the giving of\nsacrificial presents which forms the fifth, the daily performance of\nsacrifices, devotion to the worship of the Pitris and the deities,\nhospitality towards all. Abstention from all luxurious viands prepared\nfrom cow's milk, taking a pleasure in tranquillity of heart, lying on\nbare rocks or the earth, devotion to Yoga, eating potherbs and leaves of\ntrees, and subsisting upon fruits and roots and wind and water and moss,\nare some of the practices of the Rishis by which they attain to the end\nthat belongs to persons unsubjugated (by the world). When the smoke has\nceased to curl upwards from a house, when the husking machine has ceased\nto ply, when the hearth-fire has been extinguished, when all the inmates\nhave taken their food, when dishes are no longer carried from room to\nroom, when mendicants have ceased to walk the streets, it is then that\nthe man who is devoted to the religion of truth and tranquillity of soul,\ndesiring to have a guest (but finding his desire ungratified), should eat\nwhat remnant of food may still occur in the house. By acting in this way,\none becomes a practiser of the religion of the Munis. One should not be\narrogant, nor proud, nor cheerless and discontented; nor should one\nwonder at anything. Indeed, one should behave equally towards friends and\nfoes. Verily, one who is the foremost of all persons conversant with\nduties should also be friendly towards all creatures.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLII\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"Forest recluses reside in delightful regions, among the\nsprings and fountains of rivers, in bowers by the sides of streams and\nrills, on hills and mountains, in woods and forests, and in sacred spots\nfull of fruits and roots. With concentrated attention and observant of\nvows and rules, they dwell in such places. I desire, O Sankara, to hear\nthe sacred ordinances which they follow. These recluses, O god of all\ngods, are persons that depend, for the protection of their bodies, upon\nthemselves alone.\"[565]\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Do thou hear with concentrated attention what the\nduties are of forest recluses. Having listened to them with one mind, O\ngoddess, do thou set thy heart upon righteousness. Listen then to what the\nacts are that should be practised by righteous recluses crowned with\nsuccess, observant of rigid vows and rules, and residing in woods and\nforests. Performing ablutions thrice a day, worshipping the Pitris and the\ndeities, pouring libations on the sacred fire, performing those\nsacrifices and rites that go by the name of Ishti-homa, picking up the\ngrains of Nivara-paddy, eating fruit and roots, and using oil that is\npressed out from Inguda and castor-seeds are their duties. Having gone\nthrough the practices of Yoga and become crowned with (ascetic) success\nand freed from lust and wrath, they should seat themselves in the\nattitude called Virasana. Indeed, they should reside in those places\nwhich are inaccessible to cowards.[566] Observant of the excellent\nordinances relating to Yoga, sitting in summer in the midst of four fires\non four sides with the sun overhead, duly practising what is called\nManduka Yoga, and always seated in the attitude called Virasana, and\nlying on bare rocks or the earth, these men, with hearts set upon\nrighteousness, must expose themselves to cold and water and fire. They\nsubsist upon water or air or moss. They use two pieces of stones only for\nhusking their corn. Some of them use their teeth only for such a purpose.\nThey do not keep utensils of any kind (for storing anything for the day\nto come). Some of them clothe themselves with rags and barks of trees or\ndeer-skins. Even thus do they pass their lives for the measure of time\nallotted to them, according to the ordinances (set forth in the\nscriptures). Remaining in woods and forests, they wander within woods and\nforests, live within them, and are always to be found within them.\nIndeed, these forest recluses entering into woods and forests live within\nthem as disciples, obtaining a preceptor, live with him. The performance\nof the rites of Homa is their duty, as also the observance of the five\nsacrifices. A due observance of the rules about distribution (in respect\nof time) of the fivefold sacrifices as laid down in the Vedas, devotion\nto (other) sacrifices, forming the eighth, observance of the Chaturmasya,\nperformance of the Paurnamasya, and other sacrifices, and performance of\nthe daily sacrifices, are the duties of these men dissociated from wives,\nfreed from every attachment, and cleansed from every sin. Indeed, they\nshould live even thus in the forest. The sacrificial ladle and the\nwater-vessel are their chief wealth. They are always devoted to the three\nfires. Righteous in their conduct and adhering to the path of virtue,\nthey attain to the highest end. These Munis, crowned with (ascetic)\nsuccess and ever devoted to the religion of Truth, attain to the highly\nsacred region of Brahman or the eternal region of Soma. O auspicious\ngoddess, I have thus recited to thee, in brief, the outlines of the\nreligion that is followed by forest recluses and that has many practices\nin detail.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, O lord of all creatures, O thou that art\nworshipped by all beings, I desire to hear what the religion is of those\nMunis that are followers of the scriptures treating of ascetic success.\nDo thou recite it to me. Residing in woods and forests and\nwell-accomplished in the scriptures of success, some amongst them live\nand act as they like, without being restrained by particular practices;\nothers have wives. How, indeed, have their practices been laid down?\"\n\n\"'\"'Mahadeva said, \"O goddess, the shaving of the head and the wearing of\nthe brown robes are the indications of those recluses that rove about in\nfreedom; while the indications of those that sport with wedded wives\nconsist in passing their nights at home. Performing ablutions three times\na day is the duty of the classes, while the Homa, with water and fruits\nfrom the wilderness, belongs to the wedded recluses as performed by the\nRishis in general. Absorption, Yoga-meditation, and adherence to those\nduties that constitute piety and that have been laid down as such (in the\nscriptures and the Vedas) are some of the other duties prescribed for\nthem. All those duties also of which I have spoken to thee before as\nappertaining to recluses residing in forests, are the duties of these\nalso. Indeed, if those duties are observed, they that observe them,\nattain to the rewards that attach to severe penances. Those forest\nrecluses that lead wedded lives should confine the gratification of their\nsenses to these wedded wives of theirs. By indulging in sexual congress\nwith their wives at only those times when their seasons come, they\nconform to the duties that have been laid down for them. The religion\nwhich these virtuous men are to follow is the religion that has been laid\ndown and followed by the Rishis. With their eyes set upon the acquisition\nof righteousness, they should never pursue any other object of desire\nfrom a sense of unrestrained caprice. That man who makes the gift unto\nall creatures of an assurance of perfect harmlessness or innocence, freed\nas his soul becomes from the stain of malice or harmfulness, becomes\nendued with righteousness. Verily, that person who shows compassion to\nall creatures, who adopts as a vow a behaviour of perfect sincerity\ntowards all creatures, and who constitutes himself the soul of all\ncreatures, becomes endued with righteousness. A bath in all the Vedas,\nand a behaviour of sincerity towards all creatures, are looked upon as\nequal in point of merit; or, perhaps, the latter is a little\ndistinguished above the other in point of merit. Sincerity, it has been\nsaid, is Righteousness; while insincerity or crookedness is the reverse.\nThat man who conducts himself with sincerity becomes endued with\nRighteousness. The man who is always devoted to sincerity of behaviour,\nsucceeds in attaining to a residence among the deities. Hence, he who\nwishes to achieve the merit of righteousness should become endued with\nsincerity. Possessed of a forgiving disposition and of self-restraint,\nand with wrath under complete subjection, one should transform oneself\ninto an embodiment of Righteousness and become freed from malice. Such a\nman, who becomes devoted, besides, to the discharge of all the duties of\nReligion, becomes endued with the merit of Righteousness. Freed from\ndrowsiness and procrastination, the pious person, who adheres to the path\nof Righteousness to the best of his power, and becomes possessed of pure\nconduct, and who is venerable in years, comes to be regarded as equal to\nBrahma himself.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"By what course of duties, O god, do those ascetics who are\nattached to their respective retreats and possessed of wealth of\npenances, succeed in becoming endued with great splendour? By what acts\nagain, do kings and princes who are possessed of great wealth, and others\nwho are destitute of wealth, succeed in obtaining high rewards? By what\nacts, O god, do denizens of the forest succeed in attaining to that place\nwhich is eternal and in adorning their persons with celestial\nsandal-paste? O illustrious god of three eyes, O destroyer of the triple\ncity, do thou dispel this doubt of mine connected with the auspicious\nsubject of the observance of penances by telling everything in detail.\"\n\n\"'\"'The illustrious deity said, \"Those who observe the vows relating to\nfasts and restrain their senses, who abstain from injury of any kind to\nany creature, and who practise truthfulness of speech, attain to success\nand ascending to Heaven sport in felicity with the Gandharvas as their\ncompanions, freed from every kind of evil. The righteous-souled man who\nlies down in the attitude which appertains to Manduka-Yoga, and who\nproperly and according to the ordinance performs meritorious acts after\nhaving taken the Diksha, sports in felicity in the next world in the\ncompany of the Nagas. That man who lives in the company of deer and\nsubsists upon such grass and vegetables as fall off from their mouths,\nand who has undergone the Diksha and attends to the duties attached to\nit, succeeds in attaining to Amaravati (the mansions of Indra). That man\nwho subsists upon the moss he gathers and the fallen leaves of trees that\nhe picks up, and endures all the severities of cold, attains to very high\nplace. That man who subsists upon either air or water, or fruits and\nroots, attains in after life to the affluence that belongs to the Yakshas\nand sports in felicity in the company of diverse tribes of Apsaras.\nHaving practised for two and ten years, according to the rites laid down\nin the ordinances, the vow relating to the endurance of the five fires in\nthe summer season, one becomes in one's next life a king. That man who,\nhaving observed vows with respect to food, practises penances for two and\ntwelve years, carefully abstaining from all interdicted food, taken at\nforbidden hours, during the periods becomes in his next life a ruler of\nearth.[567] That man who sits and lies on the bare ground with the cope\nof the firmament alone for his shelter, observes the course of duties\nthat attach to Diksha, and then casts off his body by abstaining from all\nfood, attains to great felicity in Heaven. The rewards of one who sits\nand lies down upon the bare ground (with the welkin alone for his\nshelter) are said to be excellent vehicles and beds, and costly mansions\npossessed of the resplendence of the moon, O lady! That man who, having\nsubsisted upon abstemious diet and observed diverse excellent vows, lives\ndepending upon his own self and then casts off his body by abstaining\nfrom all food, succeeds in ascending to heaven and enjoying all its\nfelicity. That man who, having lived in entire dependence upon his own\nself, observes for two and ten years the duties that appertain to Diksha,\nand at last casts off his body on the great ocean, succeeds in attaining\nto the regions of Varuna after death. That man who, living in entire\ndependence upon his own self observes the duties that attach to Diksha\nfor two and ten years, and pierces his own feet with a sharp stone,\nattains to the felicity of the region that belongs to the Guhyakas. He\nwho cultivates self with the aid of self, who frees himself from the\ninfluence of all pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold, joy and\nsorrow, etc), who is freed from every kind of attachment, and who\nmentally observes for two and ten years such a course of conduct after\nDiksha, attains to Heaven and enjoys every happiness with the deities as\nhis companions. He who lives in entire dependence upon his own self and\nobserves for two and ten years the duties that attach to Diksha and\nfinally casts off his body on the fire as an oblation to the deities,\nattains to the regions of Brahman and is held in high respect there. That\nregenerate man, O goddess, who having properly gone through the Diksha\nkeeps his senses under subjugation, and placing his Self on Self frees\nhimself from the sense of meum, desirous of achieving righteousness, and\nsets out, without a covering for his body, after the due observance of\nthe duties of Diksha for two and ten years and after having placed his\nsacred fire on a tree, and walks along the path that belongs to heroes\nand lies down (when need for lying down comes) in the attitude of heroes,\nand conducts himself always after the manner of heroes, certainly attains\nto the end that is reserved for heroes.[568] Such a man repairs to the\neternal region of Sakra where he becomes crowned with the fruition of all\nhis wishes and where he sports in joy, his person decked with garlands of\ncelestial flowers and celestial perfumes. Indeed, that righteous souled\nperson lives happily in Heaven, with the deities as his companions. The\nhero, observant of the practices of heroes and devoted to that Yoga which\nbelongs to heroes, living in the practice of Goodness, having renounced\neverything, having undergone the Diksha and subjugated his senses, and\nobserving purity of both body and mind, is sure to attain to that path\nwhich is reserved for heroes. Eternal regions of happiness are his.\nRiding on a car that moves at the will of the rider, he roves through all\nthose happy regions as he likes. Indeed, dwelling in the region of Sakra,\nthat blessed person always sports in joy, freed from every calamity.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIII\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, O thou that didst tear off the eyes of Bhaga and\nthe teeth of Pushan, O destroyer of the sacrifice of Daksha, O three-eyed\ndeity, I have a great doubt. In days of yore, the Self-born One created\nthe four orders. Through the evil consequence of what acts doth a Vaisya\nbecome a Sudra? Through what acts doth a Kshatriya become a Vaisya and a\nregenerate person (Brahmana) becomes a Kshatriya? By what means may such\ndegradation of castes be prevented? Through what acts does a Brahmana\ntake birth in his next life, in the Sudra order? Through what acts, O\npuissant deity, does a Kshatriya also descend to the status of Sudra? O\nsinless one, O lord of all created beings, do thou, O illustrious one,\ndispel this doubt of mine. How, again, can the three other orders\nnaturally succeed in attaining to the status of Brahmanhood?\"\n\n\"'\"'The illustrious one said, \"The status of a Brahmana, O goddess, is\nexceedingly difficult to attain. O auspicious lady, one becomes a\nBrahmana through original creation or birth. After the same manner the\nKshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra, all become so through original\ncreation. Even this is my opinion[569]. He, however, that is born a\nBrahmana falls away from his status through his own evil acts. Hence, the\nBrahmana, after having attained to the status of the first order, should\nalways protect it (by his acts). If one, who is a Kshatriya or Vaisya,\nlives in the practice of those duties that are assigned to the Brahmana,\nafter the manner of a Brahmana he becomes (in his next life) a Brahmana.\nThat Brahmana who casts off the duties of his order for following those\nassigned for the Kshatriya, is regarded as one that has fallen away from\nthe status of a Brahmana and that has become a Kshatriya. That Brahmana\nof little understanding, who, impelled by cupidity and folly, follows the\npractices assigned to Vaisyas forgetful of his status as a Brahmana that\nis exceedingly difficult to attain, comes to be regarded as one that has\nbecome a Vaisya. Similarly, one that is a Vaisya by birth may, by\nfollowing the practices of a Sudra, become a Sudra. Indeed, a Brahmana,\nfalling away from the duties of his own order, may descend to the status\nof even a Sudra. Such a Brahmana, falling away from the order of his\nbirth and turned out of it, without attaining to the region of Brahmana\n(which is his goal if he duly observes his own duties), sinks into Hell\nand in his next birth becomes born as a Sudra. A highly blessed Kshatriya\nor a Vaisya, that abandons those practices of his that are consistent\nwith the duties laid down for his order, and follows the practices laid\ndown for the Sudra, falls away from his own order and becomes a person of\nmixed caste. It is in this way that a Brahmana, or a Kshatriya, or a\nVaisya, sinks into the status of a Sudra. That man who has attained to\nclearness of vision through practice of the duties of his own order, who\nis endued with knowledge and science, who is pure (in body and mind), who\nis conversant with every duty and devoted to the practice of all his\nduties, is sure to enjoy the rewards of righteousness. I shall now recite\nto thee, O goddess, a saying uttered by Brahma (the Self-born) on this\nsubject. Those that are righteous and desirous of acquiring merit always\npursue with firmness the culture of the soul. The food that comes from\ncruel and fierce persons is censurable. So also is the food that has been\ncooked for serving a large number of persons. The same is said of the\nfood that is cooked in view of the first Sraddha of a deceased person. So\nalso is the food that is stained in consequence of the usual faults and\nthe food that is supplied by a Sudra. These should never be taken by a\nBrahmana at any time[570]. The food of a Sudra, O goddess, is always\ndisapproved of by the high-souled deities. Even this, I think, is the\nauthority enunciated by the Grandsire with his own mouth. If a Brahmana,\nwho has set up the sacred fire and who performs sacrifices, were to die\nwith any portion of a Sudra's food remaining undigested in his stomach,\nhe is sure to take birth in his next life as a Sudra. In consequence of\nthose remains of a Sudra's food in his stomach, he falls away from the\nstatus of a Brahmana. Such a Brahmana becomes invested with the status of\na Sudra. There is no doubt in this. This Brahmana in his next life\nbecomes invested with the status of that order upon whose food he\nsubsists through life or with the undigested portion of whose food in his\nstomach he breathes his last.[571] That man who, having attained to the\nauspicious status of a Brahmana which is so difficult to acquire,\ndisregards it and eats interdicted food, falls away from his high status.\nThat Brahmana who drinks alcohol, who becomes guilty of Brahmanicide or\nmean in his behaviour, or a thief, or who breaks his vows, or becomes\nimpure, or unmindful of his Vedic studies, or sinful, or characterised by\ncupidity, or guilty of cunning or cheating, or who does not observe vows,\nor who weds a Sudra woman, or who derives his subsistence by pandering to\nthe lusts of other people or who sells the Soma plant, or who serves a\nperson of an order below his, falls away from his status of\nBrahmanahood.[572] That Brahmana who violates the bed of his preceptor,\nor who cherishes malice towards him, or who takes pleasure in speaking\nill of him, falls away from the status of Brahmanahood even if he be\nconversant with Brahman. By these good acts, again, O goddess, when\nperformed, a Sudra becomes a Brahmana, and a Vaisya becomes a Kshatriya.\nThe Sudra should perform all the duties laid down for him, properly and\naccording to the ordinance. He should always wait, with obedience and\nhumility, upon person of the three other orders and serve them with care.\nAlways adhering to the path of righteousness, the Sudra should cheerfully\ndo all this. He should honour the deities and persons of the regenerate\norders. He should observe the vow of hospitality to all persons. With\nsenses kept under subjection and becoming abstemious in food, he should\nnever approach his wife except in her season. He should ever search after\npersons that are holy and pure. As regards food, he should eat that which\nremains after the needs of all persons have been satisfied. If, indeed,\nthe Sudra desires to be a Vaisya (in his next life), he should also\nabstain from meat of animals not slain in sacrifices. If a Vaisya wishes\nto be a Brahmana (in his next life), he should observe even these duties.\nHe should be truthful in speech, and free from pride or arrogance. He\nshould rise superior to all pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold,\njoy and sorrow, etc.) He should be observant of the duties of peace and\ntranquillity. He should adore the deities in sacrifices, attend with\ndevotion to the study and recitation of the Vedas, and become pure in\nbody and mind. He should keep his senses under subjection, honour the\nBrahmanas, and seek the welfare of all the orders. Leading the domestic\nmode of life and eating only twice a day at the prescribed hours he\nshould gratify his hunger with only such food as remains after the needs\nhave been satisfied of all the members of his family with dependants and\nguests. He should be abstemious in food, and act without being impelled\nby the desire of reward. He should be free from egotism. He should adore\nthe deities in the Agnihotra and pour libations according to the\nordinance. Observing the duties of hospitality towards all persons, he\nshould, as already said, eat the food that remains after serving all\nothers for whom it has been cooked. He should, according to the ordinance\nlaid down, worship the three fires. Such a Vaisya of pure conduct takes\nbirth in his next life in a high Kshatriya family.[573] If a Vaisya,\nafter having taken birth as a Kshatriya, goes through the usual\npurificatory rites, becomes invested with the sacred thread, and betakes\nhimself to the observance of vows, he becomes, in his next life, an\nhonoured Brahmana. Indeed, after his birth as a Kshatriya, he should make\npresents, adore the deities in great sacrifices with plentiful Dakshinas,\nstudy the Vedas, and desirous of attaining to Heaven should worship the\nthree fires. He should interfere for dispelling the sorrows of the\ndistressed, and should always righteously cherish and protect those\nsubjects that own his sway. He should be truthful, and do all acts that\nhave truth in them, and seek happiness in conduct like this. He should\naward punishments that are righteous, without laying aside the rod of\nchastisement for good. He should induce men to do righteous deeds. Guided\nby considerations of policy (in the matter of swaying his people), he\nshould take a sixth of the produce of the fields.[574] He should never\nindulge in sexual pleasure, but live cheerfully and in independence,\nwell-conversant with the science of Wealth or Profit. Of righteous soul,\nhe should seek his wedded spouse only in her season. He should always\nobserve fasts, keep his soul under control, devote himself to the study\nof the Vedas, and be pure in body and mind. He should sleep on blades of\nKusa grass spread out in his fire chamber. He should pursue the\naggregate of Three (viz., Righteousness, Wealth, and Pleasure), and be\nalways cheerful. Unto Sudras desirous of food, he should always answer\nthat it is ready. He should never desire any thing from motives of gain\nor pleasure. He should worship the Pitris and gods and guests. In his own\nhouse he should live the life of a mendicant. He should duly adore the\ndeities in his Agnihotra, morning, noon, and evening every day, by\npouring libations agreeably to the ordinance. With his face turned\ntowards the foe, he should cast off his life-breath in battle fought for\nthe benefit of kine and Brahmanas. Or he may enter the triple fires\nsanctified with Mantras and cast off his body. By pursuing this line of\nconduct he takes birth in his next life as a Brahmana. Endued with\nknowledge and science, purified from all dross, and fully conversant with\nthe Vedas, a pious Kshatriya, by his own acts, becomes a Brahmana. It is\nwith the aid of these acts, O goddess, that a person who has sprung from\na degraded order, viz., a Sudra, may become a Brahmana refined of all\nstains and possessed of Vedic lore, One that is a Brahmana, when he\nbecomes wicked in conduct and observes no distinction in respect of food,\nfalls away from the status of Brahmanahood and becomes a Sudra. Even a\nSudra, O goddess, that has purified his soul by pure deeds and that has\nsubjugated all his senses, deserves to be waited upon and served with\nreverence as a Brahmana. This has been said by the Self-born Brahmana\nhimself. When a pious nature and pious deeds are noticeable in even a\nSudra, he should, according to my opinion, be held superior to a person\nof the three regenerate classes. Neither birth, nor the purificatory\nrites, nor learning, nor offspring, can be regarded as grounds for\nconferring upon one the regenerate status. Verily, conduct is the only\nground. All Brahmanas in this world are Brahmanas in consequence of\nconduct. A Sudra, if he is established on good conduct, is regarded as\npossessed of the status of a Brahmana. The status of Brahma, O auspicious\nlady, is equal wherever it exists. Even this is my opinion. He, indeed,\nis a Brahmana in whom the status of Brahma exists,--that condition which\nis bereft of attributes and which has no stain attached to it. The\nboon-giving Brahma, while he created all creatures, himself said that the\ndistribution of human beings into the four orders dependent on birth is\nonly for purposes of classification. The Brahmana is a great field in\nthis world,--a field equipped with feet for it moves from place to place.\nHe who plants seeds in that field, O beautiful lady, reaps the crop in\nthe next world. That Brahmana who wishes to achieve his own good should\nalways live upon the remains of the food that may be there in his house\nafter gratifying the needs of all others. He should always adhere to the\npath of righteousness. Indeed, he should tread along the path that\nbelongs to Brahma. He should live engaged in the study of the Samhitas\nand remaining at home he should discharge all the duties of a\nhouseholder. He should always be devoted to the study of the Vedas, but\nhe should never derive the means of subsistence from such study. That\nBrahmana who always conducts himself thus, adhering to the path of\nrighteousness, worshipping his sacred fire, and engaged in the study of\nthe Vedas, comes to be regarded as Brahma. The status of a Brahmana once\ngained, it should always be protected with care, O thou of sweet smiles,\nby avoiding the stain of contact with persons born in inferior orders,\nand by abstaining from the acceptance of gifts. I have thus told thee a\nmystery, viz., the manner in which a Sudra may become a Brahmana, or that\nby which a Brahmana falls away from his own pure status and becomes a\nSudra.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIV\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, O Lord of all beings, O thou that art worshipped\nby the deities and Asuras equally, tell me what are the duties and\nderelictions of men. Indeed, O puissant one, resolve my doubts. It is by\nthese three, viz., thought, word, and deed, that men become bound with\nbonds. It is by these same three that they become freed from those bonds.\nBy pursuing what conduct, O god,--indeed, by what kind of acts,--by what\nbehaviour and attributes and words, do men succeed in ascending to\nheaven?\"\n\n\"'\"'The god of gods said, \"O goddess, thou art well-conversant with the\ntrue import of duties. Thou art ever devoted to righteousness and\nself-restraint. The question thou hast asked me is fraught with the\nbenefit of all creatures. It enhances the intelligence of all persons. Do\nthou, therefore, listen to the answer. Those persons that are devoted to\nthe religion of Truth, that are righteous and destitute of the\nindications of the several modes of life, and that enjoy the wealth\nearned by righteous means, succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men that\nare freed from all doubts, that are possessed of omniscience, and that\nhave eyes to behold all things, are never enchained by either virtue or\nsin. Those men that are freed from all attachments can never be bound by\nthe chains of action. They who never injure others in thought, word, or\ndeed, and who never attach themselves to anything, can never be bound by\nacts. They who abstain from taking the lives of any creature, who are\npious in conduct, who have compassion, who regard friends and foes in an\nequal light and who are self-restrained, can never be bound by acts.\nThose men that are endued with compassion towards all beings, that\nsucceed in inspiring the confidence of all living creatures, and that\nhave cast off malice in their behaviour, succeed in ascending to heaven.\nThose men that have no desire to appropriate what belongs to others, that\nkeep themselves aloof from the wedded wives of others, and that enjoy\nonly such wealth as has been earned by righteous means, succeed in\nascending to heaven. Those men who behave towards the wives of other\npeople as towards their own mothers and sisters and daughters, succeed in\nattaining to heaven. Those men that abstain from appropriating what\nbelongs to others, that are perfectly contented with what they possess,\nand that live depending upon their own destiny, succeed in ascending to\nheaven. Those men that, in their conduct, always shut their eyes against\nassociation with other people's spouses, that are masters of their\nsenses, and that are devoted to righteous conduct, succeed in ascending\nto heaven. Even this is the path, created by the gods, that the righteous\nshould follow. This is the path, freed from passion and aversion, laid\ndown for the righteous to follow. Those men who are devoted to their own\nspouses and who seek them only in their seasons, and who turn themselves\naway from indulgence in sexual pleasure, succeed in ascending to Heaven.\nConduct marked by charity and penances, and characterised by\nrighteousness of deeds and purity of both body and heart, should be\nfollowed by those that are wise for the sake of adding to their merit or\nfor earning their means of subsistence. Those who wish to ascend to\nHeaven should follow in this track and not in any other.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"Tell me, O illustrious deity, O sinless lord of all\ncreatures, what are those words by which one becomes enchained and what\nare those words by uttering which one may be freed from one's bonds.\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Those men who never tell lies for either themselves or\nfor others, or in jest or for exciting laughter, succeed in ascending to\nHeaven. They who never tell lies for earning their subsistence or for\nearning merit or through mere caprice, succeed in ascending to Heaven.\nThey who utter words that are smooth and sweet and faultless, and who\nwelcome all whom they meet with sincerity, succeed in ascending to\nHeaven. They who never utter words that are harsh and bitter and cruel,\nand who are free from deceitfulness and evil of every kind, succeed in\nascending to Heaven. Those men who never utter words that are fraught\nwith deceit or that cause breach of understanding between friends, and\nwho always speak what is true and what promotes good feelings, succeed in\nascending to Heaven. Those men who avoid harsh speeches and abstain from\nquarrels with others, who are impartial in their behaviour to all\ncreatures, and who have subjugated their souls, succeed in ascending to\nHeaven. They who abstain from evil speech or sinful conversation, who\navoid such speeches as are disagreeable, and who utter only such words as\nare auspicious and agreeable, succeed in ascending to Heaven. They who\nnever utter, under anger, such words as tear the hearts of other people,\nand who, even when under the influence of wrath, speak words that are\npeaceful and agreeable, succeed in ascending to Heaven. The religion, O\ngoddess, appertaining to speech, should always be followed by men. It is\nauspicious and characterised by truth. They that are possessed of wisdom\nshould always avoid untruth.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"Do thou tell me, O god of gods, O wielder of Pinaka, O thou\nthat art highly blessed, what those mental acts or thoughts are by which\na person may be enchained.\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Endued with merit that arises from mental acts, O\ngoddess, one ascends to Heaven. Listen to me, O auspicious one, as I\nrecite to thee what those acts are. Listen to me, O thou of sweet face,\nhow also a mind of ill-regulated features becomes enchained by\nill-regulated or evil thoughts. Those men who do not seek even mentally,\nto take what belongs to others even when they see it lying in a lone\nforest, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men who care not to\nappropriate what belongs to others even when they see it lying in a house\nor a village that has been deserted, ascend to Heaven. Those men that do\nnot seek, even mentally, to associate with the wedded spouses of others\neven when they behold them in deserted places and under the influence of\ndesire, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men who, meeting with\nfriends or foes, behave in the same friendly way towards all, succeed in\nascending to Heaven. Those men that are possessed of learning and\ncompassion, that are pure in body and mind, that are firm in their\nadherence to truth, and that are contented with what belongs to them,\nsucceed in ascending to Heaven. Those men that do not bear ill-will to\nany creature, that do not stand in need of labour for their subsistence,\nthat bear friendly hearts towards all beings, and that entertain\ncompassion towards all, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men that\nare endued with faith, that have compassion, that are holy, that seek the\ncompany of holy men, and that are conversant with the distinctions\nbetween right and wrong, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men, O\ngoddess, that are conversant with what the consequences are of good and\nbad deeds, succeed in ascending to Heaven. Those men that are just in all\ntheir dealings, that are endued with all desirable accomplishments, that\nare devoted to the deities and the Brahmanas, and that are endued with\nperseverance in the doing of good acts, succeed in ascending to Heaven.\nAll these men, O goddess, succeed in ascending to Heaven through the\nmeritorious consequences of their deeds. What else dost thou wish to\nhear?\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"I have a great doubt, O Maheswara, on a subject connected\nwith human beings. It behoveth thee to explain it to me carefully. By\nwhat acts does a man succeed, O puissant deity, in acquiring a long life?\nBy what penances also does one acquire a long life? By what acts does one\nbecome shortlived on earth? O thou that art perfectly stainless, it\nbehoveth thee to tell me what the consequences are of acts (in the matter\nof bestowing a long or a short life on the doer). Some are seen to be\npossessed of great good fortune and some weighted with misfortune. Some\nare of noble birth while others of ignoble birth. Some are of such\nrepulsive features as if they are made of wood, while others are of very\nagreeable features at even the first sight. Some appear to be destitute\nof wisdom while others are possessed of it. Some, again, are seen endued\nwith high intelligence and wisdom, enlightened by knowledge and science.\nSome have to endure little pain, while others there are that are weighted\nwith heavy calamities. Even such diverse sights are seen with respect to\nmen. It behoveth thee, O illustrious one, to tell me the reason of all\nthis.\"\n\n\"'\"'The god of gods said, \"Verily, O goddess, I shall discourse to thee on\nthe manifestation of the fruits of acts. It is by the rules of that\nmanifestation that all human beings in this world enjoy or endure the\nconsequences of their acts. That man who assumes a fierce aspect for the\npurpose of taking the lives of other creatures, who arms himself with\nstout sticks for injuring other creatures, who is seen with uplifted\nweapons, who slays living creatures, who is destitute of compassion, who\nalways causes agitation to living beings, who refuses to grant protection\nto even worms and ants, who is endued with cruelty,--one who is such, O\ngoddess, sinks in Hell. One who is endued with an opposite disposition\nand who is righteous in acts, is born as a handsome man. The man who is\nendued with cruelty, goes to Hell, while he that is endued with\ncompassion ascends to Heaven. The man who goes to Hell has to endure\nexcruciating misery. One who, having sunk in Hell, rises therefrom, takes\nbirth as a man endued with short life. That man who is addicted to\nslaughter and injury, O goddess, becomes, through his sinful deeds,\nliable to destruction. Such a person becomes disagreeable to all\ncreatures and endued with a short life. That man who belongs to what is\ncalled the White class, who abstains from the slaughter of living\ncreatures, who has thrown away all weapons, who never inflicts any\nchastisement on anybody, who never injures any creatures, who never\ncauses anybody to slay creatures for him, who never slays or strikes\neven when struck or attempted to be slain, who never sanctions or\napproves an act of slaughter, who is endued with compassion towards all\ncreatures, who behaves towards others as towards his own self,--such a\nsuperior man, O goddess, succeeds in attaining to the status of a deity.\nFilled with joy, such a man enjoys diverse kinds of luxurious articles.\nIf such a person ever takes birth in the world of men, he becomes endued\nwith longevity and enjoys great happiness. Even this is the way of those\nthat are of righteous conduct and righteous deeds and that are blessed\nwith longevity, the way that was indicated by the Self-born Brahman\nhimself and that is characterised by abstention from the slaughter of\nliving creatures.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLV\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"By what disposition, what conduct, what acts, and what\ngifts, does a man succeed in attaining to Heaven?\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"He who is endued with a liberal disposition, who\nhonours Brahmanas and treats them with hospitality, who makes gifts of\nfood and drink and robes and other articles of enjoyment unto the\ndestitute, the blind, and the distressed, who makes gifts of houses,\nerects halls (for use of the public), digs wells, constructs shelters\nwhence pure and cool water is distributed (during the hot months unto\nthirsty travellers), excavates tanks, makes arrangements for the free\ndistribution of gifts every day, gives to all seekers what each solicits,\nwho makes gifts of seats and beds and conveyances, wealth, jewels and\ngems, houses, all kinds of corn, kine, fields, and women,--verily, he who\nalways makes these gifts with a cheerful heart, becomes a denizen, O\ngoddess, of Heaven. He resides there for a long period, enjoying diverse\nkinds of superior articles. Passing his time happily in the company of\nthe Apsaras, he sports in the woods of Nandana and other delightful\nregions. After the exhaustion of his merits he falls down from Heaven and\ntakes birth in the order of humanity, in a family, O goddess, that is\npossessed of wealth in abundance and that has a large command of every\narticle of enjoyments. In that life he becomes endued with all articles\nfor gratifying his wishes and appetites. Indeed, blessed with the\npossession of such articles, he becomes endued with affluence and a\nwell-filled treasury. The self-born Brahman himself declared it in days\nof old that it is even such persons, O goddess, that become highly\nblessed and possessed of liberal dispositions and agreeable features.\nThere are others, O goddess, that are incapable of making gifts. Endued\nwith small understandings, they cannot make gifts even when solicited by\nBrahmanas and possessed of abundant wealth. Beholding the destitute, the\nblind, the distressed, and mendicants, and even guests arrived at their\nabodes, those persons, always filled with the desire of gratifying the\norgan of taste, turn away, even when expressly solicited by them. They\nnever make gifts of wealth or robes, or viands, or gold, or kine, or any\nkind of food. Those men who are disinclined to relieve the distress of\nothers, who are full of cupidity, who have no faith in the scriptures,\nand who never make gifts,--verily, these men of little understanding, O\ngoddess, have to sink in Hell. In course of time, when their sufferings\nin Hell come to an end, they take birth in the order of humanity, in\nfamilies that are entirely destitute of wealth. Always suffering from\nhunger and thirst, excluded from all decent society, hopeless of ever\nenjoying good things, they lead lives of great wretchedness. Born in\nfamilies that are destitute of all articles of enjoyment, these men never\nsucceed in enjoying the good things of the world. Indeed, O goddess, it\nis through their acts that persons become wretched and poor. There are\nothers who are full of arrogance and pride caused by the possession of\nriches. Those senseless wretches never offer seats to those that deserve\nsuch an offer. Endued with little understandings they do not give way to\nthem that deserve such an honour.[575] Nor do they give water for washing\nthe feet to persons unto whom it should be given. Indeed, they do not\nhonour, agreeably to the ordinance, with gifts of the Arghya, such\npersons as deserve to be honoured therewith. They do not offer water for\nwashing the mouth unto such as deserve to have that honour. They do not\ntreat their very preceptors, when the latter arrive at their houses, in\nthe manner in which preceptors should be treated. Living in cupidity and\narrogance, they refuse to treat their seniors and aged men with love and\naffection, even insulting those that deserve to be honoured and asserting\ntheir superiority over them without showing reverence and humility. Such\nmen, O goddess, sink in Hell. When their sufferings come to an end after\na long course of years, they rise from Hell, and take birth in the order\nof humanity, in low and wretched families. Indeed, they who humiliate\ntheir preceptors and seniors, have to take their birth in such castes as\nthose of Swapakas and Pukkasas who are exceedingly vile and bereft of\nintelligence. He who is not arrogant or filled with pride, who is a\nworshipper of the deities and Brahmanas, who enjoys the respect of the\nworld, who bows to every one that deserves his reverence, who utters\nsmooth and sweet words, who benefits persons of all orders, who is always\ndevoted to the good of all beings, who does not feel aversion for\nanybody, who is sweet-tongued, who is an utterer of agreeable and cooling\nwords, who gives way to one that deserves to have way, who adores his\npreceptors in the manner in which preceptors deserve to be adored, who\nwelcomes all creatures with proper courtesy, who does not hear ill will\ntowards any creature, who lives, worshipping seniors and guests with such\nhonours as they deserve, who is ever bent upon securing as many guests as\npossible, and who worships all who honour his house with their presence,\nsucceeds, O goddess, in ascending to Heaven. Upon the exhaustion of his\nmerit, he takes birth in the order of humanity in a high and respectable\nfamily. In that life he becomes possessed of all articles of enjoyment in\nabundance and jewels and gems and every kind of wealth in profusion. He\ngives unto deserving persons what they deserve. He becomes devoted to the\nobservance of every duty and every act of righteousness. Honoured by all\ncreatures and receiving their reverence, he obtains the fruits of his own\nacts. Even such a person acquires a high lineage and birth in this world.\nThis that I have recited to thee was said by the Ordainer (Brahman)\nhimself in days of old. That man who is fierce in conduct, who inspires\nterror in all creatures, who injures other beings with hands or feet or\ncords or sticks, or brick-bats or clods of hard clay, or other means of\nwounding and paining, O beautiful lady, who practises diverse kinds of\ndeceit for slaying living creatures or vexing them, who pursues animals\nin the chase and causes them to tremble in fear,--verily, that man, who\nconducts himself in this way, is certain to sink in Hell. If in course of\ntime he takes birth in the order of humanity, he is obliged to be born in\na low and wretched race or family that is afflicted with impediments of\nevery kind on every side. He becomes an object of aversion to all the\nworld. Wretched among men, he becomes so through the consequence of his\nown acts. Another, who is possessed of compassion, casts his eye on all\ncreatures. Endued with a friendly vision, behaving towards all creatures\nas if he were their father, divested of every hostile feeling, with all\nhis passions under complete control, he never vexes any creature and\nnever inspires them with fear by means of his hands or feet which are\nalways under his control. He inspires the confidence of all beings. He\nnever afflicts any creature with either cords or clubs or brick-bats or\nclods of hard earth or weapons of any kind. His deeds are never fierce or\ncruel, and he is full of kindness. One who is endued with such practices\nand conduct certainly ascend to Heaven. There he lives like a god in a\ncelestial mansion abounding with every comfort. If, upon the exhaustion\nof his merit, he has to take birth in the order of humanity, he becomes\nborn as a man that has not to fight with difficulties of any kind or to\nencounter any fear. Indeed, he enjoys great happiness. Possessed of\nfelicity, without the obligation of undergoing distressing labour for his\nsubsistence, he lives freed from every kind of anxiety. Even this, O\ngoddess, is the path of the righteous. In it there are no impediments or\nafflictions.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"In the world some men are seen well-versed in inferences and\nthe premises leading to them. Indeed, they are possessed of science and\nknowledge, have large progeny, and are endued with learning and wisdom.\nOthers, O god, are destitute of wisdom, science, and knowledge, and are\ncharacterised by folly. By what particular acts does a person become\npossessed of wisdom? By what acts, again, does one become possessed of\nlittle wisdom and distorted vision? Do thou dispel this doubt of mine, O\nthou that art the foremost of all beings conversant with duties. Others\nthere are, O god, that are blind from the moment of their birth. Others\nthere are that are diseased and afflicted and impotent. Do thou, O god,\ntell me the reason of this.\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Those men that always enquire, about what is for their\nbenefit and what is to their detriment, Brahmanas learned in the Vedas,\ncrowned with success, and conversant with all duties, that avoid all\nkinds of evil deeds and achieve only such deeds as are good, succeed in\nascending to Heaven after departing from this world and enjoy great\nhappiness as long as they live here. Indeed, upon the exhaustion of their\nmerit when they take birth in the order of humanity, they become born as\nmen possessed of great intelligence. Every kind of felicity and\nauspiciousness becomes theirs in consequence of that intelligence with\nwhich they are born. Those men of foolish understandings who cast wicked\neyes upon the wedded spouses of other men, become cursed with congenital\nblindness in consequence of that sinfulness of theirs. Those men who,\nimpelled by desire in their hearts, cast their eyes on naked women, those\nmen of wicked deeds take birth in this world to pass their whole lives in\none continuous disease. Those men of foolish and wicked deeds who indulge\nin sexual congress with women of orders different from their own,--those\nmen of little wisdom,--have to take birth in their next lives as persons\ndestitute of virility. Those men who cause animals to be slain, and those\nwho violate the beds of their preceptors, and those who indulge\npromiscuously in sexual congress, have to take birth in their next lives\nas persons destitute of the virile power.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"What acts, O foremost of the deities, are faulty, and what\nacts are faultless? What, indeed, are those acts by doing which a man\nsucceeds in attaining to what is for your highest good?\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"That man who is desirous of ascertaining what is\nrighteousness, and who wishes to acquire prominent virtues and\naccomplishments, and who always puts questions to the Brahmanas with a\nview to find out the path that leads to his highest good, succeed in\nascending to Heaven. If (after exhaustion of his merit) he takes birth in\nthe order of humanity, he becomes endued with intelligence and memory and\ngreat wisdom. This, O goddess, is the line of conduct that the righteous\nare to follow and that is fraught with great benefit. I have told thee of\nit for the good of human beings.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"There are men who hate righteousness and who are possessed\nof little understanding. They never wish to approach Brahmanas conversant\nwith the Vedas. There are others who are observant of vows and who are\ndevoted to the duty of performing Sraddhas. Others, again, are destitute\nof all vows. They are unmindful of observance and are like Rakshasas in\nconduct. Some there are who are devoted to the performance of sacrifices\nand some who are unmindful of the Homa. Through the consequences of what\nacts do men become possessed of These different natures?\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Through the Vedas, the limits have been assigned of\nall the acts of human beings. Those men that conduct themselves according\nto the authority of the Vedas, are seen (in their next lives) to become\ndevoted to the observance of vows. Those men, however, who having become\nsubject to the sway of folly accept unrighteousness for its reverse,\nbecome destitute of vows, transgress all restraints, and come to be\nregarded as Brahmarakshasas. Indeed, it is these men that become\nunmindful of the Homa, that never utter the Vashat and other sacred\nMantras, and that come to be regarded as the lowest and vilest of men.\nThus, O goddess, have I explained to thee the entire ocean of duties in\nrespect of human beings for the sake of removing thy doubts, not omitting\nthe sins of which they become guilty.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVI\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Having said these words, the puissant Mahadeva himself\nbecame desirous of hearing (instead of talking), and with that view he\nquestioned his dear spouse who was seated by his side and she was fully\ninclined to act up to his desire.'\n\n\"'\"'Mahadeva said, \"Thou, O goddess, art conversant with what is Supreme\nand what is not.[576] Thou art acquainted with all duties, O thou that\nlovest to reside in the retreats of ascetics. Thou art endued with every\nvirtue, possessed of beautiful eyebrows and hair ending in the fairest\ncurls, O daughter of Himavat, the king of mountains! Thou art skilled in\nevery work. Thou art endued with self-restraint and thou lookest\nimpartially upon all creatures. Divested of the sense of meum, thou art\ndevoted to the practice of all the duties. O thou of beautiful features,\nI desire to ask thee about something. I wish that, asked by me, thou wilt\ndiscourse to me on that topic. Savitri is the chaste wife of Brahma. The\nchaste Sachi is the wife of Indra. Dhumrorna is the spouse of Markandeya,\nand Riddhi of (king) Vaisravana. Varuna has Gauri for his spouse, and\nSurya has Suvarchala. Rohini is the chaste wife of Sasin, and Swaha of\nVibhavasu. Kasyapa has Aditi. All these regard their husbands as their\ngods. Thou hast, O goddess, conversed and associated with all of them\nevery day. It is for this reason, O thou that art conversant with every\nduty, that I desire to question thee about the duties of women, O thou\nwhose words are always consistent with righteousness. I desire to hear\nthee discourse on that subject from the beginning. Thou practisest all\nthe duties of righteousness with me. Thy conduct is exactly like mine,\nand the vows thou observest are the same that are observed by me. Thy\npuissance and energy are equal to mine, and thou hast undergone the\nausterest penances. The subject, when discoursed upon by thee, will\nbecome endued with great merit. Indeed, that discourse will then become\nauthoritative in the world. Women, in especial, are the highest refuge of\nwomen. O thou of beautiful hips, among human beings that course of\nconduct which thou wilt lay down will be followed from generation to\ngeneration.[577] Half of my body is made up of half thy body. Thou art\nalways engaged in doing the work of the deities, and it is thou that art\nthe cause of the peopling of the earth. O auspicious lady, all the\neternal duties of women are well-known to thee. Do thou, therefore, tell\nme in detail what are the duties of thy sex.\"\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"O holy one, O lord of all created things, O source of all\nthat is past, present, and future, it is through thy grace that the words\nI am uttering are taking their rise in my mind. All these Rivers (that\nare of my sex), O god of gods, endued with the waters of all the Tirthas,\nare approaching thy presence for enabling thee to perform thy ablutions\nin them.[578] After consulting them I shall discourse on the topic named,\nin due order. That person who, though competent, is still free from\negotism, is rightly called a Purusha.[579] As regards woman, O lord of\nall beings, she follows persons of her sex. By consulting these foremost\nof Rivers, they will be honoured by me. The sacred Saraswati is the\nforemost river of all rivers. She courses towards the ocean and is truly\nthe first of all streams. Vipasa also here, and Vitasta, and\nChandrabhaga, and Iravati, and Satadru, and the river Devika, and\nKausiki, and Gomati.[580] and this celestial River who has in her all the\nsacred Tirthas, viz., the goddess Ganga, who having her rise in Heaven\nhath descended on the Earth and is regarded as the foremost of all\nstreams.\" Having said this, the spouse of that god of gods, that foremost\nof all righteous persons, smilingly addressed all those Rivers of her\nsex. Indeed, the spouse of the great god, devoted to the performance of\nall duties, questioned those individuals of her sex about the duties of\nwomen. Verily, those foremost of rivers having Ganga for their first are\nall conversant with the duties of women.\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"The illustrious god has asked a question relating to the\nduties of women. I desire to answer Sankara after having consulted with\nyou. I do not see any branch of knowledge on Earth or Heaven that is\ncapable of being mastered by any unaided individual. Ye rivers that run\ntowards the ocean, it is for this that I seek your opinions!\" It was in\nthis way that those foremost of Rivers, all of whom were auspicious and\nhighly sacred, were questioned by Siva's spouse. Then the celestial River\nGanga, who worshipped the daughter of the prince of mountains in return,\nwas selected for answering the question. Verily, she of sweet smiles is\nheld as swelling with diverse kinds of understanding and well-conversant\nwith the duties of women. The sacred goddess, capable of dispelling all\nfear of sin, possessed of humility in consequence of her intelligence,\nwell acquainted with all duties, and enriched with an intelligence\nexceedingly comprehensive, sweetly smiling, uttered these, words, \"O\ngoddess, thou art always devoted to the due performance of all duties.\nThou hast favoured me highly by thus questioning me! O sinless one, thou\nart honoured by the entire universe, yet thou askest me that am but a\nriver. That person who, though himself competent (to discourse on a\ntopic) yet asks another, or who pays a graceful tribute to another,\ncertainly deserves, I think, to be regarded as righteous-souled. Verily,\nsuch a person deserves to be called learned and wise. That person never\nfalls into disgrace who asks such speakers as are endued with knowledge\nand science and as are well-conversant with premises and inferences. A\nproud man, even when enriched with intelligence, by speaking in the midst\nof an assembly otherwise (that is, by relying upon his own powers alone\nand without reference to or consultation with others), finds himself\nuttering only words of weak import. Thou art possessed of spiritual\ninsight, Thou art the foremost of all denizens in Heaven. Thou hast taken\nthy rise accompanied by diverse kinds of excellent merit. Thou, O\ngoddess, art fully competent to discourse on the duties of women!\" In this\nway, the goddess Uma was worshipped by Ganga and honoured with the\nascription of many high merits. The beautiful goddess, thus praised,\nthen began to discourse upon all the duties of women in full.\n\n\"'\"'Uma said, \"I shall, according to the ordinance, discourse on the\nsubject of women's duties as far as they are known to me. Do ye all listen\nwith concentrated attention! The duties of women arise as created at the\noutset by kinsmen in the rites of wedding. Indeed, a woman becomes, in\nthe presence of the nuptial fire, the associate of her lord in the\nperformance of all righteous deeds.[581] Possessed of a good disposition,\nendued with sweet speech, sweet conduct, and sweet features, and always\nlooking at the face of her husband and deriving as much joy from it as\nshe does from looking at the face of her child, that chaste woman who\nregulates her acts by observing the prescribed restraints, comes to be\nregarded as truly righteous in her conduct. Listening (with reverence) to\nthe duties of wedded life (as expounded in the scriptures), and\naccomplishing all those auspicious duties, that woman who regards\nrighteousness as the foremost of all objects of pursuit, who observes the\nsame vows as those that are observed by her husband, who adorned with\nchastity, looks upon her spouse as a god, who waits upon and serves him\nas if he is a god, who surrenders her own will completely to that of her\nlord, who is cheerful, who observes excellent vows, who is endued with\ngood features, and whose heart is completely devoted to her husband so\nmuch that she never thinks even of any other man, is regarded as truly\nrighteous in conduct. That wife who, even when addressed harshly and\nlooked upon with angry eyes by her lord, presents a cheerful aspect to\nhim, is said to be truly devoted to her husband. She who does not cast\nher eyes upon the Moon or the Sun or a tree that has a masculine name,\nwho is adored by her husband and who is possessed of beautiful features,\nis regarded as truly righteous. That woman who treats her husband with\nthe affection which she shows towards her child, even when he (the\nhusband) happens to be poor or diseased or weak or worn out with the toil\nof travelling, is regarded as truly righteous in her conduct. That woman\nwho is endued with self-control, who has given birth to children, who\nserves her husband with devotion, and whose whole heart is devoted to\nhim, is regarded as truly righteous in her conduct. That woman who waits\nupon and serves her lord with a cheerful heart, who is always cheerful of\nheart, and who is possessed of humility, is regarded as truly righteous\nin her conduct. That woman who always supports her kinsmen and relatives\nby giving them food, and whose relish in gratifying her desires or for\narticles of enjoyment, or for the affluence of which she is possessed, or\nfor the happiness with which she is surrounded, falls short of her relish\nfor her husband, is regarded as truly righteous in her conduct. That\nwoman who always takes a pleasure in rising at early dawn, who is devoted\nto the discharge of all household duties, who always keeps her house\nclean, who rubs her house daily with cowdung, who always attends to the\ndomestic fire (for pouring libations upon it), who never neglects to make\nofferings of flowers and other articles to the deities, who with her\nhusband gratifies the deities and guests and all servants and dependants\nof the family with that share of food which is theirs by the ordinances,\nand who always takes, according to the ordinance, for herself, what food\nremains in the house after the needs have been met of gods and guests and\nservants, and who gratifies all people who come in contact with her\nfamily and feed them to their fill, succeeds in acquiring great merit.\nThat woman who is endued with accomplishments, who gratifies the feet of\nher father-in-law and mother-in-law, and who is always devoted to her\nfather and mother, is regarded as possessed of ascetic wealth. That woman\nwho supports with food Brahmanas that are weak and helpless, that are\ndistressed or blind or destitute, comes to be regarded as entitled to\nshare the merit of her husband. That woman who always observes, with a\nlight heart, vows that are difficult of observance, whose heart is devoted\nto her lord, and who always seeks good of her lord, is regarded as\nentitled to share the merits of her husband. Devotion to her lord is\nwoman's merit; it is her penance; it is her eternal Heaven. Merit,\npenances, and Heaven become hers who looks upon her husband as her all in\nall, and who, endued with chastity, seeks to devote herself to her lord\nin all things. The husband is the god which women have. The husband is\ntheir friend. The husband is their high refuge. Women have no refuge that\ncan compare with their husbands, and no god that can compare with him.\nThe husband's grace and Heaven, are equal in the estimation of a woman;\nor, if unequal, the inequality is very trivial. O Maheswara, I do not\ndesire Heaven itself if thou are not satisfied with me. If the husband\nthat is poor, or diseased or distressed or fallen among foes, or\nafflicted by a Brahmana's curse, were to command the wife to accomplish\nanything that is improper or unrighteous or that may lead to destruction\nof life itself, the wife should, without any hesitation, accomplish it,\nguided by the code whose propriety is sanctioned by the law of Distress.\nI have thus, O god, expounded, at thy command, what the duties of women\nare. Verily, that woman who conducts herself in this way becomes entitled\nto a share of the merits won by her husband.\"'\n\n\"'\"Narada continued, 'Thus addressed, the great god applauded the daughter\nof the prince of mountains and then dismissed all persons that had\nassembled there, together with all his own attendants. The diverse tribes\nof ghostly beings, as also all the embodied Rivers, and the Gandharvas\nand Apsaras, all bowed their heads unto Mahadeva and departed for\nreturning to the places whence they had come.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVII\n\n\"'\"'The Rishis said, \"O wielder of Pinaka, O tearer of the eyes of Bhaga, O\nthou that art worshipped by all the universe, we desire to hear the glory\nof Vasudeva.\"\n\n\"'\"'Maheswara said, \"Hari is superior to the Grandsire himself. He is the\nEternal Purusha. Otherwise called Krishna, he is endued with the\nsplendour of gold, and shines with effulgence like a second sun.\nPossessed of ten arms, he is endued with great energy, and is the slayer\nof the foes of the gods. Having a whorl on his breast, he has curly locks\nof hair on his head. He is worshipped by all the deities. Brahman has\nrisen from his abdomen. I have sprung from his head, All the luminaries\nin the firmament have sprung from his hair. From the bristles on his body\nhave sprung all the gods and Asuras. From his body have sprung the Rishis\nas also all the eternal worlds. He is the veritable abode of the\nGrandsire and the abode of all the gods besides. He is the Creator of\nthis whole Earth, and He is the Lord of the three worlds. He is also the\nDestroyer of all creatures mobile and immobile. He is verily the foremost\nof all the deities. He is their master. He is the chastiser of all foes.\nHe is possessed of omniscience. He exists in everything. He is capable of\ngoing everywhere. He is of universal extent (pervading as he does\neverything). He is the Supreme Soul. He is the urger of all the senses.\nHe covers the universe. He is the Supreme Lord. There is nothing in the\nthree worlds that is superior to him. He is Eternal. He is the slayer of\nMadhu, and is otherwise called Govinda. The giver of honours, He will\ncause all the kings of Earth to be slain in battle, for achieving the\npurposes of the deities, taking birth in a human form. The deities,\nabandoned by Him, are unable to accomplish their purposes on earth.\nWithout obtaining him as their leader they cannot do anything. He is the\nleader of all creatures and is adored by all the gods[582]. Within the\nabdomen of this Master of the gods who is ever devoted to the\naccomplishment of their purposes, of this one who is identical with\nBrahma and who is always the refuge of the regenerate Rishis, resides\nBrahma (the Grandsire). Indeed, the latter dwells happily in Hari's body\nwhich is the abode. I myself, that am called Sarva, also reside happily\nin that happy abode of mine. All the deities too reside in happiness in\nHis body. Endued with great effulgence, he has eyes that resemble the\npetals of the lotus. Sri dwells within Him and He dwells always\nassociated with her. The bow called Saranga and the discus (called\nSudarsana) are his weapons, together with a sword. He has the enemy of\nthe snakes (viz., Garuda) sitting on his standard. He is distinguished by\nexcellent conduct, by purity (of both body and mind), by self-restraint,\nby prowess, by energy, by the handsomest form, by tallness and\nwell-proportioned limbs, by patience, by sincerity, by affluence, by\ncompassion, by excellence of form, and by might. He shines, endued with\nall celestial weapons of wonderful form and make. He has Yoga for his\nillusion. He is possessed of a thousand eyes. He is free from every stain\nor fault. He is high-minded. He is endued with heroism. He is an object\nof pride with all his friends. He is dear to all his kinsmen and\nrelatives and they are dear to him. He is endued with forgiveness. He is\nfree from pride or egotism. He is devoted to the Brahmanas and is their\nleader. He dispels the fears of all persons afflicted with fear. He\nenhances the joys of all his friends. He is the refuge of all creatures.\nHe is ever engaged in protecting and cherishing the distressed. Possessed\nof a thorough acquaintance with all the scriptures, and every kind of\naffluence, He is worshipped by all beings. Conversant with all duties,\nHe is a great benefactor of even enemies when they seek His protection.\nConversant with policy and endued with policy, He is an utterer of Brahma\nand has all His senses under perfect control. For doing good to the\ndeities, Govinda will take birth in the race of the high-souled Manu.\nVerily, endued with high intelligence, He will take birth in the\nauspicious and righteous race of that Prajapati. Manu will have a son of\nthe name of Anga. After Anga will come Antardhaman. From Antardhaman will\nspring Havirdhaman, that lord of all creatures, free from every stain.\nHavirdhaman will have an illustrious son of the name of Rachinavarhi. He\nwill have ten sons having Prachetas for their first. Prachetas will have\na son named Daksha who will be regarded as a Prajapati. Daksha will beget\na daughter who will be named Dakshayani. From Dakshayani will spring\nAditya, and from Aditya will spring Manu. From Manu will spring a\ndaughter named Ila and a son to be named Sudyumna. Ila will have Vudha\nfor her husband, and from Vudha will spring Pururavas. From Pururavas\nwill spring Ayu. From Ayu will spring Nahusha, and Nahusha will beget a\nson named Yayati. From Yayati will spring a mighty son of the name of\nYadu, Yadu will beget Kroshtri. Kroshtri will beget a mighty son to be\nnamed Vrijinivat. From Vrijinivat will spring Ushadgu the unvanquished.\nUshadgu will beget a son of the name of Chitraratha. Chitraratha will\nhave a younger son of the name of Sura. Indeed, in the race of these\nmighty men, of energy celebrated over all the world, possessed of\nexcellent conduct and diverse accomplishments, devoted to the performance\nof sacrifices and pure in behaviour,--in the pure race honoured by the\nBrahmanas, Sura will take his birth. He will be a foremost Kshatriya,\nendued with great energy, and possessed of great fame. Sura, that giver\nof honours, will beget a son, the spreader of his race, of the name of\nVasudeva, otherwise called Anakadundhuvi. Vasudeva will have a son of the\nname of Vasudeva. He will have four hands. He will be exceedingly\nliberal, and will honour the Brahmanas greatly. Identical with Brahma, he\nwill like and love the Brahmanas, and the Brahmanas will like and love\nhim, that scion of Yadu's race will liberate many kings immured in the\nprison of the ruler of the Magadhas, after vanquishing that ruler named\nJarasandha in his capital buried among mountains. Endued with great\nenergy, he will be rich with the jewels and gems of all the rulers of the\nearth. Indeed, in energy he will be unrivalled on earth, possessed of\ngreat prowess, he will be the king of all kings of the earth. Foremost\namong all the Surasenas, the puissant one, residing at Dwaraka, will rule\nand protect the whole earth after vanquishing all her lords, conversant\nas he will be with the science of polity. Assembling together, do ye all\nadore Him, as ye adore the Eternal Brahman, with speech, floral wreaths,\nand excellent incense and perfumes. He who wishes to see me or the\nGrandsire Brahma should first see the illustrious Vasudeva of great\npuissance. If He is seen I am seen, as also the Grandsire Brahman, that\nforemost of all the gods. In this I do not deem there is any difference.\nKnow this, ye Rishis of ascetic wealth! That person with whom the\nlotus-eyed Vasudeva becomes gratified, all the deities with Brahma\namongst them will also become gratified with. That man who will seek the\nprotection of Kesava will succeed in earning great achievements and\nvictory and Heaven. He will be an instructor in religion and duties, and\nwill earn great religious merit. All persons conversant with religion\nand duties should, with great alacrity, bow down unto that Lord of all\nthe gods. By adoring that puissant one, one will acquire great merit.\nEndued with great energy, that god, with the desire of benefiting all\ncreatures, created millions of Rishis for the sake of righteousness.\nThose millions of Rishis, thus created by that great Ordainer are now\nresiding on the mountains of Gandhamadana, headed by Sanatkumara and\nengaged in the observance of penances. Hence, ye foremost of regenerate\nones, that foremost of all eloquent persons, the righteous Vasudeva\nshould be adored by all. The illustrious Hari, the puissant Narayana, is\nverily, the foremost of all beings in Heaven. Adored, he adores, and\nhonoured he honours; unto them that make offerings to him, he makes\nofferings in return. Worshipped, he worships in return, if seen always,\nhe sees the seers always. If one seeks His refuge and protection, He\nseeks the seeker as his refuge in return. Ye foremost of all righteous\nones, if adored and worshipped, He adores and worships in return. Even\nthis is the high practice of the faultless Vishnu. Even this is the vow\nthat is practised by all righteous people, of that first of all deities,\nthat puissant Lord of all creatures. He is always worshipped in the\nworld. Verily, that Eternal Being is worshipped by even the deities.\nThose persons that are devoted to Him with the steadiness of a vow become\nliberated from calamity and fear in proportion to his devotion. The\nregenerate ones should always worship Him in thought, word, and deed. The\nson of Devaki should be seen by them with reverence and in order to see\nHim with reverence they should address themselves to the performance of\npenances. Ye foremost of ascetics, even this is the path that I show unto\nyou. By beholding Him, ye will have behold all the foremost of deities. I\ntoo bow my head in reverence unto that Lord of the universe, that\nGrandsire of all the worlds, that mighty and vast boar. By beholding Him\none beholds the Trinity. Ourselves, i.e., all the deities, reside in Him.\nHe will have an elder brother who will become known over all the world as\nVala. Having a plough for his weapon, in form he will look like a white\nhill. In fact, he will be endued with might capable of uplifting the\nwhole earth. Upon the car of that divine person a tall palmyra,\nthree-headed and made of gold, will form his proud standard. The head of\nthat mighty-armed hero, that Lord of all the worlds, will be shaded by\nmany high-souled snakes of vast bodies. All weapons of attack and defence\nwill also come to him as soon as he will think of them. He is called\nAnanta (Infinite). Verily, that illustrious one is identical with the\nimmutable Hari. Once on a time the mighty Garuda, the son of Kasyapa, was\naddressed by the deities in these words, 'Do thou, O puissant one, see if\nthis one has any end!' Though possessed of great energy and might,\nGaruda, however, failed to find out the end of this illustrious one who\nis identical with the Supreme Soul. Supporting the whole earth on his\nhead, he resides in the nether regions. He roves through the universe as\nSesha, filled with great joy. He is Vishnu. He is the illustrious Ananta.\nHe is the supporter of the earth. He that is Rama is Hrishikesa. He that\nis Achyuta is Ananta, the bearer of the earth. Both of those foremost of\nall creatures are celestial and endued with celestial prowess. One of\nthem is armed with the discus and the other with the plough. They deserve\nevery honour and should be seen. I have, through my kindness for you,\nhave thus declared to you the nature of Vasudeva. Even this, ye ascetics\npossessed of wealth of penances, is Righteousness. I have declared all\nthis to you so that ye may, with reverence and care, worship Krishna,\nthat foremost one of Yadu's race.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVIII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'At the conclusion of Mahadeva's speech, loud roars were\nheard in the firmament. Thunders bellowed, with flashes of lightening.\nThe welkin was enveloped with blue and thick clouds. The deity of the\nclouds then poured pure water like to what he does in the season of\nrains. A thick darkness set in. The points of the compass could no longer\nbe distinguished. Then on that delightful, sacred, and eternal breast of\nthat celestial mountain, the assembled Rishis no longer saw the multitude\nof ghostly beings that associate with Mahadeva. Soon, however, the welkin\ncleared. Some of the Rishis set out for the sacred waters. Others\nreturned whence they came. Verily, beholding that wonderful and\ninconceivable sight, they became filled with amazement. The discourse too\nbetween Sankara and Uma had been heard by them with the feelings, \"That\nforemost of all Beings, of whom the high-souled Sankara spoke to us on\nthat mountain, art Thou. Verily, thou art identical with Eternal Brahma.\nSome time also Mahadeva burnt Himavat with his energy. Thou too hast\nshown us a similar sight of wonder. Indeed, we have been put in\nremembrance of that fact by what we have witnessed today.\" O mighty-armed\nJanardana, I have thus, O puissant one, recited to thee the glory of that\ngod of gods, viz., him that is called Kapardin or Girisa!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by those denizens of ascetic\nretreats, Krishna, the delighter of Devaki paid due honours unto all\nthose Rishis. Filled with delight, those Rishis once more addressed\nKrishna, saying, 'O slayer of Madhu, do Thou repeatedly show Thyself to\nus at all times! O puissant one, Heaven itself cannot rejoice us so much\nas a right of Thyself. Everything that was said by the illustrious Bhava\n(regarding Thyself) is true. O crusher of foes, we have told Thee all\nabout that mystery. Thou art Thyself conversant with the truth of every\ntopic. Since, however, asked by us, it pleased Thee to ask us in return,\nwe have, for that reason, recited everything (about the discourse of\nBhava with Uma) to Thee for only pleasing Thee. There is nothing in the\nthree worlds that is unknown to Thee. Thou art fully conversant with the\nbirth and origin of all things, indeed, with everything that operates as\na cause (for the production of other objects). In consequence of the\nlightness of our character, we are unable to bear (within ourselves the\nknowledge of) any mystery (without disclosing it).[583] Indeed, in Thy\npresence, O puissant one, we indulge in incoherences from the lightness\nof our hearts. There is no wonderful thing that is unknown to Thee!\nWhatever is on earth, and whatever is in heaven, all is known to Thee! We\ntake our leave of Thee, O Krishna, for returning to our respective abodes.\nMayst Thou increase in intelligence and prosperity! O sire, Thou wilt\nsoon get a son like unto Thee or even more distinguished than Thyself. He\nwill be endued with great energy and splendour. He will achieve great\nfeats, and become possessed of puissance as great as Thine!'\"[584]\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"After this, the great Rishis bowed unto that god of\ngods, that scion of Yadu's race, that foremost of all Beings. They then\ncircumambulated Him and taking His leave, departed. As regards Narayana,\nwho is endued with prosperity and blazing effulgence, He returned to\nDwaraka after having duly observed that vow of His. His spouse Rukmini\nconceived, and on the expiration of the tenth month a son was born of\nher, possessed of heroism and honoured by all for his highly wonderful\naccomplishments. He is identical with that Kama (Desire) which exists in\nevery creature and which pervades every existent condition. Indeed, he\nmoves within the hearts of both gods and Asuras. This Krishna is that\nforemost of all persons. Even he, endued with the hue of the clouds is\nthat four-handed Vasudeva. Through affection He has attached himself to\nthe Pandavas, and you also, ye sons of Pandu, have attached yourselves to\nHim. Achievements, Prosperity, Intelligence, and the path that leads to\nheaven, are all there where this one, viz., the illustrious Vishnu of\nthree steps, is. He is the three and thirty gods with Indra at their\nhead. There is no doubt in this. He is the one Ancient God. He is the\nforemost of all gods. He is the refuge of all creatures. He is without\nbeginning and without destruction. He is unmanifest. He is the\nhigh-souled slayer of Madhu. Endued with mighty energy, He has taken\nbirth (among men) for accomplishing the purpose of the gods. Verily, this\nMadhava is the expounder of the most difficult truths relating to Profit\nor Wealth, and he is also their achiever. O son of Pritha, the victory\nthou hast obtained over thy enemies, thy unrivalled achievements, the\ndominion thou hast acquired over the whole earth, are all due to thy side\nhaving been taken up by Narayana. The fact of thy having got the\ninconceivable Narayana for thy protector and refuge, enabled thee to\nbecome an Adharyu (chief sacrificer) for pouring multitudes of kings as\nlibations on the blazing fire of battle. This Krishna was thy great\nsacrificial ladle resembling the all-destroying fire that appears at the\nend of the Yuga. Duryodhana, with his sons, brothers and kinsmen, was\nmuch to be pitied inasmuch as, moved by wrath, he made war with Hari and\nthe wielder of Gandiva. Many sons of Diti, many foremost of Danavas, of\nhuge bodies and vast strength, have perished in the fire of Krishna's\ndiscus like insects in a forest conflagration. How incapable then must\nhuman beings be of battling against that Krishna,--human beings who, O\ntiger among men, are destitute of strength and might! As regards Jaya, he\nis a mighty Yogin resembling the all-destroying Yuga-fire in energy.\nCapable of drawing the bow equally with both hands, he is always in the\nvan of fight. With his energy, O king, he has slain all the troops of\nSuyodhana. Listen to me as I tell thee what Mahadeva having the bovine\nbull for the device on his standard had recited unto the ascetics on the\nbreast of the Himavat. His utterances constitute a Purana. The\nadvancement of greatness, energy, strength, prowess, puissance, humility,\nand lineage that are in Arjuna can come up to only a third part of the\nmeasure in which those attributes reside in Krishna. Who is there that\ncan transcend Krishna in these attributes? Whether that is possible or\nnot, listen (and judge). There where the illustrious Krishna is, there is\nunrivalled Excellence.[585] As regards ourselves, we are persons of\nlittle understanding. Dependent upon the will of others, we are\nexceedingly unfortunate. Knowingly we betook ourselves to the eternal\npath of death. Thou, however, art devoted to sincerity of conduct. Having\nformerly pledged thyself against taking thy kingdom, thou didst not take\nit, desirous of maintaining thy pledge.[586] O king, thou makest too much\nof the slaughter of thy kinsmen and friends in battle (brought about, as\nthou believest, by thyself). Thou shouldst remember, however, O chastiser\nof foes, that it is not right to violate a pledge.[587] All those who\nhave fallen on the field of battle have really been slain by Time.\nVerily, all of us have been slain by Time. Time is, indeed, all-powerful.\nThou art fully conversant with the puissance of Time. Afflicted by Time,\nit does not behove thee to grieve. Know that Krishna Himself, otherwise\ncalled Hari, is that Time with blood-red eyes and with club in hand. For\nthese reasons, O son of Kunti, it does not behove thee to grieve for thy\n(slain) kinsfolk. Be thou always free, O delighter of the Kurus, from\ngrief. Thou hast heard of the glory and greatness of Madhava as recited\nby me. That is sufficient for enabling a good man to understand Him.\nHaving heard the words of Vyasa as also of Narada endued with great\nintelligence, I have discoursed to thee on the adorableness of Krishna. I\nhave myself added, from my own knowledge, something to that discourse.\nVerily, I have discoursed also on the surpassing puissance of Krishna as\nrecited by Mahadeva, unto that conclave of Rishis (on the breast of the\nHimavat). The discourse too between Maheswara and the daughter of\nHimavat, O Bharata, has been recited by me to thee. He who will bear in\nmind that discourse when emanating from a foremost person, he who will\nlisten to it, and he who will recite it (for other people's hearing), is\nsure to win what is highly beneficial. That man will find all his wishes\nfulfilled. Departing from this world he will ascend to Heaven. There is\nno doubt in this. That man who, desirous of obtaining what is beneficial\nfor himself, should devote himself to Janardana. O king of the Kurus, it\nbehoves thee also to always bear in mind those incidents of duty and\nrighteousness which were declared by Maheswara. If thou conduct thyself\naccording to those precepts, if thou bear the rod of chastisement\nrightly, if thou protect thy subjects properly, thou mayst be sure of\nattaining to heaven. It behoves thee, O king, to protect thy subjects\nalways according to the dictates of righteousness. The stout rod of\nchastisement which the king bears has been said to be the embodiment of\nhis righteousness or merit.[588] Hearing this discourse, fraught with\nrighteousness, between Sankara and Uma, that I have recited in the\npresence of this righteous conclave, one should worship with reverence\nthat god having the bovine bull for the device on his banner. One that\nbecomes even desirous of listening to that discourse should worship\nMahadeva with reverence. Verily, the person that wishes to obtain what is\nbeneficial for him, should adore Mahadeva with a pure heart. Even this is\nthe command of the faultless and high-souled Narada. Even he has\ncommanded such worship of the great god, O son of Pandu, do thou obey\nthat command of Narada. O puissant king, even these are the wonderful\nincidents that occurred on the sacred breast of the Himavat respecting\nVasudeva and Sthanu, O son of Kunti. Those occurrences flowed from the\nvery nature of those high-souled deities. Vasudeva, accompanied by the\nwielder of Gandiva, practised eternal penances in the retreat of Vadari\nfor ten thousand years.[589] Verily, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, both of\neyes like lotus-petals, underwent severe austerities for the duration of\nthree whole Yugas. I have learnt this from Narada and Vyasa, O king. The\nlotus-eyed and mighty-armed Vasudeva, while yet a child (in human form)\nachieved the great feat of slaying Kansa for the relief of his kinsmen. I\ndo not venture, O son of Kunti, to enumerate the feats of this Ancient\nand Eternal Being, O Yudhishthira. Without doubt, O son, high and great\nbenefits will be reaped by thee who ownest that foremost of all persons,\nviz., Vasudeva, for thy friend. I grieve for the wicked Duryodhana in\nrespect of even the next world to which he has gone. It was for him that\nthe whole earth has been depopulated with her steeds and elephants.\nIndeed, through the fault of Duryodhana, of Karna, of Sakuni, and of\nDuhsasana numbering the fourth, that the Kurus have perished.\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'While that foremost of men, viz., the son of\nGanga, addressed him in this strain, the Kuru king (Yudhishthira)\nremained entirely silent in the midst of those high-souled persons (who\nhad assembled together for listening to the discourses of Bhishma). All\nthe kings with Dhritarashtra amongst them became filled with wonder upon\nhearing the words of the Kuru grandsire. In their minds they worshipped\nKrishna and then turned towards him with hands joined in reverence. The\nRishis also with Narada at their head, accepted and applauded the words\nof Bhishma and approved of them joyfully. These were the wonderful\ndiscourses recited by Bhishma which Pandu's son (Yudhishthira) with all\nhis brothers heard with joy. Some time after, when king (Yudhishthira)\nsaw that Ganga's son who had given away abundant wealth as presents unto\nthe Brahmanas in the sacrifices performed by him, had rested and become\nrefreshed, the intelligent king once more asked him as follows.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard all the duties in their entirety and\nall those sacred acts and objects that cleanse human beings of their\nsins, Yudhishthira once more addressed the son of Santanu in the\nfollowing words.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Who may be said to be the one god in the world? Who\nmay be said to be the one object which is our sole refuge? Who is he by\nworshipping whom or hymning whose praises human being would get what is\nbeneficial? What religion is that which, according to thy judgment, is\nthe foremost of all religions? What are those Mantras by reciting which a\nliving creature becomes freed from the bonds of birth and life?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"One should always, with alacrity and throwing away all\nlanguor, hymn the praises of that Lord of the universe, that god of gods\n(viz., Vasudeva), who is Infinite and the foremost of all Beings, by\nuttering His thousand names. By always worshipping with reverence and\ndevotion that immutable Being, by meditating on him, by hymning His\npraises and bowing the head unto Him, and by performing sacrifices unto\nHim, indeed by always praising Vishnu, who is without beginning and\nwithout end or destruction, who is the Supreme Lord of all the worlds,\nand who is the Master and Controller of the universe, one can succeed in\ntranscending all sorrow. Verily, He is devoted to the Brahmanas,\nconversant with all duties and practices, the enhancer of the fame and\nachievement of all persons, the master of all the worlds, exceedingly\nwonderful, and the prime cause of the origin of all creatures. Even this,\nin my judgment, is the foremost religion of all religions, viz., one\nshould always worship and hymn the praises of the lotus-eyed Vasudeva\nwith devotion. He is the highest Energy. He is the highest Penance. He is\nthe highest Brahma. He is the highest refuge. He is the most holy of all\nholies, the most auspicious of all auspicious objects. He is the god of\nall the gods and He is the immutable father of all creatures. On the\nadvent of the primal Yuga, all creatures spring from Him. On the\nexpiration, again of a Yuga, all things disappear in Him.[590] Hear, O\nking, the thousand names, possessed of great efficacy in destroying sins,\nof that foremost one in all the worlds that Master of the universe, viz.,\nVishnu. All those names derived from His attributes, secret and\nwell-known, of the high-souled Vasudeva which were sung by Rishis, I\nshall recite to thee for the good of all. They are, Om! He that enters\nall things, besides Himself, He that covers all things, He unto whom\nsacrificial libations are poured, the Lord of the Past, the Present, and\nthe Future, the Creator (or Destroyer) of all existent things, the\nupholder of all existent things, the Existent, the Soul of all, the\nOriginator of all things (I--IX); of cleansed Soul, the Supreme Soul, the\nhighest Refuge of all emancipated persons, the Immutable, He that lies\nenclosed in a case, the Witness, He that knows the material case in which\nHe resides, the Indestructible (X--XVII);[591] He upon whom the mind\nrests during Yoga-abstraction, the Guide or leader of all persons\nconversant with Yoga, the Lord of both Pradhana (or Prakriti) and\nPurusha. He that assumed a human form with a leonine head, He of handsome\nfeatures and equipments, He of beautiful hair, the foremost of Purushas\n(XVIII--XXIV);[592] the embodiment of all things, the Destroyer of all\nthings, He that transcends the three attributes of Sattwa, Rajas and\nTamas, the Motionless, the Beginning of all things, the Receptacle into\nwhich all things sink at the universal Dissolution, the Immutable, He who\ntakes birth at his own will, He who causes the acts of all living\ncreatures to fructify (in the form of weal or woe), the Upholder of all\nthings, the Source from which the primal elements have sprung, the\nPuissant One, He in whom is the unbounded Lordship over all things\n(XXV--XXXVII);[593] the Self-born, He that gives happiness to His\nworshippers, the presiding Genius (of golden form) in the midst of the\nSolar disc, the Lotus-eyed, Loud-voiced, He that is without beginning and\nwithout end. He that upholds the universe (in the form of Ananta and\nothers), He that ordains all acts and their fruits, He that is superior\nto the Grandsire Brahma (XXXVIII--XLVI);[594] the Immeasurable, the Lord\nof the senses (or He that has curled locks), He from whose navel the\nprimeval lotus sprang, the Lord of all the deities, the Artificer of the\nuniverse, the Mantra, He that weakens or emaciates all things, He that is\nvast, the Ancient one, He that is enduring (XLVII--LVI).[595] He that is\nincapable of being seized (by either the senses or the mind), the Eternal\nOne, Krishna, the Red-eyed, He that kills all creatures at the time of\nthe universal dissolution, He that is vast for knowledge and puissance\nand other attributes of the kind, He that resides in three parts (above,\nmiddle, and below) of every creature. That which cleanses, is\nauspicious, and high (LVII--LXIV).[596] He that urges all creatures in\nrespect of all their acts. He that causes the life-breaths to act. He\nthat causes all living creatures to live, the Eldest, the Foremost of all\nthose that are regarded as the Lords of all creatures, He that has gold\nin his abdomen, He that has the Earth for his abdomen, the Lord of Sri or\nLakshmi, the Slayer of Madhu (LXV--LXXII)[597]: the Omnipotent, He that\nis endued with great prowess, He that is armed with the bow, He that is\nPossessed of a mind capable of bearing the contents of all treatises, He\nthat roves through the universe, riding on Garuda. He that is well suited\nto the offerings made unto Him and that has the power to enjoy them\nproperly, the Unrivalled, He that is incapable of being discomfited, He\nthat knows all acts that are done, He that is identical with all acts, He\nthat rests on His own true self (LXXIV--LXXXIV)[598], the Lord of all the\ndeities, He that is the Refuge of all, the embodiment of the highest\nfelicity, He whose seed is the universe, He that is the source of all\nthings, the day (in consequence of His awakening Jiva who is steeped in\nthe sleep of Nescience), the Year, the Snake (owing to His being\nincapable of being seized), the embodiment of Conviction, He that sees\nall things (LXXXV--XCIV):[599] the Unborn, the Lord of all creatures, He\nthat has achieved success, He that is Success itself, He that is the\nbeginning of all things (in consequence of His being the cause of all\nthings), He that is above deterioration, He that is Righteousness in the\nform of the bovine bull and the great boar that raised the submerged\nEarth, He that is of immeasurable soul, He that stands aloof from all\nkinds of union (XCV--CIII);[600] He that is Pauaka among the deities\ncalled Vasus (or, He that dwells in His worshippers). He that is liberal\nsoul, being freed from wrath and hatred and pride and other evil\npassions. Truth whose soul is equable in consequence of His thorough\nimpartiality, He that has been measured by His worshippers, He that is\nalways equal, being above all change or modification, He that never\nrefuses to grant the wishes of His worshippers, He whose eyes are like\nthe petals of the lotus, He whose acts are always characterised by\nRighteousness (or He who is always engaged in granting the wishes of\nthose that are devoted to Him), He that is of the form of Righteousness\n(CIV--CXIII); He that destroys all creatures (or their pains), the Many\nheaded, He that upholds the universe, He that is the source of the\nuniverse, He who is of pure or spotless fame, the Immortal One, He that is\nEternal and Fixed, He that is possessed of beautiful limbs, (or, He the\nascension unto whom is the best of all acts), He who has such knowledge\nhaving penance for its indication (CXIV--CXXII); He that goes\neverywhere (in the sense of pervading all things as their cause), the\nOmniscient One, He that blazes forth in unmodified effulgence, He whose\ntroops are everywhere (in the form of devoted associates), (or He at\nwhose very sight the Danava troops are scattered in all directions). He\nthat is coveted (or sought) by all (or, He that grinds all His foes), He\nthat is the Veda, He that is conversant with the Veda, He that is\nconversant with all the limbs (or branches) of the Veda, He that\nrepresents the limbs (or branches) of the Veda (i.e., all the subsidiary\nsciences), He that settles the interpretations of the Vedas, He that has\nno superior in wisdom (CXXIII--CXXXIII); He that is the master of all the\nworlds, He that is the master of the deities, He that is the Supervisor\nof both Righteousness and Unrighteousness (for giving the fruits thereof\nto those that seek the one or the other), He that is both Effect and\nCause, (or, He whose life has not been determined by acts achieved on any\nprevious occasion in consequence of His transcending Prakriti). He that\nis four-souled (in consequence of His four forms of Aniruddha, Pradyumna,\nSankarshana and Vasudeva). He that is known by four forms (as above), He\nthat has four horns (which appeared on Him when He had assumed a human\nform with a lion's head for slaying the Asura chief Hiranya-Kasipu), He\nthat has four arms (for holding the conch, discus, mace, and lotus)\n(CXXXIV--CXLI); He that blazes forth in effulgence, He that is the giver\nof food and cherishes those that are good; He that does not bear or put\nup with those that are wicked, (or, He that puts up with the occasional\ntransgressions of his devotees); He that existed before the universe\nstarted into life; He that is stainless; He that is ever victorious; He\nthat vanquishes the very deities; He that is the material cause of the\nuniverse; He that repeatedly resides in material causes (CXLII--CL); He\nthat is the younger brother of Indra, (or He that transcends Indra in\naccomplishments and attributes). He that took birth as a dwarf (from\nAditi by her husband Kasyapa in order to beguile the Asura king Vali of\nthe sovereignty of the three worlds, and bestow the same upon Indra who\nhad been dispossessed of it), He that is tall (in allusion to the vast\nuniversal form of His which He assumed at the sacrifice of Vali for\ncovering Heaven, Earth, and the Nether regions with three steps of His).\nHe whose acts are never futile, He that cleanses (those that worship Him,\nthose that hear of Him and those that think of Him), He that is endued\nwith pre-eminent energy and strength, He that transcends Indra in all\nattributes, He that accepts all His worshippers, He that is the Creation\nitself in consequence of His being the Causes thereof, He that upholds\nHis self in the same form without being ever subject to birth, growth, or\ndeath, He that sustains all creatures in their respective functions in\nthe universe, He that controls the hearts of all creatures (CLI--CLXII);\nHe that deserves to be known by those who wish to achieve what is for\ntheir highest good; He who is the celestial physician in the form of\nDhanwantari, (or He who cures that foremost of all diseases, viz., the\nbonds that bind one to the world); He that is always engaged in Yoga; He\nthat slays great Asuras for establishing Righteousness; He that is the\nLord of that Lakshmi who sprang from the ocean when it was churned by the\ndeities and the Asuras, (or, He that cherishes both the goddesses of\nprosperity and learning); He that is honey (in consequence of the\npleasure He gives to those that succeed in having a taste of him); He\nthat transcends the senses (or is invisible to those that turn away from\nHim); He that is possessed of great powers of illusion (manifested in His\nbeguiling Mahadeva and the deities on many occasions); He that puts forth\ngreat energy (in achieving mighty feats); He that transcends all in might\n(CLXIII--CLXXII); He that transcends all in intelligence; He that\ntranscends all in puissance; He that transcends all in ability; He that\ndiscovers the universe by the effulgence emanating from his body; He\nwhose body is incapable of being ascertained by the eye (or any other\nsense organ of knowledge); He that is possessed of every beauty; He whose\nsoul is incapable of being comprehended by either deities or men; He that\nheld on his back, in the form of the vast tortoise, the huge mountain,\nMandara, which was made the churning staff by the deities and the Asuras\nwhen they set themselves to churn the great ocean for obtaining therefrom\nall the valuables hid in its bosom; (or, He who held up the mountains of\nGovardhana in the woods of Brinda for protecting the denizens of that\ndelightful place, who were especial objects of His kindness, from the\nwrath of Indra who poured incessant showers for days together with a view\nto drowning every thing) (CLXXIII--CLXXX); He that can shoot His shafts\nto a great distance, piercing through obstruction of every kind; He that\nraised the submerged Earth, having assumed the form of the mighty Boar;\nHe on whose bosom dwells the goddess of Prosperity; (or He that is\nidentical with Kama, the lord of Rati); He that is the Refuge of those\nthat are righteous; He that is incapable of being won without thorough\ndevotion; (or, He that is incapable of being immured or restrained by any\none putting forth his powers); He that is the delight of the deities, or,\nHe that is the embodiment of fullness of joy; He that rescued the\nsubmerged Earth; (or He that understands the hymns addressed to him by\nHis devotees); He that is the Master of all eloquent persons (or He that\ndispels the calamities of all those who know him) (CLXXXI--CLXXXVIII); He\nthat is full of blazing effulgence; He that suppressed the afflictions of\nHis adorers; (or, He that assumes the form of Yama, the universal\nDestroyer, for chastising all persons that fall away from their duties);\nHe that assumed the form of a Swan for communicating the Vedas to the\nGrandsire Brahman; (or, He that enters into the bodies of all persons);\nHe that has Garuda, the prince of the feathery denizens of the welkin,\nfor His vehicle; He that is the foremost of snakes in consequence of His\nidentity with Sesha or Ananta who upholds on his head the vast Earth,\n(or, He that has the hood of the prince of snakes for His bed while He\nlies down to sleep on the vast expansion of water after the dissolution\nof the universe); He whose navel is as beautiful as gold; He that\nunderwent the severest austerities in the form of Narayana at Vadari on\nthe breast of Himavat; He whose navel resembles a lotus; (or, He from\nwhose navel sprang the primeval lotus in which the Grandsire Brahma was\nborn); He that is the Lord of all creatures (CLXXXIX--CXCVII); He that\ntranscends death; (or, He that wards off Death from those that are\ndevoted to him); He that always casts a kind eye on His worshippers; (or,\nHe that sees all things in the universe); He that destroys all things;\n(or, He that drenches with nectar all those that worship Him with\nsingle-minded devotion); He that is the Ordainer of all ordainers; (or,\nHe that unites all persons with the consequences of their acts); He that\nhimself enjoys and endures the fruits of all acts, (or, He that assumed\nthe form of Rama, the son of Dasaratha, and going into exile at the\ncommand of His sire made a treaty with Sugriva the chief of the Apes for\naiding him in the recovery of his kingdom from the grasp of his elder\nbrother Vali in return for the assistance which Sugriva promised Him for\nrecovering from Ravana His wife Sita who had been ravished by that\nRakshasa and borne away to his island home in Lanka), He that is always\nof the same form; (or, He that is exceedingly affectionate unto His\nworshippers); He that is always moving; (or, He that is of the form of\nKama who springs up in the heart of every creature); He that is incapable\nof being endured by Danavas and Asuras (or, He that rescued His wife Sita\nafter slaying Ravana, or, He that shows compassion towards even Chandalas\nand members of other low castes when they approach Him with devotion, in\nallusion to His friendship, in the form of Rama, for Guhaka the chief of\nthe Chandalas, inhabiting the country known by the name of\nSringaverapura); He that chastises the wicked; (or, He that regulates the\nconduct of all persons by the dictates of the Srutis and the Smritis); He\nwhose soul has true knowledge for its indication; (or, He that destroyed\nRavana, the foe of the gods, having assumed the form of Rama that was\nfull of compassion and other amiable virtues); He that destroys the foes\nof the deities (or, He that slays those who obstruct or forbid the giving\nof presents unto deserving persons) (CXCVIII--CCVIII); He that is the\ninstructor in all sciences and the father of all; He that is the\ninstructor of even the Grandsire Brahma; He that is the abode or resting\nplace of all creatures; He that is the benefactor of those that are good\nand is free from the stain of falsehood; He whose prowess is incapable of\nbeing baffled; He that never casts his eye on such acts as are not\nsanctioned or approved by the scriptures; He that casts his eye on such\nacts as are sanctioned or approved by the scriptures; (or, He whose eye\nnever winks or sleeps); He that wears the unfading garland of victory\ncalled by the name of Vaijayanti; He that is the Lord of speech and that\nis possessed of great liberality insomuch that He rescued the lowest of\nthe low and the vilest of the vile by granting them His grace\n(CCIX--CCXVIII); He that leads persons desirous of Emancipation to the\nforemost of all conditions, viz., Emancipation itself; (or, He that\nassumes the form of a mighty Fish and scudding through the vast expanse\nof waters that cover the Earth when the universal dissolution comes, and\ndragging the boat tied to His horns, leads Manu and others to safety); He\nthat is the leader of all creatures; (or, He that sports in the vast\nexpanse of waters which overwhelm all things at the universal\ndissolution); He whose words are the Veda and who rescued the Vedas when\nthey were submerged in the waters at the universal dissolution; He that\nis the accomplisher of all functions in the universe; He that assumes the\nform of the wind for making all living creatures act or exert themselves;\n(or, He whose motions are always beautiful, or, who wishes His creatures\nto glorify Him); He that is endued with a thousand heads; He that is the\nSoul of the universe and as such pervades all things; He that has a\nthousand eyes and a thousand legs; (CCXIX--CCXXVI); He that causes the\nwheel of the universe to revolve at His will; He whose soul is freed from\ndesire and who transcends those conditions that invest Jiva and to which\nJiva is liable; He that is concealed from the view of all persons that\nare attached to the world; (or, He that has covered the eyes of all\npersons with the bandage of nescience); He that grinds those that turn\naway from him; He that sets the days a-going in consequence of His being\nidentical with the Sun; He that is the destroyer of all-destroying Time\nitself; He that conveys the libations poured on the sacred fire unto\nthose for whom they are intended; (or, He that bears the universe,\nplacing it on only a minute fraction of His body); He that has no\nbeginning; (or, He that has no fixed habitation); He that upholds the\nEarth in space (in the form of Sesha, or, rescues her in the form of the\nmighty boar or supports her as a subtil pervader) (CCXXVII--CCXXXV); He\nthat is exceedingly inclined to grace, insomuch that He grants happiness\nto even foes like Sisupala; He that has been freed from the attributes of\nRajas (passion) and Tamas (darkness) so that He is pure or stainless\nSattwa by itself; (or, He that has obtained the fruition of all His\nwishes); He that supports the universe; He that feeds (or enjoys the\nuniverse); He that is displayed in infinite puissance; He that honours\nthe deities, the Pitris, and His own worshippers; He that is honoured or\nadored by those that are themselves honoured or adored by others; (or, He\nwhose acts are all beautiful and enduring); He that accomplishes the\npurposes of others; (or, He that is the benefactor of others); He that\nwithdraws all things unto Himself at the universal dissolution; (or, He\nthat destroys the foes of the deities or of His worshippers); He that has\nthe waters for his home; (or, He that is the sole Refuge of all creatures\nor He that destroys the ignorance of all creatures) (CCXXXVI--CCXLVI); He\nthat is distinguished above all, He that cherishes the righteous, He that\ncleanses all the worlds, He that crowns with fruition the desires of all\ncreatures, He whose wishes are always crowned with fruition, He that\ngives success to all, He that bestows success upon those that solicit Him\nfor it (CCXLVII--CCLVI); He that presides over all sacred days; (or, He\nthat overwhelms Indra himself with His own excellent attributes), He that\nshowers all objects of desire upon His worshippers, He that walks over\nall the universe, He that offers the excellent flight of steps\nconstituted by Righteousness (unto those that desire to ascend to the\nhighest place); He that has Righteousness in His abdomen; (or, He that\nprotects Indra even as a mother protects the child in her womb); He that\naggrandises (His worshippers), He that spreads Himself out for becoming\nthe vast universe, He that is aloof from all things (though pervading\nthem); He that is the receptacle of the ocean of Srutis (CCLVII--CCLXIV);\nHe that is possessed of excellent arms (i.e., arms capable of upholding\nthe universe); He that is incapable of being borne by any creature, He\nfrom whom flowed the sounds called Brahman (or Veda), He that is the Lord\nof all Lords of the universe, He that is the giver of wealth, He that\ndwells in His own puissance, He that is multiform, He that is of vast\nform, He that resides in the form of Sacrifice in all animals, He that\ncauses all things to be displayed (CCLXV--CCLXXIV), He that is endued\nwith great might, energy, and splendour; He that displays Himself in\nvisible forms to His worshippers, He that scorches the unrighteous with\nHis burning energy, He that is enriched with the sixfold attributes (of\naffluence, etc.), He that imparted the Veda to the Grandsire Brahma, He\nthat is of the form of the Samans, Riks, and Yajuses (of the Veda); He\nthat soothes His worshippers burning with the afflictions of the world\nlike the rays of the moon cooling all living creatures of the world, He\nthat is endued with blazing effulgence like the sun (CCLXXV--CCLXXXII);\nHe from whose mind has sprung the moon, He that blazes forth in His own\neffulgence, He that nourishes all creatures even like the luminary marked\nby the hare, He that is the Master of the deities, He that is the great\nmedicine for the disease of worldly attachment, He that is the great\ncauseway of the universe, He that is endued with knowledge and other\nattributes that are never futile and with prowess that is incapable of\nbeing baffled (CCLXXXIII--CCLXXXIX); He that is solicited by all\ncreatures at all times, viz., the Past, the Present, and the Future; He\nthat rescues his worshippers by casting kind glances upon them, He that\nsanctifies even them that are sacred; He that merges the life-breath in\nthe Soul; (or, He that assumes diverse forms for protecting both the\nEmancipated and the Unemancipated); He that kills the desires of those\nthat are Emancipated; (or, He that prevents evil desires from arising in\nthe minds of His worshippers); He that is the sire of Kama (the principle\nof desire or lust); He that is most agreeable, He that is desired by all\ncreatures, He that grants the fruition of all desires, He that has the\nability to accomplishing all acts (CCXC--CCXCIX); He that sets the four\nYugas to begin their course; He that causes the Yugas to continually\nrevolve as on a wheel, He that is endued with the diverse kinds of\nillusion (and, therefore, the cause from which spring the different kinds\nof acts that distinguish the different Yugas); He that is the greatest of\neaters (in consequence of His swallowing all things at the end of every\nKalpa); He that is incapable of being seized (by those that are not His\nworshippers); He that is manifest (being exceedingly vast); He that\nsubjugates thousands of foes (of the deities); He that subjugates\ninnumerable foes (CCC--CCCVIII); He that is desired (by even the\nGrandsire and Rudra, or He that is adored in sacrifices); He that is\ndistinguished above all; He that is desired by those that are endued with\nwisdom and righteousness; He that has an ornament of (peacock's) feathers\non His headgear; He that stupefies all creatures with His illusion; He\nthat showers His grace on all His worshippers; He that kills the wrath of\nthe righteous; He that fills the unrighteous with wrath; He that is the\naccomplisher of all acts; He who holds the universe on his arms; He that\nupholds the Earth (CCCIX--CCCXVIII); He that transcends the six\nwell-known modifications (of inception, birth or appearance, growth,\nmaturity, decline, and dissolution); He that is endued with great\ncelebrity (in consequence of His feats); He that causes all living\ncreatures to live (in consequence of His being the all-pervading soul);\nHe that gives life; the younger brother of Vasava (in the form of Upendra\nor the dwarf); He that is the receptacle of all the waters in the\nuniverse; He that covers all creatures (in consequence of His being the\nmaterial cause of everything); He that is never heedless (being always\nabove error); He that is established on His own glory (CCCXIX--CCCXXVII);\nHe that flows in the form of nectar; (or, He that dries up all things);\nHe upholds the path of righteousness; He that bears the burden of the\nuniverse; He that gives desirable boons unto those that solicit them: He\nthat causes the winds to blow; He that is the son of Vasudeva; (or, He\nthat covers the universe with His illusions and sports in the midst of\nit); He that is endued with extraordinary lustre; He that is the\noriginating cause of the deities; He that pierces all hostile towns\n(CCCXXVIII--CCCXXXVI); He that transcends all sorrow and grief; He that\nleads us safely across the ocean of life or the world; He that dispels\nfrom the hearts of all His worshippers the fear of rebirth; He that is\npossessed of infinite courage and prowess; He that is an offspring of\nSura's race; He that is the master of all living creatures; He that is\ninclined to show His grace unto all; He that has come on earth for a\nhundred times (for rescuing the good, destroying the wicked, and\nestablishing righteousness); He that holds a lotus in one of his hands;\nHe whose eyes resemble the petals of the lotus (CCCXXXVII--CCCXLVI); He\nfrom whose navel sprang the primeval lotus; (or, He that is seated upon a\nlotus); He that is endued with eyes resembling the petals of the lotus;\nHe that is adored by even worshippers as one seated within the lotus of\nHis hearts; He that assumed the form of embodied Jiva (through His own\nillusion); He that is endued with puissance of every kind; He that grows\nin the form of the five primal elements; the Ancient Soul; He that is\nendued with vast eyes; He that has Garuda sitting on the standard of His\ncar (CCCXLVII--CCCLV); He that is incomparable; the Sarabha (the\nlion-killing animal); He that strikes the wicked with terror; He that\nknows everything that has occurred in Time; He that accepts, in the forms\nof the deities, the butter poured on the sacrificial fire; He that is\nknown by all kinds of evidence or proof; He upon whose breast sits\nProsperity always; He that is victorious in every battle\n(CCCLVI--CCCLXIV); He that is above destruction; He that assumes a red\nform; (or, becomes wrathful unto the enemies of His worshippers); He that\nis an object of search with the righteous; He that is at the root of all\nthings; He that has the mark of the string around his abdomen (for Yasoda\nhad bound Him with a cord while He was Krishna); He that bears or\nforgives all injuries; He that upholds the Earth in the form of her\nmountains; He that is the foremost of all objects of worship; He that is\nendued with great speed; He that swallows vast quantities of food\n(CCCLXV--CCCLXXIV); He that caused the creation to start into life; He\nthat always agitates both Prakriti and Purusha; He that shines with\nresplendence; (or, sports in joy); He that has puissance in his stomach;\nHe that is the Supreme Master of all; He that is the material out of\nwhich the universe has been made; He that is the cause or Agent who has\nmade the universe: He that is independent of all things; He that ordains\nvariety in the universe; He that is incapable of being comprehended; He\nthat renders Himself invisible by the screen of illusion\n(CCCLXXV--CCCLXXXV); He that is Chit divested of all attributes; He on\nwhom all things rest; He in whom all things reside when the universal\ndissolution comes; He that assigns the foremost place to those that\nworship Him; He that is durable; He that is endued with the highest\npuissance; He that has been glorified in the Vedanta; He that is\ncontented; He that is always full; He whose glance is auspicious\n(CCCLXXXVI--CCCXCV); He that fills all Yogins with delight; He that is\nthe end of all creatures (for it is in Him that all things merge at the\nuniversal dissolution); He that is the faultless Path; He that in the\nform of Jiva, leads to Emancipation; He that leads (Jiva to\nEmancipation); He that has none to lead Him; He that is endued with great\nmight; He that is the foremost of all beings possessed of might; He that\nis the foremost of all Beings conversant with duty and\nreligion (CCCXCVI--CDIV); He that joins, at the time of creation, the\ndisunited elements for forming all objects; He that resides in all\nbodies; He that causes all creatures to act in the form of Kshetrajna; He\nthat creates all creatures after destroying them at the universal\ndissolution; He unto whom every one bows with reverence; He that is\nextended over the entire universe; He that owns the primeval golden egg\nas his abdomen (whence, as from the female uterus), everything proceeds;\nHe that destroys the foes of the deities; He that overspreads all things\n(being the material cause whence they spring); He that spreads sweet\nperfumes; He that disregards the pleasures of the senses (CDV--CDXV); He\nthat is identifiable with the seasons; He at whose sight alone all\nworshippers succeed in obtaining the great object of their wish; He that\nweakens all creatures; He that dwells in the firmament of the heart,\ndepending upon His own glory and puissance; He that is capable of being\nknown everywhere (in consequence of His omnipresence); He that inspires\neveryone with dread; He in whom all creatures dwell; He that is clever in\naccomplishing all acts; He that constitutes the rest of all creatures\n(being, as He is, the embodiment of Emancipation); He that is endued with\ncompetence greater than that of other Beings (CDXVI--CDXXV); He in whom\nthe whole Universe is spread out; He that is Himself immobile and in whom\nall things rest for ever; He that is an object of proof; He that is the\nIndestructible and unchanging seed; He that is sought by all (in\nconsequence of His being happiness); He that has no desire (in\nconsequence of all His desires having been gratified); He that is the\ngreat cause (which covers the universe): He that has all sorts of things\nto enjoy; He that has great wealth wherewith to secure all objects of\ndesire (CDXXVI--CDXXXIV); He that is above despair; He that exists in the\nform of Renunciation; He that is without birth; He that is the stake unto\nwhich Righteousness is tethered; He that is the great embodiment of\nsacrifice; He who is the nave of the starry wheel that revolves in the\nfirmament;[601] He that is the Moon among the constellations; He that is\ncompetent to achieve every feat; He that stays in His own soul when all\nthings disappear; He that cherishes the desire for Creation\n(CDXXXV--CDXLIV); He that is the embodiment of all sacrifices; He that is\nadored in all sacrifices and religious rites; He that is the most\nadorable of the deities present in the sacrifices that men perform; He\nthat is the embodiment of all such sacrifices in which animals are\noffered up according to the ordinance; He that is adored by persons\nbefore they take any food;[602] He that is the Refuge of those that seek\nemancipation; He that beholds the acts and omissions of all creatures; He\nwhose soul transcends all attributes; He that is possessed of\nomniscience; He that is identical with knowledge that is unacquired,\nunlimited, and capable of accomplishing everything (CDXLV--CDLIV); He\nthat is observant of excellent vows (chief amongst which is the granting\nof favour unto one that solicits it with a pure heart); He that has a\nface always full of delight; He that is exceedingly subtle; He that\nutters the most agreeable sounds (in the form of the Veda or as Krishna\nplaying on the lute); He that gives happiness (to all His worshippers);\nHe that does good to others without expecting any return; He that fills\nall creatures with delight; He that has subdued wrath; He that has mighty\narms (so mighty that He has slain as if in sport the mightiest of\nAsuras); He that tears those that are unrighteous (CDLV--CDLXIV); He that\ncauses those persons who are destitute of knowledge of the soul to be\nsteeped in the deep sleep of His illusion; He that relies on Himself\n(being entirely independent of all persons and things); He that\noverspreads the entire universe; He that exists in infinite forms; He\nthat is engaged in vocations infinite in number; He that lives in\neverything; He that is full of affection towards all His worshippers; He\nthat is the universal father (all living creatures of the universe being\nas calves sprung from Him); He that holds, in the form of the vast Ocean,\nall jewels and gems in His abdomen, He that is the Lord of all treasures\n(CDLXV--CDLXXIV); He that is the protector of righteousness; He that\naccomplishes all the duties of righteousness; He that is the substratum\nof righteousness; He that is existent for all time; He that is\nnon-existent (in the form of the universe, for the manifested universe is\nthe result of illusion); He that is destructible (in the form of the\nuniverse); He that is indestructible as Chit; He that is, in the form of\nJiva, destitute of true knowledge; He that is, in the form of the Sun,\nendued with a thousand rays; He that ordains (even all such great and\nmighty creatures as Sesha and Garuda, etc.); He that has created all the\nSastras (CDLXXV--CDLXXXV); He that exists, in the form of the Sun, as the\ncentre of innumerable rays of light; He that dwells in all creatures; He\nthat is possessed of great prowess; He that is the Master of even Yama\nand others of similar puissance; He that is the oldest of the deities\n(existing as He does from the beginning); He that exists in His own\nglory, casting off all conditions; He that is the Lord of even all the\ndeities; He that is the ruler of even him that upholds the deities (viz.,\nIndra) (CDLXXXVI--CDXCIII); He that transcends birth and destruction; He\nthat tended and protected kine (in the form of Krishna); He that\nnourishes all creatures; He that is approachable by knowledge alone; He\nthat is Ancient; He that upholds the elements which constitute the body;\nHe that enjoys and endures (weal and woe, in the form of Jiva); He that\nassumed the form of a vast Boar; (or, He that, in the form of Rama, was\nthe Lord of a large monkey host); He that gave plentiful presents unto\nall in a grand sacrifice performed by Him (CDXCIV--DII); He that drinks\nSoma in every sacrifice; He that drinks nectar; He that, in the form of\nSoma (Chandramas), nourishes all the herbs and plants; He that conquers\nfoes in a trice when even they are infinite in number; He that is of\nuniversal form and is the foremost of all existent entities; He that is\nthe chastiser; He that is victorious over all; He whose purposes are\nincapable of being baffled; He that deserves gifts; He that gives what\nHis creatures have not and who protects what they have (DIII--DXII); He\nthat holds the life-breaths; He that beholds all His creatures as objects\nof direct vision; He that never beholds anything beside His own Self; He\nthat gives emancipation; He whose footsteps (three in number) covered\nHeaven, Earth, and the Nether regions; He who is the receptacle of all\nthe water; He that overwhelms all Space, all Time, and all things; He\nthat lies on the vast expanse of waters after the universal dissolution;\nHe that causes the destruction of all things (DXIII--DXXI); He that is\nwithout birth; He that is exceedingly adorable; He that appears in His\nown nature; He that has conquered all foes (in the form of wrath and\nother evil passions); He that delights those that meditate on Him; He\nthat is joy; He that fills others with delight; He that swells with all\ncauses of delight; He that has truth and other virtues for His\nindications; He whose foot steps are in the three worlds (DXXII--DXXX);\nHe that is the first of the Rishis (being conversant with the entire\nVedas); He that is identical with the preceptor Kapila; He that is the\nknower of the Universe; He that is Master of the Earth; He that has their\nfeet; He that is the guardian of the deities; He that has large horns (in\nallusion to the piscatory form in which He saved Manu on the occasion of\nthe universal deluge by scudding through the waters with Manu's boat tied\nto His horns); He that exhausts all acts by causing their doers to enjoy\nor endure their fruits; (or, He that grinds the Destroyer himself)\n(DXXXI--DXXXVIII); the great Boar: He that is understood or apprehended\nby the aid of the Vedanta; He that has beautiful troops (in the form of\nHis worshippers); He that is adorned with golden armlets; He that is\nconcealed (being knowledge with the aid of the Upanishads only); He that\nis deep (in knowledge and puissance); He that is difficult of access; He\nthat transcends both word and thought, that is armed with the discus and\nthe mace (DXXXIX--DXLVII); the Ordainer; He that is the cause (in the\nform of helper of the universe); He that has never been vanquished; He\nthat is the Island-born Krishna; He that is enduring (in consequence of\nHis transcending decay): He that mows all things and is Himself above\ndeterioration; the Varuna (the deity of the waters); the son of Varuna\n(in the form of Vasishtha or Agastya); He that is immovable as a tree; He\nthat is displayed in His own true form in the lotus of the heart; He that\ncreates, preserves, and destroys by only a fiat of the mind\n(DXLVIII--DLVIII); He that is possessed of the sixfold attributes (of\nsovereignty etc.); He that destroys the sixfold attributes (at the\nuniversal dissolution); He that is felicity (in consequence of His\nswelling with all kinds of prosperity); He that is adorned with the\ntriumphal garland (called Vaijayanta); He that is armed with the plough\n(in allusion to His incarnation as Valadeva); He that took birth from the\nwomb of Aditi (in the form of the dwarf that beguiled Vali); He that is\nendued with effulgence like unto the Sun's; He that endures all pairs of\nopposites (such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain, etc.); He that is\nthe foremost Refuge of all things (DLIX--DLXVII); He that is armed with\nthe best of bows (called Saranga); He that was divested of His battle-axe\n(by Rama of Bhrigu's race);[603] He that is fierce; He that is the giver\nof all objects of desire; He that is so tall as to touch the very heavens\nwith his head (in allusion to the form He assumed at Vali's sacrifice); He\nwhose vision extends over the entire universe; He that is Vyasa (who\ndistributed the Vedas); He that is the Master of speech or all learning;\nHe that has started into existence without the intervention of genital\norgans (DLXVIII--DLXXVI); He that is hymned with the three (foremost)\nSamans; He that is the singer of the Samans; He that is the Extinction of\nall worldly attachments (in consequence of His being the embodiment of\nRenunciation); He that is the Medicine; He that is the Physician (who\napplies the medicine); He that has ordained the fourth or last mode of\nlife called renunciation (for enabling His creatures to attain to\nemancipation); He that causes the passions of His worshippers to be\nquieted (with a view to give them tranquillity of soul); He that is\ncontented (in consequence of His utter dissociation with all worldly\nobjects); He that is the Refuge of devotion and tranquillity of Soul\n(DLXXVII--DLXXXV); He that is possessed of beautiful limbs; He that is\nthe giver of tranquillity of soul; He that is Creator; He that sports in\njoy on the bosom of the earth; He that sleeps (in Yoga) lying on the body\nof the prince of snakes, Sesha, after the universal dissolution; the\nBenefactor of kine; (or, He that took a human form for relieving the\nearth of the weight of her population); the Master of the universe; the\nProtector of the universe; He that is endued with eyes like those of the\nbull; He that cherishes Righteousness with love (DLXXXVI--DXCV): He that\nis the unreturning hero; He whose soul has been withdrawn from all\nattachments; He that reduces to a subtle form the universe at the time of\nthe universal dissolution; He that does good to His afflicted\nworshippers; He whose name, as soon as heard, cleanses the hearer of all\nhis sins; He who has the auspicious whorl on His breast; He in whom\ndwells the goddess of Prosperity for ever; He who was chosen by Lakshmi\n(the goddess of Prosperity) as her Lord; He that is the foremost one of\nall Beings endued with prosperity (DXCVI--DCIV); He that give prosperity\nunto His worshippers; the Master of prosperity; He that always lives with\nthose that are endued with prosperity; He that is the receptacle of all\nkinds of prosperity; He that gives prosperity unto all persons of\nrighteous acts according to the measure of their righteousness; He that\nholds the goddess of Prosperity on his bosom; He that bestows prosperity\nupon those that hear of, praise, and mediate on Him; He that is the\nembodiment of that condition which represents the attainment of\nunattainable happiness; He that is possessed of every kind of beauty; He\nthat is the Refuge of the three worlds (DCV--DCXIV); He that is possessed\nof beautiful eye; He that is possessed of beautiful limbs; He that is\npossessed of a hundred sources of delight; He that represents the highest\ndelight; He that is the Master of all the luminaries in the firmament\n(for it is He that maintains them in their places and orbits); He that\nhas subjugated His soul; He whose soul is not swayed by any superior\nBeing; He that is always of beautiful acts; He whose doubts have all been\ndispelled (for He is said to behold the whole universe as an Amlaka in\nHis palm) (DCXV--DCXXIII); He that transcends all creatures; He whose\nvision extends in all directions: He that has no Master; He that at all\ntimes transcends all changes; He that (in the form of Rama) had to lie\ndown on that bare ground; He that adorns the earth (by His incarnations);\nHe that is puissance's self; He that transcends all grief; He that\ndispels the griefs of all His worshippers as soon as they remember Him\n(DCXXIV--DCXXXII); He that is possessed of effulgence, He that is\nworshipped by all; He that is the water-pot (as all things reside within\nHim); He that is of pure soul; He that cleanses all as soon as they hear\nof him; He that is free and unrestrained; He whose car never turns away\nfrom battles; He that is possessed of great wealth; He whose prowess is\nincapable of being measured (DCXXXIII--DCXLI); He that is the slayer of\nthe Asura named Kalanemi; He that is the Hero; He that has taken birth in\nthe race of Sura; He that is the Lord of all the deities; the soul of the\nthree worlds; the Master of the three worlds; He that has the solar and\nlunar rays for his hair; the slayer of Kesi; He that destroys all things\n(at the universal dissolution) (DCXLII--DCL); the Deity from whom the\nfruition of all desires is sought; He that grants the wishes of all; He\nthat has desires; He that has a handsome form; He that is endued with\nthorough knowledge of Srutis and Smritis; He that is possessed of a form\nthat is indescribable by attributes; He whose brightest rays overwhelm\nheaven; He that has no end; He that (in the form of Arjuna or Nara)\nacquired vast wealth on the occasion of his campaign of conquest\n(DCLI--DCLX); He who is the foremost object of silent recitation, of\nsacrifice, of the Vedas, and of all religious acts; He that is the\ncreator of penances and the like; He that is the form of (the grandsire)\nBrahman, He that is the augmentor of penances; He that is conversant with\nBrahma; He that is of the form of Brahmana; He that has for His limbs Him\nthat is called Brahma; He that knows all the Vedas and everything in the\nuniverse; He that is always fond of Brahmanas and of whom the Brahmanas\nalso are fond (DCLXI--DCLXX); He whose footsteps cover vast areas; He\nwhose feats are mighty; He who is possessed of vast energy; He that is\nidentical with Vasuki, the king of the snakes; He that is the foremost of\nall sacrifices; He that is Japa, that first of sacrifices; He that is the\nforemost of all offerings made in sacrifices (DCLXXI--DCLXXVIII);[604] He\nthat is hymned by all; He that loves to be hymned (by his worshippers);\nHe that is himself the hymns uttered by His worshippers; He that is the\nvery act of hymning; He that is the person that hymns; He that is fond of\nbattling (with everything that is evil); He that is full in every\nrespect; He that fills others with every kind of affluence; He that\ndestroys all sins as soon as He is remembered; He whose acts are all\nrighteous; He that transcends all kinds of disease (DCLXXIX--DCLXXXIX);\nHe that is endued with the speed of the mind; He that is the creator and\npromulgator of all kinds of learning; He whose vital seed is gold; He\nthat is giver of wealth (being identical with Kuvera the Lord of\ntreasures); He that takes away all the wealth of the Asuras; the son of\nVasudeva; He in whom all creatures dwell; He whose mind dwells in all\nthings in thorough identity with them; He that takes away the sins of all\nwho seek refuge in him (DCXC--DCXCVIII); He that is attainable by the\nrighteous; He whose acts are always good; He that is the one entity in\nthe universe; He that displays Himself in diverse forms; He that is the\nrefuge of all those that are conversant with truth; He who has the\ngreatest of heroes for his troops;[605] He that is the foremost of the\nYadavas; He that is the abode of the righteous; He that sports in joy (in\nthe woods of Brinda) on the banks of Yamuna (DCXCIX--DCCVII); He in whom\nall created things dwell; the deity that overwhelms the universe with His\nMaya (illusion); He in whom all foremost of Beings become merged (when\nthey achieve their emancipation); He whose hunger is never gratified; He\nthat humbles the pride of all; He that fills the righteous with just\npride; He that swells with joy; He that is incapable of being seized; He\nthat has never been vanquished (DCCVIII--DCCXVI); He that is of universal\nform; He that is of vast form; He whose form blazes forth with energy and\neffulgence; He that is without form (as determined by acts); He that is\nof diverse forms; (He that is unmanifest); He that is of a hundred forms;\nHe that is of a hundred faces (DCCXVII--DCCXXIV); He that is one; He that\nis many (through illusion); He that is full of felicity; He that forms\nthe one grand topic of investigation; He from whom is this all; He that\nis called THAT; He that is the highest Refuge; He that confines Jiva\nwithin material causes; He that is coveted by all; He that took birth in\nthe race of Madhu; He that is exceedingly affectionate towards His\nworshippers (DCCXXV--DCCXXXV); He that is of golden complexion; He whose\nlimbs are like gold (in hue); He that is possessed of beautiful limbs; He\nwhose person is decked with Angadas made with sandal-paste; He that is\nthe slayer of heroes; He that has no equal; He that is like cipher (in\nconsequence of no attributes being affirmable of Him); He that stands in\nneed of no blessings (in consequence of His fulness); He that never\nswerves from His own nature and puissance and knowledge; He that is\nmobile in the form of wind (DCCXXXVI--DCCXLV); He that never identifies\nHimself with anything that is not-soul;[606] He that confers honours on\nHis worshippers; He that is honoured by all; He that is the Lord of the\nthree worlds; He that upholds the three worlds; He that is possessed of\nintelligence and memory capable of holding in His mind the contents of\nall treatises; He that took birth in a sacrifice; He that is worthy of\nthe highest praise; He whose intelligence and memory are never futile; He\nthat upholds the earth (DCCXLVI--DCCLV); He that pours forth heat in the\nform of the Sun; He that is the bearer of great beauty of limbs; He that\nis the foremost of all bearers of weapons; He that accepts the flowery\nand leafy offerings made to Him by His worshippers; He that has subdued\nall his passions and grinds all His foes; He that has none to walk before\nHim; He that has four horns; He that is the elder brother of Gada\n(DCCLVI--DCCLXIV); He that has four arms; He from whom the four Purushas\nhave sprung; He that is the refuge of the four modes of life and the four\norders of men; He that is of four souls (Mind, Understanding,\nConsciousness, and Memory); He from whom spring the four objects of life,\nviz., Righteousness, Wealth, Pleasure, and Emancipation; He that is\nconversant with the four Vedas; He that has displayed only a fraction of\nHis puissance (DCCLXV--DCCLXXII); He that sets the wheel of the world to\nrevolve round and round; He whose soul is dissociated from all worldly\nattachments; He that is incapable of being vanquished; He that cannot be\ntranscended; He that is exceedingly difficult of being attained; He that\nis difficult of being approached; He that is difficult of access; He that\nis difficult of being brought within the heart (by even Yogins); He that\nslays even the most powerful foes (among the Danavas)\n(DCCLXXIII--DCCLXXXI); He that has beautiful limbs; He that takes the\nessence of all things in the universe; He that owns the most beautiful\nwarp and woof (for weaving this texture of fabric of the universe); He\nthat weaves with ever-extending warp and woof; He whose acts are done by\nIndra; He whose acts are great; He who has no acts undone; He who has\ncomposed all the Vedas and scriptures (DCCLXXXII--DCCLXXXIX); He whose\nbirth is high; He that is exceedingly handsome; He whose heart is full of\ncommiseration; He that has precious gems in His navel; He that has\nexcellent knowledge for His eye; He that is worthy of worship by Brahman\nhimself and other foremost ones in the universe; He that is giver of\nfood; He that assumed horns at the time of the universal dissolution; He\nthat has always subjugated His foes most wonderfully; He that knows all\nthings; He that is ever victorious over those that are of irresistible\nprowess (DCCXC--DCCXCIX); He whose limbs are like gold; He that is\nincapable of being agitated (by wrath or aversion or other passion); He\nthat is Master of all those who are masters of all speech; He that is the\ndeepest lake; He that is the deepest pit; He that transcends the\ninfluence of Time; He in whom the primal elements are established\n(DCCC--DCCCVI); He that gladdens the earth; He that grants fruits which\nare as agreeable as the Kunda flowers (Jasmim pubescens, Linn); He that\ngave away the earth unto Kasyapa (in His incarnation as Rama); He that\nextinguishes the three kinds of misery (mentioned in the Sankhya\nphilosophy) like a rain-charged cloud cooling the heat of the earth by\nits downpour; He that cleanses all creatures; He that has none to urge\nHim; He that drank nectar; He that has an undying body; He that is\npossessed of omniscience; He that has face and eyes turned towards every\ndirection (DCCCVII--DCCCXVI); He that is easily won (with, that is, such\ngifts as consist of flowers and leaves); He that has performed excellent\nvows; He that is crowned with success by Himself; He that is victorious\nover all foes; He that scorches all foes; He that is the ever-growing and\ntall Banian that overtops all other trees; He that is the sacred fig tree\n(Ficus glomerata, Willd); He that is the Ficus religiosa; (or, He that is\nnot durable, in consequence of His being all perishable forms in the\nuniverse even as he is all the imperishable forms that exist); He that is\nthe slayer of Chanura of the Andhra country (DCCCXVII--DCCCXXV); He that\nis endued with a thousand rays; He that has seven tongues (in the forms\nof Kali, Karali, etc.); He that has seven flames (in consequence of His\nbeing identical with the deity of fire); He that has seven horses for\nbearing His vehicle; (or, He that owns the steed called Sapta); He that\nis formless; He that is sinless: He that is inconceivable; He that\ndispels all fears; He that destroys all fears (DCCCXXVI--DCCCXXXIV); He\nthat is minute; He that is gross; He that is emaciated; He that is\nadipose; He that is endued with attributes; He that transcends all\nattributes; He that is unseizable; He that suffers Himself to be easily\nseized (by His worshippers); He that has an excellent face; He that has\nfor His descendants the people of the accidental regions; He that extends\nthe creation consisting of the fivefold primal elements\n(DCCCXXXV--DCCCXLVI); He that bears heavy weights (in the form of\nAnanta); He that has been declared by the Vedas; He that is devoted to\nYoga; He that is the lord of all Yogins; He that is the giver of all\nwishes; He that affords an asylum to those that seek it; He that sets\nYogins to practise Yoga anew after their return to life upon the\nconclusion of their life of felicity in heaven; He that invests Yogins\nwith puissance even after the exhaustion of their merits; He that has\ngoodly leaves (in the form of the Schhandas of the Vedas, Himself being\nthe tree of the world); He that causes the winds to blow\n(DCCCXLVII--DCCCLVI); He that is armed with the bow (in the form of\nRama); He that is conversant with the science of arms; He that is the rod\nof chastisement; He that is chastiser; He that executes all sentences of\nchastisement; He that has never been vanquished; He that is competent in\nall acts; He that sets all persons to their respective duties; He that\nhas none to set Him to any work; He that has no Yama to slay Him\n(DCCCLVII--DCCCLXVI); He that is endued with heroism and prowess; He that\nhas the attribute of Sattwa (Goodness); He that is identical with Truth;\nHe that is devoted to Truth and Righteousness; He that is sought by those\nwho are resolved to achieve emancipation; (or, He towards whom the\nuniverse proceeds when the dissolution comes); He that deserves to have\nall objects which His worshippers present unto Him; He that is worthy of\nbeing adored (with hymns and flowers and other offering of reverence); He\nthat does good to all; He that enhances the delights of all\n(DCCCLXVII--DCCCLXXV); He whose track is through the firmament; He that\nblazes forth in His own effulgence; He that is endued with great beauty;\nHe that eats the offerings made on the sacrificial fire; He that dwells\neverywhere and is endued with supreme puissance; He that sucks the\nmoisture of the earth in the form of the Sun; He that has diverse\ndesires; He that brings forth all things; He that is the parent of the\nuniverse; He that has the Sun for His eye (DCCCLXXVI--DCCCLXXXV); He that\nis Infinite; He that accepts all sacrificial offerings; He that enjoys\nPrakriti in the form of Mind; He that is giver of felicity; He that has\ntaken repeated births (for the protection of righteousness and the\nrighteous); He that is First-born of all existent things; He that\ntranscends despair (in consequence of the fruition of all His wishes); He\nthat forgives the righteous when they trip; He that is the foundation\nupon which the universe rests; He that is most wonderful\n(DCCCLXXXVI--DCCCXCV); He that is existent from the beginning of Time; He\nthat has been existing from before the birth of the Grandsire and others;\nHe that is of a tawny hue; (or, He that discovers or illumines all\nexistent things by His rays); He that assumed the form of the great Boar;\nHe that exists even when all things are dissolved; He that is the giver\nof all blessings; He that creates blessings; He that is identifiable with\nall blessings; He that enjoys blessings; He that is able to scatter\nblessings (DCCCXCVI--CMV); He that is without wrath; He that lies\nensconced in folds (in the form of the snake Sesha); (or, He that is\nadorned with ear-rings); He that is armed with the discus; He that is\nendued with great prowess; He whose sway is regulated by the high\nprecepts of the Srutis and the Smritis; He that is incapable of being\ndescribed by the aid of speech; He whom the Vedantas have striven to\nexpress with the aid of speech; He that is the dew which cools those who\nare afflicted with the three kinds of grief; He that lives in all bodies,\nendued with the capacity of dispelling darkness (CMVI--CMXIV); He that is\ndivested of wrath; He that is well-skilled in accomplishing all acts by\nthought, word, and deed; He that can accomplish all acts within the\nshortest period of time; He that destroys the wicked; He that is the\nforemost of all forgiving persons; He that is foremost of all persons\nendued with knowledge; He that transcends all fear; He whose names and\nfeats, heard and recited, lead to Righteousness (CMXV--CMXXII), He that\nrescues the Righteous from the tempestuous ocean of the world; He that\ndestroys the wicked; He that is Righteousness; He that dispels all evil\ndreams; He that destroys all bad paths for leading His worshippers to the\ngood path of emancipation; He that protects the universe by staying in\nthe attribute of Sattwa; He that walks along the good path; He that is\nLife; He that exists overspreading the universe (CMXXIII--CMXXXI); He\nthat is of infinite forms; He that is endued with infinite prosperity; He\nthat has subdued wrath; He that destroys the fears of the righteous; He\nthat gives just fruits, on every side, to sentient beings according to\ntheir thoughts and acts; He that is immeasurable Soul; He that bestows\ndiverse kinds of fruits on deserving persons for their diverse acts; He\nthat sets diverse commands (on gods and men); He that attaches to every\nact its proper fruit (CMXXXII--CMXL); He that has no beginning; He that\nis the receptacle of all causes as well as of the earth; He that has the\ngoddess of Prosperity ever by his side; He that is the foremost of all\nheroes; He that is adorned with beautiful armlets; He that produces all\ncreatures; He that is the original cause of the birth of all creatures;\nHe that is the terror of all the wicked Asuras; He that is endued with\nterrible prowess (CMXLI--CMXLIX); He that is the receptacle and abode of\nthe five primal elements; He that gulps down His throat all creatures at\nthe time of the universal dissolution; He whose smile is as agreeable as\nthe sight of flowers; (or, He who laughs in the form of flowers); He that\nis always wakeful; He that stays at the head of all creatures; He whose\nconduct consists of those acts which the Righteous do; He that revives\nthe dead (as in the case of Parikshit and others); He that is the initial\nsyllable Om; He that has ordained all righteous acts (CML--CMLVIII); He\nthat displays the truth about the Supreme Soul; He that is the abode of\nthe five life-breaths and the senses; He that is the food which supports\nthe life of living creatures; He that causes all living creatures to live\nwith the aid of the life-breath called Prana; He that is the great topic\nof every system of philosophy; He that is the One Soul in the universe;\nHe that transcends birth, decrepitude, and death (CMLIX--CMLXV); He that\nrescues the universe in consequence of the sacred syllable Bhuh, Bhuvah,\nSwah, and the others with which Homa offerings are made; He that is the\ngreat rescuer; He that is the sire of all; He that is the sire of even\nthe Grandsire (Brahman); He that is of the form of Sacrifice; He that is\nthe Lord of all sacrifices (being the great deity that is adored in\nthem); He that is the sacrificer; He that has sacrifices for his limbs;\nHe that upholds all sacrifices (CMLXVI--CMLXXV); He that protects\nsacrifices; He that has created sacrifices; He that is the foremost of\nall performers of sacrifices; He that enjoys the rewards of all\nsacrifices; He that causes the accomplishment of all sacrifices; He that\ncompletes all sacrifices by accepting the full libation at the end; He\nthat is identical with such sacrifices as are performed without desire of\nfruit; He that is the food which sustains all living creatures; He that\nis also the eater of that food (CMLXXVI--CMLXXXIV); He that is Himself\nthe cause of His existence; He that is self-born; He that penetrated\nthrough the solid earth (and repairing to the nether regions slew\nHiranyaksha and others); He that sings the Samans; He that is the\ndelighter of Devaki; He that is the creator of all; He that is the Lord\nof the earth; He that is the destroyer of the sins of his worshippers\n(CMLXXXV--CMXCII); He that bears the conch (Panchajanya) in His hands;\nHe that bears the sword of knowledge and illusion; He that sets the cycle\nof the Yugas to revolve ceaselessly; He that invests Himself with\nconsciousness and senses; He that is endued with the mace of the most\nsolid understanding. He that is armed with a car-wheel; He that is\nincapable of being agitated; He that is armed with all kinds of weapons\n(CMXCIII--M). Om, salutations to Him!\n\n\"Even thus have I recited to thee, without any exception, the thousand\nexcellent names of the high-souled Kesava whose glory should always be\nsung. That man who hears the names every day or who recites them every\nday, never meets with any evil either here or hereafter. If a Brahmana\ndoes this he succeeds in mastering the Vedanta; if a Kshatriya does it,\nhe becomes always successful in battle. A Vaisya, by doing it, becomes\npossessed of affluence, while a Sudra earns great happiness. If one\nbecomes desirous of earning the merit of righteousness, one succeeds in\nearning it (by hearing or reciting these names). If it is wealth that one\ndesires, one succeeds in earning wealth (by acting in this way). So also\nthe man who wishes for enjoyments of the senses succeeds in enjoying all\nkinds of pleasures, and the man desirous of offspring acquires offspring\n(by pursuing this course of conduct). That man who with devotion and\nperseverance and heart wholly turned towards him, recites these thousand\nnames of Vasudeva every day, after having purified himself, succeeds in\nacquiring great fame, a position of eminence among his kinsmen, enduring\nprosperity, and lastly, that which is of the highest benefit to him\n(viz., emancipation itself). Such a man never meets with fear at any\ntime, and acquires great prowess and energy. Disease never afflicts him;\nsplendour of complexion, strength, beauty, and accomplishments become\nhis. The sick become hale, the afflicted become freed from their\nafflictions; the affrighted become freed from fear, and he that is\nplunged in calamity becomes freed from calamity. The man who hymns the\npraises of that foremost of Beings by reciting His thousand names with\ndevotion succeeds in quickly crossing all difficulties. That mortal who\ntakes refuge in Vasudeva and who becomes devoted to Him, becomes freed of\nall sins and attains to eternal Brahma. They who are devoted to Vasudeva\nhave never to encounter any evil. They become freed from the fear of\nbirth, death, decrepitude, and disease. That man who with devotion and\nfaith recites this hymn (consisting of the thousand names of Vasudeva)\nsucceeds in acquiring felicity of soul, forgiveness of disposition,\nProsperity, intelligence, memory, and fame. Neither wrath, nor jealousy,\nnor cupidity, nor evil understanding ever appears in those men of\nrighteousness who are devoted to that foremost of beings. The firmament\nwith the sun, moon and stars, the welkin, the points of the compass, the\nearth and the ocean, are all held and supported by the prowess of the\nhigh-souled Vasudeva. The whole mobile and immobile universe with the\ndeities, Asuras, and Gandharvas, Yakshas, Uragas and Rakshasas, is under\nthe sway of Krishna. The senses, mind, understanding, life, energy,\nstrength and memory, it has been said, have Vasudeva for their soul.\nIndeed, this body that is called Kshetra, and the intelligent soul\nwithin, that is called the knower of Kshetra, also have Vasudeva for\ntheir soul. Conduct (consisting of practices) is said to be the foremost\nof all topics treated of in the scriptures. Righteousness has conduct for\nits basis. The unfading Vasudeva is said to be the lord of righteousness.\nThe Rishis, the Pitris, the deities, the great (primal) elements, the\nmetals, indeed, the entire mobile and immobile universe, has sprung from\nNarayana. Yoga, the Sankhya Philosophy, knowledge, all mechanical arts,\nthe Vedas, the diverse scriptures, and all learning, have sprung from\nJanardana. Vishnu is the one great element or substance which has spread\nitself out into multifarious forms. Covering the three worlds, He the\nsoul of all things, enjoys them all. His glory knows no diminution, and\nHe it is that is the Enjoyer of the universe (as its Supreme Lord). This\nhymn in praise of the illustrious Vishnu composed by Vyasa, should be\nrecited by that person who wishes to acquire happiness and that which is\nthe highest benefit (viz., emancipation). Those persons that worship and\nadore the Lord of the universe, that deity who is inborn and possessed of\nblazing effulgence, who is the origin or cause of the universe, who knows\non deterioration, and who is endued with eyes that are as large and\nbeautiful as the petals of the lotus, have never to meet with any\ndiscomfiture.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CL\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, O thou of great wisdom, O thou that art\nconversant with all branches of knowledge, what is that subject of silent\nrecitation by reciting which every day one may acquire the merit of\nrighteousness in a large measure? What is that Mantra for recitation\nwhich bestows success if recited on the occasion of setting out on a\njourney or in entering a new building, or at the commencement of any\nundertaking, or on the occasion of sacrifices in honour of the deities or\nof the Pitris? It behoveth thee to tell me what indeed, what Mantra it\nis, which propitiates all malevolent influences, or leads to prosperity\nor growth, or protection from evil, or the destruction of foes, or the\ndispelling of fears, and which, at the same time, is consistent with the\nVedas.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hear, O king, with concentrated attention, what that\nMantra is which was declared by Vyasa. It was ordained by Savitri and is\npossessed of great excellence. It is capable of cleansing a person\nimmediately of all his sins. Hear, O sinless one, as I recite to thee the\nordinances in respect of that Mantra. Indeed, O chief of the sons of\nPandu, by listening to those ordinances, one becomes cleansed of all\none's sins. One who recites this Mantra day and night becomes never\nstained by sin. I shall now declare it to thee what that Mantra is. Do\nthou listen with concentrated attention. Indeed, the man that hears it\nbecomes endued with long life, O prince, and attaining to the fruition of\nall his wishes, sports in felicity both here and hereafter. This Mantra,\nO king, was daily recited by the foremost of royal sages devoted to the\npractice to Kshatriya duties and steadily observant of the vow of truth.\nIndeed, O tiger among kings, those monarchs who, with restrained senses\nand tranquil soul, recite this Mantra every day, succeed in acquiring\nunrivalled prosperity--Salutations to Vasishtha of high vows after having\nbowed with reverence unto Parasara, that Ocean of the Vedas! Salutations\nto the great snake Ananta, and salutations to all those who are crowned\nwith success, and who are of unfading glory! Salutations to the Rishis,\nand unto Him that is the Highest of the High, the god of gods, and the\ngiver of boons unto all those that are foremost. Salutations unto Him of\na thousand heads, Him that is most auspicious, Him that has a thousand\nnames, viz., Janardana! Aja, Ekapada, Ahivradhna, the unvanquished\nPinakin, Rita Pitrirupa, the three-eyed Maheswara, Vrishakapi, Sambhu,\nHavana, and Iswara--these are the celebrated Rudras, eleven in number,\nwho are the lords of all the worlds. Even these eleven high-souled ones\nhave been mentioned as a hundred in the Satarudra (of the Vedas). Ansa,\nBhaga, Mitra, Varuna the lord of waters, Dhatri, Aryaman, Jayanta,\nBhaskara, Tvashtri, Pushan, Indra and Vishnu, are said to comprise a tale\nof twelve. These twelve are called Adityas and they are the sons of\nKasyapa as the Sruti declares. Dhara, Dhruva, Some, Savitra. Anila,\nAnala, Pratyusha, and Prabhava, are the eight Vasus named in the\nscriptures, Nasataya and Dasra are said to be the two Aswins. They are\nthe sons of Martanda born of his spouse Samjna, from whose nostrils they\ncame out. After this I shall recite the names of those who are the\nwitnesses of all acts in the worlds. They take note of all sacrifices, of\nall gifts, of all good acts. Those lords among the deities behold\neverything although they are invisible. Indeed, they behold all the good\nand bad acts of all beings. They are Mrityu, Kala, the Viswedevas, the\nPitris endued with forms, the great Rishis possessed of wealth of\npenances, the Munis, and others crowned with success and devoted to\npenances and emancipation. These of sweet smiles, bestow diverse benefits\nupon those men that recite their names. Verily, endued with celestial\nenergy, they bestow diverse regions of felicity created by the Grandsire\nupon such men. They reside in all the worlds and attentively note all\nacts. By reciting the names of those lords of all living creatures, one\nalways becomes endued with righteousness and wealth and enjoyments in\ncopious measure. One acquires hereafter diverse regions of auspiciousness\nand felicity created by the Lord of the universe. These three and thirty\ndeities, who are the lords of all beings as also Nandiswara of huge body,\nand that pre-eminent one who has the bull for the device on his banner,\nand those masters of all the worlds, viz., the followers and associates\nof him called Ganeswara, and those called Saumyas, and called the Rudras,\nand those called the Yogas, and those that are known as the Bhutas, and\nthe luminaries in the firmament, the Rivers, the sky, the prince of birds\n(viz., Garuda), all those persons on earth who have become crowned with\nsuccess in consequence of their penances and who are existing in an\nimmobile or mobile form, the Himavat, all the mountains, the four Oceans,\nthe followers and associates of Bhava who are possessed of prowess equal\nto that of Bhava himself, the illustrious and ever-victorious Vishnu, and\nSkanda, and Ambika,--these are the great souls by reciting whose name\nwith restrained senses, one becomes cleansed of all sins. After this I\nshall recite the names of those foremost Rishis who are known as Manavas.\nThey are Yavakrita, and Raibhya, and Arvavasu, and Paravasu, and Aushija,\nand Kakshivat, and Vala the son of Angiras. Then comes Kanwa the son of\nthe Rishi Medhatithi, and Varishada. All these are endued with the energy\nof Brahma and have been spoken of (in the scriptures) as creators of the\nuniverse. They have sprung from Rudra and Anala and the Vasus. By\nreciting their names people obtain great benefits. Indeed, by doing good\ndeeds on earth, people sport in joy in heaven, with the deities. These\nRishis are the priests of Indra. They live in the east. That man who,\nwith rapt attention, recites the names of these Rishis, succeeds in\nascending to the regions of Indra and obtaining great honours there.\nUnmachu, Pramchu, Swastyatreya of great energy, Dridhavya, Urdhvavahu,\nTrinasoma, Angiras, and Agastya of great energy, the son of\nMitravaruna,--these seven are the Ritwiks of Yama the king of the dead,\nand dwell in the southern quarter. Dridheyu and Riteyu, and Pariyadha of\ngreat fame, and Ekata, and Dwita, and Trita--the last three endued with\nsplendour like that of the sun,--and Atri's son of righteous soul, viz.,\nthe Rishi Saraswata,--these seven who had acted as Ritwiks in the great\nsacrifice of Varuna--have taken up their abodes in the western quarter.\nAtri, the illustrious Vasishtha, the great Rishi Kasyapa, Gotama,\nBharadwaja, Viswamitra, the son of Kusika, and Richika's fierce son\nJamadagni of great energy,--these seven are the Ritwiks of the Lord of\ntreasures and dwell in the northern quarter. There are seven other Rishis\nthat live in all directions without being confined to any particular one.\nThey, it is, who are the inducers of fame and of all this beneficial to\nmen, and they have been sung as the creators of the worlds. Dharma, Kama,\nKala, Vasu, Vasuki, Ananta, and Kapila,--these seven are the upholders of\nthe world. Rama, Vyasa, Drona's son Aswatthaman, are the other Rishis\n(that are regarded as the foremost). These are the great Rishis as\ndistributed into seven groups, each group consisting of seven. They are\nthe creators of that peace and good that men enjoy. They are said to be\nthe Regents of the several points of the compass. One should turn one's\nface to that direction in which one of these Rishis live if one wishes to\nworship him. Those Rishis are the creators of all creatures and have been\nregarded as the cleansers of all. Samvarta, Merusavarna, the righteous\nMarkandeya, and Sankhya and Yoga, and Narada and the great Rishi\nDurvasa,--these are endued with severe penance and great self-restraint,\nand are celebrated over the three worlds. There are others who are equal\nto Rudra himself. They live in the region of Brahman. By naming them with\nreverence a sonless man obtains a son, and a poor man obtains wealth.\nIndeed, by naming them, one acquires success in religion, and wealth and\npleasure. One should also take the name of that celebrated king who was\nEmperor of all the earth and equal to a Prajapati, viz., that foremost of\nmonarchs, Prithu, the son of Vena. The earth became his daughter (from\nlove and affection). One should also name Pururavas of the Solar race and\nequal unto Mahendra himself in prowess. He was the son of Ila and\ncelebrated over the three worlds. One should, indeed, take the name of\nthat dear son of Vudha. One should also take the name of Bharata, that\nhero celebrated over the three worlds. He also who in the Krita age\nadored the gods in a grand Gomedha sacrifice, viz., Rantideva of great\nsplendour, who was equal unto Mahadeva himself, should be named. Endued\nwith penances, possessed of every auspicious mark, the source of every\nkind of benefit to the world, he was the conqueror of the universes. One\nshould also take the name of the royal sage Sweta of illustrious fame. He\nhad gratified the great Mahadeva and it was for his sake that Andhaka was\nslain. One should also take the name of the royal sage Bhagiratha of\ngreat fame, who, through the grace of Mahadeva, succeeded in bringing\ndown the sacred river from heaven (for flowing over the earth and\ncleansing all human beings of their sins). It was Bhagiratha who caused\nthe ashes of the sixty thousand sons of Sagara to be overflowed with the\nsacred waters of Ganga and thereby rescued them from their sin. Indeed,\none should take the names of all these that were endued with the blazing\neffulgence of fire, great beauty of person, and high energy. Some of them\nwere of awe-inspiring forms and great might. Verily, one should take the\nnames of these deities and Rishis and kings, those lords of the\nuniverse,--who are enhancers of fame. Sankhya, and Yoga which is highest\nof the high, and Havya and Kavya and that refuge of all the Srutis, viz.,\nSupreme Brahma, have been declared to be the sources of great benefit to\nall creatures. These are sacred and sin-cleansing and have been spoken of\nvery highly. These are the foremost of medicines for allaying all\ndiseases, and are the inducers of the success in respect of all deeds.\nRestraining one's senses, one should, O Bharata, take the names of these,\nmorning and evening. It is these that protect. It is these that shower\nrain. It is these that shine and give light and heat. It is these that\nblow. It is these that create all things. These are regarded as the\nforemost of all, as the leaders of the universe, as highly clever in the\naccomplishment of all things, as endued with forgiveness, as complete\nmasters of the senses. Indeed, it has been said that they dispel all the\nevils to which human beings are subject. These high-souled ones are the\nwitnesses of all good and bad deeds. Rising up in the morning one should\ntake their names, for by this, one is sure to acquire all that is good.\nHe who takes the names of them becomes freed from the fear of fires and\nof thieves. Such a man never finds his way obstructed by any impediment.\nBy taking the names of these high-souled ones, one becomes free from bad\ndreams of every kind. Cleared from every sin, such men take birth in\nauspicious families. That regenerate person who, with restrained senses,\nrecites these names on the occasions of performing the initiatory rites\nof sacrifices and other religious observances, becomes, as the\nconsequence thereof, endued with righteousness, devoted to the study of\nthe soul, possessed of forgiveness and self-restraint, and free from\nmalice. If a man that is afflicted with disease recites them, he becomes\nfreed from his sin in the form of disease. By reciting them within a\nhouse, all evils are dispelled from the inmates. By reciting them within\na field, the growth is helped of all kinds of crops. Reciting them at the\ntime of setting out on a journey, or while one is away from one's home,\none meets with good fortune. These names lead to the protection of one's\nown self, of one's children and spouses, of one's wealth, and of one's\nseeds, and plants. The Kshatriya who recites these names at the time of\njoining a battle sees destruction overtake his foes and good fortune\ncrown him and his party. The man who recites these names on the occasions\nof performing the rites in honour of the deities or the Pitris, helps the\nPitris and deities eat the sacrificial Havya and Kavya. The man that\nrecites them becomes freed from fear of diseases and beasts of prey, of\nelephants and thieves. His load of anxiety becomes lightened, and he\nbecomes freed from every sin. By reciting these excellent Savitri Mantras\non board a vessel, or in a vehicle, or in the courts of kings, one\nattains to high success. There where these Mantras are recited, fire does\nnot burn wood. There children do not die, nor snakes dwell. Indeed, at\nsuch places, there can be no fear of the king, nor of Pisachas and\nRakshasas.[607] Verily, the man who recites these Mantras ceases to have\nany fear of fire or water or wind or beasts of prey. These Savitri\nMantras, recited duly, contribute to the peace and well-being of all the\nfour orders. Those men who recite them with reverence become freed from\nevery sorrow and at last attain to a high end. Even these are the results\nachieved by them that recite these Savitri Mantras which are of the form\nof Brahma. That man who recites these Mantras in the midst of kine sees\nhis kine become fruitful. Whether when setting out on a journey, or\nentering a house on coming back, one should recite these Mantras on every\noccasion. These Mantras constitute a great mystery of the Rishis and are\nthe very highest of those which they silently recite. Even such are these\nMantras unto them who practise the duty of recitation and pour libations\non the sacrificial fire. This that I have said unto thee is the excellent\nopinion of Parasara. It was recited in former days unto Sakra himself.\nRepresenting as it does Truth or Eternal Brahman, I have declared it in\nfull to thee. It constitutes that heart of all creatures, and is the\nhighest Sruti. All the princes of the race of Soma and of Surya, viz.,\nthe Raghavas and the Kauravas, recite these Mantras every day after\nhaving purified themselves, These constitute the highest end of human\ncreatures. There is rescue from every trouble and calamity in the daily\nrecitation of the names of the deities of the seven Rishis, and of\nDhruva. Indeed, such recitation speedily frees one from distress. The\nsages of olden times, viz., Kasyapa, Gotama, and others, and Bhrigu\nAngiras and Atri and others, and Sukra, Agastya, and Vrihaspati, and\nothers, all of whom are regenerate Rishis, have adored these Mantras.\nApproved of by the son of Bharadwaja, these Mantras were attained by the\nsons of Richika. Verily, having acquired them again from Vasishtha, Sakra\nand the Vasus went forth to battle and succeeded in subjugating the\nDanavas. That man who makes a present of a hundred kine with their horns\ncovered with plates of gold unto a Brahmana possessed of much learning\nand well-conversant with the Vedas, and he who causes the excellent\nBharata story to be recited in his house every day, are said to acquire\nequal merits. By reciting the name of Bhrigu one's righteousness becomes\nenhanced. By bowing to Vasishtha one's energy become enhanced. By bowing\nunto Raghu, one becomes victorious in battle. By reciting the praises of\nthe Aswins, one becomes freed from diseases. I have thus, O king, told\nthee of the Savitri Mantras which are identical with eternal Brahman. If\nthou wishest to question me on any other topic thou mayst do so. I shall,\nO Bharata, answer thee.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLI\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Who deserve to be worshipped? Who are they unto whom\nwe should bow? How, indeed, should we behave towards whom? What course of\nconduct, O grandsire, towards what classes of persons is regarded\nfaultless?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The humiliation of Brahmanas would humiliate the very\ndeities. By bowing unto Brahmanas one does not, O Yudhishthira, incur any\nfault. They deserve to be worshipped. They deserve to have our\nsalutations. Thou shouldst behave towards them as if they are thy sons.\nIndeed, it is those men endued with great wisdom that uphold all the\nworlds. The Brahmanas are the great causeways of Righteousness in respect\nof all the worlds. Their happiness consists in renouncing all kinds of\nwealth. They are devoted to the vow of restraining speech. They are\nagreeable to all creatures, and observant of diverse excellent vows. They\nare the refuge of all creatures in the universe. They are the authors of\nall the regulations which govern the worlds. They are possessed of great\nfame. Penances are always their great wealth. Their power consists in\nspeech. Their energy flows from the duties they observe. Conversant with\nall duties, they are possessed of minute vision, so that they are\ncognizant of the subtlest considerations. They are of righteous desires.\nThey live the observance of well-performed duties. They are the causeways\nof Righteousness. The four kinds of living creatures exist, depending\nupon them as their refuge. They are the path or road along which all\nshould go. They are the guides of all. They are the eternal upholders of\nall the sacrifices. They always uphold the heavy burdens of sires and\ngrandsires. They never droop under heavy weights even when passing along\ndifficult roads like strong cattle. They are attentive to the\nrequirements of Pitris and deities and guests. They are entitled to eat\nthe first portions of Havya and Kavya. By the very food they eat, they\nrescue the three worlds from great fear. They are as it were, the Island\n(for refuge) for all worlds. They are the eyes of all persons endued with\nsight. The wealth they possess consists of all the branches of knowledge\nknown by the name of Siksha and all the Srutis. Endued with great skill,\nthey are conversant with the most subtle relations of things. They are\nwell-acquainted with the end of all things, and their thoughts are always\nemployed upon the science of the soul. They are endued with the knowledge\nof the beginning, the middle, and the end of all things, and they are\npersons in whom doubts no longer exist in consequence of feeling certain\nof their knowledge. They are fully aware of the distinctions between what\nis superior and what is inferior. They it is who attain to the highest\nend. Freed from all attachments, cleansed of all sins, transcending all\npairs of opposites (such as heat and cold, happiness and misery, etc.),\nthey are unconnected with all worldly things. Deserving of every honour,\nthey are always held in great esteem by persons endued with knowledge and\nhigh souls. They cast equal eyes on sandal-paste and filth or dirt, on\nwhat is food and what is not food. They see with an equal eye their brown\nvestments of coarse cloth and fabrics of silk and animal skins. They\nwould live for many days together without eating any food, and dry up\ntheir limbs by such abstention from all sustenance. They devote\nthemselves earnestly to the study of the Vedas, restraining their senses.\nThey would make gods of those that are not gods, and not gods of those\nthat are gods. Enraged, they can create other worlds and other Regents of\nthe worlds than those that exist. Through the course of those high-souled\nones, the ocean became so saline as to be undrinkable. The fire of their\nwrath yet burns in the forest of Dandaka, unquenched by time. They are\nthe gods of the gods, and the cause of all cause. They are the authority\nof all authorities. What man of intelligence and wisdom is there that\nwould seek to humiliate them? Amongst them the young and the old all\ndeserve honours. They honour one another (not in consequence of\ndistinctions of age but) in consequence of distinctions in respect of\npenances and knowledge. Even the Brahmana that is destitute of knowledge\nis a god and is a high instrument for cleansing others. He amongst them,\nthen, that is possessed of knowledge is a much higher god and like unto\nthe ocean when full (to the brim). Learned or unlearned, Brahmana is\nalways a high deity. Sanctified or unsanctified (with the aid of\nMantras), Fire is ever a great deity. A blazing fire even when it burns\non a crematorium, is not regarded as tainted in consequence of the\ncharacter of the spot whereon it burns. Clarified butter looks beautiful\nwhether kept on the sacrificial altar or in a chamber. So, if a Brahmana\nbe always engaged in evil acts, he is still to be regarded as deserving\nof honour. Indeed, know that the Brahmana is always a high deity.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell us, O king, what is that reward attached to the\nworship of Brahmanas, seeing which thou worshippest them, O thou of\nsuperior intelligence! Indeed, what is that success, flowing from their\nworship, guided by which thou worshippest them?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"In this connection is cited this old narrative of a\nconversation between Pavana and Arjuna, O Bharata! Endued with a thousand\narms and great beauty the mighty Kartavirya, in days of yore, became the\nlord of all the world. He had his capital in the city of Mahishmati. Of\nunbaffled prowess, that chief of the Haihaya race of Kshatriyas swayed\nthe whole earth with her belt of seas, together with all her islands and\nall her precious mines of gold and gems. Keeping before him the duties of\nthe Kshatriya order, as also humility and Vedic knowledge, the king made\nlarge gifts of wealth unto the Rishi Dattatreya. Indeed, the son of\nKritavirya thus adored the great ascetic who, becoming pleased with him,\nasked him to solicit three boons. Thus requested by the Rishi in respect\nof boons, the king addressed him, saying, 'Let me become endued with a\nthousand arms when I am in the midst of my troops. While, however, I\nremain at home let me have, as usual only two arms! Indeed, let\ncombatants, when engaged in battle, behold me possessed of a thousand\narms, observant also of high vows, let me succeed in subjugating the\nwhole earth by dint of my prowess. Having acquired the earth righteously,\nlet me sway her with vigilance. There is a fourth boon which, O foremost\nof regenerate persons, I solicit thee to grant. O faultless one, in\nconsequence of the disposition to favour me, it behoveth thee to grant it\nto me. Dependent that I am on thee, whenever I may happen to go wrong,\nlet the righteous come forth to instruct and set me right!' Thus\naddressed, the Brahmana replied unto the king, saying, 'So let it be!'\nEven thus were those boons acquired by that king of blazing effulgence.\nRiding then on his car whose splendour resembled that of fire or the Sun,\nthe monarch, blinded by his great prowess, said, 'Who, indeed, is there\nthat can be regarded as my equal in patience and energy, in fame and\nheroism, in prowess and strength?' After he had uttered these words, an\ninvisible voice in the welkin said, 'O ignorant wretch, dost thou not\nknow that the Brahmana is superior to the Kshatriya? The Kshatriya,\nassisted by the Brahmana rules all creatures!'\n\n\"'\"Arjuna said, 'When gratified, I am able to create many creatures. When\nangry, I am able to destroy all. In thought, word, and deed, I am the\nforemost. The Brahmana is certainly not above me! The first proposition\nhere is that the Brahmana is superior to the Kshatriya. The\ncounter-proposition is that the Kshatriya is superior. Thou hast said, O\ninvisible being that the two are united together (in the act upon which\nthe Kshatriya's superiority is sought to be based). A distinction,\nhowever, is observable in this. It is seen that Brahmanas take refuge\nwith Kshatriyas. The Kshatriyas never seek the refuge of Brahmanas.\nIndeed, throughout the earth, the Brahmanas, accepting such refuge under\nthe pretence of teaching the Vedas, draw their sustenance from the\nKshatriyas. The duty of protecting all creatures is vested in Kshatriyas.\nIt is from the Kshatriyas that the Brahmanas derive their sustenance. How\nthen can the Brahmana be superior to the Kshatriyas? Well, I shall from\ntoday, bring under my subjection, your Brahmanas who are superior to all\ncreatures but who have mendicancy for their occupation and who are so\nself-conceited! What the virgin Gayatri has said from the welkin is not\ntrue. Robed in skins, the Brahmanas move about in independence. I shall\nbring those independent wights under my subjection. Deity or man, there\nis none in the three worlds who can hurl me from the sovereignty I enjoy.\nHence, I am certainly superior to the Brahmanas. This world that is now\nregarded as having Brahmanas for its foremost denizens shall soon be made\nsuch as to have Kshatriyas for its foremost denizens. There is none that\nis capable of bearing my might in battle!' Hearing these words of Arjuna,\nthe welkin-ranging goddess became agitated. Then the god of wind,\naddressing the king from the sky, said, 'Cast off this sinful attitude.\nBow unto the Brahmanas. By injuring them thou wilt bring about troubles\non thy kingdom. The Brahmanas will either slay thee, king though thou\nart, or, endued with great might that they are, they will drive thee away\nfrom thy kingdom, despoiling thee of thy energy!' The king, hearing this\nspeech, addressed the speaker, saying, 'Who, indeed, art thou?' The god of\nwind answered, 'I am the god of wind and the messenger of the deities! I\nsay unto thee what is for thy benefit.'\n\n\"'\"Arjuna said, 'Oh, I see that thou hast today shown thy devotion and\nattachment to the Brahmanas. Tell me now what kind of earthly creature is\nthe Brahmana! Tell me, does a superior Brahmana resemble the Wind in any\nrespect? Or, is he like Water, or Fire, or the Sun, or the Firmament?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIII\n\n\"'\"The god of wind said, 'Hear, O deluded man, what the attributes are that\nbelong to Brahmanas all of whom are endued with high souls. The Brahmana\nis superior to all those which, O king, thou hast named! In days of yore,\nthe earth, indulging in a spirit of rivalry with the king of the Angas,\nforsook her character as Earth. The regenerate Kasyapa caused destruction\nto overtake her by actually paralysing her. The Brahmanas are always\nunconquerable, O king, in heaven as also on earth. In days of yore, the\ngreat Rishi Angiras, through his energy, drank off all the waters. The\nhigh-souled Rishi, having drank off all the waters as if they were milk,\ndid not feel yet his thirst to be slaked. He, therefore, once more caused\nthe earth to be filled with water by raising a mighty wave. On another\noccasion, when Angiras became enraged with me, I fled away, leaving the\nworld, and dwelt for a long time concealed in the Agnihotra of the\nBrahmanas through fear of that Rishi. The illustrious Purandara, in\nconsequence of his having coveted the body of Ahalya, was cursed by\nGautama, yet, for the sake of Righteousness and wealth, the Rishi did not\ndestroy outright the chief of the deities. The Ocean, O king, that was\nfull in former days of crystal water, cursed by the Brahmanas, became\nsaline in taste.[608] Even Agni who is of the complexion of gold, and who\nblazes with effulgence when destitute of smoke, and whose flames uniting\ntogether burn upwards, when cursed by the angry Angiras, became divested\nof all these attributes.[609] Behold, the sixty thousand sons of Sagara,\nwho came here to adore the Ocean, have all been pulverised by the\nBrahmana, Kapila of golden complexion. Thou art not equal to the\nBrahmanas. Do thou, O king, seek thy own good. The Kshatriya of even\ngreat puissance bows to Brahmana children that are still in their\nmothers' wombs. The large kingdom of the Dandakas was destroyed by a\nBrahmana. The mighty Kshatriya Talajangala was destroyed by a single\nBrahmana, viz., Aurva. Thou too hast acquired a large kingdom, great\nmight, religious merit, and learning, which are all difficult of\nattainment, through the grace of Dattatreya. Why dost thou, O Arjuna,\nworship Agni everyday who is a Brahmana? He is the bearer of sacrificial\nlibations from every part of the universe. Art thou ignorant of this\nfact? Why, indeed, dost thou suffer thyself to be stupefied by folly when\nthou art not ignorant of the fact that a superior Brahmana is the\nprotector of all creatures in the world and is, indeed, the creator of\nthe living world? The Lord of all creatures, Brahman, unmanifest, endued\nwith puissance, and of unfading glory, who created this boundless\nuniverse with its mobile and immobile creatures (is a Brahman). Some\npersons there are, destitute of wisdom, who say that Brahman was born of\nan Egg. From the original Egg, when it burst forth, mountains and the\npoints of the compass and the waters and the earth and the heavens all\nsprang forth into existence. This birth of the creation was not seen by\nany one. How then can Brahman be said to have taken his birth from the\noriginal Egg, when especially he is declared as Unborn? It is said that\nvast uncreate Space is the original Egg. It was from this uncreate Space\n(or Supreme Brahman) that the Grandsire was born. If thou askest,\n\"Whereon would the Grandsire, after his birth from uncreate Space, rest,\nfor there was then nothing else?\" The answer may be given in the\nfollowing words, \"There is an existent Being of the name of\nConsciousness. That mighty Being is endued with great energy. There is no\nEgg. Brahman, however, is existent. He is the creator of the universe and\nis its king!\" Thus addressed by the god of wind, king Arjuna remained\nsilent.'\"'\"[610]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIV\n\n\"'\"The god of wind said, 'Once on a time, O king, a ruler of the name of\nAnga desired to give away the whole earth as sacrificial present unto the\nBrahmanas. At this, the earth became filled with anxiety. \"I am the\ndaughter of Brahman. I hold all creatures. Having obtained me, alas, why\ndoes this foremost of kings wish to give me away unto the Brahmanas?\nAbandoning my character as the soil, I shall now repair to the presence\nof my sire. Let this king with all his kingdom meet with destruction.\"\nArrived at this conclusion, she departed for the region of Brahman. The\nRishi Kasyapa, beholding goddess Earth on the point of departing, himself\nimmediately entered the visible embodiment of the goddess, casting off\nhis own body, by the aid of Yoga. The earth thus penetrated by the spirit\nof Kasyapa, grew in prosperity and became full of all kinds of vegetable\nproduce. Indeed, O king for the time that Kasyapa pervaded the earth,\nRighteousness became foremost everywhere and all fears ceased. In this\nway, O king, the earth remained penetrated by the spirit of Kasyapa for\nthirty thousand celestial years, fully alive to all those functions which\nit used to discharge while it was penetrated by the spirit of Brahman's\ndaughter. Upon the expiry of this period, the goddess returned from the\nregion of Brahman and arrived here bowed unto Kasyapa and from that time\nbecame the daughter of that Rishi. Kasyapa is a Brahmana. Even this was\nthe feat, O king, that a Brahmana did. Tell me the name of the Kshatriya\nwho can be held to be superior to Kasyapa!' Hearing these words, king\nArjuna remained silent. Unto him the god of wind once more said, 'Hear\nnow, O king, the story of Utathya who was born in the race of Angiras.\nThe daughter of Soma, named Bhadra, came to be regarded as unrivalled in\nbeauty. Her sire Soma regarded Utathya to be the fittest of husbands for\nher. The famous and highly blessed maiden of faultless limbs, observing\ndiverse vows, underwent the severest austerities from the desire of\nobtaining Utathya for her lord. After a while, Soma's father Atri,\ninviting Utathya to his house, bestowed upon him the famous maiden.\nUtathya, who used to give away sacrificial presents in copious measure,\nduly received the girl for his wife. It so happened, however, that the\nhandsome Varuna had, from a long time before, coveted the girl. Coming to\nthe woods where Utathya dwelt, Varuna stole away the girl when she had\nplunged into the Yamuna for a bath. Abducting her thus, the Lord of the\nwaters took her to his own abode. That mansion was of a wonderful aspect.\nIt was adorned with six hundred thousand lakes. There is no mansion that\ncan be regarded more beautiful than that palace of Varuna. It was adorned\nwith many palaces and by the presence of diverse tribes of Apsaras and of\ndiverse excellent articles of enjoyment. There, within that palace, the\nLord of waters, O king, sported with the damsel. A little while after,\nthe fact of the ravishment of his wife was reported to Utathya. Indeed,\nhaving heard all the facts from Narada, Utathya addressed the celestial\nRishi, saying, \"Go, O Narada, unto Varuna and speak with due severity\nunto him. Ask him as to why he has abducted my wife, and, indeed, tell\nhim in my name that he should yield her up. Thou mayst say to him\nfurther, 'Thou are a protector of the worlds, O Varuna, and not a\ndestroyer! Why then hast thou abducted Utathya's wife bestowed upon him\nby Soma?'\" Thus requested by Utathya, the celestial Rishi Narada repaired\nto where Varuna was and addressing him, said, \"Do thou set free the wife\nof Utathya. Indeed, why hast thou abducted her?\" Hearing these words of\nNarada, Varuna replied unto him, saying, \"This timid girl is exceedingly\ndear to me. I dare not let her go!\" Receiving this reply, Narada repaired\nto Utathya and cheerlessly said, \"O great ascetic, Varuna has driven me\nout from his house, seizing me by the throat. He is unwilling to restore\nto thee thy spouse. Do thou act as thou pleasest.\" Hearing these words of\nNarada, Angiras became inflamed with wrath. Endued with wealth of\npenances, he solidified the waters and drank them off, aided by his\nenergy. When all the waters were thus drunk off, the Lord of that element\nbecame very cheerless with all his friends and kinsfolk. For all that, he\ndid not still give up Utathya's wife. Then Utathya, that foremost of\nregenerate persons, filled with wrath, commanded Earth, saying, \"O\namiable one, do thou show land where there are at present the six hundred\nthousand lakes.\" At these words of the Rishi, the Ocean receded from the\nspot indicated, and land appeared which was exceedingly sterile. Unto the\nrivers that flowed through that region, Utathya said, \"O Saraswati, do\nthou become invisible here. Indeed, O timid lady, leaving this region, go\nthou to the desert! O auspicious goddess, let this region, destitute of\nthee, cease to become sacred.\" When that region (in which the lord of\nwaters dwelt) became dry, he repaired to Angiras, taking with him\nUtathya's spouse, and made her over to him. Getting back his wife,\nUtathya became cheerful. Then, O chief of the Haihaya race, that great\nBrahmana rescued both the universe and the Lord of waters from the\nsituation of distress into which he had brought them. Conversant with\nevery duty, the Rishi Utathya of great energy, after getting back his\nspouse, O king, said so unto Varuna, \"I have recovered my wife, O Lord of\nwaters, with the aid of my penances and after inflicting such distress on\nthee as made thee cry aloud in anguish!\" Having said this, he went home,\nwith that wife of his. Even such, O king, was Utathya, that foremost of\nBrahmanas. Shall I go on? Or, will you yet persist in thy opinion? What,\nis there a Kshatriya that is superior to Utathya?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed, king Arjuna remained silent. The god of\nwind once more spoke to him, 'Listen now, O king, to the story of the\ngreatness of the Brahmana Agastya. Once on a time, the gods were\nsubjugated by the Asuras upon which they became very cheerless. The\nsacrifices of the deities were all seized, and the Swadha of the Pitris\nwas also misappropriated. Indeed, O Chief of the Haihayas, all the\nreligious acts and observances of human beings also were suspended by the\nDanavas. Divested of their prosperity, the deities wandered over the\nearth as we have heard. One day, in course of their wandering they met\nAgastya of high vows, that Brahmana, O king, who was endued with great\nenergy and splendour which was as blazing as that of the sun. Saluting\nhim duly, the deities made the usual enquiries of politeness. They then,\nO King, said these words unto that high-souled one, \"We have been\ndefeated by the Danavas in battle and have, therefore, fallen off from\naffluence and prosperity. Do thou, therefore, O foremost of ascetics,\nrescue us from this situation of great fear.\" Thus informed of the plight\nto which the deities had been reduced, Agastya became highly incensed\n(with the Danavas). Possessed of great energy, he at once blazed forth\nlike the all-consuming fire at the time of the universal dissolution.\nWith the blazing rays that then emanated from the Rishi, the Danavas\nbegan to be burnt. Indeed, O king, thousands of them began to drop down\nfrom the sky. Burning with the energy of Agastya, the Danavas, abandoning\nboth heaven and earth, fled towards the southern direction. At that time\nthe Danava king Vali was performing a Horse-sacrifice in the nether\nregions. Those great Asuras who were with him in those regions or who\nwere dwelling in the bowels of the earth, were not burnt. The deities,\nupon the destruction of their foes, then regained their own regions,\ntheir fears entirely dispelled. Encouraged by what he accomplished for\nthem, they then solicited the Rishi to destroy those Asuras who had taken\nrefuge within the bowels of the earth or in the nether regions. Thus\nsolicited by the gods, Agastya replied unto them, saying, \"Yes, I am\nfully competent to consume those Asuras that are dwelling underneath the\nearth; but if I achieve such a feat, my penances will suffer a\ndiminution. Hence, I shall not exert my power.\" Even thus, O king, were\nthe Danavas consumed by the illustrious Rishi with his own energy. Even\nthus did Agastya of cleansed soul, O monarch, accomplish that feat with\nthe aid of his penances. O sinless one, even so was Agastya as described\nby me! Shall I continue? Or, will you say anything in reply? Is there any\nKshatriya who is greater than Agastya?'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed, king Arjuna remained silent. The god\nof wind once more said, 'Hear, O king, one of the great feats of the\nillustrious Vasishtha. Once on a time the deities were engaged in\nperforming a sacrifice on the shores of the lake Vaikhanasa. Knowing of\nhis puissance, the sacrificing gods thought of Vasishtha and made him\ntheir priest in imagination. Meanwhile, seeing the gods reduced and\nemaciated in consequence of the Diksha they were undergoing, a race of\nDanavas, of the name of Khalins, of statures as gigantic as mountains,\ndesired to slay them. Those amongst the Danavas that were either disabled\nor slain in the fight were plunged into the waters of the Manasa lake and\nin consequence of the boon of the Grandsire they instantly came back to\nvigour and life. Taking up huge and terrible mountain summits and maces\nand trees, they agitated the waters of the lake, causing them to swell up\nto the height of a hundred yojanas. They then ran against the deities\nnumbering ten thousand. Afflicted by the Danavas, the gods then sought\nthe protection of their chief, Vasava. Sakra, however, was soon afflicted\nby them. In his distress he sought the protection of Vasishtha. At this,\nthe holy Rishi Vasishtha assured the deities, dispelling their fears.\nUnderstanding that the gods had become exceedingly cheerless, the ascetic\ndid this through compassion. He put forth his energy and burnt, without\nany exertion, those Danavas called Khalins. Possessed of wealth of\npenances, the Rishi brought the River Ganga, who had gone to Kailasa, to\nthat spot. Indeed, Ganga appeared, piercing through the waters of the\nlake. The lake was penetrated by that river. And as that celestial\nstream, piercing through the waters of the lake, appeared, it flowed on,\nunder the name of Sarayu. The place whereon those Danavas fell came to be\ncalled after them. Even thus were the denizens of Heaven, with Indra at\ntheir head, rescued from great distress by Vasishtha, It was thus that\nthose Danavas, who had received boons from Brahman, were slain by that\nhigh-souled Rishi. O sinless one, I have narrated to thee the feat which\nVasishtha accomplished. Shall I go on? Or, will you say anything! Was\nthere a Kshatriya who could be said to surpass the Brahmana Vasishtha?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed, Arjuna remained silent. The god of wind\nonce more addressed him, saying, 'Hear me, O foremost one of the\nHaihayas, as I narrate to thee the achievement of the high-souled Atri.\nOnce on a time as the gods and Danavas were fighting each other in the\ndark, Rahu pierced both Surya and Soma with his arrows. The gods,\noverwhelmed by darkness, began to fall before the mighty Danavas, O\nforemost of kings! Repeatedly struck by the Asuras, the denizens of\nheaven began to lose their strength. They then beheld the learned\nBrahmana Atri, endued with wealth of penances, engaged in the observance\nof austerities. Addressing that Rishi who had conquered all his senses\nand in whom wrath had been extinguished, they said \"Behold, O Rishi,\nthese two, viz., Soma and Surya, who have both been pierced by the Asuras\nwith their arrows! In consequence of this, darkness has overtaken us, and\nwe are being struck down by the foe. We do not see the end of our\ntroubles! Do thou, O lord of great puissance, rescue us from this great\nfear.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Rishi said, \"How, indeed, shall I protect you?\" They answered,\nsaying, \"Do thou thyself become Chandramas. Do thou also become the sun,\nand do thou begin to slay these robbers!\" Thus solicited by them, Atri\nassumed the form of the darkness-destroying Soma. Indeed, in consequence\nof his agreeable disposition, he began to look as handsome and delightful\nas Soma himself. Beholding that the real Soma and the real Surya had\nbecome darkened by the shafts of the foe, Atri, assuming the forms of\nthose luminaries, began to shine forth in splendour over the field of\nbattle, aided by the puissance of his penances. Verily Atri made the\nuniverse blaze forth in light, dispelling all its darkness. By putting\nforth his puissance, he also subjugated the vast multitudes of those\nenemies of the deities. Beholding those great Asuras burnt by Atri, the\ngods also, protected by Atri's energy, began to despatch them quickly.\nPutting forth his prowess and mastering all his energy, it was even in\nthis way that Atri illumined the god of day, rescued the deities, and\nslew the Asuras! Even this was the feat that regenerate one, aided by his\nsacred fire,--that silent reciter of Mantras, that one clad in\ndeer-skins,--accomplished! Behold, O royal sage, that act achieved by\nthat Rishi who subsisted upon fruits only! I have thus narrated to thee,\nin detail, the feat of the high-souled Atri. Shall I go on? Or, will you\nsay anything? Is there a Kshatriya that is superior to this regenerate\nRishi?'\n\n\"'\"Thus addressed, Arjuna remained silent. The god of wind once more spake\nunto him, 'Hear, O king, the feat achieved by the high-souled Chyavana\n(in days of old). Having passed his promise to the twin Aswins, Chyavana\naddressed the chastiser of Paka, saying, \"Do thou make the Aswins\ndrinkers of Soma with all other deities!\"\n\n\"'\"'Indra said, \"The Aswins have been cast away by us. How then, can they\nbe admitted into the sacrificial circle for drinking Soma with the others?\nThey are not numbered with the deities. Do not, therefore, tell us so! O\nthou of great vows, we do not wish to drink Soma in the company of the\nAswins. Whatever other behest thou mayst be pleased to utter, O learned\nBrahmana, we are ready to accomplish.\"\n\n\"'\"'Chyavana said, \"The twin Aswins shall drink Soma with all of you! Both\nof them are gods, O chief of the deities, for they are the sons of Surya.\nLet the gods do what I have said. By acting according to those words, the\ngods will reap great advantage. By acting otherwise, evil will overtake\nthem.\"\n\n\"'\"'Indra said, \"I shall not, O foremost of regenerate persons, drink Soma\nwith the Aswins! Let others drink with them as they please! As regards\nmyself, I dare not do it.\"\n\n\"'\"'Chyavana said, \"If, O slayer of Vala, thou wilt not obey my words, thou\nshalt, this very day, drink Soma with them in sacrifice, compelled by me!\"\n\n\"'\"The god of wind said, 'Then Chyavana, taking the Aswins with him,\ncommenced a great religious rite for their benefit. The gods all became\nstupefied by Chyavana with his Mantras. Beholding that feat commenced by\nChyavana, Indra became incensed with wrath. Taking up a huge mountain he\nran against that Rishi. The chief of the deities was also armed with the\nthunderbolt. Then the illustrious Chyavana, endued with penances, cast an\nangry glance upon Indra as he advanced. Throwing a little water at him,\nhe paralysed the chief of the deities with his thunderbolt and mountain.\nAs the result of the religious rite he had commenced, he created a\nterrible Asura hostile to Indra. Made of the libations he had poured on\nthe sacred fire, that Asura was called Mada, of mouth gaping wide. Even\nsuch was the Asura that the great ascetic created with the aid of\nMantras. There were a thousand teeth in his mouth, extending for a\nhundred yojanas. Of terrible mien, his fangs were two hundred yojanas in\nlength. One of his cheeks rested on the earth and the other touched the\nheavens. Indeed, all the gods with Vasava seemed to stand at the root of\nthat great Asura's tongue, even as fishes when they enter into the wide\nopen mouth of a leviathan. While standing within the mouth of Mada, the\ngods held a quick consultation and then addressing Indra, said, \"Do thou\nsoon bend thy head in reverence unto this regenerate personage! Freed\nfrom every scruple, we shall drink Soma with the Aswins in our company!\"\nThen Sakra, bowing down his head unto Chyavana, obeyed his behest. Even\nthus did Chyavana make the Aswins drinkers of Soma with the other gods.\nCalling back Mada, the Rishi then assigned him the acts he was to do.\nThat Mada was commanded to take up his residence in dice, in hunting, in\ndrinking, and in women. Hence, O king, those men that betake themselves\nto these, meet with destruction, without doubt. Hence, one should always\ncast off these faults to a great distance. Thus, O king, I have narrated\nto thee the feat achieved by Chyavana. Shall I go on? Or, will you say\nanything in reply? Is there a Kshatriya that is higher than the Brahmana\nChyavana?'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing these words of the god of wind, Arjuna remained\nsilent. At this, the god of wind once more addressed him, saying, 'When\nthe denizens of heaven, with Indra at their head, found themselves within\nthe mouth of the Asura Mada, at that time Chyavana took away from them\nthe earth. Deprived previously of heaven and now shorn of the earth also,\nthe gods became very cheerless. Indeed, those high-souled ones, afflicted\nwith grief, then threw themselves unreservedly upon the Grandsire's\nprotection.'\n\n\"'\"'The gods said, \"O thou that art adored by all creatures of the\nuniverse, the earth has been taken away from us by Chyavana, while we have\nbeen deprived of heaven by the Kapas, O puissant one!\"\n\n\"'\"'Brahman said, \"Ye denizens of heaven, do you, with Indra at your head,\nrepair quickly and seek the protection of the Brahmanas. By gratifying\nthem you will succeed in regaining both the regions as before.\" Thus\ninstructed by the Grandsire, the deities repaired to the Brahmanas and\nbecame suppliants for their protection. The Brahmanas replied, enquiring,\n\"Whom shall we subjugate?\" Thus asked, the deities said unto them, \"Do ye\nsubjugate the Kapas.\" The Brahmanas then said, \"Bringing them down on the\nearth first, we shall speedily subjugate them.\" After this, the Brahmanas\ncommenced a rite having for its object the destruction of the Kapas. As\nsoon as this was heard of by the Kapas, they immediately despatched a\nmessenger of theirs, named Dhanin, unto those Brahmanas. Dhanin, coming\nto them as they sat on the earth, thus delivered to them the message of\nthe Kapas. \"The Kapas are even like you all! (They are not inferior to any\nof you). Hence, what will be the effect of these rites which you seem to\nbe bent upon achieving? All of them are well-conversant with the Vedas\nand possessed of wisdom. All of them are mindful of sacrifices. All of\nthem have Truth for their vow, and for these reasons all of them are\nregarded as equal to great Rishis. The goddess of Prosperity sports among\nthem, and they, in their turn, support her with reverence. They never\nindulge in acts of fruitless congress with their wives, and they never\neat the flesh of such animals as have not been killed in sacrifices. They\npour libations on the blazing sacrificial fire (every day) and are\nobedient to the behests of their preceptors and seniors. All of them are\nof souls under perfect control, and never take any food without dividing\nit duly among their children. They always proceed on cars and other\nvehicles together (without any of them riding his own vehicle while\nothers journey on foot). They never indulge in acts of congress with\ntheir spouses when the latter are in midst of their functional period.\nThey all act in such a way as to attain to regions of felicity hereafter.\nIndeed, they are always righteous in their deeds. When women quick with\nchild or old men have not eaten, they never eat anything themselves. They\nnever indulge in play or sports of any kind in the forenoon. They never\nsleep during the day. When the Kapas have these and many other virtues\nand accomplishments, why, indeed, would you seek to subjugate them? You\nshould abstain from the endeavour! Verily, by such abstention ye would\nachieve what is for your good.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Brahmanas said, \"Oh, we shall subjugate the Kapas! In this matter,\nwe art one with the deities. Hence, the Kapas deserve slaughter at your\nhands. As regards Dhanin, he should return whence he came!\" After this,\nDhanin, returning to the Kapas, said unto them, \"The Brahmanas are not\ndisposed to do you any good!\" Hearing this, all the Kapas took up their\nweapons and proceeded towards the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas, beholding the\nKapas advancing against them with the standards of their cars upraised,\nforthwith created certain blazing fires for the destruction of the Kapas.\nThose eternal fires, created with the aid of Vedic Mantras, having\neffected the destruction of the Kapas, began to shine in the firmament\nlike so many (golden) clouds. The gods, having assembled together in\nbattle, slew many of the Danavas. They did not know at that time that it\nwas the Brahmanas who had effected their destruction. Then Narada of\ngreat energy, coming there, O king, informed the deities how their foes,\nthe Kapas, had been really slain by the Brahmanas of mighty energy (and\nnot by deities themselves). Hearing these words of Narada, the denizens\nof heaven became highly gratified. They also applauded those regenerate\nallies of theirs that were possessed of great fame. The energy and\nprowess of the deities then began to increase, and worshipped in all the\nworlds, they acquired also the boon of immortality!' After the god of\nwind had said these words, king Arjuna worshipped him duly and addressing\nhim answered in these words. Hear, O mighty armed monarch, what Arjuna\nsaid.\n\n\"'\"Arjuna said, 'O puissant god, always and by all means do I live for the\nBrahmanas! Devoted to them, I worship them always! Through the grace of\nDattatreya I have obtained this might of mine! Through his grace have I\nbeen able to accomplish great feats in the world and achieve high merit!\nOh, I have, with attention, heard of the achievements, O god of the wind,\nof the Brahmanas with all their interesting details as recited by thee\ntruly.'\n\n\"'\"The god of wind said, 'Do thou protect and cherish the Brahmanas, in the\nexercise of those Kshatriya duties which are thine by birth. Do thou\nprotect them even as thou protectest thy own senses! There is danger to\nthee from the race of Bhrigu! All that, however, will take place on a\ndistant day.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou always worshippest, O king, Brahmanas of\npraiseworthy vows. Whatever, however is that fruit seeing which thou\nworshippest them, O king? O thou of high vows, beholding what prosperity\nattaching to the worship of the Brahmanas dost thou worship them? Tell me\nall this, O thou of mighty arms!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Here is Kesava endued with great intelligence. He will\ntell thee everything. Of high vows and endued with prosperity, even he\nwill tell you what the prosperity is that attaches to the worship of\nBrahmanas. My strength, ears, speech, mind, eyes, and that clear\nunderstanding of mine (are all clouded today). I think, the time is not\ndistant when I shall have to cast off my body. The sun seems to me to go\nvery slowly.[611] Those high duties, O king, that are mentioned in the\nPuranas as observed by Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras,\nhave all been recited by me. Do thou, O son of Pritha, learn from Krishna\nwhat little remains to be learnt on that head. I know Krishna truly. I\nknow who he is and what his ancient might is. O chief of the Kauravas,\nKesava is of immeasurable soul. Whenever doubts arise, it is he who\nupholds Righteousness then.[612] It is Krishna who created the earth, and\nsky, and the heavens. Indeed, the earth has sprung from Krishna's body.\nOf terrible prowess and existing from the beginning of time, it is\nKrishna who became the mighty Boar and raised the submerged Earth. It is\nHe who created all the points of the compass, together with all the\nmountains. Below Him are the welkin, heaven, the four cardinal points,\nand the four subsidiary points. It is from him that the entire creation\nhas flowed. It is He who has created this ancient universe. In His navel\nappeared a Lotus. Within that Lotus sprang Brahma himself of immeasurable\nenergy. It was Brahma, O son of Pritha, who rent that darkness which\nexisted surpassing the very ocean (in depth and extent). In the Treta\nage, O Partha, Krishna existed (on the earth), in the form of\nRighteousness. In the Treta age, he existed in the form of Knowledge. In\nthe Dwapara age, he existed in the form of might. In the Kali age he came\nto the earth in the form of unrighteousness. It is He who in days of yore\nslew the Daityas. It is He who is the Ancient God. It is He who ruled the\nAsuras in the form of their Emperor (Valin). It is He who is the Creator\nof all beings. It is He who is also the future of all created Beings. It\nis He who is also the protector of this universe fraught with the seed of\ndestruction. When the cause of Righteousness languishes, this Krishna\ntakes birth in the race of either the gods or among men. Staying on\nRighteousness, this Krishna of cleansed soul (on such occasion) protects\nboth the higher and the lower worlds. Sparing those that deserve to be\nspared, Krishna sets himself to the slaughter of the Asura, O Partha! It\nis he who is all acts proper and improper and it is he who is the cause.\nIt is Krishna who is the act done, the act to be done, and the act that\nis being done. Know that that illustrious one is Rahu and Soma and Sakra.\nIt is he that is Viswakarma. It is he that is of universal form. He is\nthe destroyer and he is the Creator of the universe. He is the wielder of\nthe Sula (lance); He is of human form; and He is of terrible form. All\ncreatures sing his praises, for he is known by his acts. Hundreds of\nGandharvas and Apsaras and deities always accompany him. The very\nRakshasas hymn his praise. He is the Enhancer of Wealth; He is the one\nvictorious Being in the universe. In Sacrifices, eloquent men hymn His\npraises. The singers of Samans praise Him by reciting the Rathantaras.\nThe Brahmanas praise Him with Vedic Mantras. It is unto Him that the\nsacrificial priests pour their libations. The deities with Indra at their\nhead hymned His praise when He lifted up the Gobardhana mountains for\nprotecting the cow-herds of Brindavana against the incessant showers that\nIndra poured in rage. He is, O Bharata, the one Blessing unto all\ncreatures. He, O Bharata, having entered the old Brahma cave, beheld from\nthat place the original cover of the world in the beginning of Time.[613]\nAgitating all the Danavas and the Asuras, this Krishna of foremost feats\nrescued the earth. It is unto Him that people dedicate diverse kinds of\nfood. It is unto Him that the warriors dedicate all kinds of their\nvehicles at the time of war. He is eternal, and it is under that\nillustrious one that the welkin, earth, heaven, all things exist and\nstay. He it is who has caused the vital seed of the gods Mitra and Varuna\nto fall within a jar, whence sprang the Rishi known by the name of\nVasishtha. It is Krishna who is the god of wind; it is He who is the\npuissant Aswins; it is He who is that first of gods, viz., the sun\npossessed of a thousand rays. It is He by whom the Asuras have been\nsubjugated. It is He who covered the three worlds with three steps of\nHis. He is the soul of the deities and human beings, and Pitris. It is He\nwho is the Sacrifice performed by those persons that are conversant with\nthe rituals of sacrifices. It is He who rises every day in the firmament\n(in the form of the sun) and divides Time into day and night, and courses\nfor half the year northwards and for half the year southwards.\nInnumerable rays of light emanate from Him upwards and downwards and\ntransversely and illumine the earth. Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas\nadore Him. Taking a portion of His rays the sun shines in the firmament.\nMonth after month, the sacrificer ordains Him as a sacrifice. Regenerate\npersons conversant with the Vedas sing His praises in sacrifices of all\nkinds. He it is that constitutes the wheel of the year, having three\nnaves and seven horses to drag it. It is in this way that He supports the\ntriple mansion (of the seasons). Endued with great energy, pervading all\nthings, the foremost of all creatures, it is Krishna who alone upholds\nall the worlds. He is the sun, the dispeller of all darkness. He is the\nCreator of all. Do thou, O hero, approach that Krishna! Once on a time,\nthe high-souled and puissant Krishna dwelt, for a while, in the form of\nAgni in the forest of Khandava among some straw or dry grass. Soon was He\ngratified (for he consumed all the medicinal herbs in that forest).\nCapable of going everywhere at will, it was Krishna who, having\nsubjugated the Rakshasas and Uragas, poured them as libations upon the\nblazing fire. It is Krishna who gave unto Arjuna a number of white\nsteeds. It is He who is the creator of all steeds. This world (or, human\nlife) represents his car. He it is that yokes that car for setting it in\nmotion. That car has three wheels (viz., the three attributes of Sattwa,\nRajas, and Tamas). It has three kinds of motion (for it goes upwards or\ndownwards or transversely, implying superior, inferior, and intermediate\nbirth as brought about by acts). It has four horses yoked to it (viz.,\nTime, Predestiny, the will of the deities, and one's own will). It has\nthree naves (white, black, and mixed, implying good acts, evil acts and\nacts that are of a mixed character). It is this Krishna who is the refuge\nof the five original elements with the sky among them. It is He who\ncreated the earth and heaven and the space between. Indeed, it is this\nKrishna of immeasurable and blazing energy who has created the forests\nand the mountains. It is this Krishna who, desirous of chastising Sakra\nwho was about to hurl his thunder at him, crossed the rivers and once\nparalysed him. He is the one great Indra that is adored by the Brahmanas\nin great sacrifices with the aid of a thousand old Riks. It was this\nKrishna, O king, who alone was able to keep the Rishi Durvasa of great\nenergy as a guest for some time in his house. He is said to be the one\nancient Rishi. He is the Creator of the universe. Indeed, He creates\neverything from His own nature. Superior to all the deities it is He who\nteaches all the deities. He scrupulously observes all ancient ordinances.\nKnow, O king, that this Krishna, who is called Vishwaksena, is the fruit\nof all acts that relate to pleasure, of all acts that are founded on the\nVedas, and of all acts that appertain to the world. He is the white rays\nof light that are seen in all the worlds. He is the three worlds. He is\nthe three Regents of all the worlds. He is the three sacrificial fires.\nHe is the three Vyahritis; indeed, this son of Devaki is all the gods\ntogether. He is the year; He is the Seasons; He is the Fortnights; He is\nthe Day and the Night; He is those divisions of time which are called\nKalas, and Kashthas, and Matras, and Muhurtas, and Lavas, and Kshanas.\nKnow that this Vishwaksena is all these. The Moon and the Sun, the\nPlanets, the Constellations, and the Stars, all the Parva days, including\nthe day of the full moon, the conjunctions of the constellations and the\nseasons, have, O son of Pritha, flowed from this Krishna who is\nVishwaksena. The Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Aswins, the Sadhyas,\nthe Viswedevas, the diverse Maruts, Prajapati himself, the mother of the\ndeities, viz., Aditi, and the seven Rishis, have all sprung from Krishna.\nTransforming Himself into the Wind, He scatters the universe. Of\nUniversal form, He becomes Fire that burns all things. Changing Himself\ninto Water, He drenches and submerges all, and assuming the form of\nBrahman, He creates all the diverse tribes of animate and inanimate\ncreatures. He is Himself the Veda, yet he learns all the Vedas. He is\nHimself all the ordinances, yet He observes all the ordinances that have\nbeen laid down in matters connected with Righteousness and the Vedas and\nthat force or might which rules the world. Indeed, know, O Yudhishthira,\nthat this Kesava is all the mobile and immobile universe. He is of the\nform of the most resplendent light. Of universal form, this Krishna is\ndisplayed in that blazing effulgence. The original cause of the soul of\nall existent creatures. He at first created the waters. Afterwards He\ncreated this universe. Know that this Krishna is Vishnu. Know that He is\nthe soul of the universe. Know that He is all the seasons; He is these\ndiverse wonderful vegetations of Nature which we see; He is the clouds\nthat pour rain and the lightening that flashes in the sky. He is the\nelephant Airavata. In fact, He is all the immobile and mobile universe.\nThe abode of the universe and transcending all attributes, this Krishna\nis Vasudeva. When He becomes Jiva He comes to be called Sankarshana.\nNext, He transforms Himself into Pradyumna and then into Aniruddha. In\nthis way, the high-souled Krishna, who has Himself for His origin divides\n(or displays) Himself in fourfold form. Desirous of creating this\nuniverse which consists of the fivefold primal elements, He sets himself\nto his task, and causes it to go on in the fivefold form of animate\nexistence consisting of deities and Asuras and human beings and beasts\nand birds. He it is that then creates the Earth and the Wind, the Sky,\nLight, and also Water, O son of Pritha! Having created this universe of\nimmobile and mobile objects distributed into four orders of being (viz.,\nviviparous, oviparous, vegetable and filth-born), he then created the\nearth with her fivefold seed. He then created the firmament for pouring\ncopious showers of water on the earth.[614] Without doubt, O king, it is\nthis Krishna who has created this universe. His origin is in his own\nself; it is He who causes all things to exist through his own puissance.\nHe it is that has created the deities, the Asuras, the human beings, the\nworld, the Rishis, the Pitris, and all creatures. Desirous of creating,\nthat Lord of all creatures duly created the whole universe of life. Know\nthat good and evil, mobile and immobile, have all flowed from this One\nwho is Vishwaksena. Whatever exists, and whatever will spring into\nexistence, all is Kesava. This Krishna is also the death that overtakes\nall creatures when their end comes. He is eternal and it is He who\nupholds the cause of Righteousness. Whatever existed in the past, and\nwhatever we do not know, verily, all that also is this Vishwaksena.\nWhatever is noble and meritorious in the universe, indeed, whatever of\ngood and of evil exists, all that is Kesava who is inconceivable. Hence,\nit is absurd to think of anything that is superior to Kesava. Kesava is\neven such. More than this, He is Narayana, the highest of the high,\nimmutable and unfading. He is the eternal and immutable cause of the\nentire mobile and immobile universe with its beginning, middle, and end,\nas also of all creatures whose birth follows their wish.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Do thou tell us, O slayer of Madhu, what the\nprosperity is that attaches to the worship of the Brahmanas. Thou art\nwell-conversant with this topic. Verily, our grandsire knows thee.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Hear, O king, with rapt attention to me, O chief of\nBharata's race, as I recite to thee what the merits of the Brahmanas are,\nin accordance with truth, O foremost one of Kuru's race! Once on a time\nwhile I was seated at Dwaravati, O delighter of the Kurus, my son\nPradyumna, enraged by certain Brahmanas, came to me and said, 'O slayer\nof Madhu, what merit attaches to the worship of the Brahmanas? Whence is\ntheir lordship derived both here and hereafter? O giver of honours, what\nrewards are won by constantly worshipping the Brahmanas? Do thou kindly\nexplain this clearly to me, for my mind is disturbed by doubts in respect\nof this.' When these words were addressed to me by Pradyumna, I answered\nhim as follows. Do thou hear, O king, with close attention, what those\nwords were, 'O child of Rukmin, listen to me as I tell thee what the\nprosperity is that one may win by worshipping the Brahmanas. When one\nsets oneself to the acquisition of the well-known aggregate of three\n(viz., Righteousness, Wealth, and Pleasure), or to the achievement of\nEmancipation, or to that of fame and prosperity, or to the treatment and\ncure of disease, or to the worship of the deities and the Pitris, one\nshould take care to gratify the regenerate ones. They are each a king\nSoma (that sheds such agreeable light in the firmament.) They are\ndispensers of happiness and misery. O child of Rukmini, whether in this\nor in the next world, O son, everything agreeable has its origin in the\nBrahmanas. I have no doubt in this! From the worship of the Brahmanas\nflow mighty achievements and fame and strength. The denizens of all the\nworlds, and the Regents of the universe, are all worshippers of\nBrahmanas. How then, O son, can we disregard them, filled with the idea\nthat we are lords of the earth? O mighty-armed one, do not suffer thy\nwrath to embrace the Brahmanas as its object. In this as also in the next\nworld, Brahmanas are regarded as beings. They have direct knowledge of\neverything in the universe. Verily, they are capable of reducing\neverything into ashes, if angry. They are capable of creating other\nworlds and other Regents of worlds (than those that exist). Why then\nshould not persons who are possessed of energy and correct knowledge\nbehave with obedience and respect towards them? Formerly, in my house, O\nson, dwelt the Brahmana Durvasa whose complexion was green and tawny.\nClad in rags, he had a stick made of the Vilwa tree.[615] His beard was\nlong and he was exceedingly emaciated. He was taller in stature than the\ntallest man on earth. Wandering over all the worlds, viz., that which\nbelongs to human beings and those that are for the deities and other\nsuperior beings, even this was the verse which he sang constantly among\nassemblies and in public squares. \"Who is there that would cause the\nBrahmana Durvasa to dwell in his house, doing the duties of hospitality\ntowards him? He becomes enraged with every one if he finds even the\nslightest transgression. Hearing this regarding my disposition, who is\nthere that will give me refuge? Indeed, he that would give me shelter as\na guest should not do anything to anger me!\" When I saw that no one\nventured to give him shelter in his house, I invited him and caused him\nto take up his residence in my abode. On certain days he would eat the\nfood sufficient for the needs of thousands of persons. On certain other\ndays he would eat very little. On some days he would go out of my house\nand would not return. He would sometimes laugh without any ostensible\nreason and sometimes cry as causelessly. At that time there was nobody on\nearth that was equal to him in years. One day, entering the quarters\nassigned to him he burnt all the beds and coverlets and all the\nwell-adorned damsels that were there for serving him. Doing this, he went\nout. Of highly praiseworthy vows, he met me shortly after this and\naddressing me, said, \"O Krishna, I wish to eat frumenty without delay!\"\nHaving understood his mind previously, I had set my servants to prepare\nevery kind of food and drink. Indeed, many excellent viands had been kept\nready. As soon as I was asked, I caused hot frumenty to be brought and\noffered to the ascetic. Having eaten some, he quickly said unto me, \"Do\nthou, O Krishna, take some of this frumenty and smear all thy limbs with\nit!\" Without any scruple I did as directed. Indeed, with the remnant of\nthat frumenty I smeared my body and head. The ascetic at that time saw\nthy mother of sweet face standing near. Laughing the while, he smeared\nher body also with that frumenty. The ascetic then caused thy mother,\nwhose body was smeared over with frumenty, to be yoked unto a car without\nany delay. Ascending that car he set out of my house. Endued with great\nintelligence, that Brahmana blazed with effulgence like fire, and struck,\nin my presence, my Rukmini endued with youth, as if she were an animal\ndestined to drag the cars of human beings. Beholding this, I did not feel\nthe slightest grief born of malice or the desire to injure the Rishi.\nIndeed, having yoked Rukmini to the car, he went out, desirous of\nproceeding along the high road of the city. Seeing that extraordinary\nsight, some Dasarhas, filled with wrath, addressed one another and began\nto converse in this way, \"Who else is there on earth that would draw\nbreath after having yoked Rukmini to a car! Verily, let the world be\nfilled with Brahmanas only! Let no other orders take birth here. The\npoison of a virulent snake is exceedingly keen. Keener than poison is a\nBrahmana. There is no physician for a person that has been bitten or\nburnt by the virulent snake of a Brahmana.\" As the irresistible Durvasa\nproceeded on the car, Rukmini tottered on the road and frequently fell\ndown. At this the regenerate Rishi became angry and began to urge Rukmini\non by striking her with the whip. At last, filled with a towering\npassion, the Brahmana leapt down from the car, and fled towards the\nsouth, running on foot, over a pathless ground. Beholding that foremost\nof Brahmanas flying along the pathless ground, we followed him, although\nwe were smeared with frumenty, exclaiming behind him, \"Be gratified with\nus, O holy one!\" Endued with great energy, the Brahmana, seeing me, said,\n\"O mighty-armed Krishna, thou hast subdued wrath by the strength of thy\nnature. O thou of excellent vows, I have not found the slightest fault in\nthee! O Govinda, I have been highly gratified with thee. Do thou solicit\nthe fruition of such wishes as thou pleasest! Behold duly, O son, what\nthe puissance is of myself when I become gratified with any one. As long\nas deities and human beings will continue to entertain a liking for food,\nso long will every one among them cherish the same liking for thee that\nthey cherish for their food! As long, again, as there will be\nRighteousness in the several world, so long will the fame of thy\nachievements last! Indeed, thy distinction will last so long in the three\nworlds! O Janardana, agreeable thou shalt be to all persons! Whatever\narticles of thine have been broken or burnt or otherwise destroyed (by\nme), thou shalt see restored, O Janardana, to their former state or they\nwill reappear even in a better form! As long, again, O thou of unfading\nglory, as thou wilt wish to live, so long wilt thou have no fear of death\nassailing thee through such parts of thy body as have been smeared with\nthe frumenty I gave thee! O son, why didst thou not smear that frumenty\non the soles of thy feet as well? By not doing it, thou have acted in a\nway that is not approved by me!\" Even these were the words that he said,\nwell-pleased with me on that occasion. After he had ceased speaking, I\nsaw that my body became endued with great beauty and splendour. Unto\nRukmini also, the Rishi, well-pleased with her, said, \"O beautiful lady,\nthou shalt be the foremost one of thy sex in fame, and great glory and\nachievements will be thine. Decrepitude or disease or loss of complexion\nwill never be thine! Every one will see thee engaged in waiting upon\nKrishna, possessed as thou already art with a fragrant odour which is\nalways present in thee. Thou shalt become the foremost of all spouses,\nnumbering sixteen thousand, O Kesava. At last, when the time comes for\nthy departure from the world, thou shalt attain to the inseparable\ncompanionship of Krishna hereafter!\" Having said these words unto thy\nmother, the Rishi once more addressed me and uttering following words,\nleft the spot. Indeed, the Rishi Durvasa, blazing like a fire, said, \"O\nKesava, let thy understanding be always disposed even thus towards the\nBrahmana!\" Verily after uttering these words, that Brahmana disappeared\nthere and then before my eyes. After his disappearance I took to the\nobservance of the vow of uttering certain Mantras silently without being\nheard by anybody. Verily, from that day I resolved to accomplish whatever\nbehests I should receive from the Brahmanas. Having adopted this vow, O\nson, along with thy mother, both of us, with hearts filled with joy\nre-entered our palace. Entering our house I saw that everything which the\nRishi had broken or burnt had reappeared and become new. Beholding those\nnew articles, which had besides become more durable, I became filled with\nwonder. Verily, O son of Rukmini, from that day forth I have always\nworshipped the Brahmanas in my mind!' Even this, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, is what I said on that occasion regarding the greatness of those\nBrahmanas who are the foremost of their order. Do thou also, O son of\nKunti, worship the highly blessed Brahmanas every day with gifts of\nwealth and kine, O puissant one! It was in this way that I acquired the\nprosperity I enjoy, the prosperity that is born of the grace of\nBrahmanas. Whatever, again, Bhishma has said of me, O chief of the\nBharatas, is all true!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLX\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It behoveth thee, O slayer of Madhu, to expound to\nme that knowledge which thou hast acquired through the grace of Durvasa!\nO foremost of all persons endued with intelligence, I desire to know\neverything about the high blessedness and all the names of that\nhigh-souled one truly and in detail!\"[616]\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"I shall recite to thee the good that I have acquired and\nthe fame that I have won through the grace of that high-souled one.\nVerily, I shall discourse to thee on the topic, after having bowed unto\nKapardin. O king, listen to me as I recite to thee that Sata-rudriya\nwhich I repeat with restrained senses, every morning after rising from\nbed. The great lord of all creatures, viz., the Grandsire Brahman\nhimself, endued with wealth of penances, composed those Mantras, after\nhaving observed especial penances for some time. O sire it is Sankara who\ncreated all the creatures in the universe, mobile and immobile. There is\nno being that is higher, O monarch, than Mahadeva. Verily, he is the\nhighest of all beings in the three worlds. There is no one who is capable\nof standing before that high-souled Being. Indeed, there is no Being in\nthe three worlds that can be regarded as his equal. When he stands,\nfilled with rage, on the field of battle, the very odour of his body\ndeprives all foes of consciousness and they that are not slain tremble\nand fall down. His roars are terrible, resembling those of the clouds.\nHearing those roars in battle, the very hearts of the deities break in\ntwain. When the wielder of Pinaka becomes angry and assuming a terrible\nform merely casts his eye upon deity, Asura, Gandharva, or snake, that\nindividual fails to obtain peace of mind by taking shelter in the\nrecesses of even a mountain-cave. When that lord of all creatures, viz.,\nDaksha, desirous of performing a sacrifice, spread his sacrifice out, the\ndauntless Bhava, giving way to wrath (at Daksha's slight of him), pierced\n(the embodied) sacrifice, shooting his shaft from his terrible bow, he\nroared aloud. Indeed, when Maheswara became angry and suddenly pierced\nwith his shaft the embodied form of sacrifice, the deities become filled\nwith grief, losing happiness and tranquillity of heart. In consequence of\nthe twang of his bow-string the whole universe became agitated. The\ndeities and the Asuras, O son of Pritha, all became cheerless and\nstupefied. The ocean rolled in agitation and the earth trembled to her\ncentre. The hills and mountains began to move from their bases and ran on\nevery side. The vault of the welkin became cracked. All the worlds became\nenveloped in gloom. Nothing could be seen. The light of all the\nluminaries became darkened, along with that of the sun himself, O\nBharata! The great Rishis, penetrated with fear and desirous of doing\ngood to themselves and the universe, performed the usual rites of\npropitiation and peace. Meanwhile, Rudra of terrible prowess rushed\nagainst the deities. Filled with rage, he tore out the eyes of Bhaga.\nIncensed with wrath, he assailed Pushan with his foot. He tore out the\nteeth of that god as he sat employed in eating the large sacrificial ball\n(called Purodasa). Trembling with fear, the deities bent their heads to\nSankara. Without being appeased, Rudra once more placed on his bow-string\na sharp and blazing arrow. Beholding his prowess, the deities and the\nRishis became all alarmed. Those foremost of gods began to pacify him!\nJoining their hands in reverence, they began to recite the Sata-rudriya\nMantras. At last Maheswara, thus praised by the deities, became\ngratified. The deities than assigned a large share (of the sacrificial\nofferings) to him. Trembling with fear, O king, they sought his\nprotection. When Rudra became gratified, the embodiment of sacrifice,\nwhich had been pierced in twain, became once more united. Whatever limbs\nof his had been destroyed by the shafts of Mahadeva, became once more\nwhole and sound. The Asuras possessed of great energy had in days of yore\nthree cities in the firmament. One of these had been made of iron, one of\nsilver, and the third of gold. With all his weapons, Maghavat, the chief\nof the deities, was unable to pierce those cities. Afflicted by the\nAsuras, all the deities then sought the protection of the great Rudra.\nAssembled together the high-souled deities addressed him, saying, 'O\nRudra, the Asuras threaten to exert their destructive influence in all\nacts! Do thou slay the Daityas and destroy their city for the protection\nof the three worlds, O giver of honours!' Thus addressed by them, he\nreplied, saying, 'So be it!' and then made Vishnu his excellent\nshaft-head. He made the deity of fire his shaft-reed, and Surya's son\nYama the wings of that shaft. He made the Vedas his bow and the goddess\nSavitri his excellent bow-string. And he made the Grandsire Brahma his\ncharioteer. Applying all these, he pierced the triple city of the Asuras\nwith that shaft of his, consisting of three Parvans and three\nSalyas.[617] Indeed, O Bharata, the Asuras with their cities, were all\nburnt by Rudra with that shaft of his whose complexion was like that of\nthe sun and whose energy resembled that of the fire which appears at the\nend of the Yuga for consuming all things. Beholding that Mahadeva changed\ninto a child with five locks of hair lying on the lap of Parvati, the\nlatter asked the deities as to who he was. Seeing the child, Sakra became\nsuddenly filled with jealousy and wrath and resolved to kill him with his\nthunder. The child, however, paralysed the arm, looking like a mace of\niron, of Indra with the thunderbolt in it. The deities all became\nstupefied, and they could not understand that the child was the Lord of\nuniverse. Verily, all of them along with the very Regents of the world,\nfound their intellects stupefied in the matter of that child who was none\nelse than the Supreme Being. Then the illustrious Grandsire Brahma,\nreflecting with the aid of his penances, found out that that child was\nthe foremost of all Beings, the lord of Uma, Mahadeva of immeasurable\nprowess. He then praised the Lord. The deities also began to hymn the\npraises of both Uma and Rudra. The arm (which had been paralysed) of the\nslayer of Vala then became restored to its former state. The Mahadeva,\ntaking birth as the Brahmana Durvasa of great energy, resided for a long\ntime at Dwaravati in my house. While residing in my abode he did diverse\nacts of mischief. Though difficult of being borne, I bore them yet from\nmagnanimity of heart. He is Rudra; he is Shiva; he is Agni; he is Sarva;\nhe is the vanquisher of all; he is Indra, and Vayu, and the Aswins and\nthe god of lightning. He is Chandramas; he is Isana; he is Surya; he is\nVaruna; he is Time; he is the Destroyer; he is Death; he is the Day and\nthe Night; he is the fortnight; he is the seasons; he is the two\ntwilights; he is the year. He is Dhatri and he is Vidhatri; and he is\nViswakarma; and he is conversant with all things. He is the cardinal\npoints of the compass and the subsidiary points also. Of universal form,\nhe is of immeasurable soul. The holy and illustrious Durvasa is of the\ncomplexion of the celestials. He sometimes manifests himself singly;\nsometimes divides himself into two portions; and sometimes exhibits\nhimself in many, a hundred thousand forms. Even such is Mahadeva. He is,\nagain, that god who is unborn. In even a hundred years one cannot exhaust\nhis merits by reciting them.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXI\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, listen to me as I recite to\nthee the many names of Rudra as also the high blessedness of that\nhigh-souled one. The Rishis describe Mahadeva as Agni, and Sthanu, and\nMaheswara; as one-eyed, and three-eyed, of universal form, and Siva or\nhighly auspicious. Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas say that that god\nhas two forms. One of these is terrible, and the other mild and\nauspicious. Those two forms, again, are subdivided into many forms. That\nform which is fierce and terrible is regarded as identical with Agni and\nLightning and Surya. The other form which is mild and auspicious is\nidentical with Righteousness and water and Chandramas. Then, again, it is\nsaid that half his body is fire and half is Soma (or the moon). That form\nof his which is mild and auspicious is said to be engaged in the practice\nof the Brahmacharya vow. The other form of his which is supremely\nterrible is engaged in all operations of destruction in the universe.\nBecause he is great (Mahat) and the Supreme Lord of all (Iswara),\ntherefore he is called Maheswara. And since he burns and oppresses, is\nkeen and fierce, and endued with great energy, and is engaged in eating\nflesh and blood and marrow, he is said to be Rudra. Since he is the\nforemost of all the deities, and since his dominion and acquisitions are\nvery extensive, and since he protects the extensive universe, therefore\nhe is called Mahadeva. Since he is of the form or colour of smoke,\ntherefore he is called Dhurjati. Since by all his acts he performs\nsacrifices for all and seeks the good of every creature, therefore he is\ncalled Siva or the auspicious one. Staying above (in the sky) he burns\nthe lives of all creatures and is, besides, fixed in a particular route\nfrom which he does not deviate. His emblem, again, is fixed and immovable\nfor all time. He is, for these reasons, called Sthanu. He is also of\nmultiform aspect. He is present, past, and future. He is mobile and\nimmobile. For this he is called Vahurupa (of multiform aspect). The\ndeities called Viswedevas reside in his body. He is, for this, called\nViswarupa (of universal form). He is thousand-eyed; or, he is\nmyriad-eyed; or, he has eyes on all sides and on every part of his body.\nHis energy issues through his eyes. There is no end of his eyes. Since he\nalways nourishes all creatures and sports also with them, and since he is\ntheir lord or master, therefore he is called Pasupati (the lord of all\ncreatures). Since his emblem is always observant of the vow of\nBrahmacharya, all the worlds worship it accordingly. This act of worship\nis said to gratify him highly. If there is one who worship him by\ncreating his image, another who worships his emblem, the latter it is\nthat attains to great prosperity for ever. The Rishis, the deities, the\nGandharvas, and the Apsaras, worship that emblem of his which is ever\nerect and upraised. If his emblem is worshipped, Maheswara becomes highly\ngratified with the worshipper. Affectionate towards his devotees, he\nbestows happiness upon them with a cheerful soul. This great god loves to\nreside in crematoria and there he burns and consumes all corpses. Those\npersons that perform sacrifices on such grounds attain at the end to\nthose regions which have been set apart for heroes. Employed in his\nlegitimate function, he it is that is regarded as the Death that resides\nin the bodies of all creatures. He is, again, those breaths called Prana\nand Apana in the bodies of all embodied beings. He has many blazing and\nterrible forms. All those forms are worshipped in the world and are known\nto Brahmanas possessed of knowledge. Amongst the gods he has many names\nall of which are fraught with grave import. Verily, the meanings of those\nnames are derived from either his greatness or vastness, or his feats, or\nhis conduct. The Brahmanas always recite the excellent Sata-rudriya in\nhis honour, that occurs in the Vedas as also that which has been composed\nby Vyasa. Verily, the Brahmanas and Rishis call him the eldest of all\nbeings. He is the first of all the deities, and it was from his mouth\nthat he created Agni. That righteous-souled deity, ever willing to grant\nprotection to all, never gives up his suppliants. He would much rather\nabandon his own life-breaths and incur all possible afflictions himself.\nLong life, health and freedom from disease, affluence, wealth, diverse\nkinds of pleasures and enjoyments, are conferred by him, and it is he\nalso who snatches them away. The lordship and affluence that one sees in\nSakra and the other deities are verily his. It is he who is always\nengaged in all that is good and evil in the three worlds. In consequence\nof his fullest control over all objects of enjoyment he is called Iswara\n(the Supreme Lord or Master). Since, again, he is the master of the vast\nuniverse, he is called Maheswara. The whole universe is pervaded by him\nin diverse forms. It is that deity whose mouth roars and burns the waters\nof the sea in the form of the huge mare's head!\"'\"[618]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After Krishna, the son of Devaki, had said these\nwords, Yudhishthira once more asked Bhishma the son of Santanu, saying,\n\"O thou of great intelligence, O foremost of all persons conversant with\nduties, which, indeed, of the two, direct perception and the scriptures,\nis to be regarded as authority for arriving at a conclusion?\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I think, there is no doubt in this. Listen to me, O thou\nof great wisdom! I shall answer thee. The question thou hast asked is\ncertainly proper. It is easy to cherish doubt. But the solution of that\ndoubt is difficult. Innumerable are the instances, in respect of both\ndirect perception and audition (or the scriptures), in which doubts may\narise. Certain persons, who delight in the name of logicians, verily\nimagining themselves to be possessed of superior wisdom, affirm that\ndirect perception is the only authority. They assert that nothing,\nhowever true, is existent which is not directly perceivable; or, at least\nthey doubt the existence of those objects. Indeed, such assertions\ninvolve an absurdity and they who make them are of foolish understanding,\nwhatever may be their pride of learning. If, on the other hand, thou\ndoubtest as to how the one (indivisible Brahman) could be the cause, I\nanswer that one would understand it only after a long course of years and\nwith the assistance of Yoga practised without idleness. Indeed, O\nBharata, one that lives according to such means as present themselves\n(without, i.e., one's being wedded to this or that settled mode of life),\nand one that is devoted (to the solution of the question), would be\ncapable of understanding it. None else, truly, is competent for\ncomprehending it. When one attains to the very end of reasons (or\nreasoning processes), one then attains to that excellent and all\ncomprehending knowledge--that vast mass of effulgence which illumines all\nthe universe (called Brahma). That knowledge, O king, which is derived\nfrom reason (or inferences) can scarcely be said to be knowledge. Such\nknowledge should be rejected. It should be noted that it is not defined\nor comprehended by the word. It should, therefore, be rejected!\"[619]\n\n\"'Yudhisthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, which among these (four) is\nmost authoritative, viz., direct perception, inference from observation,\nthe science of Agama or scriptures, and diverse kinds of practices that\ndistinguish the good.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"While Righteousness is sought to be destroyed by wicked\npersons possessed of great might, it is capable of being protected for\nthe time being by those that are good exerting themselves with care and\nearnestness. Such protection, however, avails not in the long run, for\ndestruction does overtake Righteousness at the end. Then, again,\nRighteousness often proves a mask for covering Unrighteousness, like\ngrass and straw covering the mouth of a deep pit and concealing it from\nthe view. Hear, again, O Yudhisthira! In consequence of this, the\npractices of the good are interfered with and destroyed by the wicked.\nThose persons who are of evil conduct, who discard the Srutis--indeed,\nthose wicked wights who are haters of Righteousness,--destroy that good\ncourse of conduct (which could otherwise be set up as a standard). Hence,\ndoubts attach to direct perception, inference, and good conduct.[620]\nThose, therefore, among the good that are possessed of understanding born\nof (or cleansed by) the scriptures and that are ever contented, are to be\nregarded as the foremost. Let those that are anxious and deprived of\ntranquillity of soul, approach these. Indeed, O Yudhishthira, do thou\npay court to them and seek of them the solutions of thy doubt![621]\nDisregarding both pleasure and wealth which always follow cupidity and\nawakened into the belief that only Righteousness should be sought, do\nthou, O Yudhishthira, wait upon and ask those persons (for enlightening\nthyself). The conduct of those persons never goes wrong or meets with\ndestruction, as also their sacrifices and Vedic study and rites. Indeed,\nthese three, viz., conduct as consisting of overt acts, behaviour in\nrespect of (mental) purity, and the Vedas together constitute\nRighteousness.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O grandsire, my understanding is once more stupefied\nby doubt. I am on this side the ocean, employed in searching after the\nmeans of crossing it. I do not, however, behold the other shore of the\nocean! If these three, viz., the Vedas, direct perception (or acts that\nare seen), and behaviour (or, mental purity) together constitute what is\nto be regarded as authority, it can be alleged that there is difference\nbetween them. Righteousness then becomes really of three kinds, although\nit is one and indivisible.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Righteousness is sometimes seen to be destroyed by wicked\nwights of great power. If thou thinkest, O king, that Righteousness\nshould really be of three kinds, my reply is that thy conclusion is\nwarranted by reason. The truth is that Righteousness is one and\nindivisible, although it is capable of being viewed from three different\npoints. The paths (indications) of those three that constitute the\nfoundation of Righteousness have each been laid down. Do thou act\naccording to the instructions laid down. Thou shouldst never wrangle\nabout Righteousness and then seek to have those doubts solved into which\nthou mayst arrive. O chief of the Bharatas, let no doubts like these ever\ntake possession of thy mind! Do thou obey what I say without scruple of\nany kind. Follow me like a blind man or like one who, without being\npossessed of sense himself, has to depend upon that of another.\nAbstention from injury, truth, absence of wrath (or forgiveness), and\nliberality of gifts,--these four, O king, that hast no foe, do thou\npractise, for these four constitute eternal Righteousness! Do thou also,\nO mighty-armed prince, pursue that conduct towards the Brahmanas which is\nconsistent with what has been observed towards them by thy sires and\ngrandsires. These are the principal indications of Righteousness. That\nman of little intelligence who would destroy the weight of authority by\ndenying that to be a standard which has always been accepted as such\nwould himself fail to become an authority among men. Such a man becomes\nthe cause of much grief in the world. Do thou reverence the Brahmanas and\ntreat them with hospitality. Do thou always serve them in this way. The\nuniverse rests on them. Do thou understand them to be such!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, what the respective ends are\nof those that hate Righteousness and of those that adore and observe it!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Those men that hate Righteousness are said to have their\nhearts overwhelmed by the attributes of passion and darkness. Such men\nhave always to go to Hell. Those men, on the other hand, O monarch, who\nalways adore and observe Righteousness, those men who are devoted to\ntruth and sincerity, are called good. They always enjoy the pleasures or\nfelicity of heaven. In consequence of their waiting upon their preceptors\nwith reverence their hearts always turn towards Righteousness. Verily,\nthey who adore Righteousness attain to the regions of the deities. Those\nindividuals, whether human beings or deities who divest themselves of\ncupidity and malice and who emaciate or afflict their bodies by the\nobservance of austerities, succeed, in consequence of the Righteousness\nwhich then becomes theirs to attain to great felicity. Those that are\ngifted with wisdom have said that the Brahmanas, who are the eldest sons\nof Brahmana, represent Righteousness. They that are righteous always\nworship them, their hearts regarding them with as much love and affection\nas a hungry man's stomach entertains for ripe and delicious fruits.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What is the appearance presented by those that are\nwicked, and what are those acts which they that are called good are to\ndo? Explain to me this, O holy one! Indeed, tell me what the indications\nare of the good and the wicked.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"They that are wicked are evil in their practices,\nungovernable or incapable of being kept within the restraints of rules,\nand foul mouthed. They, on the other hand, that are good, are always good\nin their acts. Verily, the acts these men do are regarded as the\nindications of that course of conduct which is called good. They that are\ngood or righteous, O monarch, never answer the two calls of nature on the\npublic road, or in the midst of a cow-pen, or on a field of paddy. After\nfeeding the five they take their own food.[622] They never talk while\neating, and never go to sleep with wet hands (i.e., without rubbing them\ndry with towels or napkins). Whenever they see any of the following, they\ncircumambulate them for showing them reverence, viz., a blazing fire, a\nbull, the image of a deity, a cow-pen, a place where four roads meet, and\nan old and virtuous Brahmana. They give the way, themselves standing\naside, unto those that are old, those that are afflicted with burdens,\nladies, those that hold high appointments in the village or town\nadministration, Brahmanas, kine, and kings. The righteous or good man is\nhe that protects his guests, servants and other dependents, his own\nrelatives, and all those that seek his protection. Such a man always\nwelcomes these with the usual enquiries of politeness. Two times have\nbeen appointed by the deities for human beings to take their food, viz.,\nmorning and evening. During the interval one should not eat anything. By\nfollowing this rule about eating, one is said to observe a fast. As the\nsacred fire waits for libations to be poured upon it when the hour for\nHoma arrives, even so a woman, when her functional period is over,\nexpects an act of congress with her husband. One that never approaches\none's spouses at any other time save after the functional period, is said\nto observe the vow of Brahmacharya. Amrita (nectar), Brahmanas, and\nkine,--these three are regarded as equal. Hence, one should always\nworship, with due rites, Brahmanas and kine. One does not incur any fault\nor stain by eating the meat of animals slain in sacrifices with the aid\nof Tantras from the Yajur Veda. The flesh of the back-bone, or that of\nanimals not slain in sacrifice, should be avoided even as one avoids the\nflesh of one's own son. One should never cause one's guest to go without\nfood whether when one resides in one's own country or in a foreign land.\nAfter completing one's study one should present the Dakshina unto one's\npreceptor. When one sees one's preceptor, one should congratulate him\nwith reverence and worshipping him present him a seat. By worshipping\none's preceptor, one increases the period of one's life as also one's\nfame and prosperity. One should never censure the old, nor send them on\nany business[623]. One should never be seated when any one that is old is\nstanding. By acting in this way one protects the duration of one's life.\nOne should never cast one's eyes on a naked woman, nor a naked man. One\nshould never indulge in sexual congress except in privacy. One should eat\nalso without being seen by others. Preceptors are the foremost of\nTirthas; the heart is the foremost of all sacred objects; knowledge is\nthe foremost of all objects of search; and contentment is the foremost of\nall happiness. Morning and evening one should listen to the grave\ncounsels of those that are aged. One attains to wisdom by constant\nwaiting upon those that are venerable for years. While reading the Vedas\nor employed in eating, one should use one's right hand. One should always\nkeep one's speech and mind under thorough control, as also one's senses.\nWith well-cooked frumenty, Yavaka, Krisara, and Havi (clarified butter),\none should worship the Pitris and the deities in the Sraddha called\nAshtaka. The same should be used in worshipping the Planets. One should\nnot undergo a shave without calling down a blessing upon oneself. If one\nsneezes, one should be blessed by those present. All that are ill or\nafflicted with disease, should be blessed. The extension of their lives\nshould be prayed for.[624] One should never address an eminent person\nfamiliarly (by using the word Twam). Under even the great difficulties\none should never do this. To address such a person as Twam and to slay\nhim are equal, persons of learning are degraded by such a style of\naddress. Unto those that are inferior, or equal, or unto disciples, such\na word can be used. The heart of the sinful man always proclaims the sins\nhe has committed. Those men who have deliberately committed sins meet\nwith destruction by seeking to conceal them from the good. Indeed, they\nthat are confirmed sinners seek to conceal their sinful acts from\nothers.[625] Such persons think that their sins are witnessed by neither\nmen nor the deities. The sinful man, overwhelmed by his sins, takes birth\nin a miserable order of being. The sins of such a man continually grow,\neven as the interest the usurer charge (on the loans he grants) increase\nfrom day to day. If, having committed a sin, one seeks to have it covered\nby righteousness, that sin becomes destroyed and leads to righteousness\ninstead of other sins.[626] If a quantity of water be poured upon salt,\nthe latter immediately dissolves away. Even so when expiation is\nperformed, sin dissolves away. For these reasons one should never conceal\na sin. Concealed, it is certain to increase. Having committed a sin, one\nshould confess it in the presence of those that are good. They would\ndestroy it immediately. If one does not enjoy in good time what one has\nstored with hope, the consequence is that the stored wealth finds another\nowner after the death of him who has stored it. The wise have said that\nthe mind of every creature is the true test of Righteousness. Hence, all\ncreatures in the world have an innate tendency to achieve Righteousness.\nOne should achieve Righteousness alone or single-handed. Verily, one\nshould not proclaim oneself Righteous and walk with the standard of\nRighteousness borne aloft for purpose of exhibition. They are said to be\ntraders in Righteousness who practise it for enjoying the fruits it\nbrings about. One should adore the deities without giving way to\nsentiments of pride. Similarly, one should serve one's preceptor without\ndeceit. One should make arrangements for securing to oneself invaluable\nwealth in the hereafter which consists in gifts made here to deserving\npersons.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It is seen that if a person happens to be\nunfortunate, he fails to acquire wealth, how great so ever his strength.\nOn the other hand, if one happens to be fortunate, he comes to the\npossession of wealth, even if he be a weakling or a fool. When, again,\nthe time does not come for acquisition, one cannot make an acquisition\nwith even one's best exertion. When, however, the time comes for\nacquisition, one wins great wealth without any exertion. Hundreds of men\nmay be seen who achieve no result even when they exert their best. Many\npersons, again, are seen to make acquisitions without any exertion. If\nwealth were the result of exertion, then one could, with exertion,\nacquire it immediately. Verily, if the case were so, no man of learning\ncould then be seen to take the protection for the sake of his livelihood,\nof one destitute of learning. Among men, that which is not (destined) to\nbe attained, O chief of the Bharatas, is never attained. Men are seen to\nfail in achieving results even with the aid of their best exertions. One\nmay be seen to seek wealth by hundreds of means (and yet failing to\nacquire it); while another, without at all seeking it, becomes happy in\nits possession. Men may be seen doing evil acts continually (for wealth)\nand yet failing to acquire it. Others are in the enjoyment of wealth\nwithout doing any evil act whatever. Others, again, who are observant of\nthe duties assigned to them by the scriptures, are without wealth. One\nmay be seen to be without any knowledge of the science of morals and\npolicy even after one has studied all the treatises on that science. One,\nagain, may be seen appointed as the prime minister of a king without\nhaving at all studied the science of morals and policy. A learned man may\nbe seen that is possessed of wealth. One destitute of learning may be\nseen owning wealth. Both kinds of men, again, may be seen to be entirely\ndestitute of wealth. If, by the acquisition of learning one could acquire\nthe happiness of wealth, then no man of learning could be found living,\nfor the very means of his subsistence, under the protection of one\ndestitute of learning. Indeed, if one could obtain by the acquisition of\nlearning, all desirable objects like a thirsty individual having his\nthirst slaked upon obtaining water, then none in this world would have\nshown idleness in acquiring learning. If one's time has not come, one\ndoes not die even if one be pierced with hundreds of shafts. On the other\nhand, one lays down one's life, if one's hour has come, even if it be a\nblade of grass with which one is struck.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"If one, setting oneself to undertaking involving even\ngreat exertions, fails to earn wealth, one should then practise severe\nausterities. Unless seeds be sown, no crops appear. It is by making gifts\n(to deserving persons in this life) that one acquires (in one's next\nlife) numerous objects of enjoyment, even as one becomes possessed of\nintelligence and wisdom by waiting upon those that are venerable for\nyears. The wise have said that one becomes possessed of longevity by\npractising the duty of abstention from cruelty to all creatures. Hence,\none should make gifts and not solicit (or accept them when made by\nothers). One should worship those individuals that are righteous. Verily,\none should be sweet-speeched towards all, and always do what is agreeable\nto others. One should seek to attain to purity (both mental and\nexternal). Indeed, one should always abstain from doing injury to any\ncreature. When in the matter of the happiness and woe of even insects and\nants, their acts (of this and past lives) and Nature constitute the\ncause, it is meet, O Yudhishthira, that thou shouldst be tranquil!\"'\"[627]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"If one does acts oneself that are good or causes others\nto accomplish them, one should then expect to attain to the merits of\nrighteousness. Similarly, if one does acts oneself that are evil, and\ncauses others to accomplish them, one should never expect to attain to\nthe merits of righteousness.[628] At all times, it is Time that, entering\nthe understandings of all creatures, sets them to acts of righteousness\nor unrighteousness, and then confer felicity or misery upon them. When a\nperson, beholding the fruits of Righteousness, understands Righteousness\nto be superior, it is then that he inclines towards Righteousness and\nputs faith in it. One, however, whose understanding is not firm, fails to\nput faith in it. As regards faith in Righteousness, it is this (and\nnothing else). To put faith in Righteousness is the indication of the\nwisdom of all persons. One that is acquainted with both (i.e., what\nshould be done and what should not be done), with a view to\nopportuneness, should, with care and devotion, achieve what is right.\nThose Righteous men who have in this life been blessed with affluence,\nacting of their own motion, take particular care of their souls so that\nthey may not, in their next lives, have to take birth as persons with the\nattribute of Passion predominating in them. Time (which is the supreme\ndisposer of all things) can never make Righteousness the cause of misery.\nOne should, therefore, know that the soul which is righteous is certainly\npure (i.e., freed from the element of evil and misery). As regards\nUnrighteousness, it may be said that, even when of large proportions, it\nis incapable of even touching Righteousness which is always protected by\nTime and which shines like a blazing fire. These are the two results\nachieved by Righteousness, viz., the stainlessness of the soul and\nunsusceptibility of being touched by Unrighteousness. Verily,\nRighteousness is fraught with victory. Its effulgence is so great that it\nillumines the three worlds. A man of wisdom cannot catch hold of a sinful\nperson and forcibly cause him to become righteous. When seriously urged\nto act righteously, the sinful only act with hypocrisy, impelled by fear.\nThey that are righteous among the Sudras never betake themselves to such\nhypocrisy under the plea that persons of the Sudra order are not\npermitted to live according to any of the four prescribed modes. I shall\ntell thee particularly what the duties truly are of the four orders. So\nfar as their bodies are concerned, the individuals belonging to all the\nfour orders have the five primal elements for the constituent\ningredients. Indeed, in this respect, they are all of the same substance.\nFor all that, distinctions exist between them in respect of both\npractices relating to life or the world and the duties of righteousness.\nNotwithstanding these distinctions, sufficient liberty of action is left\nto them in consequence of which all individuals may attain to an equality\nof condition. The regions of felicity which represent the consequences or\nrewards of Righteousness are not eternal, for they are destined to come\nto an end. Righteousness, however, is eternal. When the cause is eternal,\nwhy is the effect not so?[629] The answer to this is as follows. Only\nthat Righteousness is eternal which is not promoted by the desire of\nfruit or reward. (That Righteous, however, which is prompted by the\ndesire of reward, is not eternal. Hence, the reward though undesired that\nattaches to the first kind of Righteousness, viz., attainment of identity\nwith Brahman, is eternal. The reward, however, that attaches to that\nRighteousness prompted by desire of fruit. Heaven is not eternal).[630]\nAll men are equal in respect of their physical organism. All of them,\nagain, are possessed of souls that are equal in respect of their nature.\nWhen dissolution comes, all else dissolve away. What remains is the\ninceptive will to achieve Righteousness. That, indeed, reappears (in next\nlife) of itself.[631] When such is the result (that is, when the\nenjoyments and endurance of this life are due to the acts of a past\nlife), the inequality of lot discernible among human beings cannot be\nregarded in any way anomalous. So also, it is seen that those creatures\nthat belong to the intermediate orders of existence are equally subject,\nin the matter of their acts, to the influence of example.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'That perpetuator of Kuru's race, viz., Yudhishthira\nthe son of Pandu, desirous of obtaining such good as is destructive of\nsins, questioned Bhishma who was lying on a bed of arrows, (in the\nfollowing words).'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"What, indeed, is beneficial for a person in this\nworld? What is that by doing which one may earn happiness? By what may\none be cleansed of all one's sins? Indeed, what is that which is\ndestructive of sins?\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'In this connection, the royal son of Santanu, O\nforemost of men, duly recited the names of the deities unto Yudhishthira\nwho was desirous of hearing.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O son, the following names of the deities with those of\nthe Rishis, if duly recited morning, noon, and evening, become\nefficacious cleansers of all sins. Acting with the aid of one's senses\n(or knowledge and action), whatever sins one may commit by day or by\nnight or by the two twilights, consciously, or unconsciously one is sure\nto be cleansed therefrom and become thoroughly pure by reciting these\nnames. One that takes those names has never to become blind or deaf;\nindeed, by taking those names, one always succeeds in attaining to what\nis beneficial. Such a man never takes birth in the intermediate order of\nbeings, never goes to hell, and never becomes a human being of any of the\nmixed castes. He has never to fear the accession of any calamity. When\ndeath comes, he never becomes stupefied. The master of all the deities\nand Asuras, resplendent with effulgence, worshipped by all creatures,\ninconceivable, indescribable, the life of all living beings, and unborn,\nis the Grandsire Brahma, the Lord of the universe. His chaste spouse is\nSavitri. Then comes that origin of the Vedas, the creator Vishnu,\notherwise called Narayana of immeasurable puissance. Then comes the\nthree-eyed Lord of Uma; then Skanda the generalissimo of the celestial\nforces; then Visakha; then Agni the eater of sacrificial libations; then\nVayu the god of wind; then Chandramas; then Aditya the god of the sun,\nendued with effulgence; then the illustrious Sakra the lord of Sachi; and\nYama with his spouse Dhumorna; and Varuna with Gauri; Kuvera the lord of\ntreasures, with his spouse Riddhi; the amiable and illustrious cow\nSurabhi; the great Rishi Visravas; Sankalpa, Ocean, Ganga; the other\nsacred Rivers; the diverse Maruts; the Valkhilyas crowned with success of\npenances; the island-born Krishna; Narada; Parvata; Viswavasu; the Hahas;\nthe Huhus; Tumvuru; Chitrasena; the celestial messenger of wide\ncelebrity; the highly blessed celestial maidens, the celestial Apsaras,\nUrvasi, Menaka, Rambha; Misrakesi, Alamvusha, Viswachi, Ghritachi,\nPanchachuda, Tilottama; the Adityas, the Vasus, the Aswins, the Pitris;\nDharma (Righteousness); Vedic lore, Penances, Diksha, Perseverance (in\nreligious acts), the Grandsire, Day and Night, Kasyapa the son of\nMarichi, Sukra, Vrihaspati, Mangala the son of Earth, Vudha, Rahu,\nSanischara, the Constellations, the Seasons, the Months, the Fortnights,\nthe Year, Garuda, the son of Vinata, the several Oceans, the sons of\nKadru, viz., the Snakes, Satadru, Vipasa, Chandrabhaga, Saraswati,\nSindhu, Devika, Prabhasa, the lakes of Pushkara, Ganga, Mahanadi, Vena,\nKaveri, Narmada, Kulampuna Visalya, Karatoya, Amvuvahini, Sarayu,\nGandaki, the great river Lohita, Tamra, Aruna, Vetravati, Parnasa,\nGautami, the Godavari, Vena, Krishnavena, Dwija, Drishadvati, Kaveri,\nVankhu, Mandakini Prayaga, Prabhasa, the sacred Naimisha, the spot sacred\nto Visweswara or Mahadeva, viz., Kasi, that lake of crystal water,\nKurukshetra full of many sacred waters, the foremost of oceans (viz., the\nocean of milk), Penances, Gifts, Jamvumarga, Hiranwati, Vitasta, the\nriver Plakshavati, Vedasmriti, Vedavati, Malava, Aswavati, all sacred\nspots on Earth, Gangadwara, the sacred Rishikulya, the river Chitravaha,\nthe Charmanwati, the sacred river Kausiki, the Yamuna, the river\nBhimarathi, the great river Vahuda, Mahendravani, Tridiva Nilika,\nSaraswati, Nanda, the other Nanda, the large sacred lake, Gaya,\nPhalgutirtha Dharmarayana (the sacred forest) that is peopled with the\ndeities, the sacred celestial river, the lake created by the Grandsire\nBrahma which is sacred and celebrated over the three worlds, and\nauspicious and capable of cleansing all sins, the Himavat mountain endued\nwith excellent herbs, the Vindhya mountain variegated with diverse kinds\nof metals, containing many Tirthas and overgrown with medicinal herbs,\nMeru, Mahendra, Malaya, Sweta endued with silver, Sringavat, Mandara,\nNila, Nishada, Dardurna, Chitrakuta, Anjanabha, the Gandhamadana\nmountains; the sacred Somagiri, the various other mountains, the cardinal\npoints of the compass, the subsidiary points, the Earth, all the trees,\nthe Viswedevas, the Firmament, the Constellations, the Planets, and the\ndeities,--let these all, named and unnamed, rescue and cleanse us! The\nman who takes the names of these becomes cleansed of all his sins. By\nhymning their praises and gratifying them, one becomes freed from every\nfear. Verily, the man who delights in uttering the hymns in praise of the\ndeities becomes cleansed of all such sins as lead to birth in impure\norders. After this recital of the deities, I shall name those learned\nBrahmanas crowned with ascetic merit and success and capable of cleaning\none of every sin. They are Yavakrita and Raibhya and Kakshivat and\nAushija, and Bhrigu and Angiras and Kanwa, and the puissant Medhatithi,\nand Varhi possessed of every accomplishment. These all belong to the\neastern region. Others, viz., Unmuchu, Pramuchu, all highly blessed,\nSwastyatreya of great energy, Agastya of great prowess, the son of Mitra\nand Varuna; Dridhayu and Urdhavahu, those two foremost and celebrated of\nRishis,--these live in the southern region. Listen now to me as I name\nthose Rishis that dwell in the western region. They are Ushango with his\nuterine brothers, Parivyadha of great energy, Dirghatamas, Gautama,\nKasyapa, Ekata, Dwita, Trita, the righteous-souled son of Atri (viz.,\nDurvasa), and puissant Saraswat. Listen now to me as I name those Rishis\nthat worship the deities in sacrifices, dwelling in the northern region.\nThey are Atri, Vasishtha, Saktri, Parasara's son Vyasa of great energy;\nViswamitra, Bharadwaja, Jamadagni, the son of Richika, Rama, Auddalaka,\nSwetaketu, Kohala, Vipula, Devala, Devasarman, Dhaumya, Hastikasyapa,\nLomasa, Nachiketa, Lomaharsana, Ugrasravas, and Bhrigu's son Chyavana.\nThis is the tale of Rishis possessed of Vedic lore. They are primeval\nRishis, O king, whose names, if taken, are capable of cleansing one of\nevery sin. After this I shall recite the names of the principal kings.\nThey are Nriga, Yayati, Nahusha, Yadu, Puru of great energy, Sagara,\nDhundhumara, Dilipa of great prowess, Krisaswa, Yauvanaswa, Chitraswa,\nSatyavat, Dushmanta, Bharata who became an illustrious Emperor over many\nkings, Yavana, Janaka, Dhrishtaratha, Raghu, that foremost of kings,\nDasaratha, the heroic Rama, that slayer of Rakshasas, Sasavindu.\nBhagiratha, Harischandra, Marutta, Dridharatha, the highly fortunate\nAlarka, Aila, Karandhama, that foremost of men, Kasmira, Daksha,\nAmvarisha, Kukura, Raivata of great fame, Kuru, Samvarana, Mandhatri of\nunbaffled prowess, the royal sage Muchukunda, Jahnu who was much favoured\nby Janhavi (Ganga), the first (in point of time) of all kings, viz.,\nPrithu the son of Vena, Mitrabhanu, Priyankara, Trasadasyu, Sweta that\nforemost of royal sages, the celebrated Mahabhisha, Nimi Ashtaka, Ayu,\nthe royal sage Kshupa, Kaksheyu, Pratardana, Devodasa, Sudasa,\nKosaleswara, Aila, Nala, the royal sage Manu, that lord of all creatures,\nHavidhara, Prishadhara, Pratipa, Santanu, Aja, the senior Varhi, Ikshwaku\nof great fame, Anaranya, Janujangha, the royal sage Kakshasena, and many\nothers not named (in history). That man who rising at early dawn takes\nthe names of these kings at the two twilights, viz., at sunset and\nsunrise, with a pure body and mind and without distracted attention,\nacquires great religious merit. One should hymn the praises of the\ndeities, the celestial Rishis, and the royal sages and say, 'These lords\nof the creation will ordain my growth and long life and fame! Let no\ncalamity be mine, let no sin defile me, and let there be no opponents or\nenemies of mine! Without doubt, victory will always be mine and an\nauspicious end hereafter!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVI\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'When that foremost person among the Kauravas, viz.,\nBhishma, was lying on a bed of arrows,--a bed that is always coveted by\nheroes,--and when the Pandavas, were sitting around him, my great\ngrandsire Yudhishthira of much wisdom, heard these expositions of\nmysteries with respect to the subject of duty and had all his doubts\nsolved. He heard also what the ordinance are that apply to the subjects\nof gifts, and thus had all his doubts removed with respect to the topics\nof righteousness and wealth. It behoveth thee, O learned Brahmana, to\ntell me now what else did the great Pandava king do.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When Bhishma became silent, the entire circle of\nking (who were seated around him) became perfectly silent. Indeed, they\nall sat motionless there, like figures painted on canvass. Then Vyasa the\nson of Satyavati, having reflected for a moment, addressed the royal son\nof Ganga, saying, \"O king, the Kuru chief Yudhishthira has been restored\nto his own nature, along with all brothers and followers. With Krishna of\ngreat intelligence by his side, he bends his head in reverence unto thee.\nIt behoveth thee to give him leave for returning to the city.\" Thus\naddressed by the holy Vyasa, the royal son of Santanu and Ganga dismissed\nYudhishthira and his counsellors. The royal son of Santanu, addressing\nhis grandson in a sweet voice, also said, \"Do thou return to the city, O\nking! Let fever of thy heart be dispelled. Do thou adore the deities in\ndiverse sacrifices distinguished by large gifts of food and wealth, like\nYayati himself, O foremost of kings, endued with devotion and\nself-restraint. Devoted to the practice of the Kshatriya order, do thou,\nO son of Pritha, gratify the Pitris and the deities. Thou shalt then earn\ngreat benefits. Indeed, let the fever of thy heart be dispelled. Do thou\ngladden all thy subjects. Do thou assure them and establish peace among\nall. Do thou also honour all thy well-wishers with such rewards as they\ndeserve! Let all thy friends and well-wishers live, depending on thee for\ntheir means, even as birds live, depending for their means upon a\nfull-grown tree charged with fruit and standing on a sacred spot. When\nthe hour comes for my departure from this world, do thou come here, O\nking. The time when I shall take leave of my body is that period when the\nsun, stopping in his south-ward course, will begin to return northwards!\"\nThe son of Kunti answered, \"So be it!\" And saluted his grandsire with\nreverence and then set out, with all his relatives and followers, for the\ncity called after the elephant. Placing Dhritarashtra at the head and\nalso Gandhari who was exceedingly devoted to her lord, and accompanied by\nthe Rishis and Kesava, as also by the citizens and the inhabitants of the\ncountry and by his counsellors, O monarch, that foremost one of Kuru's\nrace entered the city named after the elephant.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Then the royal son of Kunti, having duly honoured\nthe citizens and the inhabitants of the province, dismissed them to their\nrespective homes. The Pandava king then consoled these women, who had\nlost their heroic husbands and sons in the battle, with abundant gift of\nwealth. Having recovered his kingdom, Yudhishthira of great wisdom caused\nhimself to be duly installed on the throne. That foremost of men then\nassured all his subjects by diverse acts of good will. That foremost of\nrighteous men then set himself to earn the substantial blessing of the\nBrahmanas, of the foremost military officers, and the leading citizens.\nThe blessed monarch having passed fifty nights in the capital recollected\nthe time indicated by his grandsire as the hour of his departure from\nthis world. Accompanied by a number of priests he then set out of the\ncity named after the elephant, having seen that the sun ceasing to go\nsouthwards had begun to proceed in his northward course. Yudhishthira the\nson of Kunti took with him a large quantity of clarified butter and\nfloral garlands and scents and silken cloths and excellent sandalwood and\nAquilaria Agallocha and dark sloe wood, for cremating the body of\nBhishma. Diverse kinds of costly garlands and gems also were among those\nstores. Placing Dhritarashtra ahead and queen Gandhari celebrated for her\nvirtues, and his own mother Kunti and all his brothers also, Yudhishthira\nof great intelligence, accompanied by Krishna and Vidura of great wisdom,\nas also by Yuyutsu and Yuyudhana, and by his other relatives and\nfollowers forming a large train, proceeded, his praises hymned the while\nby eulogists and bards. The sacrificial fires of Bhishma were also borne\nin the procession. Thus accompanied, the king set out from his city like\na second chief of the deities. Soon he came upon the spot where the son\nof Santanu was still lying on his bed of arrows. He beheld his grandsire\nwaited upon with reverence by Parasara's son Vyasa of great intelligence,\nby Narada, O royal sage, by Devala and Asita, and also by the remnant of\nunslain kings assembled from various parts of the country. Indeed, the\nking saw that his high-souled grandsire, as he lay on his heroic bed, was\nguarded on all sides by the warriors appointed for that duty. Alighting\nfrom his car, King Yudhishthira with his brothers saluted his grandsire,\nthe chastiser of all foes. They also saluted the Rishis with the\nisland-born Vyasa at their head. They were saluted in return by them.\nAccompanied by his priests each of whom resembled the grandsire Brahman\nhimself, as also by his brothers, Yudhishthira of unfading glory then\napproached that spot whereon Bhishma lay on his bed of arrows surrounded\nby these reverend Rishis. Then king Yudhishthira the just, at the head of\nhis brothers, addressed that foremost one of Kuru's race, viz., the son\nof the River Ganga, as he lay on that bed of his, saying, \"I am\nYudhishthira, O king! Salutations to thee, O son of the River Janhavi! If\nthou hearest me still, tell me what I am to do for thee! Bearing with me\nthy sacrificial fires, I have come here, O king, and wait upon thee at\nthe hour indicated! Preceptors of all branches of learning, Brahmanas,\nRitwiks, all my brothers, thy son, viz., king Dhritarashtra of great\nenergy, are all here with my counsellors as also Vasudeva of great\nprowess. The remnant of unslain warriors, and all the denizens of\nKurujangala, are also here. Opening thy eyes, O chief of Kuru's race, do\nthou behold them! Whatever should be done on this occasion has all been\narranged and provided for by me. Indeed, at this hour which thou hadst\nindicated, all things have been kept ready!\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by Kunti's son of great\nintelligence, the son of Ganga opened his eyes and saw all the Bharatas\nassembled there and standing around him. The mighty Bhishma then, taking\nthe strong hand of Yudhishthira, addressed him in a voice deep as that of\nthe clouds. That thorough master of words said, \"By good luck, O son of\nKunti, thou hast come here with all thy counsellors, O Yudhishthira! The\nthousand-rayed maker of day, the holy Surya has begun his northward\ncourse. I have been lying on my bed here for eight and fifty nights.\nStretched on these sharp-pointed arrows I have felt this period to be as\nlong as if it was a century. O Yudhishthira, the lunar month of Magha has\ncome. This is, again, the lighted fortnight and a fourth part of it ought\nby this (according to my calculations) be over.\" Having said so unto\nYudhishthira the son of Dharma, Ganga's son Bhishma then saluted\nDhritarashtra and said unto him as follows.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O king, thou art well-conversant with duties. All thy\ndoubts, again, relating to the science of wealth have been well-solved.\nThou hast waited upon many Brahmanas of great learning. The subtle\nsciences connected with the Vedas, all the duties of religion, O king,\nand the whole of the four Vedas, are well-known to thee! Thou shouldst\nnot grieve, therefore, O son of Kuru! That which was pre-ordained has\nhappened. It could not be otherwise. Thou hast heard the mysteries\nrelating to the deities from the lips of the island-born Rishi himself.\nYudhishthira and his brothers are morally as much thy sons as they are\nthe sons of Pandu. Observant of the duties of religion, do thou cherish\nand protect them. In their turn, they are always devoted to the service\nof their seniors. King Yudhishthira the just is pure-souled. He will\nalways prove obedient to thee! I know that he is devoted to the virtue of\ncompassion or abstention from injury. He is devoted to his seniors and\npreceptors. Thy sons were all wicked-souled. They were wedded to wrath\nand cupidity. Overwhelmed by envy, they were all of wicked behavior. It\nbehoveth thee not to grieve for them!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said this much unto Dhritarashtra of\ngreat wisdom, the Kuru hero then addressed Vasudeva of mighty arms.'\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O holy one, O god of all gods, O thou that art worshipped\nby all the deities and Asuras, O thou that didst cover the three worlds\nwith three steps of thine, salutations to thee, O wielder of the conch,\nthe discus, and the mace! Thou art Vasudeva, thou art of golden body,\nthou art the one Purusha (or active agent), thou art the creator (of the\nuniverse), thou art of vast proportions. Thou art Jiva. Thou art subtle.\nThou art the Supreme and eternal Soul. Do thou, O lotus-eyed one, rescue\nme, O foremost of all beings! Do thou, give me permission, O Krishna, to\ndepart from this world, O thou that art Supreme felicity, O foremost of\nall beings! The sons of Pandu should ever be protected by thee. Thou art,\nindeed, already their sole refuge. Formerly, I spoke to the foolish\nDuryodhana of wicked understanding that thither is Righteousness where\nKrishna is, and that there is victory where Righteousness is. I further\ncounselled him that relying on Vasudeva as his refuge, he should make\npeace with the Pandavas. Indeed, I repeatedly told him, 'This is the\nfittest time for thee to make peace!' The foolish Duryodhana of wicked\nunderstanding, however, did not do my bidding. Having caused a great\nhavoc on earth, at last, he himself laid down his life. Thee, O\nillustrious one, I know to be that ancient and best of Rishis who dwelt\nfor many years in the company of Nara, in the retreat of Vadari. The\ncelestial Rishi Narada told me this, as also Vyasa of austere penances.\nEven they have said unto me that. Thyself and Arjuna are the old Rishis\nNarayana and Nara born among men. Do thou, O Krishna, grant me leave, I\nshall cast off my body. Permitted by thee, I shall attain to the highest\nend!\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"I give thee leave, O Bhishma! Do thou, O king, attain to\nthe status of the Vasus, O thou of great splendour, thou hast not been\nguilty of a single transgression in this world. O royal sage, thou art\ndevoted to thy sire. Thou art, therefore, like a second Markandeya! It is\nfor that reason that death depends upon thy pleasure even as thy slave\nexpectant of reading thy pleasure!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words, the son of Ganga once\nmore addressed the Pandavas headed by Dhritarashtra, and other friends\nand well-wishers of his, \"I desire to cast off my lifebreaths. It\nbehoveth you to give me leave. Ye should strive for attaining to truth.\nTruth constitutes the highest power. Ye should always live with Brahmanas\nof righteous conduct, devoted to penances, ever abstaining from cruel\nbehaviour, and who have their souls under control!\" Having said these\nwords unto his friends and embraced them all, the intelligent Bhishma\nonce more addressed Yudhishthira, saying, \"O king, let all Brahmanas,\nespecially those that are endued with wisdom, let them who are\npreceptors, let those who are priests capable of assisting as sacrifices,\nbe adorable in thy estimation.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having said so unto all the Kurus, Bhishma, the son\nof Santanu, remained silent for some time, O chastiser of foes. He then\nheld forth his life-breaths successively in those parts of his body which\nare indicated in Yoga. The life-breaths of that high-souled one,\nrestrained duly, then rose up. Those parts of the body of Santanu's son,\nin consequence of the adoption, of Yoga, from which the life-breaths went\nup, became soreless one after another. In the midst of those high-souled\npersons, including those great Rishis with Vyasa at their head, the sight\nseemed to be a strange one, O king. Within a short time, the entire body\nof Bhishma became shaftless and soreless. Beholding it, all those\ndistinguished personages with Vasudeva at their head, and all the\nascetics with Vyasa, became filled with wonder. The life-breaths,\nrestrained and unable to escape through any of the outlets, at last\npierced through the crown of the head and proceeded upwards to heaven.\nThe celestial kettle-drums began to play and floral showers were rained\ndown. The Siddhas and regenerate Rishis, filled with delight, exclaimed,\n\"Excellent, Excellent!\" The life-breaths of Bhishma, piercing through\nthe crown of his head, shot up through the welkin like a large meteor and\nsoon became invisible. Even thus, O great king, did Santanu's son, that\npillar of Bharata's race, united himself with eternity. Then the\nhigh-souled Pandavas and Vidura, taking a large quantity of wood and\ndiverse kinds of fragrant scents, made a funeral pyre. Yuyutsu and others\nstood as spectators of the preparations. Then Yudhishthira and the\nhigh-souled Vidura wrapped Bhishma's body with silken cloth and floral\ngarlands. Yuyutsu held an excellent umbrella, over it Bhimasena and\nArjuna both held in their hands a couple of yak-tails of pure white. The\ntwo sons of Madri held two head-gears in their hands. Yudhishthira and\nDhritarashtra stood at the feet of the lord of the Kurus, taking up\npalmyra fans, stood around the body and began to fan it softly. The Pitri\nsacrifice of the high-souled Bhishma was then duly performed. Many\nlibations were poured upon the sacred fire. The singers of Samans sang\nmany Samans. Then covering the body of Ganga's son with sandal wood and\nblack aloe and the bark wood, other fragrant fuel, and setting fire to\nthe same, the Kurus with Dhritarashtra and others, stood on the right\nsight of the funeral pyre. Those foremost ones of Kuru's race, having\nthus cremated the body of the son of Ganga, proceeded to the sacred\nBhagirathi, accompanied by the Rishis. They were followed by Vyasa, by\nNarada, by Asita, by Krishna, by the ladies of the Bharata race, as also\nby such of the citizens of Hastinapore as had come to the place. All of\nthem, arrived at the sacred river, duly offered oblation of water unto\nthe high-souled son of Ganga. The goddess Bhagirathi, after those\noblations of water had been offered by them unto her son, rose up from\nthe stream, weeping and distracted by sorrow. In the midst of her\nlamentations, she addressed the Kurus, \"Ye sinless ones, listen to me as\nI say unto you all that occurred (with respect to my son). Possessed of\nroyal conduct and disposition, and endued with wisdom and high birth, my\nson was the benefactor of all the seniors of his race. He was devoted to\nhis sire and was of high vows. He could not be vanquished by even Rama of\nJamadagni's race with his celestial weapons of great energy. Alas, that\nhero has been slain by Sikhandin. Ye kings, without doubt, my heart is\nmade of adamant, for it does not break even at the disappearance of that\nson from my sight! At the Self choice at Kasi, he vanquished on a single\ncar the assembled Kshatriyas and ravished the three princesses (for his\nstep-brother Vichitravirya)! There was no one on earth that equalled him\nin might. Alas, my heart does not break upon hearing the slaughter of\nthat son of mine by Sikhandin!\" The puissant Krishna, hearing the goddess\nof the great river indulging in these lamentations consoled her with many\nsoothing words. Krishna said, \"O amiable one, be comforted. Do not yield\nto grief, O thou of beautiful features! Without doubt, thy son has gone\nto the highest region of felicity! He was one of the Vasus of great\nenergy. Through a curse, O thou of beautiful features, he had to take\nbirth among men. It behoveth thee not to grieve for him. Agreeably to\nKshatriya duties, he was slain by Dhananjaya on the field of battle while\nengaged in battle. He has not been slain, O goddess, by Sikhandin. The\nvery chief of the celestials himself could not slay Bhishma in battle\nwhen he stood with stretched bow in hand. O thou of beautiful face, thy\nson has, in felicity, gone to heaven. All the gods assembled together\ncould not slay him in battle. Do not, therefore, O goddess Ganga, grieve\nfor that son of Kuru's race. He was one of the Vasus, O goddess! Thy son\nhas gone to heaven. Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'That foremost of all rivers, thus addressed by\nKrishna and Vyasa, cast off her grief, O great king, and became restored\nto equanimity. All the kings there present, headed by Krishna, O monarch,\nhaving honoured that goddess duly, received her permission to depart from\nher banks.'\"\n\nThe end of Anusasana Parva.\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. The commentator explains this passage by the illustration that in the\nact of felling a tree the effect is produced by the intermediate act of\nraising the axe by some sentient agent, but that in the case of the\nburning of a forest, the fire is produced by the friction of the dry\nbranches of trees without the intervention of any sentient agent.\n\n2. Even as the wind indicates the dry twigs to ignite, adds the\ncommentator.\n\n3. Literally, the releaser from bonds.\n\n4. Refers to the curse pronounced on Viswamitra by the son of Vasishtha,\nwhen the former acted as the priest of Trisanku. The curse was that\nViswamitra would partake of canine flesh by officiating as the priest of\none who himself was the partaker of such flesh. It is said that at a time\nof great scarcity, Viswamitra was obliged to resort to dog's flesh for\nfood, and that as he was about to cook it, Indra pounced upon it and took\nit away.\n\n5. The constellation of the Great Bear.\n\n6. The Pole Star.\n\n7. Matanga was begotten upon a Brahmana woman by a Sudra father.\n\n8. Charu is properly an oblation of rice, barley, and pulse, boiled with\nbutter and milk, for presentation to the gods in a sacrifice or ordinary\nworship.\n\n9. The meaning seems to be that if Destiny be unfavourable, there need\nnot be much fear with respect to this world. But if one be wanting in\nExertion, great must his fear be with respect to the next world, for\nhappiness can never be obtained in the next world unless one acts\nrighteously while here.\n\n10. The commentator explains that hitam tad vada are understood in the\nlast line.\n\n11. The commentator explains that the allusion here is to the adage that\nswans in drinking milk mixed with water always drink the milk leaving out\nthe water. Learned Brahmanas are like swans for in discoursing upon even\nthe topics of the world they select what is good and instructive but\nreject what is evil and sinful, or, as the Commentator puts it, they know\nthe difference between what is soul and what is not soul.\n\n12. Vrijinam is explained by the commentator as 'Sankatam, phalasa iti\nyavat' etc.\n\n13. i.e., one should keep oneself aloof from both Energy and Penances,\nfor both these can consume, if troubled or interfered with. By 'Energy'\nis meant both physical and mental force. It belongs to the Kshatriya as\nPenances belong to the Brahmana.\n\n14. The commentator thinks that by Krishna, the Island-born Krishna or\nVyasa is meant.\n\n15. The sense is that such a Brahmana, if his expectation be not\ngratified, is competent to consume the person that has falsely raised\nthat expectation.\n\n16. Akshyayyam is fire, because it is fire that eats the food offered to\nthe Pitris and makes it inexhaustible.\n\n17. The sense is that as a physician cures diverse ailments of the body,\nafter the same manner, a gratified Brahmana cures diverse faults of the\nkingdom in which he continues to live honoured and gratified by the king.\n\n18. Santirishta is the rishti or benefits caused by santi. The\ncommentator cites Medini for explaining that 'rishti' is 'kshema'.\n\n19. Tapasye is Tapah karishye. There being no indirect narration in\nSanskrit, such forms cannot be helped. A Kulapati is an ascetic that owns\nten thousand ascetics for his disciples. Kanwa, the foster-father of\nSakuntala, was a Kulapati.\n\n20. i.e. renouncing service which is the duty ordained for person of his\norder, he desired to betake himself to universal Renunciation or Sanyasa,\nwithout, however, the lingam or marks of that vow.\n\n21. Sankalpa-niyamopetah means Sankalpasya nigraha, of chittavritti\nnirodha; tena upetah.\n\n22. No Brahmana, the scriptures declare, should ever assist a Sudra in\nthe performance of his religious or Pitri rites. Those Brahmanas that\nviolate this injunction fall away from their superior position. They are\ncondemned as Sudra-yajins. Here the Rishi, by only giving directions to\nthe Sudra as to how the Pitri rites were to be performed, became a\nSudra-yajin. There are many families to this day whose status has been\nlowered in consequence of such or similar acts of indiscretion on the\npart of their ancestors.\n\n23. Atharva Veda Veda cha implies that the Atharvans were not generally\nincluded under the term Veda by which the first three Vedas only were\nmeant.\n\n24. Punyaha-vachana is a peculiar rite. The priest or some other Brahmana\nis invited. Gifts are then made to him, and he utters benedictions in\nreturn upon the giver. Yudhishthira used to invite every day a large\nnumber of Brahmanas and make them very valuable presents for obtaining\ntheir benedictions.\n\n25. Or rather, superior. Guru is used to denote any senior as well as\npreceptor.\n\n26. The Diksha is that rite which one passes through by way of\npreparation for those sacrifices and vows that one seeks to perform.\n\n27. Satyanrite is equivalent to trade or barter.\n\n28. Sanguptamanoratheshu is explained by the commentator as persons who\nconceal their real sentiments by acting differently. The reference is to\nhypocrites.\n\n29. Vali (sing. of valayah) means anything offered or dedicated to the\ndeities. The sense of the second line is that the goddess of prosperity\nresides in that house in which flowers are offered to the deities instead\nof animal life.\n\n30. The belief is that a man remains childless in consequence of his\nsins. If these sins can be washed away, he may be sure to obtain children.\n\n31. I give, in the affirmative form of speech, the three mental acts that\nare directed to be avoided. In the original, these are given in the\nnegative form. Absence of coveting the possessions of others is the act\nthat is directed to be followed. So compassion for all creatures is\nprescribed; and, lastly, the belief is directed to be entertained that\nacts have fruits, for the Vedas declare as such. He that does not believe\nthat acts have fruits disbelieve the very Vedas which of course, is a\nsinful act.\n\n32. The sense is this: wealth is always agreeable to all persons but\nVasudeva is more agreeable than wealth. This attribute of being more\nagreeable than wealth itself, that is being agreeable to all the\nuniverse,--is due to the favour of Mahadeva. The commentator explains it\nin an esoteric sense, coming to the conclusion that arthat\npriyataratwancha means the attribute of becoming the Soul of all things\nin the universe.\n\n33. The allusion is to Krishna's penances for gratifying Mahadeva in\norder to obtain a son. The son so obtained,--that is, as a boon from\nMahadeva, was Pradyumna begotten by Krishna upon Rukmini, his favourite\nspouse.\n\n34. It is not necessary to explain these names here. They have been fully\nexplained in previous portions and will be explained later on in this\nvery chapter.\n\n35. Such verses are explained by the esoteric school in a different way.\nBhavanam is taken as standing for Hardakasam, i.e., the firmament of the\nheart; adityas stand for the senses. The meaning then becomes,--'How can\none that is merely a man comprehend Sambhu whom the senses cannot\ncomprehend, for Sambhu dwells in the firmament of the heart and cannot be\nseen but by the internal vision that Yoga supplies.' Some texts read\n'nidhanamadim meaning end and beginning.'\n\n36. It is said that for obtaining a worthy son, Krishna underwent the\nausterest of penances on the breast of Himavat, with a view to gratifying\nthe god Mahadeva. The son obtained as a boon from Mahadeva was Samva, as\nwould appear from this and the succeeding verses. Elsewhere, however, it\nis stated that the son so obtained was Pradyumna begotten upon Rukmini.\nThe inconsistency would disappear if we suppose that Krishna adored\nMahadeva twice for obtaining sons.\n\n37. Dhava is Anogeissus latifolia. Wall is Conocarpus latifolia Roxb.\nKakubha is otherwise called Arjuna which is identified with Terminalia\nArjuna, syn. Pentaptera Arjuna. Kadamva is Nauclea cadamba, Roxb.\nKuruveka is Barleria cristata, Linn. Ketaka is Pandanus odoratissimus,\nLinn. Jamvu is Eugenia Jambolana. Patala is Stereospermum suaveolens syn.\nBignonia suaveolens, Roxb. Varunaka is Crataea, religiosa, syn. Capparis\ntrifoliata, Roxb. Vatasanabha is Aconitum ferox, Wall. Vilwa is Aegle\nMarmelos. Sarala is Pinus longifolia, Roxb. Kapittha is Feronia\nElephantum. Piyala is Buchanania latifolia. Sala is Shorea robusta.\nVadari is Zisyphus jujuba. Kunda is Balanites Roxburghii, Punnaga is\nCallophyllum inophyllum. Asoka is Saraca. Indica, Linn, syn Jonesia\nAsoka, Roxb. Amra is Mangifera Indica. Kovidara is Bauhinia, accuminata\nLinn. Champaka is Michelia Champaka, Linn. Panasa is Artocarpus\nintegrifolia, Linn.\n\n38. Ganga is represented as the daughter of Rishi Jahnu, and hence is she\nknown by the name of Jahnavi. What is meant by Jahnavi having been always\nrepresent there is that the goddess always stayed there in spirit,\ndesirous of conferring merit upon those that would reverence her.\n\n39. i.e., never searching for food but taking what they saw, and never\nusing their hands also.\n\n40. Graha is literally a planet; here, Mandara who is likened to an evil\nplanet in consequence of the mischief he did unto all.\n\n41. Yoga in verse 84 is explained by the commentator as meaning the power\nof creation. Chandra-Surya-parjanya-prithivyadi-sristi-samarthyam.\nSimilarly, by Saswatam Valam is meant that power which arises from\nBrahmavidya.\n\n42. Surabhi is the celestial cow, the original progenetrix of all kine in\nHeaven and on Earth.\n\n43. A Sanyasin is one that bears the stick as the badge of the mode of\nlife he has adopted. Chatrin is the king. Kundin is one with the\ncalabash. The meaning is that it is Mahadeva who becomes the Sanyasin or\nthe mendicant on the one hand and the monarch on the other.\n\n44. Every person belonging to the three superior orders bears the Upavita\nor sacred-thread as his badge. The deities also, including Mahadeva, bear\nthe Upavita. Mahadeva's Upavita is made of living snakes.\n\n45. Arupa is formless, or as the commentator explains, nishkala, i.e.,\nwithout parts, being indivisible. Arupa is of the form of multifarious\nacts or operations or effects in the universe. Adyarupa is Hiranyagarbha.\n\n46. The commentator explains that by saying that Maheswara is in the\nheart, etc., what is stated is that he is the several cases of which Jiva\nis made up while in his unemancipate state, viz., the Annamaya kosha, the\npranamaya kosha, the Manomaya kosha, and the Vijnanmaya kosha. What is\nmeant by Yogatman is that he is the Soul or essence of Yoga of the\nChidachidgranthi, i.e., the Anandamaya kosha. By Yogasanjnita is meant\nthat he is Yoga or the Twam padarthah.\n\n47. The meaning seems to be this: the man that is not devoted to Mahadeva\nis sure to be subjected to misery. His distress will know no bounds. To\nthink that such a man has reached the lowest depth of misery only when\nfrom want of food he has to live upon water or air would not be correct.\n\n48. Bhuta-bhavana-Bhavajnam is one acquainted with both the bhavana and\nthe bhava of all bhutas, i.e., all the living creatures.\n\n49. Without the Srutis, He cannot be comprehended, for he is above all\ndialectics or arguments. The object which the Sankhya system has in view,\nflows from Him, and the object also which the Yogins have in view has its\norigin in Him.\n\n50. Mahadeva, as spoken of as Brahma, first filled Space with his\nenergy. Space forming, as it were, the material with which everything\nelse was created. Having filled Space as it were with creative energy, he\ncreated the primeval egg and placed Brahma or the Grandsire of the\nuniverse within it.\n\n51. Tanmatras are the subtile elements, those which we perceive being\ngross ones.\n\n52. Here Mahadeva is represented as Supreme Brahman. Hence, the Being\nthat created Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, derived his power to create from\nMahadeva. Thus Mahadeva is Unmanifest Brahma.\n\n53. Sampadayitum is aisaryyena samyojayitum. The difficulty lies in the\nfirst line; the ablative is to be taken as yabartha or lyablope.\n\n54. This is an instance of crux; adhipati is a verb of incomplete\npredication, implying etya or encountering.\n\n55. Here the compassion of Mahadeva is shown. The commentator explains\nthat eshu refers to these words; chatanachetanani would include all\nanimate and inanimate existences. The word adi following implies heaven\nand all unseen entities. Avyaktamuktakesa is a periphrasis for jiva;\navyaktam aspashtam yathasyattatha muktah bhanti tirohitam\nnitya-muktatwama sya is the explanation offered. This is, no doubt\ncorrect. The sense then is that all this has flowed from Maheswara and\nexists for being enjoyed by Jiva.\n\n56. The allusion is thus explained by the commentator; once upon a time\nthe seed of Mahadeva fell upon a blazing fire. The deity of fire removed\nit, unable to consume it. The seed, however, thus removed became\nconverted into a mountain of gold. Haimagiri is not Himavat or the\nmountains of Himalayas as the Burdwan translation wrongly renders it.\n\n57. Ardhe sthita kanta refers to the transformation of Mahadeva into a\nform half of which was male and half female, the male half being the half\nof his own usual form, and the female half the form of his dear spouse\nUma or Parvati. This transformation is known by the name of Haragauri.\n\n58. The associates of Mahadeva are called Gana. Deva is in the vocative\ncase. The Burdwan translator wrongly takes deva-ganah as a compound word\nand makes a mess of the meaning.\n\n59. The Bombay reading is Vihitam karanam param. The commentator adopts\nit, and explains it as vihitam, ajnatam sat jnapitam; param karanam\navyaktasyapi karanam. The Bengal reading, however, is not faulty.\n\n60. The Bengal reading karmayoga is vicious. The Bombay text reads\nkarmayajna which, of course, is correct. By karmayajna is meant that\nsacrifice which is performed with the aid of actual offerings of flowers\nand herbs and animals and libations of ghee, meat, etc. These are opposed\nto mental sacrifices or manasa yajna. It is curious to see that the\nBurdwan translator adheres to the vicious reading and misunderstands the\nmeaning. Mahadeva transcends the fruits of action, i.e., he has no body\nunto which happiness and misery may attach.\n\n61. The Bombay reading savikara-nirguna-ganam is correct. The Bengal\nreading having gunam (and not ganam) as the last word of this compound,\nis vicious. The Burdwan translator adheres to the vicious reading and\nwrongly renders the compound. K. P. Singha skips over it. Of course,\nganam means sum or total. Rectodbhavam is arsha for Retasodbhavam.\n\n62. Mahadeva's body is half male and half female. The male half has\ngarlands of bones, the female half garlands of flowers. The male half has\neverything that is rejected by others; the female half has all things\nthat are coveted by others. This particular form of Mahadeva is called\nHara-Gauri.\n\n63. Girimala is explained by the commentator as one that sports on hills\nand mountains.\n\n64. All the texts have Bhavaghnaya. The correct reading, however, seems\nto be Bhagaghnaya, especially as the reference to Andhaka occurs\nimmediately after.\n\n65. Vishnu means here the foremost of sacrifices.\n\n66. These articles must be offered to a visitor, whether he stands in\nneed of them or not.\n\n67. All the texts read Kshirodasagaraschaiva. The correct reading is\nKshirodasagarasyaiva. The nominative may be construed with the previous\nline, but the genitive would be better.\n\n68. The commentator does not explain what is meant by\nVidyunmalagavakshakam. The word go means the Thunder-fire. Very probably,\nwhat is implied is that flashes of lightning and the Thunder-fire looked\nlike eyes set upon that cloud. Go may also mean jyoti or effulgence.\n\n69. Tadarpani is explained by the commentator as Twatsarupasyaprapika.\n\n70. Kriti is Kriya, i.e., all acts that creatures do. Vikara is the\nfruits of kriya, i.e., joy or sorrow that creatures enjoy or endure. The\nBengal texts read pralaya. The Bombay reading is pranaya. The latter is\nalso the reading that the commentator notices, but when he explains it to\nmean tadabhavah, i.e., the absence of joy and sorrow, I think, through\nthe scribe's mistake, the l has been changed into the palatal n.\nPrabhavah is explained as aiswaryya. Saswata is eternal, i.e.,\ntranscending the influence of acts.\n\n71. Thou art the adi of the ganas. By ganas is meant ganayante\nsankhyayante iti ganah, i.e., tattwah.\n\n72. The commentator explains this by saying that thou art the heavenly\nfelicity which creatures earn by means of their righteous acts. Acts,\nagain, are performed in course of Time whose divisions are caused by the\nSun.\n\n73. It has been explained in previous Sections that by success in Yoga\none may make oneself as subtile as possible or as gross as possible. One\nmay also attain to the fruition of all desires, extending to the very\ncreation of worlds upon worlds peopled with all kinds of creatures. That\nYogins do not create is due to their respect for the Grandsire and their\nwish not to disturb the ordinary course of things.\n\n74. Satyasandhah is the Bengal reading. The Bombay reading is\nsatrasatwah, meaning, as the commentator explains, satya-sankalpah.\n\n75. Vigraham is explained by the commentator as\nvisishthanubhanbhava-rupam or nishkalam jnaptimatram.\n\n76. In verse 369 ante Upamanyu says that Krishna is to receive from\nMahadeva sixteen and eight boons. The commentator, stretching the words\nhas tried to explain them as signifying a total of eight, and eight i.e.,\neight are to be obtained from Mahadeva, and eight from his divine spouse\nUma. The language, however, is such that this meaning cannot be put upon\nit without doing violence to it.\n\n77. The commentator explains this as 'thou art the cleanser of all\ncleansing entities,' i.e., it is in consequence of thee, Ganga and the\nothers have received the power of cleansing other things and creatures.\n\n78. Adhyatma: that occupies the inner body. Adhibhuta: elements, prima,\neyes, ears, etc.; Adhidaivata: sun, moon, etc. that control over the\nbhutas. Adhiloka--one occupying the lokas; Adhivijnana--one occupying the\nplane of consciousness; Adhiyajna--one conducting the sacrifices residing\nin the heart of the jivas.\n\n79. i.e., they attain to Emancipation when they behold thee in the\nfirmament of their own hearts, or succeed in identifying their own souls\nwith thee.\n\n80. The guha or cave in which Brahman is concealed is the heart of every\nliving creature.\n\n81. The worlds or regions commonly enumerated are Bhu, Bhuva, Swa, Maha,\nJana, Tapa, and Satya. The eight well-known forms of Mahadeva are Water,\nFire, Hotri, Sun, Moon, Space, Earth and Wind. In his form of water he is\ncalled Bhava; in that of fire, he is called Rudra; in that of Hotri he is\ncalled Pasupati; in that of the Sun, he is called Isana; in that of the\nMoon, he is called Mahadeva; in that of Space, he is called Bhima; in\nthat of Earth, he is called Sarva; and in that of wind, he is called\nUgra. Compare the benediction in Kalidasa's Shakuntalam.\n\n82. The cave in which Mahadeva has been concealed is the cave of the\nScriptures: probably, difficult texts.\n\n83. The sense is that these persons have not to make any extraordinary\nefforts for beholding thee. Their devotion is sufficient to induce thee\nto show thyself unto them.\n\n84. Devayana and Pitriyana are the two courses or paths by which the\ndeparted have to attain to their ends. Those going by the former reach\nthe Sun; while those that go by the latter reach the Moon.\n\n85. The first is that which is according to the rites inculcated in the\nSrutis; second is according to the procedure laid down in the Smritis,\nand the third is the way or manner constituted by Dhyana or meditation.\n\n86. Vide Sankhya karika. With original Prakriti, the seven beginning with\nMahat and Ahankara and numbering the five Tanmatras.\n\n87. Both the vernacular translators render the last verse most\nerroneously. K.P. Singha skips over every difficulty. In the Anusasana,\nthis characteristic of his is more marked than in the Santi. The Burdwan\ntranslators very rarely skip over a verse, but they are very generally in\nthe wrong. Nilakantha explains that Devesah is Brahma. The meaning,\ntherefore, is that Tandi said unto me those secret names which Brahma had\napplied unto the high-souled one or Mahadeva. The Bengal reading Devesa,\nin the vocative, is incorrect.\n\n88. i.e., if recited, it destroys all fear or Rakshasas, for these either\nfly away at its sound or are even killed.\n\n89. i.e., it has the merit that is attached to either Meditation or Yoga.\n\n90. Both Sthira and Sthanu imply immutability or freedom from change.\n\n91. The commentator explains that Bhava is here used in the sense of that\nfrom which all things now and into which all things merge when the\nuniversal dissolution comes. Or, it may imply, mere existence, without\nreference, that is, to any attribute by which it is capable of being\ndescribed or comprehended.\n\n92. i.e., Virat or vast or Infinite.\n\n93. The task of rendering these names is exceedingly difficult. In the\noriginal, many of these names are such that they are capable of more than\none interpretation. The commentator often suggests more than one meaning.\nEach name would require a separate note for explaining all its bearings.\nNiyata is literally one who is observant of fasts and vows and who has\nrestrained his senses. Hence it means an ascetic. Mahadeva is an ascetic.\nSmasanu is either a crematorium, the place where dead creatures lie down,\nor, it may mean Varanasi, the sacred city of Siva, where creatures dying\nhave not to take rebirth. Siva is both a resident of crematoria and of\nVaranasi.\n\n94. Or, the universe is displayed in thee.\n\n95. Probably, what is said here is that Mahadeva is the Pratyag Soul free\nfrom ignorance.\n\n96. By Niyama is meant purity both internal and external, contentedness,\nwith whatever is got, penances, Vedic studies, meditation on the Deity,\netc.\n\n97. Nidhi implies the largest number that can be named in Arithmetical\nnotation. Hence, it implies, as the commentator correctly explains, the\npossessor of inexhaustible felicity and gladness.\n\n98. Sahasraksha is either Indra or possessor of innumerable eyes in\nconsequence of Mahadeva's being identical with the universe. Visalaksha\nis one whose eyes are of vast power, because the Past and the Future are\nseen by them even as the Present. Soma implies either the Moon or the\njuice of the Soma i.e. the libations poured in the sacrificial fire. All\nrighteous persons, again, become luminaries in the firmament. It is\nMahadeva that makes them so i.e., he is the giver of glorious forms to\nthose that deserve them.\n\n99. Many of these names require comments to be intelligible. Ketu is no\nplant but Hindu astronomers name the descending node of the Moon by that\nname. Hence Rahu is the ascending node of the Moon. Graha, is that which\nseizes; Grahapati is Mangala, so called for its malevolence, Varah is\nVrihaspati or Jupiter, who is the counterself of Sukra or Venus. In Hindu\nmythology, Sukra is a male person, the preceptor of the Daityas and\nAsuras. Atri is Vudha or Mercury, represented as the sons of Atri.\nAtryahnamaskarta is Durvasas who was the son of Atri's wife, got by the\nlady through a boon of Mahadeva. Daksha's Sacrifice sought to fly away\nfrom Siva, but the latter pursued it and shot his arrow at it for\ndestroying it downright.\n\n100. Suvarna-retas is explained by the commentator as follows: At first\nhe created water and then cast his seed into it. That seed became a\ngolden egg. It may also mean that Mahadeva is Agni or the deity of fire,\nfor gold represents the seed of Agni.\n\n101. The sense is this: Jiva carries that seed of acts, i.e., Ignorance\nand Desire, with him. In consequence of this seed, Jiva travels from one\nworld into another ceaselessly. This seed, therefore, is the conveyance\nor the means of locomotion of Jiva. Mahadeva is Jiva. The soul is called\nthe rider, and the body is the car that bears the Soul on it.\n\n102. Ganapati is Ganesa, the eldest son of Mahadeva. The Ganas are mighty\nbeings that wait upon Mahadeva. This make up the first hundred names. The\ncommentator takes Avala and Gana together.\n\n103. Digvasas means nude. The Puranas say that for stupefying the wives\nof certain ascetics, Mahadeva became nude on one occasion. The real\nmeaning, however, is that he is capable of covering and does actually\ncover even infinite space. In the sense of nude, the word means one that\nhas empty space for his cover or vestments.\n\n104. The meaning is that with thee Knowledge is penance instead of actual\nphysical austerities being so. This is only another way of saying that\nthou hast Jnanamayam Tapah.\n\n105. Sataghni a killer of hundred; Wilson thinks it was a kind of rocket.\n\n106. Harikesa means one having the senses for one's rays, i.e., one who\ndisplays all objects before the soul through the doors of the senses. The\nmeaning is that Mahadeva is he through whose puissance the mind succeeds\nin acquiring knowledge through the senses.\n\n107. Krishna is explained by the commentator thus. Krish is a word\nsignifying Bhu or Existence. The letter n (the palatal one) signifies\nnivritti. Hence Krishna is anandatanmatra.\n\n108. Kaparddin is thus explained by the commentator Kam Jalam pivati iti\nkapah. So called because of the incident noted in the text, for the\nmatted locks of Mahadeva had sucked up the river Ganga when it first fell\nfrom heaven. Then Rit means sovereignty or lordship. Riddah is one that\ngives sovereignty. Combining the two, the compound Kaparddin is formed.\n\n109. Nabhah means space which implies puissance. That Nabhah is the\nsthala or abode of Mahadeva. The Bengal texts which read Nabhastala are\nvicious.\n\n110. The deities are said to move about during the day, while the Asuras\nand Rakshasas during the night. What is said, therefore, here is that\nthou art the deities and thou art their foes of the Daityas and others.\n\n111. Sound, only when manifested, becomes perceptible. When unmanifest\nand lying in the womb of eternal space, it is believed to have an\nexistence. Unmanifest Brahman is frequently represented as anahatah\nsavdah or unstruck sound.\n\n112. These four ways are as enumerated by commentator, Visva, Taijasa,\nPrajna, Sivadhyana.\n\n113. It may also mean that thou art he called Buddha who preached against\nall sacrifices.\n\n114. The commentator explains that Mahadeva's defeat at the hands of\nKrishna in the city of Vana was due to Mahadeva's kindness for Krishna,\neven as Krishna broke his own vow of never taking up arms in the battle\nof Kurukshetra, for honouring his worshipper Bhishma who had vowed that\nhe would compel Krishna to take up arms.\n\n115. The sense is this: when the universal destruction comes and all\nbecomes a mighty expanse of water, there appears a banian tree under\nwhose shade the immortal Rishi Markandeya sees a boy who is Mahavishnu.\n\n116. It may also mean that thou art he at whose approach all the Daitya\ntroops fled in all directions.\n\n117. i.e., thou art Time itself. This is the implication.\n\n118. By these three names what is indicated is that Mahadeva is a\nhouseholder, a Sanyasin and a forest-recluse. House-holders bear a tuft\nof hair on their heads, Sanyasins have bald heads, while forest recluses\nor Vanaprasthis have matted locks.\n\n119. The sense is that Brahman is felt by every one in the firmament of\nhis own heart. Mahadeva, as identical with Brahman is displayed in the\nheart that is within the physical case. Hence, he may be said to take\nbirth or appear in his effulgence within every one's body.\n\n120. Kalakatankatah is explained by the commentator as follows:--Kala is\nYama. He is covered over with the illusion of the Supreme Deity. This all\ncovering illusion, again, has the Supreme Deity for its cover. Thou art\nthat Supreme Deity.\n\n121. Vibhaga and Sarvaga, the commentator explains, are used for\nindicating that thou art the universe as Vyashti and Samashti.\n\n122. Some editions read susaranab, meaning thou art he who well protects\nthe universe.\n\n123. The golden mail being the illusion of the Supreme Deity in\nconsequence of which the universe has become displayed.\n\n124. Thou art Pasupati; atodyah pratodanarhah pasavah yasya iti.\n\n125. The commentator explains that Tarangavit, which is literally\nconversant with waves means one that is acquainted with the joys or\npleasures that arise from the possession or enjoyment of worldly things,\nfor such joys may truly be likened to waves which appear and disappear on\nthe bosom of the sea or ocean of Eternity.\n\n126. The commentator explains that the binder of Asura chiefs refers to\nthe Supreme Deity's form of Vishnu in which he had bound Vali, the chief\nof the Asuras. The plural form has reference to successive Kalpas.\n\n127. The sense is that thou art he that is well conversant with the\nritual of sacrifices.\n\n128. Or, it may mean that thou art he that has no vestments, for no\nvestments can cover thy vast limbs.\n\n129. Those that uphold others are, for example, the elephants that stand\nat the different points of the compass, the snake Sesha, etc. What is\nsaid here is that thou art the best of all these or all such beings.\n\n130. The sense is that thou art Vishnu who is the foremost of the\ncelestials and thou art Agni who is the lowest of the celestials; i.e.,\nthou art all the celestials.\n\n131. The body is as it were a pit into which the soul falls, determined\nby Desire and Ignorance.\n\n132. Vasu, the commentator explains, indicates the Wind, for it means\nthat which establishes all things into itself.\n\n133. Nisachara is one acting through nisa, or Avidya, i.e., one who\nenjoys all objects, implying Jiva invested with Ignorance.\n\n134. The Soul can view the Soul or itself, if it can transcend the body\nwith the aid of Yoga.\n\n135. The commentator explains that the first word means that thou art\nHansa and that the second word means thou art Paramahansa.\n\n136. Varhaspatya is a word that is applied to a priest. The deities first\ngot their priest for assisting them at their sacrifices. Human beings\nthen got theirs. Those born after Vrihaspati are Vrihaspatyas.\n\n137. This word Nandivardhanah may also mean he that withdraws or takes\naway the joys previously conferred.\n\n138. The language of the Veda is divine. That of the scriptures is human.\n\n139. Literally, crown of the head.\n\n140. i.e., that succeeds in effecting his Emancipation.\n\n141. Mahanakha refers to the incarnation of Narasingha or the Man-lion\nassumed for slaying the Daitya Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada.\nMaharoman has reference to the form of the mighty or vast Boar that the\nSupreme Deity assumed for raising the submerged Earth on his tusks.\n\n142. Mahamuni may mean either one that is very mananasilah or one that is\nexceedingly taciturn.\n\n143. How the world has been likened to a tree has been explained in the\nMoksha sections of the Santi Parvan.\n\n144. This is explained in the sense of no one being able to enquire after\nBrahman unless he has a body, however subtile, with the necessary senses\nand understanding. It may also mean that the tree of the world furnishes\nevidence of the existence of the Supreme Deity.\n\n145. Both the vernacular translators have rendered many of these names\nmost carelessly. The Burdwan translator takes Yaju as one name and\nPadabhuja as another. This is very absurd.\n\n146. These are the ten previously enumerated, beginning with residence in\nthe mother's womb and ending with death as the tenth, with heaven the\neleventh and Emancipation the twelfth.\n\n147. It should be remembered that Kali which is either the age of\nsinfulness or the presiding deity of that age and, therefore, a\nmalevolent one, is highly propitious to Emancipation. The world being\ngenerally sinful, those who succeed in living righteously in this age or\nunder the sway of this malevolent deity, very quickly attain to heaven if\nheaven be their object, or Emancipation if they strive for Emancipation.\n\n148. Implying that thou assumest the form of the constellation called the\nGreat Bear, and moving onward in space causest the lapse of Time. This\nconstellation, in Hindu astronomy, is known by the name of Sisumara\nbecause of its resemblance with the form of a tortoise.\n\n149. The word bhashma, meaning ashes, literally signifies anything that\ndispels, tears off all bonds, and cures every disease. Ashes are used by\nSanyasins for rubbing their bodies as a mark of their having consumed\nevery sin and cut off every bond and freed themselves from all diseases.\n\n150. Mahadeva gave a quantity of ashes to his devotees for protecting\nthem from sin.\n\n151. Vide the story of Mankanaka. The Rishi of that name, beholding\nvegetable juice issuing from his body, began to dance in joy. The whole\nuniverse, overpowered by a sympathetic influence, began to dance with\nhim. At this, for protecting the universe, Mahadeva showed himself to\nMankanaka and, pressing his fingers, brought out a quantity of ashes,\nthus showing that his body was made of ashes.\n\n152. Anukari literally means an accessory. In the form of Vishnu or\nKrishna, the Supreme Deity addrest himself to aid Arjuna in slaying\nBhishma.\n\n153. As Krishna the friend of Arjuna.\n\n154. In the Pauranik myth, the Earth is described as being supported in\nempty space by a mighty snake called Sesha. Mahadeva is that Sesha,\notherwise called Ananta.\n\n155. i.e., Mahavishnu, from whose navel arose the primeval lotus within\nwhich was born Brahma.\n\n156. The Bombay text has a misprint. It reads Punya-chanchu for\nPunya-chunchu. In printing the commentary also, the well-known\ngrammatical Sutra vrittanschanchu etc. The Burdwan translator repeats the\nmisprint in his rendering. K. P. Singha avoids it.\n\n157. The word Kurukshetra or its abbreviation Kuru means the field or\ndepartment of action. It means also the actual field, so called, on which\nking Kuru performed his penances, and which is so sacred that its very\ndust cleanses a person of all sins.\n\n158. The commentator explains that Siddharthah means Siddhantah, and that\nthe following compound is its adjective.\n\n159. Literally, the Soul of real existence.\n\n160. People eat off plates of silver or gold or of other metals. Mahadeva\nhas for his plate Kala or destroyer of the universe. Both the vernacular\ntranslators have erred in rendering this word. K. P. Singha takes the\ncompound as really consisting of two names, etc.\n\n161. The sense is that Mahadeva is the foremost of Sadhakas or\nworshippers engaged in acquiring a particular object, for he has\nemaciated or reduced to nothingness all his foes in the form of all\npassions good and evil. Prakarshena tanukritah arayah kamadayo yena sah.\n\n162. Narah is thus explained by the commentator.\n\n163. The commentator explains that he who is called Suparvan in heaven is\notherwise called Mahan.\n\n164. Sarva-sahana-samarthya pradah as the commentator explains. Hence, it\nmeans that Mahadeva is he who makes creatures competent to bear all\nthings, i.e. all griefs and all joys, as also the influence all physical\nobjects that is quietly borne without life being destroyed.\n\n165. The etymology of Hara is thus explained by the commentator; Hanti\niti ha sulah; tam rati or adatte. This is very fanciful.\n\n166. The sense is this: a nipana is a shallow pond or ditch where cattle\ndrink. The very oceans are the nipanas or Mahadeva.\n\n167. The commentator thinks that this has reference to the incarnation of\nTrivikrama i.e., the dwarf suddenly expanding his form till with two\nsteps he covered Heaven and Earth and demanded space for his third step.\n\n168. i.e., thou art possessed of Yoga knowledge.\n\n169. The two together form one name.\n\n170. These are Vija, Sakti, and Kilakani. A kakud is a hump or elevated\nplace in the body.\n\n171. The thin bamboo rod in the hand of the Brahmana is mightier than the\nthunderbolt of Indra. The thunder scorches all existing objects upon\nwhich it falls. The Brahmana's rod (which symbolizes the Brahmana's might\nin the form of his curse) blasts even unborn generations. The might of\nthe rod is derived from Mahadeva.\n\n172. Sayambhuvah Tigmatejah is one name. The commentator explains that\nBrahman could not look at Mahadeva; hence this reference to his prowess.\n\n173. Brahma, after his birth within the primeval lotus, became desirous\nof seeing the end of the stalk of that lotus. He went on and on, without\nsucceeding to find what he sought. The meaning of the word, therefore, by\nimplication is that Mahadeva is infinite.\n\n174. Once Brahma asked Surabhi to bear evidence before Vishnu to the\nstatement that Brahma has seen the foremost part of Siva. Surabhi having\ngiven false evidence out of fear for Brahma was cursed by Siva that her\noffspring will eat unholy substances.\n\n175. Uma is another name for Brahmavidya.\n\n176. Falling from the celestial regions, the river Ganga was held by\nMahadeva on his head, among his matted locks. At the earnest\nsolicitations of King Bhagiratha he gave her out so that flowing along\nthe surface of the Earth she met the ocean, first passing over the spot\nwhere the ashes of Bhagiratha's ancestors, the sixty thousand sons of\nking Sagara of the solar race, lay.\n\n177. This form is called Hara-Gauri, as explained before.\n\n178. Some texts read Pritatma, implying one of contented soul. The\nreading noticed by the commentator is Pitatma, meaning gold-complexioned.\nThe Burdwan translator takes Pritatma as one name. This is not correct.\n\n179. Mahadeva is represented as possessed of five heads, four on four\nsides and one above.\n\n180. Amritogovrisherwarah is one name.\n\n181. These are names for different portions of time.\n\n182. The Srutis declare that Fire is his head, the Sun and the Moon are\nhis eyes, etc.\n\n183. Mahadeva has an image in the country of the Kalingas that is called\nVyaghreswara.\n\n184. Kantah is thus explained. Kasya Sukhasya antah sima.\n\n185. Undivided, i.e., having nothing else for its object, Sarva-bhavatah\nis bhagvat. The sense is that unless one becomes conversant with all the\nmodes of worshipping Bhava, i.e., in thought, word and deed, and unless\none has special good luck, one cannot have such devotion to Bhava.\n\n186. There are numerous instances of the gods having become alarmed at\nthe penances of men and done their best to nullify those penances by\ndespatching celestial nymphs for attracting them of carnal pleasures.\n\n187. I expand this verse a little for bringing out the sense clearly.\n\n188. The subject propounded by Yudhishthira is this: marriage is always\nspoken of as a union of the sexes for practising all religious duties\ntogether. The king asks, how can this be. Marriage, as seems to him, is a\nunion sought for pleasure. If it be said that the two individuals married\ntogether are married for practising religious duties jointly, such\npractice is suspended by death. Persons act differently and attain to\ndifferent ends. There is, therefore, no prospect of a reunion after\ndeath. When, again, one of them dies, the joint practice of duties can no\nlonger take place. The other objections, urged by Yudhishthira, to the\ntheory of marriage being a union of the sexes for only practising\nreligious duties jointly, are plain.\n\n189. The sense is that if after returning from thy journey to that region\nthou claimest thy bride, thou mayst obtain her from me. Thy journey will\nbe a sort of trial or test to which I mean to put thee.\n\n190. Kala-ratri is the Night that precedes the universal dissolution.\n\n191. The commentator thinks that uttaram means the sacred north.\n\n192. Tirtha means here a Ghat, i.e., an easy descent from the bank for\naccess to the water.\n\n193. Pradhanatah is explained by the commentator to mean with foremost of\nVedic mantras.\n\n194. Mandakini is that part of the river Ganga which flows through\nKailasa, while Nalini is a celebrated lake owned by the king of the\nYakshas, so called because of the lotuses which occur there in plenty.\n\n195. Divya is excellent Gandharva, meaning music and dance.\n\n196. A woman is said to destroy a family by staining it with her\nunchastity.\n\n197. Both the vernacular translators have totally misunderstood the\nsecond line. Asyatam is explained by the commentator as tushnim\nsthiyatam. Ruchitahchcchandah means chcchandah or yearning arises from\nruchi or like. What the Rishi says is, 'As yet I do not yearn after thy\ncompany, for I do not like thee. Of course, if, after staying with thee\nfor some time, I begin to like thee, I may then feel a yearning for thee!'\n\n198. Utsaditah is explained by the commentator to mean chalitah. Here,\nhowever, I think it does not mean so.\n\n199. The last words may also mean--'Go to thy own bed and rest by\nthyself!'\n\n200. The commentator takes the words kimivottaram bhavet to imply what\nwill be better for me? Shall I adhere to Vadanya's daughter or shall I\ntake this girl? I think this is rather far-fetched.\n\n201. By Sakti is implied kamadidamanasamarthyam and by dhriti\npurvapraptasya atyagah. The last half of the last line of verse 25 is\nrendered erroneously by both the vernacular translators. Adhering to the\ncommentator's explanation, they add their own interpretation which is\ndifferent. This sort of jumble is very peculiar.\n\n202. Linga means signs or indications. A Lingin is one that bears signs\nand indications. Brahmanam (in both places) means one conversant with\nBrahman. The first, that is, Lingin implies either a Brahmacharin or a\nSanyasin that always bears the marks of his order. An Alingin is one that\nis divested of such marks. Yudhishthira's question is, who, amongst\nthese, should be considered worthy of gifts?\n\n203. The sense is that with respect to acts having reference to only the\nPitris the conduct and competence of Brahmanas should be examined.\n\n204. The commentator explains that five persons are mentioned in the\nquestion of Yudhishthira, K. P. Singha omits one. The Burdwan translator\nrepeats the words of the original without any explanation. I take\nsambandhi to mean relatives by marriage. To this day, in all India,\npeople make gifts or presents unto sons-in-law, etc.\n\n205. The sense is that no sin can touch a Brahmana who observes these\nthree acts. These three acts are efficacious in washing away all sins.\nThe commentator points out that by this the attributes of birth and\nknowledge are referred to.\n\n206. By good conduct is implied modesty and candour.\n\n207. Anekantam is explained by the commentator as Anekaphalakaram, i.e.,\nof diverse kinds of fruits. The fruits attainable by a correct discharge\nof duties are of diverse kinds, because the objects of those duties,\ncalled Palms are of various kinds.\n\n208. Verse 22 contains 4 substantives in the genitive plural. All those\nare connected with vishtham in the previous verse. The commentator points\nout this clearly. Those living in the outskirts of towns and villages are\ntanners and other low castes. They who publish the acts and omissions of\nothers are regarded as very vile persons, equivalent to such low caste\nmen mentioned above. It is difficult to differ from the commentator, but\nit seems that genitives in the verse as are used for datives, in which\ncase the meaning would be that they who give unto such persons shall also\nsink into hell. The Burdwan translator gives a ridiculous version of\nverse 22.\n\n209. The Bengal reading Brahmacharyya is better than the Bombay reading\nof that word in the accusative. Bhishma apparently gives two answers.\nThese however involve three. By maryyada is meant boundaries or limits.\nThe duties of men have known bounds. To transgress those bounds would be\nto transgress duty. The highest indication of Righteousness is samah or\nabsence of desire for all worldly objects; hence Renunciation.\n\n210. i.e., by making gifts unto even a single such Brahmana, one rescues\nall the ancestors and descendants of one's race.\n\n211. One makes gifts unto the deities, the Pitris, and unto human beings.\nThere is a time for each kind of gift. If made untimely, the gift,\ninstead of producing any merit, becomes entirely futile, if not sinful.\nUntimely gifts are appropriated by Rakshasas. Even food that is taken\nuntimely, does not strengthen the body but goes to nourish the Rakshasas\nand other evil beings.\n\n212. i.e., any food, a portion of which has been eaten by any of these\npersons, is unworthy of being given away. If given, it is appropriated by\nRakshasas. One incompetent to utter Om is, of course, a Sudra.\n\n213. The speaker, by first mentioning who are unworthy, means to point\nout those that are worthy.\n\n214. Apasmara is a peculiar kind of epilepsy in which the victim always\nthinks that he is pursued by some monster who is before his eyes. When\nepilepsy is accompanied by some delusion of the sensorium, it comes to be\ncalled by Hindu physicians as Apasmara.\n\n215. An Agrani or Agradani is that Brahmana unto whom the food and other\nofferings to the Preta in the first Sraddha are given away. Such a person\nis regarded as fallen.\n\n216. When corpses are taken to crematoria, certain rites have to be\nperformed upon them before they can be consumed. Those Brahmanas that\nassist at the performance of those rites are regarded as fallen.\n\n217. Sometimes the father of a daughter bestows her upon a bridegroom\nunder the contract that the son born of that daughter by her husband\nshould be the son of the daughter's father. Such a son, who is\ndissociated from the race of his own father, is called a Putrika-putra.\n\n218. Anugraham is that merit in consequence of which faults become\nneutralised and the stained person may come to be regarded as deserving.\n\n219. As Drona, Aswatthaman, Kripa, Rama and others.\n\n220. Uditastamita means one who having earned wealth spends it all in\ngifts. Astamitodita is one who though poor at first succeed in earning\nwealth afterwards; i.e., one who having become rich, keeps that wealth\nfor spending it on good purposes.\n\n221. Upon the completion of a Sraddha, the Brahmana who is officiating at\nit should utter the words yukta which means well-applied. Certain other\nwords such as Swadha, etc., have to be uttered. The meaning is that the\nBrahmana who assists the performer of the Sraddha by reciting the Mantras\nshould, upon completion, say unto the performer that the Sraddha is\nwell-performed. As the custom is, these words are still uttered by every\nBrahmana officiating at Sraddhas.\n\n222. K. P. Singha wrongly renders the word somakshayah as equivalent to\nsomarasah.\n\n223. Upon the conclusion of a Sraddha or other rites, the Brahmana who\nofficiates at it, addresses certain other Brahmanas that are invited on\nthe occasion and says,--Do you say Punyaham--The Brahmana addressed\nsay,--Om, let it be Punyaham!--By Punyaham is meant sacred day.\n\n224. The fact is, the slaughter of animals in a sacrifice leads to no sin\nbut if slaughtered for nothing (i.e., for purposes of food only), such\nslaughter leads to sin.\n\n225. One is said to become impure when a birth or a death occurs among\none's cognates of near degree. The period of impurity varies from one day\nto ten days in case of Brahmanas. Other periods have been prescribed for\nthe other orders. During the period of impurity one cannot perform one's\ndaily acts of worship, etc.\n\n226. In this country, to this day, there are many persons that go about\nbegging, stating that they desire to go to Banaras or other places of the\nkind. Sometimes alms are sought on the ground of enabling the seeker to\ninvest his son with the sacred thread or perform his father's Sraddha,\netc. The Rishi declares such practices to be sinful.\n\n227. Literally that are afraid of thieves and others. The sense, of\ncourse, is that have suffered at the hands of thieves and others and are\nstill trembling with fear.\n\n228. The two exceptions have been much animadverted upon by unthinking\npersons. I have shown that according to the code of morality, that is in\nvogue among people whose Christianity and civilisation are\nunquestionable, a lie may sometimes be honourable. However casuists may\nargue, the world is agreed that a lie for saving life and even property\nunder certain circumstances, and for screening the honour of a confiding\nwoman, is not inexcusable. The goldsmith's son who died with a lie on his\nlips for saving the Prince Chevalier did a meritorious act. The owner\nalso who hides his property from robbers, cannot be regarded as acting\ndishonourably.\n\n229. By selling the Vedas is meant the charging of fees for teaching\nthem. As regards the Vedas, the injunction in the scriptures is to commit\nthem to memory and impart them from mouth to mouth. Hence to reduce them\ninto writing was regarded as a transgression.\n\n230. In this country to this day, the act of marrying a helpless person\nwith a good girl by paying all the expenses of the marriage, is regarded\nas an act of righteousness. Of course, the man that is so married is also\ngiven sufficient property for enabling him to maintain himself and his\nwife.\n\n231. Articles needed in marriages are, of course, girls and ornaments.\n\n232. Vapra has various meanings. I think, it means here a field. Large\nwaste lands often require to be enclosed with ditches and causeways.\nUnless so reclaimed, they cannot be fit for cultivation.\n\n233. The river Chenab in the Punjab was known in former times by the name\nof Chandrabhaga. So the river Jhelum was known by the name of Vitasta.\n\n234. The sense is that one proceeds to the region of the Apsaras and\nbecomes an object of respect there.\n\n235. i.e., one acquires sovereignty.\n\n236. It is difficult to understand the connection of the second line of\nverse 31. It does not mean enters the eternal region called Andhaka that\nrests on nothing. Human sacrifices were performed sometimes in former\ndays.\n\n237. Nyastani has Gangayam understood after it.\n\n238. The deities are supported by the offerings made in sacrifices. These\nofferings consist of the productions of the Earth and the butter produced\nby the cow. The deities, therefore, are said to be chiefly supported by\nthe Earth and the Cow. The Asuras, by afflicting the Earth and killing\nkine, used to weaken the deities.\n\n239. The river Ganga has three courses. On Earth it is called Bhagirathi\nor Ganga; in heaven it is called Mandakini; and in the nether regions it\nis known by the name of Bhogabati.\n\n240. Devesh is lit. the lord of the deities; but here it means the King\nor Emperor.\n\n241. Aranyaih is explained by the commentator as implying courses of\nconduct leading to Brahmaloka.\n\n242. The story referred to is this: King Sagara of the solar (?) race had\nsixty thousand sons, all of whom were reduced to ashes by the curse of\nKapila. Afterwards Bhagiratha, a prince of the same race, brought down\nGanga from heaven for their redemption.\n\n243. Identical with the universe because capable of conferring the\nfruition of every wish. Vrihati--literally, large or vast, is explained\nby the commentator as implying foremost or superior.\n\n244. Madhumatim is explained as conferring the fruits of all good actions.\n\n245. Viswam avanti iti. Here the absence of num is arsha.\n\n246. Bhuvanasya is swargasya.\n\n247. The construction of this verse is not difficult though the order of\nthe words is a little involved. Both the vernacular translators have\nmisunderstood it completely.\n\n248. Kurute may mean also makes. The sense is that the Brahmana grants to\nothers whatever objects are desired by them. In his own case also, he\ncreates those objects that he himself desires. His puissance is great and\nit is through his kindness that others get what they wish or seek.\n\n249. Ekaramah is one who sports with one's own self, i.e., who is not\ndependant on others for his joy or happiness; one who has understood the\nsoul.\n\n250. Dasatirdasa is ten times hundred or one thousand Dasati, like\nSaptati, Navati, etc., means ten times ten. Both the Vernacular\ntranslators have erred in rendering the word.\n\n251. Teshu (Brahmaneshu) Vahumanaprah (san) kan namsvasi--this is the\nGrammar, as explained by the commentator.\n\n252. Yajanti with reference to truth and righteousness means worship, and\nwith reference to land kine means give away.\n\n253. Pigeons pick up scattered grains and never store for the morrow. In\nthe Sila and other vows, the picking up of scattered and cast off grains\nfrom the field after the crops have been taken away by the owners, is\nrecommended as the means of filling the stomach.\n\n254. The aggregate of three is Righteousness, Wealth, and Pleasure.\nPersons who, in all the acts they do, keep an eye upon these three, are\nsaid to have their aggregate of three existing in all their acts.\n\n255. Some texts read vriddhan for Ishtan. If the former reading be\nadopted, the meaning would be that kings should worship all aged\nBrahmanas possessed of Vedic lore.\n\n256. Though really conversant with all duties, and of righteous\nbehaviour, the Brahmanas, nevertheless, for concealing their real natures\nor for protecting the world, are seen to be employed in diverse kinds of\noccupations.\n\n257. The argument, therefore, is that anything given to the Brahmana to\neat and that is eaten by him apparently, is really eaten by these deities.\n\n258. Bhutatmanah is explained by the commentator as Bhuta\npraptahvasikritahatma yaih.\n\n259. The second line of verse 18 is a crux. The commentator explains that\nprakshipya means dattwa; Kun is the Earth. Van is diptim ukrvan,\nubhaya-loke iti seshah. Para- [This footnote appears to have been\ntruncated, as the last line begins with a hyphenated word.--JBH.]\n\n260. The dark spots on the Moon were due to the curse of Daksha. The\nwaters of the Ocean became saltish owing to the curse of a Rishi.\n\n261. The sense is that one becomes a Brahmana by birth alone, without the\naid of those purificatory rites that have been laid down in the\nscriptures. When food is cooked, none else than a Brahmana is entitled in\nthe first portion thereof.\n\n262. The commentator thinks that saudram karma has especial reference to\nthe service of others. Hence what is interdicted for the Brahmanas is the\nservice of others.\n\n263. In this country to this day, when food is prepared in view of guests\ninvited to a house, no portion of such food can be offered to any one\nbefore it is dedicated to the deities and placed before those for whom it\nis intended. An exception, however, is made for children. What is stated\nhere is that a good Brahmana can take the precedence of even children in\nthe matter of such food.\n\n264. What is stated here is that those Brahmanas that do not accept gifts\nare very superior. Their energy and might are great. Bhishma directs\nYudhishthira to be always careful of how he would treat such superior\nBrahmanas. After rakshyam, the words swakulam are understood. The Burdwan\ntranslator misunderstands the second line of the verse.\n\n265. The construction is Etat Brahmana-mukhat sastram, yat srutwaiha\npravartate, prithivyam etc, etc. Both the vernacular translators have\nmisunderstood the verse.\n\n266. Etat karanam seems to refer to Brahmana-mukhat sastram. The sense\nseems to be that in the encounter between the deities and the Asuras the\npower of the Brahmanas was abundantly proved, for Sukra aided the Asuras\nwith his Mantras and incantations, while Vrihaspati and others aided the\ndeities by the same means.\n\n267. In some of the Bengal texts for Bhumiretau the reading Bhumireto\noccurs. The fact is, the latter is a misprint or a mere clerical error.\nThe etau has reference to the two mentioned in the second line. The\nBurdwan translator actually takes Bhumireto as a correct reading and\nmakes nonsense of the verse.\n\n268. I expand this verse. After kriya bhavati patratwam is understood.\nKriya includes the diverse objects for which persons solicit alms or\ngifts. Upansuvratam is maunam parivrajyam.\n\n269. It is said that food or other things, when given to an undeserving\nperson, feels grief. What Yudhishthira asks is who the proper person is\nunto whom gifts may be made.\n\n270. All these acts should be performed with purity of intention and\naccording to the ordinances of the scriptures. For example, sacrifices\nshould not be performed with vanity or pride. The Vedas should not be\nstudied without faith. Children should not be procreated from lust, etc.\n\n271. Such words are unseizable and unintelligible for their depth of\nmeaning. Women are equally unseizable and unintelligible.\n\n272. The sense is this: women agitate the hearts of those that treat them\nwith respect as of those that treat them with disdain. The commentator\nexplains that Pujitah dhikkritahva tulyavat vikaram janayati.\n\n273. All living creatures are virtuous, for they are capable of\nprogressing towards godship by their own acts.\n\n274. Pura has little force here, implying 'first'. In the first place,\nknow that I have come to thee,\n\n275. Ladies spoke in Prakrita and not in Sanskrit. The latter is refined,\nthe former is unrefined. Hence Indra's surprise at hearing Sanskrit words\nfrom the lady's lips.\n\n276. The adana ceremony was a rite in course of which friends and kinsmen\nhad to make presents unto the person performing the ceremony. The\ninvestiture with the sacred-thread, marriage, the rite performed in the\nsixth and the ninth month of pregnancy, are all ceremonies of this kind.\n\n277. It would be curious to see how the commentator Nilakantha seeks to\ninclude within these five the eight forms of marriage mentioned by Manu.\nThe fact is, such parts of the Mahabharata are unquestionably more\nancient than Manu. The mention of Manu is either an instance of\ninterpolation or there must have been an older Manu upon whose work the\nManu we know has been based. The Asura and the Rakshasa forms are\nunequivocally condemned. Yet the commentator seeks to make out that the\nRakshasa form is open to the Kshatriyas. The fact is, the Rakshasa was\nsometimes called the Paisacha. The distinction between those two forms\nwas certainly of later origin.\n\n278. Thus, there was no difference, in status, in ancient times, between\nchildren born of a Brahmana, a Kshatriya or a Vaisya mother. The\ndifference of status was of later origin.\n\n279. Nagnika is said to be one who wears a single piece of cloth. A girl\nin whom the signs of puberty have not appeared does not require more than\na single piece of cloth to cover her. The mention of Nagnika, the\ncommentator thinks, is due to an interdiction about wedding a girl of\neven ten years in whom signs of puberty have appeared.\n\n280. When a father happens to have an only daughter, he frequently\nbestows her in marriage upon some eligible youth on the understanding\nthat the son born of her shall be the son, for purposes of both Sraddha\nrites and inheritance, not of the husband begetting him but of the girl's\nfather. Such a contract would be valid whether expressed or not at the\ntime of marriage. The mere wish of the girl's father, unexpressed at the\ntime of marriage, would convert the son into a son not of the father who\nbegets him but of the father of the girl herself. A daughter reserved for\nsuch a purpose is said to be a putrikadharmini or 'invested with the\ncharacter of a son.' To wed such a girl was not honourable. It was in\neffect an abandonment of the fruits of marriage. Even if dead at the time\nof marriage, still if the father had, while living, cherished such a\nwish, that would convert the girl into a putrikadharmini. The repugnance\nto wedding girls without father and brothers exists to this day.\n\n281. For understanding the meanings of Sapinda and Sagotra see any work\non Hindu law civil or canonical.\n\n282. These verses are exceedingly terse. The commentator explains that\nwhat is intended is that under the third and fourth circumstances the\ngiver of the girl incurs no sin; under the second, the bestower of the\ngirl (upon a person other than he unto whom a promise had been made)\nincurs fault. The status of wife, however, cannot attach simply in\nconsequence of the promise to bestow upon the promiser of the dower. The\nrelationship of husband and wife arises from actual wedding. For all\nthat, when the kinsmen meet and say, with due rites, 'This girl is this\none's wife,' the marriage becomes complete. Only the giver incurs sin by\nnot giving her to the promised person.\n\n283. Hence, having promised to wed such a one, she is at liberty to give\nhim over and wed another whom she likes.\n\n284. In consequence of that boon no one incurs sin by retracting promises\nof bestowing daughters upon others in view of more eligible husbands.\n\n285. Hence, no one should bestow his daughter upon a person that is not\neligible, for the offspring of such marriage can never be good and such a\nmarriage can never make the daughter's sire or kinsmen happy.\n\n286. One of the most important rites of marriage is the ceremony of\ncircumambulation. The girl is now borne around the bride-groom by her\nkinsmen. Formerly, she used to walk herself. All gifts, again, are made\nwith water. The fact is, when a thing is given away, the giver, uttering\nthe formula, sprinkles a drop of water upon it with a blade of Kusa grass.\n\n287. Hence, what Savitri did at the bidding of her sire could not be\nagainst the course of duty or morality. The Burdwan translator has\nmisunderstood the second line of this verse, while K.P. Singha has\nquietly dropped it.\n\n288. Dharmasya refers to the true or correct or eternal Aryan usage,\nPradanam is khandanam, from da, to cut. The sense is that the grant of\nliberty to women is an Asura practice.\n\n289. Hence, no one should wed, led by desire alone. Nor should the maiden\nbe permitted to choose for herself. She may be guided in her choice by\nimproper considerations connected with only carnal pleasure.\n\n290. The property is divided into five parts, two of which are taken by\nthe daughter under such circumstances and three by the son.\n\n291. I expand the verse for making it intelligible, by setting forth the\nreasons urged by Hindu lawyers and noticed by the commentator.\n\n292. Valatah vasyam implies only those whose consent is obtained by\nforce. Hence, such cases as those of Krishna abducting Rukmini and Arjuna\nabducting Subhadra, are excluded from this denunciation.\n\n293. The maiden may herself accept ornaments. That would not convert the\ntransaction into a sale.\n\n294. Swalpa-kaupinah literally is covered with a small piece of cloth,\nhence, capable of being easily seduced.\n\n295. i.e., he should not acquire for storing. He may acquire to spend in\nsacrifices and gifts or for maintaining himself and his family.\n\n296. i.e., if the Brahmana, led by affection for any other wife,\ndisregards the wife belonging to his own order and shows preference for\nthose of the other orders, he then incurs the liability of being regarded\nas a Chandala that has come to be numbered among Brahmanas.\n\n297. The sense of this verse seems to be this: If a Brahmana takes in\nsuccession three spouses all belonging to his own order, the son born of\nhis first wife shall take the share that is allotted to the eldest; that\nborn of the second wife shall take a share next in value; and that born\nof the youngest wife shall take the share allotted to the youngest. After\nsuch especial shares are taken, the residue of the property is to be\ndistributed unto equal shares each of which shall be taken by each of the\nchildren. If this interpretation be correct, it would appear that the\ncontention waged some years ago in Bengal, that the scriptures do not\nallow a person the liberty of taking more than one spouse from his own\norder, falls to the ground. Upon other grounds also, that contention was\nabsurd, for Kshatriya kings often took more than one Kshatriya spouse.\n\n298. i.e., each order was created for performing sacrifices. The Sudra is\ncompetent to perform sacrifice. Only his sacrifice should be by serving\nthe three other orders.\n\n299. For them there is no investiture with the sacred-thread.\n\n300. Broken earthenpots are always cast off. They are some times utilised\nby persons of the lower orders.\n\n301. The second line is exceedingly terse. The sense seems to be this:\none who is of low birth must remain low in disposition. Absolute goodness\nmay arise in his heart, but it disappears immediately without producing\nany effect whatsoever. The study of the scriptures, therefore, cannot\nraise such a person. On the other hand, the goodness which according to\nits measure has ordained for one (1) the status of humanity and (2) the\nrank in that status, is seen to manifest itself in his act.\n\n302. The son begotten upon a maiden by one who does not become her\nhusband, and born after her marriage, is regarded as belonging not to the\nbegetter but to the husband.\n\n303. Such a son becomes the property of the mother's husband and not of\nhis begetter. If however, the begetter expresses a wish to have him and\nrear him, he should be regarded as the begetter's. The principle upon\nwhich he becomes the child of the mother's husband is that the begetter\nconceals himself and never wishes to have him.\n\n304. The objects of Yudhishthira's question will appear clearly from the\nanswer given to it by Bhishma.\n\n305. There is no fault in kine, etc., and kine are like fire etc. The\nHindu idea is that kine are cleansing or sanctifying. The Rishis\ndiscovered that the magnetism of the cow is something that is possessed\nof extraordinary virtues. Give the same kind of food to a cow and a\nhorse. The horse-dung emits an unhealthy stench, while the cowdung is an\nefficacious disinfectant. Western science has not yet turned its\nattention to the subject, but there can be little doubt that the urine\nand dung of the cow possess untold virtues.\n\n306. Saptopadam mitram means that by speaking only seven words or walking\nonly seven steps together, two persons, if they be good, become friends.\n\n307. Vajrasuchyagram may also mean furnished with an end like that of the\nneedle with which diamonds and other hard gems are bored through.\n\n308. The ever-changing beautiful masses of afternoon or evening clouds,\npresenting diverse kinds of forms almost every minute, are regarded as\nthe abodes or mansions of the Gandharvas.\n\n309. Some of these trees and creepers are identifiable. Sahakara is\nMangifera Indica, Linn. Ketaka is a variety of Pandanus Odoratissimus,\nLinn. Uddalaka is otherwise called Vahuvara and sometimes Selu. It is the\nCordia Myxa, Linn. It may be a misreading for Uddanaka, which is the\nwell-known Cirisha or the Mimosa Sirisca of Roxburgh. Dhava is Conocarpus\nlatifolia, Roxb. Asoka is Saraca Indica, Linn., syn, Jonesia Asoka, Roxb.\nKunda is Jasminum pubescens, Linn. Atimukta is otherwise called Madhavi.\nIt is Gaertinera racemosa, Roxb. Champaka is Michelia Champaca, Linn.\nTilaka sometimes stands for Lodhra, i.e., Symplocos racemosa, Roxb. The\nword is sometimes used for the Aswattha or Ficus religiosa, Linn. Bhavya\nis Dillenia Indica, Linn. Panasa is Artocarpus integrifolia, Linn. The\nIndian Jack-tree. Vyanjula stands for the Asoka, also Vetasa (Indian\ncane), and also for Vakula, i.e., Mimusops Elengi, Linn. Karnikara is\nPterospermum accrifolium, Linn. Cyama is sometimes used for the Pilu,\ni.e., Salvadora Persica, Linn. Varanapushpa or Nagapushpa or Punnaga is\nColophyllum inophyllum, Linn. Astapadika or padika is otherwise called\nBhardravalli. It is the Vallaris dichotoma, Wall., Syn., Echites\ndichotoma, Roxb.\n\n310. Bhringaraja is the Lanius Malabaricus. Kokila is the well-known\nIndian Koel or cuckoo. Catapatra is the wood-pecker. Koyashtika is the\nLapwing. Kukkubhas are wild-cocks (Phasinus gallus). Datyuhas are a\nvariety of Chatakas or Gallinules. Their cry resembles the words\n(phatikjal). Jivajivaka is a species of partridges. Chakora is the Greek\npartridge. Sarasa is the Indian crane. Chakravaka is the Brahmini duck or\ngoose.\n\n311. In verse 39 and 40 for asmi and tapacchaitat read asi and tapasaccha.\n\n312. The Grandsire spoke of somebody becoming a Kshatriya in Bhrigu's\nrace, and referred to the incident as the result of a stain that would be\ncommunicated to that race from Kusika's. This is the full allusion.\n\n313. The sense seems to be that Kusika wishes to know what person of\nBhrigu's race will confer this high benefit upon his race.\n\n314. By ancestors to the seventh degree also descendants to the same\ndegree are meant.\n\n315. Heaven and Hell are places of only enjoyment and endurance. There\ncan be no acts there leading to merit or demerit. This world is the only\nplace which is called the field of acts.\n\n316. Vrikshas are large or small trees generally. Gulma is a shrub, or\nbushy plant. Lata is a creeper, which cannot grow without a support.\nTalli is of the same variety, with this difference, perhaps, that its\nstems are more tree-like than those of creepers. Twaksara is the bamboo.\nTrina includes all kinds of grass.\n\n317. The commentator explains that the drift of Yudhishthira's query is\nthis: the giver and the receiver do not meet in the next world. How then\ncan an object given away return or find its way back to the giver in the\nnext world or next life?\n\n318. Abhimanat is differently understood by the commentator.\n\n319. Yuktaih is the better reading, although muktaih may not be\nerroneous. Yuktain is charaih; while muktath is 'men charged with a\ncommission to do a thing'.\n\n320. This sacrifice is the sacrifices of gifts. 'Spreading out a\nsacrifice' means 'spreading out the articles and placing them in proper\norder in view of the sacrifice.' 'Dadatah vartotam' means datustaya\nsaryanastu.\n\n321. The sense is this: gifts made to such superior Brahmanas serve to\nfree a person from the debts which he owes to the deities. The 'water of\ngifts' means the water that the giver sprinkles, with a blade of Kusa\ngrass, over the article given away, saying, 'I give this away'. In the\nsacrifice constituted by gifts, such water is like the dedication of\nofferings to the Pitris. A knowledge of the ritual of sacrifice is needed\nto understand and appreciate the figures employed in such verses.\n\n322. Some texts read tathabham, meaning abhayam or fearlessness is from\nthem--Tathobhayam (which I adopt) is that both, Heaven and Hell become\none's through them; if gratified, they bestow Heaven; if angry, they hurl\ninto Hell.\n\n323. Yachyam is yachanarupamkarma, Anisasya is daridrasya. Abhiharam is\ntirashkaram. Yachanti bhutani means those who beg or solicit. In the\nSanti Parva, Bhishma in one place directs beggars to be driven away from\ntowns and cities as annoyers of respectable people. This, however,\napplies to professional beggars, and not persons in real distress.\n\n324. Antarvedyan is within the platform; and Anrisamsyatah is vahirvedyan\nor outside the platform.\n\n325. Sacrifices are a means of giving away unto the Brahmanas.\n\n326. Weeping women means women of destitute condition and, therefore,\nunable to pay.\n\n327. The first word in the first line is not kshatam but kritam.\n\n328. The Commentator explains that because giver by one that is dear or\ngiven to one that is dear, therefore is she called Priyadatta.\n\n329. This is evidently a crux. Prasamsanti means generally praise. Here\nit means reproach or censure. The second line may also mean, his enemies\ndare not attack his kingdom.\n\n330. This is the utterance or declaration of the earth herself.\n\n331. Rich with every taste; the idea is that things have six tastes,\nviz., sweet, sour, etc. The quality of taste is drawn by things from the\nsoil or earth. The tastes inhere in earth, for it is the same earth that\nproduces the sugarcane and the tamarind.\n\n332. Sparsitam is dattam.\n\n333. The Bombay reading adityatastansha is better than the Bengal reading\nadityataptansha.\n\n334. What Yudhishthira wishes to know is what conjunctions should be\nutilized for making what particular gifts.\n\n335. Payasa is rice boiled in sugared milk. It is a sort of liquid food\nthat is regarded as very agreeable.\n\n336. Vardhamana, Sarava or Saravika. It is a flat certain cup or dish.\n\n337. Phanita is the inspissated juice of the sugarcane.\n\n338. A prasanga is a basket of bamboo or other material for covering\npaddy.\n\n339. Rajamasha is a kind of bean. It is the Vinga sinensis, syn.\nDilicheos sinensis Linn.\n\n340. There may be akama and sakama acts, i.e., acts without desires of\nfruit and acts with desires of fruit. A Sraddha with Tila or sesame\nshould never be done without desire for fruit.\n\n341. When a residential house is given away unto such a Brahmana and the\nreceiver resides in it, the giver reaps the reward indicated. It does not\nrefer to the hospitable shelter to such a Brahmana given by one in one's\nown house.\n\n342. To this day, in Bengal at least, a tenant never performs the first\nSraddha or a Puja (worship of the deities) without obtaining in the first\ninstance the permission of the landlord. There is in Sraddhas a\nRajavarana or royal fee payable to the owner of the earth on which the\nSraddha is performed.\n\n343. Tasyam is explained by the commentator as kritayam.\n\n344. Kinasa is either one who tills the soil with the aid of bulls or one\nwho slays cattle. Having first mentioned vadhartham, kinasa should here\nbe taken for a tiller. Kasai, meaning butcher, seems to be a corruption\nof the word kinasa.\n\n345. One need not dedicate unto one's deities any other food than what\none takes oneself. In the Ramayana it has been said that Rama offered\nunto the Pitris astringent fruits while he was in exile. The Pisachas\ndedicate carrion unto their deities for they themselves subsist upon\ncarrion.\n\n346. The first line of 13 and the last line of 14 are very terse: Kalasya\nvihitam, as explained by the Commentator, is ayuh pramanam, na prapnami\nis na janami. The sense is that 'unurged by time, I cannot allow these to\ntake up my residence here.'\n\n347. i.e., invite Brahmanas to feasts in which sesame should predominate.\n\n348. In Bengal, to this day, those who can afford, particularly pious\nladies, establish shady resting places in the month of Vaisakha (the\nhottest month of the year), by the side of the public roads, for\ntravellers, where good cool drinking water, a handfull of well-drenched\noats, and a little of raw sugar, are freely distributed. Such\ninstitutions, on the old Benares Road and the Grand Trunk Road,\nconsiderably refresh travellers. There are miles upon miles along these\nroads where good water is not at all procurable.\n\n349. What is meant by the giving of lamps is the placing of lighted lamps\nin dark places which are the resorts of men, such as roads and ghats, etc.\n\n350. Of equal name, because the word go means cow, earth, and speech.\n\n351. No particular number is intended. What is meant is--innumerable.\n\n352. The 'hence' in the last line has reference to what has been said\nbefore on the subject of kine, and not to the first line of the verse.\n\n353. Vitasokaih in the instrumental plural refers to Bhavanaih or some\nsuch substantive understood. It may also be read as a nominative plural,\nreferring to Lokah.\n\n354. Very probably what is said here is that only such kine are worthy of\nbeing given away unto Brahmanas, and not lean animals.\n\n355. Kine produce food not only by assisting at tillage of the soil, but\nalso by aiding in the performance of sacrifices. The ghee burnt in the\nsacrificial fire sustains the under-deities, who pour rain and cause\ncrops to grow.\n\n356. That heat is the originating principle of the growth of many things\nwas well understood by the Rishis.\n\n357. The sense seems to be this: in doing all pious acts, one should\nfirst take the aid of a preceptor, even if one be well-conversant with\nthe ordinances one has to follow. Without the selection of a preceptor in\nthe first place, there can be no pious act. In the matter, therefore, of\nmaking gifts of kine according to the ordinances laid down, one should\nseek the help of a preceptor as well as in the matter of every other act\nof piety.\n\n358. When consciousness of body is lost in Yoga or Samadhi, a temporary\nMoksha or Emancipation succeeds. Men with cleansed minds behold at such\ntimes those regions of supreme felicity to which the speaker refers. Such\nfelicity, of course, is the felicity of Brahma itself.\n\n359. Govritti is imitating the cow in the matter of providing for the\nmorrow. Hence, one, who never thinks of the morrow and never stores\nanything for future use, is meant.\n\n360. Etachcha in 25 implies gift of a cow, and enam refers to a Brahmana.\nDwijaya dattwa, etc, in the first line of 26 seems to be an elaboration\nof Etachcha.\n\n361. Homyaheth prasute implies for a child born in consequence of a Homa.\nThe fact is, ascetics sometimes created children without the intervention\nof women and by efficacy of the Homa alone. At such times should people\nmake gifts of kine unto such sires. The mention of Vala-samvriddhaye\nafterwards implies the birth of children in the usual course.\n\n362. Kshirapaih implies calves that are yet unweaned; that is, the cow\nshould be given at such a time when she is still yielding milk; when, in\nfact, her calf has not learnt to eat or drink anything besides the milk\nor its dam.\n\n363. The correct reading of the second line is kshanene vipramuchya as in\nthe Bombay text, and not kshemena vipramuchyeran. The latter reading\nyields almost no sense. The Burdwan translator, who has committed grave\nblunders throughout the Anusasana, adheres to the incorrect reading, and\nmakes nonsense of the verse.\n\n364. In verse 3, vikrayartham is followed, as the Commentator rightly\nexplains, by niyunkta or some such word. Vikrayartham hinsyat may mean\n'killing for sale.' This, however should be pleonastic with reference to\nwhat follows.\n\n365. Vratas (rendered as 'vows') and Niyamas (rendered as observances)\ndiffers in this respect that the former involves positive acts of worship\nalong with the observance of, or abstention from, particular practices,\nwhile the latter involves only such observance or abstention.\n\n366. The orthodox belief is that all rituals are literally eternal. As\neternal, they existed before anybody declared them or set them down in\nholy writ. The ritual in respect of gifts of kine sprang in this way,\ni.e., in primeval time. It was only subsequently declared or set down in\nholy writ.\n\n367. In verse 5, if instead of the reading swah, swa be adopted, the\nmeaning would be knowing that he would have to die. A Rohini is a red\ncow. The words Samanga and Vahula are Vedic terms applied to the cow. The\nSandh in vahuleti is arsha. The formula or Mantras that should be\nuttered in actually giving away the kine occur in the scriptures.\n\n368. The Commentator explains that gavadinam in the first line refers to\ngopratindhinam. The second line is very terse. The sense is that at only\nthe eight step in the homeward journey of the recipient, all the merits\nattaching to vicarious gift become his who gives an actual cow: what\nneed, therefore, be said of that merit when the recipient reaches home\nand draws from the cow the means of worshipping his domestic fire,\nentertaining his guests, etc?\n\n369. Ashtami is the eighth day of the lunar fortnight. There must be two\nAshtamis in every lunar month. A particular Ashtami is known as the Kamya\nor the Goshtha. On that day, kine are worshipped with sandalpaste,\nvermilion, floral wreaths, etc.\n\n370. Sikhi means a bull, so called from the hump it carries. The\nconstruction is sikhi Vrishaiva etc,\n\n371. A Kapila cow is one that gives a copious measure of milk whenever\nshe is milked, and is possessed of various other accomplishments and\nvirtues.\n\n372. For without ghee, which is produced from milk, there can be no\nsacrifice. The sa may refer to Soma, but sacrifice is evidently meant.\n\n373. The idea of uchcchishta, is peculiarly Hindu and cannot be rendered\ninto any other language. Everything that forms the remnant of meal after\none has left of eating, is uchcchishta. The calf sucks its dam. The\nudders, however, are not washed before milking the dam, for the milk\ncoming out of them is not held to be impure remnant.\n\n374. Swastayana is a ceremony of propitiation, productive of blessing and\ndestructive of misery of every kind.\n\n375. The commentator explains that by a wet cowhide is meant a piece of\ncowhide that has been dipped in water and thus purified. Upavisya is\nunderstood after Charmani. The mention of bhumau implies the avoidance of\ndishes or plates or cups of white brass or other allowable metals. Gavam\npushtim, I understand, means 'the prosperity in respect of kine.' i.e.,\nthe prosperity which kine confer.\n\n376. The first line of verse 4 seems to be connected with verse 3. The\nsecond line of 4 seems to stand by itself. By connecting the first line\nof 4 with the second, the meaning will be--All mobile and immobile\ncreatures that will give us away etc. Immobile creatures making gifts of\nkine would be utter nonsense.\n\n377. Vallaki is the Indian lute. The Nupura is an ornament for the ankles.\n\n378. Bhumidah is literally, a giver of land. King Saudasa, the\ncommentator explains, was known by the name of Bhumidah in consequence of\nhis liberality in the matter of giving away land unto the Brahmanas.\n\n379. These are the several names by which kine are known. The first is\nprobably derived from kine bearing the plough and thus assisting the\ntillage of the soil. The second implies beauty of form. The third is\nderived from the cow being regarded as the origin of all things in the\nuniverse: all things, therefore, are only so many forms of the cow.\nViswarupa implies the same thing. Matara implies mothers, kine being\nregarded as the mothers of all.\n\n380. Ghee is regarded so sacred because of its use in sacrifices. It is\nwith the aid of ghee that the deities have become what they are. Itself\nsacred, it is also cleansing at the same time.\n\n381. Sri is the goddess of Prosperity. The answer of Bhishma will explain\nthe question fully.\n\n382. Devendreshu is evidently a misreading for Daitendreshu.\n\n383. The commentator explains that hence, by making gifts of gold, one\ncomes to be regarded as making gifts of the entire universe.\n\n384. i.e., into water, for water is identical with Agni.\n\n385. This refers to the practice of making the sacrificial fire by\nrubbing two sticks of Sami. It is a very inflammable wood and is used\nhence in all sacred rites.\n\n386. Hiranyaretas implies having gold for his vital seed.\n\n387. Vasumati implies endued with wealth, so called because the seed of\nAgni, identified with gold, is wealth of the highest kind and fell on the\nEarth who from that time began to hold it.\n\n388. Skanda is derived from Skanna or fallen out. Guha implies secret.\nThe secrecy of his birth in the wilderness led to the bestowal of this\nname. He has many other names.\n\n389. Jatarupa refers to the incident of its having assumed an excellent\nform after its birth from Agni.\n\n390. The commentator explains,--Pravrittipradhanam jangamamabhut.\n\n391. Sa guna refers to Sattwa. Tejas is identical with Buddhi, because\nBuddhi, like Light, discovers all things. Sattwa, again, being of the\nnature of space, or rather being space itself, is of universal form; that\nis, Sattwa is all-pervading.\n\n392. Avasatmaka is explained by the commentator as bhranta.\n\n393. These are different names of Brahman and Mahadeva.\n\n394. The 'hence' here does not refer to what preceded immediately, but\nhas reference to what has been said of the identity of Agni with Brahman\nand Rudra.\n\n395. Pravartakam implies leading to Pravritti for righteous acts or\nChittasuddhi.\n\n396. The commentator explains that the Pitris should be worshipped on the\nday of the New moon, the deities should then be worshipped on the first\nday of the lighted fortnight. Or, on any other day of the lighted\nfortnight, the Pitri-sacrifice or Sraddha should be performed first; the\nDeva-sacrifice or Ishti should then be performed.\n\n397. Anwaharyam, the commentator explains, is paschatkartavyam, i.e.,\nsubsequently performable (subsequent, i.e., to the worship of the gods).\nThere is a special ordinance, however, which lays down that the Sraddha\nshould be performed on the afternoon of the day of the new moon. The gods\nshould be adored on the first day of the lighted fortnight. Hence, owing\nto this especial ordinance, the Sraddha must precede the worship of the\ngods, and not succeed it.\n\n398. Masha, is the Phascolus Roxburghii.\n\n399. It is difficult to understand what is meant by Vadhrinasa here. It\nmeans either a large bull, or a kind of bird, or a variety of the goat.\nProbably the bull is intended.\n\n400. Pitrikshaye is mrita-tithau. Kalasaka is explained by Nilakantha as\nidentical with the common potherb called Shuka or the country sorrel\n(Rumex visicarius, Linn). Some hold that it is something like the sorrel.\nLauham is the petals of the Kanchana flower (Bauhinia acuminata, Linn).\n\n401. To this day the sanctity of Gaya is universally recognised by all\nHindus. Sraddhas are performed there under the banian called the Akshaya\nor inexhaustible banian.\n\n402. All religious acts are either nitya or kamya. The former imply acts\nthat are obligatory and by doing which no particular merit is acquired\nbut by not doing which sin is incurred. The latter imply those optional\nacts which, if done, produce merit but which, if omitted, leads to no sin.\n\n403. Literally, 'set in motion a body of kings,' i.e., become an\nOverlord.\n\n404. When Brahmanas are fed, they are made to sit in long lines. They\nthat are stained with vices are excluded from the line. Such exclusion\nfrom the line is regarded as equal to complete outlawry.\n\n405. i.e., who have undergone a natural circumcision.\n\n406. Implying soothsayers.\n\n407. This is a common form of expression to imply the fruitlessness of an\nact. Libations should be poured on the blazing fire. If poured on the\nashes, they lead to no merit, for only Agni in his blazing form can bear\nthem to the intended places.\n\n408. The idea is that heaven is the result of one's deeds. It is attached\nto the fruits of one's acts. The man falling off from heaven is identical\nwith heaven being dissociated from the fruits of his acts. Hence such a\nfalling off at the man or the dissociation of heaven is likened to a\nbird's dissociation from its perch when the chain tying it to the perch\nis broken. The simile seems to be far-fetched.\n\n409. It is painful to see how very careless the Vernacular versions of\nthe Anusasana have been. From want of space the numerous errors that have\nbeen committed have not been pointed out. At times, however, the errors\nappear to be so grave that one cannot pass them by in silence. In the\nsecond half of the first line, whether the reading be avapta as in the\nBengal texts or chavapta as in the Bombay texts, the meaning is that the\nAvapta or one that has not sown na vijabhagam prapnuyat, i.e., would not\nget a share of the produce. The Burdwan translators make a mess of it,\nwhile K. P. Singha skips over it.\n\n410. The sense is that the calumniator, his sire, and son meet with\ndestruction in consequence of such an act.\n\n411. These purificatory rites, after the usual period of mourning,\nconsists in shaving and bathing and wearing new clothes.\n\n412. The act, as explained by the commentator, consisted in the father's\ndoing that with reference to the son which, as the ordinance went, was\ndone by sons with reference to sires.\n\n413. In one of the vernacular versions, the wrong reading Kshama is\nadopted for Akshaya.\n\n414. Ravana and other Rakshasas who spring from Pulastya's line are known\nas Brahma-Rakshasas or Rakshasas of regenerate origin.\n\n415. i.e., that fast which mortifies the body is not to be regarded as\nequivalent to penance. True penance is something else. An observer of\nsuch a fast is not to be regarded as an ascetic. Such fasts, again, are\nsinful instead of being meritorious.\n\n416. By Upavasa in the second line is meant abstention from food between\nthe two prescribed hours for eating, and not that fast which mortifies\nthe body. One may, again, eat the most luxurious food without being\nattached to it. One also, by repining at one's abstinence, may come to be\nregarded as actually enjoying the most luxurious food.\n\n417. Meat of animals slaughtered in sacrifices is allowable. By taking\nsuch meat, one does not become an eater of meat. In fact, one may etc.\n\n418. Prashthauhi means a cow pregnant with her second calf. Grishti means\na cow that has brought forth only her first calf.\n\n419. The commentator explains that the direction about ascertaining the\nnames of the Rishis and the meanings of those names proceed from the\nkings' desire of cautioning the Rakshasi lest in going to destroy them\nshe might herself meet with destruction.\n\n420. In other words, Vasishtha attributes the leanness or emaciation of\nhimself and his companions to the failure to discharge their daily rites\nof religious practice.\n\n421. Lotus-stalks are eaten in India and are mentioned by Charaka as\nheavy food.\n\n422. Sunahsakha implies a friend of dogs. The newcomer who had joined the\nroving Rishis had a dog with him. Hence, he is called by the name of\nSunahsakha.\n\n423. Brahma-danda literally means the stick in the hand of a Brahmana.\nFiguratively, it implies the chastisement inflicted by a Brahmana in the\nform of a curse. As such it is more effective than the thunderbolt in the\nhands of Indra himself, for the thunderbolt blasts only those objects\nthat lie within its immediate range. The Brahmana's curse, however,\nblasts even those that are unborn.\n\n424. Libations should always be poured upon a blazing fire. Fire made\nwith dry grass or straw blaze up quickly and become soon extinguished. By\npouring libations, therefore, upon such fires, one practically pours them\nupon ashes and gains no merit.\n\n425. To derive the means of sustenance from a wife was always viewed with\nfeelings of aversion in this country. It seems, therefore, that the\ncustom of domesticating sons-in-law was not unknown in ancient times. To\nreceive acts of hospitality in return for those rendered was regarded as\nnot only meanness but also destructive of merit.\n\n426. Jnatinam is an instance of the genitive in what is called Anadara.\nThe meaning, therefore, is disregarded them. For a Brahmana woman to\nbring forth a son devoted to heroic deeds is a reproach.\n\n427. The scriptures declare that Righteousness loses its strength as Time\nadvances. In the Krita age, it exists in entirety. In the Treta, it loses\na quarter. In the Dwapara, another quarter is lost. In the Kali age, full\nthree quarters are lost and only a quarter is all that remains.\n\n428. The Rishis think that the distinctions between the lower, the\nmiddling, and the higher classes of society are eternal, and nothing can\nbe a greater calamity than the effacement of those distinctions. Equality\nof men, in their eyes, is an unmitigated evil.\n\n429. Forgiveness is the duty of the Brahmana. To fall off from\nforgiveness is to fall off from duty. To censure when censured and assail\nthe assailer, are grave transgressions in the case of a Brahmana. The\nidea of retaliation should never enter the Brahmana's heart; for the\nBrahmana is the friend of the universe. His behaviour to friend and foe\nshould be equal. To eat the flesh that attaches itself to the back-bone\nof a slaughtered animal is also a grave transgression.\n\n430. A religious mendicant should always wander over the Earth, sleeping\nwhere night overtakes him. For such a man to reside in a city or town is\nsinful.\n\n431. To till the soil is a transgression for a Brahmana.\n\n432. Good food should never be taken alone. It should always be shared\nwith children and servants.\n\n433. A village having only one well should be abandoned by a Brahmana,\nfor he should not draw water from such a well which is used by all\nclasses of the population.\n\n434. The penance that is involved in standing on one foot should be\npractised, like all other penances, in the woods. To practise a penance\non the way leading to a village so that people may be induced to make\ngifts, is a transgression of a grave kind.\n\n435. Some kine that are vicious have their hind legs tied with a rope\nwhile they are milked. If the rope be made of human hair, the pain felt\nis supposed to be very great. To obtain the aid of a calf belonging to\nanother cow is regarded as sinful. To the cow also, the process of\nsucking cannot be agreeable. If the milk is held in a vessel of white\nbrass, it becomes unfit for gods and guests.\n\n436. The discourse is called eternal and immutable because of its subject\nbeing so. Duties are eternal truths.\n\n437. This discourse on duties delivered by the Rishis is called a Sastra.\nLiterally, anything that governs men, i.e., regulates their behaviour, is\ncalled a Sastra. As such, the enumeration of duties occurring in this\nLesson, although it has been made by a reference to their breaches, is\ntherefore, a Sastra.\n\n438. Literally, they who cook for dogs, i.e., keep dogs as companions;\nmeaning members of the lowest caste.\n\n439. The commentator takes Tapah or Penance as indicative of the duties\nof the four orders of life, and Dharma as indicative of compassion and\nother virtues.\n\n440. Dhupas are incenses offered to the deities. Being of inflammable\nsubstances, they are so made that they may burn slowly or smoulder\nsilently. They are the inseparable accompaniments of a worship of the\ndeities.\n\n441. Tejas is explained by the commentator, as used here for Kanti or\nbeauty, and prakasam for kirti; there is no necessity, however, for\nrejecting the ordinary meaning of Tejas which is energy.\n\n442. The sense seems to be that if a man dies during that period when the\nsun is in his southward course, he is dragged through a thick darkness.\nFor escaping that darkness, one should give lights at the period\nmentioned.\n\n443. What is meant by the juice of deciduous herbs is oil of mustard\nseeds and castor seeds, etc.\n\n444. Well-fried paddy, reduced to powder, is sometimes used for giving a\ncoating to dishes of meat.\n\n445. It will be remembered that the only chastisement that was in vogue\nin the Krita age was the crying of 'Fie' on an offender.\n\n446. The Bombay text has vatsakah for utsavah. If the former reading be\nadopted, it would mean those rites that are performed for the prosperity\nand longevity of children. Of course, in such rites also the deities are\nworshipped and propitiated.\n\n447. For Dwijaya some text read Grahaya meaning guests.\n\n448. 'Jwalante' has 'dwipah' for its nominative understood. A twinkle\noccupies an instant of time. What is said here is that the giver of\nlights becomes endued with beauty and strength for as many years as the\nnumber of instants for which the lights given by him are seen to burn.\n\n449. 'Kshatrabandhu' implies a low or vile Kshatriya.\n\n450. Literally, 'Why dost thou dip such parts of thy body into a pond of\nwater?'\n\n451. The study of the Vedas is regarded as equivalent in merit of gifts.\nHence actual gifts of articles are spoken of as 'gifts of other kinds.'\n\n452. Literally 'friendship is seven-word.' Sometimes the same expression\nis understood as meaning 'seven-paced,' The sense, of course, is that if\nthe righteous meet and exchange seven words (or, walk with each other for\nonly seven steps), they become friends.\n\n453. The Bombay text has Somapithi and upavati instead of upayanti. The\nBengal text reads Somavithi which seems to be inaccurate. The sense seems\nto be that of Somapithi or drinker of (sacrificial) soma.\n\n454. The Ekaratra, Pancharatra, and Ekadasaratra, sacrifices consist of\nfasts and gifts for the periods indicated by the names, viz., one night,\nfive nights, and eleven nights.\n\n455. 'Golden moons' imply those well-carved and beautifully fringed discs\nof gold that are worn by Hindu ladies on the forehead and that hang by\nthin chains of gold attached to the hair. In Bengal, ladies of\nrespectable houses wear a kind of ornament called 'Chandrahara' or the\nmoon-wreath. This ornament is worn round the waist, on the hip. Several\nchains of gold, from half a dozen to a dozen, having a large disc of\nwell-carved gold to which they are attached, constitute this really very\nbeautiful ornament. The disc is divided into two halves, attached to each\nother by hinges, so that in sitting down, the ornament produces no\ninconvenience.\n\n456. In the Santi Parva it has been explained that in ancient times kings\nsometimes performed sacrifices causing altars to be raised at small\ndistances from one another. These distances were measured by hurling a\nheavy piece of wood called Sami, so that throwing the Sami from one\naltar, the next altar would be created upon the spot where it fell.\n\n457. i.e. if a sinful man mends his conduct, he succeeds in warding off\nthe misery and evils to which he would otherwise be subject in\nconsequence of his sins.\n\n458. What is said here is this: certain persons have the ugly habit of\npicking up little clods of earth and pound them into dust, while sitting\non the ground and engaged in talking. The habit also of tearing the grass\nwhile sitting on the ground may be marked. It should be remembered that\nthe people of India in ancient times used often to sit on the bare\nground. As to cutting off the nails with the teeth, it is an ugly habit\nwith many young men.\n\n459. The Brahma Muhurta is that when the sun is just below the horizon.\n\n460. The prayers said in the morning and the evening are also spoken of\nas adoring the two twilights.\n\n461. 'One should always observe the vow of Brahmacharya' means that one\nshould abstain from sexual congress except with one's wedded wives and in\nthe proper season.\n\n462. The Bombay text reads the second line differently. What is meant, is\nthat the wounds inflicted by wordy shafts rankle and fester and lead to\ndeath.\n\n463. Samyava is a thin cake of unleavened bread, fried with ghee, pounded\nand again made up into an oblong form with fresh bread, sugar and spices,\nand again fried with ghee. Krisara is a kind of liquid food made of milk,\nsesame, rice, sugar, and spices. Sashkuli is a kind of pie. Payasa is\nrice boiled in sugar and milk.\n\n464. Antarddhane implies 'in darkness'; hence one should always examine\nthe bed with a light before one lies down on it.\n\n465. Pranan, the commentator explains, implies the upper holes of the\nbody, such as the nostrils, the ear-holes and the eyes.\n\n466. The Brahmana is more powerful than the other two, for while the\nother two cannot injure except when they have their foe within sight,\nthe Brahmana can do so even by not seeing his enemy.\n\n467. The custom in India, with especially all orthodox Brahmanas, is to\nwear a single flower on the head, inserted into the coronal lock. This\nflower may be a red one, it is said, after the prohibition in the\nprevious verse about the wearing of garlands made of red flowers.\n\n468. What is stated here is that dry perfumes should not be used, but\nthose which are pounded with water and made into a paste.\n\n469. The cloth worn by a Hindu has two lateral fringes which contain a\nlesser number of threads than the body of the cloth.\n\n470. It has been said that Hinduism is a vast system of personal hygiene.\nThese directions about change of attire are scrupulously observed by\nevery rigid Hindu to this day. No change seems to have taken place in the\ndaily habits of the people.\n\n471. Priyangu is the Aglaia Roxburghiana. Vilwa is the Egle marmelos.\nTagara is the Taberuaemontana coronaria, Linn. Kesara is probably the\nEclipta alba, Hassk.\n\n472. Na is the nom. sing. of Nri, implying man.\n\n473. One of the Vernacular translations takes valena as signifying child\nand para-sraddha as meaning the first or adya sraddha.\n\n474. This noise refers to that of chewing or sucking or licking, etc. It\nis an ugly habit with some people.\n\n475. Doubting, for example, as to whether he would be able to digest it\nor not, or whether what he is taking is clean or not, or whether it would\nbe too much for him.\n\n476. In offering certain articles at the Sraddha, the articles are first\nplaced on this part of the right hand and then offered with due Mantras\nto the Pitris.\n\n477. The achamana is not exactly washing, when one is directed to perform\nthe achamana after having eaten, there it, of course, implies an act of\nwashing. At the commencement, however, of religious acts, the rite of\nachamana consists in merely touching the lips and some other parts with\nwater.\n\n478. The Brahmana's aid is necessary in selecting the ground, and\nsettling the longitudinal and other directions of the house, as also in\nfixing the day of commencing the work of building.\n\n479. I adopt the meaning which Nilakantha points out. According to him,\nthis verse forbids the killing of birds at night time and their killing\nafter having fed and adopted them. Indeed, one may buy such birds killed\nby others for food. The word Dwija, however, may mean both hair and\nnails. The first part of the line, therefore, may be taken as a\nprohibition against the cutting of hair and nails after eating. The words\nna samarcha reta, in that case, would be difficult to interpret.\nProbably, it is this that has led the commentator to take Dwija here for\na bird. Some texts read panam for na cha.\n\n480. Pravaras indicate the race in which one is born. They are named from\nthe names of the Vedic Rishis.\n\n481. The commentator explains that ayonim implies of unknown birth and\nviyonim of mean birth.\n\n482. Brahmanih here refers to the rituals in the Vedas and not persons of\nthe first order.\n\n483. The fact is, one is directed to bathe after a shave. One is\nconsidered impure after a shave until one bathes.\n\n484. Uddesa means, as the commentator explains, in brief.\n\n485. The word rendered conduct in the concluding verse of this lesson is\nacharah. It implies not only one's behaviour to one's own self and\nothers, i.e., to beings inferior, equal, and superior. The word acharah,\ntherefore, includes the entire body of acts that one does in this life,\nincluding the very sentiments that one cherishes.\n\n486. The flower of the cane cannot be plucked for being offered to the\ndeities.\n\n487. An Acharya is an ordinary instructor. He is called an Upadhyaya who\nteaches the Vedas. The Upadhyaya is greater than even ten Acharyas or\nordinary teachers. The father, again, deserves ten times as much respect\nas is paid to the Upadhyaya. As regards the mother, again, the reverence\ndue to her is greater than what is due to the father. The mother is equal\nto the whole earth.\n\n488. Many of the verses of this Lesson are from Manu. The relative\npositions of the Acharya, the Upadhyaya, the father, and the mother, as\ngiven in verse 15, is not consistent with Manu. Verse 15 would show that\nthe Upadhyaya was regarded as very much superior of the Acharya. In Manu,\nII--140-41, he is called an Acharya who taught all the Vedas, without any\nremuneration. He, on the other hand, who taught a particular Veda for a\nliving, was called an Upadhyaya. The first line of verse 19 corresponds\nwith Manu, II--148. The sense is that that birth which one derives from\none's parents is subject to death; while the birth derived from the\npreceptor is true regeneration, unfading and immortal. It is a question\nwhether any other nation paid such respect to persons employed in\nteaching.\n\n489. Kanchi is an ornament worn by ladies round the waist or hips. There\nis a shining disc of gold or silver, which dangles on the hip. It is\ncommonly called Chandra-hara. The Nupura is an anklet of silver, with\nmoving bullets placed within, so that when the wearer moves, these make\nan agreeable sound.\n\n490. In verse 3, Avaguna means Nirguna; Ekatma means alone and asamhta\nimplies without associates i.e., helpless.\n\n491. A Padma is a very large number. Instead of rendering such words\nexactly, I have, in some of the preceding verses, following the sense, put\ndown 'millions upon millions of years.'\n\n492. Avartanani means years. Four and twelve make sixteen, Sara is arrow.\nThe arrows are five in number as possessed by Kama, the deity of love.\nThe number of fires also is seven. The compound saragniparimana,\ntherefore, implies five and thirty. Adding this to sixteen, the total\ncomes up to one and fifty.\n\n493. A countless number almost.\n\n494. Here the exact number of years is not stated.\n\n495. Some of the most beautiful ladies in Indian mythology and history\nhave been of dark complexion. Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas, was\ndark in colour and was called Krishna. As to women called Syamas, the\ndescription given is that their bodies are warm in winter and cold in\nsummer, and their complexion is like that of heated gold.\n\n496. A very large figure is given.\n\n497. This sacrifice consisted of the slaughter of a human being.\n\n498. The exact number of years is given, consisting of a fabulous figure.\n\n499. Abhravakasasila is explained by Nilakantha as having the attribute\nof the Avakasa or place of Abhra or the clouds. Hence, as stainless as\nthe ether, which, of course, is the purest of all the elements.\n\n500. Sacrifices have for their soul either the actual rites laid down in\nthe scriptures or fasts of several kinds. The observance of fasts is\nequal to the performance of sacrifices, for the merits of both are equal.\n\n501. The word Tirtha as already explained (in the Santi Parva) means a\nsacred water. There can be no Tirtha without water, be it a river, a\nlake, or even a well. Bhishma, however, chooses to take the word in a\ndifferent sense.\n\n502. The language is figurative. By Manasa is not meant the\ntrans-Himalayan lake of that name, which to this day is regarded as\nhighly sacred and draws numerous pilgrims from all parts of India. The\nword is used to signify the Soul. It is fathomless in consequence of\nnobody being able to discover its origin. It is pure and stainless by\nnature. It is represented here as having Truth for its waters and the\nUnderstanding for its lake. Probably, what is meant by this is that the\nUnderstanding, containing the waters of Truth, forms a part of this\nTirtha as the lakes of Pushkara form a part of the Tirtha called by that\nname.\n\n503. Once freed from the idea of meum implies him who identifies himself\nwith all creatures; him, that is, in whom the idea of self has been\nextinguished.\n\n504. Such a man, through the merit he acquires, causes his deceased\nancestors and descendants to be freed from every kind of misery in the\nnext world.\n\n505. In the Naramedha, a human being was offered up as the sacrifice.\n\n506. The sense seems to be this: One that is not possessed of much\nlearning is liable to do improper acts. These acts are all done for\nanother, viz., one's body and the senses and not oneself. The para here\nis, the Not-self.\n\n507. Nichayam is, as explained by the commentator Avasthitim.\n\n508. The sense is that when these leave the body, they are accompanied by\nRighteousness.\n\n509. Intermediate, i.e., between deities and human beings; hence, animals\nand birds.\n\n510. Brahma-Rakshasa is a Rakshasa that belongs, like Ravana and others,\nby birth to the regenerate order.\n\n511. Masha is Phaseolus Roxburghii, Kulatta is Dolichos biflosus, Roxb.\nKalaya is Pisum Sativum, Linn. Mudga is Phaseolus Mango, Linn. Atasi is\nLinum usitattisimam, Linn.\n\n512. A Kanka is a bird of prey.\n\n513. He is repeatedly struck with the clubs and hammers and mallets. He\nis frequently impaled. He is confined with fiery vessels. He is dragged\nwith forests of sword-blades. He is made to walk over heated sand. He is\nrubbed against thorny Salmalis. The Salmali is the Bombox Malabaricum.\n\n514. The commentator explains that Nishpava means Rajamasha which is a\nkind of bears. It is the Dolichas catjung. Halagolaka is a long-tailed\nworm.\n\n515. A Krikara is a kind of partridge. It is spelt also as Krikala or\nKrikana. A Vartaka is a sort of quail.\n\n516. Tailapayin is, literally, one that drinks oil. That name is applied\nto a cockroach.\n\n517. Vyathitah and vyadhitah are the correct readings.\n\n518. That day is sterile or lost in which no gift is made of food.\n\n519. Kama and krodha are mentioned: but the use of cha gives by\nimplication cupidity. What is meant by nidhaya sarvabhuteshu is, dividing\nthem into infinite small parts, to cast them off from oneself to others.\nIt is painful to see how the Burdwan translators misunderstand verses 2\nand 3. They read Hanti for Hanta and write ridiculous nonsense.\n\n520. In the first line, after Sarvabhutani, atmatwena is understood. The\nsense of this verse seems to be this: such a man leaves no trace behind\nhim, for he becomes identified with Brahma. He is, therefore, said to be\napada. The deities on the other hand, are padaishinah, for they desire a\nfixed abode such as heaven or a spot fraught with felicity.\n\n521. The sense is that when one refuses a solicitation one should think\nhow one would feel if another were to refuse the solicitations one\naddressed to that other. So with regard to the rest.\n\n522. By committing a slaughter, one becomes guilty of it. By inciting\nothers to it one becomes guilty. By mentally committing an act of\nslaughter, one becomes guilty of it.\n\n523. i.e. by eating meat, one feels the desire for meat increasing. A\ntaste or predilection for meat is thus created. Hence, the best course is\ntotal abstinence.\n\n524. The sense is this: he who observes the vow of abstention from injury\ncomes to be regarded as the giver of life-breaths in this world. The\nassurance given to all creatures of never injuring them on any occasion\nis the Dakshina or Sacrificial present of the great sacrifice that is\nconstituted by universal compassion or abstention from injury.\n\n525. Mansa is flesh. This verse explains the etymology of the word, Mam\n(me) sa; Me he eateth, therefore, I shall eat him. The words following Me\nhe should be supplied in order to get at the meaning.\n\n526. The sense is this: one, while endued with a human body injures\nanother, the consequences of that injury the doer will suffer in his\nhuman body. One becomes a tiger and slays a deer. The consequences of\nthat act one will have to endure while one becomes reborn as a tiger.\n\n527. What the sage says is that the fact of the worm's being able to\nrecollect the incidents of his past life is due to some meritorious act.\nThat meritorious act is the very sight of the sage which the worm has\nbeen fortunate to obtain.\n\n528. The sense is that among human beings also, acts are done with the\nintention of securing happiness. In other words, human beings also enjoy\nthe fruits of their good acts and endure those of their evil ones.\n\n529. Literally, the verse runs,--'what is that which would forsake a\ncreature that is destitute of etc.,' meaning that such a creature has\nbeen already forsaken by everything. Hence, 'the worm that is destitute\nof speech, etc.' is destitute of everything. Its condition is really\nfraught with great misery.\n\n530. Jugupsita smritih jata is the paraphrase.\n\n531. Swairini-kule implies, as the commentator explains, the race of\nMunis. Swam (Dharamaya) irayati is the etymology. Ajnata-charitam-dharan\napplied to Krishna-Dwaipayana. If it be read charam it would refer to\nMaitreya.\n\n532. Prithagatman implies one whose soul is still invested with upadhis;\nSukhatman is one whose soul has transcended all upadhis.\n\n533. This literal version of the verse yields no sense. The meaning,\nhowever, is this: Atichccheda or Atichcchanda implies a hyperbolic\nstatement, Ativaua means a paradox. It is said that by gift of even a\npalmful of water one may attain to a place which is attainable by a\nhundred sacrifices. This ordinance, which looks like a hyperbole, and its\nstatement by Vedic teachers that looks like a paradox, fill me with\nwonder. The Vedas say that no one attains to such a place without a\nhundred sacrifices. This seems to be untrue, for people do reach it by\nmaking even slight gifts to deserving persons at proper times.\n\n534. The sense is that those who pursue carnal pleasures meet with misery\nas the end, and those who practise austerities meet with felicity as\ntheir reward.\n\n535. To obtain a sight of thee is the reward or result of my own acts. A\nsight of thy person leads to prosperity, through the kindness thou\ncherishest for us.\n\n536. The sense is that an ascetic observant of penances, in whatever\nstage, and a man possessed of omniscience, are regarded as equal.\n\n537. Such an object can never be accomplished. Hence thy paleness and\nleanness.\n\n538. Though completely innocent, thou hast yet been cursed. The anxiety\ndue to this has made thee so.\n\n539. Yamena praptam is the sense, as explained by the commentator.\n\n540. The sense is this: one should not accept gifts made by a butcher or\nslayer of animals. Ten butchers are equal to a single oilman. By\naccepting a gift from an oilman, therefore, one incurs ten times as much\nsin as by accepting a gift from a butcher. In this way, the measure of\nsin goes on increasing according to the ratio given. A Nripa, as\nexplained by the commentator, means here a small chief. A small king is\nequal to ten thousand butchers. A great king, however, is equal to half\nof that, i.e., five thousand butchers. In other words, by accepting a\ngift from a great king, a man incurs as much sin as is a full five\nthousand times of the sin which is incurred by accepting a gift from a\nbutcher.\n\n541. The reason is the declarations in the scriptures to that effect.\n\n542. The sense, as explained by the commentator, is this: the Brahmana\nwho becomes the Ritwik and eats at a Sraddha becomes a Pitri of the\nperson performing the Sraddha. Hence, when his identity has been changed,\nhe should, on that day, abstain from sexual congress with even his own\nspouse. By indulging in such congress, he incurs the sin of adultery.\n\n543. Batakashaya is explained by the commentator as substance that is\nnamed by pounding the hanging roots of the banian. The Priyangu here\nmentioned is not the Aglaia Roxburghiana but the seed called\nRajasarshapa, i.e., Brassica juncea; Sinapis ramasa, Roxb. The Shashtika\npaddy is that which ripens in sixty days.\n\n544. The sense seems to be that the libations, few and far between, of\nmen who do not daily worship their fire are not borne by the fire to the\ndestined places.\n\n545. Kshirapah means those that depend on the lacteal sustenance, hence,\nlittle children.\n\n546. Aurddhsadehikam danam means gifts made in course of Sraddhas and\nother rites that are observed for improving the position of a deceased\nperson.\n\n547. What is meant by the gift of lamps is the lighting of lamps in the\nsky. These are placed on long poles which are fastened to the tallest\ntrees.\n\n548. The commentator explains that when evening comes, one should\nrespectfully salute one's own feet. This custom has certainly died out in\nBengal. A whirl is certainly observable on cowdung when it first drops\nfrom the cow; but the practice of making offering to it has also died out.\n\n549. The second line seems to be unintelligible. The reading I take is\nSraddheshu and not Schidreshu.\n\n550. Vows and fasts, &c., should be observed after the Sankalpa or\nResolution to that effect has been formally enunciated. Even a plunge in\na piece of sacred water cannot be productive of merit unless the Sankalpa\nhas been formally enunciated. The Sankalpa is the enunciation of the\npurpose for which the act is performed as also of the act that is\nintended to be performed.\n\n551. Vrishalipati literally means the husband of a Sudra woman. By\nactually marrying a woman of the lowest order, by marrying before the\nelder brother, by marrying a girl that has attained to puberty, and by\ncertain other acts, a Brahmana comes to be regarded as a Vrishalipati.\n\n552. Kutapa is the hour about noontide. The shade of the elephant's body\nimplies a particular instant of time that is regarded as very favourable\nfor the Sraddha. The man that performs such a Sraddha is regarded as\nacquiring the merits attaching to Sraddhas regularly performed for\nthirteen years.\n\n553. In India the tooth-brush consists of a twig or a little branch. One\nend of it is chewed and softened. The softened fibres serve the purpose\nof a brush. Such a brush is used only once. It is thrown away after the\nbrushing of the teeth is over.\n\n554. It is difficult to identify what plants are meant by Karanjaka and\nSuvarachala.\n\n555. Bhanda includes utensils of copper and brass such as plates and cups\nand jars and jugs. Broken utensils, to this day, are regarded\ninauspicious. They are rejected, as a rule, by every family. Kali (Evil?)\nhas his abode in them, meaning that such utensils cause quarrels and\ndisputes. Broken bed-steads also are regarded as capable of causing loss\nof wealth. Cocks and dogs should never be kept or reared in a house. The\nroots of trees afford shelter to scorpions and snakes and venomous\ninsects and worms. One should not, therefore, plant trees or allow them\nto grow up within one's abode.\n\n556. A Brahmana's fire should never be ignited by a Sudra. Women also\nshould never be allowed to assist at Sraddhas for arranging the offerings.\n\n557. Pramathas are the ghostly companions of Mahadeva. Literally, the\nname implies smiters.\n\n558. Anujnatah literally implies permitted. These creatures, i.e., the\nkine, were permitted by me, means, perhaps, that they became my\nfavourites. Brahman, it is said, solicited Maheswara to accept some kine\nin gift. The latter did accept some, and adopt from that time the device\nof the bull on his flag.\n\n559. Sambhrama here means, probably, joy, or that gratification which\nshows itself in horripilation. It may also mean alacrity.\n\n560. Upavasa here, as explained by the commentator, is used for\nIndriyajaya or subjugation of the senses.\n\n561. He who takes his meals at the proper hours is said to observe fasts.\nHe who avoids sexual congress with other women and associates with only\nhis wedded spouse and that at her season, is said to observe Brahmacharya.\n\n562. To sell the Vedas or any kind of knowledge is a great sin.\n\n563. The correct reading of the latter half of the first line is nabaram\nnatirogratah. The commentator explains, this means that 'there is nothing\ninferior to it or beside it or before it.' In the first part of the first\nline it has been said that there is nothing superior to it. The sense is\nthat it includes all, being as comprehensive as Brahman.\n\n564. Samprakshalas are those Rishis who wash all their utensils daily so\nthat nothing is stored for them for the next day. Asmakuttas are those\nthat use only two pieces of stone for husking their grain. Dantolukhalas\nare those that use their teeth for purposes of husking the grain they eat.\n\n565. Swasarirapa-jivishu implies persons that do not stand in need of the\nservices of others for the support of their bodies.\n\n566. The great forests are called Virasthana for cowards cannot enter or\nreside in them.\n\n567. Marum samsadhya implies abstention from even air and water as food\nor means of subsistence.\n\n568. It should be noted that the word Vira in the various compounds in\nwhich it occurs here, does not mean heroes of war. On the other hand, it\nsignifies heroes of righteousness and penances. The path of heroes is the\nforest, for cowards cannot go there. The attitude of heroes (Virasana) is\na kind of attitude for Yogins to sit in.\n\n569. Nisargat is literally through creation or original nature, or birth.\nOf course, what is implied is that one becomes a Brahmana, or Kshatriya,\nor Vaisya or Sudra, through original creation as such, by the Self-born,\nthat is, birth.\n\n570. Ugra means a fierce or cruel person. It is also applied to signify a\nperson of a mixed caste whose occupation is the slaughter of animals in\nthe chase. The commentator is silent. I think, the food supplied by a\nfierce or cruel person is meant here. What is said in this verse is that\nthe several kinds of food spoken of here should be renounced by a good\nBrahmana.\n\n571. The sense is this: if a Brahmana dies with any portion of the food\nof a Sudra, a Vaisya, or a Kshatriya in his stomach, in his next life he\nhas to take birth as a Sudra, a Vaisya, or a Kshatriya. If, again, during\nlife he subsists upon food supplied to him by a Sudra, a Vaisya, or a\nKshatriya, he has to take birth in his next life as a Sudra, a Vaisya, or\na Kshatriya.\n\n572. Kundasin means a pander. It may also imply one who eats from off the\nvessel in which the food eaten has been cooked without, that is, using\nplates or leaves.\n\n573. The sense seems to be this: a Vaisya ultimately becomes a Brahmana\nby observing the duties indicated in verses 30 to 33. As the immediate\nreward, however, of his observance of these duties, he becomes a great\nKshatriya. What he should next do in order to become a Brahmana is said\nin the verses that follow.\n\n574. This may, besides, imply the taking of a sixth portion of the merits\nacquired by his subjects through the righteous deeds they perform.\n\n575. In India an inferior should always stand aside for letting his\nsuperior pass. The Kshatriya should give way to the Brahmana, the Vaisya\nto the Kshatriya, and the Sudra to the Vaisya.\n\n576. i.e. Soul (including the Supreme Soul) and Not-soul.\n\n577. Gauri is another name for Earth.\n\n578. The Nadies or Rivers are feminine. Of course, among Rivers there are\nsome that are masculine, notably, the Sindhu or Indus. Tirthas are places\nwith sacred waters.\n\n579. One who is free from vanity or arrogance deserves to be called\nPurusha. The absence of vanity is implied by soliciting the help of\nothers even when one is competent oneself. Females follow females, such\nbeing their nature. It is a compliment that Parvati pays to Siva for\nSiva's questioning her when he himself is well-acquainted with the topic\nupon which she is asked to discourse.\n\n580. The word Sindhu in this verse does not imply the river Indus, but\nstands for a river in general. Grammatically, it qualifies Devika before\nit. Devika is another name of Sarayu.\n\n581. According to the Hindu scriptures, marriage is not a contract. It is\nthe union of two individuals of opposite sexes into one person for better\nperformance of all deeds of piety.\n\n582. Trivikrama is one who covered the three worlds with three steps of\nhis. It implies Vishnu who assumed the form of a dwarf for beguiling the\nAsura king Vali.\n\n583. The sense seems to be this: Thou knowest all things, all mysteries,\nyet Thou canst bear all this knowledge within Thyself. We, however, are\nso light-minded, i.e., destitute of gravity, that we are unable to bear\nwithin ourselves the knowledge of a mystery. As soon as we got that\nknowledge from Mahadeva, we felt the desire of letting it out; and,\nindeed, we have let it out at thy request, and let out unto whom?--unto\none that must be secretly laughing at us for our seeming pride.\n\n584. It is said that no person wishes to be vanquished by another in\nrespect of anything. The only one whose victory or superiority, however,\nis bearable or, rather, prayed for, is the son. Hence, the Rishis wish\nunto Krishna a son even superior to him.\n\n585. The ward Pushti literally signifies growth or advancement. Hence, it\nstands generally for excellence of greatness.\n\n586. The correct reading is not pratisrayam but pratisravam which means\npromise or pledge.\n\n587. The pledge, probably, refers to the oaths taken by Bhima and others\nabout the slaughter of the Kauravas.\n\n588. The sense is this: the king acquires great merit by wielding the rod\nof chastisement properly, i.e., by punishing those that deserve\npunishment. The infliction of punishment is what keeps the subjects\nwithin the restraints of duty. The rod of chastisement, therefore, is the\nvery embodiment of the righteousness or merit of the king.\n\n589. Vasudeva is Narayana, and Arjuna is Nara. Nara and Narayana had\npractised severe penances at Vadari on the breast of the Himavat for many\nthousand years. Vyasa afterwards adopted Vadari as his retreat.\n\n590. The Hindu sages never attempt to speculate on the original creation\nof the universe. Their speculations, however, are concerned with what is\ncalled Avantara srishti or that creation which springs forth with the\nawakening of Brahman. Creation and Destruction have occurred ceaselessly\nand will occur ceaselessly. The original creation is impossible to\nconceive as Eternity cannot have a beginning.\n\n591. Putatman means, of cleansed Soul. This implies that though He is the\nLord or ruler of all existent objects, yet He is dissociated from them.\nThe Refuge of the Emancipated--Comp. Gita, 'Mamupetya tu Kaunteya\npunarjanma na vidyate,' etc., Purusha is He that lies in a pura or the\nnine-doored mansion, i.e., the body. Sakshi or Witness implies that He\nsees all things directly, without any medium obstructing His vision.\nKshetrajna implies the Chit lying within the body and who knows the body;\nhowever, being inert, is not cognisant of the Chit it holds.\n\n592. He is called Yoga because of the mind resting upon Him while it is\nin Yoga abstraction. Pradhana, in Sankhya philosophy, is another name of\nPrakriti or original Nature. All things have sprung from the union of\nPrakriti and Purusha. Vasudeva, however, transcends Prakriti and Purusha\nand is their Lord. Narasinghavapu--He assumed the human form with a\nlion's head for slaying the Asura Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada.\n\n593. Sarva implies the source of all existent and non-existent things and\nthat in which all existent and non-existent things become merged at the\nuniversal dissolution. Sambhava signifies Him who takes birth at His own\nwill. Acts cannot touch him. The birth of all other beings is determined\nby their acts in previous lives. Com. Gita, Paritranaya sadhunam etc.\nsambhavami yuge yuge. Bhuvana means one who attaches to acts their\nrespective fruits i.e., he in consequence of whom the weal and woe of all\ncreatures flow as due to acts.\n\n594. Sambhu implies one whose birth has not been determined by extraneous\ncircumstances, or other influences than his own wish, the birth of all\nother creatures being determined by forces extraneous to themselves.\nAditya may also mean the foremost one among the deities especially called\nthe Adityas. They are twelve in number. Dhatri may also imply one who\nupholds everything in the universe by multiplying Himself infinitely.\nDhaturuttama may, besides, signify one who as Chit is superior to all\nelements like Earth, Water, etc., which constitute all that is not-Chit.\n\n595. Aprameya is, literally, immeasurable. Sankara thus explains it: He\nhas no such attributes as sound, etc; in consequence of this He is not an\nobject of direct perception by the sense; nor can He be an object of\ninference, in consequence of there being nothing to which belong the same\nattributes as His, etc. His inconceivability is the foundation of His\nimmeasurableness. Hrishikesa is regarded by European scholars as a\ndoubtful word. The Hindu commentators do not regard it so. It implies the\nlord of the senses i.e., One who has his sense under complete control.\nOr, it may mean One who sways the sense of others, i.e., causes them to\nexercise their functions. Sankara proposes another meaning, viz. He that\nis the form of the Sun or the Moon and as such, the rays of light\nemanating from those luminaries and gladdening all creatures, are the\nhairs on His head. Manu is another name for Mantra or sacred words having\ngreat efficacy.\n\n596. Krishna is one of the foremost names of the supreme God-head. It\nmeans One who is always in transports of joy. It is derived from krish\nwhich implies to be, and na meaning final Emancipation or cessation of\nexistence; the compound probably means One in whom every attribute has\nbeen extinguished; hence, absence of change, of sorrow, of gift, etc.,\nor, eternal and highest joy. Lohitaksha is Red-eyed, from His eyes being\nof the hue of polished copper. Pratardana, according to Sankara, means\nthe killer of all creatures. Others take it as implying one who destroys\nthe cheerlessness of his worshippers. Prabhuta is One who is Great or\nVast in consequence of Knowledge, Puissance, Energy, and Renunciation,\netc.; Pavitram, Mangalam, Param should be taken as one name, although\neach of them has a separate meaning.\n\n597. Pranada is interpreted variously. It may mean He that causes the\nlife-breaths to operate; He that, as Time suspends the life-breaths\n(i.e., kills all creatures); He that connects the life-breaths (i.e., set\nthem a-going when threatened with extinction; hence, healer of diseases).\nPrana implies He who is the cause of the life of every living creature\nbeing Himself, as it were, the life-breath that inspires them.\nHiranyagarbha signifies He that is identical with the Grandsire.\nBhugarbha is one who has the Earth for his abdomen, implying that all\nthings on Earth are in His abdomen.\n\n598. Atmavan, other Beings are said to be Sariravan, Indriyavan, etc., in\nconsequence of the possession of such attributes as Sarira, Indriya, etc.\nBut the Supreme God-head is nothing but soul. He rests on his own true\nnature or essence without requiring anything extraneous like the deities\nor human beings whereon to live or exist,\n\n599. Aha is the day; He is so called because of Jiva being, as it were,\nawakened when he goes to Him. As long as Jiva is at a distance from Him,\nhe is steeped in the sleep of Avidya or Nescience (a happy word which\nProfessor Max Muller has coined) Samvatsara or the year. He is so called\nbecause Time is His essence. Vyala--He is a huge and fierce snake that\ninspires dread.\n\n600. Vrishakapi is otherwise explained by Valadeva Vidyabhushan, as He\nthat showers blessings upon His worshippers and causes all His foes to\ntremble with fear.\n\n601. Vishnu is supposed to be within the constellation called Sisumara or\nthe Northern Bear. The stars, without changing their places per se, seem\nto revolve round this point within the constellation named.\n\n602. In India, no man should worship the deities, with a full stomach.\nIndeed, one must abstain from every kind of food and drink if one has to\nworship the deities formally.\n\n603. Rama of Bhrigu's race went to Mahadeva for acquiring the science of\narms. While dwelling in Siva's retreat, he had a quarrel with Karttikeya\nor Kumara, the son of Siva's loins. Rama worsted his preceptor's son in\nbattle, at which his preceptor, gratified with him, made him a present of\nhis own battle-axe, wherewith the regenerate hero exterminated the\nKshatriyas for full one and twenty times.\n\n604. Many of these words beginning with Mahat represent Krishna's own\nwords as spoken to Arjuna in the Gita. 'I am the foremost of sacrifices;\nI am the foremost of sacrificers,' etc.\n\n605. Referring to Hanumat and others among the apes that Rama led against\nRavana.\n\n606. The universe consists of Soul and Not-soul. Jiva, when cased in\nmatter or Not-soul takes Not-soul for himself, in his ignorance. In fact\nuntil true knowledge is attained, the body is taken for self.\n\n607. The sense is that untimely deaths do not occur in such places; nor\nfear of oppression or unlawful chastisement by the king; etc.\n\n608. The Bengal reading mrishtascha varina is incorrect. The Bombay\nreading mrishtasya varinsha is correct.\n\n609. The word kavi used in this verse, means Agni or fire, as explained\nby the commentator. One of the vernacular translators wrongly takes it as\nimplying the preceptor Sukara.\n\n610. The last verse, as read in the Bengal texts, is vicious. Nastyandam\nastitu Brahma, etc., is the correct reading.\n\n611. To an afflicted person the day seems long.\n\n612. The sense is that it is this Kesava who upholds the cause of\nRighteousness when dangers overtake it, cf. 'Yada yada hi dharmasya,\netc.' in the Gita. It does not mean that when doubts are entertained by\npersons on questions of morality, it is Kesava who dispels them.\n\n613. Refers to the existence of Brahma when all else is nought.\n\n614. The fivefold seed consists of the four orders of creatures and acts\nwhich determine the conditions of all beings.\n\n615. Eagle marmelos, Linn.\n\n616. Durvasa is regarded as a portion of Mahadeva. The question of\nYudhishthira, therefore, really relates to Mahadeva although the name\nthat occurs is of Durvasa.\n\n617. A Parvam is a knot. Reeds and bamboos consist of a series of knots.\nThe space between two knots is called a Salya.\n\n618. The allusion is to the fiery mare's head which is supposed to wander\nthrough the ocean.\n\n619. Verses 4 to 9 are extremely difficult. They represent so many\nsurceases. Nilakantha, however, has shown great ingenuity in expounding\nthem. In the first line of 4, drishtam refers to pratyaksham, and srutam\nto sruti or agama. Hence, what is meant by the first line\nis,--Innumerable are the cases of both direct perception and scriptural\nassertion in which the scriptures are regarded as more authoritative, and\nthose is which direct perception is regarded as more authoritative. In 5,\nthe speaker refers to the atomic and other theories of the creation\nderived from Reason. Bhishma declares it as his opinion that all such\ntheories are untenable or groundless. In the first line of 6, the word\nEkam implies Brahma. The sense is, if thou thinkest that Brahma alone is\nthe cause of the universe and in thinking so becomest landed on doubt.\nThe reply to this is that Yoga for a long course of years will enable\nthee to comprehend the sufficiency of unassisted Brahma to evolve the\nuniverse. In 7, anekam pranayatram kalpamanena refers to one who without\nleading any particular or settled mode of life lives just as it suits him\nto live, that is, who leads the life of a religious mendicant never\nthinking of the morrow. In 9, anihaddham vacha implies what is not\ndefined or indicated by the words of the Vedas or scriptures. The Burdwan\nPundits have made a mess of the whole passage, or, rather, of nearly the\nwhole of this section.\n\n620. Teshu is equivalent to praryakshanumanachareshu. The sense,\ntherefore, is that the three, viz., direct perception, inference, and\ngood conduct being, for these reasons, fallible, the only infallible\nstandard that remain, is audition of the scriptures, or, as verse 14 puts\nit, men with understandings born of the scriptures.\n\n621. Atripyantah are men who like Yudhishthira are filled with anxiety\nas to what they should do. Seekers after the right are so called.\n\n622. The five who must be first fed are the deities, the Pitris, the\nguests, diverse creatures included under the word Bhutus, and lastly\nrelatives.\n\n623. Some texts read nabhibhavet, meaning one should never vanquish an\nold man (i.e., assert one's superiority over him).\n\n624. In his excellent work on the Curiosities of Literature Mr. D'Israeli\nattempts to trace the origin of the custom of uttering a blessing on\npeople who sneeze. The custom seems, however, to be very ancient and\nwidespread. It exists to this day in India, among the Hindus at any rate,\nas it existed in the days of the Mahabharata.\n\n625. It seems that the author is of opinion that one lightens one's sins\nby admissions before the wise. To conceal a sin after having committed it\nproves the confirmed sinner.\n\n626. 'Covered by righteousness' implies 'if, having once tripped, the\nsinner restrains himself and engages to do acts of righteousness.'\n\n627. What is stated here is this: the condition of all living creatures\nis determined by their acts of this and past lives. Nature, again, is\nthe cause of acts. What of felicity and misery, therefore, one sees in\nthis world, must be ascribed to these two causes. As regards the self\nalso, O Yudhishthira, thou art not freed from that universal law. Do\nthou, therefore, cease to cherish doubts of any kind. If thou seest a\nlearned man that is poor, or an ignorant man that is wealthy, if thou\nseest exertion failing and the absence of exertion leading to success,\nthou must always ascribe the result to acts and Nature.\n\n628. What is stated here is this: one may become righteous by\naccomplishing oneself righteous deeds or inducing or helping others to do\nthem. Similarly, one becomes unrighteous by doing oneself acts that are\nevil or by inducing or helping others to do them.\n\n629. Righteousness leads to regions of felicity. The former is said to be\neternal, while the latter are not so. The question asked (or doubt\nraised) is why is the effect not eternal when the cause is eternal? It is\nexplained below.\n\n630. There are two kinds of Righteousness, viz., nishkama and sakama. The\nformer leads to attainment of Brahma, the latter to heaven and felicity.\nBrahma is eternal; the latter not so. Nishkama Righteousness being\neternal, leads to an eternal reward. Sakama Righteousness not being so,\ndoes not lead to an eternal reward. The word Kala here means Sankalpa,\nhence Dhruvahkalah means nishkama Dharma.\n\n631. Here, Calah means 'Sankalpa'.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 14\n\nASWAMEDHA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, January 2004. Proofed by John Bruno Hare.\n\n\n\nTHE MAHABHARATA\n\nASWAMEDHA PARVA\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Aswamedhika Parva)\n\nOM! HAVING BOWED down unto Narayana, and Nara the foremost of male\nbeings, and unto the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After the king Dhritarashtra had offered libations\nof water (unto the manes of Bhisma), the mighty-armed[1] Yudhishthira,\nwith his senses bewildered, placing the former in his front, ascended the\nbanks (of the river), his eyes suffused with tears, and dropt down on the\nbank of the Ganga like an elephant pierced by the hunter. Then incited by\nKrishna, Bhima took him up sinking. \"This must not be so,\" said Krishna,\nthe grinder of hostile hosts. The Pandavas, O king, saw Yudhishthira, the\nson of Dharma, troubled and lying on the ground, and also sighing again\nand again. And seeing the king despondent and feeble, the Pandavas,\noverwhelmed with grief, sat down, surrounding him. And endowed with high\nintelligence and having the sight of wisdom, king Dhritarashtra,\nexceedingly afflicted with grief for his sons, addressed the monarch,\nsaying,--\"Rise up, O thou tiger among the Kurus. Do thou now attend to\nthy duties. O Kunti's son, thou hast conquered this Earth according to\nthe usage of the Kshatriyas. Do thou now, O lord of men, enjoy her with\nthy brothers and friends. O foremost of the righteous, I do not see why\nthou shouldst grieve. O lord of the Earth, having lost a hundred sons\nlike unto riches obtained in a dream, it is Gandhari and I, who should\nmourn. Not having listened to the pregnant words of the high-souled\nVidura, who sought our welfare, I, of perverse senses, (now) repent. The\nvirtuous Vidura, endowed with divine insight, had told me,--'Thy race\nwill meet with annihilation owing to the transgressions of Duryodhana. O\nking, if thou wish for the weal of thy line, act up to my advice. Cast\noff this wicked-minded monarch, Suyodhana, and let not either Karna or\nSakuni by any means see him. Their gambling too do thou, without making\nany fuss suppress, and anoint the righteous king Yudhishthira. That one\nof subdued senses will righteously govern the Earth. If thou wouldst not\nhave king Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, then, O monarch, do thou,\nperforming a sacrifice, thyself take charge of the kingdom, and regarding\nall creatures with an even eye, O lord of men, do thou let thy kinsmen, O\nthou advancer of thy kindred, subsist on thy bounty.' When, O Kunti's\nson, the far-sighted Vidura said this, fool that I was I followed the\nwicked Duryodhana. Having turned a deaf ear to the sweet speech of that\nsedate one, I have obtained this mighty sorrow as a consequence, and have\nbeen plunged in an ocean of woe. Behold thy old father and mother, O\nking, plunged in misery. But, O master of men, I find no occasion for thy\ngrief.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by the intelligent king Dhritarashtra\nYudhishthira, possessed of understanding, became calm. And then Kesava\n(Krishna) accosted him,--\"If a person indulges excessively in sorrow for\nhis departed forefathers, he grieves them. (Therefore, banishing grief),\ndo thou (now) celebrate many a sacrifice with suitable presents to the\npriests; and do thou gratify the gods with Soma liquor, and the manes of\nthy forefathers with their due food and drink. Do thou also gratify thy\nguests with meat and drink and the destitute with gifts commensurate with\ntheir desires. A person of thy high intelligence should not bear himself\nthus. What ought to be known hath been known by thee; what ought to be\ndone, hath also been performed. And thou hast heard the duties of the\nKshatriyas, recited by Bhishma, the son of Bhagirathi, by Krishna\nDwaipayana, Narada and Vidura. Therefore thou shouldst not walk the way\nof the stupid; but pursuing the course of thy forefathers, sustain the\nburthen (of the empire). It is meet that a Kshatriya should attain heaven\nfor certain by his (own) renown. Of heroes, those that came to be slain\nnever shall have to turn away (from the celestial regions). Renounce thy\ngrief, O mighty sovereign. Verily, what hath happened was destined to\nhappen so. Thou canst in no wise see those that have been slain in this\nwar.\"--Having said this unto Yudhishthira, prince of the pious, the\nhigh-spirited Govinda paused; and Yudhishthira answered him thus, \"O\nGovinda, full well do I know thy fondness for me. Thou hast ever favoured\nme with thy love and thy friendship. And, O holder of the mace and the\ndiscus, O scion of Yadu's race, O glorious one, if (now) with a pleased\nmind thou dost permit me to go to the ascetic's retreat in the woods,\nthen thou wouldst compass what is highly desired by me. Peace find I none\nafter having slain my grand-father, and that foremost of men, Karna, who\nnever fled from the field of battle. Do thou, O Janarddana, so order that\nI may be freed from this heinous sin and that my mind may be purified.\" As\nPritha's son was speaking thus, the highly-energetic Vyasa, cognisant of\nthe duties of life, soothing him, spoke these excellent words, \"My child,\nthy mind is not yet calmed; and therefore thou art again stupefied by a\nchildish sentiment. And wherefore, O child, do we over and over again\nscatter our speech to the winds? Thou knowest duties of the Kshatriyas,\nwho live by warfare. A king that hath performed his proper part should\nnot suffer himself to be overwhelmed by sorrow. Thou hast faithfully\nlistened to the entire doctrine of salvation; and I have repeatedly\nremoved thy misgivings arising out of desire. But not paying due heed to\nwhat I have unfolded, thou of perverse understanding hast doubtless\nforgotten it clean. Be it not so. Such ignorance is not worthy of thee. O\nsinless one, thou knowest all kinds of expiation; and thou hast also\nheard of the virtues of kings as well as the merits of gifts. Wherefore\nthen, O Bharata, acquainted with every morality and versed in all the\nAgamas, art thou overwhelmed (with grief) as if from ignorance?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"O Yudhishthira, thy wisdom, I conceive, is not adequate.\nNone doth any act by virtue of his own power. It is God, who engageth him\nin acts good or bad, O bestower of honour. Where then is the room for\nrepentance? Thou deemest thyself as having perpetrated impious acts. Do\nthou, therefore, O Bharata, harken as to the way in which sin may be\nremoved. O Yudhishthira, those that commit sins, can always free\nthemselves from them through penance, sacrifice and gifts. O king, O\nforemost of men, sinful people are purified by sacrifice, austerities and\ncharity. The high-souled celestials and Asuras perform sacrifices for\nsecuring religious merit; and therefore sacrifice are of supreme\nimportance. It is through sacrifices that the high-souled celestials had\nwaxed so wondrously powerful; and having celebrated rites did they\nvanquish the Danavas. Do thou, O Yudhishthira, prepare for the Rajasuya,\nand the horse-sacrifice, as well as, O Bharata, for the Sarvamedha and\nthe Naramedha.[2] And then as Dasaratha's son, Rama, or as Dushmanta's\nand Sakuntala's son, thy ancestor, the lord of the Earth, the exceedingly\npuissant king Bharata, had done, do thou agreeably to the ordinance\ncelebrate the Horse-sacrifice with Dakshinas.\" Yudhishthira replied,\n\"Beyond a doubt, the Horse-sacrifice purifieth princes. But I have a\npurpose of which it behoveth thee to hear. Having caused this huge\ncarnage of kindred, I cannot, O best of the regenerate ones, dispense\ngifts even on a small scale; I have no wealth to give. Nor can I for\nwealth solicit these juvenile sons of kings, staying in sorry plight,\nwith their wounds yet green, and undergoing suffering. How, O foremost of\ntwice-born ones, having myself destroyed the Earth can I, overcome by\nsorrow, levy dues for celebrating a sacrifice? Through Duryodhana's\nfault, O best of ascetics, the kings of the Earth have met with\ndestruction, and we have reaped ignominy. For wealth Duryodhana hath\nwasted the Earth; and the treasury of that wicked-minded son of\nDhritarashtra is empty. (In this sacrifice), the Earth is the Dakshina;\nthis is the rule that is prescribed in the first instance. The usual\nreversal of this rule, though sanctioned, is observed, by the learned as\nsuch. Nor, O ascetic, do I like to have a substitute (for this process).\nIn this matter, O reverend sir, it behoveth thee to favour me with thy\ncounsel.\" Thus addressed by Pritha's son, Krishna Dwaipayana, reflecting\nfor a while, spoke unto the righteous king,--\"This treasury, (now)\nexhausted, shall be full. O son of Pritha, in the mountain Himavat (The\nHimalayas) there is gold which had been left behind by Brahmanas at the\nsacrifice of the high-souled Marutta.\"[3] Yudhishthira asked, \"How in\nthat sacrifice celebrated by Marutta was so much gold amassed? And, O\nforemost of speakers, when did he reign?\" Vyasa said \"If, O Pritha's son,\nthou art anxious to hear concerning that king sprung from the Karandhama\nrace, then listen to me as I tell thee when that highly powerful monarch\npossessed of immense wealth reigned.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O righteous one, I am desirous of hearing the\nhistory of that royal sage Marutta. Do thou, O Dwaipayana, relate this\nunto me, O sinless one.\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"O child, in the Krita age Manu was lord (of the Earth)\nwielding the sceptre. His son was known under the name of Prasandhi.\nPrasandhi had a son named Kshupa, Kshupa's son was that lord (of men),\nking Ikshwaku. He, O king, had a hundred sons endowed with pre-eminent\npiety. And all of them were made monarchs by king Ikshwaku. The eldest of\nthem, Vinsa by name became the model of bowmen. Vinsa's son, O Bharata,\nwas the auspicious Vivinsa. Vivinsa, O king, had five and ten sons; all\nof them were powerful archers, reverencial to the Brahmanas and truthful,\ngentle and ever speaking fair. The eldest brother, Khaninetra, oppressed\nall his brothers. And having conquered the entire kingdom rid of all\ntroubles, Khaninetra could not retain his supremacy; nor were the people\npleased with him. And dethroning him, they, O foremost of monarchs,\ninvested his son Suvarcha with the rights of sovereignty and (having\neffected this) experienced joy (in their hearts). Seeing the reverses\nsustained by his sire as well as his expulsion from the empire, he was\never intent on bringing about the welfare of the people, being devoted to\nthe Brahmanas, speaking the truth, practising purity and restraining his\nsenses and thoughts. And the subjects were well pleased with that\nhigh-minded one constant in virtue. But he being constantly engaged in\nvirtuous deeds, his treasures and vehicles became greatly reduced. And on\nhis treasury having become depleted, the feudatory princes swarming round\nhim began to give him trouble. Being thus oppressed by many foes while\nhis treasury, horses and vehicles were impoverished, the king underwent\ngreat tribulation along with his retainers and the denizens of his\ncapital. Although his power waned greatly, yet the foes could not slay\nthe king, for his power, O Yudhishthira, was established in\nrighteousness. And when he had reached the extreme of misery along with\nthe citizens, he blew his hand (with his mouth), and from that there\nappeared a supply of forces. And then he vanquished all the kings living\nalong the borders of his dominions. And from this circumstance O king, he\nhath been celebrated as Karandhama. His son, (the first) Karandhama who\nwas born at the beginning of the Treta age, equalled Indra himself and\nwas endowed with grace, and invincible even by the immortals. At that\ntime all the kings were under his control; and alike by virtue of his\nwealth and for his prowess, he became their emperor. In short, the\nrighteous king Avikshit by name, became like unto Indra himself in\nheroism; and he was given to sacrifices, delight took in virtue and held\nhis senses under restraint. And in energy he resembled the sun and in\nforbearance Earth herself; in intelligence, he was like Vrihaspati, and\nin calmness the mountain Himavat himself. And that king delighted the\nhearts of his subjects by act, thought, speech, self-restraint, and\nforbearance. He performed hundreds of horse-sacrifices, and the potent\nand learned Angira himself served him as priest. His son surpassed his\nsire in the possession of good qualities. Named Marutta, that lord of\nkings was righteous and of great renown, and possessed the might of ten\nthousand elephants. He was like unto Vishnu's second self. Desirous of\ncelebrating a sacrifice, that virtuous monarch, coming to Mount Meru on\nthe northern side of Himavat, caused thousands of shining golden vessels\nto be forged. There on a huge golden hill he performed the rites. And\ngoldsmiths made basins and vessels and pans and seats without number. And\nthe sacrificial ground was near this place. And that righteous lord of\nEarth, king Marutta, along with other princes, performed a sacrifice\nthere.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O best of speakers, how did that king become so\npowerful? And how, O twice-born one, did he obtain so much gold? And\nwhere now, O reverend sire, is all his wealth? And, O ascetic, how can we\nsecure the same?\"\n\n\"'Vyasa thereupon said,--\"As the numerous offspring of the Prajapati\nDaksha, the Asuras and the Celestials challenged each other (to\nencounter), so in the same way Angira's sons, the exceedingly energetic\nVrihaspati and the ascetic, Samvarta, of equal vows, challenged each\nother, O king. Vrihaspati began to worry Samvarta again and again. And\nconstantly troubled by his elder brother, he, O Bharata, renouncing his\nriches, went to the woods, with nothing to cover his body save the open\nsky.[4] (At that time), Vasava having vanquished and destroyed the\nAsuras, and obtained the sovereignty of the celestial regions had\nappointed as his priest Angira's eldest son, that best of Brahmanas,\nVrihaspati. Formerly Angira was the family-priest of king Karandhama.\nMatchless among men in might, prowess and character; powerful like unto\nSatakratu, righteous souled and of rigid vows, O king, he had vehicles,\nand warriors, and many adherents, and superb and costly bedsteads,\nproduced through dint of meditation by the breath of his mouth. And by\nhis native virtues, the monarch had brought all the princes under his\nsway. And having lived as long as he desired, he ascended to the heaven\nin his corporal embodiment. And his son named Avikshit--conqueror of\nfoes,--righteous like unto Yayati, brought all the Earth under his\ndominion. And both in merit and might the king resembled his sire. He had\na son named Marutta, endowed with energy, and resembling Vasava himself.\nThis earth clad in oceans, felt herself drawn towards him. He always[5]\nused to defy the lord of the celestials; and O son of Pandu, Vasava also\ndefied Marutta. And Marutta,--master of Earth--was pure and possessed of\nperfections. And in spite of his striving, Sakra could not prevail over\nhim. And incapable of controlling him, he riding on the horse, along with\nthe celestials summoning Vrihaspati, spoke to him thus, 'O Vrihaspati, if\nthou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, do not perform priestly\noffices for Marutta on behalf of the deities or the ancestral Manes. I\nhave, O Vrihaspati, obtained the sovereignty of the three worlds, while\nMarutta is merely the lord of the Earth. How, O Brahmana, having acted as\npriest unto the immortal king of the celestials, wilt thou unhesitatingly\nperform priestly function unto Marutta subject to death? Good betide\nthee! Either espouse my side or that of the monarch, Marutta or forsaking\nMarutta, gladly come over to me.'--Thus accosted by the sovereign of the\ncelestials, Vrihaspati, reflecting for a moment, replied unto the king of\nthe immortals. 'Thou art the Lord of creatures, and in thee are the worlds\nestablished, And thou hast destroyed Namuchi, Viswarupa and Vala. Thou, O\nhero, alone encompassest the highest prosperity of the celestials, and, O\nslayer of Vala, thou sustainest the earth as well as the heaven. How, O\nforemost of the celestials, having officiated as thy priest, shall I, O\nchastiser of Paka, serve a mortal prince? Do thou listen to what I say.\nEven if the god of fire cease to cause heat and warmth, or the earth\nchange its nature, or the sun ceases to give light, I shall never deviate\nfrom the truth (that I have spoken).'\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued,--'On hearing this speech from Vrihaspati Indra\nbecame cured of his envious feelings, and then praising him he repaired\nto his own mansion.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"The ancient legend of Vrihaspati and the wise Marutta is\ncited in this connection. On hearing of the compact made by Angira's son\nVrihaspati with the lord of the gods (Indra), king Marutta made the\nnecessary preparations for a great sacrifice. The eloquent grandson of\nKarandhama, (Marutta) having conceived the idea of a sacrifice in his\nmind, went to Vrihaspati and addressed him thus, 'O worshipful ascetic, I\nhave intended to perform the sacrifice which thou didst propose to me\nonce on a previous occasion and in accordance with thy instructions, and\nI now desire to appoint thee as officiating priest in this sacrifice, the\nmaterials whereof have also been collected by me.--O excellent one, thou\nart our family priest, therefore do thou take those sacrificial things\nand perform the sacrifice thyself.'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'O lord of the earth, I do not desire to perform thy\nsacrifice. I have been appointed as priest by the Lord of the gods\n(Indra) and I have promised to him to act as such.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'Thou art our hereditary family priest, and for this\nreason I entertain great regard for thee, and I have acquired the right of\nbeing assisted at sacrifices by thee, and therefore it is meet that thou\nshouldst officiate as priest at my sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'Having, O Marutta, acted as priest to the Immortals,\nhow can I act as such to mortal men, and whether thou dost depart hence\nor stay, I tell thee, I have ceased to act as priest to any but the\nImmortals. O thou of mighty arms, I am unable to act as thy priest now.\nAnd according to thy own desire, thou canst appoint any one as thy priest\nwho will perform thy sacrifice.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Thus told, king Marutta became confused with shame, and\nwhile returning home with his mind oppressed by anxiety, he met Narada on\nhis way. And that monarch on seeing the divine Rishi Narada stood before\nhim with due salutation, with his hands clasped together. Then Narada\naddressing him thus said,--'O royal sage, thou seemest to be not\nwell-pleased in thy mind; is all well with thee? Where hast thou been, O\nsinless one, and whence the cause of this thy mental disquietude? And, O\nking, if there be no objection to thy telling it to me, do thou, O best\nof kings, disclose (the cause of thy anxiety) to me, so that, O prince, I\nmay allay the disquietude of thy mind with all my efforts.'\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by the great Rishi Narada, king\nMarutta informed him of the rebuff he had received from his religious\npreceptor.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'Seeking for a priest to officiate at my sacrifice, I went\nto that priest of the Immortals, Vrihaspati, the son of Angira, but he\ndid not choose to accept my offer. Having met with this rebuff from him,\nI have no desire to live any longer now, for by his abandoning me thus, I\nhave, O Narada, become contaminated with sin.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Thus told by that king, Narada, O mighty prince, made this\nreply to him with words which seemed to revive that son of Avikshit.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The virtuous son of Angira, Samvarta by name is wandering\nover all the quarters of the earth in a naked state to the wonder of all\ncreatures; do thou, O prince, go to him. If Vrihaspati does not desire to\nofficiate at thy sacrifice, the powerful Samvarta, if pleased with thee,\nwill perform thy sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'I feel as if instilled with new life, by these thy words,\nO Narada, but O the best of speakers, do thou tell me where I can find\nSamvarta, and how I can remain by his side, and how I am to act so that\nhe may not abandon me, for I do not desire to live if I meet with a\nrebuff from him also.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Desirous of seeing Maheswara, O prince, he wanders about\nat his pleasure in the city of Varanasi, in the garb of a mad man. And\nhaving reached the gate of that city, thou must place a dead body\nsomewhere near it, and the man who shall turn away on seeing the corpse,\ndo thou, O prince, know that man to be Samvarta, and knowing him, do thou\nfollow his footsteps wheresoever that powerful man chooses to go and\nfinding him (at length) in a lonely place thou must seek his protection\nwith thy hands clasped together in supplication to him. And if he\nenquires of thee as to the person who has given thee the information\nabout his own self, do thou tell him that Narada has informed thee about\nSamvarta. And if he should ask thee to follow me, thou must tell him\nwithout any hesitation, that I have entered into the fire.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Having signified his assent to the proposal of Narada, that\nroyal sage after duly worshipping him, and taking his permission,\nrepaired to the city of Varanasi, and having reached there, that famous\nprince did as he had been told, and remembering the words of Narada, he\nplaced a corpse at the gate of the city. And by coincidence, that\nBrahmana also entered the gate of the city at the same time. Then on\nbeholding the corpse, he suddenly turned away. And on seeing him turn\nback, that prince, the son of Avikshit followed his footsteps with his\nhands clasped together, and with the object of receiving instruction from\nhim. And then finding him in a lonely place, Samvarta covered the king\nwith mud and ashes and phlegm and spittle. And though thus worried and\noppressed by Samvarta, the king followed that sage with his hands clasped\ntogether in supplication and trying to appease him. At length overcome\nwith fatigue, and reaching the cool shade of a sacred fig tree with many\nbranches, Samvarta desisted from his course and sat himself to rest.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'How hast thou come to know me, and who has referred thee\nto me, do thou tell this to me truly, if thou wishest me to do what is\ngood to thee. And if thou speak truly, thou shalt attain all the objects\nof thy desire, and shouldst thou tell a lie, thy head shall be riven in a\nhundred pieces.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'I have been told by Narada, wandering on his way, that\nthou art the son of our family-priest, and this (information) has\ninclined my mind (towards thee), with exquisite satisfaction.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'Thou hast told this to me truly. He (Narada) knows me to\nbe a performer of sacrifices. Now tell me where is Narada living at\npresent.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'That prince of celestial saints (Narada) having given me\nthis information about thee, and commended me to thy care, has entered\ninto the fire.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Hearing these words from the king (Marutta) Samvarta was\nhighly gratified, and he said (addressing Marutta), 'I too am quite able\nto do all that.' Then, O prince, that Brahmana, raving like a lunatic,\nand repeatedly scolding Marutta with rude words, again accosted him thus,\n'I am afflicted with a cerebral disorder, and, I always act according to\nthe random caprices of my own mind. Why art thou bent upon having this\nsacrifice performed by a priest of such a singular disposition? My\nbrother is able to officiate at sacrifices, and he has gone over to\nVasava (Indra), and is engaged in performing his sacrifices, do thou\ntherefore have thy sacrifice performed by him. My elder brother has\nforcibly taken away from me all my household goods and mystical gods, and\nsacrificing clients, and has now left to me only this physical body of\nmine, and, O son of Avikshit, as he is worthy of all respect from me, I\ncannot by any means officiate at thy sacrifice, unless with his\npermission. Thou must therefore go to Vrihaspati first, and taking his\npermission thou canst come back to me, if thou hast any desire to perform\na sacrifice, and then only shall I officiate at thy sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'Do thou listen to me, O Samvarta, I did go to Vrihaspati\nfirst, but desiring the patronage of Vasava, he did not wish to have me\nas his sacrificer. He said, \"Having secured the priesthood of the\nImmortals, I do not desire to act for mortals, and, I have been forbidden\nby Sakra (Indra) to officiate at Marutta's sacrifice, as he told me that\nMarutta having become lord of the earth, was always filled with a desire\nto rival him.\" And to this thy brother assented by saying to the Slayer\nof Vala (Indra),--\"Be it so.\" Know thou, O best of ascetics, that as he had\nsucceeded in securing the protection of the Lord of the Celestials, I\nrepaired to him with gratified heart, but he did not agree to act as my\npriest. And thus repulsed, I now desire to spend all I possess, to have\nthis sacrifice performed by thee, and to outstrip Vasava by the merit of\nthy good offices. As I have been repulsed by Vrihaspati for no fault of\nmine, I have now no desire, O Brahmana, to go to him to seek his aid in\nthis sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'I can certainly, O king, accomplish all that thou\ndesirest, if only thou agree to do all that I shall ask thee to do, but I\napprehend that Vrihaspati and Purandara (Indra) when they will learn that\nI am engaged in performing thy sacrifice, will be filled with wrath, and\ndo all they can to injure thee. Therefore, do thou assure me of thy\nsteadfastness, so as to ensure my coolness and constancy, as otherwise,\nif I am filled with wrath against thee, I shall reduce (destroy) thee and\nthy kindred to ashes.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'If ever I forsake thee, may I never attain the blessed\nregions as long as the mountains shall exist, and the thousand-rayed sun\ncontinue to emit heat: if I forsake thee, may I never attain true wisdom,\nand remain for ever addicted to worldly (material) pursuits.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'Listen, O son of Avikshit, excellent as it is the bent\nof thy mind to perform this act, so too, O king, have I in my mind the\nability to perform the sacrifice, I tell thee, O king, that thy good\nthings will become imperishable, and that thou shalt lord it over Sakra\nand the Celestials with Gandharvas. For myself, I have no desire to amass\nwealth or sacrificial presents, I shall only do what is disagreeable to\nboth Indra and my brother, I shall certainly make thee attain equality\nwith Sakra, and I tell thee truly that I shall do what is agreeable to\nthee.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'There is a peak named Munjaban on the summits of the\nHimalaya mountains, where the adorable Lord of Uma (Mahadeva) is\nconstantly engaged in austere devotional exercises. There the mighty and\nworshipful god of great puissance, accompanied by his consort Uma, and\narmed with his trident, surrounded by wild goblins of many sorts,\npursuing his random wish or fancy, constantly resides in the shade of\ngiant forest trees, or in the caves, or on the rugged peaks of the great\nmountain. And there the Rudras, the Saddhyas, Viswedevas, the Vasus,\nYama, Varuna, and Kuvera with all his attendants, and the spirits and\ngoblins, and the two Aswins, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the Yakshas, as\nalso the celestial sages, the Sun-gods, as well as the gods presiding\nover the winds, and evil spirits of all sorts, worship the high-souled\nlord of Uma, possessed of diverse characteristics. And there, O king, the\nadorable god sports with the wild and playful followers of Kuvera,\npossessed of weird and ghostly appearances. Glowing with its own\nsplendour, that mountain looks resplendent as the morning sun. And no\ncreature with his natural eyes made of flesh, can ever ascertain its\nshape or configuration, and neither heat nor cold prevails there, nor\ndoth the sun shine nor do the winds blow. And, O king, neither doth\nsenility nor hunger, nor thirst, nor death, nor fear afflict any one at\nthat place. And, O foremost of conquerors, on all sides of that mountain,\nthere exist mines of gold, resplendent as the rays of the sun. And O\nking, the attendants of Kuvera, desirous of doing good to him, protect\nthese mines of gold from intruders, with uplifted arms. Hie thee thither,\nand appease that adorable god who is known by the names of Sarva, Bedha,\nRudra, Sitikantha, Surapa, Suvarcha, Kapardi, Karala, Haryyaksha, Varada,\nTryaksha, Pushnodantabhid, Vamana, Siva, Yamya, Avyaktarupa, Sadvritta,\nSankara, Kshemya, Harikesa, Sthanu, Purusha, Harinetra, Munda, Krishna,\nUttarana, Bhaskara, Sutirtha, Devadeva, Ranha, Ushnishi, Suvaktra,\nSahasraksha, Midhvan, Girisa, Prasanta, Yata, Chiravasa, Vilwadanda,\nSiddha, Sarvadandadhara, Mriga, Vyadha, Mahan, Dhanesa, Bhava, Vara,\nSomavaktra, Siddhamantra, Chakshu, Hiranyavahu, Ugra, Dikpati, Lelihana,\nGoshtha, Shiddhamantra, Vrishnu, Pasupati, Bhutapati, Vrisha,\nMatribhakta, Senani, Madhyama, Sruvahasta, Yati, Dhanwi, Bhargava, Aja,\nKrishnanetra, Virupaksha, Tikshnadanshtra, Tikshna, Vaiswanaramukha,\nMahadyuti, Ananga, Sarva, Dikpati, Bilohita, Dipta, Diptaksha, Mahauja,\nVasuretas, Suvapu, Prithu, Kritivasa, Kapalmali, Suvarnamukuta, Mahadeva,\nKrishna, Tryamvaka, Anagha, Krodhana, Nrisansa, Mridu, Vahusali, Dandi,\nTaptatapa, Akrurakarma, Sahasrasira, Sahasra-charana, Swadha-swarupa,\nVahurupa, Danshtri, Pinaki, Mahadeva, Mahayogi, Avyaya, Trisulahasta,\nVarada, Tryamvaka, Bhuvaneswara, Tripuraghna, Trinayana, Trilokesa,\nMahanja, Sarvabhuta-prabhava, Sarvabhuta-dharana, Dharanidhara, Isana,\nSankara, Sarva, Siva, Visveswara, Bhava, Umapati, Pasupati, Viswarupa,\nMaheswara, Virupaksha, Dasabhuja, Vrishavadhwaja, Ugra, Sthanu, Siva,\nRudra, Sarva, Girisa, Iswara, Sitakantha, Aja, Sukra, Prithu, Prithuhara,\nVara, Viswarupa, Virupaksha, Vahurupa, Umapati, Anangangahara, Hara,\nSaranya, Mahadeva, Chaturmukha. There bowing unto that deity, must thou\ncrave his protection. And thus, O prince, making thy submission to that\nhigh-souled Mahadeva of great energy, shalt thou acquire that gold. And\nthe men who go there thus, succeed in obtaining the gold.' Thus\ninstructed, Marutta, the son of Karandhama, did as he was advised, and\nmade superhuman arrangements for the performance of his sacrifice. And\nartisans manufactured vessels of gold for that sacrifice. And Vrihaspati\ntoo, hearing of the prosperity of Marutta, eclipsing that of the gods,\nbecame greatly grieved at heart, and distressed at the thought that his\nrival Samvarta should become prosperous, became sick at heart, and the\nglow of his complexion left him, and his frame became emaciated. And when\nthe lord of the gods came to know that Vrihaspati was much aggrieved, he\nwent to him attended by the Immortals and addressed him thus.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Dost thou, O Vrihaspati, sleep in peace, and are thy\nservants agreeable to thee, dost thou seek the welfare of the gods, and\ndo the gods, O Brahmana, protect thee?'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'I do sleep in peace in my bed, O Lord of the gods, and\nmy servants are to my liking and I always seek the welfare of the gods,\nand they cherish me well.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Whence then is this pain, mental or physical, and why art\nthou pale and altered in appearance (complexion) at present? Tell me, O\nBrahmana, who those people are, who have caused thee pain, so that I may\nkill them all.'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'O Indra, I have heard that Marutta will perform a\ngreat sacrifice at which exquisite presents will be given by him (to\nBrahmanas) and that at his sacrifice Samvarta will act as the officiating\npriest, and therefore do I desire that he may not officiate as priest at\nthat sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Thou, O Brahmana, hast attained all the object of thy\ndesire when thou hast become the excellent priest of the gods, versed in\nall the sacred hymns, and hast overreached the influence of death and\ndotage, what can Samvarta do to thee now?'\n\n\"'\"Vrihaspati said, 'Prosperity of a rival is always painful to one's\nfeelings, and for this reason too, thou dost with thy attendant gods\npersecute the Asuras with their kith and kin, and kill the most\nprosperous among them; hence, O Lord of the gods, am I changed in\nappearance at the thought that my rival is prospering, therefore, O\nIndra, do thou, by all means, restrain Samvarta and king Marutta.'\n\n\"'\"Indra turning to Agni said, 'Do thou, O Jataveda, following my\ndirection, go to king Marutta to present Vrihaspati to him, and say unto\nhim that this Vrihaspati will officiate at his sacrifice and make him\nimmortal.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'I shall presently, O adorable one, repair thither as thy\nmessenger, to present Vrihaspati to king Marutta, and to make Indra's\nwords true, and to show respect to Vrihaspati, Agni departed.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Then the high-souled fire-god went on his errand,\ndevastating all the forests and trees, like unto the mighty wind, roaring\nand revolving at random at the end of the winter season.\"\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'Behold! I find the fire-god come in his own embodiment,\nthis day, therefore do thou, O Muni, offer him a seat and water, and a\ncow, and water for washing the feet.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'I accept thy offerings of water, seat, and water for washing\nthe feet, O sinless one, do thou know me as the messenger of Indra, come\nto thee, in accordance with his directions.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'O Fire-god, is the glorious Lord of the Celestials happy,\nand is he pleased with us, and are the other gods loyal to him? Do thou\nenlighten me duly on all these points.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'O lord of the earth, Sakra is perfectly happy, he is pleased\nwith thee, and wishes to make thee free from senility, and all the other\ngods are loyal to him. Do thou, O king, listen to the message of the Lord\nof the Celestials. And the object for which he has sent me to thee is to\npresent Vrihaspati to Marutta. O prince, let this priest (of the\nCelestials) perform thy sacrifice, and make thee, who art only a mortal,\nattain immortality.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'This twice-born Brahmana Samvarta will perform my\nsacrifice, and I pray to Vrihaspati, that he having acted as priest to\nMahendra (Indra), it does not look well for him now to act as priest to\nmortal men.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'If this Vrihaspati officiate as thy priest, then shalt thou\nby the blessings of Devaraja (Indra) attain the highest region in the\ncelestial mansion and attaining fame shalt thou certainly conquer the\nheavenly region. And, O lord of men, if Vrihaspati act as thy priest,\nthou shalt be able to conquer all the regions inhabited by men, and the\nheavenly regions, and all the highest regions created by Prajapati and\neven the entire kingdom of the gods.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'Thou must never come again thus to present Vrihaspati to\nMarutta: for know, O Pavaka, (Agni) if thou dost, I losing my temper,\nwill burn thee with my fierce evil eyes.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Then Agni apprehending destruction by fire, and trembling\nlike the leaves of the Aswattha tree (Ficus religiosa), returned to the\ngods, and the high-souled Sakra seeing that carrier of oblations (Agni)\nin the company of Vrihaspati said as follows:\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'O Jataveda (Agni), didst thou go to present Vrihaspati to\nMarutta according to my direction? What did that sacrificing king say\nunto thee and did he accept my message?'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'Thy message was not acceptable by Marutta and when urged by\nme, he clasping the hands of Vrihaspati, repeatedly said, that Samvarta\nwould act as his priest. And he also observed that he did not desire to\nattain the worldly and the heavenly regions and all the highest regions\nof Prajapati, and that if he were so minded, he would accept the terms of\nIndra.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Do thou go back to that king and meeting him, tell him\nthese words of mine, full of significance, and if he obey them not, I shall\nstrike him with my thunderbolt.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'Let this king of the Gandharvas repair thither as thy\nmessenger, O Vasava, for, I am afraid to go thither myself. Know, O\nSakra, that highly incensed Samvarta, used to ascetic practices, told me\nthese words in a rage. 'I shall burn thee with my fierce evil eyes if\nthou on any account come again here to present Vrihaspati to king\nMarutta.'\n\n\"'\"Sakra said, 'O Jataveda, it is thou who dost burn all other things and\nthere is none else who can reduce thee to ashes. All the world is afraid\nto come in contact with thee. O carrier of oblations, these words of\nthine are worthy of no credence.'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'Thou, O Sakra, hast encompassed the dominion of the heaven\nand the earth and the firmament by the might of thy own arms, but even\nthus how could Vritra (of old) wrest from thee the sovereignty of the\ncelestial regions?'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'I can reduce my foes to submission and can even reduce the\nsize of a mountain to an atom, if I will it. But, O Vahnni, as I do not\naccept the libation of Soma if offered by a foe, and as I do not strike\nthe weak with my thunderbolt, Vritra seemed to triumph over me for a\ntime. But who among mortals can live in peace by creating feud with me. I\nhave banished the Kalakeyas to the earth, and removed the Danavas from\nheaven, and have terminated the existence of Prahlada in heaven. Can\nthere be any man who can live in peace by provoking my enmity?'\n\n\"'\"Agni said, 'Dost thou, O Mahendra, remember that in olden times when the\nsage Chyavana officiated at the sacrifice of Saryati with the twin gods\nAswins and himself appropriated the Soma offering alone, thou wert filled\nwith wrath, and when bent upon preventing Saryati's sacrifice, thou didst\nviolently strike Chyavana with thy thunderbolt? But that Brahmana, O\nPurandara, giving way to passion, was able by the power of his devotions\nto seize and hold fast by hand with thy thunder-bolt in it. And in a\nrage, he again created a terrible looking enemy of thine, the Asura named\nMada assuming all shapes, on beholding whom thou didst shut thine eyes\nwith fear, whose one huge jaw was placed on earth, and the other extended\nto the celestial regions, and who looked terrible with his thousand sharp\nteeth extending over a hundred Yojanas, and had four prominent ones\nthick-set, and shining like a pillar of silver, and extending over two\nhundred Yojanas. And when grinding his teeth he pursued thee with his\nterrible and uplifted pike with the object of killing thee. Thou on\nbeholding that terrible monster, presented a (pitiful) spectacle to all\nthe by-standers. Then, O slayer of Danavas, overcome with fear of the\nmonster, with thy hands clasped in supplication, thou didst seek the\nprotection of the great sage. The might of Brahmanas, O Sakra, is greater\nthan that of the Kshatriyas. None are more powerful than Brahmanas and\nknowing duly, as I do, the power of Brahmanas, I do not, O Sakra, desire\nto come in conflict with Samvarta.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'Even so it is; the might of Brahmanas is great and there\nare none more powerful than Brahmanas, but I can never bear with\nequanimity the insolent pride of Avikshita's son, and so shall I smite\nhim with my thunderbolt. Therefore, O Dhritarashtra, do thou according to\nmy direction repair to king Marutta attended by Samvarta, and deliver\nthis message to him--\"Do thou, O prince, accept Vrihaspati as thy\nspiritual preceptor, as otherwise, I shall strike thee with my terrific\nthunderbolt.\"'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Then Dhritarashtra betook himself to that monarch's court\nand delivered this message to him from Vasava.\n\n\"'\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O lord of men, know that I am Dhritarashtra the\nGandharva, come here with the object [of] delivering to thee the message\nof Indra. Do thou, O lion among kings, listen to the words which the\nhigh-souled lord of all the worlds meant for thee,--That one of\nincomprehensible achievements (Indra) only said this much, \"Do thou\naccept Vrihaspati as thy officiating priest for the sacrifice, or if thou\ndo not comply with my request, I shall strike thee with my terrific\nthunderbolt.\"'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'Thou, O Purandara, the Viswadevas, the Vasus and the\nAswins ye all know, that in this world there is no escape from the\nconsequences of playing false to a friend; it is a great sin like unto\nthat of murdering a Brahman. Let Vrihaspati (therefore) officiate as\npriest to that Mahendra the supreme Deva (god), the highest one wielding\nthe thunderbolt, and O prince, Samvarta will act as my priest, as neither\nhis (Indra's) words, nor thine commend themselves to me.'\n\n\"'\"The Gandharva said, 'Do thou, O lion among princes, listen to the\nterrible war-cry of Vasava roaring, in the heavens. Assuredly, and openly\nwill Mahendra hurl his thunderbolt at thee. Do thou therefore be-think\nthyself of thy good, for this is the time to do it.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Thus accosted by Dhritarashtra, and hearing the roar of\nhowling Vasava, the king communicated this intelligence to Samvarta\nsteadfast in devotion and the highest of all virtuous men.\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'Verily this rain-cloud floating in the air indicates that\nIndra must be near at present, therefore, O prince of Brahmanas, I seek\nshelter from thee. Do thou, O best of Brahmanas, remove this fear of\nIndra from my mind. The Wielder of the thunderbolt is coming encompassing\nthe ten directions of space with his terrible and superhuman refulgence\nand my assistants at this sacrificial assembly have been overcome with\nfright.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'O lion among kings, thy fear of Sakra will soon be\ndispelled, and I shall soon remove this terrible pain by means of my\nmagic lore (incantation); be calm and have no fear of being overpowered\nby Indra. Thou hast nothing to fear from the god of a hundred sacrifices.\nI shall use my staying charms, O king, and the weapons of all the gods\nwill avail them not. Let the lightening flash in all the directions of\nspace, and the winds entering into the clouds pour down the showers amid\nthe forests and the waters deluge the heavens and the flashes of\nlightning that are seen will avail not. Thou hast nothing to fear, let\nVasava pour down the rains and blast his terrific thunderbolt where he\nwill, floating among the watery masses (clouds) for thy destruction, for\nthe god Vahnni (Agni) will protect thee in every way, and make thee\nattain all the objects of thy desire.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'This appalling crash of the thunderbolt together with the\nhowling of the winds, seem terrible to my ears and my heart is afflicted\nagain and again, O Brahmana, and my peace of mind is gone at present.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'O king, the fear in thy mind from this terrible\nthunderbolt will leave thee presently. I shall dispel the thunder by the\naid of the winds, and setting aside all fear from thy mind, do thou\naccept a boon from me according to thy heart's desire, and I shall\naccomplish it for thee.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'I desire, O Brahmana, that Indra all on a sudden should\ncome in person at this sacrifice, and accept the oblation offered to him,\nand that all the other gods also come and take their own shares of the\nofferings and accept the libations of Soma offered to them.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'I have by the power of my incantations attracted Indra\nin person to this sacrifice. Behold, O monarch, Indra coming with his\nhorses, and worshipped by the other gods hastening to this sacrifice.'\n\n\"'\"Then the lord of the Devas attended by the other gods and riding in his\nchariot drawn by the most excellent steeds, approached the sacrificial\naltar of that son of Avikshit and drank the Soma libations of that\nunrivalled monarch. And king Marutta with his priest rose to receive\nIndra coming with the host of gods and well-pleased in mind, he welcomed\nthe lord of the Devas with due and foremost honours according to the\nSastras.\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'Welcome to thee, O Indra, by thy presence here, O\nlearned one, this sacrifice has been made grand. O slayer of Vala and\nVritra, do thou again quaff this Soma juice produced by me today.'\n\n\"'\"Marutta said, 'Do thou look with kindness upon me, I bow unto thee, O\nIndra, by thy presence, my sacrifice has been perfected, and my life too\nblessed with good results. O Surendra, this excellent Brahmana, the\nyounger brother of Vrihaspati is engaged in performing my sacrifices.'\n\n\"'\"Indra said, 'I know thy priest, this highly energetic ascetic, the\nyounger brother of Vrihaspati, at whose invitation I have come to this\nsacrifice. I am, O monarch, well-pleased with thee and my resentment\nagainst thee hath been destroyed.'\n\n\"'\"Samvarta said, 'If, O prince of the Devas, thou art pleased with us, do\nthou thyself give all the directions for this sacrifice, and O Surendra,\nthyself ordain the sacrificial portions (for the gods), so that, O god,\nall the world may know that it hath been done by thee.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Thus accosted by the son of Angira, Sakra himself gave\ndirections to all the gods to erect the hall of assembly, and a thousand\nwell-furnished excellent rooms looking grand as in a picture, and\nspeedily to complete the staircase massive and durable, for the ascent of\nthe Gandharvas and Apsaras and to furnish that portion of the sacrificial\nground reserved for the dance of the Apsaras, like unto the palace of\nIndra in the heaven. O king, thus directed, the renowned dwellers of\nheaven speedily fulfilled the directions of Sakra. And then, O king,\nIndra well-pleased and adored, thus said to king Marutta,--'O prince, by\nassociating with thee at this sacrifice, thine ancestors who have gone\nbefore thee, as well as the other gods have been highly gratified and\nhave accepted the oblations offered by thee. And now, O king, let the\nforemost of regenerate beings offer on the sacrificial altar a red bull\nappertaining to the Fire-god and a sacred and duly consecrated blue bull\nwith a variegated skin, appertaining to the Viswedevas.' Then, O king, the\nsacrificial ceremony grew in splendour, wherein the gods themselves\ncollected the food, and Sakra, the lord of the gods, possessed of horses,\nand worshipped by the Brahmanas, became an assistant at the sacrifice.\nAnd then the high-souled Samvarta ascending the altar, and looking\nradiant as the second embodiment of the blazing fire, loudly addressing\nthe gods with complaisance, offered oblations of clarified butter to the\nfire with incantation of the sacred hymns. And then the slayer of Vala\nfirst drank the Soma juice, and then the assembly of other gods drank\nSoma. And then in happiness and with the king's permission they returned\nhome and well-pleased and delighted. Then that monarch, the slayer of his\nenemies, with a delighted heart, placed heaps of gold on diverse spots,\nand distributing the immense wealth to the Brahmanas, he looked glorious\nlike Kuvera, the god of wealth. And with a buoyant heart, the king filled\nhis treasury with different kinds of wealth, and with the permission of\nhis spiritual preceptor, he returned (to his kingdom) and continued to\nrule the entire realm extending to the borders of the sea. So virtuous in\nthis world was that king, at whose sacrifice such an enormous quantity of\ngold was collected, and now, O prince, thou must collect that gold and\nworshipping the gods with due rites, do thou perform this sacrifice.\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then the Pandava prince Yudhishthira was\ndelighted on hearing this speech of the son of Satyavati (Vyasa), and\ndesirous of performing his sacrifice with those riches, he held repeated\nconsultations with his ministers.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When Vyasa of wonderful achievements had concluded\nhis speech to the king, the highly-puissant son of Vasudeva (Krishna)\nalso addressed him. Knowing the king, the son of Pritha, afflicted in\nmind, and bereft of his relatives and kinsmen slain in battle, and\nappearing crest-fallen like the sun darkened eclipse, or fire smothered\nby smoke, that prop of the Vrishni race (Krishna), comforting the son of\nDharma, essayed to address him thus.\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"All crookedness of heart leads to destruction\n(perdition?) and all rectitude leads to Brahman (spiritual excellence).\nIf this and this only is the aim and object of all true wisdom, then what\ncan mental distraction do (to one who understands this)? Thy Karma has\nnot yet been annihilated, nor have thy enemies been subjugated, for thou\ndost not yet know the enemies that are still lurking within thine own\nflesh. I shall (therefore) relate to thee truly as I have heard it, the\nstory of the war of Indra with Vritra as it took place. In ancient times\nthe Prithivi (earth), O king, was encompassed by Vritra, and by this\nabstraction of earthly matter, the seat of all odour, there arose bad\nodours on all sides, and the Performer of a hundred sacrifices (Indra),\nbeing much enraged by this act, hurled his thunderbolt at Vritra. And\nbeing deeply wounded by the thunderbolt of mighty Indra, Vritra entered\ninto the (waters), and by doing so he destroyed their property. The\nwaters being seized by Vritra, their liquid property left them. At this\nIndra became highly enraged and again smote him with his thunderbolt. And\nhe (Vritra) smitten by the thunderbolt by the most powerful Indra betook\nhimself to the Jyoti (luminous matter) and abstracted its inherent\nproperty. The luminous matter being overwhelmed by Vritra and its\nproperty, colour and form being thereby lost, the wrathful Indra again\nhurled his thunderbolt at him. And thus wounded again by Indra of\nimmeasurable power, Vritra entered all on a sudden into the Vayu (gaseous\nmatter). and thereafter made away with its inherent property. And this\nmatter being overpowered by Vritra and its property, viz., touch being\nlost, Indra became again filled with wrath and flung his thunderbolt at\nhim. And wounded therein by the mighty (Indra), he overwhelmed the Akasa\n(ether), and took away its inherent property, and the Akasa being\noverwhelmed by Vritra, and its property, sound being destroyed, the god\nof a hundred sacrifices highly incensed, again smote him with his\nthunderbolt. And thus smitten by the mighty Indra, he suddenly entered\ninto his (Sakra's) body, and took away its essential attributes. And\novertaken by Vritra, he was filled with great illusion. And, O venerable\nsir, the mightiest of Bharata's race, we have heard that Vasishtha\ncomforted Indra (when he was thus afflicted) and that the god of a\nhundred sacrifices slew Vritra in his body by means of his invisible\nthunderbolt, and know, O prince, that this religious mystery was recited\nby Sakra to the great sages, and they in turn told it to me.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"There are two kinds of ailments, physical and mental.\nThey are produced by the mutual action of the body and mind on each\nother, and they never arise without the interaction of the two. The\nailment that is produced in the body, is called the physical ailment, and\nthat which has its seat in the mind, is known as the mental ailment. The\ncold, the warm (phlegm and bile) as well as the windy humours, O king,\nare the essential transformations generated in the physical body, and\nwhen these humours are evenly distributed, and are present in due\nproportions, they are said to be symptomatic of good health. The warm\nhumour is acted upon (allayed) by the cold, and the cold by the warm. And\nSattwa, Rajas and Tamas are the attributes of the soul, and it is said by\nthe learned that their presence in due proportions indicates health (of\nthe mind). But if any of the three preponderates, some remedy is enjoined\n(to restore the equilibrium). Happiness is overcome by sorrow, and sorrow\nby pleasure. Some people while afflicted by sorrow, desire to recall\n(past) happiness, while others, while in the enjoyment of happiness,\ndesire to recall past sorrow. But thou, O son of Kunti, dost neither\ndesire to recall thy sorrows nor thy happiness; what else dost thou\ndesire to recall barring this delusion of sorrow? Or, perchance, O son\nof Pritha, it is thy innate nature, by which thou art at present\noverpowered. Thou dost not desire to recall to thy mind the painful sight\nof Krishna standing in the hall of assembly with only one piece of cloth\nto cover her body, and while she was in her menses and in the presence of\nall the Pandavas. And it is not meet that thou shouldst brood over thy\ndeparture from the city, and thy exile with the hide of the antelope for\nthy robe, and thy wanderings in the great forest, nor shouldst thou\nrecall to thy mind the affliction from Jatasura, the fight with\nChitrasena, and thy troubles from the Saindhavas. Nor is it proper, O son\nof Pritha, and conqueror of thy foes, that thou shouldst recall the\nincident of Kichaka's kicking Draupadi, during the period of thy exile\npassed in absolute concealment, nor the incidents of the fight which took\nplace between thyself and Drona and Bhishma. The time has now arrived,\nwhen thou must fight the battle which each must fight single-handed with\nhis mind. Therefore, O chief of Bharata's race, thou must now prepare to\ncarry the struggle against thy mind, and by dint of abstraction and the\nmerit of thine own Karma, thou must reach the other side of (overcome)\nthe mysterious and unintelligible (mind). In this war there will be no\nneed for any missiles, nor for friends, nor attendants. The battle which\nis to be fought alone and single-handed has now arrived for thee. And if\nvanquished in this struggle, thou shalt find thyself in the most wretched\nplight, and O son of Kunti, knowing this, and acting accordingly, shalt\nthou attain success. And knowing this wisdom and the destiny of all\ncreatures, and following the conduct of thy ancestors, do thou duly\nadminister thy kingdom.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O scion of Bharata's race, salvation is not attained by\nforegoing the external things (like kingdom, etc), it is only attained by\ngiving up things which pander to the flesh (body). The virtue and\nhappiness which are attainable by the person who has renounced only the\nexternal objects, but who is at the same time engrossed by passions and\nweakness of the flesh, let these be the portion of our enemies. The word\nwith two letters is Mrit-yu (death of the soul or perdition), and the\nword with three letters is Sas-wa-ta (Brahman) or the eternal spirit. The\nconsciousness that this or that thing is mine, or the state of being\naddicted to worldly objects is Mrityu and the absence of that feeling is\nSaswatam. And these two, Brahman and Mrityu, O king, have their seats in\nthe souls of all creatures, and remaining unseen, they, without doubt,\nwage war with each other. And if, O Bharata, it be true that no creature\nis ever destroyed, then one doth not make oneself guilty of the death of\na creature by piercing (destroying) its body. What matters the world to a\nman, if having acquired the sovereignty of the whole earth with its\nmobile and immobile creation, he does not become attached to it, or\nengrossed in its enjoyment. But the man who having renounced the world,\nhas taken to the life of the recluse in the forest, living on wild roots\nand edibles, if such a man, O son of Pritha, has a craving for the good\nthings of the world, and is addicted to them, he may be said to bear\nMrityu (death) in his mouth. Do thou, O Bharata, watch and observe the\ncharacter of thy external and internal enemies, (by means of thy\nspiritual vision). And the man who is able to perceive the nature of the\neternal reality is able to overreach the influence of the great fear\n(perdition). Men do not look with approbation upon the conduct of those\nwho are engrossed in worldly desires and there is no act without having a\ndesire (at its root) and all (Kama) desires are, as it were, the limbs\n(offshoots) of the mind. Therefore, wise men knowing this subjugate their\ndesires. The Yogi who holds communion with the Supreme Spirit, knows Yoga\nto be the perfect way (to salvation) by reason of the practices of his\nmany former births. And remembering that, what the soul desires, is not\nconducive to piety and virtue, but that the suppression of the desires is\nat the root of all true virtue, such men do not engage in the practice of\ncharity, Vedic learning, asceticism and Vedic rites whose object is\nattainment of worldly prosperity, ceremonies, sacrifices, religious rules\nand meditation, with the motive of securing any advantage thereby. By way\nof illustration of this truth, the sages versed in ancient lore, recite\nthese Gathas called by the name of Kamagita, do thou O Yudhishthira,\nlisten to the recital of them in detail. (Kama says) No creature is able\nto destroy me without resorting to the proper methods (viz., subjugating\nof all desires and practice of Yoga etc.) If a man knowing my power,\nstrive to destroy me by muttering prayers etc., I prevail over him by\ndeluding him with the belief that I am the subjective ego within him. If\nhe wish to destroy me by means of sacrifices with many presents, I\ndeceive him by appearing in his mind as a most virtuous creature amongst\nthe mobile creation, and if he wish to annihilate me by mastering the\nVedas and Vedantas, I over reach him by seeming to his mind to be the\nsoul of virtue amongst the immobile creation. And if the man whose\nstrength lies in truth, desire to overcome me by patience, I appear to\nhim as his mind, and thus he does not perceive my existence, and if the\nman of austere religious practices, desire to destroy me by means of\nasceticism, I appear in the guise of asceticism in his mind, and thus he\nis prevented from knowing me, and the man of learning, who with the\nobject of attaining salvation desires to destroy me, I frolic and laugh\nin the face of such a man intent on salvation. I am the everlasting one\nwithout a compeer, whom no creature can kill or destroy. For this reason\nthou too, O prince, divert thy desires (Kama) to Virtue, so that, by this\nmeans, thou mayst attain what is well for thee. Do thou therefore make\npreparations for the due performance of the horse sacrifice with\npresents, and various other sacrifices of great splendour, and\naccompanied with presents. Let not therefore grief overpower thee again,\non beholding thy friends lying slain on the battlefield. Thou canst not\nsee the men slain in this battle alive again. Therefore shouldst thou\nperform magnificent sacrifices with presents, so that thou mayst attain\nfame in this world, and reach the perfect way (hereafter).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'With such speeches as these, was the royal saint\nYudhishthira, bereft of his friends, consoled by those sages of great\nascetic merits. And O monarch, that lord of men exhorted by the\nworshipful Viswarasraba himself, and by Dwaipayana (Vyasa), Krishna\nDevasthana, Narada, Bhima, Nakula, Krishna (Draupadi), Sahadeva, and the\nsharpwitted Vijaya, as well as by other great men, and Brahmanas versed\nin the Sastras, became relieved of all mental affliction and sorrow\narising from the death of his dear relations. And that monarch\nYudhishthira after performing the obsequial ceremonies of his departed\nfriends, and honouring the Brahmanas and Devas (gods), brought the\nkingdom of the earth with its girdle of oceans, under his sway. And that\nprince of Kuru's race having regained his kingdom, with a tranquil mind,\nthus addressed Vyasa, Narada and the other sages who were present. \"I have\nbeen comforted by the words of so great, ancient and aged saints as\nyourselves, and I have now no cause left for the least affliction. And\nlikewise, I have attained great wealth, with which I may worship the\ngods. Therefore, with your assistance, I shall now perform the sacrifice,\nO the best of regenerate beings. We have heard that those (Himalayan)\nregions are full of wonders. Therefore, O Brahmana, saint and grandsire\ndo thou so ordain that under thy protection we may safety reach the\nHimalaya mountains, the performance of my sacrifice being entirely within\nthy control, and then the adorable celestial saint Narada and Devasthana\nhave also addressed exquisite and well-meaning words for our well being.\nNo unlucky man in times of great tribulation and distress, has ever the\ngood fortune to secure the services of such preceptors and friends\napproved by all virtuous men.\" Thus addressed by the king, those great\nsaints, bidding the king and Krishna and Arjuna to repair to the\nHimalayan regions, then and there vanished in the presence of the\nassembled multitude, and the king, the lordly son of Dharma, then seated\nhimself there for a while. And the Pandavas then in consequence of the\ndeath of Bhishma, were engaged in performing his funeral ceremonies. And\ntheir time, while thus engaged, seemed too long in passing and performing\nthe last rites to the mortal remains of Bhishma, Karna and other foremost\nKauravas, they gave away large presents to Brahmanas. And then the\nforemost descendant of Kuru again performed with Dhritarashtra the\nfuneral rites (of the heroes slain in battle), and having given away\nimmense wealth to the Brahmanas, the Pandava chief with Dhritarashtra in\nadvance, made this entry into the city of Hastina Nagar, and consoling\nhis lordly uncle, possessed of eyes of wisdom, that virtuous prince\ncontinued to administer the earth with his brothers.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'O the best of regenerate beings, when the Pandavas had\nreconquered and pacified their kingdom, what did the two warriors,\nVasudeva and Dhananjaya do?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'O lord of the earth, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya were\nhighly pleased when the Pandavas had succeeded in regaining and pacifying\ntheir dominions, and they deported themselves with great satisfaction,\nlike unto Indra and his consort in the celestial regions, and amidst\npicturesque woodland sceneries, and tablelands of mountains, and sacred\nplaces of pilgrimage, and lakes and rivers, they travelled with great\npleasure like the two Aswins in the Nandana garden of Indra. And, O\nBharata, the high-souled Krishna and the son of Pandu (Dhananjaya)\nentering the beautiful hall of assembly at Indraprastha, whiled away\ntheir time in great merriment. And there, O prince, they passed their\ntime in recounting the stirring incidents of the war, and the sufferings\nof their past lives. And those two high-souled ancient sages, glad at\nheart, recited the genealogy of the races of saints and gods. Then\nKesava, knowing the full import of all matters, addressed Partha in a\nsweet and beautiful speech of excellent style and import. And then\nJanarddana comforted the son of Pritha afflicted by the death of his\nsons, and thousands of other relatives. And he of great ascetic merit and\nknowing the science of all things having duly consoled him, Arjuna rested\nfor a while, as if a great burden had been removed from his own person.\nThen Govinda (Krishna) consoling Arjuna with sweet speech addressed these\nwell-reasoned words to him.\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O Arjuna, the terror of thine enemies, this whole earth\nhas been conquered by the king, the son of Dharma, relying on the power\nof thy arms. And O the best of men, the virtuous king Yudhishthira now\nenjoys the sovereignty of the earth without a rival, by the might of\nBhimasena and the twin brothers. O thou who knowest what virtue is, it\nwas by righteousness alone that the king has been able to regain his\nkingdom free from all enemies (thorns), and it was by the action of\nrighteousness that king Suyodhana has been killed in battle, and, O son\nof Pritha and pillar of the Kuru race, the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra,\navaricious, always rude in speech, and bent upon an unrighteous course of\nconduct, having been exterminated with their followers, the king, the son\nof Dharma and lord of the earth, now peaceably enjoys the entire kingdom\nof the earth with thy aid, and I too, O son of Pandu, have been\npleasantly whiling away my time in thy company, amidst woodland scenes. O\nterror of thine enemies, what more need I tell thee, but that where thou\nand Pritha, and the king, the son of Dharma, and the mighty Bhimasena and\nthe two sons of Madri are, there am I attracted with exquisite delight. O\ndescendant of Kuru, in these delightful and sacred and heaven-like halls\nof assembly a long time hath fleeted away in thy company without my\nseeing Vasudeva, Valadeva and other leaders of the Vrishni race. And now\nI am desirous of repairing to the city of Dwaravati. Do thou therefore, O\nmost valorous of men, assent to my departure. When king Yudhishthira was\nsmitten heavily with affliction, I with Bhishma, have recited to him many\nappropriate legends suited to the occasion with a view of assuaging his\ngrief, and the pliant and high-minded Yudhishthira, though our sovereign\nand versed in all lore paid due heed to our words. That son of Dharma\nhonours truth, and is grateful and righteous, therefore will his virtue\nand good sense and the stability of his power always endure. And now, O\nArjuna, if it pleases thee, do thou go to that high-minded prince and\ntell him of my intention to depart from this place. For, O thou of mighty\narms, even if death cometh to me, I am unwilling to do anything that may\ndisplease him, leaving alone my going to the city of Dwaravati. O son of\nPritha and descendant of Kuru, I now tell thee truly, desiring to do only\nwhat is good and agreeable to thee, and there can be nothing equivocal in\nit in any way, that the necessity for my staying here no longer exists,\nbecause, O Arjuna, that monarch the son of Dhritarashtra hath been slain\nwith his armies and attendants, and the earth, my friend, with its girdle\nof seas and its mountains and woods and forests, and the kingdom of the\nKuru king filled with various gems, have passed under the sway of that\nwise son of Dharma. And O foremost prince of Bharata's race, may that\nvirtuous prince administer the entire kingdom of the earth in\nrighteousness, and with the respect and approbation of numerous\nhigh-souled Siddhas, and having his praises always extolled by the court\nheralds. Do thou, O chieftain of Kuru's race, accompany me to-day to the\npresence of the king, the great aggrandiser of the Kuru race, and sound\nhim of my intended return to Dwaraka. As Yudhishthira the high-souled\nking of the Kurus always commands my love and respect, I have, O son of\nPritha, placed this my body and all the wealth that I have in my house,\nat his disposal. And O prince Partha (son of Pritha), when this earth has\ncome under thy sway and that of the worshipful Yudhishthira of excellent\ncharacter, there no longer remains any necessity for my staying here\nexcept for my affection for thee.\" And O monarch, when the redoubtable\nArjuna had been thus accosted by the noble-hearted Janarddana, he,\nshowing all the honours due to him, sorrowfully replied by merely saying\n\"be it so.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n(Anugita Parva)\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'When the high-souled Kesava and Arjuna after slaying\ntheir enemies repaired to the assembly rooms, what conversation, O\nregenerate one, took place between them?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The son of Pritha (Arjuna), having recovered his own\nkingdom, joyously spent his time, without doing anything else, in the\ncompany of Krishna, his heart filled with delight, in that palace of\ncelestial beauty. One day, those two listlessly proceeded to a particular\npart of the palace that looked, O king, like a veritable portion of\nHeaven. Themselves filled with delight, they were then surrounded by\ntheir relatives and attendants. Pandu's son, Arjuna, filled with joy in\nthe company of Krishna, surveyed that delightful mansion, and then\naddressed his companion, saying, \"O mighty-armed one, thy greatness\nbecame known to me upon the approach of the battle. O son of Devaki, thy\nform also, as the Lord of the universe, then became known to me! What thy\nholy self said unto me at that time, O Kesava, through affection, has all\nbeen forgotten by me, O chief of men, in consequence of the fickleness of\nmy mind. Repeatedly, however, have I been curious on the subject of those\ntruths. Thou again, O Madhava, wilt repair to Dwaraka soon.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by him, Krishna of mighty energy,\nthat foremost of speakers, embraced Phalguna and replied unto him as\nfollows.\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"I made thee listen to truths that are regarded as\nmysteries. I imparted to thee truths that are eternal. Verily, I\ndiscoursed to thee on Religion in its true form and on all the eternal\nregions. It is exceedingly disagreeable to me to learn that thou didst\nnot, from folly, receive what I imparted. The recollection of all that I\ntold thee on that occasion will not come to me now. Without doubt, O son\nof Pandu, thou art destitute of faith and thy understanding is not good.\nIt is impossible for me, O Dhananjaya, to repeat, in detail, all that I\nsaid on that occasion. That religion (about which I discoursed to thee\nthen) is more than sufficient for understanding Brahma. I cannot\ndiscourse on it again in detail. I discoursed to thee on Supreme Brahma,\nhaving concentrated myself in Yoga. I shalt now, however, recite to thee\nan old history upon the same topic. O foremost of all persons, observant\nof duty, listen to everything I now say, so that, with an understanding\nadapted to my teaching, thou mayst succeed in attaining to the highest\nend. O chastiser of foes, on one occasion, a Brahmana came to us from the\nregions of Heaven. Of irresistible energy, he came from the regions of\nthe Grandsire. He was duly reverenced by us. Listen, O son of Pritha,\nwithout yielding to scruples of any kind, to what he, O chief of\nBharata's race, said, in answer to our enquiries, agreeably to heavenly\nforms.\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'That which thou askest me, O Krishna, connected with\nthe religion of Moksha (Emancipation), led by thy compassion for all\ncreatures (and not for thy own good),--that, indeed, which destroys all\ndelusion, O thou that art possessed of supreme puissance[6] I shall now\ntell thee duly, O slayer of Madhu. Do thou listen with concentrated\nattention as I discourse to thee, O Madhava. A Brahmana of the name of\nKasyapa, possessed of penances and the foremost of all persons conversant\nwith duties, came to a certain other Brahmana who had become conversant\nwith all the mysteries of religion.[7] Indeed, the latter had mastered\nall the knowledge which the scriptures teach respecting the departure and\nreappearance of beings and possessed that direct knowledge of all things\nwhich Yoga gives. He was well skilled in the truths of all topics\nrelating to the world. He had mastered the truth about pleasure and pain.\nHe knew the truth about birth and death, and understood the distinctions\nbetween merit and demerit. He was a beholder of the ends attained to by\nembodied creatures high and low in consequence of their acts. He lived\nlike one emancipated from the world. Crowned with ascetic success and\npossessed of perfect tranquillity of soul, he had all his senses under\ncomplete control. He seemed to blaze with the resplendence of Brahma and\nwas capable of going everywhere at will. He knew the science of\ndisappearing at will from before the eyes of all. He used to rove in the\ncompany of invisible Siddhas and celestial musicians. He used to sit and\nconverse with them on some spot retired from the bustle of humanity. He\nwas as unattached to all things as the wind. Kasyapa having heard of him\ntruly, desired to see him. Possessed of intelligence, that foremost of\nall Brahmanas, approached the sage. Himself possessed of penances,\nKasyapa, moved by the desire of acquiring merit, fell, with a rapt heart,\nat the feet of the sage when he had seen all those wonderful attributes.\nFilled with wonder at the sight of those extraordinary accomplishments,\nKasyapa began to wait upon that foremost of all Brahmanas, with the\ndutiful reverence of a disciple waiting upon his preceptor and succeeded\nin propitiating him. By his devotion, O scorcher of foes, rendering to\nhim the obedience due from a disciple to a preceptor, Kasyapa gratified\nthat Brahmana who possessed all these accomplishments and was endued,\nbesides, with scriptural learning and excellent conduct. Gratified with\nKasyapa, that Brahmana one day addressed him cheerfully and spoke as\nfollows, with an eye to the highest success. Listen to those words, O\nJanarddana, as I repeat them.'\n\n\"'\"The ascetic crowned with success said, 'By diverse acts, O son, as\nalso by the aid of merit, mortal creatures attain to diverse ends here\nand residence in Heaven. Nowhere is the highest happiness; nowhere can\nresidence be eternal. There are repeated falls from the highest regions\nacquired with such sorrow. In consequence of my indulgence in sin, I had\nto attain to diverse miserable and inauspicious ends, filled as I was\nwith lust and wrath, and deluded by cupidity. I have repeatedly undergone\ndeath and rebirth. I have eaten diverse kinds of food, I have sucked at\ndiverse breasts. I have seen diverse kinds of mothers, and diverse\nfathers dissimilar to one another. Diverse kinds of happiness have been\nmine and diverse kinds of misery, O sinless one. On diverse occasions\nhave I been separated from what was agreeable and united with what was\ndisagreeable. Having earned wealth with great toil I have had to put up\nwith its loss. Insults and excessive misery I have received from king and\nrelatives. Mental and physical pain, of great severity, have been mine.\nHumiliations I have undergone, and death and immurement under\ncircumstances of great severity. Falls into Hell have been mine, and\ngreat tortures in the domains of Yama. Decrepitude and diseases have\nrepeatedly assailed me, and calamities, as frequent, in copious measure.\nIn this world I have repeatedly undergone all those afflictions that flow\nfrom a perception of all pairs of opposites. After all this, one day,\noverwhelmed with sorrow, blank despair came upon me. I took refuge in the\nFormless. Afflicted as I was with great distress, I gave up the world\nwith all its joys and sorrows.[8] Understanding then this path, I\nexercised myself in it in this world. Afterwards, through tranquillity of\nsoul, I attained to this success that thou seest. I shall not have to\ncome to this world again (after my departure hence). Verily, till I\nattain to absorption into eternal Brahman, till, in fact, the final\ndissolution of the universe, I shall look on those happy ends that will\nbe mine, and on those beings that constitute this universe.[9] Having\nacquired this excellent success, I shall, after departing from this\nworld, proceed, to what is above it (i.e., Satyaloka) and thence to what\nis higher (i.e., absorption into Brahman). Verily, I shall attain to the\ncondition, which is unmanifest aspect of Brahman. Let no doubt be thine\nas regards this. O scorcher of foes, I shall not return to this world of\nmortal creatures. O thou of great wisdom, I have become gratified with\nthee. Tell me what I shall do for thee. The time has come for the\naccomplishment of that purpose for which thou hast come hither. Verily, I\nknow that object for which thou hast sought me. I shall soon depart from\nthis world. Hence it is that I have given thee this hint. O thou of great\nwisdom and experience, I have been highly gratified with thee for thy\nbehaviour. Do thou question me. I shall discourse on what is beneficial\nto thee, agreeably to thy desire. I think thy intelligence is great.\nIndeed, I applaud it much, for it was with the aid of that intelligence\nthat thou wert able to recognise me. Surely, O Kasyapa, thou art\npossessed of great intelligence.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"touching the feet of that sage, the Brahmana asked him\nsome questions that were exceedingly difficult to answer. That foremost\nof all righteous persons then discoursed on those duties that were\nreferred to.\n\n\"'\"Kasyapa said, 'How does the body dissolve away, and how is another\nacquired? How does one become emancipated after passing through a\nrepeated round of painful rebirths? Enjoying Prakriti for some time, how\ndoes Jiva cast off the particular body (which Prakriti gives)? How does\nJiva, freed from the body, attain to what is different from it (viz.,\nBrahman)? How does a human being enjoy (and endure the fruits of) the\ngood and bad acts done by him? Where do the acts exist of one that is\ndevoid of body?'[10]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said,--'Thus urged by Kasyapa, the emancipated sage\nanswered those questions one after another. Do thou listen to me, O scion\nof the Vrishi race, as I recite to thee the answers he made.'\n\n\"'\"The Emancipated sage said, 'Upon the exhaustion of those acts capable\nof prolonging life and bringing on fame which are done in a particular\nbody that Jiva assumes, the embodied Jiva, with the span of his life\nshortened, begins to do acts hostile to life and health. On the approach\nof destruction, his understanding turns away from the proper course. The\nman of uncleansed soul, after even a correct apprehension of his\nconstitution and strength and of the season of both his own life and of\nthe year, begins to eat at irregular intervals and to eat such food as is\nhostile to him.[11] At such a time he indulges in practices that are\nexceedingly harmful. He sometimes eats excessively and sometimes abstains\naltogether from food. He eats bad food or bad meat or takes bad drinks,\nor food that has been made up of ingredients incompatible with one\nanother. He eats food that is heavy in excess of the measure that is\nbeneficial, or before the food previously taken has been digested. He\nindulges in physical exercise and sexual pleasure in excess of the due\nmeasure, or through avidity for work, suppresses the urgings of his\ncorporeal organism even when they become pronounced. Or, he takes food\nthat is very juicy, or indulges in sleep during daytime. Food that is not\nproperly digested, of itself excites the faults, when the time comes.[12]\nFrom such excitement of the faults in his body, he gets disease ending in\ndeath itself. Sometimes the person engages in perverse or unnatural acts\nlike hanging (for bringing about his death). Through these causes the\nliving body of the creature dissolves away. Understand correctly the\nmanner as I declare it to thee.[13] Urged on by the Wind which becomes\nviolent, the heat in the body, becoming excited and reaching every part\nof the body one after another, restrains all the (movements of the) vital\nbreaths. Know truly that excited all over the body, the heat becomes very\nstrong, and pierces every vital part where life may be said to reside. In\nconsequence of this, Jiva, feeling great pain, quickly takes leave of its\nmortal casement. Know, O foremost of regenerate persons, that when the\nvital parts of the physical organism become thus afflicted, Jiva slips\naway from the body, overwhelmed with great pain. All living creatures are\nrepeatedly afflicted with birth and death. It is seen, O chief of\nBrahmanas, that the pain which is felt by a person when casting off his\nbodies is like what is felt by him when first entering the womb or when\nissuing out of it. His joints become almost dislocated and he derives\nmuch distress from the waters (of the womb).[14] Urged on by (another)\nviolent wind, the wind that is in the body becomes excited through cold,\nand dissolves away the union of matter (called the body) into its\nrespective elements numbering five.[15] That wind which resides in the\nvital breaths called Prana and Apana occurring within this compound of\nthe five primal elements, rushes upwards, from a situation of distress,\nleaving the embodied creature. It is even thus that the wind leaves the\nbody. Then is seen breathlessness. The man then becomes destitute of\nheat, of breath, of beauty, and of consciousness. Deserted by Brahman\n(for Jiva is Brahman), the person is said to be dead. By those ducts\nthrough which he perceives all sensuous objects, the bearer of the body\nno longer perceives them. It is the eternal Jiva who creates in the body\nin those very ducts the life-breaths that are generated by food. The\nelements gathered together become in certain parts firmly united. Know\nthat those parts are called the vitals of the body. It is said so in the\nSastras. When those vital parts are pierced, Jiva, rising up, enters the\nheart of the living creature and restrains the principle of animation\nwithout any delay. The creature then, though still endued with the\nprinciple of consciousness, fails to know anything. The vital parts being\nall overwhelmed, the knowledge of the living creature becomes overwhelmed\nby darkness. Jiva then, who has been deprived of everything upon which to\nstay, is then agitated by the wind. He then, deeply breathing a long and\npainful breath, goes out quickly, causing the inanimate body to tremble.\nDissociated from the body, Jiva, however, is surrounded by his acts. He\nbecomes equipped on every side with all his auspicious acts of merit and\nwith all his sins. Brahmanas endued with knowledge and equipped with the\ncertain conclusions of the scriptures, know him, from indications, as to\nwhether he is possessed of merit or with its reverse. Even as men\npossessed of eyes behold the fire-fly appearing and disappearing amid\ndarkness, men possessed of the eye of knowledge and crowned with success\nof penances, behold, with spiritual vision, Jiva as he leaves the body,\nas he is reborn, and as he enters the womb. It is seen that Jiva has\nthree regions assigned to him eternally. This world where creatures dwell\nis called the field of action. Accomplishing acts good or bad, all\nembodied creatures attain to the fruits thereof. In consequence of their\nown acts, creatures acquire even here superior or inferior enjoyments.\nDoers of evil deeds here, in consequence of those acts of theirs, attain\nto Hell. This condition of sinking with head downwards, in which\ncreatures are cooked, is one of great misery. It is such that a rescue\ntherefrom is exceedingly difficult. Indeed, one should strive hard for\nsaving oneself from this misery. Those regions where creatures dwell when\nthey ascend from this world I shall now declare truly. Do thou listen to\nme with attention. By listening to what I say, thou shalt attain to\nfirmness of understanding and a clear apprehension of (good and bad)\nacts. Know that even those are the regions of all creatures of righteous\ndeeds, viz., the stellar worlds that shine in the firmament, the lunar\ndisc, and the solar disc as well that shines in the universe in its own\nlight. Upon the exhaustion, again, of their merits, they fall away from\nthose regions repeatedly. There, in Heaven itself, is distinction of\ninferior, superior, and middling felicity. There, in Heaven itself, is\ndiscontent at sight of prosperity more blazing than one's own. Even these\nare the goals which I have mentioned in detail. I shall, after this,\ndiscourse to you on the attainment by Jiva of the condition of residence\nin the womb. Do thou hear me, with concentrated attention, O regenerate\none, as I speak to thee!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'The acts, good and bad, that a Jiva does are not\nsubject to destruction. Upon attainment of body after body, those acts\nproduce fruits corresponding with them.[16] As a fruit-bearing tree, when\nthe season comes of productivity, yields a large quantity of fruit,\nsimilarly merit, achieved with a pure heart, yields a large crop (of\nfelicity). After the same fashion, sin, done with a sinful heart,\nproduces a large crop of misery. The Soul (or Jiva), placing the mind\nahead, addresses himself to action. Hear then how Jiva, equipt with all\nhis acts and overwhelmed with lust and wrath, enters the womb. The vital\nseed, mixed with blood, enters the womb of females and becomes the field\n(of Jiva), good or bad, born of (his) acts. In consequence of his\nsubtlety and the condition of being unmanifest, Jiva does not become\nattached to anything even after attaining to a body. Therefore, he is\ncalled Eternal Brahman.[17] That (viz., Jiva or Brahman) is the seed of\nall creatures. It is in consequence of Him that living creatures live.\nThat Jiva, entering all the limbs of the foetus part by part, accepting\nthe attribute of mind, and residing within all the regions that belong to\nPrana, supports (life). In consequence of this, the foetus becoming\nendued with mind begins to move its limbs.[18] As liquified iron, poured\n(into a mould), takes the form of the mould, know that the entrance of\nJiva into the foetus is even such. As fire, entering a mass of iron,\nheats it greatly, do thou know that the manifestation of Jiva in the\nfoetus is such. As a lamp, burning in a room, discovers (all things\nwithin it), after the same manner mind discovers the different limbs of\nthe body.[19] Whatever acts, good or bad, Jiva does in a former body,\nhave certainly to be enjoyed or endured by him. By such enjoyment and\nendurance former acts are exhausted, and other acts, again, accumulate,\ntill Jiva succeed in acquiring a knowledge of the duties included in that\ncontemplation which leads to Emancipation. Regarding this, I shall tell\nthee those acts by which Jiva, O best of men, while coursing through a\nrepeated round of re-births, becomes happy, Gifts, observances of\nausterity, Brahmacharyya, bearing Brahman according to the ordinances\nlaid down, self-restraint, tranquillity, compassion for all creatures,\nrestraint of passions, abstentions from cruelty as also from\nappropriating what belongs to others, refraining from doing even mentally\nall acts that are false and injurious to living creatures on the Earth,\nreverently serving mother and father, honouring deities and guests,\nworship of preceptors, pity, purity, constant restraint of all organs,\nand causing of all good acts, are said to constitute the conduct of the\ngood. From observance of such conduct, arises Righteousness which\nprotects all creatures eternally. Such conduct one would always behold\namong persons that are good. Verily, such conduct resides there\neternally. That course of practices to which persons of tranquil souls\nadhere indicates Righteousness. Among them is thrown that course of\npractices which constitutes eternal Righteousness. He who would betake\nhimself to that Righteousness would never have to attain to a miserable\nend. It is by the conduct of the good that the world is restrained in the\npaths of Righteousness when it falls away. He that is a Yogin is\nEmancipated, and is, therefore, distinguished above these (viz., the\ngood).[20] Deliverance from the world takes place, after a long time, of\none who acts righteously and well on every occasion as he should. A\nliving creature thus always meets with the acts done by him in a former\nlife. All these acts constitute the cause in consequence of which he\ncomes into this world in a state different from his true form.[21] There\nis a doubt in the world as regards the question. By what was the\nacceptance (by Jiva) of a body first determined. The Grandsire of all the\nworlds, viz., Brahma having first formed a body of his own, then created\nthe three worlds, in their entirety, of mobile and immobile creatures.\nHaving first himself assumed a body, he then created Pradhana. That\nPradhana is the material cause of all embodied creatures, by whom is all\nthis covered and whom all came to know as the highest. This that is seen\nis said to be destructible; while the other is immortal and\nindestructible. This that (is seen) is said to be Kshara (the\ndestructible); that, however, which is Para (the other) is the Immortal,\n(as also) Akshara (the Indestructible). Of each Purusha taken\ndistributively, the whole is duality among these three.[22] Seen first\n(to appear in an embodied form) Prajapati (then) created all the primal\nelements and all immobile creatures. Even this is the ancient audition.\nOf that (acceptance of body), the Grandsire ordained a limit in respect\nof time, and migrations among diverse creatures and return or rebirth.\nAll that I say is proper and correct, like to what a person who is endued\nwith intelligence and who has seen his soul, would say on this topic of\nprevious births.[23] That person who looks upon pleasure and pain as\ninconstant, which, indeed, is the correct view, who regards the body as\nan unholy conglomeration, and destruction as ordained in action, and who\nremembers that what little of pleasure there is, is really all pain, will\nsucceed in crossing this terrible ocean of worldly migration that is so\ndifficult to cross. Though assailed by decrepitude and death and disease,\nhe that understands Pradhana beholds with an equal eye that\nConsciousness which dwells in all beings endued with consciousness.\nSeeking the supreme seat, he then becomes utterly indifferent to all\n(other) things. O best of men, I shall now impart instruction to thee,\nagreeably to truth, concerning this. Do thou, O learned Brahmana,\nunderstand in completeness that which constitutes the excellent\nknowledge, as I declare it, of that indestructible seat.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'He who becomes absorbed in the one receptacle (of\nall things), freeing himself from even the thought of his own identity\nwith all things,--indeed, ceasing to think of even his own\nexistence,--gradually casting off one after another, will succeed in\ncrossing his bonds.[24] That man who is the friend of all, who endures\nall, who is attached to tranquillity, who has conquered all his senses,\nwho is divested of fear and wrath, and who is of restrained soul,\nsucceeds in emancipating himself. He who behaves towards all creatures as\ntowards himself, who is restrained, pure, free from vanity and divested\nof egoism is regarded as emancipated from everything. He also is\nemancipated who looks with an equal eye upon life and death, pleasure and\npain, gain and loss, agreeable and disagreeable. He is in every way\nemancipated who does not covet what belongs to others, who never\ndisregards any body, who transcends all pairs of opposites, and whose\nsoul is free from attachment. He is emancipated who has no enemy, no\nkinsman, and no child, who has cast off religion, wealth, and pleasure,\nand who is freed from desire or cupidity. He becomes emancipated who\nacquires neither merit nor demerit, who casts off the merits and demerits\naccumulated in previous births, who wastes the elements of his body for\nattaining to a tranquillised soul, and who transcends all pairs of\nopposites. He who abstains from all acts, who is free from desire or\ncupidity, who looks upon the universe as unenduring or as like an\nAswattha tree, ever endued with birth, death and decrepitude, whose\nunderstanding is fixed on renunciation, and whose eyes are always\ndirected towards his own faults, soon succeeds in emancipating himself\nfrom the bonds that bind him.[25] He that sees his soul void of smell, of\ntaste and touch, of sound, of belongings, of vision, and unknowable,\nbecomes emancipated.[26] He who sees his soul devoid of the attributes of\nthe five elements to be without form and cause, to be really destitute of\nattributes though enjoying them, becomes emancipated.[27] Abandoning,\nwith the aid of the understanding, all purposes relating to body and\nmind, one gradually attains to cessation of separate existence, like a\nfire unfed with fuel.[28] One who is freed from all impressions, who\ntranscends all pairs of opposites, who is destitute of all belongings,\nand who uses all his senses under the guidance of penances, becomes\nemancipated.[29] Having become freed from all impressions, one then\nattains to Brahma which is Eternal and supreme, and tranquil, and stable,\nand enduring, and indestructible. After this I shall declare the science\nof Yoga to which there is nothing superior, and how Yogins, by\nconcentration, behold the perfect soul.[30] I shall declare the\ninstructions regarding it duly. Do thou learn from me those doors by\nwhich directing the soul within the body one beholds that which is\nwithout beginning and end.[31] Withdrawing the senses from their objects,\none should fix the mind upon the soul; having previously undergone the\nseverest austerities, one should practise that concentration of mind\nwhich leads to Emancipation.[32] Observant of penances and always\npractising concentration of mind, the learned Brahmana, endued with\nintelligence, should observe the precepts of the science of Yoga,\nbeholding the soul in the body. If the good man succeeds in concentrating\nthe mind on the soul, he then, habituated to exclusive meditation,\nbeholds the Supreme soul in his own soul. Self-restrained, and always\nconcentrated, and with all his senses completely conquered, the man of\ncleansed soul, in consequence of such complete concentration of mind,\nsucceeds in beholding the soul by the soul. As a person beholding some\nunseen individual in a dream recognises him, saying,--This is he,--when\nhe sees him after waking, after the same manner the good man having seen\nthe Supreme Soul in the deep contemplation of Samadhi recognises it upon\nwaking from Samadhi.[33] As one beholds the fibrous pith after extracting\nit from a blade of the Saccharum Munja, even so the Yogin beholds the\nsoul, extracting it from the body. The body has been called the Saccharum\nMunja, and the fibrous pith is said to stand for the soul. This is the\nexcellent illustration propounded by persons conversant with Yoga. When\nthe bearer of a body adequately beholds the soul in Yoga, he then has no\none that is master over him, for he then becomes the lord of the three\nworlds.[34] He succeeds in assuming diverse bodies according as he\nwishes. Turning away decrepitude and death, he neither grieves nor\nexults. The self-restrained man, concentrated in Yoga, can create (for\nhimself) the godship of the very gods. Casting off his transient body he\nattains to immutable Brahma.[35] No fear springs up in him at even the\nsight of all creatures falling victims to destruction (before his eyes).\nWhen all creatures are afflicted,--he can never be afflicted by any one.\nDevoid of desire and possessed of a tranquil mind, the person in Yoga is\nnever shaken by pain and sorrow and fear, the terrible effects that flow\nfrom attachment and affection. Weapons never pierce him; death does not\nexist for him. Nowhere in the world can be seen any one that is happier\nthan he. Having adequately concentrated his soul, he lives steadily on\nhimself. Turning off decrepitude and pain and pleasure, he sleeps in\ncomfort. Casting off this human body he attains to (other) forms\naccording to his pleasure. While one is enjoying the sovereignty that\nYoga bestows, one should never fall away from devotion to Yoga.[36] When\none, after adequate devotion to Yoga, beholds the Soul in oneself, one\nthen ceases to have any regard for even him of a hundred sacrifices\n(Indra).[37] Hear now how one, habituating oneself to exclusive\nmeditation, succeeds in attaining to Yoga. Thinking of that point of the\ncompass which has the Sun behind it, the mind should be fixed, not\noutside, but in the interior of that mansion in which one may happen to\nlive. Residing within that mansion, the mind should then, with all its\noutward and inward (operations), behold in that particular room in which\none may stay. At that time when, having deeply meditated, one beholds the\nAll (viz., Brahman, the Soul of the universe), there is then nothing\nexternal to Brahman where the mind may dwell. Restraining all the senses\nin a forest that is free from noise and that is uninhabited, with mind\nfixed thereon, one should meditate on the All (or universal Brahman) both\noutside and inside one's body. One should meditate on the teeth, the\npalate, the tongue, the throat, the neck likewise; one should also\nmeditate on the heart and the ligatures of the heart!'[38]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana continued, 'Thus addressed by me, that intelligent\ndisciple, O slayer of Madhu, once more asked me about this religion of\nEmancipation that is so difficult to explain. How does this food that is\neaten from time to time become digested in the stomach? How does it\nbecome transformed into juice? How, again, into blood? How does it\nnourish the flesh, the marrow, the sinews, the bones? How do all these\nlimbs of embodied creatures grow? How does the strength grow of the\ngrowing man? How occurs the escape of all such elements as are not\nnutritive, and of all impurities separately? How does this one inhale and\nagain, exhale? Staying upon what particular part does the Soul dwell in\nthe body? How does Jiva, exerting himself, bear the body? Of what colour\nand of what kind is the body in which he dwells again (leaving a\nparticular body)? O holy one, it behoveth thee to tell me all this\naccurately, O sinless one,'--even thus was I interrogated by that learned\nBrahmana, O Madhava. I replied unto him, O thou of mighty arms, after the\nmanner I myself had heard, O chastiser of all foes. 'As one placing some\nprecious object in one's store-room should keep one's mind on it, so,\nplacing the mind within one's own body, one should then, restraining all\nthe senses, seek after the Soul, avoiding all heedlessness. One would,\nbecoming always assiduous in this way and gratified with one's own self,\nwithin a very short time attain to that Brahma by beholding which one\nwould become conversant with Pradhana.[39] He is not capable of being\nseized by the eye; nor even by all the senses.[40] It is only with the\nlamp of the mind that great Soul can be seen. He has hands and feet on\nall sides; he has ears on all sides; he dwells, pervading all things in\nthe world.[41] Jiva beholds the Soul as extracted from the body (like the\nstalk from a blade of Saccharum Munja, when knowledge comes). Then\ncasting off Brahma as invested with form, by holding the mind in the\nbody, he beholds Brahma as freed from all attributes.[42] He sees the\nSoul with his mind, smiling as it were at the time. Depending upon that\nBrahma, he then attains to Emancipation in me.[43] O foremost of\nregenerate ones, all this mystery has now been declared by me. I ask thy\npermission, for I shall leave this spot. Do thou (also) go withersoever\nthou pleasest.' Thus addressed by me, O Krishna, on that occasion, that\ndisciple of mine, endued with austere penances, that Brahmana of rigid\nvows, went away according to his pleasure.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva continued, \"That best of Brahmanas, O son of Pritha, having\nsaid these words unto me, on that occasion, properly relating to the\nreligion of Emancipation, disappeared then and there. Has this discourse\nbeen heard by thee, O son of Pritha, with mind directed solely towards\nit? Even this was what thou didst hear on that occasion while thou wert\non thy car. It is my opinion, O son of Pritha, that this is difficult of\nbeing comprehended by one whose understanding is confused, or who has\nacquired no wisdom by study, or who eats food incompatible with his body,\nor whose Soul is not purified.[44] O chief of Bharata's race, this is a\ngreat mystery among the deities that has been declared (to thee). At no\ntime or place, O son of Pritha, has this been heard by man in this world.\nO sinless one, no other man than thyself is deserving of hearing it. It\nis not, at this time, capable of being easily understood by one whose\ninner soul is confused. The world of the deities is filled, O son of\nKunti, with those who follow the religion of actions. The cessation of\nthe mortal form (by practising the religion of inaction) is not agreeable\nto the deities.[45] That goal, O son of Pritha, is the highest which is\nconstituted by eternal Brahman where one, casting off the body, attains\nto immortality and becomes always happy. By adhering to this religion,\neven they who are of sinful birth, such as women and Vaisyas and Sudras,\nattain to the highest goal. What need be said then, O son of Pritha, of\nBrahmanas and Kshatriyas possessed of great learning, always devoted to\nthe duties of their own orders and who are intent on (the acquisition of)\nthe region of Brahma? This has been laid down with the reasons (on which\nit rests); and also the means for its acquisition; and its complete\nattainment and fruit, viz., Emancipation and the ascertainment of the\ntruth regarding pain. O chief of Bharata's race, there is nothing else\nthat is fraught with happiness greater than this. That mortal, O son of\nPandu, who, endued with intelligence, and faith, and prowess, renounces\nas unsubstantial what is regarded as substantial by the world, succeeds\nwithin a short time in obtaining the Supreme by these means. This is all\nthat is to be said,--there is nothing else that is higher than this. Yoga\ntakes place in his case, O son of Pritha, who devotes himself to its\nconstant practice for a period of six months.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"In this connection is cited the ancient narrative, O son\nof Pritha, of the discourse that took place between a married couple. A\ncertain Brahmana's spouse, beholding the Brahmana, her husband who was a\ncomplete master of every kind of knowledge and wisdom, seated in\nseclusion, said unto him,--'Into what region shall I go, depending on thee\nas my husband,--thee that art seated, having cast off all (religious)\nacts, that art harsh in thy conduct towards me, and that art so\nundiscerning?[46] It has been heard by us that a wife attains to those\nregions which are acquired by her husband. What, indeed, is the goal that\nI shall attain, having obtained thee for my husband?'--Thus questioned,\nthat Brahmana of tranquil soul then said unto her, smilingly,--'O blessed\ndame, I am not offended with these words of thine, O sinless one.\nWhatever acts exist that are adopted with the aid of others, that are\nseen (in consequence of their grossness), and that are true, are done as\nacts by men devoted to acts.[47] Those persons that are destitute of\nknowledge, only store delusion by acts. Freedom from acts, again, is\nincapable of being attained in this world for even a moment. From birth\nto the attainment of a different form, action good or bad, and\naccomplished by acts, mind, or speech, exists in all beings. Those paths\n(of action) which are characterised by visible objects (such as\nSoma-juice and ghee for libations) being destroyed by Rakshasas, turning\naway from them I have perceived the seat (of the soul) that is in the\nbody, without the aid of the soul.[48] There dwells Brahma transcending\nall pairs of opposites; there Soma with Agni, and there the urger of the\nunderstanding (viz., Vayu) always moves, upholding all creatures.[49] It\nis for that seat that the Grandsire Brahman and others, concentrated in\nYoga, worship the Indestructible. It is for that seat that men of\nlearning and excellent vows, of tranquil souls, and of senses completely\nvanquished, strive.[50] That is not capable of being smelt by the sense\nof smell; nor tasted by the tongue; or touched by the organs of touch. It\nis by the mind that that is attained. It is incapable of being conquered\nby the eye. It transcends the sense of hearing. It is destitute of scent,\ntaste, touch, and form as attributes. It is that from which proceeds the\nwell-ordained universe, and it is that upon which it rests. The\nlife-breaths called Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana and Udana flow\nfrom it, and it is that into which they again enter. The breaths Prana\nand Apana move between Samana and Vyana. When the soul sleeps, both\nSamana and Vyana are absorbed.[51] Between Apana and Prana, Udana dwells,\npervading all. Hence, Prana and Apana do not desert a sleeping person. In\nconsequence of its controlling all the life-winds, the controlling breath\nis called Udana. Hence, utterers of Brahman undergo penances which have\nmyself for their goal.[52] In the midst of all those life-breaths that\nswallow up one another and move within the body, blazes forth the fire\ncalled Vaiswanara made up of seven flames. The nose, the tongue, the eye,\nthe skin, the ear which numbers the fifth, the mind, and the\nunderstanding,--these are the seven tongues of that Vaiswanara's flame.\nThat which is smelt, that which is seen, that which is drunk, that which\nis touched, as also that which is heard, that which is thought of, and\nthat which is understood,--these are the seven sorts of fuel for me. That\nwhich smells, that which eats, that which sees, that which touches, that\nwhich hears numbering the fifth; that which thinks, and that which\nunderstands,--these are the seven great officiating priests. Behold, O\nblessed one, learned sacrificers duly casting seven libations in seven\nways in the seven fires, viz., that which is smelt, that which is drunk,\nthat which is seen, that which is touched, as also that which is heard,\nthat which is thought of, and that which is understood, create them in\ntheir own wombs.[53] Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, and Light numbering as\nthe fifth, Mind, and Understanding--these seven are called wombs (of all\nthings). All the attributes which constitute the sacrificial offerings,\nenter into the attribute that is born of the fire, and having dwelt\nwithin that dwelling became reborn in their respective wombs. Thither\nalso, viz., in that which generates all beings, they remain absorbed\nduring the period for which dissolution lasts. From that is produced\nsmell, from that is produced taste, from that is produced colour, and\nfrom that is produced touch; from that is produced sound; from that\narises doubt; and from that is produced resolution. This is what is known\nas the sevenfold creation. It is in this very way that all this was\ncomprehended by the ancients. By the three full and final libations, the\nfull become full with light.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the following ancient\nstory. Do thou understand, of what kind the institution is of the ten\nHotris (sacrificing priests). The ear, the skin, the two eyes, the\ntongue, the nose, the two feet, the two hands, the genital organ, the\nlower duct, and speech,--these, O beautiful one, are the ten sacrificing\npriests. Sound and touch, colour and taste, scent, speech, action,\nmotion, and the discharge of vital seed, of urine and of excreta, are the\nten libations. The points of the compass, Quarters, Wind, Sun, Moon,\nEarth, Fire, Vishnu, Indra, Prajapati, and Mitra,--these, O beautiful\none, are the ten (sacrificial) fires. The ten organs (of knowledge and\naction) are the sacrificing priests. The libations, O beautiful one, are\nten. The objects of the senses are the fuel that are cast into these ten\nfires,[54] as also the mind, which is the ladle, and the wealth (viz.,\nthe good and bad acts of the sacrificer). What remains is the pure,\nhighest knowledge. We have heard that all this universe was well\ndifferentiated (from Knowledge). All objects of knowledge are Mind.\nKnowledge only perceives (i.e., discovers the Mind without being attached\nto it). The knower (or Jiva), encased in subtle form, lives within the\ngross body that is produced by the vital seed. The bearer of the body is\nthe Garhapatya fire. From that is produced another. Mind is the Ahavaniya\nfire. Into it is poured the oblation. From that was produced the Veda (or\nWord); (then was born Mind); Mind (desirous of creation) sets itself on\nthe Veda (or the Word). Their arises form (or colour) undistinguished by\nparticular colours. It runs towards the Mind.'[55]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana's wife said, 'Why did Word first arise and why did Mind\narise afterwards, seeing that Word starts into existence after having\nbeen thought upon by Mind? Upon that authority can it be said that Mati\n(Prana) takes refuge in Mind? Why, again, in dreamless slumber, though\nseparated from Mind, does not Prana apprehend (all objects)? What is that\nwhich restrains it then?'[56]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'The Apana breath, becoming the lord (i.e., bringing\nthe Prana under its control), in consequence of such lordship over it,\nmakes it identical with itself. That restrained motion of the Prana\nbreath (which for the time becomes identical with that of the Apana) has\nbeen said to be the motion of the mind. Hence the mind is dependent upon\nPrana, not Prana upon the mind. Therefore, in dreamless slumber, upon the\ndisappearance of mind, Prana does not disappear. But since thou askest me\na question about word and mind, I shall, therefore, relate to thee a\ndiscourse between them. Both Word and Mind, repairing to the Soul of\nmatter,[57] asked him,--\"Do thou say who amongst us is superior. Do thou,\nO puissant one, dispel our doubt.\"--On that occasion, the holy one made\nthis answer.--\"The mind undoubtedly (is superior).\" Unto him Word said,--\"I\nyield to thee the fruition of all thy desires!\"'[58]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Know that I have two minds, immovable and movable.\nThat which is immovable is, verily, with me; the movable is in your\ndominion.[59] That mind is verily called movable which, in the form of\nMantra, letter, or voice, is referable to your dominion. Hence, thou art\nsuperior (to the other mind which concerns itself with only the external\nworld). But since, coming of thy own accord, O beautiful one, thou\nenterest into the engagement (about the fruition of all wishes),\ntherefore, filling myself with breath, I utter thee.[60] The goddess Word\nused always to dwell between Prana and Apana. But, O blessed one, sinking\ninto Apana, though urged upwards, in consequence of becoming dissociated\nfrom Prana, she ran to Prajapati and said,--Be gratified with me, O holy\none.--The Prana appeared, once more fostering Word. Hence, Word,\nencountering deep exhalation, never utters anything. Word always flows as\nendued with utterance or unendued with it.[61] Amongst those two, Word\nwithout utterance is superior to Word with utterance. Like a cow endued\nwith excellent milk, she (Word without utterance) yields diverse kinds of\nmeaning. This one always yields the Eternal (viz., Emancipation),\nspeaking of Brahman. O thou of beautiful smiles, Word is a cow, in\nconsequence of her puissance which is both divine and not divine. Behold\nthe distinction of these two subtle forms of Word that flow.'[62]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana's wife said, 'What did the goddess of Word then say, in\ndays of old, when, though impelled by the Wish to speak, Speech could not\ncome out?'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'The Word that is generated in the body by Prana,\nthen attains to Apana from Prana. Then transformed into Udana and issuing\nout of the body, envelops all the quarters, with Vyana. After that, she\ndwells in Samana. Even in this way did Word formerly speak. Hence Mind,\nin consequence of being immovable, is distinguished, and the goddess\nWord, in consequence of being movable, is also distinguished.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the ancient story, O\nblessed one, of what the institution is of the seven sacrificing priests.\nThe nose, the eye, the tongue, the skin, and the ear numbering the fifth,\nthe mind, and the understanding,--these are the seven sacrificing priests\nstanding distinctly from one another. Dwelling in subtle space, they do\nnot perceive one another. Do thou, O beautiful one, know these\nsacrificing priests that are seven by their nature.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana's wife said, 'How is it that dwelling in subtle space,\nthese do not perceive one another? What are their (respective) natures, O\nholy one? Do thou tell me this, O lord.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Not knowing the qualities (of any object) is\nignorance (of that object); while knowledge of the qualities is (called)\nknowledge (of the object which possesses those qualities). These seven\nnever succeed in apprehending or knowing the qualities of one another.\nThe tongue, the eye, the ear too, the skin, the mind, and the\nunderstanding, do not succeed in apprehending smells. It is the nose\nalone that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the ear also, the skin,\nthe mind, and the understanding, never succeed in apprehending colours.\nIt is the eye alone that apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye\ntoo, the ear, the understanding, and the mind, never succeed in\napprehending sensations of touch. It is the skin alone that apprehends\nthem. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the mind, and the\nunderstanding, never succeed in apprehending sounds. It is the ear alone\nthat apprehends them. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear,\nand the understanding never succeed in apprehending doubt. It is the mind\nthat apprehends it. The nose, the tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear, and\nthe mind, never succeed in apprehending determination (certainty in\nrespect of knowledge). It is the understanding alone that apprehends it.\nIn this connection, is cited, O beautiful lady, this ancient narrative of\na discourse between the senses and the mind.'\n\n\"'\"'The mind said, \"The nose does not smell without me. (Without me) the\ntongue does not apprehend taste. The eye does not seize colour, the skin\ndoes not feel touch, the ear does not apprehend sound, when deprived of\nme. I am the eternal and foremost one among all the elements. It always\nhappens that destitute of myself, the senses never shine, like\nhabitations empty of inmates or fires whose flames have been quenched.\nWithout me, all creatures fail to apprehend qualities and objects, with\neven the senses exerting themselves, even as fuel that is wet and dry\n(failing to ignite a fire).\"\n\n\"'\"'Hearing these words, the Senses said, \"Even this would be true as thou\nthinkest in this matter, if, indeed, thou couldst enjoy pleasures without\neither ourselves or our objects.[63] What thou thinkest, would be true,\nif, when we are extinct, there be gratification and support of life, and\na continuation of thy enjoyments, or, if, when we are absorbed and\nobjects are existing, thou canst have thy enjoyments by thy desire alone,\nas truly as thou hast them with our aid. If, again, thou deemest thy\npower over our objects to be always complete, do thou then seize colour\nby the nose, and taste by the eye. Do thou also take smell by the ear,\nand sensations of touch by the tongue. Do thou also take sounds by the\nskin, and likewise touch by the understanding. They that are powerful do\nnot own the dominion of any rules. Rules exist for those only that are\nweak. Do thou seize enjoyments unenjoyed before; it behoves thee not to\nenjoy what has been tasted before (by others). As a disciple repairs to a\npreceptor for the sake of (acquiring) the Srutis, and then, having\nacquired the Srutis, dwells on their import (by obeying their\ninjunctions), even so dost thou regard as thine those objects which are\nshown by us, past or future, in sleep or in wakefulness. Of creatures,\nagain, that are of little intelligence, when their mind becomes\ndistracted and cheerless, life is seen to be upheld upon our objects\ndischarging their functions.[64] It is seen also that a creature, after\nhaving formed even innumerable purposes and indulged in dreams, when\nafflicted by the desire to enjoy, runs to objects of sense at once.[65]\nOne entering upon enjoyments depending on mental purposes alone and\nunconnected with actual objects of sense, always meets with death upon\nthe exhaustion of the life-breaths, like an enkindled fire upon the\nexhaustion of fuel. True it is that we have connections with our\nrespective attributes; true it is, we have no knowledge of one another's\nattributes. But without us thou canst have no perception. Without us no\nhappiness can come to thee.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection, O blessed lady, is cited the\nancient story of what kind the institution is of the five sacrificing\npriests. The learned know this to be a great principle that Prana and\nApana and Udana and Samana and Vyana are the five sacrificing priests.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana's wife said, 'That naturally there are seven sacrificing\npriests is what was my former conviction. Let the great principle be\ndeclared to me as to how, verily, the number is five of the sacrificing\npriests.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'The wind nursed by Prana afterwards takes birth in\nApana. The wind nursed in Apana then becomes developed into Vyana. Nursed\nby Vyana, the wind is then developed into Udana. Nursed in Udana, the\nwind is then generated as Samana. Those good beings in days of yore asked\nthe first-born Grandsire, saying--\"Do thou say who amongst us is the\nforemost. He (whom thou wilt indicate) will be our chief.\"\n\n\"'\"Brahmana said, '\"He upon whose extinction all the life-breaths become\nextinct in the bodies of living creatures, he upon whose moving they\nmove, is verily the foremost (among you). Do ye go where ye like.\"\n\n\"'\"'Prana said, \"Upon my extinction all the life-breaths become extinct in\nthe bodies of living creatures. Upon my moving they once more move. I am\n(therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!\"'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana continued, 'Prana then became extinct and once more moved\nabout. Then Samana and Udana also, O blessed one, said these words--\"Thou\ndost not dwell here, pervading all this, as we do. Thou art not the\nforemost amongst us, O Prana. (Only) Apana is under thy dominion.\" Prana\nthen moved about, and unto him Apana spoke.\n\n\"'\"'Apana said, \"When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct\nin the bodies of living creatures. When I move about, they again move\nabout. I am, therefore, the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!\"\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto Apana who said so, both Vyana and Udana\nsaid--\"O Apana, thou art not the foremost. (Only) Prana is under thy\ndominion.\" Then Apana began to move about. Vyana once more addressed him\nsaying, \"I am the foremost of all (the life-winds). Listen, for what\nreason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the\nbodies of living creatures. When I move about, they once more move about.\nI am (therefore) the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!\"\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana continued, 'Then Vyana went into extinction and once more\nbegan to move about. At this, Prana and Apana and Udana and Samana\naddressed him, saying, \"Thou art not the foremost among us, O Vyana!\n(Only) Samana is under thy dominion.\"--Vyana then began to move about and\nSamana said unto him,--\"I am the foremost of you all. Listen, for what\nreason. When I become extinct, all the life-winds become extinct in the\nbodies of living creatures. When I begin to move about, they once more\nmove about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go into extinction!\" Then\nSamana began to move about. Unto him Udana said, \"I am the foremost of all\nthe life-winds. Listen, for what reason. When I become extinct, all the\nlife-winds become extinct in the bodies of living creatures. When I move\nabout they once more move about. Hence, I am the foremost. Behold, I go\ninto extinction!\"--Then Udana, after having gone into extinction, began\nonce more to move about, Prana and Apana and Samana and Vyana said, unto\nhim, O Udana, \"thou art not the foremost one among us, only Vyana is under\nthy dominion.\"\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana continued, 'Unto them assembled together, the Lord of\ncreatures, Brahma, said, \"No one of you is superior to others. Ye are all\nendued with particular attributes. All are foremost in their own spheres,\nand all possess special attributes.\" Thus said unto them, that were\nassembled together, the Lord of all creatures. There is one that is\nunmoving, and one that is moving. In consequence of special attributes,\nthere are five life-winds. My own self is one. That one accumulates into\nmany forms. Becoming friendly unto one another, and gratifying one\nanother, depart in peace. Blessings to ye, do ye uphold one another!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the ancient story of the\ndiscourse between Narada and the Rishi Devamata.'\n\n\"'\"'Devamata said, \"What verily, comes first into existence, of a creature\nthat takes birth? Is it Prana, or Apana, or Samana, or Vyana, or Udana?\"\n\n\"'\"'Narada said, \"By whatever the creature is created, that first comes\nunto him which is other (or separate from him). The life winds are to be\nknown as existing in pairs, viz., those that move transversely, upwards,\nand downwards.\"\n\n\"'\"'Devamata said, \"By whom (among the life-winds) is a creature produced?\nWho (amongst) them comes first? Do thou tell me what the pairs are of the\nlife-winds, that move transversely, upwards, and downwards.\"\n\n\"'\"'Narada said, \"From Sankalpa (wish) arises Pleasure. It also arises from\nsound. It arises also from taste; it arises too from colour. From the\nsemen, united with blood, first flows Prana. Upon the semen being\nmodified by Prana, flows Apana. Pleasure arises from the semen as well.\nIt arises from taste also. This is the form (effect) of Udana. Pleasure\nis produced from union. Semen is generated by desire. From desire is\nproduced the menstrual flow. In the union of semen and blood, generated\nby Samana and Vyana, the pair that consists of Prana and Apana, enters,\nmoving transversely and upwards, Vyana and Samana both form a pair that\nmoves transversely. Agni (fire) is all the deities. Even this is the\nteaching of the Veda. The knowledge of Agni arises in a Brahmana with\nintelligence. The smoke of that fire is of the form of (the attribute\ncalled) Darkness. The attribute that is known by the name of Passion is\nin its ashes. The quality of goodness arises from that portion of the\nfire into which the oblation is poured.[66] They that are conversant with\nsacrifices know that Samana and Vyana are from the attribute of Goodness.\nPrana and Apana are portions of the oblation (of clarified butter).\nBetween them is the Fire. That is the excellent form (or seat) of Udana,\nas the Brahmanas know. Listen as I say which is distinct from the pairs.\nDay and Night constitute a pair. Between them is the Fire. That is the\nexcellent seat of Udana as the Brahmanas know. The existent and the\nnon-existent form a pair. Between them is the Fire. That is the excellent\nseat of Udana as the Brahmanas know. First is Samana; then Vyana. The\nlatter's function is managed through it (viz., Samana). Then, secondly,\nSamana once more comes into operation. Only Vyana exists for\ntranquillity. Tranquillity is eternal Brahman. This is the excellent seat\nof Udana as the Brahmanas know.\"'\"'\"[67]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is recited the ancient story of\nwhat the institution is of the Chaturhotra (sacrifice). The ordinances\nare now being duly declared of that in its entirety. Listen to me, O\namiable lady, as I declare this wonderful mystery. The agent, the\ninstrument, the action and Emancipation,--these, O beautiful lady, are\nthe four sacrificing priests by whom the universe is enveloped. Hear in\nits entirety the assignment of causes (relating to this topic). The nose,\nthe tongue, the eye, the skin, the ear numbering the fifth, the mind, and\nthe understanding,--these seven should be understood as being caused by\n(the knowledge of) qualities. Smell, taste, colour, sound, touch,\nnumbering the fifth, the objects of the mind, and the objects of the\nunderstanding, these seven are caused by action. He who smells, he who\neats, he who sees, he who speaks, he who hears, numbering the fifth, he\nwho thinks, and he who understands--these seven should be known as caused\nby the agent. Possessed of qualities, these enjoy their own qualities,\nagreeable or disagreeable.[68] As regards the Soul, that is destitute of\nqualities. These seven are the causes of Emancipation. With them that are\nlearned and possessed of sufficient understanding, the qualities, which\nare in the position of deities, eat the oblations, each in its proper\nplace, and agreeably to what has been ordained. The person who is\ndestitute of learning, eating diverse kind of food, becomes seized with\nthe sense of mineness.[69] Digesting food for himself, he becomes ruined\nthrough the sense of mineness. The eating of food that should not be\neaten, and the drinking of wine, ruin him. He destroys the food (he\ntakes), and having destroyed that food, he becomes destroyed himself. The\nman of learning, however, being possessed of puissance, destroys his food\nfor reproducing it. The minutest transgression does not arise in him from\nthe food he takes. Whatever is thought of by the mind, whatever is\nuttered by speech, whatever is heard by the ear, whatever is seen by the\neye, whatever is touched by the (sense of) touch, whatever is smelt by\nthe nose, constitute oblations of clarified butter which should all,\nafter restraining the senses with the mind numbering the sixth, be poured\ninto that fire of high merits which burns within the body, viz., the\nSoul.[70] The sacrifice constituted by Yoga is going on as regards\nmyself. The spring whence that sacrifice proceeds is that which yields\nthe fire of knowledge. The upward life-wind Prana is the Stotra of that\nsacrifice. The downward life-wind Apana is its Sastra. The renunciation\nof everything is the excellent Dakshina of that sacrifice. Consciousness,\nMind, and Understanding--these becoming Brahma, are its Hotri, Adhwaryyu,\nand Udgatri. The Prasastri, his Sastra, is truth.[71] Cessation of\nseparate existence (or Emancipation) is the Dakshina. In this connection,\npeople conversant with Narayana recite some Richs. Unto the divine\nNarayana were animals offered in days of yore.[72] Then are sung some\nSamanas. On that topic occurs an authority. O timid one, know that the\ndivine Narayana is the soul of all.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'There is one Ruler. There is no second beside him.\nHe that is Ruler resides in the heart. I shall speak now of him. Impelled\nby Him, I move as directed, like water along an inclined plane. There is\none Preceptor. There is no second beside him. He resides in the heart,\nand of him I shall now speak. Be instructed by that preceptor; they who\nare always endued with feelings of animosity are like snakes. There is\none kinsman. There is no second beside him. He resides in the heart of\nhim I shall now speak. Instructed by him, kinsmen become possessed of\nkinsmen, and the seven Rishis, O son of Pritha, shine in the firmament.\nThere is one dispeller. There is no second beside him. He resides in the\nheart. Of him I shall now speak. Having lived with that instructor under\nthe proper mode of living, Sakra attained to the sovereignty of all the\nworlds.[73] There is one enemy. There is no second beside him. He resides\nin the heart. Of him I shall now speak. Instructed by that preceptor all\nsnakes in the world are always endued with feelings of animosity. In this\nconnection is cited the ancient story of the instruction of the snakes,\nthe deities, and the Rishis by the Lord of all creatures. The deities and\nthe Rishis, the snakes, and the Asuras, seated around the Lord of all\ncreatures, asked him, saying,--\"Let that which is highly beneficial for us\nbe declared.\" Unto them that enquired about what is highly beneficial, the\nholy one uttered only the word Om, which is Brahman in one syllable.\nHearing this, they ran away in various directions. Amongst them that thus\nran in all directions from desire of self-instruction, the disposition\nfirst arose in snakes of biting. Of the Asuras, the disposition, born of\ntheir nature for ostentations, pride arose. The deities betook themselves\nto gifts, and the great Rishis to self-restraint. Having repaired to one\nteacher, and having been instructed (refined) by one word, the snakes,\nthe deities, the Rishis, and the Danavas, all betook themselves to\ndiverse different dispositions. It is that one who hears himself when\nspeaking, and apprehends it duly. Once, again, is that heard from him\nwhen he speaks. There is no second preceptor.[74] It is in obedience to\nhis counsels that action afterwards flows. The instructor, the\napprehender, the hearer, and the enemy, are pleased within the heart. By\nacting sinfully in the world it is he that becomes a person of sinful\ndeeds. By acting auspiciously in the world, it is he who becomes a person\nof auspicious deeds. It is he who becomes a person of unrestrained\nconduct by becoming addicted to the pleasures of sense, impelled by\ndesire. It is he who becomes a Brahmacharin by always devoting himself to\nthe subjugation of his senses. It is he, again, that casts off vows and\nactions and takes refuge on Brahman alone. By moving in the world,\nidentifying himself the while with Brahman, he becomes a Brahmacharin.\nBrahman is his fuel; Brahman is his fire; Brahman is his origin; Brahman\nis his water; Brahman is his preceptor: he is rapt in Brahman.\nBrahmacharyya is even so subtle, as understood by the wise. Having\nunderstood it, they betook themselves to it, instructed by the\nKshetrajna!'\"'\"[75]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Having crossed that impassable fastness (the world)\nwhich has purposes for its gadflies and mosquitoes, grief and joy for its\ncold and heat, heedlessness for its blinding darkness, cupidity and\ndiseases for its reptiles, wealth for its one danger on the road, and\nlust and wrath its robbers, I have entered the extensive forest of\n(Brahman)'.\n\n\"'\"The wife of the Brahmana said, 'Where is that foremost, O thou of great\nwisdom? What are its trees? What its rivers? What its mountains and\nhills? How far is that forest?'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'There exists nothing that is separate from it. There\nis nothing more delightful than it. There is nothing that is unseparated\nfrom it. There is nothing more afflicting than it. There is nothing\nsmaller than that. There is nothing vaster than that. There is nothing\nminuter than that. There is no happiness that can resemble it. Regenerate\npersons, entering into it, at once transcend both joy and sorrow. They\n(then) never stand in fear of any creature, nor does any creature stand\nin fear of them. In that forest are seven large trees, seven fruits, and\nseven guests. There are seven hermitages, seven (forms of) Yoga\nconcentration, and seven (forms) of initiation. Even this a description\nof that forest.[76] The trees which stand filling that forest, produce\nexcellent flowers and fruits of five colours. The trees which stand there\nfilling that forest, produce flowers and fruits that are of excellent\ncolours and that are, besides, of two kinds. The trees which stand there\nfilling that forest, produce flowers and fruits that are endued with\nfragrance and that are, besides, of two colours. The trees which stand\nthere filling that forest, produce flowers and fruits that are possessed\nof fragrance and that are, besides, of one colour. The two trees which\nstand filling that forest, produce many flowers and fruits that are of\nunmanifest colours. There is one fire here, possessed of a good mind.\nThat is connected with Brahmana. The five senses are the fuel here. The\nseven forms of Emancipation flowing from them are the seven forms of\nInitiation. The qualities are the fruits, and the guests eat those\nfruits. There, in diverse places, the great Rishis accept hospitality.\nWhen they, having been worshipped, become annihilated, then another\nforest shines forth. In that forest, Intelligence is the tree;\nEmancipation is the fruit; Tranquillity is the shade of which it is\npossessed. It has knowledge for its resting house, contentment for its\nwater, and the Kshetrajna for its sun. Its end cannot be ascertained\nupwards, downwards, or horizontally. Seven females always dwell there,\nwith faces downwards, possessed of effulgence, and endued with the cause\nof generations. They take up all the different tastes from all creatures,\neven as inconstancy sucks up truth. In that itself dwell, and from that\nemerge, the seven Rishis who are crowned with ascetic success, with those\nseven having Vasishtha for their foremost. Glory, effulgence, greatness,\nenlightenment, victory, perfection, and energy, these seven always follow\nthis same like rays following the sun. Hills and mountains also exist\nthere, collected together; and rivers and streams bearing waters in their\ncourse, waters that are born of Brahma. And there happens a confluence\nalso of streams in the secluded spot for sacrifice. Thence those that are\ncontented with their own souls proceed to the Grandsire. Those whose\nwishes have been reduced, whose wishes have been directed to excellent\nvows, and whose sins have been burnt off by penances, merging themselves\nin their souls, succeed in attaining to Brahman. Tranquillity is praised\nby those who are conversant with the forest of knowledge. Keeping that\nforest in view, they take birth so as not to lose courage. Even such is\nthat sacred forest that is understood by Brahmanas, and understanding it,\nthey live (in accordance with the ordinance), directed by the\nKshetrajna.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'I do not smell scents. I do not perceive tastes. I\ndo not see colours. I do not touch. I do not likewise hear the diverse\nsounds (that arise). Nor do I entertain purposes of any kind. It is\nNature that desires such objects as are liked; it is Nature that hates\nsuch objects as are disliked. Desire and aversion spring from Nature,\nafter the manner of the upward and the downward life-winds when souls\nhave entered animate bodies. Separated from them are others; in them are\neternal dispositions; (these as also) the soul of all creatures. Yogins\nwould behold in the body. Dwelling in that, I am never attached to\nanything through desire and wrath, and decrepitude and death. Not having\nany desire for any object of desire, and not having any aversion for any\nevil, there is no taint on my natures, as there is no taint of a drop of\nwater on (the leaves of) the lotus. Of this constant (principle) which\nlooks upon diverse natures, they are inconstant possessions.[77] Though\nactions are performed, yet the assemblage of enjoyments does not attach\nitself to them, even as the assemblage of rays of the sun does not attach\nto the sky. In this connection is recited an ancient story of a discourse\nbetween an Adhwaryu and a Yati. Do thou hear it, O glorious lady.\nBeholding an animal sprinkled with water at a sacrificial ceremony, a\nYati said unto the Adhwaryu seated there these words in censure,--\"This is\ndestruction of life!\" unto him the Adhwaryu said in reply,--\"This goat will\nnot be destroyed. The animal (sacrificed) meets with great good, if the\nVedic declaration on this subject be true. That part of this animal which\nis of earth will go to earth. That part of this one which is born of\nwater, will enter into water. His eye will enter the sun; his ear will\nenter the different points of the horizon; his life-winds will enter the\nsky. I who adhere to the scriptures incur no fault (by assisting at the\nkilling of this animal).\"\n\n\"'\"'The Yati said, \"If thou beholdest such good to the goat in this\ndissociation with (his) life-winds, then this sacrifice is for the goat.\nWhat need hast thou for it? Let the brother, father, mother, and friend\n(of this goat) give thee their approval in this. Taking him (to them) do\nthou consult them. This goat is especially dependent. It behoveth thee to\nsee them who can give their consent in this. After hearing their consent,\nthe matter will become fit for consideration. The life-winds of this goat\nhave been made to return to their respective sources. Only the inanimate\nbody remains behind. This is what I think. Of those who wish to enjoy\nfelicity by means of the inanimate body (of an animal) which is\ncomparable with fuel, the fuel (of sacrifice) is after all the animal\nhimself. Abstention from cruelty is the foremost of all duties. Even\nthis is the teaching of the elders. We know this is the proposition,\nviz.,--No slaughter (of living creatures).--If I say anything further,\n(it will then appear that) diverse kinds of faulty actions are capable of\nbeing done by thee. Always abstaining from cruelty to all creatures is\nwhat meets with our approbation. We establish this from what is directly\nperceptible. We do not rely on what is beyond direct perception.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Adhwaryu said, \"Thou enjoyest the properties of smell which belong\nto the earth. Thou drinkest the tastes which appertain to water. Thou\nseest colours which belong to lighted bodies. Thou touchest the\nproperties which have their origin in wind. Thou hearest the sounds\nwhich have their origin in space (or ether). Thou thinkest thoughts with\nthe mind. All these entities, thou art of opinion, have life. Thou dost\nnot then abstain from taking life. Really, thou art engaged in slaughter.\nThere can be no movement without slaughter. Or, what dost thou think, O\nregenerate one.\"\n\n\"'\"'The Yati said, \"The Indestructible and the Destructible constitute the\ndouble manifestation of the soul. Of these the Indestructible is existent.\nThe Destructible is said to be exceedingly non-existent.[78] The\nlife-wind, the tongue, the mind, the quality of goodness, along with the\nquality of passion, are all existent. The Atman is above these forms and\nhence is without duality and hope. As regards one that is freed from\nthese existent objects, that transcends all pairs of opposites, that does\nnot cherish any expectation, that is alike to all creatures, that is\nliberated from the idea of meum, that has subjugated his self, and that\nis released from all his surroundings,--for him no fear exists from any\nsource!\"[79]\n\n\"'\"'The Adhwaryu said, \"O foremost of intelligent men, one should reside\nwith those that are good. Hearing thy opinion my understanding shines\nwith light. O illustrious one, I come to thee, believing thee to be a\ngod; and I say I have no fault, O regenerate one, by performing these\nrites with the aid of Mantras!\"'[80]\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana continued, 'With this conclusion, the Yati remained silent\nafter this. The Adhwaryu also proceeded with the great sacrifice, freed\nfrom delusion. The Brahmanas understand Emancipation, which is\nexceedingly subtle, to be of this kind and having understood it, they\nlive accordingly directed by the Kshetrajna, that beholder of all\ntopics.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the ancient story, O\nlady, of the discourse between Kartaviryya and the Ocean. There was a\nking of the name of Kartaviryya-Arjuna who was endued with a thousand\narms. He conquered, with his bow, the Earth, extending to the shores of\nthe ocean. It has been heard by us that, once on a time, as he was\nwalking on the shores of the sea, proud of his might, he showered\nhundreds of shafts on that vast receptacle of waters. The Ocean, bowing\ndown unto him, said, with joined hands,--\"Do not, O hero, shoot thy shafts\n(at me)! Say, what shall I do to thee. With these mighty arrows shot by\nthee, those creatures which have taken shelter in me are being killed, O\ntiger among kings. Do thou, O lord, grant them security.\"\n\n\"'\"'Arjuna said, \"If any wielder of the bow exists that is equal to me in\nbattle, and that would stand against me in the field, do thou name him to\nme!\"\n\n\"'\"'The Ocean said, \"If thou hast heard, O king, of the great Rishi\nJamadagni, his son is competent to duly receive thee as a guest.\"--Then\nthat king proceeded, filled with great wrath. Arrived at that retreat, he\nfound Rama himself. With his kinsmen he began to do many acts that were\nhostile to Rama, and caused much trouble to that high-souled hero. Then\nthe energy, which was immeasurable of Rama blazed forth, burning the\ntroops of the foe, O lotus-eyed one. Taking up his battle-axe, Rama\nsuddenly put forth his power, and hacked that thousand-armed hero, like a\ntree of many branches. Beholding him slain and prostrated on the earth,\nall his kinsmen, uniting together, and taking up their darts, rushed at\nRama, who was then seated, from all sides. Rama also, taking up his bow\nand quickly ascending on his car, shot showers of arrows and chastised\nthe army of the king. Then, some of the Kshatriyas, afflicted with the\nterror of Jamadagni's son, entered mountain-fastnesses, like deer\nafflicted by the lion. Of them that were unable, through fear of Rama, to\ndischarge the duties ordained for their order, the progeny became\nVrishalas owing to their inability to find Brahmanas.[81] In this way\nDravidas and Abhiras and Pundras, together with the Savaras, became\nVrishalas through those men who had Kshatriya duties assigned to them (in\nconsequence of their birth), falling away (from those duties). Then the\nKshatriyas that were begotten by the Brahmanas upon Kshatriya women that\nhad lost their heroic children, were repeatedly destroyed by Jamadagni's\nson. The slaughter proceeded one and twenty times. At its conclusion a\nbodiless voice, sweet and proceeding from heaven, and which was heard by\nall people, spoke to Rama, \"O Rama, O Rama, desist! What merit it dost thou\nsee, O son, in thus destroying repeatedly these inferior Kshatriyas?\"[82]\nIn this way, O blessed dame, his grandsires, headed by Richika, addressed\nthat high-souled one, saying. \"Do thou desist.\" Rama, however, unable to\nforgive the slaughter of his sire, replied unto those Rishis saying, \"It\nbehoves you not to forbid me.\" The Pitris then said, \"O foremost of all\nvictorious men, it behoves thee not to slay these inferior Kshatriyas. It\nis not proper that thyself, being a Brahmana, should slay these kings.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\n\"'\"'The Pitris said, \"In this connection is cited this old history. Having\nheard it, thou shouldst act according to it, O foremost of all regenerate\npersons. There was a royal sage of the name Alarka endued with the\nausterest of penances. He was conversant with all duties, truthful in\nspeech, of high soul, and exceedingly firm in his vows. Having, with his\nbow, conquered the whole Earth extending to the seas, and thereby\nachieved an exceedingly difficult feat, he set his mind on that which is\nsubtle. While sitting at the root of a tree, his thoughts, O thou of\ngreat intelligence, abandoning all those great feats, turned towards that\nwhich is subtle.\n\n\"'\"'\"Alarka said, 'My mind has become strong. Having conquered the mind,\none's conquest becomes permanent. Though surrounded by foes, I shall\n(henceforth) shoot my arrows at other objects. Since in consequence of\nits unsteadiness, it sets all mortals to accomplish acts, I shall shoot\nvery sharp-pointed shafts at the mind.'\n\n\"'\"'\"The mind said, 'These arrows, O Alarka, will never pierce me through.\nThey will pierce only thy own vital parts. Thy vital parts being pierced,\nthou shalt die. Do thou look out for other arrows with which to destroy\nme.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.\n\n\"'\"'\"Alarka said, 'Smelling very many perfumes, the nose hankers after them\nonly. Hence I shall shoot whetted arrows at the nose.'\n\n\"'\"'\"The nose said, 'These arrows will never cross through me, O Alarka.\nThey will pierce only thy own vital parts, and thy vital parts being\npierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to\ndestroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as\nfollows.\n\n\"'\"'\"Alarka said, 'This one (viz., the tongue), enjoying savoury tastes,\nhankers after them only. Hence I shall shoot whetted shafts at the\ntongue.'\n\n\"'\"'\"The tongue said, 'These arrows, O Alarka, will not cross through me.\nThey will only pierce thy own vital parts and thy vital parts being\npierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to\ndestroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as\nfollows.\n\n\"'\"'\"Alarka said, 'The skin, touching diverse objects of touch, hankers\nafter them only. Hence, I shall tear off the skin with diverse arrows\nequipt with the feathers of the Kanka.'\n\n\"'\"'\"The skin said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me.\nThey will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being\npierced, thou shalt die. Do thou look for other arrows with which to\ndestroy me.' Hearing these words and reflecting on them, he said as\nfollows.\n\n\"'\"'\"Alarka said, 'Hearing diverse sounds, (the ear) hankers after them\nonly. Hence, I shall shoot whetted shafts at the ear.'\n\n\"'\"'\"The ear said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me. They\nwill pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being pierced,\nthou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to destroy\nme.' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as follows.\n\n\"'\"'\"Alarka said, 'Seeing many colours, the eye hankers after them only.\nHence, I shall destroy the eye with sharp-pointed arrows.'\n\n\"'\"'\"The eye said. 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross through me at\nall. They will pierce thy own vital parts only, and thy vital parts being\npierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows with which to\ndestroy me!' Hearing these words and reflecting upon them, he said as\nfollows.\n\n\"'\"'\"Alarka said, 'This (viz., the understanding) forms many determinations\nwith the aid of ratiocination. Hence, I shall shoot whetted arrows at the\nunderstanding.'\n\n\"'\"'\"The understanding said, 'These arrows will not, O Alarka, cross\nthrough me at all. They will pierce thy vital parts only, and thy vital\nparts being pierced, thou shalt die. Do thou then look for other arrows\nwith which to destroy me!'\"\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana continued, '\"Then Alarka, employing himself, even there, on\npenances difficult to perform and exceedingly austere, failed to obtain,\nby the high power (of his penances) arrows for casting at these seven.\nEndued with puissance, he then, with mind well concentrated, began to\nreflect. Then O best of regenerate ones, Alarka, that foremost of\nintelligent men, having reflected for a long time, failed to obtain\nanything better than Yoga. Setting his mind on one object, he remained\nperfectly still, engaged in Yoga.[83] Endued with energy, he quickly slew\nall the senses with one arrow, having entered by Yoga into his soul and\nthereby attained to the highest success. Filled with wonder, that royal\nsage then sang this verse: 'Alas, it is a pity that we should have\naccomplished all acts that are external! Alas, that we should have,\nendued with the thirst for enjoyment, courted (the pleasures of)\nsovereignty before now! I have learnt this afterwards. There is no\nhappiness that is higher than Yoga.'--Do thou know this, O Rama. Cease to\nslay the Kshatriyas. Do thou practise the austerest of penances. Thou\nwilt then attain to what is good.'\"--Thus addressed by his grandsires,\nJamadagni's son practised the austerest penances, and having practised\nthem, that highly blessed one attained to that success which is difficult\nto reach.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'There are three foes in the world. They are said to\nbe ninefold, agreeably to their qualities. Exultation, satisfaction, and\njoy,--these three qualities appertain to Goodness.[84] Cupidity, wrath,\nand hatred, these three qualities are said to appertain to Passion.\nLassitude, procrastination, and delusion, these three qualities appertain\nto darkness. Cutting these with showers of arrows, the man of\nintelligence, free from procrastination, possessed of a tranquil soul,\nand with his senses under subjection, ventures to vanquish others.[85] In\nthis connection, persons conversant with (the occurrence of) ancient\ncycles recite some verses which were sung in days of old by king\nAmvarisha who had acquired a tranquil soul. When diverse kinds of faults\nwere in the ascendant and when the righteous were afflicted, Amvarisha of\ngreat fame put forth his strength for assuming sovereignty.[86] Subduing\nhis own faults and worshipping the righteous, he attained to great\nsuccess and sang these verses.--\"I have subdued many faults. I have killed\nall foes. But there is one, the greatest, vice which deserves to be\ndestroyed but which has not been destroyed by me! Urged by that fault,\nthis Jiva fails to attain to freedom from desire. Afflicted by desire,\none runs into ditches without knowing it. Urged by that fault, one\nindulges in acts that are forbidden. Do thou cut off, cut off, that\ncupidity with sharp-edged swords. From cupidity arise desires. From\ndesire flows anxiety. The man who yields to desire acquires many\nqualities that appertain to passion. When these have been acquired, he\ngets many qualities that appertain to Darkness. In consequence of those\nqualities, he repeatedly takes birth, with the bonds of body united, and\nis impelled to action. Upon the expiration of life, with body becoming\ndismembered and scattered, he once meets with death which is due to birth\nitself.[87] Hence, duly understanding this, and subduing cupidity by\nintelligence, one should desire for sovereignty in one's soul. This is\n(true) sovereignty. There is no other sovereignty here. The soul,\nproperly understood, is the king.\" Even these were the verses sung by king\nAmvarisha of great celebrity, on the subject of sovereignty which he kept\nbefore him,--that king who had cut off the one foremost fault viz.,\ncupidity.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'In this connection is cited the old narrative, O\nlady, of the discourse between a Brahmana and (king) Janaka. King Janaka\n(on a certain occasion), desirous of punishing him, said unto a Brahmana\nwho had become guilty of some offence, \"Thou shalt not dwell within my\ndominions.\" Thus addressed, the Brahmana replied unto that best of kings,\nsaying, \"Tell me, O king, what the limits are of the territories subject\nto thee. I desire, O lord, to dwell within the dominions of another king.\nVerily, I wish to obey thy behest, O lord of Earth, agreeably to the\nscriptures.\"--Thus addressed by that celebrated Brahmana, the king,\nhearing repeated and hot sighs, said not a word in reply. Like the planet\nRahu overwhelming the Sun, a cloudedness of understanding suddenly\noverwhelmed that king of immeasurable energy as he sat plunged in\nthought. When that cloudedness of understanding passed away and the king\nbecame comforted, he spoke after a short while these words unto that\nBrahmana.\n\n\"'\"'Janaka said, \"Although a (large) inhabited tract is subject to me\nwithin this ancestral kingdom of mine, yet I fail to find my dominion,\nsearching through the whole Earth. When I failed to find it on the Earth,\nI then searched Mithila (for it). When I failed to find it in Mithila, I\nthen searched for it among my own children. When I failed to find it even\nthere, a cloudedness of understanding came over me. After that\ncloudedness of understanding passed away, intelligence came back to me.\nThen I thought that I have no dominion, or that everything is my\ndominion. Even this body is not mine, or the whole Earth is mine. At the\nsame time, O best of regenerate persons, I think that that is as much\nmine as it is of others. Do thou, therefore, dwell (here) as long as thy\nchoice leads thee, and do thou enjoy as long as thou pleasest.\"'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, '\"When there is a large inhabited tract in thy\nancestral kingdom, tell me, depending upon what understanding, has the\nidea of meum been got rid of by thee. What also is that understanding\ndepending upon which thou hast come to the conclusion that everything\nconstitutes thy dominion? What, indeed, is the notion through which thou\nhast no dominion, or everything is thy dominion?\"'\n\n\"'\"'Janaka said, \"All conditions here, in all affairs, have been understood\nby me to be terminable. Hence, I could not find that which should be\ncalled mine.[88] (Considering) whose is this, I thought of the Vedic text\nabout anybody's property. I could not, therefore, find, by my\nunderstanding, what should be (called) mine.[89] Depending upon this\nnotion, I got rid of idea of mineness. Hear now what that notion is\ndepending upon which I came to the conclusion that I have dominion\neverywhere. I do not desire for my own self those smells that are even in\nmy nose. Therefore, the earth, subjugated by me, is always subject to\nme.[90] I do not desire for my own self those tastes that exist in\ncontact with even my tongue. Therefore, water, subjugated by me, is\nalways subject to me. I do not desire for my own self the colour or light\nthat appertains to my eye. Therefore, light subjugated by me, is always\nsubject to me. I do not desire for my own self those sensations of touch\nwhich are in contact with even my skin. Therefore, the wind, subjugated\nby me, is always subject to me. I do not desire for my own self those\nsounds which are in contact with even my ear. Therefore sounds,\nsubjugated by me, are always subject to me. I do not desire for my own\nself the mind that is always in my mind. Therefore the mind, subjugated\nby me, is subject to me. All these acts of mine are for the sake of the\ndeities, the Pitris, the Bhutas, together with guests.\"[91]--The Brahmana\nthen, smiling, once more said unto Janaka,--\"Know that I am Dharma, who\nhave come here today for examining thee. Thou art verily the one person\nfor setting this wheel in motion, this wheel that has the quality of\nGoodness for its circumference, Brahmin for its nave, and the\nunderstanding for its spokes, and which never turns back!\"'\"'\"[92]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'I do not, O timid one, move in this world in that\nmanner which thou, according to thy own understanding, censurest. I am a\nBrahmana possessed of Vedic knowledge. I am emancipated. I am a forest\nrecluse. I am an observer of the duties of a house-holder. I observe\nvows. I am not what thou seest me in good and bad acts. By me is pervaded\neverything that exists in this universe. Whatever creatures exist in the\nworld, mobile or immobile, know that I am the destroyer of them all, even\nas fire is (the destroyer) of all kinds of wood. Of sovereignty over the\nwhole Earth or over Heaven (on the one hand), or this knowledge (of my\nidentity with the universe), this knowledge is my wealth.[93] This is the\none path for Brahmanas, by which they who understand it proceed to\nhouse-holds, or abodes in the forest, or residence with preceptors, or\namong mendicants.[94] With numerous unconfused symbols, only one\nknowledge is worshipped. Those who, whatever the symbols and modes of\nlife to which they adhere, have acquired an understanding having\ntranquillity for its essence, attain to that one entity even as numerous\nrivers all meeting the Ocean.[95] The path is traversable with the aid of\nthe understanding and not of this body. Actions have both beginning and\nend, and the body has actions for its bonds.[96] Hence, O blessed lady,\nthou needst have no apprehension in respect of the world hereafter. With\nthy heart intent upon the real entity, it is my soul into which thou wilt\ncome.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana's wife said, 'This is incapable of being understood by a\nperson of little intelligence as also by one whose soul has not been\ncleansed. My intelligence is very little, and contracted, and confused.\nDo thou tell me the means by which the knowledge (of which thou speakest)\nmay be acquired. I wish to learn from thee the source from which this\nknowledge flows.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'Know that intelligence devoted to Brahman, is the\nlower Arani; the preceptor is the upper Arani; penances and conversance\nwith the scriptures are to cause the attrition. From this is produced\nthe fire of knowledge.'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana's wife said, 'As regards this symbol of Brahman, which is\ndesignated Kshetrajna, where, indeed, occurs a description of it by which\nit is capable of being seized?'\n\n\"'\"The Brahmana said, 'He is without symbols, and without qualities.\nNothing exists that may be regarded as his cause. I shall, however, tell\nthee the means by which he can be seized or not. A good means may be\nfound; viz., perception of hearing, etc. as flowers are perceived by\nbees. That means consists of an understanding cleansed by action. Those\nwhose understandings have not been so cleansed, regard that entity,\nthrough their own ignorance, as invested with the properties of knowledge\nand others.[97] It is not laid down that this should be done, of that\nthis should not be done, in the rules for achieving Emancipation,--those,\nthat is, in which a knowledge of the soul arises only in him who sees and\nhears.[98] One should comprehend as many parts, unmanifest and manifest\nby hundreds and thousands, as one is capable of comprehending here.\nIndeed, one should comprehend diverse objects of diverse import, and all\nobjects of direct perception. Then will come, from practice (of\ncontemplation and self-restraint, etc.), that above which nothing\nexists.'\"[99]\n\n\"'The holy one continued, \"Then the mind of that Brahmana's wife, upon the\ndestruction of the Kshetrajna, became that which is beyond Kshetrajna, in\nconsequence of the knowledge of Kshetra.\"[100]\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"Where, indeed, is that Brahmana's wife, O Krishna, and\nwhere is that foremost of Brahmanas, by both of whom was such success\nattained. Do thou, tell me about them, O thou of unfading glory.\"\n\n\"'The blessed and holy one said, \"Know that my mind is the Brahmana, and\nthat my understanding is the Brahmana's wife. He who has been spoken of\nas Kshetrajna is I myself, O Dhananjaya!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"It behoveth thee to expound Brahma to me,--that which is\nthe highest object of knowledge. Through thy favour, my mind is delighted\nwith these subtle disquisitions.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said,--\"In this connection is recited the old history of the\ndiscourse between a preceptor and his disciple on the subject of Brahman.\nOnce on a time, O scorcher of foes, an intelligent disciple questioned a\ncertain Brahmana of rigid vows who was his preceptor, as he was seated\n(at his ease), saying,--'What, indeed, is the highest good? Desirous of\nattaining to that which constitutes the highest good, I throw myself at\nthy feet, O holy one. O learned Brahmana, I solicit thee, bending my\nhead, to explain to me what I ask.'--Unto that disciple, O son of Pritha,\nwho said so, the preceptor said,--'O regenerate one, I shall explain to\nthee everything about which thou mayst have any doubts.'--Thus addressed,\nO foremost one of Kuru's race, by his preceptor, that disciple who was\nexceedingly devoted to his preceptor, spoke as follows, with joined\nhands. Do thou hear what he said, O thou of great intelligence.\n\n\"'\"The Disciple said, 'Where am I? Whence art thou? Explain that which is\nthe highest truth. From what source have sprung all creatures mobile and\nimmobile? By what do creatures live? What is the limit of their life?\nWhat is truth? What is penance, O learned Brahmana? What are called\nattributes by the good? What paths are to be called auspicious? What is\nhappiness? What is sin? O holy one, O thou of excellent vows, it behoves\nthee to answer these questions of mine, O learned Rishi, correctly,\ntruly, and accurately. Who else is there in this world than thee that is\ncapable of answering these questions? Do thou answer them, O foremost of\nall persons conversant with duties. My curiosity is great. Thou art\ncelebrated in all the worlds as one well skilled in the duties relating\nto Emancipation. There is none else than thou that is competent to remove\nall kinds of doubts. Afraid of worldly life, we have become desirous of\nachieving Emancipation.'\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Unto that disciple who had humbly sought his instruction\nand put the questions duly, who was devoted to his preceptor and\npossessed of tranquillity, and who always behaved in a manner that was\nagreeable (to his instructor), who lived so constantly by the side of his\ninstructor as to have almost become his shadow, who was self-restrained,\nand who had the life of a Yati and Brahmacharin, O son of Pritha, that\npreceptor possessed of intelligence and observant of vows, duly explained\nall the questions, O foremost one of Kuru's race, O chastiser of all\nfoes.\n\n\"'\"The preceptor said, 'All this was declared (in days of old) by Brahma\nhimself (the Grandsire of all the worlds). Applauded and practised by the\nforemost of Rishis, and depending on a knowledge of the Vedas, it\ninvolves a consideration of what constitutes the real entity. We regard\nknowledge to be the highest object, and renunciation as the best penance.\nHe who, with certainty, knows the true object of knowledge which is\nincapable of being modified by circumstances, viz., the soul abiding in\nall creatures, succeeds in going whithersoever he wishes and comes to be\nregarded as the highest. That learned man who beholds the residence of\nall things in one place and their severance as well, and who sees unity\nin diversity, succeeds in freeing himself from misery. He who does not\ncovet anything and does not cherish the idea of mineness with regard to\nanything, comes to be regarded, although residing in this world, as\nidentifiable with Brahman. He who is conversant with the truth about the\nqualities of Pradhana (or Nature), acquainted with the creation of all\nexistent objects, divested of the idea of mineness, and without pride,\nsucceeds, without doubt, in emancipating himself. Understanding properly\nthat great tree which has the unmanifest for its seed sprout, and the\nunderstanding for its trunk, and high consciousness of self for its\nbranches, and the senses for the cells whence its twigs issue, and the\n(five) great elements for its flower-buds, and the gross elements for its\nsmaller boughs, which is always endued with leaves, which always puts\nforth flowers, and upon which all existent objects depend, whose seed is\nBrahman, and which is eternal,--and cutting all topics with the sharp\nsword of knowledge, one attains to immortality and casts off birth and\ndeath. The conclusions with regard to the past, present, and future, etc,\nand religion, pleasure and wealth, which are all well known to conclaves\nof Siddhas, which appertain to remote cycles, and which are, indeed,\neternal, I shall declare to thee, O thou of great wisdom. These\nconstitute what is called Good. Men of wisdom, understanding them in this\nworld, attain to success. In days of old, the Rishis Vrihaspati and\nBharadwaja, and Gautama and Bhargava, and Vasishtha and Kasyapa, and\nViswamitra, and Atri, assembled together for the purpose of asking one\nanother. They thus assembled together after having travelled over all\npaths and after they had got tired with the acts each of them had done.\nThose regenerate persons, placing the sage son of Angiras at their head,\nproceeded to the region of the Grandsire. There they beheld Brahma\nperfectly cleansed of all sin. Bowing their heads unto that high-souled\none who was seated at his ease, the great Rishis, endued with humility,\nasked him this grave question regarding the highest good. \"How should a\ngood man act? How would one be released from sin? What paths are\nauspicious for us? What is truth, and what is sin? By what action are the\ntwo paths, northern and southern, obtained? What is destruction? What is\nEmancipation? What is birth and what is death of all existent objects?\" I\nshall tell thee, O disciple, what the Grandsire, thus addressed, said\nunto them, conformably to the scriptures. Do thou listen.\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"It is from Truth that all creatures, mobile and immobile,\nhave been born. They live by penance (of action). Understand this, O ye\nof excellent vows. In consequence of their own actions they live,\ntranscending their own origin.[101] For Truth, when united with\nqualities, becomes always possessed of five indications. Brahman is\nTruth. Penance is truth. Prajapati is truth. It is from Truth that all\ncreatures have sprung. Truth is the universe of being. It is for this\nthat Brahmanas who are always devoted to Yoga, who have transcended wrath\nand sorrow, and who always regard Religion as the causeway (along which\nevery one must pass for avoiding the morass below), take refuge in Truth.\nI shall now speak of those Brahmanas who are restrained by one another\nand possessed of knowledge, of the orders, and of those who belong to the\nfour modes of life. The wise say that Religion or duty is one, (though)\nhaving four quarters. Ye regenerate ones, I shall speak to ye now of that\npath which is auspicious and productive of good. That path has constantly\nbeen trod over by men possessed of wisdom in order to achieve an identity\nwith Brahman. I shall speak now of that path which is the highest and\nwhich is exceedingly difficult of being understood. Do you understand, in\nall its details, ye highly blessed ones, what is the highest seat. The\nfirst step has been said to be the mode of life that appertains to\nBrahmacharins. The second step is domesticity. After this is the\nresidence in the woods. After that it should be known is the highest\nstep, viz., that relating to Adhyatma.[102] Light, ether (or space), sun,\nwind, Indra, and Prajapati,--one sees these as long as one does not\nattain to Adhyatma. I shall declare the means (by which that Adhyatma may\nbe attained). Do ye first understand them. The forest mode of life that\nis followed by ascetics residing in the woods and subsisting upon fruits\nand roots and air is laid down for the three regenerate classes. The\ndomestic mode of life is ordained for all the orders. They that are\npossessed of wisdom say that Religion or duty has Faith for its (chief)\nindication. Thus have I declared to you the paths leading to the deities.\nThey are adopted by those that are good and wise by their acts. Those\npaths are the causeways of piety. That person of rigid vows who adopts\nany one of these modes separately, always succeeds in time to understand\nthe production and destruction of all creatures. I shall now declare,\naccurately and with reasons, the elements which reside in parts in all\nobjects. The great soul, the unmanifest, egoism (consciousness of\nidentity), the ten and one organs (of knowledge and action), the five\ngreat elements, the specific characteristics of the five elements,--these\nconstitute the eternal creation. The number of elements has been said to\nbe four and twenty, and one (more). That person of wisdom who understands\nthe production and destruction of all these elements, that man among all\ncreatures, never meets with delusion. He who understands the elements\naccurately, all the qualities, all the deities, succeeds in cleansing\nhimself of all sin. Freed from all bonds, such a man succeeds in enjoying\nall regions of spotless purity.\"'\"'\"[103]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"That which is unmanifest, which is indistinct,\nall-pervading, everlasting, immutable, should be known to become the city\n(or mansion) of nine portals, possessed of three qualities, and\nconsisting of five ingredients. Encompassed by eleven including Mind\nwhich distinguishes (objects), and having Understanding for the ruler,\nthis is an aggregate of eleven.[104] The three ducts that are in it\nsupport it constantly. These are the three Nadis. They run continually,\nand have the three qualities for their essence: Darkness, Passion, and\nGoodness. These are called the (three) qualities. These are coupled with\none another. They exist, depending on one another. They take refuge in\none another, and follow one another. They are also joined with one\nanother. The five (principal) elements are characterised by (these) three\nqualities. Goodness is the match of Darkness. Of Goodness the match is\nPassion. Goodness is also the match of Passion, and of Goodness the match\nis Darkness. There where Darkness is restrained, Passion is seen to flow.\nThere where Passion is restrained, Goodness is seen to flow. Darkness\nshould be known to have the night (or obscurity) for its essence. It has\nthree characteristics, and is (otherwise) called Delusion. It has\nunrighteousness (or sin) also for its indication, and it is always\npresent in all sinful acts. This is the nature of Darkness and it appears\nalso as confined with others. Passion is said to have activity for its\nessence. It is the cause of successive acts. When it prevails, its\nindication, among all beings, is production. Splendour, lightness, and\nfaith,--these are the form, that is light, of Goodness among all\ncreatures, as regarded by all good men. The true nature of their\ncharacteristics will now be declared by me, with reasons. These shall be\nstated in aggregation and separation. Do ye understand them. Complete\ndelusion, ignorance, illiberality, indecision in respect of action,\nsleep, haughtiness, fear, cupidity, grief, censure of good acts, loss of\nmemory, unripeness of judgment, absence of faith, violation of all rules\nof conduct, want of discrimination, blindness, vileness of behaviour,\nboastful assertions of performance when there has been no performance,\npresumption of knowledge in ignorance, unfriendliness (or hostility),\nevilness of disposition, absence of faith, stupid reasoning, crookedness,\nincapacity for association, sinful action, senselessness, stolidity,\nlassitude, absence of self-control, degradation,--all these qualities are\nknown as belonging to Darkness. Whatever other states of mind, connected\nwith delusion, exist in the world, all appertain to Darkness. Frequent\nill-speaking of other people, censuring the deities and the Brahmanas,\nilliberality, vanity, delusion, wrath, unforgiveness, hostility towards\nall creatures, are regarded as the characteristics of Darkness. Whatever\nundertakings exist that are unmeritorious (in consequence of their being\nvain or useless), what gifts there are that are unmeritorious (in\nconsequence of the unworthiness of the donees, the unreasonableness of\nthe time, the impropriety of the object, etc.), vain eating,--these also\nappertain to Darkness. Indulgence in calumny, unforgiveness, animosity,\nvanity, and absence of faith are also said to be characteristics of\nDarkness. Whatever men there are in this world who are characterised by\nthese and other faults of a similar kind, and who break through the\nrestraints (provided by the scriptures), are all regarded as belonging to\nthe quality of Darkness. I shall now declare the wombs where these men,\nwho are always of sinful deeds, have to take their birth. Ordained to go\nto hell, they sink in the order of being. Indeed, they sink into the hell\nof (birth in) the brute creation. They become immobile entities, or\nanimals, or beasts of burden; or carnivorous creatures, or snakes, or\nworms, insects, and birds; or creatures of the oviparous order, or\nquadrupeds of diverse species; or lunatics, or deaf or dumb human beings,\nor men that are afflicted by dreadful maladies and regarded as unclean.\nThese men of evil conduct, always exhibiting the indications of their\nacts, sink in Darkness. Their course (of migrations) is always downwards.\nAppertaining to the quality of Darkness, they sink in Darkness. I shall,\nafter this, declare what the means are of their improvement and ascent;\nindeed, by what means they succeed in attaining to the regions that exist\nfor men of pious deeds. Those men who take birth in orders other than\nhumanity, by growing up in view of the religious ceremonies of Brahmanas\ndevoted to the duties of their own order and desirous of doing good to\nall creatures, succeed, through the aid of such purificatory rites, in\nascending upwards. Indeed, struggling (to improve themselves), they at\nlast attain to the same regions with these pious Brahmanas. Verily, they\ngo to Heaven. Even this is the Vedic audition.[105] Born in orders other\nthan humanity and growing old in their respective acts, even thus they\nbecome human beings that are, of course, ordained to return. Coming to\nsinful births and becoming Chandalas or human beings that are deaf or\nthat lisp indistinctly, they attain to higher and higher castes, one\nafter another in proper turn, transcending the Sudra order, and other\n(consequences of) qualities that appertain to Darkness and that abide in\nit in course of migrations in this world.[106] Attachment to objects of\ndesire is regarded as great delusion. Here Rishis and Munis and deities\nbecome deluded, desirous of pleasure. Darkness, delusion, the great\ndelusion, the great obscurity called wrath, and death, that blinding\nobscurity, (these are the five great afflictions). As regards wrath, that\nis the great obscurity (and not aversion or hatred as is sometimes\nincluded in the list). With respect then to its colour (nature), its\ncharacteristics, and its source, I have, ye learned Brahmanas, declared\nto you, accurately and in due order, everything about (the quality of)\nDarkness. Who is there that truly understands it? Who is there that truly\nsees it? That, indeed, is the characteristic of Darkness, viz., the\nbeholding of reality in what is not real. The qualities of Darkness have\nbeen declared to you in various ways. Duly has Darkness, in its higher\nand lower forms, been described to you. That man who always bears in mind\nthe qualities mentioned here, will surely succeed in becoming freed from\nall characteristics that appertain to Darkness.\"'''\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"Ye best of beings, I shall now declare to you accurately\nwhat (the quality of) Passion is. Ye highly blessed ones, do you\nunderstand what those qualities are that appertain to Passion. Injuring\n(others), beauty, toil, pleasure and pain, cold and heat, lordship (or\npower), war, peace, arguments, dissatisfaction, endurance,[107] might,\nvalour, pride, wrath, exertion, quarrel (or collision), jealousy, desire,\nmalice, battle, the sense of meum or mineness, protection (of others),\nslaughter, bonds, and affliction, buying and selling, lopping off,\ncutting, piercing and cutting off the coat of mail that another has\nworn,[108] fierceness, cruelty, vilifying, pointing out the faults of\nothers, thoughts entirely devoted to worldly affairs, anxiety, animosity,\nreviling of others, false speech, false or vain gifts, hesitancy and\ndoubt, boastfulness of speech, dispraise and praise, laudation, prowess,\ndefiance, attendance (as on the sick and the weak), obedience (to the\ncommands of preceptors and parents), service or ministrations, harbouring\nof thirst or desire, cleverness or dexterity of conduct, policy\nheedlessness, contumely, possessions, and diverse decorations that\nprevail in the world among men, women, animals, inanimate things, houses,\ngrief, incredulousness, vows and regulations, actions with expectation\n(of good result), diverse acts of public charity, the rites in respect of\nSwaha salutations, rites of Swadha and Vashat, officiating at the\nsacrifices of others, imparting of instruction, performance of\nsacrifices, study, making of gifts, acceptance of gifts, rites of\nexpiation, auspicious acts, the wish to have this and that, affection\ngenerated by the merits of the object for which or whom it is felt,\ntreachery, deception, disrespect and respect, theft, killing, desire of\nconcealment, vexation, wakefulness, ostentation, haughtiness, attachment,\ndevotion, contentment, exultation, gambling, indulgence in scandal, all\nrelations arising out of women, attachment to dancing, instrumental music\nand songs--all these qualities, ye learned Brahmanas, have been said to\nbelong to Passion. Those men on Earth who meditate on the past, present,\nand the future, who are devoted to the aggregate of three, viz.,\nReligion, Wealth, and Pleasure, who acting from impulse of desire, exult\non attaining to affluence in respect of every desire, are said to be\nenveloped by Passion. These men have downward courses. Repeatedly reborn\nin this world, they give themselves up to pleasure. They covet what\nbelongs to this world as also all those fruit, that belong to the world\nhereafter. They make gifts, accept gifts, offer oblations to the Pitris,\nand pour libations on the sacrificial fire. The qualities of Passion have\n(thus) been declared to you in their variety. The course of conduct also\nto which it leads has been properly described to you. The man who always\nunderstands these qualities, succeeds in always freeing himself from all\nof them which appertain to Passion.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"I shall, after this discourse to you on that excellent\nquality which is the third (in the order of our enumeration). It is\nbeneficial to all creatures in the world, and unblamable, and constitutes\nthe conduct of those that are good. Joy, satisfaction, nobility,\nenlightenment, and happiness, absence of stinginess (or liberality),\nabsence of fear, contentment, disposition for faith, forgiveness,\ncourage, abstention from injuring any creature, equability, truth,\nstraightforwardness, absence of wrath, absence of malice, purity,\ncleverness, prowess, (these appertain to the quality of Goodness). He who\nis devoted to the duty of Yoga, regarding knowledge to be vain, conduct\nto be vain, service to be vain, and mode of life to be vain, attains to\nwhat is highest in the world hereafter. Freedom from the idea of meum,\nfreedom from egoism, freedom from expectations, looking on all with an\nequal eye, and freedom from desire,--these constitute the eternal\nreligion of the good. Confidence, modesty, forgiveness, renunciation,\npurity, absence of laziness, absence of cruelty, absence of delusion,\ncompassion to all creatures, absence of the disposition to calumniate,\nexultation, satisfaction, rapture, humility, good behaviour, purity in\nall acts having for their object the attainment of tranquillity,\nrighteous understanding, emancipation (from attachments), indifference,\nBrahmacharyya, complete renunciation, freedom from the idea of meum,\nfreedom from expectations, unbroken observance of righteousness, belief\nthat gifts are vain, sacrifices are vain, study is vain, vows are vain,\nacceptance of gifts is vain, observance of duties is vain, and penances\nare vain--those Brahmanas in this world, whose conduct is marked by these\nvirtues, who adhere to righteousness, who abide in the Vedas, are said to\nbe wise and possessed of correctness of vision. Casting off all sins and\nfreed from grief, those men possessed of wisdom attain to Heaven and\ncreate diverse bodies (for themselves). Attaining the power of governing\neverything, self-restraint, minuteness, these high-souled ones make by\noperations of their own mind, like the gods themselves dwelling in\nHeaven. Such men are said to have their courses directed upwards. They\nare veritable gods capable of modifying all things. Attaining to Heaven,\nthey modify all things by their very nature. They get whatever objects\nthey desire and enjoy them.[109] Thus have I, ye foremost of regenerate\nones, described to you what that conduct is which appertains to the\nquality of goodness. Understanding these duly, one acquires whatever\nobjects one desires. The qualities that appertain to goodness have been\ndeclared particularly. The conduct which those qualities constitute has\nalso been properly set forth. That man who always understands these\nqualities, succeeds in enjoying the qualities without being attached to\nthem.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"The qualities are incapable of being declared as\ncompletely separate from one another. Passion and Goodness and Darkness\nare seen existing in a state of union. They are attached to one another.\nThey depend on one another. They have one another for their refuge. They\nlikewise follow one another. As long as goodness exists, so long does\nPassion exist. There is no doubt in this. As long as Darkness and\nGoodness exist, so long does Passion exist. They make their journey\ntogether, in union, and moving collectively. They, verily, move in body,\nwhen they act with cause or without cause. Of all these which act with\none another, however, much they may differ in their development, the\nmanner in which their increase and diminution take place will now be\ndeclared. There where Darkness exists in an increased measure, in the\nlower creatures (for example), Passion exists in a smaller measure and\nGoodness in a measure that is still less. There where Passion exists in a\ncopious measure, in creatures of middle course, Darkness exists in a\nsmaller measure and Goodness in a measure that is still less. There where\nGoodness exists in a copious measure, in creatures of upward courses,\nDarkness should be known to exist in a small measure and Passion in a\nmeasure that is still less. Goodness is the spring that causes the\nmodifications of the senses. It is the great enlightener. No duty has\nbeen laid down that is higher than Goodness. They who abide in Goodness\nproceed upwards. They who abide in Passion remain in the middle. They who\nabide in Darkness, being characterised by qualities that are low, sink\ndownwards. Darkness occurs in the Sudra; Passion in the Kshatriya; and\nGoodness, which is the highest, in the Brahmana. The three qualities\nexist even thus in the three orders. Even from a distance, the three\nqualities of darkness and Goodness and Passion, are seen to exist in a\nstate of union and more collectively. They are never seen in a state of\nseparation.[110] Beholding the sun rising, men of evil deeds become\ninspired with fear. Travellers on their way become afflicted with heat,\nand suffer distress. The Sun is Goodness developed, men of evil deeds\nrepresent Darkness; the heat which travellers on their way feel is said\nto be a quality of Passion. The sun representing light is Goodness; the\nheat is the quality of Passion; the shading (or eclipse) of the sun on\nParvana days should be known to represent Darkness. Even thus, the three\nqualities exist in all luminous bodies. They act by turns in diverse\nplaces in diverse ways. Among immobile objects, the quality of Darkness\nexists in a very large measure. The qualities appertaining to Passion are\nthose properties of theirs which undergo constant changes. Their\noleaginous attributes appertain to Goodness.[111] The Day should be\nunderstood as threefold. The Night has been ordained to be threefold. So\nalso are fortnight, months, years, seasons, and conjunctions.[112] The\ngifts that are wide are threefold. Threefold is sacrifice that flows.\nThreefold are the worlds; threefold the deities; threefold is knowledge;\nand threefold the path or end. The past, the Present, and the Future;\nReligion, Wealth, and Pleasure. Prana, Apana, and Udana; these also are\nfraught with the three qualities. Whatever object exists in this world,\neverything in it is fraught with the three qualities. The three qualities\nact by turns in all things and in all circumstances. Verily, the three\nqualities always act in an unmanifest form. The creation of those three,\nviz., Goodness, Passion, and Darkness is eternal. The unmanifest,\nconsisting of the three qualities, is said to be darkness, unperceived,\nholy, Constant, unborn, womb, eternal, Nature, change or modification,\ndestruction, Pradhana, production, and absorption, undeveloped, not small\n(i.e., vast), unshaking, immovable, fixed, existent, and non-existent.\nAll these names should be known by those who meditate on matters\nconnected with the soul. That person who accurately knows all the names\nof the unmanifest, and the qualities, as also the pure operations (of the\nqualities), is well conversant with the truth about all distinctions and\nfreed from the body, becomes liberated from all the qualities and enjoys\nabsolute happiness.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XL\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"From the unmanifest first sprang Mahat (the Great Soul)\nendued with great intelligence, the source of all the qualities. That is\nsaid to be the first creation. The Great Soul is signified by these\nsynonymous words--the Great Soul, Intelligence, Vishnu, Jishnu, Sambhu of\ngreat valour, the Understanding, the means of acquiring knowledge, the\nmeans of perception, as also fame, courage, and memory. Knowing this, a\nlearned Brahmana has never to encounter delusion. It has hands and feet\non every side, it has ears on every side. It stands, pervading everything\nin the universe. Of great power, that Being is stationed in the heart of\nall. Minuteness, Lightness and Affluence, are his. He is the lord of all,\nand identical with effulgence, and knows not decay. In Him are all those\nwho comprehend the nature of the understanding, all those who are devoted\nto goodness of disposition, all those who practise meditation, who are\nalways devoted to Yoga, who are firm in truth, who have subdued their\nsenses, who are possessed of knowledge, who are freed from cupidity, who\nhave conquered wrath, who are of cheerful hearts, who are endued with\nwisdom, who are liberated from ideas of meum (and teum), and who are\ndevoid of egoism. All these, freed from every kind of attachment, attain\nto the status of Greatness. That person who understands that holy and\nhigh goal, viz., the Great Soul, becomes freed from delusion. The\nself-born Vishnu becomes the Lord in the primary creations. He who thus\nknows the Lord lying in the cave, the Supreme, Ancient Being, of\nuniversal form, the golden one, the highest goal of all persons endued\nwith understanding,--that intelligent man lives, transcending the\nunderstanding.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"That Mahat who was first produced is called Egoism. When\nit sprang up as I, it came to be called as the second creation. That\nEgoism is said to be the source of all creatures, for these have sprung\nfrom its modifications. It is pure effulgence and is the supporter of\nconsciousness. It is Prajapati. It is a deity, the creator of deities,\nand of mind. It is that which creates the three worlds. It is said to be\nthat which feels--I am all this.--That is the eternal world existing for\nthose sages who are contented with knowledge relating to the soul, who\nhave meditated on the soul, and who have won success by Vedic study and\nsacrifices. By consciousness of soul one enjoys the qualities. That\nsource of all creatures, that creator of all creatures, creates (all\ncreatures) even in this way. It is that which causes all changes. It is\nthat which causes all beings to move. By its own light it illuminates the\nuniverse likewise.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"From Egoism were verily born the five great elements.\nThey are earth, air, ether, water, and light numbering the fifth. In\nthese five great elements, in the matter of the sound, touch, colour,\ntaste, and smell, all creatures become deluded. When at the close of the\ndestruction of the great elements, the dissolution of the universe\napproaches, ye that are possessed of wisdom, a great fear comes upon all\nliving creatures. Every existent object is dissolved into that from which\nit is produced. The dissolution takes place in an order that is the\nreverse of that in which creation takes place. Indeed, as regards birth,\nthey are born from one another. Then, when all existent objects, mobile\nand immobile, become dissolved, wise men endued with powerful memory\nnever dissolve. Sound, touch, colour, taste, and smell numbering the\nfifth, are effects. They are, however, inconstant, and called by the name\nof delusion. Caused by the production of cupidity, not different from one\nanother, without reality, connected with flesh and blood, and depending\nupon one another, existing outside the soul, these are all helpless and\npowerless. Prana and Apana, and Udana and Samana and Vyana,--these five\nwinds are always closely attached to the soul. Together with speech,\nmind, and understanding, they constitute the universe of eight\ningredients. He whose skin, nose, ear, eyes, tongue, and speech are\nrestrained, whose mind is pure, and whose understanding deviates not\n(from the right path), and whose mind is never burnt by those eight\nfires, succeeds in attaining to that auspicious Brahman to which nothing\nsuperior exists. Those which have been called the eleven organs and which\nhave sprung from Egoism, I shall now, ye regenerate ones, mention\nparticularly. They are the ear, the skin, the two eyes, the tongue, the\nnose numbering the fifth, the two feet, the lower duct, the organ of\ngeneration, the two hands, and speech forming the tenth. These constitute\nthe group of organs, with mind numbering as the eleventh. One should\nfirst subdue this group. Then will Brahman shine forth (in him). Five\namongst these are called organs of knowledge, and five, organs of action.\nThe five beginning with the ear are truly said to be connected with\nknowledge. The rest, however, that are connected with action, are without\ndistinction. The mind should be regarded as belonging to both. The\nunderstanding is the twelfth in the top. Thus have been enumerated the\neleven organs in due order. Learned men, having understood these, think\nthey have accomplished everything. I shall, after this, enumerate all the\nvarious organs. Space (or Ether) is the first entity. As connected with\nthe soul, it is called the ear. As connected with objects, that is sound.\nThe presiding deity (of this) is the quarters. The Wind is the second\nentity. As connected with the soul, it is known as the skin. As connected\nwith objects, it is known as objects of touch; and the presiding deity\nthere is touch. The third is said to be Light. As connected with the\nsoul, it is known as the eye. As connected with objects, it is colour;\nand the sun is its deity. The fourth (entity) should be known as Water.\nAs connected with the soul, it is said to be the tongue. As connected\nwith objects, it is taste, and the presiding deity there is Soma. The\nfifth entity is Earth. As connected with the soul, it is said to be the\nnose. As connected with objects, it is scent; and the presiding deity\nthere is the wind. Thus has the manner been declared of how the five\nentities are divided into sets of three. After this I shall declare\neverything about the diverse (other) organs. Brahmanas conversant with\nthe truth say that the two feet are mentioned as connected with the soul.\nAs connected with objects, it is motion; and Vishnu is there the\npresiding deity. The Apana wind, whose motion is downward, as connected\nwith the soul, is called the lower duct. As connected with objects, it is\nthe excreta that is ejected; and the presiding deity there is Mitra. As\nconnected with the soul, the organ of generation is mentioned, the\nproducer of all beings. As connected with objects, it is the vital seed;\nand the presiding deity is Prajapati. The two hands are mentioned as\nconnected with the soul by persons conversant with the relations of the\nsoul. As connected with objects, it is actions; and the presiding deity\nthere is Indra. Next, connected with the soul is speech which relates to\nall the gods. As connected with objects, it is what is spoken. The\npresiding deity there is Agni. As connected with the soul, the mind is\nmentioned, which moves within the soul of the five elements.[113] As\nconnected with objects, it is the mental operation; and the presiding\ndeity is Chandramas (moon). As connected with the soul is Egoism, which\nis the cause of the whole course of worldly life. As connected with\nobjects, it is consciousness of self; and the presiding deity there is\nRudra. As connected with the soul is the understanding, which impels the\nsix senses. As connected with objects, it is that which is to be\nunderstood, and the presiding deity there is Brahma. Three are the seats\nof all existent objects. A fourth is not possible. These are land, water,\nand ether. The mode of birth is fourfold. Some are born of eggs; some are\nborn of germs which spring upwards, penetrating through the earth; some\nare born of filth; and some are born of fleshy balls in wombs. Thus is\nthe mode of birth seen to be of four kinds, of all living creatures. Now,\nthere are other inferior beings and likewise those that range the sky.\nThese should be known to be born of eggs as also those which crawl on\ntheir breasts. Insects are said to be born of filth, as also other\ncreatures of a like description. This is said to be the second mode of\nbirth and is inferior. Those living creatures that take birth after the\nlapse of some time, bursting through the earth, are said to be germ-born\nbeings, ye foremost of regenerate persons. Creatures of two feet or of\nmany feet and those which move crookedly, are the beings born of wombs.\nAmong them are some that are deformed, ye best of men. The eternal womb\nof Brahma should be known to be of two kinds, viz., penance and\nmeritorious acts. Such is the doctrine of the learned.[114] Action should\nbe understood to be of various kinds, such as sacrifice, gifts made at\nsacrifices, and the meritorious duty of study for every one that is born;\nsuch is the teaching of the ancients. He who duly understands this, comes\nto be regarded as possessed of Yoga, ye chief of regenerate persons. Know\nalso that such a man becomes freed too from all his sins. I have thus\ndeclared to you duly the doctrine of Adhyatma.[115] Ye Rishis conversant\nwith all duties, a knowledge of this is acquired by those who are\nregarded as persons of knowledge. Uniting all these together, viz., the\nsenses, the objects of the senses, and the five great entities, one\nshould hold them in the mind.[116] When everything is attenuated (by\nabsorption) in the mind, one no longer esteems the pleasures of life.\nLearned men, whose understandings are furnished with knowledge, regard\nthat as true happiness.[117] I shall after this, tell thee of\nrenunciation with respect to all entities by means, gentle and hard,\nwhich produces attachment to subtle topics and which is fraught with\nauspiciousness. That conduct which consists in treating the qualities is\nnot qualities, which is free from attachment, which is living alone,\nwhich does not recognise distinctions, and which is full of Brahman, is\nthe source of all happiness.[118] The learned man who absorbs all desires\ninto himself from all sides like the tortoise withdrawing all its limbs,\nwho is devoid of passion, and who is released from everything, becomes\nalways happy. Restraining all desires within the soul, destroying his\nthirst, concentrated in meditation, and becoming the friend of good heart\ntowards all creatures, he succeeds in becoming fit for assimilation with\nBrahman. Through repression of all the senses which always hanker after\ntheir objects, and abandonment of inhabited places, the Adhyatma fire\nblazes forth in the man of contemplation. As a fire, fed with fuel,\nbecomes bright in consequence of the blazing flames it puts forth, even\nso, in consequence of the repression of the senses, the great soul puts\nforth its effulgence. When one with a tranquil soul beholds all entities\nin one's own heart, then, lighted by one's own effulgence, one attains to\nthat which is subtler than the subtle and which is unrivalled in\nexcellence. It is settled that the body has fire for colour, water for\nblood and other liquids, wind for sense of touch, earth for the hideous\nholder of mind (viz., flesh and bones, etc.), space (or ether) for sound;\nthat it is pervaded by disease and sorrow; that it is overwhelmed by five\ncurrents; that it is made up of the five elements; that it has nine doors\nand two deities;[119] that it is full of passion; that it is unfit to be\nseen (owing to its unholy character); that it is made up of three\nqualities; that it has three constituent elements, (viz., wind, bile and\nphlegm); that it is delighted with attachments of every kind, that it is\nfull of delusions.[120] It is difficult of being moved in this mortal\nworld, and it rests on the understanding as its support. That body is, in\nthis world, the wheel of Time that is continually revolving.[121] That\n(body), indeed, is a terrible and unfathomable ocean and is called\ndelusion. It is this body which stretches forth, contracts, and awakens\nthe (whole) universe with the (very) immortals.[122] By restraining the\nsenses, one casts off lust, wrath, fear, cupidity, enmity, and falsehood,\nwhich are eternal and, therefore, exceedingly difficult to cast off.[123]\nHe who has subjugated these in this world, viz., the three qualities and\nthe five constituent elements of the body, has the Highest for his seat\nin Heaven. By him is Infinity attained. Crossing the river, that has the\nfive senses for its steep banks, the mental inclinations for its mighty\nwaters, and delusion for its lake, one should subjugate both lust and\nwrath. Such a man freed from all faults, then beholds the Highest,\nconcentrating the mind within the mind and seeing self in self.\nUnderstanding all things, he sees his self, with self, in all creatures,\nsometimes as one and sometimes as diverse, changing form from time to\ntime.[124] Without doubt he can perceive numerous bodies like a hundred\nlights from one light. Verily he is Vishnu, and Mitra, and Varuna, and\nAgni, and Prajapati. He is the Creator and the ordainer: he is the Lord\npossessed of puissance, with faces turned in all directions. In him, the\nheart of all creatures, the great soul, becomes resplendent. Him all\nconclaves of learned Brahmanas, deities and Asuras, and Yakshas, and\nPisachas, the Pitris, and birds, and bands of Rakshasas, and bands of\nghostly beings, and all the great Rishis, praise.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\n\"'\"Brahma said, \"Among men, the royal Kshatriya is (endued with) the\nmiddle quality. Among vehicles, the elephant (is so); and among denizens\nof the forest the lion; among all (sacrificial) animals, the sheep; among\nall those that live in holes, is the snake; among cattle, the bovine\nbull; among females, the mule.[125] There is no doubt in this that in\nthis world, the Nyagrodha, the Jamvu, the Pippala, the Salmali, and\nSinsapa, the Meshasringa, and the Kichaka, are the foremost ones among\ntrees.[126] Himavat, Patipatra, Sahya, Vindhya, Trikutavat, Sweta, Nila,\nBhasa, Koshthavat, Guruskandha, Mahendra and Malayavat,--these are the\nforemost of mountains. Likewise the Maruts are the foremost of the Ganas.\nSurya is the lord of all the planets, and Chandramas of all the\nconstellations. Yama is the lord of the Pitris; Ocean is the lord of all\nrivers. Varuna is the king of the waters. Indra is said to be the king of\nthe Maruts. Arka is the king of all hot bodies, and Indra of all luminous\nbodies. Agni is the eternal lord of the elements, and Vrihaspati of the\nBrahmanas. Soma is the lord of (deciduous) herbs, and Vishnu is the\nforemost of all that are endued with might. Tashtri is the king of\nRudras, and Siva of all creatures. Sacrifice is the foremost of all\ninitiatory rites, and Maghavat of the deities. The North is the lord of\nall the points of the compass; Soma of great energy is the lord of all\nlearned Brahmanas. Kuvera is the lord of all precious gems, and Purandara\nof all the deities. Such is the highest creation among all entities.\nPrajapati is the lord of all creatures. Of all entities whatever, I, who\nam full of Brahman, am the foremost. There is no entity that is higher\nthan myself or Vishnu. The great Vishnu, who is full of Brahman, is the\nking of kings over all. Know him to be the ruler, the creator, the\nuncreated Hari. He is the ruler of men and Kinnaras and Yakshas and\nGandharvas, and Snakes and Rakshasas, and deities and Danavas and Nagas.\nAmong those that are followed by persons full of desire is the great\ngoddess Maheswari of beautiful eyes. She is otherwise called by the name\nof Parvati. Know that the goddess Uma is the foremost and the most\nauspicious of women. Among women that are a source of pleasure, the\nforemost are the Apsaras who are possessed of great splendour.[127] Kings\nare desirous of acquiring piety, and Brahmanas are causeways of piety.\nTherefore, the king should always strive to protect the twice-born ones.\nThose kings in whose dominions good men languish are regarded as bereft\nof the virtues of their order. Hereafter they have to go into wrong\npaths. Those kings in whose dominions good men are protected, rejoice in\nthis world and enjoy happiness hereafter. Verily, those high-souled ones\nattain to the highest seat. Understand this, ye foremost of regenerate\nones. I shall after this state the everlasting indications of duties.\nAbstention from injury is the highest duty. Injury is an indication of\nunrighteousness. Splendour is the indication of the deities. Men have\nacts for their indications. Ether (or space) has sound for its\ncharacteristic. Wind has touch for its characteristic. The characteristic\nof lighted bodies is colour, and water has taste for its characteristic.\nEarth, which holds all entities, has smell for its characteristic. Speech\nhas words for its characteristic, refined into vowels and consonants.\nMind has thought for its characteristic. Thought has, again, been said to\nbe the characteristic of the understanding. The things thought of by the\nmind are ascertained with accuracy by the understanding. There is no\ndoubt in this, viz., that the understanding, by perseverance, perceives\nall things. The characteristic of mind is meditation. The characteristic\nof the good man is to live unperceived.[128] Devotion has acts for its\ncharacteristic. Knowledge is the characteristic of renunciation.\nTherefore keeping knowledge before his view, the man of understanding\nshould practise renunciation. The man who has betaken himself to\nrenunciation and who is possessed of knowledge, who transcends all pairs\nof opposites, as also darkness, death, and decrepitude, attains to the\nhighest goal. I have thus declared to you duly what the indications are\nof duty. I shall, after this, tell you of the seizure (comprehension) of\nqualities. Smell, which appertains to earth, is seized by the nose. The\nwind, that dwells in the nose is likewise appointed (as an agent) in the\nperception of smell. Taste is the essence of water. That is seized by the\ntongue. Soma, who resides in the tongue, is appointed likewise in the\nperception of taste. The quality of a lighted body is colour. That is\nseized by the eye. Aditya who always resides in the eye has been\nappointed in the perception of colour. Touch always appertains to the\nwind (as its quality). That is perceived by the skin. The wind that\nalways resides in the skin has been appointed in apprehending touch. The\nquality of ether is sound. That is seized by the ear. All the quarters,\nwhich reside in the ear, have been appointed in apprehending sound. The\nquality of the mind is thought. That is seized by the understanding. The\nupholder of consciousness, residing in the heart, has been appointed in\napprehending the mind. The understanding is apprehended in the form of\ndetermination or certitude, and Mahat in the form of knowledge. The\nunperceived (Prakriti) has been, it is evident, appointed for the seizure\nof all things after certitude. There is no doubt in this.[129] The\nKshetrajna which is eternal and is destitute of qualities as regards its\nessence, is incapable of being seized by symbols. Hence, the\ncharacteristic of the Kshetrajna, which is without symbols, is purely\nknowledge. The unmanifest resides in the symbol called Kshetra, and is\nthat in which the qualities are produced and absorbed. I always see,\nknow, and hear it (though) it is hidden. Purusha knows it: therefore is\nhe called Kshetrajna. The Kshetrajna perceives also the operations of the\nqualities and absence of their operations. The qualities, which are\ncreated repeatedly, do not know themselves, being unintelligent, as\nentities to be created and endued with a beginning, middle, and end. No\none else attains, only the Kshetrajna attains, to that which is the\nhighest and great and which transcend the qualities and those entities\nwhich are born of the qualities. Hence one who understands duties,\ncasting off qualities and the understanding, and having his sins\ndestroyed, and transcending the qualities, enters the Kshetrajna. One\nthat is free from all pairs of opposites, that never bends his head to\nany one, that is divested of Swaha, that is immovable, and homeless, is\nthe Kshetrajna. He is the Supreme Lord.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"I shall now tell you truly about all that which has a\nbeginning, middle, and end, and which is endued with name and\ncharacteristics, together with the means of apprehension. It has been\nsaid that the Day was first. Then arose Night. The Months are said to\nhave the lighted fortnights first. The constellations have Sravana for\ntheir first; the Seasons have that of dews (viz., Winter) for their\nfirst. Earth is the source of all smells; and Water of all tastes. The\nsolar light is the source of all colours; the Wind of all sensations of\ntouch. Likewise, of sound the source is space (or Ether). These are the\nqualities of elements. I shall, after this, declare that which is the\nfirst and the highest of all entities. The sun is the first of all\nlighted bodies. Fire is said to be the first of all the elements. Savitri\nis the first of all branches of learning. Prajapati is the first of all\nthe deities. The syllable Om is the first of all the Vedas, and the\nlife-wind Prana is the first of all winds. All that is called Savitri\nwhich is prescribed in this world.[130] The Gayatri is the first of all\nmetres; of all (sacrificial) animals the first is the goat. Kine are the\nfirst of all quadrupeds. The twiceborn ones are the first of all human\nbeings. The hawk is the first of all birds. Of sacrifices the first is\nthe pouring of clarified butter on the fire. Of all reptiles the first, O\nforemost of regenerate ones, is the snake. The Krita is the first of all\nthe Yugas; there is no doubt in this. Gold is the first of all precious\nthings. Barley is the first of all plants. Food is the first of all\nthings to be eaten or swallowed. Of all liquid substances to be drunk,\nwater is the foremost. Of all immobile entities without distinction,\nPlaksha is said to be the first, that ever holy field of Brahman. Of all\nthe Prajapatis I am the first. There is no doubt in this. Of\ninconceivable soul, the self-existent Vishnu is said to be my\nsuperior.[131] Of all the mountains the great Meru is said to be the\nfirst-born. Of all the cardinal and subsidiary points of the horizon, the\neastern is said to be the foremost and first-born. Ganga of three courses\nis said to be the firstborn of all rivers. Likewise, of all wells and\nreservoirs of waters, the ocean is said to be the first-born. Iswara is\nthe supreme Lord of all the deities and Danavas and ghostly beings and\nPisachas, and snakes and Makshasas and human beings and Kinnaras and\nYakshas. The great Vishnu, who is full of Brahma, than whom there is no\nhigher being in the three worlds, is the first of all the universe. Of\nall the modes of life, that of the householder is the first. Of this\nthere is no doubt. The Unmanifest is the source of all the worlds as,\nindeed, that is the end of every thing. Days end with the sun's setting\nand Nights with the sun's rising. The end of pleasure is always sorrow,\nand the end of sorrow is always pleasure. All accumulations have\nexhaustion for their end, and all ascent have falls for their end. All\nassociations have dissociations for their end, and life has death for its\nend. All action ends in destruction, and all that is born is certain to\nmeet with death. Every mobile and immobile thing in this world is\ntransient. Sacrifice, gift, penances, study, vows, observances,--all\nthese have destruction for their end. Of Knowledge, there is no end.\nHence, one that is possessed of a tranquil soul, that has subjugated his\nsenses, that is freed from the sense of meum, that is devoid of egoism,\nis released from all sins by pure knowledge.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"The wheel of life moves on. It has the understanding for\nits strength; the mind for the pole (on which it rests); the group of\nsenses for its bonds, the (five) great elements for its nave, and home\nfor its circumference.[132] It is overwhelmed by decrepitude and grief,\nand it has diseases and calamities for its progeny. That wheel relates in\ntime and place. It has toil and exercise for its noise. Day and Night are\nthe rotations of that wheel. It is encircled by heat and cold. Pleasure\nand pain fire its joints, and hunger and thirst are the nails fixed into\nit. Sun-shine and shade are the ruts (it causes). It is capable of being\nagitated during even such a short space of time as is taken up by the\nopening and the closing of the eyelid. It is enveloped in the terrible\nwaters of delusion. It is ever revolving and void of consciousness. It is\nmeasured by months and half-months. It is not uniform (being\never-changing), and moves through all the worlds. Penances and vows are\nits mud. Passion's force is its mover. It is illuminated by the great\negoism, and is sustained by the qualities. Vexations (caused by the\nnon-acquisition of what is desired) are the fastenings that bind it\naround. It revolves in the midst of grief and destruction. It is endued\nwith actions and the instruments of action. It is large and is extended\nby attachments. It is rendered unsteady by cupidity and desire. It is\nproduced by variegated Ignorance. It is attended upon by fear and\ndelusion, and is the cause of the delusion of all beings. It moves\ntowards joy and pleasure, and has desire and wrath for its possession. It\nis made up of entities beginning with Mahat and ending with the gross\nelements. It is characterised by production and destruction going on\nceaselessly. Its speed is like that of the mind, and it has the mind for\nits boundary.[133] This wheel of life that is associated with pairs of\nopposites and devoid of consciousness, the universe with the very\nimmortals should cast away, abridge, and check. That man who always\nunderstands accurately the motion and stoppage of this wheel of life, is\nnever seen to be deluded, among all creatures. Freed from all\nimpressions, divested of all pairs of opposites, released from all sins,\nhe attains to the highest goal. The householder, the Brahmacharin, the\nforest recluse and the mendicant,--these four modes of life have all been\nsaid to have the householder's mode for their foundation. Whatever system\nof rules is prescribed in this world, their observance is beneficial.\nSuch observance has always been highly spoken of. He who has been first\ncleansed by ceremonies, who has duly observed vows, who belongs in\nrespect of birth to a race possessed of high qualifications, and who\nunderstands the Vedas, should return (from his preceptor's house).[134]\nAlways devoted to his wedded spouse, conducting himself after the manner\nof the good, with his senses under subjugation, and full of faith, one\nshould in this world perform the five sacrifices. He who eats what\nremains after feeding deities and guests, who is devoted to the\nobservance of Vedic rites, who duly performs according to his means\nsacrifices and gifts, who is not unduly active with his hands and feet,\nwho is not unduly active with his eye, who is devoted to penances, who is\nnot unduly active with his speech and limits, comes under the category of\nSishta or the good. One should always bear the sacred thread, wear white\n(clean) clothes, observe pure vows, and should always associate with good\nmen, making gifts and practising self-restraint. One should subjugate\none's lust and stomach, practise universal compassion, and be\ncharacterised by behaviour that befits the good. One should bear a\nbamboo-stick, and a water-pot filled with water. Having studied, one\nshould teach; likewise should also make sacrifices himself and officiate\nat the sacrifices of others. One should also make gifts made to oneself.\nVerily, one's conduct, should be characterised by these six acts. Know\nthat three of these acts should constitute the livelihood of the\nBrahmanas, viz., teaching (pupils), officiating at the sacrifices of\nothers, and the acceptance of gifts from a person that is pure. As to the\nother duties that remain, numbering three, viz., making of gifts, study,\nand sacrifice, these are accompanied by merit.[135] Observant of\npenances, self-restrained, practising universal compassion and\nforgiveness, and looking upon all creatures with an equal eye, the man\nthat is conversant with duties should never be heedless with regard to\nthose three acts. The learned Brahmana of pure heart, who observes the\ndomestic mode of life and practises rigid vows, thus devoted and thus\ndischarging all duties to the best of his power, succeeds in conquering\nHeaven.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"Duly studying thus to the best of his power, in the way\ndescribed above, and likewise living as a Brahmacharin, one that is\ndevoted to the duties of one's own order, possessed of learning,\nobservant of penances, and with all the senses under restraint, devoted\nto what is agreeable and beneficial to the preceptor, steady in\npractising the duty of truth, and always pure, should, with the\npermission of the preceptor, eat one's food without decrying it. He\nshould eat Havishya made from what is obtained in alms, and should stand,\nsit, and take exercise (as directed).[136] He should pour libations on\nthe fire twice a day, having purified himself and with concentrated mind.\nHe should always bear a staff made of Vilwa or Palasa.[137] The robes of\nthe regenerate man should be linen, or of cotton, or deer-skin, or a\ncloth that is entirely brown-red. There should also be a girdle made of\nMunja-grass. He should bear matted locks on head, and should perform his\nablutions every day. He should bear the sacred thread, study the\nscriptures, divest himself of cupidity, and be steady in the observance\nof vows. He should also gratify the deities with oblations of pure water,\nhis mind being restrained the while. Such a Brahmacharin is worthy of\napplause. With vital seed drawn up and mind concentrated, one that is\nthus devoted succeeds in conquering Heaven. Having attained to the\nhighest seat, he has not to return to birth. Cleansed by all purificatory\nrites and having lived as a Brahmacharin, one should next go out of one's\nvillage and next live as an ascetic in the woods, having renounced (all\nattachments). Clad in animal skins or barks of trees he should perform\nhis ablutions morning and evening. Always living within the forest, he\nshould never return to an inhabited place. Honouring guests when they\ncome, he should give them shelter, and himself subsist upon fruits and\nleaves and common roots, and Syamaka. He should, without being slothful\nsubsist on such water as he gets, and air, and all forest products. He\nshould live upon these, in due order, according to the regulations of his\ninitiation.[138] He should honour the guest that comes to him with alms\nof fruits and roots. He should then, without sloth, always give whatever\nother food he may have. Restraining speech the while, he should eat after\ngratifying deities and guests. His mind should be free from envy. He\nshould eat little, and depend always on the deities. Self-restrained,\npractising universal compassion, and possessed of forgiveness, he should\nwear both beard and hair (without submitting to the operations of the\nbarber). Performing sacrifices and devoting himself to the study of the\nscriptures, he should be steady in the observance of the duty of truth.\nWith body always in a state of purity, endued with cleverness, ever\ndwelling in the forest, with concentrated mind, and senses in subjection,\na forest-recluse, thus devoting himself, would conquer Heaven. A\nhouseholder, or Brahmacharin, or forest-recluse, who would wish to\nachieve Emancipation, should have recourse to that which has been called\nthe best course of conduct. Having granted unto all creatures the pledge\nof utter abstention from harm, he should thoroughly renounce all action.\nHe should contribute to the happiness of all creatures, practise\nuniversal friendliness, subjugate all his senses, and be an ascetic.\nSubsisting upon food obtained without asking and without trouble, and\nthat has come to him spontaneously, he should make a fire. He should make\nhis round of mendicancy in a place whence smoke has ceased to curl up and\nwhere all the inhabitants have already eaten.[139] The person who is\nconversant with the conduct that leads to Emancipation should seek for\nalms after the vessels (used in cooking) have been washed. He should\nnever rejoice when he obtains anything, and never be depressed if he\nobtains nothing. Seeking just what is needed for supporting life, he\nshould, with concentrated mind, go about his round of mendicancy, waiting\nfor the proper time. He should not wish for earnings in common with\nothers, nor eat when honoured. The man who leads the life of mendicancy\nshould conceal himself for avoiding gifts with honour. While eating, he\nshould not eat such food as forms the remains of another's dish, nor such\nas is bitter, or astringent, or pungent. He should not also eat such\nkinds of food as have a sweet taste. He should eat only so much as is\nneeded to keep him alive. The person conversant with Emancipation should\nobtain his subsistence without obstructing any creature. In his rounds of\nmendicancy he should never follow another (bent on the same purpose). He\nshould never parade his piety; he should move about in a secluded place,\nfreed from passion. Either an empty house, or a forest, or the foot of\nsome tree, or a river, or a mountain-cave, he should have recourse to for\nshelter. In summer he should pass only one night in an inhabited place;\nin the season of rains he may live in one place. He should move about the\nworld like a worm, his path pointed out by the Sun. From compassion for\ncreatures, he should walk on the Earth with his eyes directed towards it.\nHe should never make any accumulations and should avoid residence with\nfriends. The man conversant with Emancipation should every day do all his\nacts with pure water. Such a man should always perform his ablutions with\nwater that has been fetched up (from the river or the tank).[140]\nAbstention from harm, Brahmacharyya, truth, simplicity, freedom from\nwrath, freedom from decrying others, self-restraint, and habitual freedom\nfrom backbiting: these eight vows, with senses restrained, he should\nsteadily pursue. He should always practise a sinless mode of conduct,\nthat is not deceptive and not crooked. Freed from attachment, he should\nalways make one who comes as a guest eat (at least) a morsel of food. He\nshould eat just enough for livelihood, for the support of life. He should\neat only such food as has been obtained by righteous means, and should\nnot pursue the dictates of desire. He should never accept any other thing\nthan food and clothing only. He should, again, accept only as much as he\ncan eat and nothing more. He should not be induced to accept gifts from\nothers, nor should he make gifts to others. Owing to the helplessness of\ncreatures, the man of wisdom should always share with others. He should\nnot appropriate what belongs to others, nor should he take anything\nwithout being asked. He should not, having enjoyed anything become so\nattached to it as to desire to have it once more. One should take only\nearth and water and pebbles and leaves and flowers and fruits, that are\nnot owned by any body, as they come, when one desires to do any act. One\nshould not live by the occupation of an artisan, nor should one covet\ngold. One should not hate, nor teach (one that does not seek to be\ntaught); nor should one have any belongings. One should eat only what is\nconsecrated by faith. One should abstain from controversies. One should\nfollow that course of conduct which has been said to be nectarine. One\nshould never be attached to anything, and should never enter into\nrelations of intimacy with any creature. One should not perform, nor\ncause to perform, any such action as involves expectation of fruit or\ndestruction of life or the hoarding of wealth or articles. Rejecting all\nobjects, content with a very little, one should wander about (homeless)\npursuing an equal behaviour towards all creatures mobile and immobile.\nOne should never annoy another being; not should one be annoyed with\nanother. He who is trusted by all creatures is regarded as the foremost\nof those persons that understand Emancipation. One should not think of\nthe past, nor feel anxious about the future. One should disregard the\npresent, biding time, with concentrated mind.[141] One should never\ndefile anything by eye, mind, or speech. Nor should one do anything that\nis wrong, openly or in secret. Withdrawing one's senses like the tortoise\nwithdrawing its limbs, one should attenuate one's senses and mind,\ncultivate a thoroughly peaceful understanding, and seek to master every\ntopic. Freed from all pairs of opposites, never bending one's head in\nreverence, abstaining from the rites requiring the utterance of Swaha,\none should be free from mineness, and egoism. With cleansed soul, one\nshould never seek to acquire what one has not and protect what one has.\nFree from expectations, divested of qualities, wedded to tranquillity,\none should be free from all attachments and should depend on none.\nAttached to one's own self and comprehending all topics, one becomes\nemancipated without doubt. Those who perceive the self, which is without\nhands and feet and back, which is without head and without stomach, which\nis free from the operation of all qualities, which is absolute,\nuntainted, and stable, which is without smell, without taste, and touch,\nwithout colour, and without sound, which is to be comprehended (by close\nstudy), which is unattached, which is without flesh, which is free from\nanxiety, unfading, and divine, and, lastly, which though dwelling in a\nhouse resides in all creatures, succeed in escaping death. There the\nunderstanding reaches not, nor the senses, nor the deities, nor the\nVedas, nor sacrifices, nor the regions (of superior bliss), nor penance,\nnor vows. The attainment to it by those who are possessed of knowledge is\nsaid to be without comprehension of symbols. Hence, the man who knows the\nproperties of that which is destitute of symbols, should practise the\ntruths of piety.[142] The learned man, betaking himself to a life of\ndomesticity, should adopt that conduct which is conformable to true\nknowledge. Though undeluded, he should practise piety after the manner of\none that is deluded, without finding fault with it. Without finding fault\nwith the practices of the good, he should himself adopt such a conduct\nfor practising piety as may induce others to always disrespect him. That\nman who is endued with such a conduct is said to be the foremost of\nascetics. The senses, the objects of the senses, the (five) great\nelements, mind, understanding, egoism, the unmanifest, Purusha also,\nafter comprehending these duly with the aid of correct inferences, one\nattains to Heaven, released from all bonds. One conversant with the\ntruth, understanding these at the time of the termination of his life,\nshould meditate, exclusively resting on one point. Then, depending on\nnone, one attains to Emancipation. Freed from all attachments, like the\nwind in space, with his accumulations exhausted, without distress of any\nkind, he attains to his highest goal.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"The ancients who were utterers of certain truth, say\nthat Renunciation is penance. Brahmanas, dwelling in that which has\nBrahman for its origin, understand Knowledge to be high Brahman.[143]\nBrahman is very far off, and its attainments depends upon a knowledge of\nthe Vedas. It is free from all pairs of opposites, it is divested of all\nqualities; it is eternal; it is endued with unthinkable qualities: it is\nsupreme. It is by knowledge and penance that those endued with wisdom\nbehold that which is the highest. Verily, they that are of untainted\nminds, that are cleansed of every sin, and that have transcended all\npassion and darkness (succeed in beholding it). They who are always\ndevoted to renunciation, and who are conversant with the Vedas, succeed\nin attaining to the supreme Lord who is identical with the path of\nhappiness and peace, by the aid of penance. Penance, it has been said, is\nlight. Conduct leads to piety. Knowledge is said to be the highest.\nRenunciation is the best penance. He who understands self through\naccurate determination of all topics, which is unperturbed, which is\nidentical with Knowledge, and which resides in all entities, succeeds in\ngoing everywhere. The learned man who beholds association, and\ndissociation, and unity in diversity, is released from misery. He who\nnever desires for anything, who despises nothing, becomes eligible, even\nwhen dwelling in this world, for assimilation with Brahman. He who is\nconversant with the truths about qualities of Pradhana, and understands\nthe Pradhana as existing in all entities who is free from mineness and\negoism, without doubt becomes emancipated. He who is freed from all pairs\nof opposites, who does not bend his head to any body, who has transcended\nthe rites of Swadha, succeeds by the aid of tranquillity alone in\nattaining to that which is free from pairs of opposites, which is\neternal, and which is divested of qualities. Abandoning all action, good\nor bad, developed from qualities, and casting off both truth and\nfalsehood, a creature, without doubt, becomes emancipated. Having the\nunmanifest for the seed of its origin, with the understanding for its\ntrunk, with the great principle of egoism for its assemblage of boughs,\nwith the senses for the cavities of its little sprouts, with the (five)\ngreat elements for its large branches, the objects of the senses for its\nsmaller branches, with leaves that are ever present, with flowers that\nalways adorn it and with fruits both agreeable and disagreeable always\nproduced, is the eternal tree of Brahman which forms the support of all\ncreatures. Cutting and piercing that tree with knowledge of truth as the\nsword, the man of wisdom, abandoning the bonds which are made of\nattachment and which cause birth, decrepitude and death, and freeing\nhimself from mineness and egoism, without doubt, becomes emancipated.\nThese are the two birds, which are immutable, which are friends, and\nwhich should be known as unintelligent. That other who is different from\nthese two is called the Intelligent. When the inner self, which is\ndestitute of knowledge of nature, which is (as it were) unintelligent,\nbecomes conversant with that which is above nature, then, understanding\nthe Kshetra, and endued with an intelligence that transcends all\nqualities and apprehends everything, one becomes released from all\nsins.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"Some regard Brahman as a tree. Some regard Brahman as a\ngreat forest. Some regard Brahman as unmanifest. Some regard it as\ntranscendant and freed from every distress. They think that all this is\nproduced from and absorbed into the unmanifest. He who, even for the\nshort space of time that is taken by a single breath, when his end comes,\nbecomes equable, attaining to the self, fits himself for immortality.\nRestraining the self in the self, even for the space of a wink, one goes,\nthrough the tranquillity of the self, to that which constitutes the\ninexhaustible acquisition of those that are endued with knowledge.\nRestraining the life-breaths again and again by controlling them\naccording to the method called Pranayama, by the ten or the twelve, he\nattains to that which is beyond the four and twenty. Thus having first\nacquired a tranquil soul, one attains to the fruition of all one's\nwishes.[144] When the quality of Goodness predominates in that which\narises from the Unmanifest, it becomes fit for immortality. They who are\nconversant with Goodness applaud it highly, saying that there is nothing\nhigher than Goodness. By inference we know that Purusha is dependent on\nGoodness. Ye best of regenerate ones, it is impossible to attain to\nPurusha by any other means. Forgiveness, courage, abstention from harm,\nequability, truth, sincerity, knowledge, gift, and renunciation, are said\nto be the characteristics of that course of conduct which arises out of\nGoodness. It is by this inference that the wise believe in the identity\nof Purusha and Goodness, There is no doubt in this. Some learned men that\nare devoted to knowledge assert the unity of Kshetrajna and Nature. This,\nhowever, is not correct. It is said that Nature is different from\nPurusha: that also will imply a want to consideration. Truly, distinction\nand association should be known (as applying to Purusha and Nature).\nUnity and diversity are likewise laid down. That is the doctrine of the\nlearned. In the Gnat and Udumbara both unity and diversity are seen. As a\nfish in water is different from it, such is the relation of the two\n(viz., Purusha and Nature). Verily, their relation is like that of water\ndrops on the leaf of the lotus.\"'\n\n\"'\"The preceptor continued, 'Thus addressed, those learned Brahmanas, who\nwere the foremost of men, felt some doubts and (therefore) they once more\nquestioned the Grandsire (of all creatures).'\"'\"[145]\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\n\"'\"'The Rishis said,--\"Which among the duties is deemed to be the most\nworthy of being performed? The diverse modes of duty, we see, are\ncontradictory. Some say that (it remains) after the body (is destroyed).\nOthers say that it does not exist. Some say that everything is doubtful.\nOthers have no doubts.[146] Some say that the eternal (principle) is not\neternal. Some say that it exists, and some that it exists not. Some say\nit is of one form, or two-fold, and others that it is mixed. Some\nBrahmanas who are conversant with Brahman and utterers of truth regard it\nto be one. Others, that it is distinct; and others again that it is\nmanifold. Some say that both time and space exist; others, that it is not\nso. Some bear matted locks on their heads and are clad in deer-skins.\nOthers have shaven crowns and go entirely naked. Some are for entire\nabstention from bathing, and some for bathing. Such differences of views\nmay be seen among deities and Brahmanas conversant with Brahman and\nendued with perceptions of truth. Some are for taking food; while some\nare devoted to fasts. Some applaud action; others applaud perfect\ntranquillity. Some applaud Emancipation; some, various kinds of\nenjoyments. Some desire diverse kinds of wealth; some, poverty. Some say\nthat means should be resorted to; others, that this is not so. Some are\ndevoted to a life of abstention from harm; others are addicted to\ndestruction. Some are for merit and glory, others say that this is not\nso. Some are devoted to goodness; others are established on doubt. Some\nare for pleasure; some are for pain. Other people say that it is\nmeditation. Other learned Brahmanas say that it is Sacrifice. Others,\nagain, say that it is gift. Others applaud penances; others, the study of\nthe scriptures. Some say that knowledge and renunciation (should be\nfollowed). Others who ponder on the elements say that it is Nature. Some\nextol everything; others, nothing. O foremost one of the deities, duty\nbeing thus confused and full of contradictions of various kinds, we are\ndeluded and unable to come to any conclusion. People stand up for acting,\nsaying,--This is good,--This is good--He that is attached to a certain\nduty applauds that duty as the best. For this reason our understanding\nbreaks down and our mind is distracted. We therefore, wish, O best of all\nbeings, to know what is good. It behoves thee to declare to us, after\nthis, what is (so) mysterious, and what is the cause of the connection\nbetween the Kshetrajna and Nature.\" Thus addressed by those learned\nBrahmanas, the illustrious creator of the worlds, endued with great\nintelligence and possessed of a righteous soul, declared to them\naccurately what they asked.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION L\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"Well then, I shall declare to you what you ask. Learn\nwhat was told by a preceptor to a disciple that came unto him. Hearing it\nall, do you settle properly (what it should be). Abstention from harming\nany creature is regarded as the foremost of all duties. That is the\nhighest feat, free from anxiety and constituting an indication of\nholiness. The ancients who were beholders of the certain truth, have said\nthat knowledge is the highest happiness. Hence, one becomes released of\nall sins by pure knowledge. They that are engaged in destruction and\nharm, they that are infidels in conduct, have to go to Hell in\nconsequence of their being endued with cupidity and delusion. Those who,\nwithout procrastination, perform acts, impelled thereto by expectation\nbecome repeatedly born in this world and sport in joy. Those men who,\nendued with learning and wisdom, perform acts with faith, free from\nexpectations, and possessed of concentration of mind, are said to\nperceive clearly. I shall, after this, declare how the association and\nthe dissociation takes place of Kshetrajna and Nature. Ye best of men,\nlisten. The relation here is said to be that between the object and the\nsubject.[147] Purusha is always the subject; and Nature has been said to\nbe the object. It has been explained, by what has been said in a previous\nportion of the discourse where it has been pointed out, that they exist\nafter the manner of the Gnat and the Udumbara. An object of enjoyment as\nit is, Nature is unintelligent and knows nothing. He, however, who enjoys\nit, is said to know it. Kshetrajna being enjoyer, Nature is enjoyed. The\nwise have said that Nature is always made up of pairs of opposites (and\nconsists of qualities). Kshetrajna is, on the other hand, destitute of\npairs of opposites, devoid of parts, eternal, and free, as regards its\nessence, from qualities. He resides in everything alike, and walks with\nknowledge. He always enjoys Nature, as a lotus leaf (enjoys) water.\nPossessed of knowledge, he is never tainted even if brought into contact\nwith all the qualities. Without doubt, Purusha is unattached like the\nunsteady drop of water on the lotus-leaf. This is the certain conclusion\n(of the scriptures) that Nature is the property of Purusha. The relation\nbetween these two (viz., Purusha and Nature) is like that existing\nbetween matter and its maker. As one goes into a dark place taking a\nlight with him, even so those who wish for the Supreme proceed with the\nlight of Nature.[148] As long as matter and quality (which are like oil\nand wick) exist, so long the light shines. The flame, however, becomes\nextinguished when matter and quality (or oil and wick) are exhausted.\nThus Nature is manifest; while Purusha is said to be unmanifest.\nUnderstand this, ye learned Brahmanas. Well, I shall now tell you\nsomething more. With even a thousand (explanations), one that has a bad\nunderstanding succeeds not in acquiring knowledge. One, however, that is\nendued with intelligence succeeds in attaining happiness, through only a\nfourth share (of explanations). Thus should the accomplishment of duty be\nunderstood as dependent on means. For the man of intelligence, having\nknowledge of means, succeeds in attaining to supreme felicity. As some\nman travelling along a road without provisions for his journey, proceeds\nwith great discomfort and may even meet with destruction before he\nreaches the end of his journey, even so should it be known that ill acts\nthere may not be fruits.[149] The examination of what is agreeable and\nwhat is disagreeable in one's own self is productive of benefit.[150] The\nprogress in life of a man that is devoid of the perception of truth is\nlike that of a man who rashly journeys on a long road unseen before. The\nprogress, however, of those that are endued with intelligence is like\nthat of men who journey along the same road, riding on a car unto which\nare yoked (fleet) steeds and which moves with swiftness. Having ascended\nto the top of a mountain, one should not cast one's eyes on the surface\nof the earth.[151] Seeing a man, even though travelling on a car,\nafflicted and rendered insensible by pain, the man of intelligence\njourneys on a car as long as there is a car path.[152] The man of\nlearning, when he sees the car path end, abandons his car for going on.\nEven thus proceeds the man of intelligence who is conversant with the\nordinances respecting truth and Yoga (or Knowledge and Devotion).\nConversant with the qualities, such a man proceeds, comprehending what is\nnext and next.[153] As one that plunges, without a boat, into the\nterrible ocean, with only one's two arms, through delusion, undoubtedly\nwishes for destruction; while the man of wisdom, conversant with\ndistinctions, goes into the water, with a boat equipt with oars, and soon\ncrosses the lake without fatigue, and having crossed it attains to the\nother shore and casts off the boat, freed from the thought of meum. This\nhas been already explained by the illustration of the car and the\npedestrian. One who has been overwhelmed by delusion in consequence of\nattachment, adheres to it like a fisherman to his boat. Overcome by the\nidea of meum, one wanders within its narrow range. After embarking on a\nboat it is not possible in moving about on land. Similarly, it is not\npossible in moving about on water after one has mounted on a car. There\nare thus various actions with regard to various objects. And as action is\nperformed in this world, so does it result to those that perform them.\nThat which is void of smell, void of taste, and void of touch and sound,\nthat which is meditated upon by the sages with the aid of their\nunderstanding, is said to be Pradhana. Now, Pradhana is unmanifest. A\ndevelopment of the unmanifest is Mahat. A development of Pradhana when it\nhas become Mahat is Egoism. From egoism is produced the development\ncalled the great elements. And of the great elements respectively, the\nobjects of sense are said to be the developments. The unmanifest is of\nthe nature of seed. It is productive in its essence. It has been heard by\nus that the great soul has the virtues of a seed, and that is a product.\nEgoism is of the nature of seed and is a product again and again. And the\nfive great elements are of the nature of seed and products. The objects\nof the five great elements are endued with the nature of seed, and yield\nproducts. These have Chitta for their property. Among them, space has one\nquality; wind is said to have two. Light, it is said, is endued with\nthree qualities; and water as possessed of four qualities. Earth, teeming\nwith mobiles and immobiles, should be known as possessed of five\nqualities. She is a goddess that is the source of all entities and\nabounds with examples of the agreeable and the disagreeable. Sound,\nlikewise touch, colour, taste, and smell numbering the fifth,--these are\nthe five qualities of earth, ye foremost of regenerate persons. Smell\nalways belongs to earth, and smell is said to be of various kinds. I\nshall state at length the numerous qualities of smell. Smell is agreeable\nor disagreeable, sweet, sour, pungent, diffusive and compact, oily and\ndry, and clear. Thus smell, which belongs to the earth, should be known\nas of ten kinds.[154] Sound, touch, likewise colour, and taste have been\nsaid to be the qualities of water. I shall now speak of the qualities of\ntaste. Taste has been said to be of various kinds. Sweet, sour, pungent,\nbitter, astringent, and saline likewise. Taste, which has been said to\nappertain to water, is thus of six varieties. Sound, touch, and likewise\ncolour,--these are the three qualities which light is said to be\npossessed of. Colour is the quality of light, and colour is said to be of\nvarious kinds. White, dark, likewise red, blue, yellow, and grey also,\nand short, long, minute, gross, square and circular, of these twelve\nvarieties in colour which belongs to light. These should be understood by\nBrahmanas venerable for years, conversant with duties, and truthful in\nspeech. Sound and touch should be known as the two qualities of wind.\nTouch has been said to be of various kinds. Rough, cold and likewise\nhot, tender and clear, hard, oily, smooth, slippery, painful and soft, of\ntwelve kinds is touch, which is the quality of wind, as said by Brahmanas\ncrowned with success, conversant with duties, and possessed of a sight of\ntruth. Now space has only one quality, and that is said to be sound. I\nshall speak at length of the numerous qualities of sound. Shadaja,\nRishabha, together with Gandhara, Madhyama, and likewise Panchama; after\nthis should be known Nishada, and then Dhaivata.[155] Besides these,\nthere are agreeable sounds and disagreeable sounds, compact, and of many\ningredients. Sound which is born of space should thus be known to be of\nten kinds. Space is the highest of the (five) elements. Egoism is above\nit. Above egoism is understanding. Above understanding is the soul. Above\nthe soul is the Unmanifest. Above the Unmanifest is Purusha. One who\nknows which is superior and inferior among existent creatures, who is\nconversant with the ordinances in respect of all acts, and who\nconstitutes himself the soul of all creatures, attains to the Unfading\nSoul.\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"Since the mind is the ruler of these five elements, in\nthe matter of controlling and bringing them forth, the mind, therefore,\nis the soul of the elements. The mind always presides over the great\nelements. The understanding proclaims power, and is called the\nKshetrajna.[156] The mind yokes the senses as a charioteer yokes good\nsteeds. The senses, the mind, and the understanding are always joined to\nthe Kshetrajna. The individual soul, mounting the chariot to which big\nsteeds are yoked and which has the understanding for the reins, drives\nabout on all sides. With all the senses attached to it (for steeds), with\nthe mind for the charioteer, and the understanding for the eternal reins,\nexists the great Brahman-car. Verily, that man endued with learning and\nwisdom who always understands the Brahman-car in this way, is never\noverwhelmed by delusion in the midst of all entities. This forest of\nBrahman begins with the Unmanifest and ends with gross objects. It\nincludes mobile and immobile entities, and receives light from the\nradiance of the sun and the moon, and is adorned with planets and\nconstellations. It is decked, again, on all sides with nets of rivers and\nmountains. It is always embellished likewise by diverse kinds of waters.\nIt is the means of subsistence for all creatures. It is, again, the goal\nof all living creatures. In that forest the Kshetrajna always moves\nabout. Whatever entities exist in this world, mobile and immobile, are\nthe very first to be dissolved away. After this (are dissolved) those\nqualities which compose all entities. After the qualities (are dissolved)\nthe five elements. Such is the gradation of entities. Gods, men,\nGandharvas, Pisachas, Asuras, and Rakshasas, have all sprung from Nature,\nand not from actions, not from a cause. The Brahmanas, who are creators\nof the universe, are born here again and again. All that springs from\nthem dissolves, when the time comes, in those very five great elements\nlike billows in the ocean. All the great elements are beyond those\nelements that compose the universe. He that is released from those five\nelements goes to the highest goal. The puissant Prajapati created all\nthis by the mind only. After the same manner Rishis attained to the\nstatus of deities by the aid of penance. After the same manner, those who\nhave achieved perfection, who were capable of the concentration of Yoga,\nand who subsist on fruits and roots, likewise perceive the triple world\nby penance. Medicines and herbs and all the diverse sciences are acquired\nby means of penance alone, for all acquisition has penance for its root.\nWhatever is difficult of acquisition, difficult to learn, difficult to\nvanquish, difficult to pass through, are all achievable by penance, for\npenance is irresistible. One that drinks alcoholic liquors, one that\nslays a Brahmana, one that steals, one that destroys a foetus, one that\nviolates one's preceptor's bed, becomes cleansed of such sin by penance\nwell performed. Human beings, Pitris, deities, (sacrificial) animals,\nbeasts and birds, and all other creatures mobile and immobile, by always\ndevoting themselves to penances, become crowned with success by penance\nalone. In like manner, the deities, endued with great powers of illusion,\nhave attained to Heaven. Those who without idleness perform acts with\nexpectations, being full of egoism, approach the presence of Prajapati.\nThose high-souled ones, however, who are devoid of mineness and freed\nfrom egoism through the pure contemplation of Yoga, attain to the great\nand highest regions. Those who best understand the self, having attained\nto Yoga contemplation and having their minds always cheerful, enter into\nthe unmanifest accumulation of happiness. Those persons who are freed\nfrom the idea of mineness as also from egoism and who are reborn after\nhaving attained to the fullness of Yoga contemplation, enter (when they\ndepart from such life) into the highest region reserved for the great,\nviz., the Unmanifest. Born from that same unmanifest (principle) and\nattaining to the same once more, freed from the qualities of Darkness and\nPassion, and adhering to only the quality of Goodness, one becomes\nreleased from every sin and creates all things.[157] Such a one should be\nknown to be Kshetrajna in perfection. He that knows him, knows the\nVeda.[158] Attaining to pure knowledge from (restraining) the mind, the\nascetic should sit self-restrained. One necessarily becomes that on which\none's mind is set. This is an eternal mystery. That which has the\nunmanifest for its beginning and gross qualities for its end, has been\nsaid to have Nescience for its indication. But do you understand that\nwhose nature is destitute of qualities? Of two syllables is Mrityu\n(death); of three syllable is the eternal Brahman. Mineness is death, and\nthe reverse of mineness is the eternal.[159] Some men who are led by bad\nunderstanding applaud action. Those, however, that are numbered among the\nhigh-souled ancients never applaud action. By action is a creature born\nwith body which is made up of the sixteen.[160] (True) Knowledge swallows\nup Purusha (Self with consciousness of body). Even this is what is highly\nacceptable to eaters of Amrita.[161] Therefore, those whose vision\nextends to the other end (of the ocean of life) have no attachment for\nactions. This Purusha, however, is full of knowledge and not full of\naction.[162] He dies not who understands Him that is immortal, immutable,\nincomprehensible, eternal and indestructible--Him that is the restrained\nSoul and that transcends all attachments. He who thus understands the\nSoul to which there is nothing prior which is uncreated, immutable,\nunconquered, and incomprehensible even to those that are eaters of\nnectar, certainly becomes himself incomprehensible and immortal through\nthese means. Expelling all impressions and restraining the Soul in the\nSoul, he understands that auspicious Brahman than which nothing greater\nexists. Upon the understanding becoming clear, he succeeds in attaining\nto tranquillity. The indication of tranquillity is like what takes place\nin a dream.[163] This is the goal of those emancipated ones who are\nintent on knowledge. They behold all those movements which are born of\nsuccessive developments.[164] This is the goal of those who are\nunattached to the world. This is the eternal usage. This is the\nacquisition of men of knowledge. This is the uncensured mode of conduct.\nThis goal is capable of being attained by one that is alike to all\ncreatures, that is without attachment, that is without expectations, and\nthat looks equally on all things. I have now declared everything to you,\nye foremost of regenerate Rishis. Do you act in this way forthwith; you\nwill then acquire success.\"\n\n\"'\"The preceptor continued, 'Thus addressed by the preceptor Brahma, those\nhigh-souled sages acted accordingly and then attained to many regions (of\ngreat felicity). Do thou also, O blessed one, duly act according to the\nwords of Brahma as declared by me, O thou of pure soul. Thou wilt then\nattain to success.'\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said,--\"Thus instructed in the principles of high religion by\nthe preceptor, the pupil, O son of Kunti, did everything accordingly, and\nthen attained to Emancipation. Having done all that he should have done,\nthe pupil, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, attained to that seat repairing\nwhither one has not to grieve.\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"Who, indeed, was that Brahmana, O Krishna, and who the\npupil, O Janarddana. Truly, if it is fit to be heard by me, do thou then\ntell me, O lord!\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"I am the preceptor, O mighty-armed one, and know that\nthe mind is my pupil. Through my affection for thee, O Dhananjaya, I have\nrelated this mystery to thee. If thou hast any love for me, O perpetuator\nof Kuru's race, do thou then, after having heard these instructions\nrelating to the Soul, always act duly (according to them), O thou of\nexcellent vows. Then when this religion has been duly practised, O mower\nof foes, thou wilt become freed from all thy sins and attain to absolute\nemancipation. Formerly, when the hour of battle came, this very religion,\nO thou of mighty arms, was declared by me (to thee)! Do thou, therefore,\nset thy mind on it. And now, O chief of Bharata's race, it is long since\nthat I saw the lord my sire. I wish to see him again, with thy leave, O\nPhalguna!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Unto Krishna who had said so, Dhananjaya said\nin reply,--\"We shall go to-day from this town to the city called after the\nelephant. Meeting king Yudhishthira of virtuous soul there, and informing\nhim (of thy intention) thou shalt then repair to thy own city!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After this, Krishna ordered Daruka, saying--\"Let my\ncar be yoked.\"--Within a very short space of time Daruka informed (his\nmaster), saying,--\"It has been yoked.\"--The son of Pandu then commanded all\nhis attendants, saying,--\"Prepare yourselves and be ready. We shall repair\nto-day to the city named after the elephant.\" Thus addressed, O king,\nthose troops accoutred themselves, and informed Pritha's son of\nimmeasurable energy, saying,--\"Everything is equipt.\" Then those two, viz.,\nKrishna and the son of Pandu, ascended their car and proceeded on the\njourney, the loving friends engaged the while in delightful conversation.\nUnto Vasudeva seated on the car, Dhananjaya of great energy once more\nsaid these words, O chief of Bharata's race!--\"O perpetuator of the\nVrishni race, the king has obtained victory through thy grace. All his\nfoes have been slain, and he has recovered his kingdom without a thorn in\nit (to make it disagreeable). O slayer of Madhu, through thee the\nPandavas are endued with a powerful protector. Having obtained thee for\nour raft we have crossed the Kuru ocean. O thou that hast this universe\nfor thy handiwork, salutations to thee, O Soul of the universe, O best of\nall beings in the universe. I know thee in that measure in which I am\napproved by thee.[165] O slayer of Madhu, the soul of every creature is\nalways born of thy energy. Playful sport (in the form of creation,\npreservation, and destruction) is thine. Earth and sky, O lord, are thy\nillusion. This whole universe, consisting of mobile and immobile objects,\nis established on thee. Thou createst, by modification, the four orders\nof Being (viz., viviparous, oviparous, filth-born, and vegetables). Thou\ncreatest the Earth, the Welkin, and Heaven, O slayer of Madhu. The\nstainless lunar light is thy smile. The seasons are thy senses. The\never-moving wind is thy breath, and death, existing eternally, is thy\nwrath. In thy grace is the goddess of prosperity. Verily, Sree is always\nestablished in thee, O thou of the highest intelligence. Thou art the\nsport (in which creatures engage); thou art their contentment; thou their\nintelligence, thou their forgiveness, thou their inclinations, thou their\nbeauty. Thou art the universe with its mobile and immobile objects. At\nthe end of the cycle, it is thou, O sinless one, that art called\ndestruction. I am incapable of reciting all thy qualities in course of\neven a long period. Thou art the Soul and the Supreme Soul. I bow to\nthee, O thou of eyes like the petals of the lotus. O thou that art\nirresistible, I have learnt it from Narada and Devala and the Island-born\n(Vyasa), and the Kuru grandsire also, that all this (universe) rests on\nthee. Thou art the one Lord of all creatures. This, O sinless one, that\nthou hast declared unto me in consequence of thy favour for myself, I\nshall duly accomplish in its entirety, O Janarddana. Exceedingly\nwonderful is this which thou hast done from desire of doing what is\nagreeable to us, viz., the destruction in battle of the Kaurava (prince),\nthe son of Dhritarashtra. That host had been burnt by thee which I\n(subsequently) vanquished in battle. That feat was achieved by thee in\nconsequence of which victory became mine. By the power of thy\nintelligence was shown the means by which was duly affected the\ndestruction of Duryodhana in battle, as also of Karna, as of the sinful\nking of the Sindhus; and Bhurisravas. I shall accomplish all that which,\nO son of Devaki, pleased with me thou hast declared to myself. I do not\nentertain any scruple in this. Repairing to king Yudhishthira of\nrighteous soul, I shall, O sinless one, urge him to dismiss thee, O thou\nthat art conversant with every duty. O lord, thy departure for Dwaraka\nmeets with my approbation. Thou shalt soon see my maternal uncle, O\nJanarddana. Thou shalt also see the irresistible Valadeva and other\nchiefs of the Vrishni race.\"--Thus conversing with each other, the two\nreached the city named after the elephant. They then, with cheerful\nhearts, and without any anxiety, entered the palace of Dhritarashtra\nwhich resembled the mansion of Sakra. They then saw, O monarch, king\nDhritarashtra, and Vidura of great intelligence, and king Yudhishthira\nand the irresistible Bhimasena, and the two sons of Madri by Pandu; and\nthe unvanquished Yuyatsu, seated before Dhritarashtra and Gandhari of\ngreat wisdom, and Pritha, and the beautiful Krishna, and the other ladies\nof Bharata's race with Subhadra counting first. They also saw all those\nladies that used to wait upon Gandhari. Then approaching king\nDhritarashtra, those two chastisers of foes announced their names and\ntouched his feet. Indeed, those high-souled ones also touched the feet of\nGandhari and Pritha and king Yudhishthira the Just, and Bhima. Embracing\nVidura also, they enquired after his welfare. In the company of all those\npersons, Arjuna and Krishna then approached king Dhritarashtra (again).\nNight came and then king Dhritarashtra of great intelligence dismissed\nall those perpetuators of Kuru's race as also Janarddana for retiring to\ntheir respective chambers. Permitted by the king all of them entered\ntheir respective apartments. Krishna of great energy proceeded to the\napartments of Dhananjaya. Worshipped duly and furnished with every object\nof comfort and enjoyment, Krishna of great intelligence passed the night\nin happy sleep with Dhananjaya as his companion. When the night passed\naway and morning came, the two heroes, finishing their morning rites and\ndealing their persons properly, proceeded to the mansion of king\nYudhishthira the just. There Yudhishthira the just, of great might, sat\nwith his ministers. The two high-souled ones, entering that well-adorned\nchamber, beheld king Yudhishthira the just like the two Aswins beholding\nthe chief of the celestials. Meeting the king, he of Vrishni's race as\nalso that foremost hero of Kuru's race, obtaining the permission of\nYudhishthira who was highly pleased with them, sat themselves down. Then\nthe king, gifted with great intelligence, seeing those two friends,\nbecame desirous of addressing them. Soon that best of monarchs, that\nforemost of speakers addressed them in the following words.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Ye heroes, ye foremost ones of Yadu's and Kuru's\nrace, it seems that ye two are desirous of saying something to me. Do ye\nsay what is in your mind. I shall soon accomplish it. Do not hesitate.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed, Phalguna, well conversant with speech, humbly approached\nking Yudhishthira the just and then said these words.--\"Vasudeva here, of\ngreat prowess, O king, is long absent from home. He desires, with thy\npermission, to see his sire. Let him go, if thou thinkest it meet, to the\ncity of the Anarttas. It behoveth thee, O hero, to grant him permission!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O lotus-eyed one, blessed be thou. O slayer of\nMadhu, do thou go this very day to the city of Dwaravati for seeing, O\npuissant one, that foremost one of Sura's race. O mighty-armed Kesava,\nthy departure is approved by me. Thou hast not seen my maternal uncle as\nalso the goddess Devaki, for a long time. Meeting my maternal uncle and\nrepairing to Valadeva also, O giver of honours, thou wilt, O thou of\ngreat wisdom, worship both of them at my word as they deserve.[166] Do\nthou also think of me daily as also of Bhima, that foremost of mighty\nmen, and of Phalguna and Nakula and Sahadeva, O giver of honours. Having\nseen the Anarttas, and thy sire, O mighty-armed one, and the Vrishnis,\nthou wilt come back to my horse-sacrifice, O sinless one. Do thou then\ndepart, taking with thee diverse kinds of gems and various sorts of\nwealth. Do thou, O hero of the Satwata race, also take with thee whatever\nelse thou likest. It is through thy grace, O Kesava, that the whole\nEarth, O hero, has come under our dominion and all our foes have been\nslain.\"\n\n\"'When king Yudhishthira the just of Kuru's race said so, Vasudeva, that\nforemost of men, said these words (in reply).\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O mighty-armed one, all jewels and gems, all wealth, and\nthe entire Earth, are thine and thine alone. Whatever wealth exists in\nmy abode, thou, O lord, art always the owner thereof.\" Unto him\nYudhishthira, the son of Dharma, said,--\"Be it so\"--and then duly\nworshipped (Krishna) the eldest brother, endued with great energy, of\nGada. Vasudeva then proceeded to his paternal aunt (Kunti). Duly\nhonouring her, he circumambulated her person. He was properly accosted by\nher in return, and then by all the others having Vidura for their first.\nThe four-armed eldest brother of Gada then set out from Nagapura on his\nexcellent car.[167] Placing his sister, the lady Subhadra, on the car,\nthe mighty-armed Janarddana then, with the permission of both\nYudhishthira and (Kunti) his paternal aunt, set out, accompanied by a\nlarge train of citizens. The hero who had the foremost of apes on his\nbanner, as also Satyaki, and the two sons of Madravati, and Vidura of\nimmeasurable intelligence, and Bhima himself whose tread resembled that\nof a prince of elephants, all followed Madhava. Janarddana of mighty\nenergy causing all those extenders of the Kuru kingdom and Vidura also to\nreturn, addressed Daraka, and Satyaki, saying,--\"Urge the steeds to\nspeed.\" Then that grinder of hostile masses, viz., Janarddana of great\nprowess, accompanied by Satyaki, the foremost one of Sini's race,\nproceeded to the city of the Anarttas, after having slain all his foes,\nlike He of a hundred sacrifices proceeding to Heaven (after slaughtering\nall his foes).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'As he of Vrishni's race was proceeding to Dwaraka,\nthose foremost princes of Bharata's race, those chastisers of foes\nembraced him and fell back with their attendants. Phalguna repeatedly\nembraced the Vrishni hero, and as long as he was within the range of\nvision, he repeatedly turned his eyes towards him. With great difficulty,\nthe son of Pritha withdrew his gaze that had fallen on Govinda. The\nunvanquished Krishna also (did the same). The indications that were\nmanifested on the occasion of that high-souled one's departure, I shall\nnow detail. Do thou listen to me. The wind blew with great speed before\nthe car, clearing the path of sand-grains and dust and thorns. Vasava\nrained pure and fragrant showers and celestial flowers before the wielder\nof Saranga. As the mighty-armed hero proceeded, he came upon the desert\nill supplied with water. There he beheld that foremost of ascetics, named\nUtanka, of immeasurable energy. The hero of large eyes and great energy\nworshipped that ascetic. He was then worshipped by the ascetic in return.\nVasudeva then enquired after his welfare. That foremost of Brahmanas,\nviz., Utanka, politely accosted by Madhava, honoured him duly and then\naddressed him in these words.--\"O Saurin, having repaired to the mansions\nof the Kurus and the Pandavas, hast thou succeeded in establishing a\ndurable understanding between them such as should exist between brothers?\nIt behoves thee to tell me everything. Dost thou come, O Kesava, after\nhaving united them in peace,--them that are thy relatives and that are\never dear to thee, O foremost one of Vrishni's race? Will the five sons\nof Pandu, and the children of Dhritarashtra, O scorcher of foes, sport in\nthe world in joy with thee? Will all the kings enjoy happiness in their\nrespective kingdoms, in consequence of the pacification of the Kauravas\nbrought about by thee? Has that trust, O son, which I had always reposed\non thee, borne fruit with regard to the Kauravas?\"\n\n\"'The blessed and holy one said, \"I strove my best at first, for bringing\nabout a good understanding, in regard to the Kauravas. When I could not\nby any means succeed in establishing them on peace, it happened that all\nof them, with their relatives and kinsmen, met with death. It is\nimpossible to transgress destiny by either intelligence or might. O great\nRishi, O sinless one, this also cannot be unknown to thee. They (the\nKauravas) transgressed the counsels which Bhishma and Vidura gave them\nreferring to me.[168] Encountering one another they then became guests of\nYama's abode. Only the five Pandavas constitute the remnant of the\nunslain, all their friends and all their children having been\nslaughtered. All the sons of Dhritarashtra also with their children and\nkinsmen, have been slain.\" When Krishna had said these words, Utanka,\nfilled with wrath, and with eyes expanded in rage, addressed him in these\nwords.\n\n\"'Utanka said,--\"Since, though able, O Krishna, thou didst not rescue\nthose foremost ones of Kuru's race, who were thy relatives and,\ntherefore, dear to thee, I shall, without doubt, curse thee. Since thou\ndidst not forcibly compel them to forbear, therefore, O slayer of Madhu,\nI shall, filled with wrath, denounce a curse on thee. It seems, O\nMadhava, that though fully able (to save them), thou wert indifferent to\nthese foremost of Kurus who, overwhelmed by insincerity and hypocrisy\nhave all met with destruction.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O scion of Bhrigu's race, listen to what I say in\ndetail. Do thou accept my apologies also. O thou of Bhrigu's race, thou\nart an ascetic. After having heard my words relating to the soul, thou\nmayst then utter thy curse. No man is able, by a little ascetic merit, to\nput me down. O foremost of ascetics, I do not wish to see the destruction\nof all thy penances. Thou hast a large measure of blazing penances. Thou\nhast gratified thy preceptors and seniors.[169] O foremost of regenerate\nones, I know that thou hast observed the rules of Brahmacharyya from the\ndays of thy infancy. I do not, therefore, desire the loss or diminution\nof thy penances achieved with so much pain.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIV\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"Do thou, O Kesava, tell me that faultless Adhyatma. Having\nheard thy discourse I shall ordain what is for thy good or denounce a\ncurse to thee, O Janarddana.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Know that the three qualities of Darkness and Passion\nand Goodness exist, depending on me as their refuge. So also, O\nregenerate one, know that the Rudras and the Vasus have sprung from me.\nIn me are all creatures, and in all creatures do I exist; know this. Let\nno doubt arise in thy mind respecting this. So also, O regenerate one,\nknow that all the tribes of the Daityas, all the Yakshas, Gandharvas,\nRakshasas, Nagas, Apsaras, have sprung from me. Whatever has been called\nexistent and non-existent, whatever is manifest and not-manifest,\nwhatever is destructible and indestructible, all have me for their soul.\nThose fourfold courses of duty which, O ascetic, are known to attach to\nthe (four) modes of life, and all the Vedic duties, have me for their\nsoul. Whatever is non-existent, whatever is existent and non-existent,\nand whatever transcends that which is existent and non-existent,--all\nthese which constitute the universe--are from me. There is nothing higher\n(or beyond) me who am the eternal god of gods.[170] O perpetuator of\nBhrigu's race, know that all the Vedas beginning with (the original\nsyllable) Om are identical with me. Know, O son of Bhrigu's race, that I\nam the sacrificial stake; I am the Soma (drunk in sacrifices); I am the\nCharu (cooked in sacrifices for being offered to the deities); I am the\nHoma (that is performed); I am those acts which sacrificers perform for\ngratifying the deities; I am even the pourer of the sacrificial libation:\nand I am the Havi or libation that is poured. I am the Adharyu. I am the\nKalpaka; and I am the highly sanctified sacrificial Havi. It is me whom\nthe Udgatri, in the great sacrifice, hymns by the sound of his songs. In\nall rites of expiation, O Brahmana, the utterers of auspicious Mantras\nand benedictions fraught with peace hymn my praises who am the artificer,\nO foremost of regenerate ones, of the universe. Know, O best of\nregenerate person, that Dharma is my eldest-born offspring, sprung from\nmy mind, O learned Brahmana, whose essence is compassion for all\ncreatures. Constantly transforming myself, I take birth in diverse wombs,\nO best of men, for upholding that son of mine, with the aid of men now\nexisting in or departed from the world. Indeed, I do this for protecting\nRighteousness and for establishing it. In those forms that I assume for\nthe purpose, I am known, O son of Bhrigu's race, in the three worlds as\nVishnu and Brahman and Sakra. I am the origin and I am the destruction of\nall things. I am the creator of all existent objects and I am their\ndestroyer. Knowing no change myself, I am the destroyer of all those\ncreatures that live in sinfulness. In every Yuga I have to repair the\ncauseway of Righteousness, entering into diverse kinds of wombs from\ndesire of doing good to my creatures. When, O son of Bhrigu's race, I\nlive in the order of the deities, I then verily act in every respect as a\ndeity. When I live in the order of the Gandharvas, I then, O son of\nBhrigu's race, act in every respect as a Gandharva. When I live in the\norder of the Nagas, I then act as a Naga, and when I live in the order of\nYakshas or that of Rakshasas, I act after the manner of that order. Born\nnow in the order of humanity, I must act as a human being. I appealed to\nthem (the Kauravas) most piteously. But stupefied as they were and\ndeprived of their senses, they refused to accept my words. I frightened\nthem, filled with wrath, referring to some great fear (as the consequence\nof their slighting my message). But once more I showed themselves my\nusual (human) form. Possessed as they were of unrighteousness, and\nassailed by the virtue of Time, all of them have been righteously slain\nin battle, and have, without doubt, gone to Heaven. The Pandavas also, O\nbest of Brahmanas, have acquired great fame. I have thus told thee all\nthat thou hadst asked me.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LV\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"I know thee, O Janarddana, to be the creator of the\nuniverse. Without doubt, this knowledge that I have is the result of thy\ngrace towards me. O thou of unfading glory, my heart is possessed of\ncheerful tranquillity in consequence of its being devoted to thee. Know,\nO chastiser of foes, that my heart is no longer inclined to curse thee.\nIf, O Janarddana, I deserve the least grace from thee, do thou then show\nme once thy sovereign form.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Gratified with him, the holy one then showed\nUtanka that eternal Vaishnava form which Dhananjaya of great intelligence\nhad seen. Utanka beheld the high-souled Vasudeva's universal form, endued\nwith mighty arms. The effulgence of that form was like that of a blazing\nfire of a thousand suns. It stood before him filling all space. It had\nfaces on every side. Beholding that high and wonderful Vaishnava form of\nVishnu, in act, seeing the Supreme Lord (in that guise), the Brahmana\nUtanka became filled with wonder.'\n\n\"'Utanka, said, \"O thou whose handiwork is the universe, I bow to thee, O\nSoul of the universe, O parent of all things. With thy feet thou hast\ncovered the whole Earth, and with thy head thou fillest the firmament.\nThat which lies between the Earth and the firmament has been filled by\nthy stomach. All the points of the compass are covered by thy arms. O\nthou of unfading glory, thou art all this. Do thou withdraw this\nexcellent and indestructible form of thine. I wish to behold thee now in\nthy own (human) form which too is eternal!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Unto him, O Janamejaya, Govinda of gratified\nsoul said these words,--\"Do thou ask for some boon.\" Unto him Utanka,\nhowever, said--\"Even this is a sufficient boon from thee for the present,\nO thou of great splendour, in that, O Krishna, I have beheld this form of\nthine, O foremost of all beings.\" Krishna, however, once more said unto\nhim--\"Do not scruple in this matter. This must be done. A sight of my form\ncannot be fruitless.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"I must accomplish that, O lord, which thou thinkest should\nbe done. I desire to have water wherever my wish for it may arise. Water\nis scarce in such deserts.\" Withdrawing that energy, the Supreme Lord\nthen said unto Utanka--\"Whenever thou wilt require water, think of me!\"\nHaving said so, he proceeded towards Dwaraka. Subsequently, one day, the\nillustrious Utanka, solicitous of water and exceedingly thirsty, wandered\nover the desert. In course of his wanderings he thought of Krishna of\nunfading glory. The intelligent Rishi then beheld in that desert a naked\nhunter (of the Chandala class), all besmeared with dirt, surrounded by a\npack of dogs. Extremely fierce-looking, he carried a sword and was armed\nwith bow and arrows. That foremost of regenerate ones beheld copious\nstreams of water issuing from the urinary organs of that hunter. As soon\nas Utanka had thought of Krishna, that hunter smilingly addressed him,\nsaying,--\"O Utanka, O thou of Bhrigu's race, do thou accept this water\nfrom me. Beholding thee afflicted by thirst I have felt great compassion\nfor thee.\" Thus addressed by the hunter, the ascetic showed no\ninclination to accept that water. The intelligent Utanka even began to\ncensure Krishna of unfading glory. The hunter, however, repeatedly\naddressed the Rishi, saying,--\"Drink!\" The ascetic refused to drink the\nwater thus offered. On the other hand, with heart afflicted by hunger and\nthirst, he even gave way to wrath. Disregarded by the high-souled Rishi\nthrough that conviction, the hunter, O king, with his pack of dogs,\ndisappeared there and then. Beholding that (wonderful) disappearance,\nUtanka became filled with shame. He even thought that Krishna, that\nslayer of foes, had beguiled him (in the matter of the boon he had\ngranted). Soon after, the holder of the conch and discus and mace, endued\nwith great intelligence, came to Utanka by the way (along which the\nhunter had come). Addressing Krishna, the Brahmana said,--\"O foremost of\nbeings, it was scarcely proper for thee to offer water unto foremost of\nBrahmanas in the form of a hunter's urine, O lord.\" Unto Utanka who said\nthese words, Janarddana of great intelligence replied, comforting him\nwith many soft words--\"That form which it was proper to assume for\noffering thee water, in that form was water offered to thee. But, also,\nthou couldst not understand it. The wielder of the thunder bolt,\nPurandara, was requested by me for thy sake. My words to that puissant\ndeity were--'Do thou give nectar in the form of water unto Utanka.' The\nchief of the celestials replied to me saying--'It is not proper that a\nmortal should become immortal. Let some other boon be granted to\nUtanka.'--O son of Bhrigu's race, these words were repeatedly addressed\nto me. The lord of Sachi, however, was once more requested by me in these\nwords, viz., 'even nectar should be given to Utanka.'--The chief of the\ncelestials then, comforting me, said,--'If, O thou of great intelligence,\nnectar is to be given to him, I shall then assume the form of a hunter\nand give it to that high-souled descendant of Bhrigu's race. If that son\nof Bhrigu accepts it thus, I then go to him, O lord, for giving it unto\nhim. If, however, he sends me away from disregard,--I shall not then give\nit to him on any account.'--Having made this compact with me, Vasava\nappeared before thee, in that disguise, for giving thee nectar. Thou,\nhowever, didst disregard him and send him away, seeing that the\nillustrious one had put on the guise of a Chandala. Thy fault has been\ngreat. Once more, with regard to thy desire, I am prepared to do what is\nin my power. Indeed, this painful thirst of thine, I shall arrange, shall\nbe slaked. On those days, O regenerate one, in which thou wilt feel a\ndesire for water, clouds well-charged with water will rise over this\ndesert. Those clouds, O son of Bhrigu's race, will give thee savoury\nwater to drink. Verily, those clouds will become known in the world as\nUtanka-clouds.\" Thus addressed by Krishna, Utanka became filled with\ngladness, and to this day, O Bharata, Utanka-clouds (appear and) shower\nrain on any deserts.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'With what penances was the high-souled Utanka endued\nso that he entertained the wish to denounce a curse on Vishnu himself,\nwho is the source of all puissance?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'O Janamejaya, Utanka was endued with austere\npenances. He was devoted to his preceptor. Endued with great energy, he\nabstained from worshipping anybody else. All the children of the Rishis, O\nBharata, entertained even this wish, viz., that their devotion to\npreceptors should be as great as that of Utanka. Gautama's gratification\nwith and affection for Utanka, among his numerous disciples, were very\ngreat, O Janamejaya. Indeed, Gautama was highly pleased with the\nself-restraint and purity of behaviour that characterised Utanka, and\nwith his acts of prowess and the services he rendered to him. One after\nanother, thousands of disciples received the preceptor's permission to\nreturn home (after the completion of their pupilage). In consequence,\nhowever, of his great affection for Utanka, Gautama could not permit him\nto leave his retreat. Gradually, in course of time, O son, decrepitude\novertook Utanka, that great ascetic. The ascetic, however, in consequence\nof his devotion to his preceptor, was not conscious of it. One day, he\nset out, O monarch, for fetching fuel for his preceptor. Soon after\nUtanka brought a heavy load of fuel. Toil-worn and hungry and afflicted\nby the load he bore on his head, O chastiser of foes, he threw the load\ndown on the Earth, O king. One of his matted locks, white as silver, had\nbecome entangled with the load. Accordingly, when the load was thrown\ndown, with it fell on the earth that matted lock of hair. Oppressed as he\nhad been by that load and overcome by hunger, O Bharata, Utanka,\nbeholding that sign of old age, began to indulge in loud lamentations\nfrom excess of sorrow. Conversant with every duty, the daughter of his\npreceptor, who was possessed of eyes that resembled the petals of the\nlotus, and of hips that were full and round, at the command of her sire,\nsought, with downcast face, to hold Utanka's tears in her hands. Her\nhands seemed to burn with those tear-drops that she held. Unable,\naccordingly, to hold them longer, she was obliged to throw them down on\nthe Earth. The Earth herself was unable to hold those tear-drops of\nUtanka. With a gratified heart, Gautama then said unto the regenerate\nUtanka,--\"Why, O son, is thy mind so afflicted with grief today? Tell me\ncalmly and quietly, O learned Rishi, for I wish to hear it in detail.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"With mind entirely devoted to thee, and wholly bent upon\ndoing what is agreeable to thee, with my heart's devotion turned to\nthee, and with thoughts entirely dwelling on thee, (I have resided here\ntill) decrepitude has come upon me without my knowing it at all. I have\nnot, again, known any happiness. Though I have dwelt with thee for a\nhundred years, yet thou hast not granted me permission to depart. Many\ndisciples of thine, that were my juniors, have, however, been permitted\nby thee to return. Indeed, hundreds and thousands of foremost Brahmanas\nhave, equipt with knowledge, been permitted by thee (to depart from thy\nretreat and set themselves up as teachers)!\"\n\n\"'Gautama said, \"Through my love and affection for thee, and in\nconsequence of thy dutiful services to me, a long time has elapsed\nwithout my knowing it, O foremost of Brahmanas. If, however, O thou of\nBhrigu's race, the desire is entertained by thee of leaving this place,\ndo thou go without delay, receiving my permission.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"What shall I present to my preceptor? Tell me this, O best\nof regenerate persons. Having brought it, I shall go hence, O lord, with\nthy permission.\"\n\n\"'Gautama said, \"The good that the gratification of the preceptor is the\nfinal fee.[171] Without doubt, O regenerate one. I have been highly\ngratified with thy conduct. Know, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, that I\nhave been exceedingly gratified with thee for this. If thou becomest a\nyoung man today of sixteen years, I shall bestow on thee, O regenerate\none, this my own daughter for becoming thy wife. No other woman save this\none is capable of waiting upon thy energy.\" At these words of Gautama,\nUtanka once again became a youth and accepted that famous maiden for his\nwife. Receiving the permission of his preceptor, he then addressed his\npreceptor's wife, saying,--\"What shall I give thee as final fee for my\npreceptor? Do thou command me. I desire to accomplish, with wealth or\neven my life, what is agreeable and beneficial to thee. Whatever gem,\nexceedingly wonderful and of great value, exists in this world, I shall\nbring for thee with the aid of my penances. I have no doubt in this.\"\n\n\"'Ahalya said, \"I am highly gratified with thee, O learned Brahmana, with\nthy unintermitting devotion, O sinless one. This is enough. Blessed be\nthou, go whithersoever thou likest.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Utanka, however, O monarch, once more, said\nthese words,--\"Do thou command me, O mother. It is meet that I should do\nsomething that is agreeable to thee.\"\n\n\"'Ahalya said, \"Blessed be thou, bring for me those celestial ear-rings\nthat are worn by the wife of Saudasa. That which is due to thy preceptor\nwill then be well-discharged.\" Replying unto her \"So be it,\"--Utanka\ndeparted, O Janamejaya, resolved to bring those ear-rings for doing what\nwas agreeable to his preceptor's wife. That foremost of Brahmanas,\nUtanka, proceeded without any loss of time to Saudasa who had (through\nthe curse of Vasishtha) become a cannibal, in order to solicit the\near-rings from him. Gautama meanwhile said unto his wife,--\"Utanka is not\nto be seen today.\" Thus addressed, she informed him how he had departed\nfor fetching the jewelled ear-rings (of Saudasa's queen). At this,\nGautama said,--\"Thou hast not acted wisely. Cursed (by Vasishtha), that\nking (who has been transformed into a man-eater) will verily slay Utanka.\"\n\n\"'Ahalya said, \"Without knowing this, O holy one, I have set Utanka to\nthis task. He shall not, however, incur any danger through thy grace.\"\nThus addressed by her, Gautama said,--\"Let it be so!\" Meanwhile, Utanka\nmet king Saudasa in a deserted forest.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Beholding the king, who had become so, of frightful\nmien, wearing a long beard smeared with the blood of human beings, the\nBrahmana Utanka, O king, did not become agitated. That monarch of great\nenergy, inspiring terror in every breast and looking like a second Yama,\nrising up, addressed Utanka, saying,--\"By good luck, O best of Brahmanas,\nthou hast come to me at the sixth hour of the day when I am in search of\nfood.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"O king, know that I have come hither in course of my\nwanderings for the sake of my preceptor. The wise have said that while\none is employed for the sake of one's preceptor, one should not be\ninjured.\"\n\n\"'The king said, \"O best of Brahmanas, food has been ordained for me at\nthe sixth hour of the day. I am hungry. I cannot, therefore, allow thee\nto escape today.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"Let it be so, O king. Let this compact be made with me.\nAfter I have ceased to wander for my preceptor, I shall once more come\nand place myself within thy power. It has been heard by me, O best of\nkings, that the object I seek for my preceptor is under thy control, O\nmonarch. Therefore, O ruler of men, I solicit thee for it. Thou daily\ngivest many foremost of gems unto superior Brahmanas. Thou art a giver, O\nchief of men, from whom gifts may be accepted, know that I too am a\nworthy object of charity present before thee, O best of kings. Having\naccepted from thee in gift that object for my preceptor which is under\nthy control, I shall, O king, in consequence of my compact, once more\ncome back to thee and place myself under thy power. I assure thee truly\nof this. There is no falsehood in this. Never before have I spoken\nanything untrue, no, not even in jest. What shall I say then of other\noccasions?\"\n\n\"'Saudasa said, \"If the object thou seekest for thy preceptor is capable\nof being placed in thy hands by me, if I be regarded as one from whom a\ngift may be accepted, do thou then say what that object is.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"O foremost of men, O Saudasa, in my estimation thou art a\nworthy person from whom gifts may be accepted. I have, therefore, come to\nthee for begging of thee the jewelled ear-rings (worn by thy queen).\"\n\n\"'Saudasa said, \"Those jewelled ear-rings, O learned and regenerate Rishi,\nbelong to my wife. They should be asked from her. Do thou, therefore,\nsolicit some other thing from me. I shall give it to thee, O thou of\nexcellent vows.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"If we be regarded as any authority, do thou cease then to\nurge this pretext. Do thou give those jewelled ear-rings to me. Be thou\ntruthful in speech, O king.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, the king once more addressed\nUtanka and said unto him, \"Do thou, at my word, go to my venerable queen,\nO best of men, and ask her, saying,--Give!--She of pure vows, thus\nsolicited by thee, will certainly, at my command, give thee, O foremost\nof regenerate persons, those jewelled ear-rings of hers without doubt.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"Whither, O ruler of men, shall I be able to meet thy\nqueen? Why dost thou not thyself go to her?\"\n\n\"'Saudasa said, \"Thou wilt find her today in the vicinity of a foremost\nfountain. I cannot see her today as the sixth hour of the day has come.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, Utanka, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, then left that spot. Beholding Madayanti, he informed her of his\nobject. Hearing the command of Saudasa, that lady of large eyes replied\nunto the highly intelligent Utanka, O Janamejaya, in these words: \"It is\neven so, O regenerate one. Thou shouldst, however, O sinless one, assure\nme that thou dost not say what is untrue. It behoves thee to bring me\nsome sign from my husband. These celestial ear-rings of mine, made of\ncostly gems, are such that the deities and Yakshas and great Rishis\nalways watch for opportunities for bearing them away. If placed at any\ntime on the Earth, this costly article would then be stolen by the Nagas.\nIf worn by one who is impure in consequence of eating, it would then be\ntaken away by the Yakshas. If the wearer falls asleep (without taking\ncare of these precious ear-rings) the deities would then take them away.\nO best of Brahmanas, these ear-rings are capable of being taken away,\nwhen such opportunities present themselves, by deities and Rakshasas and\nNagas, if worn by a heedless person. O best of regenerate ones, these\near-rings, day and night, always produce gold. At night, they shine\nbrightly, attracting the rays of stars and constellations. O holy one, if\nworn by any one, he would be freed from hunger and thirst and fear of\nevery kind. The wearer of these ear-rings is freed also from the fear of\npoison and fire and every kind of danger. If worn by one of short\nstature, these become short. If worn by one of tall stature, these grow\nin size. Even of such virtues are these ear-rings of mine. They are\npraised and honoured everywhere. Indeed, they are known over the three\nworlds. Do thou, therefore, bring me some sign (from my husband).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Utanka, coming back to king Saudasa who was always\nwell-disposed towards all his friends, solicited him for some sign (to\nconvince Madayanti of the fact of his being really commissioned by the\nking). That foremost one of Ikshwaku's race then gave him a sign.'\n\n\"'Saudasa said, \"This my present condition is intolerable. I do not behold\nany refuge. Knowing this to be my wish, do thou give away the jewelled\near-rings.\"[172] Thus addressed by the king, Utanka went back to the\nqueen and reported to her the words of her lord. Hearing those words, the\nqueen gave unto Utanka her jewelled ear-rings. Having obtained the\near-rings, Utanka came back to the king and said unto him, \"I desire to\nhear, O monarch, what the import is of those mysterious words which thou\nsaidst as a sign to thy queen.\"\n\n\"'Saudasa said, \"Kshatriyas are seen to honour the Brahmanas from the very\nbeginning of the creation. Towards the Brahmanas, however, many offences\narise (on the part of Kshatriyas). As regards myself, I am always bent in\nhumility before them. I am overtaken by a calamity through a Brahmana.\nPossessed of Madayanti, I do not see any other refuge. Indeed, O foremost\nof all persons having of a high goal, I do not behold any other refuge\nfor myself in the matter of approaching the gates of Heaven, or in\ncontinuing here, O best of regenerate ones. It is impossible for a king\nthat is hostile to Brahmanas to continue living in this world or in\nattaining to happiness in the next. Hence have I given thee these my\njewelled ear-rings which were coveted by thee.[173] Do thou now keep the\ncompact which thou hast made with me today.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"O king, I shall certainly act according to my promise. I\nshall truly come back and place myself under thy power. There is,\nhowever, a question, O scorcher of foes, which I wish to ask thee.\"\n\n\"'Saudasa said, \"Say, O learned Brahmana, what is in thy mind. I shall\ncertainly reply unto thy words. I shall dispel whatever doubt may be in\nthy mind. I have no hesitation in this.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"Those who are skilled in the rules of duty say that\nBrahmanas are of restrained speech. One who behaves wrongly towards\nfriends is regarded as vile as a thief.[174] Thou, again, O king, hast\nbecome my friend today. Do thou then, O foremost of men, give me such\ncounsel as is approved by the wise. As regards myself, I have now\nobtained the fruition of my wishes. Thou, again, art a cannibal. Is it\nproper for me to come back to thee or not?\"\n\n\"'Saudasa said, \"If it is proper (for me), O foremost of superior\nBrahmanas, to say what thou askest, I should then, O best of regenerate\nones, tell thee that thou shouldst never come back to me. O perpetuator\nof Bhrigu's race, by acting even thus, thou wilt attain to what is\nbeneficial to thee. If thou comest back, O learned Brahmana, thou wilt\nsurely meet with death.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by the intelligent king in\nrespect of what was beneficial for him, Utanka took leave of the monarch\nand set out for the presence of Ahalya. Desirous of doing what was\nagreeable to the wife of his preceptor, he took the ear-rings with him\nand set out with great speed for reaching the retreat of Gautama.\nProtecting them even in the manner directed by Madayanti, that is,\nbinding them within the folds of his black deer-skin, he proceeded on his\nway. After he had proceeded for some distance, he became afflicted by\nhunger. He there beheld a Vilwa tree bent down with the weight of (ripe)\nfruits.[175] He climbed that tree. Causing his deer-skin, O chastiser of\nfoes, to hang on a branch, that foremost of regenerate persons then began\nto pluck some fruits. While he was employed in plucking those fruits with\neyes directed towards them, some of them fell, O king, on that deerskin\nin which those ear-rings had been carefully tied by that foremost of\nBrahmanas. With the strokes of the fruits, the knot became untied.\nSuddenly that deer-skin, with the ear-rings in it, fell down. When the\nknot being unfastened, the deer-skin fell down on the ground, a snake who\nwas there beheld those jewelled ear-rings. That snake belonged to the\nrace of Airavata. With great promptness he took up the ear-rings in his\nmouth and then entered an anthill. Beholding the ear-rings taken away by\nthat snake, Utanka, filled with wrath and in great anxiety of mind, came\ndown from the tree. Taking his staff he began to pierce that anthill.\nThat best of Brahmanas, burning with wrath and the desire for revenge,\nceaselessly employed himself for five and thirty days in that task. The\ngoddess Earth, unable to bear the force of Utanka's walking staff and\nwith body torn therewith, became exceedingly anxious. Unto that\nregenerate Rishi then, who continued to dig the Earth from desire of\nmaking a path to the nether regions inhabited by the Nagas, the chief of\nthe celestials, armed with the thunder, came there, on his car drawn by\ngreen horses. Endued with great energy, he beheld that foremost of\nBrahmanas, as he sat there engaged in his task.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Assuming the garb of a Brahmana afflicted with\nthe sorrow of Utanka, the chief of the celestials addressed him, saying,\n\"This (purpose of thine) is incapable of being achieved. The regions of\nthe Nagas are thousands of Yojanas removed from this place. I think that\nthy purpose is not capable of being achieved with thy walking staff.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"If, O Brahmana, the ear-rings be not recovered by me from\nthe regions of the Nagas, I shall cast off my life-breaths before thy\neyes, O foremost of regenerate persons!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When the thunder-armed Indra failed to divert Utanka\nfrom his purpose, he united the latter's walking staff with the force of\nthunder. Then, O Janamejaya, the Earth, opening with those strokes having\nthe force of thunder, yielded a way to the (nether) regions inhabited by\nthe Nagas. By that path Utanka entered the world of Nagas. He saw that\nthat region lay extended thousands of Yojanas on all sides. Indeed, O\nblessed one, it was equipt with many walls made of pure gold and decked\nwith jewels and gems. There were many fine tanks of water furnished with\nflights of stair-cases made of pure crystal, and many rivers of clear and\ntransparent water. He saw also many trees with diverse species of birds\nperching on them. That perpetuator of Bhrigu's race behold the gate of\nthat region which was full five Yojanas high and a hundred Yojanas in\nwidth. Beholding the region of the Nagas, Utanka became very cheerless.\nIndeed, he despaired of getting back the earrings. Then there appeared\nunto him a black steed with a white tail. His face and eyes were of a\ncoppery hue, O thou of Kuru's race, and he seemed to blaze forth with\nenergy. Addressing Utanka, he said, \"Do thou blow into the Apana duct of\nmy body. Thou wilt then, O learned Brahmana, get back thy ear-rings which\nhave been taken away by a descendant of Airavata's race! Do not loathe to\ndo my bidding, O son. Thou didst it often at the retreat of Gautama in\nformer days.\"\n\n\"'Utanka said, \"How did I know thee in the retreat of my preceptor?\nIndeed, I wish to hear how I did in those days what thou biddest me do\nnow.\"\n\n\"'The steed said, \"Know, O learned Brahmana, that I am the preceptor of\nthy preceptor, for I am the blazing Jatavedas (deity of fire). By thee I\nwas often worshipped for the sake of thy preceptor, O child of Bhrigu's\nrace, duly and with a pure heart and body. For that reason I shall\naccomplish what is for thy good. Do my bidding without delay.\" Thus\naddressed by the deity of fire, Utanka did as he was directed. The deity\nthen, gratified with him, blazed up for consuming everything. From the\npores of his body, O Bharata, in consequence of his very nature, a thick\nsmoke issued threatening terrors to the world of Nagas. With that mighty\nand wide-spreading smoke, O Bharata, everything became enveloped in\ngloom, so that nothing, O king, could any longer be seen in the world of\nthe Nagas. Cries of woe were heard throughout the mansions of the\nAiravatas, uttered by the Nagas headed by Vasuki, O Janamejaya. Enveloped\nby that smoke, the palaces could no longer be seen, O Bharata. These\nresembled woods and hill overwhelmed by a thick forest. With eyes that\nwere red in consequence of that smoke, and afflicted by the energy of the\ndeity of fire, the Nagas came out of their mansions to the high-souled\nson of Bhrigu's race for ascertaining what was the matter. Having heard\nwhat the matter was from that ascetic of immeasurable energy, all the\nNagas, with fear depicted on their eyes, offered him their worship\naccording to due forms. Indeed, all the Nagas placing the old and the\nyoung one's before them, bowed unto him with their heads and joining\ntheir hands addressed him, saying, \"Be gratified with us, O holy one!\"\nHaving gratified that Brahmana and offered him water to wash his feet and\nthe ingredients of the Arghya (for honouring him), the Nagas gave him\nthose celestial and highly-adored ear-rings. Thus honoured by them,\nUtanka of great prowess, circumambulating the deity of fire, started for\nthe retreat of his preceptor. Indeed, repairing quickly to Gautama's\nasylum, O king, he presented those ear-rings unto the wife of his\npreceptor, O sinless one. That best of Brahmanas also told his preceptor\neverything about Vasuki and the other Nagas that had occurred. It was\neven thus, O Janamejaya, that the high-souled Utanka, having wandered\nthrough the three worlds, fetched those jewelled ear-rings (for his\npreceptor's wife). Of such prowess, O chief of Bharata's race, was the\nascetic Utanka. So austere were the penances with which he was endued. I\nhave thus told thee what thou hadst asked me.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'After having conferred that boon on Utanka, O foremost\nof regenerate persons, what did the mighty-armed Govinda of great\ncelebrity next do?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having granted that boon to Utanka, Govinda,\naccompanied by Satyaki, proceeded to Dwaraka on his car drawn by his\nlarge steeds endued with great speed. Passing many lakes and rivers and\nforests and hills, he at last came upon the delightful city of Dwaravati.\nIt was at the time, O king, when the festival of Raivataka had begun,\nthat he of eyes like lotus-petals arrived with Satyaki as his companion.\nAdorned with many beautiful things and covered with diverse Koshas made\nof jewels and gems, the Raivataka hill shone, O king, with great\nsplendour. That high mountain, decked with excellent garlands of gold and\ngay festoons of flowers, with many large trees that looked like the Kalpa\ntrees of Indra's garden, and with many golden poles on which were lighted\nlamps, shone in beauty through day and night. By the caves and fountains\nthe light was so great that it seemed to be broad day. On all sides\nbeautiful flags waved on the air with little bells that jingled\ncontinuously. The entire hill resounded with the melodious songs of men\nand women. Raivataka presented a most charming prospect like Meru with\nall his jewels and gems. Men and women, excited and filled with delight,\nO Bharata, sang aloud. The swell of music that thus rose from that\nforemost of mountains seemed to touch the very heavens. Everywhere were\nheard shouts and loud whoops of men who were in all stages of excitement.\nThe cackle of thousands of voices made that mountain delightful and\ncharming. It was adorned with many shops and stalls filled with diverse\nviands and enjoyable articles. There were heaps of cloths and garlands,\nand the music of Vinas and flutes and Mridangas was heard everywhere.\nFood mixed with wines of diverse kinds was stored here and there. Gifts\nwere being ceaselessly made to those that were distressed, or blind, or\nhelpless. In consequence of all this, the festival of that mountain\nbecame highly auspicious. There were many sacred abodes built on the\nbreast of that mountain, O hero, within which resided many men of\nrighteous deeds. Even thus did the heroes of Vrishni's race sport in that\nfestival of Raivataka. Equipt with those mansions, that mountain shone\nlike a second Heaven. At the arrival of Krishna, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, that prince of mountains resembled the blessed abode of Indra\nhimself. Worshipped (by his relatives), Krishna then entered a beautiful\nmansion. Satyaki also went to his own quarters with a delighted soul.\nGovinda entered his residence after a long absence, having accomplished\nfeats of great difficulty like Vasava amid the Danava host. The heroes of\nthe Bhoja, Vrishni, and Andhaka races, all came forward to receive that\nhigh-souled one like the deities advancing to receive him of a hundred\nsacrifices. Endued with great intelligence, he honoured them in return\nand enquired after their welfare. With a gratified heart he then saluted\nhis father and mother. The mighty-armed hero was embraced by both of them\nand comforted too (by numerous evidences of affection). He then took his\nseat with all the Vrishnis sitting around him. Having washed his feet and\ndispelled his fatigue, Krishna of mighty energy, as he sat there, then\nrecounted the chief incidents of the great battle in answer to the\nquestions put to him by his sire.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O thou of Vrishni's race, I have repeatedly heard men\nspeaking of the wonderful battle (between the Kurus and the Pandavas).\nThou, however, O mighty-armed one, hast witnessed it with thy own eyes.\nDo thou, therefore, O sinless one, describe the battle in detail. Indeed,\ntell me how that battle took place between the high-souled Pandavas (on\nthe one side) and Bhishma and Karna and Kripa and Drona and Salya and\nothers (on the other side), between, in fact, numerous other Kshatriyas\nwell-skilled in arms, differing from one another in mien and attire, and\nhailing from diverse realms.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by his sire, he of eyes like\nlotus-petals narrated, in the presence of his mother also, how the\nKaurava heroes had been slain in battle.'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"The feats were highly wonderful that were achieved by\nthose high-souled Kshatriyas. In consequence of their large number, they\nare incapable of being enumerated in even hundreds of years. I shall\nhowever, mention only the foremost of them. Do thou listen, therefore, to\nme as I mention in brief those feats achieved by the kings of Earth, O\nthou of godlike splendour. Bhishma of Kuru's race became the\ngeneralissimo, having eleven divisions of the Kaurava princes under his\ncommand, like Vasava of the celestial forces.[176] Sikhandin of great\nintelligence, protected by the blessed Arjuna, became the leader of the\nseven divisions of the sons of Pandu. The battle between the Kurus and\nthe Pandavas (under these leaders) raged for ten days. It was so fierce\nas to make one's hair stand on its end. Then Sikhandin, in great battle,\naided by the wielder of Gandiva, slew, with innumerable arrows, the son\nof Ganga fighting bravely. Lying on a bed of arrows, Bhishma waited like\nan ascetic till the sun leaving his southward path entered on his\nnortherly course when that hero gave up his life-breaths. Then Drona,\nthat foremost of all persons conversant with arms, that greatest of men\nunder Duryodhana, like Kavya himself of the lord of the Daityas, became\ngeneralissimo.[177] That foremost of regenerate persons, ever boasting of\nhis prowess in battle, was supported by the remnant of the Kaurava force\nconsisting then of nine Akshauhinis, and protected by Kripa and Vrisha\nand others. Dhrishtadyumna conversant with many mighty weapons, and\npossessed of great intelligence, became the leader of the Pandavas. He\nwas protected by Bhima like Varuna protected by Mitra. That high-souled\nhero, always desirous of measuring his strength with Drona, supported by\nthe (remnant of the) Pandava army, and recollecting the wrongs inflicted\n(by Drona) on his sire (Drupada, the king of the Panchalas), achieved\ngreat feats in battle. In that encounter between Drona and the son of\nPrishata, the kings assembled from diverse realms were nearly\nexterminated. That furious battle lasted for five days. At the conclusion\nof that period, Drona, exhausted, succumbed to Dhrishtadyumna. After\nthat, Karna became the generalissimo of Duryodhana's forces. He was\nsupported in battle by the remnant of the Kaurava host which numbered\nfive Akshauhinis. Of the sons of Pandu there were then three Akshauhinis.\nAfter the slaughter of innumerable heroes, protected by Arjuna, they came\nto battle. The Suta's son Karna, though a fierce warrior, encountering\nPartha, came to his end on the second day, like an insect encountering a\nblazing fire. After the fall of Karna, the Kauravas became dispirited and\nlost all energy. Numbering three Akshauhinis, they gathered round the\nruler of the Madras. Having lost many car-warriors and elephants and\nhorsemen, the remnant of the Pandava army, numbering one Akshauhini and\npenetrated with cheerlessness, supported Yudhishthira (as their leader).\nThe king Yudhishthira, in the battle that ensued, achieved the most\ndifficult feats and slew, before half the day was over, the king of the\nMadras. After the fall of Salya, the high-souled Sahadeva of immeasurable\nprowess slew Sakuni, the man who had brought about the quarrel (between\nthe Pandavas and the Kurus). After the fall of Sakuni, the royal son of\nDhritarashtra, whose army had suffered an extensive carnage and who on\nthat account had become exceedingly cheerless, fled from the field, armed\nwith his mace. Then Bhimasena of great prowess, filled with wrath,\npursued him and discovered him within the waters of the Dwaipayana lake.\nWith the remnant of their army, the Pandavas surrounded the lake and,\nfilled with joy, encountered Duryodhana concealed within the waters.\nTheir wordy shafts, penetrating through the waters, pierced Duryodhana.\nRising up from the lake, the latter approached the Pandavas, armed with\nhis mace, desirous of battle. Then, in the great battle that ensued, the\nroyal son of Dhritarashtra was slain by Bhimasena who put forth his great\nprowess, in the presence of many kings. After this the remnant of the\nPandava army, as it slept in the camp, was slaughtered at night time by\nDrona's son who was unable to put up with the slaughter of his father (at\nthe hands of Dhrishtadyumna). Their sons slain, their forces slain, only\nthe five sons of Pandu are alive with myself and Yuyudhana. With Kripa\nand the Bhoja prince Kritavarman, the son of Drona represents the unslain\nremnant of the Kaurava army. Dhritarashtra's son Yuyutsu also escaped\nslaughter in consequence of his having adopted the side of the Pandavas.\nUpon the slaughter of the Kaurava king (Suyodhana) with all his followers\nand allies, Vidura and Sanjaya have come to the presence of king\nYudhishthira the just. Even thus did that battle occur, O lord, for eight\nand ten days. Many kings of Earth, slain therein, have ascended to\nHeaven.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The Vrishnis, as they heard, O king, that\ndreadful account became filled with grief and sorrow and pain.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After the high-souled Vasudeva of great prowess had\nfinished his narration of the great battle of the Bharatas before his\nsire, it was plain that that hero had passed over the slaughter of\nAbhimanyu. The motive of the high-souled one was that his sire might not\nhear what was highly unpleasant to him. Indeed, the intelligent Krishna\ndid not wish that his sire Vasudeva should, on hearing the dreadful\nintelligence of the death of his daughter's son, be afflicted with sorrow\nand grief. (His sister) Subhadra, noticing that the slaughter of her son\nhad not been mentioned, addressed her brother, saying,--\"Do thou narrate\nthe death of my son, O Krishna\"--and fell down on the earth (in a swoon).\nVasudeva beheld his daughter fallen on the ground. As soon as he saw\nthis, he also fell down, deprived of his senses by grief. (Regaining his\nsenses) Vasudeva, afflicted with grief at the death of his daughter's\nson, O king, addressed Krishna, saying, \"O lotus-eyed one, thou art famed\non Earth for being truthful in speech. Why, however, O slayer of foes,\ndost thou not tell me today of the death of my daughter's son? O puissant\none, tell me in detail of the slaughter of thy sister's son. Possessed of\neyes resembling thine, alas, how was he slain in battle by foes? Since my\nheart does not from grief break into a hundred pieces, it seems, O thou\nof the Vrishni's race, that it does not die with men when its hour does\nnot come. Oh, at the time of his fall, what words did he utter,\napostrophising his mother? O lotus-eyed one what did that darling of\nmine, possessed of restless eyes, say unto me? I hope he has not been\nslain by foes while retreating from battle with his back towards them? I\nhope, O Govinda, that, his face did not become cheerless while fighting?\nHe was possessed, O Krishna, of mighty energy. From a spirit of\nboyishness, that puissant hero, boasting (of his prowess) in my presence,\nused to speak of his skill (in battle). I hope that boy does not lie on\nthe field, slain deceitfully by Drona and Karna and Kripa and others? Do\nthou tell me this. That son of my daughter always used to challenge\nBhishma and that foremost of all mighty warriors, viz., Karna, in\nbattle.\" Unto his sire who, from excess of grief, indulged in such\nlamentations, Govinda, more afflicted than he answered in these words.\n\"His face did not become cheerless as he fought in the van of battle.\nFierce though that battle was, he did not turn his back upon it. Having\nslain hundreds and thousands of kings of Earth, he was brought to grief\nby Drona and Karna and at last succumbed to the son of Dussasana. If, O\nlord, he had been encountered, one to one, without intermission, he was\nincapable of being slain in battle by even the wielder of the\nthunderbolt. When his sire Arjuna was withdrawn from the main body by the\nSamsaptakas (who challenged to fight him separately), Abhimanyu was\nsurrounded by the enraged Kaurava heroes headed by Drona in battle. Then,\nO sire, after he had slaughtered a very large number of foes in battle,\nthy daughter's son at last succumbed to the son of Dussasana. Without\ndoubt, he has gone to Heaven. Kill this grief of thine, O thou of great\nintelligence. They that are of cleansed understandings never languish\nwhen they meet with any calamity. He by whom Drona and Karna and others\nwere checked in battle,--heroes that were equal to Indra himself in\nmight--why would not he ascend to Heaven? O irresistible one, do thou\nkill this grief of thine. Do not suffer thyself to be swayed by wrath.\nThat conqueror of hostile cities has attained in that sanctified goal\nwhich depends upon death at the edge of weapons. After the fall of that\nhero, this my sister Subhadra stricken with grief, indulged in loud\nlamentations, when she saw Kunti, like a female osprey. When she met\nDraupadi, she asked her in grief,--'O reverend lady, where are all our\nsons? I desire to behold them.' Hearing her lamentations, all the Kaurava\nladies embraced her and wept sitting around her. Beholding (her\ndaughter-in-law) Uttara, she said,--'O blessed girl, where has thy\nhusband gone? When he comes back, do thou, without losing a moment,\napprise me of it. Alas, O daughter of Virata, as soon he heard my voice,\nhe used to come out of his chamber without the loss of a moment. Why does\nnot thy husband come out today? Alas, O Abhimanyu, thy maternal\nuncles--mighty car-warriors--are all hale. They used to bless thee when\nthey saw thee come here prepared to go out for battle. Do thou tell me\nthe incidents of battle today as before, O chastiser of foes. Oh. why\ndost thou not answer me today--me who am weeping so bitterly?'--Hearing\nthese lamentations of this daughter of the Vrishni race, Pritha, deeply\nafflicted with grief, addressed her and slowly said,--'O Subhadra, though\nprotected by Vasudeva and Satyaki and by his own sire, thy youthful son\nhas yet been slain. That slaughter is due to the influence of Time! O\ndaughter of Yadu's race, mortal thy son was. Do not grieve. Irresistible\nin battle, thy son has, without doubt, attained to the highest goal. Thou\nart born in a high race of high-souled Kshatriyas. Do not grieve, O thou\nof restless glances, O girl of eyes like lotus-petals. Do thou cast thy\neyes on Uttara who is quick with child. O blessed lady, do not yield to\nsorrow. This auspicious girl will soon bring forth a son to that hero.'\nHaving comforted her in this way, Kunti, conversant with every duty, O\nperpetuator of Yadu's race, casting off her grief, O irresistible one,\nmade arrangements for Abhimanyu's obsequial rites, with the acquiescence\nof king Yudhishthira and Bhima, and the twins (viz., Nakula and Sahadeva)\nwho in prowess resembled Yama himself. She also made many presents unto\nthe Brahmanas, and bestowed upon them many kine, O perpetuator of Yadu's\nrace. Then the Vrishni dame (Kunti), comforted a little, addressed the\ndaughter of Virata, saying,--'O faultless daughter of Virata, thou\nshouldst not indulge in grief. For the sake of thy husband, O thou of\nrotund hips, protect the child in thy womb.'--Having said these words, O\nthou of great splendour, Kunti ceased. With her permission I have brought\nSubhadra here. It was even thus, O giver of honours, that thy daughter's\nson met with his death. Cast off thy burning grief, O irresistible one.\nIndeed, do not set thy heart on sorrow.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard these words of his son Vasudeva, that\ndescendant of Sura, of righteous soul, casting off his grief, made\nexcellent obsequial offerings (unto Abhimanyu). Vasudeva also performed\nthose rites for the ascension (to Heaven) of his high-souled nephew, that\nhero who was ever the darling of his sire (Vasudeva). He duly fed six\nmillions of Brahmanas, endued with great energy, with edibles possessed\nof every recommendation. Presenting many clothes unto them, Krishna\ngratified the thirst for wealth of those Brahmanas. Wonderful were the\nheaps of gold, the number of kine and of beds and clothes, that were then\ngiven away. The Brahmanas loudly declared--\"Let (Krishna's wealth)\nincrease.\" Then Vasudeva of Dasarha's race, and Valadeva, and Satyaki,\nand Satyaka, each performed the obsequial rites of Abhimanyu. Exceedingly\nafflicted with grief, they failed to attain comfort. The same was the\ncase with the sons of Pandu in the city called after the elephant.\nDeprived of Abhimanyu, they failed to obtain peace of mind. The daughter\nof Virata, O monarch, for many days, totally abstained from all food,\nexceedingly afflicted by grief on account of the death of her husband. At\nthis all her relatives became plunged into excess of grief. They all\nfeared that the embryo in her womb might be destroyed. Then Vyasa,\nascertaining the state of things by his spiritual vision, came there. The\nhighly intelligent Rishi, endued with great energy, arrived (at the\npalace), addressed Pritha of large eyes, as also Uttara herself,\nsaying,--\"Let this grief be abandoned. O famous lady, a son endued with\nmighty energy will be born to thee, through the puissance of Vasudeva and\nat my word. That son will rule the Earth after the Pandavas (have\ndeparted from it).\" Beholding Dhananjaya, he said unto him, in the\nhearing of king Yudhishthira the just, and gladdening him with his words,\n\"O Bharata, thy grandson, O highly blessed one, will become a\nhigh-souled prince. He will righteously rule the whole Earth to the verge\nof the sea. Therefore, O foremost one of Kuru's race, cast off this\ngrief, O mower of foes. Do not doubt this. This will truly happen. That\nwhich was uttered by the Vrishni hero on a former occasion, will, without\ndoubt, happen. Do not think otherwise. As regards Abhimanyu, he has gone\nto the regions of the deities, conquered by him with his own acts. That\nhero should not be grieved for by thee or, indeed, by the other Kurus.\"\nThus addressed by his grandsire, Dhananjaya of righteous soul, O king,\ncast off his grief and even became cheerful. Thy sire, O prince, that art\nconversant with all duties, began to grow in that womb, O thou of great\nintelligence, like the Moon in the lighted fortnight. Then Vyasa urged\nthe royal son of Dharma for performing the horse-sacrifice. Having said\nso, he made himself invisible there and then. The intelligent king\nYudhishthira the just, hearing the words of Vyasa, set his mind on the\njourney for bringing wealth (for the sacrifice).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'Having heard these words, O regenerate one, that were\nspoken by the high-souled Vyasa in respect of the horse-sacrifice, what\nsteps were taken by Yudhishthira? Do thou tell me, O foremost of\nregenerate ones, how the king succeeded in obtaining the wealth which\nMarutta had buried in the Earth.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having heard the words of the Island-born ascetic,\nking Yudhishthira the just, summoned all his brothers, viz., Arjuna and\nBhimasena and the twin sons of Madri, in proper time and then said unto\nthem (the following words),--\"Ye heroes, you have heard the words which\nthe highly intelligent and high-souled Krishna has said from his\nfriendship for and the desire of doing good to the Kurus![178] Verily,\nyou have heard those words that have been uttered by that ascetic of\nabundant penances, that great sage desirous of bestowing prosperity on\nhis friends, that preceptor of righteous behaviour, viz., Vyasa of\nwonderful feats. You have heard what Bhishma also said, and what Govinda\ntoo of great intelligence has uttered. Remembering those words, ye sons\nof Pandu, I desire to obey them duly. By obeying those words of theirs\ngreat blessedness will attach to all of you. Those words spoken by those\nutterers of Brahma are certain (if obeyed) to bring in their train\nconsiderable benefit. Ye perpetuators of Kuru's race, the Earth has\nbecome divested of her wealth. Ye kings, Vyasa, therefore, informed us of\nthe wealth (that lies buried in the Earth) of Marutta. If you think that\nwealth abundant or sufficient, how shall we bring it (to our capital)?\nWhat, O Bhima, dost thou think as regards this?\" When the king, O\nperpetuator of Kuru's race, said these words, Bhimasena, joining his\nhands, said these words in reply,--\"The words thou hast said, O thou of\nmighty-arms, on the subject of bringing the wealth indicated by Vyasa,\nare approved by me. If, O puissant one, we succeed in getting the wealth\nkept there by the son of Avikshita, then this sacrifice, O king, purposed\nby us will be easily accomplished. Even this is what I think. We shall,\ntherefore, bowing our heads unto the high-souled Girisa, and offering due\nworship unto that deity, bring that wealth. Blessed be thou. Gratifying\nthat god of gods, as also his companions and followers, in words,\nthought, and deed, we shall, without doubt, obtain that wealth. Those\nKinnaras of fierce mien who are protecting that treasure will certainly\nyield to us if the great deity having the bull for his sign become\ngratified with us!\"--Hearing these words uttered by Bhima, O Bharata,\nking Yudhishthira the son of Dharma became highly pleased. The others,\nheaded by Arjuna, at the same time, said, \"So be it.\" The Pandavas then,\nhaving resolved to bring that wealth, ordered their forces to march under\nthe constellation Dhruba and on the day called by the same name.[179]\nCausing the Brahmanas to utter benedictions on them, and having duly\nworshipped the great god Maheswara, the sons of Pandu set out (on their\nenterprise). Gratifying that high-souled deity with Modakas and frumenty\nand with cakes made of meat, the sons of Pandu set out with cheerful\nhearts. While they thus set out, the citizens, and many foremost of\nBrahmanas, with cheerful hearts, uttered auspicious blessings (on their\nheads). The Pandavas, circumambulating many Brahmanas that daily\nworshipped their fires, and bending their heads unto them, proceeded on\ntheir journey. Taking the permission of king Dhritarashtra who was\nafflicted with grief on account of the death of his sons, his queen\n(Gandhari), and Pritha also of large eyes, and keeping the Kaurava prince\nYuyutsu, the son of Dhritarashtra, in the capital, they set out,\nworshipped by the citizens and by many Brahmanas possessed of great\nwisdom.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'They then set out, with cheerful hearts, and\naccompanied by men and animals all of whom and which were equally\ncheerful. They filled the whole Earth with the loud clatter of their\nwheels. Their praises hymned by eulogists and Sutas and Magadhas and\nbards, and supported by their own army, they looked like so many Adityas\nadorned with their own rays. With the white umbrella held over his head,\nking Yudhishthira shone with beauty like the lord of the stars on the\nnight when he is at full. That foremost of men, the eldest son of Pandu,\naccepted, with due forms, the blessings and cheers of his gladdened\nsubjects as he proceeded on his way. As regards the soldiers that\nfollowed the king, their confused murmurs seemed to fill the entire\nwelkin. That host crossed many lakes and rivers and forests and pleasure\ngardens. They at last came upon the mountains. Arrived at that region\nwhere that wealth was buried, O king, the royal Yudhishthira fixed his\ncamp with all his brothers and troops. The region selected for the\npurpose, O chief of Bharata's race, was perfectly level and auspicious.\nThere the king pitched his camp, placing in his van such Brahmanas as\nwere endued with penances and learning and self-restraint, as also his\npriest Agnivesya, O thou of Kuru's race, who was well-conversant with the\nVedas and all their branches.[180] Then the royal sons of Pandu, and the\nother kings (who accompanied that expedition), and the Brahmanas and\npriests well-skilled in sacrificial rites, having duly performed some\npropitiatory ceremonies, spread themselves all over that spot. Having\nduly placed the king and his ministers in the middle, the Brahmanas\ncaused the camp to be pitched by laying out six roads and nine\ndivisions.[181] King Yudhishthira caused a separate encampment to be duly\nmade for the infuriate elephants that accompanied his force. When\neverything was complete, he addressed the Brahmanas, saying, \"Ye foremost\nof Brahmanas, let that be done which you think should be done in view of\nthe matter at hand. Indeed, let an auspicious day and constellation be\nfixed for it. Let not a long time pass away over our heads as we wait in\nsuspense here. Ye foremost of learned Brahmanas, having formed this\nresolution, let that be done which should be done after this.\" Hearing\nthese words of the king, the Brahmanas with those amongst them that were\nwell-skilled in the performance of religious rites, became filled with\ngladness and desirous of doing what was agreeable to king Yudhishthira\nthe just, said these words in reply, \"This very day is an auspicious one\nwith an auspicious constellation. We shall, therefore, strive to\naccomplish those high rites we propose. We shall today, O king, live upon\nwater alone. Do you all fast also today.\" Hearing those words of those\nforemost Brahmanas, the royal sons of Pandu passed that night, abstaining\nfrom all food, and lying confidently on beds of Kusa grass, like blazing\nfires in a sacrifice. And the night wore away as they listened to the\ndiscourses of the learned Brahmanas (on diverse subjects). When the\ncloudless morning came, those foremost of Brahmanas addressed the royal\nson of Dharma (saying as follows).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\n\"'The Brahmanas said, \"Let offerings be made unto the high-souled\nMahadeva of three eyes. Having duly dedicated those offerings, O king, we\nshall then strive to gain our object.\" Hearing these words of those\nBrahmanas, Yudhishthira caused offerings to be duly made unto that deity\nwho loved to lie down on mountain-breasts. Gratifying the (sacrificial)\nfire with (libations of) sanctified butter according to the ordinance,\nthe priest (Dhaumya) cooked Charu with the aid of Mantras and performed\nthe necessary rites. He took up many flowers and sanctified them with\nMantras, O king. With Modakas and frumenty and meat, he made offerings to\nthe deity. With diverse kinds of flowers and with fried paddy, of very\nsuperior kind, Dhaumya, well-versed in the Vedas, performed the remaining\nrites. He next presented offerings according to the ordinance unto those\nghostly beings who formed Mahadeva's train. And offerings were next made\nto Kuvera, the chief of the Yakshas, and unto Manibhadra also. Unto the\nother Yakshas also and unto them that were the foremost ones among the\nghostly companions of Mahadeva, the priest offered due worship, having\nfilled many jugs with food, with Krisaras and meat and Nivapas mixed with\nsesame seeds. The king gave away unto the Brahmanas thousands of kine. He\nthen directed the presentation, according to due rites, of offerings unto\nthose night-wandering beings (who live with Mahadeva). Surcharged, as it\nwere, with the scent of Dhupas, and filled with the fragrance of flowers,\nthat region, sacred to the deity of deities, O king, became exceedingly\ndelightful. Having performed the worship of Rudra and of all the Ganas,\nthe king, placing Vyasa ahead, proceeded towards the place where the\ntreasure was buried. Once more worshipping the Lord of treasures, and\nbowing unto him with reverence and saluting him properly, with diverse\nkinds of flowers and cakes and Krisara, having worshipped those foremost\nof gems, viz., Sankha and Nidhi, and those Yakshas who are the lords of\ngems, and having worshipped many foremost of Brahmanas and caused them to\nutter blessings, the king endued with great puissance, strengthened by\nthe energy and the auspicious benedictions of those Brahmanas, caused\nthat spot to be excavated. Then numerous vessels of diverse and\ndelightful forms, and Bhringaras and Katahas and Kalasas and\nBardhamanakas, and innumerable Bhajanas of beautiful forms, were dug out\nby king Yudhishthira the just. The wealth thus dug out was placed in\nlarge \"Karaputas\" for protection.[182] A portion of the wealth was caused\nto be borne upon the shoulders of men in stout balances of wood with\nbaskets slung like scales at both ends. Indeed, O king, there were other\nmethods of conveyance there for bearing away that wealth of the son of\nPandu.[183] There were sixty thousands of camels and a hundred and twenty\nthousand horses, and of elephants, O monarch, there were one hundred\nthousand. Of cars there were as many, and of carts, too as many, and of\nshe-elephants as many. Of mules and men the number was untold. That\nwealth which Yudhishthira caused to be dug out was even so much. Sixteen\nthousand coins were placed on the back of each camel; eight thousand on\neach car; four and twenty thousand on each elephant; (while proportionate\nloads were placed on horses and mules and on the backs, shoulder and\nheads of men). Having loaded these vehicles with that wealth and once\nmore worshipping the great deity Siva, the son of Pandu set out for the\ncity called after the elephant, with the permission of the Island-born\nRishi, and placing his priest Dhaumya in the van. That foremost of men,\nviz., the royal son of Pandu, made short marches every day, measured by a\nGoyuta (4 miles). That mighty host, O king, afflicted with the weight\nthey bore, returned, bearing that wealth, towards the capital, gladdening\nthe hearts of all those perpetuators of the Kuru race.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Meanwhile, Vasudeva of great energy accompanied by\nthe Vrishnis, came to the city called after the elephant. While leaving\nthat city for returning to his own Dwaraka, he had been requested by the\nson of Dharma to come back. Hence, knowing that the time fixed for the\nhorse-sacrifice had come, that foremost of men came back (to the Kuru\ncapital). Accompanied by the son of Rukmini, by Yuyudhana, by\nCharudeshna, by Samva, by Gada, by Kritavarman, by the heroic Sarana, by\nNisatha, and by the Unmukha, Vasudeva came with Valadeva at the head of\nthe train, with Subhadra also accompanying him. Indeed, that hero came\nfor seeing Draupadi and Uttara and Pirtha and for comforting those\nKshatriya ladies of distinction who had been bereft of many of their\nprotectors. Beholding those heroes come, king Dhritarashtra, as also the\nhigh-souled Vidura, received them with due honours. That foremost of men,\nviz., Krishna of great energy, well adored by Vidura and Yuyutsu,\ncontinued to reside in the Kuru capital. It was while the Vrishni heroes,\nO Janamejaya, were residing in the Kuru city, O king, that thy sire, that\nslayer of hostile heroes, was born. The royal Parikshit, O monarch,\nafflicted by the Brahma weapon (of Aswatthaman), upon coming out of the\nwomb, lay still and motionless, for life he had not. By his birth he had\ngladdened the citizens but soon plunged them into grief. The citizens,\nlearning of the birth of the prince, uttered a leonine shout. That noise\nproceeded to the utmost verge of every point of the compass. Soon,\nhowever, (when it was known that the prince was bereft of life), that\nnoise ceased. With great haste Krishna, his senses and mind considerably\naffected, with Yuyudhana in his company, entered the inner apartments of\nthe palace. He beheld his own paternal aunt (Kunti) coming, loudly\nweeping and calling upon him repeatedly. Behind her were Draupadi and the\nfamous Subhadra, and the wives of the relatives of the Pandavas, all\nweeping piteously. Meeting Krishna, Kunti, that daughter of the Bhoja\nrace, said unto him, O foremost of monarchs, these words in a voice\nchocked with tears, \"O Vasudeva, O mighty-armed hero, Devaki by having\nborne thee, has come to be regarded as an excellent genetrix. Thou art\nour refuge, and our glory. This race (of Pandu) depends upon thee for its\nprotector. O Yadava hero, O puissant one, this child of thy sister's son,\nhas come out of the womb, slain by Aswatthaman. O Kesava, do thou revive\nhim. O delighter of the Yadavas, even this was vowed by thee, O puissant\none, when Aswatthaman had inspired the blade of grass into a\nBrahma-weapon of mighty energy. Indeed, O Kesava, thy words were even\nthese, 'I shall revive that child if he comes out of the womb dead.'--That\nchild, O son, has been born dead. Behold him, O foremost of men. It\nbehoveth thee, O Madhava, to rescue Uttara and Subhadra and Draupadi and\nmyself, and Dharma's son (Yudhishthira), and Bhima and Phalguna, and\nNakula, and the irresistible Sahadeva. In this child are bound the\nlife-breaths of the Pandavas and myself. O thou of the Dasarha race, on\nhim depends the obsequial cake of Pandu, as also of my father-in-law, and\nof Abhimanyu too, blessed be thou, that darling nephew of thine who was\nso very like unto thee. Do thou accomplish today what will be beneficial\nto all these. I urge thee earnestly, O Janarddana. Uttara, O slayer of\nfoes, always repeats the words said unto her by Abhimanyu. Without doubt,\nO Krishna, those words were highly agreeable to her. O thou of the\nDasarha race, Arjuna's son said unto this daughter of Virata,--'Thy son, O\nblessed girl, will go to my maternal uncles. Taking up his residence with\nthe Vrishnis and Andhakas, he will obtain from them the science of arms,\nindeed, diverse wonderful weapons and the whole of the science of\npolitics and morality.' Even these were the words, O son, that that slayer\nof hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, that irresistible hero,\nsaid unto Uttara, from his affection for her. O slayer of Madhu, bowing\nour heads unto thee, we pray thee for making those words of Abhimanyu\ntrue. In view also of the time that has come, do thou accomplish what is\nhighly beneficial.\" Having said these words unto that hero of the\nVrishni's race, Pritha of large eyes, raised her arms upwards and with\nthe other ladies in her company, fell down on the Earth. All of them,\nwith eyes rendered muddy by tears, repeatedly exclaimed, saying, \"Alas,\nthe son of Vasudeva's nephew has been born dead.\" After Kunti had said\nso, Janarddana took hold of her, O Bharata, and gently raising her from\nthe Earth, comforted her as follows.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After Kunti had sat up, Subhadra, beholding her\nbrother, began to weep aloud, and afflicted with excessive grief,\nsaid,--\"O thou of eyes like lotus petals, behold the grandson of Arjuna\nof great intelligence. Alas, the Kuru race having been thinned, a child\nhas been born that is feeble and dead. The blade of grass (inspired into\na weapon of great efficacy), uplifted by Drona's son for compassing the\ndestruction of Bhimasena, fell upon Uttara and Vijaya and myself.[184]\nAlas, that blade, O Kesava, is still existing unextracted in me, after\nhaving pierced my heart, since I do not, O irresistible hero, behold this\nchild with (his sire who was) my son. What will the righteous-souled king\nYudhishthira the just say? What will Bhimasena and Arjuna and the two\nsons of Madravati also say? Hearing that Abhimanyu's son was born and found\ndead, the Pandavas, O thou of Vrishni's race, will regard themselves as\ncheated by Aswatthaman. Abhimanyu, O Krishna, was the favourite of all\nthe Pandava brothers, without doubt. Hearing this intelligence, what will\nthose heroes, vanquished by the weapon of Drona's son say? What grief, O\nJanarddana, can be greater than this viz., that Abhimanyu's son should be\nborn dead! Bowing unto thee with my head, O Krishna, I seek to gratify\nthee today. Behold, O foremost of men, these two standing here, viz.,\nPritha and Draupadi. When, O Madhava, the son of Drona sought to destroy\nthe embryos even in the wombs of the ladies of the Pandavas, at that\ntime, O grinder of foes, thou saidst in wrath unto Drona's son (ever\nthese words), 'O wretch of a Brahmana, O vilest of men, I shall\ndisappoint thy wish. I shall revive the son of Kiritin's son.' Hearing\nthese words of thine and well knowing thy puissance, I seek to gratify\nthee, O irresistible hero. Let the son of Abhimanyu be revived. If having\npledged thyself previously thou dost not accomplish thy auspicious vow,\ndo thou then know for certain, O chief of the Vrishni race, that I shall\ncast off my life. If, O hero, this son of Abhimanyu doth not revive when\nthou, O irresistible one, art alive and near, of what other use wilt thou\nbe to me? Do thou, therefore, O irresistible one, revive this son of\nAbhimanyu,--this child possessed of eyes similar to his,--even as a\nrain-charged cloud revives the lifeless crops (on a field). Thou, O\nKesava, art righteous-souled, truthful, and of prowess incapable of being\nbaffled. It behoveth thee, O chastiser of foes, to make thy words\ntruthful. If only thou wishest it, thou canst revive the three worlds (of\nbeing) if dead. What need I say, therefore, of this darling child, born\nbut dead, of thy sister's son? I know thy puissance, O Krishna.\nTherefore, do I solicit thee. Do thou show this great favour to the sons\nof Pandu. It behoveth thee, O mighty-armed one, to show compassion to\nthis Uttara or to me, thinking that I am thy sister or even a mother that\nhath lost her son, and one that hath thrown herself upon thy protection.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed, O king, (by his sister and others),\nthe slayer of Kesin, exceedingly afflicted by grief, answered,--\"So be\nit!\"--These words were uttered with sufficient loudness and they\ngladdened all the inmates of the inner apartments of the palace. The\npuissant Krishna, that foremost of men, by uttering these words,\ngladdened all the people assembled there, like one pouring cold water on\na person afflicted with sweat. He then quickly entered the lying-in room\nin which thy sire was born. It was duly sanctified, O chief of men, with\nmany garlands of white flowers, with many well-filled water pots arranged\non every side; with charcoal, soaked in ghee, of Tinduka wood, and\nmustard seeds, O thou of mighty arms; with shining weapons properly\narrayed, and several fires on every side. And it was peopled by many\nagreeable and aged dames summoned for waiting (upon thy grandmother). It\nwas also surrounded by many well-skilled and clever physicians, O thou of\ngreat intelligence. Endued with great energy, he also saw there all\narticles that are destructive of Rakshasas, duly placed by persons\nconversant with the subject. Beholding the lying-in room in which thy\nsire was born thus equipt, Hrishikesa became very glad and\nsaid,--\"Excellent, Excellent!\" When he of Vrishni's race said so and\npresented such a cheerful countenance, Draupadi, repairing thither with\ngreat speed, addressed the daughter of Virata, saying,--\"O blessed lady,\nhere comes to thee thy father-in-law, the slayer of Madhu, that ancient\nRishi of inconceivable soul, that unvanquished one.\"--Virata's daughter,\nchecking her tears, said these words in a voice suffocated with grief.\nCovering herself properly, the princess waited for Krishna like the\ndeities reverentially waiting for him. The helpless lady, with heart\nagitated by grief, beholding Govinda coming, indulged in these\nlamentations, \"O lotus-eyed one, behold us two deprived of our child. O\nJanarddana, both Abhimanyu and myself have been equally slain. O thou of\nVrishni's race, O slayer of Madhu, I seek to gratify thee by bending my\nhead, O hero, unto thee. Do thou revive this child of mine that has been\nconsumed by the weapon of Drona's son. If king Yudhishthira the just, or\nBhimasena, or thyself, O lotus-eyed one, had, on that occasion, said,\n'Let the blade of grass (inspired by Aswatthaman into a Brahma-weapon)\ndestroy the unconscious mother'--O puissant one, then I would have been\ndestroyed and this (sad occurrence) would not have happened. Alas, what\nbenefit has been reaped by Drona's son by accomplishing this cruel deed,\nviz., the destruction of the child in the womb by his Brahma-weapon. The\nself-same mother now seeks to gratify thee, O slayer of foes, by bending\nher head. Surely, O Govinda, I shall cast off my life-breaths if this\nchild does not revive. In him, O righteous one, were placed many\nexpectations by me. Alas, when these have been frustrated by Drona's son,\nwhat need have I, O Kesava, to bear, the burden of life? The hope, O\nKrishna, was cherished by me that with my child on my lap, O Janarddana,\nI would salute thee with reverence. Alas, O Kesava, that hope has been\ndestroyed. O foremost of all beings, at the death of this heir of\nAbhimanyu of restless eyes, all the hopes in my breast have been\ndestroyed. Abhimanyu of restless eyes, O slayer of Madhu, was exceedingly\ndear to thee. Behold this child of his slain by the Brahma-weapon. This\nchild is very ungrateful and very heartless, like his sire, for, behold,\ndisregarding the prosperity and affluence of the Pandavas, he has gone to\nYama's abode. I had, before this, vowed, O Kesava, that if Abhimanyu fell\non the field of battle, O hero, I would follow him without any loss of\ntime. I did not, however, keep my vow, cruel that I am and fond of life.\nIf I repair to him now, what, indeed, will Phalguna's son say?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The helpless Uttara, desirous of getting back her\nchild, having indulged in these piteous lamentations, fell down in\naffliction on the earth like a demented creature. Beholding the princess\nfallen on the earth deprived of her son and with her body uncovered,\nKunti as also all the (other) Bharata ladies deeply afflicted, began to\nweep aloud. Resounding with the voice of lamentation, the palace of the\nPandavas, O king, was soon converted into a mansion of sorrow where\nnobody could remain. Exceedingly afflicted by grief on account of her\nson, Virata's daughter, O king, seemed to be struck down for some time by\nsorrow and cheerlessness. Regaining consciousness, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, Uttara took up her child on her lap and said these words: \"Thou art\nthe child of one who was conversant with every duty. Art thou not\nconscious then of the sin thou committest, since thou dost not salute\nthis foremost one of the Vrishni's race? O son, repairing to thy sire\ntell him these words of mine, viz.,--it is difficult for living creatures\nto die before their time comes, since though reft of thee, my husband,\nand now deprived of my child also, I am yet alive when I should die,\nunendued as I am with everything auspicious and everything possessed of\nvalue.--O mighty-armed one, with the permission of king Yudhishthira the\njust I shall swallow some virulent poison or cast myself on the blazing\nfire. O sire, difficult of destruction is my heart since, though I am\ndeprived of husband and child, that heart of mine does not yet break into\na thousand pieces. Rise, O son and behold this thy afflicted\ngreat-grandmother. She is deeply afflicted with grief, bathed in tears,\nexceedingly cheerless, and plunged in an ocean of sorrow. Behold the\nreverend princess of Panchala, and the helpless princess of the Satwata\nrace. Behold myself, exceedingly afflicted with grief, and resembling a\ndeer pierced by a hunter. Rise, O child, and behold the face of this lord\nof the worlds, that is endued with great wisdom, and possessed of eyes\nlike lotus-petals and resembling thy sire of restless glance.\" Beholding\nUttara, who indulged in these lamentations, fallen on the earth, all\nthose ladies, raising her, caused her to sit up. Having sat up, the\ndaughter of the king of the Matsyas, summoning her patience, joined her\nhands in reverence and touched the earth with her head for saluting\nKesava of eyes like the petals of the lotus. That foremost of beings,\nhearing those heart-rending lamentations of hers, touched water and\nwithdrew the (force of the) Brahma-weapon.[185] That hero of unfading\nglory, belonging to the race of the Dasarhas, promised to give the child\nhis life. Then he of pure soul, said these words in the hearing of the\nwhole universe,--\"O Uttara, I never utter an untruth. My words will prove\ntrue. I shall revive this child in the presence of all creatures. Never\nbefore have I uttered an untruth even in jest. Never have I turned back\nfrom battle. (By the merit of those acts) let this child revive! As\nrighteousness is dear to me, as Brahmanas are specially dear to me, (by\nthe merit of that disposition of mine) let Abhimanyu's son, who is born\ndead, revive! Never hath a misunderstanding arisen between me and my\nfriend Vijaya. Let this dead child revive by that truth! As truth and\nrighteousness are always established in me, let this dead child of\nAbhimanyu revive (by the merit of these)! As Kansa and Kesi have been\nrighteously slain by me, let this child revive today by that truth!\"\nAfter these words were uttered by Vasudeva, that child, O foremost one of\nBharata's race, became animate and began gradually to move, O monarch.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When the Brahma-weapon was withdrawn by Krishna, at\nthat time, the laying-in room was illumined by thy father with his\nenergy. All the Rakshasas (that had come there) were forced to leave the\nroom and many of them met with destruction. In the welkin a voice was\nheard, saying, \"Excellent, O Kesava, Excellent!\"--The blazing\nBrahma-weapon then returned to the Grandsire (of all the worlds). Thy\nsire got back his life-breaths, O king. The child began to move according\nto his energy and might. The Bharata ladies became filled with joy. At\nthe command of Govinda, the Brahmanas were made to utter benedictions.\nAll the ladies, filled with joy, praised Janarddana. Indeed, the wives of\nthose Bharata lions, viz., Kunti and Drupada's daughter and Subhadra, and\nUttara, and the wives of other lions among men, like (ship-wrecked)\npersons who have reached the shore after having obtained a boat, became\nexceedingly glad. Then wrestlers and actors and astrologers and those who\nenquire after the slumbers (of princes), and bands of bards and eulogists\nall uttered the praises of Janarddana, while uttering benedictions\nfraught with the praises of the Kuru race, O chief of the Bharatas.\nUttara, rising up at the proper time, with a delighted heart and bearing\nher child in her arms, reverentially saluted the delighter of the Yadus.\nRejoicing greatly, Krishna made gifts unto the child of many valuable\ngems. The other chiefs of the Vrishni race, did the same. Then the\npuissant Janarddana, firmly adhering to truth, bestowed a name on the\ninfant who was thy sire, O monarch.--\"Since this child of Abhimanyu has\nbeen born at a time when this race has become nearly extinct, let his\nname be Parikshit!\" Even this is what he said. Then thy father, O king,\nbegan to grow, and gladden all the people, O Bharata. When thy father was\na month old, O hero, the Pandavas came back to their capital, bringing\nwith them a profusion of wealth. Hearing that the Pandavas were near,\nthose foremost ones of the Vrishni race went out. The citizens decked the\ncity called after the elephant with garlands of flowers in profusions,\nwith beautiful pennons and standards of diverse kinds. The citizens also,\nO king, adorned their respective mansions. Desirous of doing what was\nbeneficial to the sons of Pandu, Vidura ordered diverse kinds of worship\nto be offered to the deities established in their respective temples. The\nprincipal streets of the city were adorned with flowers. Indeed, the city\nwas filled with the hum of thousands of voices which resembled the\nsoftened roar of distant ocean waves. With dancers all engaged in their\nvocation, and with the voice of singers, the (Kuru) city then resembled\nthe mansion of Vaisravana himself.[186] Bards and eulogists, O king,\naccompanied by beautiful women were seen to adorn diverse retired spots\nin the city. The pennons were caused by the wind to float gaily on every\npart of the city, as if bent upon showing the Kurus the southern and the\nnorthern points of the compass. All the officers also of the government\nloudly proclaimed that that was to be a day of rejoicing for the entire\nkingdom as an indication of the success of the enterprise for bringing a\nprofusion of gems and other valuables.'\"[187]\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing that the Pandavas were near, that crusher of\nfoes, viz., Vasudeva, accompanied by his ministers, went out for seeing\nthem.\n\n\"'The Pandavas then, uniting with the Vrishnis according to the usual\nformalities, together entered, O king, the city named after the elephant.\nWith the hum of voices and the clatter of cars of that mighty host, the\nEarth and the welkin, and the firmament itself, became as it were\nentirely filled. The Pandavas, with rejoicing hearts, accompanied by\ntheir officers and friends entered the capital, placing that treasure in\ntheir van. Repairing, agreeably to custom, to king Dhritarashtra first,\nthey worshipped his feet, announcing their respective names. Those\nforemost ones of Bharata's race, O chief of kings, then paid their\nrespectful salutations to Gandhari, the daughter of Suvala and to Kunti.\nThey next worshipped (their uncle) Vidura and met Yuyutsu, the son of\nDhritarashtra by his Vaisya wife. Those heroes were then worshipped by\nothers and they blazed forth in beauty, O king. After this, O Bharata,\nthose heroes heard the tidings of that highly wonderful and marvellous\nand glad-some birth of thy father. Hearing of that feat of Vasudeva of\ngreat intelligence, they all worshipped Krishna, the delighter of Devaki,\nwho was every way worthy of worship. Then, after a few days, Vyasa, the\nson of Satyavati, endued with great energy, came to the city named after\nthe elephant. The perpetuators of Kuru's race worshipped the great Rishi\naccording to the usual custom. Indeed, those heroes, with those foremost\nprinces of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races, paid the sage their\nadorations. After having conversed on various subjects, Dharma's son\nYudhishthira addressed Vyasa and said, \"This treasure, O holy one, which\nhas been brought through thy grace I wish to devote to that great\nsacrifice known by the name of the horse-sacrifice. O best of ascetics, I\ndesire to have thy permission. We are all, O Rishi, at thy disposal, and\nat that of the high-souled Krishna.\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"I give thee permission, O king. Do what should be done\nafter this. Do thou worship the deities duly by performing the\nhorse-sacrifice with profuse gifts. The horse-sacrifice, O king, is a\ncleanser of all sins. Without doubt, having worshipped the deities by\nthat sacrifice thou wilt surely be cleansed of all sins.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, the Kuru king Yudhisthira of\nrighteous soul then set his heart, O monarch, on making the necessary\npreparations for the horse-sacrifice. Having represented all this unto\nthe Island-born Krishna, the king endued with great eloquence approached\nVasudeva and said,--\"O foremost of all beings, the goddess Devaki has,\nthrough thee, come to be regarded as the most fortunate of mothers! O\nthou of unfading glory, do thou accomplish that which I shall now tell\nthee, O mighty-armed one. O delighter of the Kurus, the diverse\nenjoyments we enjoy have all been acquired through thy puissance. The\nwhole Earth has been subjugated by thee with the aid of thy prowess and\nintelligence. Do thou, therefore, cause thyself to undergo the rites of\ninitiation. Thou art our highest preceptor and master. If thou performest\nthe sacrifice, O thou of the Dasarha race, I shall be cleansed from every\nsin. Thou art Sacrifice. Thou art the Indestructible. Thou art this All.\nThou art Righteousness. Thou art Prajapati. Thou art the goal of all\ncreatures. Even this is my certain conclusion.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O mighty-armed one, it becomes thee to say so, O\nchastiser of foes. Thou art the goal of all creatures. Even this is my\ncertain conclusion. Amongst the heroes of the Kuru race, in consequence\nof thy righteousness, thou shinest today in great glory. They have all\nbeen cast into the shade, O king, by thee. Thou art our king, and thou\nart our senior. With my approval freely granted, do thou adore the\ndeities in the sacrifice suggested. Do thou, O Bharata, appoint us to\nwhatever tasks thou likest. Truly, do I pledge myself that I shall\naccomplish all, O sinless one, that thou mayst bid me accomplish.\nBhimasena and Arjuna and the two sons of Madravati will be sacrificing\nwhen thou, O king, sacrificest.\"'\"[188]\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by Krishna, Yudhishthira, the son of\nDharma, endued with great intelligence, saluted Vyasa and said these\nwords: \"Do thou cause me to be initiated when the proper hour, as thou\ntruly knowest, comes for that rite. This my sacrifice is entirely\ndependent on thee.\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Myself, O son of Kunti, and Paila and Yajnavalkya, shall\nwithout doubt, achieve every rite at the proper time. The rite of\ninitiating thee will be performed on the day of full moon belonging to\nthe month of Chaitra. Let all the necessaries of the sacrifice, O\nforemost of men, be got ready. Let Sutas well-versed in the science of\nhorses, and let Brahmanas also possessed of the same lore, select, after\nexamination, a worthy horse in order that thy sacrifice may be completed.\nLoosening the animal according to the injunctions of the scriptures, let\nhim wander over the whole Earth with her belt of seas, displaying thy\nblazing glory, O king!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed (by the Rishi), Yudhishthira,\nthe son of Pandu, that lord of Earth, answered,--\"So be it!\"--and then, O\nmonarch, he accomplished all that that utterer of Brahma had directed.\nAll the articles necessary for the sacrifice, O king, were duly procured.\nThe royal son of Dharma, possessed of immeasurable soul, having procured\nall the necessaries, informed the Island-born Krishna of it. Then Vyasa\nof great energy said unto the royal son of Dharma,--\"As regards\nourselves, we are all prepared to initiate thee in view of the sacrifice.\nLet the Sphya and the Kurcha and all the other articles that, O thou of\nKuru's race, may be needed for thy sacrifice, be made of gold.[189] Let\nthe horse also be loosened today, for roaming on the Earth, agreeably to\nthe ordinances of the scriptures. Let the animal, duly protected, wander\nover the Earth.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Let arrangements be made by thee, O regenerate one,\nabout loosening this horse for enabling it to wander over the Earth at\nits will. It behoveth thee, O ascetic, to say who will protect this steed\nwhile roaming over the Earth freely according to its will.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed (by king Yudhishthira), O\nmonarch, the Island-born Krishna said,--\"He who is born after Bhimasena,\nwho is the foremost of all bowmen, who is called Jishnu, who is endued\nwith great patience and capable of overcoming all resistance,--he will\nprotect the horse. That destroyer of the Nivatakavachas is competent to\nconquer the whole Earth. In him are all celestial weapons. His body is\nlike that of a celestial in its powers of endurance. His bow and quivers\nare celestial. Even he will follow this horse.--He is well versed in both\nReligion and wealth. He is a master of all the sciences. O foremost of\nkings, he will agreeably to the scriptures, cause the steed to roam and\ngraze at its will. This mighty-armed prince, of dark complexion, is\nendued with eyes resembling the petals of the lotus. That hero, the\nfather of Abhimanyu, will protect the steed. Bhimasena also is endued\nwith great energy. The son of Kunti is possessed of immeasurable might.\nHe is competent to protect the kingdom, aided by Nakula, O monarch.\nPossessed of great intelligence and fame, Sahadeva will, O thou of Kuru's\nrace, duly attend to all the relatives that have been invited to thy\ncapital.\" Thus addressed by the Rishi, that perpetuator of Kuru's race,\nviz., Yudhishthira, accomplished every injunction duly and appointed\nPhalguna to attend to the horse.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Come, O Arjuna, let the horse, O hero, be protected\nby thee. Thou alone art competent to protect it, and none else. Those\nkings, O mighty-armed hero, who will come forward to encounter thee, try,\nO sinless one, to avoid battles with them to the best of thy power. Thou\nshouldst also invite them all to this sacrifice of mine. Indeed, O\nmighty-armed one go forth but try to establish friendly relations with\nthem.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The righteous-souled king Yudhishthira, having\nsaid so unto his brother Savyasachin, commanded Bhima and Nakula to\nprotect the city. With the permission of king Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira\nthen set Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, to wait upon all the\ninvited guests.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When the hour for initiation came, all those great\nRitwijas duly initiated the king in view of the horse-sacrifice. Having\nfinished the rites of binding the sacrificial animals, the son of Pandu,\nviz., king Yudhishthira the just endued with great energy, the initiation\nbeing over, shone with great splendour along with those Ritwijas. The\nhorse that was brought for the horse-sacrifice was let loose, agreeably\nto the injunctions of the scriptures, that utterer of Brahma, viz., Vyasa\nhimself of immeasurable energy. The king Yudhishthira the just, O\nmonarch, after his initiation, adorned with a garland of gold around his\nneck, shone in beauty like a blazing fire. Having a black deer skin for\nhis upper garment, bearing a staff in hand, and wearing a cloth of red\nsilk, the son of Dharma, possessed of great splendour, shone like a\nsecond Prajapati seated on the sacrificial altar. All his Ritwijas also,\nO king, were clad in similar robes. Arjuna also shone like a blazing\nfire. Dhananjaya, unto whose car were yoked white steeds, then duly\nprepared, O king, to follow that horse of the complexion of a black deer,\nat the command of Yudhishthira. Repeatedly drawing his bow, named\nGandiva, O king, and casing his hand in a fence made of iguana skin,\nArjuna, O monarch, prepared to follow that horse, O ruler of men, with a\ncheerful heart. All Hastinapore, O king, with very children, came out at\nthat spot from desire of beholding Dhananjaya, that foremost of the Kurus\non the eve of his journey. So thick was the crowd of spectators that came\nto behold the horse and the prince who was to follow it, that in\nconsequence of the pressure of bodies, it seemed a fire was created. Loud\nwas the noise that arose from that crowd of men who assembled together\nfor beholding Dhananjaya the son of Kunti, and it seemed to fill all the\npoints of the compass and the entire welkin. And they said,--\"There goes\nthe son of Kunti, and there that horse of blazing beauty. Indeed, the\nmighty-armed hero follows the horse, having armed himself with his\nexcellent bow.\"--Even these were the words which Jishnu of noble\nintelligence heard. The citizens also blessed him, saying,--\"Let\nblessings be thine! Go thou safely and come back, O Bharata.\" Others, O\nchief of men uttered these words--\"So great is the press that we do not\nsee Arjuna. His bow, however, is visible to us. Even that is celebrated\nbow Gandiva of terrible twang. Blessed be thou. Let all dangers fly from\nthy path. Let fear nowhere inspire thee. When he returns we shall behold\nhim, for it is certain that he will come back.\" The high-souled Arjuna\nrepeatedly heard these and similar other sweet words of men and women, O\nchief of the Bharatas. A disciple of Yajnavalkya, who was well-versed in\nall sacrificial rites and who was a complete master of the Vedas,\nproceeded with Partha for performing auspicious rites in favour of the\nhero. Many Brahmanas also, O king, all well-conversant with the Vedas,\nand many Kshatriyas too, followed the high-souled hero, at the command, O\nmonarch, of Yudhishthira the just. The horse then roamed, O foremost of\nmen, wherever he liked over the Earth already conquered by Pandavas with\nthe energy of their weapons. In course of the horse's wanderings, O king,\nmany great and wonderful battles were fought between Arjuna and many\nkings. These I shall describe to thee. The horse, O king, roamed over the\nwhole Earth. Know, O monarch, that from the north it turned towards the\nEast. Grinding the kingdoms of many monarchs that excellent horse\nwandered. And it was followed slowly by the great car-warrior Arjuna of\nwhite steeds. Countless, O monarch, was the fete of Kshatriyas,--of kings\nin myriads--who fought with Arjuna on that occasion, for having lost\ntheir kinsmen on the field of Kurukshetra. Innumerable Kiratas also, O\nking, and Yavanas, all excellent bowmen, and diverse tribes of Mlechcchas\ntoo, who had been discomfited before (by the Pandavas on the field of\nKurukshetra), and many Aryan kings, possessed of soldiers and animals\nendued with great alacrity, and all irresistible in fight encountered the\nson of Pandu in battle. Thus occurred innumerable battles in diverse\ncountries, O monarch, between Arjuna and the rulers of diverse realms who\ncame to encounter him. I shall, O sinless king, narrate to thee those\nbattles only which raged with great fury and which were the principal\nones among all he fought.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said. 'A battle took place between the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna) and the sons and grandsons of the Trigartas whose hostility the\nPandavas has incurred before and all of whom were well-known as mighty\ncar-warriors. Having learnt that that foremost of steeds, which was\nintended for the sacrifice, had come to their realm, these heroes, casing\nthemselves in mail, surrounded Arjuna. Mounted on their cars, drawn by\nexcellent and well-decked horses, and with quivers on their backs, they\nsurrounded that horse, O king, and endeavoured to capture it. The\ndiadem-decked Arjuna, reflecting on that endeavour of theirs, forbade\nthose heroes, with conciliatory speeches, O chastiser of foes.\nDisregarding Arjuna's message, they assailed him with their shafts. The\ndiadem-decked Arjuna resisted those warriors who were under the sway of\ndarkness and passion. Jishnu addressed them smilingly and said, \"Desist,\nye unrighteous ones. Life is a benefit (that should not be thrown away).\"\nAt the time of his setting out, he had been earnestly ordered by king\nYudhishthira the just, not to slay those Kshatriyas whose kinsmen had\nbeen slain before on the field of Kurukshetra. Recollecting these\ncommands of king Yudhishthira the just who was endued with great\nintelligence, Arjuna asked the Trigartas to forbear. But they disregarded\nArjuna's injunction. Then Arjuna vanquished Suryavarman, the king of the\nTrigartas, in battle, by shooting countless shafts at him and laughed in\nscorn. The Trigarta warriors, however, filling the ten points with the\nclatter of their cars and car-wheels, rushed towards Dhananjaya. Then\nSuryavarman, displaying his great lightness of hand, pierced Dhananjaya\nwith hundreds of straight arrows, O monarch. The other great bowmen who\nfollowed the king and who were all desirous of compassing the destruction\nof Dhananjaya, shot showers of arrows on him. With countless shafts shot\nfrom his own bow-string, the son of Pandu, O king, cut off those clouds\nof arrows; upon which they fell down. Endued with great energy,\nKetuvarman, the younger brother of Suryavarman, and possessed of youthful\nvigour, fought, for the sake of his brother, against Pandu's son\npossessed of great fame. Beholding Ketuvarman approaching towards him for\nbattle, Vibhatsu, that slayer of hostile heroes, slew him with many\nsharp-pointed arrows. Upon Ketuvarman's fall, the mighty car-warrior\nDhritavarman, rushing on his car towards Arjuna, showered a perfect\ndownpour of arrows on him. Beholding that lightness of hand displayed by\nthe youth Dhritavarman, Gudakesa of mighty energy and great prowess\nbecame highly gratified with him. The son of Indra could not see when the\nyoung warrior took out his arrows and when he placed them on his\nbow-string aiming at him. He only saw showers of arrows in the air. For a\nbrief space of time, Arjuna gladdened his enemy and mentally admired his\nheroism and skill. The Kuru hero, smiling the while, fought with that\nyouth who resembled an angry snake. The mighty armed Dhananjaya, glad as\nhe was in beholding the valour of Dhritavarman, did not take his life.\nWhile, however, Partha of immeasurable energy fought mildly with him\nwithout wishing to take his life, Dhritavarman shot a blazing arrow at\nhim. Deeply pierced in the hand by that arrow, Vijaya became stupefied\nand his bow Gandiva fell down on the Earth from his relaxed grasp. The\nform of that bow, O king, when it fell from the grasp of Arjuna,\nresembled, O Bharata, that of the bow of Indra (that is seen in the\nwelkin after a shower). When that great and celestial bow fell down, O\nmonarch, Dhritavarman laughed loudly in battle. At this, Jishnu, excited\nwith rage, wiped the blood from his hand and once more taking up his bow,\nshowered a perfect downpour of arrows. Then a loud and confused noise\narose, filling the welkin and touching the very heavens as it were, from\ndiverse creatures who applauded that feat of Dhananjaya. Beholding Jishnu\ninflamed with rage and looking like Yama himself as he appears at the end\nof the Yuga, the Trigarta warriors hastily surrounded him, rushing from\ntheir posts and desirous of rescuing Dhritavarman. Seeing himself\nsurrounded by his foes, Arjuna became more angry than before. He then\nquickly despatched eight and ten of their foremost warriors with many\nshafts of hard iron that resembled the arrows of the great Indra himself.\nThe Trigarta warriors then began to fly. Seeing them retreat, Dhananjaya,\nwith great speed, shot many shafts at them that resembled wrathful snakes\nof virulent poison, and laughed aloud. The mighty car-warriors of the\nTrigartas, with dispirited hearts, fled in all directions, exceedingly\nafflicted by Dhananjaya with his arrows. They then addressed that tiger\namong men, that slayer of the Samsaptaka host (on the field of\nKurukshetra), saying, \"We are your slaves. We yield to thee.[190] Do thou\ncommand us, O Partha. Lo, we wait here as the most docile of thy\nservants. O delighter of the Kurus, we shall execute all thy commands.\"\nHearing these words expressive of their submission, Dhananjaya, said unto\nthem, \"Do ye, O kings, save your lives, and accept my dominion.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'That foremost of steeds then proceeded to the realm\nof Pragjyotisha and began to wander there. At this, Bhagadatta's son, who\nwas exceedingly valorous in battle, came out (for encountering Arjuna).\nKing Vajradatta, O chief of the Bharatas, finding the (sacrificial) steed\narrived within his realm, fought (for detaining it). The royal son of\nBhagadatta, issuing out of his city, afflicted the steed that was coming\n(and seizing it), marched back towards his own place. Marking this, the\nmighty-armed chief of the Kuru race, speedily stretched his Gandiva, and\nsuddenly rushed towards his foe. Stupefied by the shafts sped from\nGandiva, the heroic son of Bhagadatta, letting off loose the steed, fled\nfrom Partha.[191] Once more entering his capital, that foremost of kings,\nirresistible in battle, cased himself in mail, and mounting on his prince\nof elephants, came out. That mighty car-warrior had a white umbrella held\nover his head, and was fanned with a milk-white yak-tail. Impelled by\nchildishness and folly, he challenged Partha, the mighty car-warrior of\nthe Pandavas, famed for terrible deeds in battle, to an encounter with\nhim. The enraged prince then urged towards Arjuna that elephant of his,\nwhich resembled a veritable mountain, and from whose temples and mouth\nissued streams of juice indicative of excitement. Indeed, that elephant\nshowered its secretions like a mighty mass of clouds pouring rain.\nCapable of resisting hostile feats of its own species, it had been\nequipped agreeably to the ordinances of the treatises (on war-elephants).\nIrresistible in battle, it had become so infuriate as to be beyond\ncontrol. Urged on by the prince with the iron-hook, that mighty elephant\nthen seemed (as it advanced) as if it would cut through the welkin (like\na flying hill). Beholding it advance towards him, O king, Dhananjaya,\nfilled with rage and standing on the earth, O Bharata, encountered the\nprince on its back. Filled with wrath, Vajradatta quickly sped at Arjuna\na number of broad-headed shafts endued with the energy of fire and\nresembling (as they coursed through the air) a cloud of speedily-moving\nlocusts. Arjuna, however, with shafts sped from Gandiva, cut off those\narrows, some into two and some into three pieces. He cut them off in the\nwelkin itself with those shafts of his coursing through the welkin. The\nson of Bhagadatta, beholding his broad-headed shafts thus cut off,\nquickly sped at Arjuna a number of other arrows in a continuous line.\nFilled with rage at this, Arjuna, more quickly than before, shot at\nBhagadatta's son a number of straightly coursing arrows equipt with\ngolden wings. Vajradatta of mighty energy, struck with great force and\npierced with these arrows in that fierce encounter, fell down on the\nEarth. Consciousness, however, did not desert him. Mounting on his prince\nof elephants again in the midst of that battle the son of Bhagadatta,\ndesirous of victory, very coolly sped a number of shafts at Arjuna.\nFilled with wrath, Jishnu then sped at the prince a number of arrows that\nlooked like blazing flames of fire and that seemed to be so many snakes\nof virulent poison. Pierced therewith, the mighty elephant, emitting a\nlarge quantity of blood, looked like a mountain of many springs\ndischarging rills of water coloured with red chalk.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus waged that battle, O chief of the Bharatas, for\nthree days between Arjuna and that prince like the encounter between him\nof a hundred sacrifices and Vritra. On the fourth day, Vajradatta of\ngreat might laughed loudly and, addressing Arjuna, said these words:\n\"Wait, wait, O Arjuna. Thou shalt not escape me with life. Slaying thee I\nshall duly discharge the water-rite of my sire. My aged sire, Bhagadatta,\nwho was the friend of thy sire, was slain by thee in consequence of his\nweight of years. Do thou, however, fight me that am but a boy!\"[192]\nHaving said these words, O thou of Kuru's race, king Vajradatta, filled\nwith rage, urged his elephant towards the son of Pandu. Urged on by\nVajradatta of great intelligence, that prince of elephants, as if\ndesirous of cutting through the welkin, rushed towards Dhananjaya. That\nprince of elephants drenched Arjuna with a shower of juice emitted from\nthe end of his trunk, like a mass of blue clouds drenching a hill with\nits downpour. Indeed, urged on by the king, the elephant, repeatedly\nroaring like a cloud, rushed towards Phalguna, with that deep noise emitted\nfrom its mouth. Verily, urged on by Vajradatta, that prince of elephants\nquickly moved towards the mighty car-warrior of the Kurus, with the tread\nof one that seemed to dance in excitement. Beholding that beast of\nVajradatta advance towards him, that slayer of foes, viz., the mighty\nDhananjaya, relying on Gandiva, stood his ground without shaking with\nfear. Recollecting what an obstacle Vajradatta was proving to the\naccomplishment of his task, and remembering the old enmity of the house\n(of Pragjyotisha towards the Pandavas), the son of Pandu became\nexceedingly inflamed with wrath against the king. Filled with rage,\nDhananjaya impeded the course of that beast with a shower of arrows like\nthe shore resisting the surging sea. That prince of elephants possessed\nof beauty (of form), thus impeded by Arjuna, stopped in its course, with\nbody pierced with many an arrow, like a porcupine with its quills erect.\nSeeing his elephant impeded in its course, the royal son of Bhagadatta,\ndeprived of sense by rage, shot many whetted arrows at Arjuna. The\nmighty-armed Arjuna baffled all those arrows with many foe-slaying shafts\nof his. The feat seemed to be exceedingly wonderful. Once more the king\nof the Pragjyotishas, inflamed with ire, forcibly urged his elephant,\nwhich resembled a mountain, at Arjuna. Beholding the beast once more\nadvancing towards him, Arjuna shot with great strength a shaft at it that\nresembled a veritable flame of fire. Struck deeply in the very vitals, O\nking, by the son of Pandu, the beast suddenly fell down on the Earth like\na mountain summit loosened by a thunder-bolt. Struck with Dhananjaya's\nshaft, the elephant, as it lay on the Earth, looked like a huge mountain\ncliff lying on the ground, loosened by the bolt of Indra. When the\nelephant of Vajradatta was prostrated on the ground, the son of Pandu,\naddressing the king who had fallen down with his beast, said,--\"Do not\nfear. Indeed, Yudhishthira of mighty energy said unto me while\ncommissioning me for this task even these words,--'Thou shouldst not, O\nDhananjaya, slay those kings (who may encounter thee in battle). O tiger\namong men, thou shouldst regard thy task as accomplished if only thou\ndisablest those hostile kings. Thou shouldst not also, O Dhananjaya, slay\nthe warriors of those kings who may come forth to fight thee, with all\ntheir kinsmen and friends. They should be requested to come to the\nhorse-sacrifice of Yudhishthira.'--Having heard these commands of my\nbrother, I shall not slay thee, O king. Rise up; let no fear be thine;\nreturn to thy city safe and sound, O lord of Earth. When the day of full\nmoon in the month of Chaitra comes, thou shalt, O great king, repair to\nthat sacrifice of king Yudhishthira the just, for it takes place on that\nday.\" Thus addressed by Arjuna, the royal son of Bhagadatta, defeated by\nthe son of Pandu, said,--\"So be it.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'There occurred a great battle between the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna and the hundreds of Saindhavas who still lived after\nthe slaughter of their clan (on the field of Kurukshetra). Hearing that\nhe of white steeds had entered their territories, those Kshatriyas came\nout against him, unable to bear that foremost one of Pandu's race. Those\nwarriors who were as terrible as virulent poison, finding the horse\nwithin their dominion, seized it without being inspired with any fear of\nPartha who was the younger brother of Bhimasena. Advancing against\nVibhatsu who waited on foot, armed with his bow, upon the sacrificial\nsteed, they assailed him from a near point. Defeated in battle before,\nthose Kshatriyas of mighty energy, impelled by the desire of victory,\nsurrounded that foremost of men. Proclaiming their names and families and\ntheir diverse feats, they showered their arrows on Partha. Pouring\nshowers of arrows of such fierce energy as were capable of impeding the\ncourse of hostile elephants, those heroes surrounded the son of Kunti,\ndesirous of vanquishing him in battle. Themselves seated on cars, they\nfought Arjuna of fierce feats who was on foot. From every side they\nbegan to strike that hero, that slayer of the Nivatakavachas, that\ndestroyer of the Samasaptakas, that killer of the king of the Sindhus.\nSurrounding him on every side as within a cage by means of a thousand\ncars and ten thousand horses, those brave warriors expressed their\nexaltation. Recollecting the slaughter by Dhananjaya of Jayadratha in\nbattle, O thou of Kuru's race, they poured heavy showers of arrows on\nthat hero like a mass of clouds showering a heavy downpour. Overwhelmed\nwith that arrowy shower, Arjuna looked like the sun covered by a cloud.\nThat foremost son of Pandu, in the midst of that cloud of arrows,\nresembled a bird in the midst of an iron cage, O Bharata. Seeing the son\nof Kunti thus afflicted with shafts, cries of Oh and Alas were uttered by\nthe three worlds and the Sun himself became shorn of his splendour. Then,\nO king, a terrible wind began to blow, and Rahu swallowed up both the Sun\nand the Moon at the same time. Many meteors struck the solar disc and\nthen shot in different directions. The prince of mountains, viz.,\nKailasa, began to tremble. The seven (celestial) Rishis, as also the\nother Rishis of Heaven, penetrated with fear, and afflicted with grief\nand sorrow, breathed hot sighs. Piercing through the welkin, those\nmeteors fell on the lunar disc as well. All the points of the compass\nbecame filled with smoke and assumed a strange aspect. Reddish clouds,\nwith flashes of lightning playing in their midst and the bow of Indra\nmeasuring them from side to side, suddenly covered the welkin and poured\nflesh and bloods on the Earth. Even such was the aspect which all nature\nassumed when that hero was overwhelmed with showers of shafts. Indeed,\nwhen Phalguna, that foremost one among the Bharatas, was thus afflicted,\nthose marvels were seen. Overwhelmed by that dense cloud of arrows,\nArjuna became stupefied. His bow, Gandiva, fell down from his relaxed\ngrip and his leathern fence also slipped down. When Dhananjaya became\nstupefied, the Saindhava warriors once more shot at that senseless\nwarrior, without loss of time, innumerable other shafts. Understanding\nthat the son of Pritha was deprived of consciousness, the deities, with\nhearts penetrated by fear, began to seek his welfare by uttering diverse\nbenedictions. Then the celestial Rishis, the seven Rishis, and the\nregenerate Rishis, became engaged in silent recitations from desire of\ngiving victory to Pritha's son of great intelligence. When at last the\nenergy of Partha blazed forth through those acts of the denizens of\nHeaven, that hero, who was conversant with celestial weapons of high\nefficacy, stood immovable like a hill. The delighter of the Kurus then\ndrew his celestial bow. And as he repeatedly stretched the bowstring, the\ntwang that followed resembled the loud sound of some mighty machine. Like\nPurandara pouring rain, the puissant Arjuna then, with that bow of his,\npoured incessant showers of shafts on his foes. Pierced by those shafts\nthe Saindhava warriors with their chiefs became invisible like trees when\ncovered with locusts. They were frightened at the very sound of Gandiva,\nand afflicted by fear they fled away. In grief of heart they shed tears\nand uttered loud lamentations. The mighty warrior moved amidst that host\nof foes with the celerity of a fiery wheel, all the time piercing those\nwarriors with his arrows. Like the great Indra, the wielder of the\nthunder-bolt, that slayer of foes, viz., Arjuna, shot from his bow in\nevery direction that shower of arrows which resembled a sight produced by\nmagic (instead of any human agency). The Kaurava hero, piercing the\nhostile host with showers of arrows, looked resplendent like the autumnal\nSun when he disperses the clouds with his powerful rays.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The irresistible wielder of Gandiva, addresst for\nbattle, stood immovable on the field like Himavat himself. The Saindhava\nwarriors, once more rallying, showered in great wrath repeated down-pours\nof shafts on him. The mighty-armed hero, laughing at his foes, who had\nonce more rallied but who were on the point of death, addressed them in\nthese soft words,--\"Do ye fight to the best of your power and do ye\nendeavour to vanquish me. Do ye however, accomplish all necessary acts,\nfor a great danger awaits you all. See, I fight all of you, baffling your\nclouds of arrows. Bent as you are on battle, tarry a little. I shall soon\nquell your pride.\" The wielder of Gandiva, having said these words in\nwrath, recollected, however, the words, O Bharata, of his eldest brother.\nThose words were,--\"Thou shouldst not, O child, slay those Kshatriyas who\nwill come against thee for battle. They should, however, be vanquished by\nthee.\" That foremost of men, Phalguna, had been thus addressed by king\nYudhishthira the just, of great soul. He, therefore, began to reflect in\nthis strain. \"Even thus was I commissioned by my brother. Warriors\nadvancing against me should not be slain. I must act in such a way as not\nto falsify the words of king Yudhishthira the just.\" Having arrived at\nthis conclusion, Phalguna, that foremost of men, then said unto those\nSaindhavas who were all fierce in battle, these words:--\"I say what is\nfor your benefit. Though staying before me. I do not wish to slay you. He\namongst you who will say unto me that he has been vanquished by me and\nthat he is mine, will be spared by me. Having heard these words of mine,\nact towards me in that way which may best conduce to your benefit. By\nacting in a different way you will place yourselves in a situation of\ngreat fear and danger.\" Having said these words unto those heroic\nwarriors the chief of the Kurus began to fight them. Arjuna was inflamed\nwith wrath. His foes, desirous of victory, were equally enraged. The\nSaindhavas then, O king, shot hundreds and thousands of straight arrows\nat the wielder of Gandiva. Dhananjaya, with his own whetted shafts, cut\noff those arrows of sharp and terrible points, resembling snakes of\nvirulent poison, before they could come up to him. Having cut off those\nsharp arrows equipt with Kanka feathers, Arjuna pierced each of the\nwarriors opposed to him with a whetted shaft. The Saindhava Kshatriyas,\nrecollecting that it was Dhananjaya who had slain their king Jayadratha,\nthen hurled at him darts and javelins with great force. The diadem-decked\nDhananjaya of great might baffled their intent by cutting off all those\nweapons before any of them could reach him. At length the son of Pandu\nbecame highly angry. With many straight and broad-headed arrows, he\nfelled the heads of many of those warriors who were rushing at him from\ndesire of victory. Many fled, many rushed at Arjuna; many moved not, all\nof them, however, uttered such a loud noise (of wrath and grief) that it\nresembled the roar of the ocean. As they were slain by Partha of\nimmeasurable might, they fought him, each according to his strength and\nprowess. Their animals being all exhausted, Partha succeeded in depriving\na large number of those warriors of their senses by means of his sharpest\nshafts in that battle. Then Dussala, their queen, the daughter of\nDhritarashtra, knowing that they were rendered cheerless by Arjuna, took\nher grandson in her arms and repaired to Arjuna. The child was the son of\nSuratha (the son of Jayadratha). The brave prince proceeded to his\nmaternal uncle on his car for the safety of all the Saindhava warriors.\nThe queen, arrived at the presence of Dhananjaya, began to weep in\nsorrow. The puissant Dhananjaya, seeing her, cast off his bow. Abandoning\nhis bow, Partha duly received his sister and enquired of her as to what\nhe could do for her. The queen replied unto him, saying,--\"O chief of the\nBharatas, this child is the son of thy sister's son. He salutes thee, O\nPartha. Look at him, O foremost of men.\" Thus addressed by her, Partha\nenquired after his son (Suratha), saying--\"Where is he?\" Dussala then\nanswered him, saying,--\"Burning with grief on account of the slaughter of\nhis sire, the heroic father of this child died in great affliction of\nheart. Listen to me how he met with his death. O Dhananjaya, he had\nheard before that his sire Jayadratha had been slain by thee, O sinless\none. Exceedingly afflicted with grief at this, and hearing of thy arrival\nhere as the follower and protector of the sacrificial horse, he at once\nfell down and gave up his life-breaths. Verily, deeply afflicted with\ngrief as he was, as soon as he heard of thy arrival he gave up his life.\nSeeing him prostrate on the Earth, O lord, I took his infant son with me\nand have come to thee, desirous of thy protection.\" Having said these\nwords, the daughter of Dhritarashtra began to lament in deep affliction.\nArjuna stood before her in great cheerlessness of heart. His face was\nturned towards the Earth. The cheerless sister then said unto her\nbrother, who was equally cheerless, these words: \"Behold thy sister.\nBehold the child of thy sister's son. O perpetuator of Kuru's race, O\nthou that art fully conversant with every duty, it behoveth thee to show\nmercy to this child, forgetting the Kuru prince (Duryodhana) and the\nwicked Jayadratha. Even as that slayer of hostile heroes, Parikshit, has\nbeen born of Abhimanyu, so has this mighty-armed child, my grandson,\nsprung from Suratha. Taking him with me, O chief of men, I have come to\nthee, desirous of the safety of all the warriors. Do thou listen to these\nwords of mine. This child of that wicked foe of thine hath now come to\nthee, O mighty-armed hero. It behoveth thee, therefore to show mercy to\nthis infant. O chastiser of foes, this infant seeks to gratify thee by\nbending his head. He solicits thee for peace. O mighty-armed hero, be\ninclined to make peace. O thou that art conversant with every duty, be\nthou gratified with the child whose friends and kinsmen have all been\nslain and who himself knows nothing of what has happened. Do not yield to\nwrath. Forgetting his disreputable and cruel grandfather, who offended\nagainst thee so highly, it behoveth thee to show thy grace towards this\nchild.\" Recollecting queen Gandhari and king Dhritarashtra, Dhananjaya,\nafflicted with grief, addressed Dussala who had said so unto him, and\nanswered her, censuring Kshatriya practices the while. \"Fie on\nDuryodhana, that mean wight, covetous of kingdom and full of vanity!\nAlas, it was for him that all my kinsmen have been despatched by me to\nthe abode of Yama.\" Having said so, Dhananjaya comforted his sister and\nbecame inclined to make peace. Cheerfully he embraced her and then\ndismissed her, telling her to return to her palace. Dussala bade all her\nwarriors desist from that great battle, and worshipping Partha, she of\nbeautiful face retraced her steps towards her abode. Having vanquished\nthose heroes, viz., the Saindhavas, thus, Dhananjaya began to follow that\nsteed which roved at its will. The heroic Arjuna duly followed that\nsacrificial horse even as the divine wielder of Pinaka had in days of\nyore followed the deer through the firmament.[193] The steed, at its\nwill, wandered through various realms one after another, enhancing the\nfeats of Arjuna. In course of time, O chief of men, the horse wandering\nat its pleasure, at last arrived within the dominions of the ruler of\nManipura, followed by the son of Pandu.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The ruler of Manipura, Vabhruvahana, hearing that\nhis sire Arjuna had arrived within his dominions, went out with humility,\nwith a number of Brahmanas and some treasure in his van.[194]\nRemembering, however, the duties of Kshatriyas, Dhananjaya of great\nintelligence, seeing the ruler of Manipura arrive in that guise, did not\napprove of it. The righteous-souled Phalguna angrily said, \"This conduct\nof thine is not becoming. Thou hast certainly fallen away from Kshatriya\nduties. I have come here as the protector of Yudhishthira's sacrificial\nhorse. Why, O son, wilt thou not fight me, seeing that I have come within\nthy dominions? Fie on thee, O thou of foolish understanding, fie on thee\nthat hast fallen away from Kshatriya duties! Fie on thee that would\nreceive me peacefully, even though I have come here for battling with\nthee. In thus receiving me peacefully thou actest like a woman. O thou of\nwretched understanding, if I had come to thee, leaving aside my arms,\nthen would this behaviour of thine have been fit, O worst of men.\"\nLearning that these words were addressed by her husband, the daughter of\nthe Snake-king, viz., Ulupi unable to tolerate it, pierced through the\nEarth and came up to that spot.[195] She beheld her son standing there\nperfectly cheerless and with face hanging down. Indeed, the prince was\nrepeatedly rebuked by his sire who was desirous of battle with him, O\nmonarch. The daughter of the snake, with every limb possessed of beauty,\nviz., Ulupi, said these words consistent with righteousness and duty unto\nthe prince who was conversant with righteousness and duty,--\"Know that I\nam thy mother Ulupi that am the daughter of a snake. Do thou accomplish\nmy behest, O son, for thou wouldst then attain to great merit. Fight thy\nfather, this foremost one of Kuru's race, this hero that is irresistible\nin battle. Without doubt, he will then be gratified with thee.\" In this\nway was king Vabhruvahana incited against his sire by his (step) mother.\nAt last, endued as he was with great energy, he made up his mind, O chief\nof the Bharatas, to fight Dhananjaya. Putting on his armour of bright\ngold and his effulgent head-gear, he ascended an excellent car which had\nhundreds of quivers ready on it. That car was equipt with necessaries for\nbattle and had steeds yoked to it that were endued with the speed of the\nmind. It had excellent wheels and a strong Upashkara, and was adorned\nwith golden ornaments of every kind. Raising his standard which was\ndecorated most beautifully and which bore the device of a lion in gold,\nthe handsome prince Vabhruvahana proceeded against his sire for battle.\nComing upon the sacrificial steed which was protected by Partha, the\nheroic prince caused it to be seized by persons well-versed in\nhorse-lore. Beholding the steed seized, Dhananjaya became filled with\njoy. Standing on the Earth, that hero began to resist the advance of his\nson who was on his car. The king afflicted the hero with repeated showers\nof shafts endued with whetted points and resembling snakes of virulent\npoison. The battle that took place between sire and son was\nincomparable. It resembled the encounter between the deities and the\nAsuras of old. Each was gratified with obtaining the other for an\nantagonist. Then Vabhruvahana, laughing, pierced the diadem-decked\nArjuna, that foremost of men, in the shoulder with a straight shaft.\nEquipt with feathers, that shaft penetrated Arjuna's body like a snake\npenetrating on an anthill. Piercing the son of Kunti through, the shaft\nwent deep into the Earth. Feeling acute pain, the intelligent Dhananjaya\nrested awhile, supporting himself on his excellent bow. He stood, having\nrecourse to his celestial energy and seemed to outward appearance like\none deprived of life. That foremost of men, then regaining consciousness,\npraised his son highly. Possessed of great splendour, the son of Sakra\nsaid, \"Excellent, Excellent, O mighty-armed one, O son of Chitrangada! O\nson, beholding this feat, so worthy of thee, I am highly gratified with\nthee. I shall now shoot these arrows at thee, O son. Stand for fight\n(without running away).\" Having said these words, that slayer of foes\nshot a shower of arrows on the prince. King Vabhruvahana, however, with\nhis own broad-headed shafts, cut all those arrows which were shot from\nGandiva and which resembled the thunder-bolt of Indra in splendour, some\nin twain and some into three parts. Then the standard, decked with gold\nand resembling a golden palmyra, on the king's car was cut off by Partha\nwith some excellent shafts of his. The son of Pandu, laughing, next slew\nthe king's steeds endued with large size and great speed. Descending from\nhis car, the king inflamed with rage, fought his sire on foot. Gratified\nwith the prowess of his son, that foremost one of the sons of Pritha,\nviz., the son of the wielder of the thunder-bolt, began to afflict him\ngreatly. The mighty Vabhruvahana, thinking that his father was no longer\nable to face him, again afflicted him with many shafts resembling snakes\nof virulent poison. From a spirit of boyishness he then vigorously\npierced his father in the breast with a whetted shaft equipt with\nexcellent wings. That shaft, O king, penetrated the body of Pandu's son\nand reaching his very vital caused him great pain. The delighter of the\nKurus, Dhananjaya, deeply pierced therewith by his son, then fell down in\na swoon on the Earth, O king. When that hero, that bearer of the burthens\nof the Kurus fell down, the son of Chitrangada also became deprived of\nhis senses. The latter's swoon was due to his exertions in battle as also\nto his grief at seeing his sire slain. He had been pierced deeply by\nArjuna with clouds of arrows. He, therefore, fell down at the van of\nbattle embracing the Earth. Hearing that her husband had been slain and\nthat her son had fallen down on the Earth, Chitrangada, in great\nagitation of mind, repaired to the field of battle. Her heart burning\nwith sorrow, weeping piteously the while, and trembling all over, the\nmother of the ruler of Manipura saw her slain husband.\"'\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'That lady of eyes like lotus petals, having indulged\nin copious lamentations, and burning with grief, at last lost her senses\nand fell down on the Earth. Regaining consciousness and seeing Ulupi, the\ndaughter of the snake chief, queen Chitrangada endued with celestial\nbeauty, said unto her these words, \"Behold, O Ulupi, our ever-victorious\nhusband slain in battle, through thee, by my son of tender years. Art\nthou conversant with the practices of the respectable? Art thou a wife\ndevoted to thy lord? It is through thy deed that thy husband is laid low,\nslain in battle. If Dhananjaya hath offended against thee in every\nrespect, do thou forgive him. I solicit thee, do thou revive that hero. O\nrighteous lady, thou art conversant with piety. Thou art, O blessed one,\nknown (for thy virtues) over the three worlds. How is it that having\ncaused thy husband to be slain by my son, thou dost not indulge in grief?\nO daughter of the snake chief, I do not grieve for my slain son. I grieve\nfor only my husband who has received this hospitality from his son.\"\nHaving said these words unto the queenly Ulupi, the daughter of the snake\nchief, the illustrious Chitrangada proceeded to where her husband lay on\nthe Earth and addressing him, said, \"Rise, O dear lord, thou occupiest\nthe foremost place in the affections of the Kuru king (Yudhishthira).\nHere is that steed of thine. It has been set free by me. Verily, O\npuissant one, this sacrificial steed of king Yudhishthira the just,\nshould be followed by thee. Why then dost thou lie still on the Earth? My\nlife-breaths depend on thee, O delighter of the Kurus. How is it that he\nwho is the giver of other people's life-breaths casts off his own\nlife-breaths today? Behold, O Ulupi, this goodly sight of thy husband\nlying prostrate on the ground. How is it that thou dost not grieve,\nhaving caused him to be slain through my son when thou didst excite with\nthy words? It is fit that this boy should succumb to the power of death\nand lie thus on the ground beside his own sire. Oh, let Vijaya, let him\nthat is called Gudakesa, let this hero with reddish eyes, come back to\nlife. O blessed lady, polygamy is not fault with men. Women only incur\nfault by taking more than one husband. Do not, therefore, harbour such\nthoughts (of vengeance).[196] This relationship was ordained by the\nSupreme ordainer himself. It is, besides, an eternal and unchangeable\none. Do thou attend to that relationship. Let thy union (with Dhananjaya)\nbe made true. If, having slain thy husband through my son, thou dost not\nrevive him today before my eyes, I shall then cast off my life-breaths.\nWithout doubt, O reverend lady, afflicted as I am with grief and deprived\nas I am of both husband and son, I shall sit here today in Praya in thy\nvery sight!\" Having said so unto the daughter of the snake chief, who was\na co-wife with her to Arjuna, the princess Chaitravahini sat in Praya, O\nking, restraining speech.'[197]\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Ceasing to lament, the cheerless queen, taking\nupon her lap the feet of her husband, sat there, sighing heavily and\nwishing also the restoration of her son to life. King Vabhruvahana then,\nregaining consciousness, saw his mother seated in that guise on the field\nof battle. Addressing her he said, \"What can be more painful than the\nsight of my mother, who has been brought up in luxury, lying on the bare\nground beside her heroic husband stretched thereon? Alas, this slayer of\nall foes, this foremost of all wielders of weapons, hath been slain by me\nin battle. It is evident that men do not die till their hour comes.[198]\nOh, the heart of this princess seems to be very hard since it does not\nbreak even at the sight of her mighty-armed and broad-chested husband\nlying dead on the ground. It is evident that one does not die till one's\nhour comes, since neither myself, nor my mother is deprived of life (at\neven such a sight). Alas, alas, the golden coat of mail of this foremost\nhero of Kuru's race, slain by me, his son, knowingly, is lying on the\nground, cut off from his body. Alas, ye Brahmanas, behold my heroic sire\nlying prostrate on the Earth, on a hero's bed, slain by his son. What\nbenefit is done to this hero, slain by me in battle, by those Brahmanas\nwho were commissioned to attend upon this foremost one of Kuru's race\nengaged in following the steed? Let the Brahmanas direct what expiation\nshould now be undergone by me, a cruel and sinful wretch, that has slain\nhis own sire in battle. Having slain my own sire, I should, suffering\nevery kind of misery, wander over the Earth, cruel that I am, covering\nmyself with his skin. Give me the two halves of my sire's head today,\n(so that I may wander over the Earth with them for that period), for\nthere is no other expiation for me that have slain my own sire. Behold, O\ndaughter of the foremost of snakes, thy husband slain by me. Verily, by\nslaying Arjuna in battle I have accomplished what is agreeable to thee. I\nshall today follow in the track by which my sire has gone. O blessed one,\nI am unable to comfort myself. Be happy today, O mother, seeing myself\nand the wielder of Gandiva both embrace death today. I swear to thee by\ntruth itself (that I shall cast off my life-breaths).\" Having said these\nwords, the king, deeply afflicted with grief, O monarch, touched water,\nand exclaimed in sorrow, \"Let all creatures, mobile and immobile, listen\nto me. Do thou also listen to me, O mother. I say the truth, O best of\nall daughters of the snakes. If this best of men, Jaya, my sire, does not\nrise up, I shall emaciate my own body, sitting on the field of battle.\nHaving slain my sire, there is no rescue for me (from that dire sin).\nAfflicted as I am with the sin of slaying my sire, I shall without doubt\nhave to sink in Hell. By slaying a heroic Kshatriya one becomes cleansed\nby making a gift of a hundred kine. By slaying my sire, however, so dire\nhas been my sin that any rescue is impossible. This Dhananjaya, the son\nof Pandu, was the one hero endued with mighty energy. Possessed of\nrighteous soul, he was the author of my being. How can I be rescued after\nhaving slain him?\" Having uttered these lamentations, the high-souled son\nof Dhananjaya, king Vabhruvahana, touched water and became silent, vowing\nto starve himself to death.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'When the king of Manipura, that chastiser of\nfoes, afflicted with grief, along with his mother, sat down to starve\nhimself to death, Ulupi then thought of the gem that has the virtue of\nreviving a dead man. The gem, the great refuge of the snakes, thus\nthought of, came there. The daughter of the prince of snakes taking it\nup, uttered these words that highly gladdened the combatants standing on\nthe field. \"Rise up, O son. Do not grieve. Jishnu has not been vanquished\nby thee. This hero is incapable of being vanquished by men as also by the\ndeities with Vasava himself at their head. I have exhibited this illusion,\ndeceiving your senses, for the benefit of this foremost of men, viz., thy\nillustrious sire. O thou of Kuru's race, desirous of ascertaining the\nprowess of thyself, his son, this slayer of hostile heroes, O king, came\nhere for battling with thee. It was for that reason, O son, that thou\nwert urged by me to do battle. O puissant king, O son, do not suspect\nthat thou hast committed any, even the least, fault, by accepting his\nchallenge. He is a Rishi, of a mighty soul, eternal and indestructible. O\ndear son, Sakra himself is incapable of vanquishing him in battle. This\ncelestial gem has been brought by me, O king. It always revives the\nsnakes as often as they die. O puissant king, do thou place this gem on\nthe breast of thy sire. Thou shalt then see the son of Pandu revived.\"\nThus addressed, the prince who had committed no sin, moved by affection\nfor his sire, then placed that gem on the breast of Pritha's son of\nimmeasurable energy. After the gem had been placed on his breast, the\nheroic and puissant Jishnu became revived. Opening his red eyes he rose\nup like one who had slept long. Beholding his sire, the high-souled hero\nof great energy, restored to consciousness and quite at his ease,\nVabhruvahana worshipped him with reverence. When that tiger among men, O\npuissant one, awoke from the slumber of death with every auspicious sign\nof life, the chastiser of Paka rained down celestial flowers.\nKettle-drums struck by nobody, produced their music deep as the roar of\nthe cloud. A loud uproar was heard in the welkin consisting of the\nwords--\"Excellent, Excellent!\" The mighty-armed Dhananjaya, rising up and\nwell-comforted, embraced Vabhruvahana and smelled his head. He saw\nsitting at a distance from his son, this latter's mother afflicted with\ngrief, in the company of Ulupi. Dhananjaya asked,--\"Why is it that every\nthing in the field of battle seems to bear the indications of grief,\nwonder, and joy? If, O slayer of foes, the cause is known to thee, do\nthou then tell me. Why has thy mother come to the field of battle? Why\nalso has Ulupi, the daughter of the prince of snakes, come here? I know\nthat thou hadst fought this battle with me at my own command. I desire to\nknow what the cause is that has brought out the ladies.\" The intelligent\nruler of Manipura, thus questioned by Dhananjaya, gratified him by\nbending his head in reverence, and then said,--\"Let Ulupi be questioned.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXI\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"What business brought thee here, O daughter (-in-law) of\nKuru's race, and what also is the cause of the arrival on the field of\nbattle of her who is the mother of the ruler of Manipura? Dost thou\nentertain friendly motives towards this king, O daughter of a snake? O\nthou of restless glances, dost thou wish good to me too? I hope, O thou\nof ample hips, that neither I, nor this Vabhruvahana here, have, O\nbeautiful lady, done any injury to thee unconsciously? Has Chitrangada of\nfaultless limbs, descended from the race of Chitravahana, done thee any\nwrong?\" Unto him, the daughter of the prince of snakes answered\nsmilingly, \"Thou hast not offended me, nor has Vabhruvahana done me any\nwrong; nor this prince's mother who is always obedient to me as a\nhand-maid. Listen, how all this has been brought about by me. Thou\nshouldst not be angry with me. Indeed, I seek to gratify thee by bending\nmy head in reverence. O thou of Kuru's race, all this has been done by me\nfor thy good, O puissant one. O mighty-armed Dhananjaya, hear all that I\nhave done. In the great battle of the Bharata princes, thou hadst slain\nthe royal son of Santanu by unrighteous ways. What I have done has\nexpiated thy sin. Thou didst not overthrow Bhishma while battling with\nthee. He was engaged with Sikhandin. Relying on him as thy help, thou\ndidst compass the overthrow of Santanu's son. If thou hadst died without\nhaving expiated thy sin, thou wouldst then have fallen without doubt into\nHell in consequence of that sinful act of thine. Even this which thou\nhast got from thy son is the expiation of that sin. Formerly, O ruler of\nEarth, I heard this said by the Vasus while they were in the company of\nGanga, O thou of great intelligence. After the fall of Santanu's son,\nthose deities, viz., the Vasus, coming to the banks of Ganga, bathed in\nher waters, and calling the goddess of that stream, they uttered these\nterrible words having the sanction of Bhagirathi herself,\nviz.,--'Santanu's son Bhishma has been slain by Dhananjaya. Verily, O\ngoddess, Bhishma then was engaged with another, and had ceased to fight.\nFor this fault we shall today denounce a curse on Dhananjaya.'--To this,\nthe goddess Ganga readily assented, saying,--'Be it so!'--Hearing these\nwords I became very much afflicted and penetrating into the nether\nregions represented everything to my sire. Informed of what had happened,\nmy sire became plunged in grief. Repairing to the Vasus, he solicited\nthem for thy sake, repeatedly gratifying them by every means in his\npower. They then said unto him, 'Dhananjaya has a highly blessed son who,\nendued with youth, is the ruler of Manipura. He will, standing on the\nfield of battle, cast Dhananjaya down on the Earth. When this will\nhappen, O prince of snakes, Arjuna will be freed from our curse. Do thou\ngo back.'--Thus addressed by the Vasus, he came back and informed me of\nwhat had happened. Having learnt all this, O hero, I have freed thee from\nthe curse of the Vasus even in this way. The chief of the deities himself\nis incapable of vanquishing thee in battle. The son is one's own self. It\nis for this that thou hast been vanquished by him. I cannot be held, O\npuissant one, to have committed any fault. How, indeed, wouldst thou hold\nme censurable?\"--Thus addressed (by Ulupi), Vijaya became cheerful of\nheart and said unto her, \"All this that thou hast done, O goddess, is\nhighly agreeable to me.\" After this, Jaya addressed his son, the ruler of\nManipura, and said unto him in the hearing of Chitrangada, the daughter\n(-in-law) of Kuru's house, \"the Horse-sacrifice of Yudhishthira will take\nplace on the day of full moon in the coming month of Chaitra. Come there,\nO king, with thy mother and thy counsellors and officers.\" Thus addressed\nby Partha, king Vabhruvahana of great intelligence, with tearful eyes,\nsaid these words to his sire, \"O thou that art conversant with every\nduty, I shall certainly repair, at thy command, to the great\nHorse-sacrifice, and take upon myself the task of distributing food among\nthe regenerate ones. For, however, showing thy grace towards me, thou\nenter thy own city with thy two wives. Let no scruple be thine as\nregards this, O thou that art fully acquainted with every duty. O lord,\nhaving lived for one night in thy own mansion in happiness, thou mayst\nthen follow the steed, O foremost of victorious warriors.\" The\nape-bannered son of Kunti, thus addressed by his son, answered the child\nof Chitrangada, saying \"Thou knowest, O mighty-armed one, what vow I am\nobserving. O thou of large eyes, till the termination of this my vow, I\ncannot enter thy city. O foremost of men, this sacrificial horse wanders\nat will. (I have to follow it always.) Blessings on thee! I must go away.\nPlace I have none wherein to rest for even a short while.\" The son of the\nchastiser of Paka then, duly worshipped by his son and obtaining the\npermission of his two wives, left the spot and proceeded on his way.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The (sacrificial) steed, having wandered over the\nwhole Earth bounded by the ocean, then ceased and turned his face towards\nthe city called after the elephant. Following as he did that horse, the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna also turned his face towards the Kuru capital.\nWandering at his will, the steed then came to the city of Rajagriha.\nBeholding him arrived within his dominion, O monarch, the heroic son of\nSahadeva, observant of Kshatriya duties, challenged him to battle. Coming\nout of his city, Meghasandhi, mounted on his car and equipt with bow and\narrows and leathern fence, rushed towards Dhananjaya who was on foot.\nPossessed of great energy, Meghasandhi approaching Dhananjaya, O king,\nsaid these words from a spirit of childishness and without any skill.\n\"This steed of thine, O Bharata, seems to move about, protected by women\nonly. I shall take away the horse. Do thou strive to free him. Although\nmy sires did not teach thee in battle, I, however, shall do the duties of\nhospitality to you. Do thou strike me, for I shall strike thee.\" Thus\naddressed, the son of Pandu, smiling the while, answered him, saying, \"To\nresist him who obstructs me is the vow cast on me by my eldest brother.\nWithout doubt, O king, this is known to thee. Do thou strike me to the\nbest of thy power. I have no anger.\" Thus addressed, the ruler of Magadha\nfirst struck the son of Pandu, showering his arrows on him like the\nthousand-eyed Indra showering heavy downpour of rain. Then, O chief of\nBharata's race, the heroic wielder of Gandiva, with shafts sped from his\nexcellent bow, baffled all the arrows shot carefully at him by his\nantagonist. Having thus baffled that cloud of arrows, the ape-bannered\nhero sped a number of blazing arrows at his foe that resembled snakes\nwith fiery mouths. These arrows he shot at his flag and flag-staff and\ncar and poles and yoke and the horses, sparing the body of his foe and\nhis car-driver. Though Partha who was capable of shooting the bow with\nthe left hand (as well as with the right) spared the body of the prince\nof Magadha, yet the latter thinking that his body was protected by his\nown prowess, shot many arrows at Partha. The wielder of Gandiva, deeply\nstruck by the prince of Magadha, shone like a flowering Palasa (Butea\nfrondosa) in the season of spring. Arjuna had no desire of slaying the\nprince of Magadha. It was for this that, having struck the son of Pandu,\nhe succeeded in remaining before that foremost of heroes. Then\nDhananjaya, becoming angry, drew his bow with great force, and slew his\nantagonist's steeds and then struck off the head of his car-driver. With\na razor-headed shaft he then cut off Meghasandhi's large and beautiful\nbow, and then his leathern fence. Then cutting off his flag and\nflag-staff, he caused it to fall down. The prince of Magadha, exceedingly\nafflicted, and deprived of his steeds and bow and driver, took up a mace\nand rushed with great speed at the son of Kunti. Arjuna then with many\nshafts of his equipt with vulturine feathers cut off into fragments, that\nmace of his advancing foe which was adorned with bright gold. Thus cut\noff into fragments, that mace with its begemmed bonds and knots all\nsevered, fell on the Earth like a she-snake helplessly hurled down by\nsomebody. When his foe became deprived of his car, his bow, and his mace,\nthat foremost of warriors, viz., the intelligent Arjuna, did not wish to\nstrike him. The ape-bannered hero then, comforting his cheerless foe who\nhad been observant of Kshatriya duties, said unto him these words, \"O\nson, thou hast sufficiently displayed thy adherence to Kshatriya duties.\nGo now. Great have been the feats, O king, which thou hast accomplished\nin battle although thou art very young in years. The command I received\nfrom Yudhishthira was that kings who oppose me should not be slain. It is\nfor this thou livest yet, O monarch, although thou hast offended me in\nbattle.\" Thus addressed, the ruler of Magadha considered himself\nvanquished and spared. Thinking then that it was his duty to do so, he\napproached Arjuna and joining his hands in reverence worshipped him. And\nhe said, \"Vanquished have I been by thee. Blessed be thou, I do not\nventure to continue the battle. Tell me what I am to do now for thee.\nRegard thy behest as already accomplished.\" Comforting him again, Arjuna\nonce more said unto him, \"Thou shouldst repair to the Horse-sacrifice of\nour king which takes place at the coming full moon of Chaitra.\" Thus\naddressed by him, the son of Sahadeva said, \"So be it,\"--and then duly\nworshipped that horse as also Phalguna, that foremost of warriors. The\nsacrificial horse then, equipt with beautiful manes, proceeded at his\nwill along the sea-coast, repairing to the countries of the Bangas, the\nPundras, and the Kosalas. In those realms Dhananjaya, with his bow\nGandiva, O king, vanquished innumerable Mlechccha armies one after\nanother.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Worshipped by the ruler of Magadha, Pandu's son\nhaving white steeds yoked unto his car, proceeded along the south,\nfollowing the (sacrificial) steed. Turning round in course of his\nwanderings at will, the mighty steed came upon the beautiful city of the\nChedis called after the oyster.[199] Sarabha, the son of Sisupala, endued\nwith great strength, first encountered Arjuna in battle and then\nworshipped him with due honours. Worshipped by him, O king, that best of\nsteeds then proceeded to the realms of the Kasis, the Angas, the Kosalas,\nthe Kiratas, and the Tanganas. Receiving due honours in all those realms,\nDhananjaya turned his course. Indeed, the son of Kunti then proceeded to\nthe country of the Dasarnas. The ruler of that people was Chitrangada who\nwas endued with great strength and was a crusher of foes. Between him and\nVijaya occurred a battle exceedingly terrible. Bringing him under his\nsway the diadem-decked Arjuna, that foremost of men, proceeded to the\ndominions of the Nishada king, viz., the son of Ekalavya. The son of\nEkalavya received Arjuna in battle. The encounter that took place between\nthe Kuru hero and the Nishadas was so furious as to make the hair stand\non end. Unvanquished in battle, the valiant son of Kunti defeated the\nNishada king who proved an obstacle to the sacrifice. Having subjugated\nthe son of Ekalavya, O king, the son of Indra, duly worshipped by the\nNishadas, then proceeded towards the southern ocean. In those regions\nbattle took place between the diadem-decked hero and the Dravidas and\nAndhras and the fierce Mahishakas and the hillmen of Kolwa. Subjugating\nthose tribes without having to accomplish any fierce feats, Arjuna\nproceeded to the country of the Surashtras, his footsteps guided by the\nhorse. Arrived at Gokarna, he repaired thence to Prabhasa. Next he\nproceeded to the beautiful city of Dwaravati protected by the heroes of\nthe Vrishni race. When the beautiful sacrificial horse of the Kuru king\nreached Dwaravati, the Yadava youths, used force against that foremost of\nsteeds. King Ugrasena, however, soon went out and forbade those youths\nfrom doing what they meditated. Then the ruler of the Vrishnis and the\nAndhakas, issuing out of his palace, with Vasudeva, the maternal uncle of\nArjuna, in his company, cheerfully met the Kuru hero and received him\nwith due rites. The two elderly chiefs honoured Arjuna duly. Obtaining\ntheir permission, the Kuru prince then proceeded to where the horse he\nfollowed, led him. The sacrificial steed then proceeded along the coast\nof the western ocean and at last reached the country of the five waters\nwhich swelled with population and prosperity. Thence, O king, the steed\nproceeded to the country of Gandharas. Arrived there, it wandered at\nwill, followed by the son of Kunti. Then occurred a fierce battle between\nthe diadem-decked hero and the ruler of Gandharas, viz., the son of\nSakuni, who had a bitter remembrance of the grudge his sire bore to the\nPandavas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The heroic son of Sakuni, who was a mighty\ncar-warrior among the Gandharas, accompanied by a large force, proceeded\nagainst the Kuru hero of curly hair.[200] That force was properly equipt\nwith elephants and horses and cars, and was adorned with many flags and\nbanners. Unable to bear and, therefore, burning to avenge, the slaughter\nof their king Sakuni, those warriors, armed with bows, rushed together at\nPartha. The unvanquished Vibhatsu of righteous soul addressed them\npeacefully, but they were unwilling to accept the beneficial words of\nYudhishthira (through Arjuna). Though forbidden by Partha with sweet\nwords, they still gave themselves up to wrath and surrounded the\nsacrificial steed. At this, the son of Pandu became filled with wrath.\nThen Arjuna, carelessly shooting from Gandiva many shafts with razor-like\nheads that blazed with splendour, cut off the heads of many Gandhara\nwarriors. While thus slaughtered by Partha, the Gandharas, O king,\nexceedingly afflicted, set free the horse, moved by fear and desisted\nfrom battle. Resisted, however, by those Gandhara combatants who still\nsurrounded him on every side, the son of Pandu, possessed of great\nenergy, felled the heads of many, previously naming those whom he thus\ndespatched. When the Gandhara warriors were thus being slain all around\nhim in battle, the royal son of Sakuni came forward to resist the son of\nPandu. Unto the Gandhara king who was fighting with him, impelled by\nKshatriya duty, Arjuna said, \"I do not intend to slay the kings who fight\nwith me, in consequence of the commands of Yudhishthira. Cease, O hero,\nto fight with me. Do not court defeat.\" Thus addressed the son of Sakuni,\nstupefied by folly, disregarded that advice and covered with many swift\narrows the Kuru hero who resembled Sakra himself in the feats he\naccomplished in battle. Then Partha, with a crescent-shaped arrow, cut\noff the head-gear of his foe. Of immeasurable soul, he also caused that\nhead-gear to be borne along a great distance like the head of Jayadratha\n(after he had cut it off in the battle of Kurukshetra). Beholding this\nfeat, all the Gandhara warriors became filled with wonder. That Arjuna\nvoluntarily spared their king was well understood by them. The prince of\nthe Gandharas then began to fly away from the field, accompanied by all\nhis warriors who resembled a flock of frightened deer. The Gandharas,\nthrough fear, lost their senses and wandered over the field, unable to\nescape. Arjuna, with his broad-headed shafts, cut off the heads of many.\nMany there were who lost their arms in consequence of Arjuna's arrows,\nbut so stupefied were they with fear that they were not aware of the loss\nof that limb. Verily, the Gandhara army was exceedingly afflicted with\nthose large shafts which Partha sped from Gandiva. That army, which then\nconsisted of frightened men and elephants and horses, which lost many\nwarriors and animals, and which had been reduced to a rabble and put to\nrout, began to wander and wheel about the field repeatedly. Among those\nfoes who were thus being slaughtered none could be seen standing in front\nof the Kuru hero famed for foremost of feats. No one could be seen who\nwas able to bear the prowess of Dhananjaya. Then the mother of the ruler\nof the Gandharas, filled with fear, and with all the aged ministers of\nstate, came out of her city, bearing an excellent Arghya for Arjuna. She\nforbade her brave son of steady heart from fighting any longer, and\ngratified Jishnu who was never fatigued with toil. The puissant Vibhatsu\nworshipped her and became inclined to show kindness towards the\nGandharas. Comforting the son of Sakuni, he said, \"Thou hast not, O\nmighty-armed hero, done what is agreeable to me by setting thy heart upon\nthese measures of hostility. O slayer of heroes, thou art my brother, O\nsinless one.[201] Recollecting my mother Gandhari, and for the sake of\nDhritarashtra also, I have not taken thy life. It is for this, O king,\nthat thou livest still. Many of thy followers, however, have been slain\nby me. Let not such a thing happen again. Let hostilities cease. Let not\nthy understanding again go astray. Thou shouldst go to the\nHorse-sacrifice of our king which comes off on the day of full moon of\nthe month of Chaitra.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having said these words, Partha set out, following\nthe horse which wandered at its will. The sacrificial steed then turned\ntowards the road that led to the city called after the elephant.\nYudhishthira heard from his intelligence-bearers that the steed had\nturned back. And hearing also that Arjuna was hale and hearty, he became\nfilled with joy.[202] Hearing also the feats, accomplished by Vijaya in\nthe country of the Gandharas as also in another realms, the king became\nexceedingly glad. Meanwhile, king Yudhishthira the just, seeing that the\ntwelfth day of the lighted fortnight in the month of Magha had come, and\nnoticing also that the constellation was favourable, summoned all his\nbrothers, viz., Bhima and Nakula and Sahadeva. Endued with great energy,\nthe king, O thou of Kuru's race, that foremost of all persons conversant\nwith duties, said these words in proper time. Indeed, that foremost of\nall speakers, addressing Bhima, the first of all smiters, said;--\"Thy\nyounger brother (Arjuna), O Bhimasena, is coming back with the horse. I\nhave learnt this from those men who had followed Arjuna. The time (for\nthe sacrifice) is come. The sacrificial horse is near. The day of full\nmoon of the month of Magha is at hand. The month is about to expire, O\nVrikodara. Let, therefore, learned Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas\nlook for a sacrificial spot for the successful accomplishment of the\nHorse-sacrifice.\" Thus addressed, Bhima obeyed the royal behest. He\nbecame very glad upon hearing that Arjuna of curly hair was about to come\nback. Then Bhima went out with a number of men well conversant with the\nrules of laying out sacrificial grounds and constructing buildings. And\nhe took with him many Brahmanas well-versed in all the rites of\nsacrifices. Bhima selected a beautiful spot and caused it to be duly\nmeasured out for laying the sacrificial compound. Numerous houses and\nmansions were constructed on it and high and broad roads also were laid\nout. Soon enough the Kaurava hero caused that ground to teem with\nhundreds of excellent mansions. The surface was levelled and made smooth\nwith jewels and gems, and adorned with diverse structures made of gold.\nColumns were raised, ornamented with bright gold, and high and wide\ntriumphal arches also were constructed on that sacrificial compound. All\nthese were made of pure gold. The righteous-souled prince also caused\napartments to be duly constructed for the accommodation of ladies and of\nthe numerous kings who, hailing from many realms, were expected to grace\nthe sacrifice with their presence. The son of Kunti also caused many\nmansions to be duly erected for Brahmanas who were expected to come from\ndiverse realms. Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena, at the command of the\nking, sent out messengers to the great kings of the Earth. Those best of\nkings, came to the Horse-sacrifice of the Kuru monarch for doing what was\nagreeable to him. And they brought many gems with them and many female\nslaves and horses and weapons. The sounds that arose from those\nhigh-souled kings who resided within those pavilions touched the very\nheavens and resembled the noise made by the roaring ocean. King\nYudhishthira, the delighter of the Kurus, assigned unto the monarchs who\nthus came to his sacrifice diverse kinds of food and drink, and beds also\nof celestial beauty. The chief of the Bharatas, viz., king Yudhishthira\nthe just, assigned several stables well filled with different kinds of\ncorn and sugarcane and milk to the animals (that came with the guests).\nTo that great sacrifice of king Yudhishthira the just who was possessed\nof high intelligence, there also came a large number of Munis all of whom\nwere utterers of Brahman. Indeed, O lord of Earth, all the foremost ones\namong the regenerate class that were then alive, came to that sacrifice,\naccompanied by their disciples. The Kuru king received them all. King\nYudhishthira of mighty energy, casting off all pride, himself followed\nall his guests to the pavilions that had been assigned for their\nresidence. Then all the mechanics and engineers, having completed the\narrangements of the sacrifice informed king Yudhishthira of it. Hearing\nthat everything was ready, king Yudhishthira the just, full of alertness\nand attention, became highly glad along with his brothers all of whom\nhonoured him duly.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'When the great sacrifice of Yudhishthira\ncommenced, many eloquent dialecticians started diverse propositions and\ndisputed thereon, desirous of vanquishing one another.[203] The (invited)\nkings beheld the excellent preparations of that sacrifice, resembling\nthose of the chief himself of the deities, made, O Bharata, by Bhimasena.\nThey beheld many triumphal arches made of gold, and many beds and seats\nand other articles of enjoyment and luxury, and crowds of men collected\nat different spots. There were also many jars and vessels and cauldrons\nand jugs and lids and covers. The invited kings saw nothing there that\nwas not made of gold. Many sacrificial stakes also were set up, made,\naccording to the directions of the scriptures of wood, and adorned with\ngold. Endued with great effulgence, these were duly planted and dedicated\n(with scriptural Mantras). The king saw all animals, again, which belong\nto land and all those which belong to water, collected there on the\noccasion. And they also beheld many kine and many buffaloes and many old\nwomen, and many aquatic animals, many beasts of prey and many species of\nbirds, and many specimens of viviparous and oviparous creatures, and many\nthat are filth-born, and many belonging to the vegetable kingdom, and\nmany animals and plants that live or grow on mountains. Beholding the\nsacrificial compound thus adorned with animals and kine and corn, the\ninvited kings became filled with wonder. Large heaps of costly\nsweet-meats were kept ready for both the Brahmanas and the Vaisyas. And\nwhen the feeding was over of a hundred thousand Brahmanas, drums and\ncymbals were beat. And so large was the number fed that the sounds of\ndrums and cymbals were repeatedly heard, indeed, from day to day those\nsounds continued. Thus was performed that sacrifice of king Yudhishthira\nof great intelligence. Many hills of food, O king, were dedicated on the\noccasion. Many large tanks were seen of curds and many lakes of ghee. In\nthat great sacrifice, O monarch, was seen the entire population of\nJamvudwipa, with all its realms and provinces, collected together.\nThousands of nations and races were there. A large number of men, O chief\nof Bharata's race, adorned with garlands and wearing bright ear-rings\nmade of gold, taking innumerable vessels in their hands, distributed the\nfood unto the regenerate classes by hundreds and thousands. The\nattendants of the Pandavas gave away unto the Brahmanas diverse kinds of\nfood and drink which were, besides, so costly as to be worthy of being\neaten and drunk by kings themselves.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Beholding those kings--lords of Earth--all\nconversant with the Vedas, arrive, king Yudhishthira, addressing\nBhimasena, said,--\"O chief of men, let proper honours be paid to these\nkings who have come (to my sacrifice), for these foremost of men are all\nworthy of the highest honours.\" Thus addressed by king Yudhishthira of\ngreat fame Pandu's son Bhimasena of mighty energy did as he was enjoined,\nassisted by the twins. The foremost of all men, viz., Govinda, came\nthere, accompanied by the Vrishnis, and with Valadeva in the van. He was\naccompanied by Yuyudhana and Pradyumna and Gada, and Nisatha and Samvo\nand Kritavarman. The mighty car-warrior Bhima offered them the most\nreverential worship. Those princes then entered the palaces, adorned with\ngems, that were assigned to them. At the end of a conversation he had\nwith Yudhishthira, the slayer of Madhu referred to Arjuna who had been\nemaciated in consequence of many fights. The son of Kunti repeatedly\nasked Krishna, that chastiser of foes, about Arjuna. Unto Dharma's son,\nthe lord of all the universe began to speak about Jishnu, the son of\nSakra. \"O king, a confidential agent of mine residing in Dwaraka came to\nme. He had seen Arjuna, that foremost of Pandu's sons. Indeed, the latter\nhas been very much emaciated with the fatigue of many battles. O puissant\nmonarch, that agent of mine informed me that the mighty-armed hero is\nvery near to us. Do thou set thyself to accomplish thy Horse-sacrifice.\"\nThus addressed, king Yudhishthira the just, said unto him,--\"By good\nluck, O Madhava, Arjuna comes back safely. I desire to ascertain from\nthee, O delighter of the Yadavas, what has been said in this matter by\nthat mightiest of heroes among the sons of Pandu.\" Thus addressed by king\nYudhishthira the just, the lord of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, that\nforemost of eloquent men, said these words unto that monarch of righteous\nsoul,--\"My agent, recollecting the words of Partha, reported them thus to\nme, O great king,--'Yudhishthira, O Krishna, should be told these words of\nmine when the time comes. O chief of the Kauravas, many kings will come\n(to thy sacrifice). When they arrive, high honours should be paid unto\nthem. This would, indeed, be worthy for us. O giver of honours, the king\nshould further be informed at my request that he should do what is\nnecessary for preventing a carnage similar to what took place at the time\nof presenting the Arghya (on the occasion of the Rajasuya-sacrifice). Let\nKrishna also approve of this. Let not, O king, through the ill-feeling of\nkings, the people be slaughtered.' My man further reported, O king, these\nwords of Dhananjaya. Listen as I repeat them, 'O monarch, the ruler of\nManipura, my dear son Vabhruvahana, will come at the sacrifice. Do thou\nhonour him duly for my sake, O puissant one. He is always attached and\ndeeply devoted to me.'\"--Hearing these words, king Yudhishthira the just,\napproved of them and said as follows.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"I have heard, O Krishna, thy agreeable words. They\nare such as deserve to be spoken by thee. Gladsome and sweet as nectar\nare they, indeed, they fill my heart with great pleasure, O puissant one.\nO Hrishikesa, I have heard that innumerable have been the battles which\nVijaya has fought with the kings of the Earth. For what reason is Partha\nalways dissociated from ease and comfort? Vijaya is exceedingly\nintelligent. This, therefore, pains my heart very much. I always, O\nJanarddana, think, when I am withdrawn from business, of Kunti's son\nJishnu. The lot of that delighter of the Pandus is exceedingly miserable.\nHis body has every auspicious mark. What, however, O Krishna, is that\nsign in his excellent body in consequence of which he has always to\nendure misery and discomfort? That son of Kunti has to bear an\nexceedingly large share of unhappiness. I do not see any censurable\nindication in his body. It behoves thee to explain the cause to me if I\ndeserve to hear it.\" Thus addressed, Hrishikesa, that enhancer of the\nglory of the Bhoja princes, having reflected for a long time, answered as\nfollows--\"I do not see any censurable feature in this prince, except that\nthe cheek bones of this lion among men are a little too high. It is in\nconsequence of this that that foremost of men has always to be on the\nroad. I really do not see anything else in consequence of which he could\nbe made so unhappy.\" Thus answered by Krishna of great intelligence, that\nforemost of men, viz., king Yudhishthira, said unto the chief of the\nVrishnis that it was even so. The princess Draupadi, however, looked\nangrily and askance at Krishna, (for she could not bear the ascription of\nany fault to Arjuna). The slayer of Kesi, viz., Hrishikesa, approved of\nthat indication of love (for his friend) which the princess of Panchala,\nwho also was his friend, displayed.[204] Bhimasena and the other Kurus,\nincluding the sacrificial priests, who heard of the agreeable triumphs of\nArjuna in course of his following the horse, became highly gratified.\nWhile they were still engaged in discoursing on Arjuna, an envoy came\nfrom that high-souled hero bearing a message from him. Repairing to the\npresence of the Kuru king, the intelligent envoy bowed his head in\nreverence and informed him of the arrival of that foremost of men, viz.,\nPhalguna. On receipt of this intelligence, tears of joy covered the\nking's eyes. Large gifts were made to the messenger for the very\nagreeable tidings he had brought. On the second day from that date, a\nloud din was heard when that foremost of men, that chief of the Kurus,\ncame. The dust raised by the hoofs of that horse as it walked in close\nadjacence to Arjuna, looked as beautiful as that raised by the celestial\nsteed Uchchaisravas. And as Arjuna advanced he heard many gladdening\nwords uttered by the citizens. \"By good luck, O Partha, thou art out of\ndanger. Praise to you and king Yudhishthira! Who else than Arjuna could\ncome back after having caused the horse to wander over the whole Earth\nand after having vanquished all the kings in battle? We have not heard of\nsuch a feat having been achieved by even Sagara and other high-souled\nkings of antiquity. Future kings also will never be able to accomplish so\ndifficult a feat, O foremost one of Kuru's race, as this which thou hast\nachieved.\" Listening to such words, agreeable to the ear, of the\ncitizens, the righteous-souled Phalguna entered the sacrificial compound.\nThen king Yudhishthira with all his ministers, and Krishna, the delighter\nof the Yadus, placing Dhritarashtra in their van, went out for receiving\nDhananjaya. Saluting the feet of his sire (Dhritarashtra), and then of\nking Yudhishthira the just of great wisdom, and then worshipping Bhima\nand others, he embraced Kesava. Worshipped by them all and worshipping\nthem in return according to due rites, the mighty-armed hero, accompanied\nby those princes, took rest like a ship-wrecked man tossed on the waves\nresting on reaching the shore. Meanwhile king Vabhruvahan of great\nwisdom, accompanied by his mothers (Chitrangada and Ulupi), came to the\nKuru capital. The mighty-armed prince duly saluted all his seniors of\nKuru's race and the other kings present there, and was honoured by them\nall in return. He then entered the excellent abode of his grand-mother\nKunti.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Entering the palace of the Pandavas the mighty-armed\nprince saluted his grand-mother in soothing and sweet accents. Then queen\nChitrangada, and (Ulupi) the daughter of (the snake) Kauravya, together\napproached Partha and Krishna with humility. They then met Subhadra and\nthe other ladies of the Kuru race with due formalities. Kunti gave them\nmany gems and costly things. Draupadi and Subhadra and the other ladies\nof Kuru's race all made presents to them. The two ladies took up their\nresidence there, using costly beds and seats, treated with affection and\nrespect by Kunti herself from desire of doing what was agreeable to\nPartha. King Vabhruvahana of great energy, duly honoured (by Kunti), then\nmet Dhritarashtra according to due rites. Repairing then to king\nYudhishthira and Bhima and the other Pandavas, the mighty prince of\nManipura saluted them all with humility. They all embraced him with great\naffection and honoured him duly. And those mighty car-warriors highly\ngratified with him, made large gifts of wealth unto him. The king of\nManipura then humbly approached Krishna, that hero armed with the discus\nand the mace, like a second Pradyumna approaching his sire. Krishna gave\nunto the king a very costly and excellent car adorned with gold and unto\nwhich were yoked excellent steeds. Then king Yudhishthira the just, and\nBhima, and Phalguna, and the twins, each separately honoured him and made\ncostly presents unto him. On the third day, the sage Vyasa, the son of\nSatyavati, that foremost of eloquent men, approaching Yudhishthira\nsaid,--\"From this day, O son of Kunti, do thou begin thy sacrifice. The\ntime for it has come. The moment for commencing the rite is at hand. The\npriests are urging thee. Let the sacrifice be performed in such a way\nthat no limb may become defective. In consequence of the very large\nquantity of gold that is required for this sacrifice, it has come to be\ncalled the sacrifice of profuse gold. Do thou also, O great king, make\nthe Dakshina of this sacrifice three times of what is enjoined. Let the\nmerit of thy sacrifice increase threefold. The Brahmanas are competent\nfor the purpose.[205] Attaining to the merits then of three\nHorse-sacrifices, each with profuse presents, thou shalt be freed, O\nking, from the sin of having slain thy kinsmen. The bath that one\nperforms upon completion of the Horse-sacrifice, O monarch, is highly\ncleansing and productive of the highest merit. That merit will be thine,\nO king of Kuru's race.\" Thus addressed by Vyasa of immeasurable\nintelligence, the righteous-souled Yudhishthira of great energy underwent\nthe Diksha for performance of the Horse-sacrifice.[206] The mighty-armed\nmonarch then performed the great Horse-sacrifice characterised by gifts\nof food and presents in profusion and capable of fructifying every wish\nand producing every merit. The priests, well conversant with the Vedas,\ndid every rite duly, moving about in all directions. They were all\nwell-trained, and possessed of omniscience. In nothing was there a\nswerving from the ordinances and nothing was done improperly. Those\nforemost of regenerate persons followed the procedure as laid down (in\nthe scriptures) and as it should be followed in those points about which\nno directions are given.[207] Those best of regenerate ones, having first\nperformed the rite called Pravargya, otherwise called Dharma, then duly\nwent through the rite of Abhishava, O king.[208] Those foremost of\nSoma-drinkers, O monarch, extracting the juice of the Soma, then\nperformed the Savana rite following the injunctions of the scriptures.\nAmong those that came to that sacrifice none could be seen who was\ncheerless, none who was poor, none who was hungry, none who was plunged\ninto grief, and none that seemed to be vulgar. Bhimasena of mighty energy\nat the command of the king, caused food to be ceaselessly distributed\namong those that desired to eat. Following the injunctions of the\nscriptures, priests, well-versed in sacrificial rites of every kind,\nperformed every day all the acts necessary to complete the great\nsacrifice. Amongst the Sadasayas of king Yudhishthira of great\nintelligence there was none who was not well conversant with the six\nbranches of (Vedic) learning. There was none among them that was not an\nobserver of vows, none that was not an Upadhyaya, none that was not well\nversed in dialectical disputations. When the time came for erecting the\nsacrificial stake, O chief of Bharata's race, six stakes were set up that\nwere made of Vilwa,[209] six that were made of Khadira, and six that were\nmade of Saravarnin. Two stakes were set up by the priests that were made\nof Devadaru in that sacrifice of the Kuru king, and one that was made of\nSleshmataka. At the command of the king, Bhima caused some other stakes\nto be set up, for the sake of beauty only, that were made of gold.\nAdorned with fine cloths supplied by the royal sage, those stakes shone\nthere like Indra and the deities with the seven celestial Rishis standing\naround them in Heaven. A number of golden bricks were made for\nconstructing therewith a Chayana. The Chayana made resembled in beauty\nthat which had been made for Daksha, the lord of creatures (on the\noccasion of his great sacrifice). The Chayana measured eight and ten\ncubits and four stories or lairs. A golden bird, of the shape of Garuda,\nwas then made, having three angles.[210] Following the injunctions of the\nscriptures, the priests possessed of great learning then duly tied to the\nstakes both animals and birds, assigning each to its particular\ndeity.[211] Bulls, possessed of such qualifications as are mentioned in\nthe scriptures, and aquatic animals were properly tied to the stakes\nafter the rites relating to the sacrificial fire had been performed. In\nthat sacrifice of the high-souled son of Kunti, three hundred animals\nwere tied to the stakes set up, including that foremost of steeds. That\nsacrifice looked exceedingly beautiful as if adorned with the celestial\nRishis, with the Gandharvas singing in chorus and the diverse tribes of\nApsaras dancing in merriment. It teemed, besides, with Kimpurushas and\nwas adorned with Kinnaras. All around it were abodes of Brahmanas crowned\nwith ascetic success. There were daily seen the disciples of Vyasa, those\nforemost of regenerate ones, who are compilers of all branches of\nlearning, and well conversant with sacrificial rites. There was Narada,\nand there was Tumvuru of great splendour. There were Viswavasu and\nChitrasena and others, all of whom were proficient in music. At intervals\nof the sacrificial rites, those Gandharvas, skilled in music and well\nversed in dancing, used to gladden the Brahmanas who were engaged in the\nsacrifice.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having cooked, according to due rites, the other\nexcellent animals that were sacrificed, the priests then sacrificed,\nagreeably to the injunctions of the scriptures, that steed (which had\nwandered over the whole world). After cutting that horse into pieces,\nconformably to scriptural directions, they caused Draupadi of great\nintelligence, who was possessed of the three requisites of mantras,\nthings, and devotion, to sit near the divided animal. The Brahmanas then\nwith cool minds, taking up the marrow of that steed, cooked it duly, O\nchief of Bharata's race. King Yudhishthira the just, with all his younger\nbrothers, then smelled, agreeably to the scriptures, the smoke, capable\nof cleansing one from every sin, of the marrow that was thus cooked. The\nremaining limbs, O king, of that horse, were poured into the fire by the\nsixteen sacrificial priests possessed of great wisdom. Having thus\ncompleted the sacrifice of that monarch, who was endued with the energy\nof Sakra himself, the illustrious Vyasa with his disciples eulogised the\nking greatly. Then Yudhishthira gave away unto the Brahmanas a thousand\ncrores of golden nishkas, and unto Vyasa he gave away the whole Earth.\nSatyavati's son Vyasa, having accepted the Earth, addressed that foremost\none of Bharata's race, viz., king Yudhishthira the just, and said, \"O\nbest of kings, the Earth which thou hast given me I return unto thee. Do\nthou give me the purchasing value, for Brahmanas are desirous of wealth\n(and have no use with the Earth).\" The high-souled Yudhishthira of great\nintelligence staying with his brothers in the midst of the kings invited\nto his sacrifice, said unto those Brahmanas, \"The Dakshina ordained in\nthe scriptures for the great Horse-sacrifice is the Earth. Hence, I have\ngiven away unto the sacrificial priests the Earth conquered by Arjuna. Ye\nforemost of Brahmanas, I shall enter the woods. Do ye divide the Earth\namong yourselves. Indeed, do you divide the Earth into four parts\naccording to what is done in the Chaturhotra sacrifice. Ye best of\nregenerate ones I do not desire to appropriate what now belongs to the\nBrahmanas. Even this, ye learned Brahmanas, has been the intention always\ncherished by myself and my brothers.\" When the king said these words, his\nbrothers and Draupadi also said, \"Yes, it is even so.\" Great was the\nsensation created by this announcement. Then, O Bharata, an invisible\nvoice was heard in the welkin, saying,--\"Excellent, Excellent!\" The\nmurmurs also of crowds of Brahmanas as they spoke arose. The Island-born\nKrishna, highly applauding him, once more addressed Yudhishthira, in the\npresence of the Brahmanas, saying, \"The Earth has been given by thee to\nme. I, however, give her back to thee. Do thou give unto these Brahmanas\ngold. Let the Earth be thine.\" Then Vasudeva, addressing king\nYudhishthira the just, said, \"It behoveth thee to do as thou art bid by\nthe illustrious Vyasa.\" Thus addressed, the foremost one of Kuru's race,\nalong with all his brothers, became glad of soul, and gave away millions\nof golden coins, in fact, trebling the Dakshina ordained for the\nHorse-sacrifice. No other king will be able to accomplish what the Kuru\nking accomplished on that occasion after the manner of Marutta. Accepting\nthat wealth, the Island-born sage, Krishna, of great learning, gave it\nunto the sacrificial priests, dividing it into four parts. Having paid\nthat wealth as the price of the Earth, Yudhishthira, cleansed of his sins\nand assured of Heaven rejoiced with his brothers. The sacrificial\npriests, having got that unlimited quantity of wealth, distributed it\namong the Brahmanas gladly and according to the desire of each recipient.\nThe Brahmanas also divided amongst themselves, agreeably to\nYudhishthira's permission, the diverse ornaments of gold that were in the\nsacrificial compound, including the triumphal arches, the stakes, the\njars, and diverse kinds of vessels. After the Brahmanas had taken as much\nas they desired, the wealth that remained was taken away by Kshatriyas\nand Vaisyas and Sudras and diverse tribes of Mlechcchas. Thus gratified\nwith presents by king Yudhishthira of great intelligence, the Brahmanas,\nfilled with joy, returned to their respective abodes. The holy and\nillustrious Vyasa respectfully presented his own share, which was very\nlarge, of that gold unto Kunti. Receiving that gift of affection from her\nfather-in-law, Pritha became glad of heart and devoted it to the\naccomplishment of diverse acts of merit. King Yudhishthira, having bathed\nat the conclusion of his sacrifice and become cleansed of all his sins,\nshone in the midst of his brothers, honoured by all, like the chief of\nthe celestials in the midst of the denizens of Heaven. The sons of Pandu,\nsurrounded by the assembled kings, looked as beautiful, O king, as the\nplanets in the midst of the stars. Unto those kings they made presents of\nvarious jewels and gems, and elephants and horses and ornaments of gold,\nand female slaves and cloths and large measures of gold. Indeed, Pritha's\nson by distributing that untold wealth among the invited monarchs, shone,\nO king, like Vaisravana, the lord of treasures. Summoning next the heroic\nking Vabhruvahana, Yudhishthira gave unto him diverse kinds of wealth in\nprofusion and gave him permission to return home. The son of Pandu, for\ngratifying his sister Dussala, established her infant grandson in his\npaternal kingdom. The Kuru king Yudhishthira, having a full control over\nhis senses, then dismissed the assembled kings all of whom had been\nproperly classed and honoured by him.[212] The illustrious son of Pandu,\nthat chastiser of foes, then duly worshipped the high-souled Govinda and\nValadeva of great might, and the thousands of other Vrishni heroes having\nPradyumna for their first. Assisted by his brothers, he then dismissed\nthem for returning to Dwaraka. Even thus was celebrated that sacrifice of\nking Yudhishthira the just, which was distinguished by a profuse\nabundance of food and wealth and jewels and gems, and oceans of wines of\ndifferent kinds. There were lakes whose mire consisted of ghee, and\nmountains of food. There were also, O chief of Bharata's race, miry\nrivers made of drinks having the six kinds of taste. Of men employed in\nmaking and eating the sweetmeats called Khandavaragas, and of animals\nslain for food, there was no end.[213] The vast space abounded with men\ninebriated with wine, and with young ladies filled with joy. The\nextensive grounds constantly echoed with the sounds of drums and the\nblare of conches. With all these, the sacrifice became exceedingly\ndelightful. \"Let agreeable things be given away,\"--\"Let agreeable food be\neaten,\"--these were the sounds that were repeatedly heard day and night\nin that sacrifice. It was like a great festival, full of rejoicing and\ncontented men. People of diverse realms speak of that sacrifice to this\nday. Having showered wealth in torrents, and diverse objects of desire,\nand jewels and gems, and drinks of various kinds, the foremost one of\nBharata's race, cleansed of all his sins, and his purpose fulfilled,\nentered his capital.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XC\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'It behoveth thee to tell me of any wonderful incident\nthat occurred in the sacrifice of my grandsires.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hear, O chief of kings of a most wonderful incident\nthat occurred, O puissant monarch, at the conclusion of that great\nhorse-sacrifice. After all the foremost of Brahmanas and all the kinsmen\nand relatives and friends, and all the poor, the blind, and the helpless\nones had been gratified, O chief of Bharata's race, when the gifts made\nin profusion were being spoken of on all sides, indeed, when flowers were\nrained down on the head of king Yudhishthira the just, a blue-eyed\nmongoose, O sinless one, with one side of his body changed into gold,\ncame there and spoke in a voice that was as loud and deep as thunder.\nRepeatedly uttering such deep sounds and thereby frightening all animals\nand birds, that proud denizen of a hole, with large body, spoke in a\nhuman voice and said, \"Ye kings, this great sacrifice is not equal to a\nprastha of powdered barley given away by a liberal Brahmana of\nKurukshetra who was observing the Unccha vow.\" Hearing these words of the\nmongoose, O king, all those foremost of Brahmanas became filled with\nwonder. Approaching the mongoose, they then asked him, saying, \"Whence\nhast thou come to this sacrifice, this resort of the good and the pious?\nWhat is the extent of thy might? What thy learning? And what thy refuge?\nHow should we know thee that thus censurest this our sacrifice? Without\nhaving disregarded any portion of the scriptures, everything that should\nbe done has been accomplished here according to the scriptures and\nagreeably to reason, with the aid of diverse sacrificial rites. Those who\nare deserving of worship have been duly worshipped here according to the\nway pointed out by the scriptures. Libations have been poured on the\nsacred fire with the aid of proper mantras. That which should be given\nhas been given away without pride. The regenerate class have been\ngratified with gifts of diverse kinds. The Kshatriyas have been gratified\nwith battles fought according to just methods. The grandsires have been\ngratified with Sraddhas. The Vaisyas have been gratified by the\nprotection offered to them, and many foremost of women have been\ngratified by accomplishing their desires. The Sudras have been gratified\nby kind speeches, and others with the remnants of the profuse wealth\ncollected on the spot. Kinsmen and relatives have been gratified by the\npurity of behaviour displayed by our king. The deities have been\ngratified by libations of clarified butter and acts of merit, and\ndependants and followers by protection. That therefore, which is true, do\nthou truly declare unto these Brahmanas. Indeed, do thou declare what is\nagreeable to the scriptures and to actual experience, asked by the\nBrahmanas who are eager to know. Thy words seem to demand credit. Thou\nart wise. Thou bearest also a celestial form. Thou hast come into the\nmidst of learned Brahmanas. It behoveth thee to explain thyself.\" Thus\naddressed by those regenerate persons, the mongoose, smiling, answered\nthem as follows. \"Ye regenerate ones, the words I have uttered are not\nfalse. Neither have I spoken them from pride. That which I have said may\nhave been heard by you all. Ye foremost of regenerate persons, this\nsacrifice is not equal in merit to the gift of a prastha of powdered\nbarley. Without doubt, I should say this, ye foremost of Brahmanas.\nListen to me with undivided attention as I narrate what happened to thee\ntruly. Wonderful and excellent was the occurrence that fell out. It was\nwitnessed by me and its consequences were felt by me. The incident\nrelates to a liberal Brahmana dwelling in Kurukshetra in the observance\nof the Unccha vow. In consequence of that incident he attained to Heaven,\nye regenerate ones, along with his wife and son and daughter-in-law. And\nin consequence of what then happened half my body became transformed into\ngold.\"\n\n\"'The Mongoose continued, \"Ye regenerate ones, I shall presently tell you\nwhat the excellent fruit was of the gift, made by a Brahmana, of a very\nlittle measure (of powdered barley) obtained by lawful means. On that\nrighteous spot of ground known by the name of Kurukshetra, which is the\nabode of many righteous persons, there lived a Brahmana in the observance\nof what is called the Unccha vow. That mode of living is like unto that\nof the pigeon.[214] He lived there with his wife and son and\ndaughter-in-law and practised penances. Of righteous soul, and with\nsenses under complete control, he adopted the mode of living that is\nfollowed by a parrot. Of excellent vows, he used to eat everyday at the\nsixth division.[215] If there was nothing to eat at the sixth division of\nthe day, that excellent Brahmana would fast for that day and eat the next\nday at the sixth division. On one occasion, ye Brahmanas, there occurred\na dreadful famine in the land. During that time there was nothing stored\nin the abode of that righteous Brahmana. The herbs and plants were all\ndried up and the whole realm became void of foodstore. When the\naccustomed hours came for eating, the Brahmana had nothing to eat. This\noccurred day after day. All the members of his family were afflicted with\nhunger but were obliged to pass the days as best they could. One day, in\nthe month of Jaishtha, while the Sun was in the meridian, the Brahmana\nwas engaged in picking up grains of corn. Afflicted by heat and hunger,\nhe was practising even this penance. Unable to obtain grains of corn, the\nBrahmana soon became worn out with hunger and toil. Indeed, with all the\nmembers of his family, he had no food to eat. That best of Brahmanas\npassed the days in great suffering. One day, after the sixth division\ncame, he succeeded in obtaining a prastha of barley. That barley was then\nreduced by those ascetics to powder for making what is called Saktu of\nit. Having finished their silent recitations and other daily rites, and\nhaving duly poured libations on the sacred fire, those ascetics divided\nthat little measure of powdered barley amongst themselves so that the\nshare of each came up to the measure of a Kudava.[216] As they were about\nto sit down for eating, there came unto their abode a guest. Beholding\nthe person who came as a guest, all of them became exceedingly glad.\nIndeed, seeing him, they saluted him and made the usual enquiries of\nwelfare. They were of pure minds, self-restrained, and endued with faith\nand control over the passions. Freed from malice, they had conquered\nwrath. Possessed of piety, they were never pained at the sight of other\npeople's happiness. They had cast off pride and haughtiness and anger.\nIndeed, they were conversant with every duty, ye foremost of regenerate\nones. Informing their guest of their own penances and of the race or\nfamily to which they belonged, and ascertaining from him in return those\nparticulars, they caused that hungry guest of theirs to enter their\ncottage. Addressing him they said, 'This is the Arghya for thee. This\nwater is for washing thy feet. There are scattered some Kusa grass for\nthy seat, O sinless one. Here is some clean Saktu acquired by lawful\nmeans, O puissant one. Given by us, O foremost of regenerate persons, do\nthou accept it,' Thus addressed by them, that Brahmana accepted the\nKudava of powdered barley that was offered to him and ate it all. But his\nhunger, O king, was not appeased by what he ate. The Brahmana in the\nobservance of the Unccha vow, seeing that his guest's hunger was still\nunappeased, began to think of what other food he could place before him\nfor gratifying him. Then his wife said unto him,--'Let my share be given\nunto him. Let this foremost of regenerate persons be gratified and let\nhim then go whithersoever he will.' Knowing that his chaste wife who said\nso was herself afflicted by hunger, that best of Brahmanas could not\napprove of her share of the powdered barley being given to the guest.\nIndeed, that best of Brahmanas possessed of learning, knowing from his\nown state that his aged, toil-worn, cheerless, and helpless wife was\nherself afflicted by hunger and seeing that lady who had been emaciated\ninto mere skin and bone was quivering with weakness, addressed her and\nsaid, 'O beautiful one, with even animals, with even worms and insects,\nwives are fed and protected. It behoveth thee not, therefore, to say so.\nThe wife treats her lord with kindness and feeds and protects him.\nEverything appertaining to religion, pleasure, and wealth, careful\nnursing, offspring for perpetuating the race, are all dependent on the\nwife. Indeed, the merits of a person himself as also of his deceased\nancestors depend also on her. The wife should know her lord by his acts.\nVerily, that man who fails to protect his wife earns great infamy here\nand goes into Hell hereafter. Such a man falls down from even a position\nof great fame and never succeeds in acquiring regions of happiness\nhereafter.' Thus addressed, she answered him, saying, 'O regenerate one,\nour religious acts and wealth are united. Do thou take a fourth of this\nbarley. Indeed, be gratified with me. Truth, pleasure, religious merit,\nand Heaven as acquirable, by good qualities, of women, as also all the\nobjects of their desire, O foremost of regenerate ones, are dependent on\nthe husband. In the production of offspring the mother contributes her\nblood. The father contributes his seed. The husband is the highest deity\nof the wife. Through the grace of the husband, women obtain both pleasure\nand offspring as the reward. Thou art my Pati (lord) for the protection\nthou givest me. Thou art my Bhartri for the means of sustenance thou\ngivest me. Thou art, again, boon-giver to me in consequence of thy having\npresented me a son. Do thou, therefore, (in return for so many favours),\ntake my share of the barley and give it unto the guest. Overcome by\ndecrepitude, thou art of advanced years. Afflicted by hunger thou art\nexceedingly weakened. Worn out with fasts, thou art very much emaciated.\n(If thou couldst part with thy share, why should not I part with mine).'\nThus addressed by her, he took her share of the powdered barley and\naddressing his guest said,--'O regenerate one, O best of men, do thou\naccept this measure of powdered barley as well.' The Brahmana, having\naccepted that quantity, immediately ate it up, but his hunger was not yet\nappeased. Beholding him ungratified, the Brahmana in the observance of\nthe Unccha vow became thoughtful. His son then said unto him, 'O best of\nmen, taking my share of the barley do thou give it to the guest. I regard\nthis act of mine as one of great merit. Therefore, do it. Thou shouldst\nbe always maintained by me with great care. Maintenance of the father is\na duty which the good always covet. The maintenance of the father in his\nold age is the duty ordained for the son. Even this is the eternal sruti\n(audition) current in the three worlds, O learned Rishi. By barely living\nthou art capable of practising penances. The life-breath is the great\ndeity that resides in the bodies of all embodied creatures.'[217]\n\n\"'\"The father, at this, said, 'If thou attainest to the age of even a\nthousand years, thou wilt still seem to me to be only a little child.\nHaving begotten a son, the sire achieves success through him. O puissant\none, I know that the hunger of children is very strong. I am old. I shall\nsomehow succeed in holding my life-breaths. Do thou, O son, become strong\n(by eating the food that has fallen to thy share). Old and decrepit as I\nam, O son, hunger scarcely afflicts me. I have, again, for many years,\npractised penances. I have no fear of death.'\n\n\"'\"The son said, 'I am thy offspring. The Sruti declares that one's\noffspring is called putra because one is rescued by him. One's own self,\nagain, takes birth as one's son. Do thou, therefore, rescue thyself by\nthy own self (in the form of thy son).'\n\n\"'\"The father said, 'In form thou art like me. In conduct and in\nself-restraint also thou art my like. Thou hast been examined on various\noccasions by me. I shall, therefore, accept thy share of the barley, O\nson.' Having said this, that foremost of regenerate persons cheerfully\ntook his son's share of the barley and smilingly presented it to his\nregenerate guest. Having eaten that barley also, the guest's hunger was\nnot appeased. The righteous-souled host in the observance of the unccha\nvow became ashamed (at the thought that he had nothing more to give).\nDesirous of doing what was agreeable to him, his chaste daughter-in-law\nthen, bearing her share of the barley, approached him and said, 'Through\nthy son, O learned Brahmana, I shall obtain a son. Do thou, therefore,\ntake my share of the barley and give it unto this guest. Through thy\ngrace, numerous regions of beatitude will be mine for eternity. Through\nthe grandson one obtains those regions repairing whither one has not to\nendure any kind of misery. Like the triple aggregate beginning with\nReligion, or the triple aggregate of sacred fires, there is a triple\naggregate of everlasting Heavens, depending upon the son, the grandson,\nand the great-grandson. The son is called Putra because he frees his\nsires from debt. Through sons and grandsons one always enjoys the\nhappiness of those regions which are reserved for the pious and the good.'\n\n\"'\"The father-in-law said, 'O thou of excellent vows and conduct, beholding\nthee wasted by wind and sun, deprived of thy very complexion, emaciated\nand almost destitute of consciousness through hunger, how can I be such a\ntransgressor against the rules of righteousness as to take thy share of\nthe barley? O auspicious damsel, it behoves thee not to say so, for the\nsake of those auspicious results for which every family must strive.[218]\nO auspicious damsel, how can I behold thee at even this, the sixth\ndivision of the day, abstaining from food and observing vows? Thou art\nendued with purity and good conduct and penances. Alas, even thou hast to\npass thy days in so much misery. Thou art a child, afflicted by hunger,\nand belongest to the softer sex. Thou shouldst be always protected by me.\nAlas, I have to see thee worn out with fasts, O thou that art the\ndelighter of all thy kinsmen.'\n\n\"'\"The daughter-in-law said, 'Thou art the senior of my senior since thou\nart the deity of my deity. Thou art verily the god of my god. Do thou,\ntherefore, O puissant one, take my share of the barley. My body,\nlife-breaths, and religious rites have all one purpose viz., the service\nof my senior. Through thy grace, O learned Brahmana, I shall obtain many\nregions of happiness hereafter. I deserve to be looked after by thee.\nKnow, O regenerate one, that I am wholly devoted to thee. Cherishing also\nthis thought, viz., that my happiness is thy concern, it behoveth thee to\ntake this my share of the barley.'\n\n\"'\"The father-in-law said, 'O chaste lady, in consequence of such conduct\nof thine thou wilt for ever shine in glory, for endued with vows and\nsteadiness in religious rites, thy eyes are directed to that conduct\nwhich should be observed towards seniors. Therefore, O daughter-in-law, I\nshall take thy share of the barley. Thou deservest not to be deceived by\nme, reckoning all thy virtues. Thou art truly, O blessed damsel, the\nforemost of all persons observing the duties of righteousness.' Having\nsaid so unto her, the Brahmana took her share of the barley and gave it\nunto his guest. At this the guest became gratified with the high-souled\nBrahmana endued with great piety. With gratified soul, that first of\nregenerate person, possessed of great eloquence, who was none else than\nthe deity of Righteousness in a human form, then addressed that foremost\nof Brahmanas and said, 'O best of regenerate ones, I am exceedingly\ngratified with this pure gift of thine, this gift of what was acquired by\nlawful means by thee, and which thou didst freely part with, agreeably to\nthe rules of righteousness. Verily, this gift of thine is being bruited\nabout in Heaven by the denizens of that happy region. Behold, flowers\nhave been rained down from the firmament on the Earth. The celestial\nRishis, the deities, the Gandharvas, those who walk before the deities,\nand the celestial messengers, are all praising thee, struck with wonder\nat thy gift. The regenerate Rishis who dwell in the regions of Brahma,\nseated on their cars, are solicitous of obtaining thy sight. O foremost\nof regenerate persons, go to Heaven. The Pitris residing in their own\nregion have all been rescued by thee. Others also who have not attained\nto the position of Pitris have equally been rescued by thee for countless\nYugas. For thy Brahmacharyya, thy gifts, thy sacrifices, thy penances,\nand thy acts of piety done with a pure heart, go thou to Heaven. O thou\nof excellent vows, thou practisest penances with great devotion. Thy\ngifts have, therefore, gratified the deities highly, O best of regenerate\nones. Since thou hast made this gift, in a season of great difficulty,\nwith a pure heart, thou hast, by this act of thine, conquered Heaven.\nHunger destroys one's wisdom and drives off one's righteous\nunderstanding. One whose intelligence is overwhelmed by hunger casts off\nall fortitude. He, therefore, that conquers hunger conquers Heaven\nwithout doubt. One's righteousness is never destroyed as long as one\ncherishes the inclination of making gifts. Disregarding filial affection,\ndisregarding the affection one feels for one's wife, and reckoning\nrighteousness as the foremost, thou hast paid no heed to the cravings of\nnature. The acquisition of wealth is an act of slight merit. Its gift to\na deserving person is fraught with greater merit. Of still greater merit\nis the (proper) time. Lastly, devotion (in the matter of gift) is fraught\nwith the highest merit. The door of Heaven is very difficult to see.\nThrough heedlessness men fail to obtain a sight of it. The bar of\nHeaven's door has cupidity for its seed. That bar is kept fastened by\ndesire and affection. Verily, Heaven's door is unapproachable. Those men\nwho subdued wrath and conquered their passions, those Brahmanas who are\nendued with penances and who make gifts according to the measure of their\nability, succeed in beholding it. It has been said that he that gives\naway a hundred, having a thousand, he that gives away ten, having a\nhundred, and he that gives a handful of water, having no wealth, are all\nequal in respect of the merit they earn. King Rantideva, when divested of\nall his wealth, gave a small quantity of water with a pure heart. Through\nthis gift, O learned Brahmana, he went to Heaven. The deity of\nrighteousness is never gratified so much with large gifts of costly\nthings as with gifts of even things of no value, if acquired lawfully and\ngiven away with devotion and faith. King Nriga had made gifts of\nthousands of kine unto the regenerate class. By giving away only one cow\nthat did not belong to him, he fell into Hell. Usinara's son Sivi of\nexcellent vows, by giving away the flesh of his own body, is rejoicing in\nHeaven, having attained to the regions of the righteous. Mere wealth is\nnot merit. Good men acquire merit by exerting to the best of their power\nand with the aid of pious meals. One does not acquire such merit by means\nof even diverse sacrifices as with even a little wealth that has been\nearned lawfully. Through wrath, the fruits of gifts are destroyed.\nThrough cupidity one fails to go to Heaven. One conversant with the\nmerits of gift, and leading a just course of conduct succeeds, through\npenances, in enjoying Heaven. The fruit, O Brahmana, of this gift made by\nthee (of a prastha of powdered barley) is much greater than what one\nacquires by many Rajasuya sacrifices with profuse gifts or many\nHorse-sacrifices. With this prastha of powdered barley thou hast\nconquered the eternal region of Brahman. Go thou in happiness, O learned\nBrahmana, to the abode of Brahman that is without the stain of darkness.\nO foremost of regenerate persons, a celestial car is here for all of you.\nDo thou ascend it as pleasest thee. O Brahmana, I am the deity of\nRighteousness. Behold me! Thou hast rescued thy body. The fame of thy\nachievement will last in the world. With thy wife, thy son, and thy\ndaughter-in-law, go now to Heaven.'--After the deity of Righteousness had\nsaid these words, that Brahmana, with his wife, son and daughter-in-law,\nproceeded to Heaven. After that learned Brahmana, conversant with all\nduties, had thus ascended to Heaven with his son, daughter-in-law, and\nwife numbering the fourth, I came out of my hole. There with the scent of\nthat powdered barley, with the mire caused by the water (which the\nBrahmana had given to his guest), with the contact (of my body) with the\ncelestial flowers that had been rained down, with the particles of the\nbarley-powder which that good man had given away, and the penances of\nthat Brahmana, my head became gold. Behold, in consequence of the gift of\nthat Brahmana who was firm in truth, and his penances, half of this my\nample body has become golden. Ye regenerate ones, for converting the rest\nof my body into gold I repeatedly repair, with a cheerful heart, to the\nretreats of ascetics and the sacrifices performed by kings. Hearing of\nthis sacrifice of the Kuru king endued with great wisdom, I came hither\nwith high hopes. I have not, however, been made gold. Ye foremost of\nBrahmanas, it was for this that I uttered those words, viz., that this\nsacrifice can by no means compare with (the gift of) that prastha of\npowdered barley. With the grains of that prastha of powdered barley, I\nwas made gold on that occasion. This great sacrifice however, is not\nequal to those grains. Even this is my opinion.\" Having said those words\nunto all those foremost of Brahmanas, the mongoose disappeared from their\nsight. Those Brahmanas then returned to their respective homes.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'O conquerer of hostile towns, I have now told\nthee all relating to that wonderful incident which occurred in that great\nHorse-sacrifice. Thou shouldst not, O king, think highly of sacrifice.\nMillions of Rishis have ascended to Heaven with the aid of only their\npenances. Abstention from injury as regards all creatures, contentment,\nconduct, sincerity, penances, self-restraint, truthfulness, and gifts are\neach equal in point of merit to sacrifice.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCI\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'O puissant Rishi, kings are attached to sacrifices.\nThe great Rishis are attached to penances. Learned Brahmanas are\nobservant of tranquillity of mind, peacefulness of behaviour, and\nself-restraint. Hence it seems that nothing can be seen in this world\nwhich can compare with the fruits of sacrifices. Even this is my\nconviction. That conviction, again, seems to be undoubtedly correct.\nInnumerable kings, O best of regenerate persons, having worshipped the\ndeities in sacrifices, earned high fame here and obtained Heaven\nhereafter. Endued with great energy, the puissant chief of the deities\nviz., Indra of a thousand eyes, obtained the sovereignty over the deities\nthrough the many sacrifices he performed with gifts in profusion and\nattained to the fruition of all his wishes. When king Yudhishthira, with\nBhima and Arjuna by him, resembled the chief of the deities himself in\nprosperity and prowess, why then did that mongoose depreciate that great\nHorse-sacrifice of the high-souled monarch?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Do thou listen to me, O king, as I discourse to thee\nduly, O Bharata, on the excellent ordinances relating to sacrifice and\nthe fruits also, O ruler of men, that sacrifice yields. Formerly, on one\noccasion Sakra performed a particular sacrifice. While the limbs of the\nsacrifice were spread out, the Ritwijas became busy in accomplishing the\ndiverse rites ordained in the scriptures. The pourer of libations,\npossessed of every qualification, became engaged in pouring libations of\nclarified butter. The great Rishis were seated around. The deities were\nsummoned one by one by contented Brahmanas of great learning uttering\nscriptural Mantras in sweet voices. Those foremost of Adhwaryyus, not\nfatigued with what they did, recited the Mantras of the Yajurveda in soft\naccents. The time came for slaughtering the animals. When the animals\nselected for sacrifice were seized, the great Rishis, O king, felt\ncompassion for them. Beholding that the animals had all become cheerless,\nthose Rishis, endued with wealth of penances, approached Sakra and said\nunto him, \"This method of sacrifice is not auspicious. Desirous of\nacquiring great merit as thou art, this is verily an indication of thy\nunacquaintance with sacrifice. O Purandara, animals have not been\nordained to be slaughtered in sacrifices. O puissant one, these\npreparations of thine are destructive of merit. This sacrifice is not\nconsistent with righteousness. The destruction of creatures can never be\nsaid to be an act of righteousness. If thou wishest it, let thy priests\nperform thy sacrifice according to the Agama. By performing a sacrifice\naccording to the (true import of the) scriptural ordinances, great will\nbe the merit achieved by thee. O thou of a hundred eyes, do thou perform\nthe sacrifice with seeds of grain that have been kept for three years.\nEven this, O Sakra, would be fraught with great righteousness and\nproductive of fruits of high efficacy.\" The deity of a hundred\nsacrifices, however, influenced by pride and overwhelmed by stupefaction,\ndid not accept these words uttered by the Rishis. Then, O Bharata, a\ngreat dispute arose in that sacrifice of Sakra between the ascetics as to\nhow sacrifices should be performed, that is, should they be performed\nwith mobile creatures or with immobile objects. All of them were worn out\nwith disputation. The Rishis then, those beholders of truth, having made\nan understanding with Sakra (about referring the matter to arbitration)\nasked king Vasu, \"O highly blessed one, what is the Vedic declaration\nabout sacrifices? Is it preferable to perform sacrifices with animals or\nwith seeds and juices?\" Hearing the question, king Vasu, without all\njudging of the strength or weakness of the arguments on the two sides, at\nonce answered, saying, \"Sacrifices may be performed with whichever of the\ntwo kinds of objects is ready.\" Having answered the question thus, he had\nto enter the nether regions. Indeed the puissant ruler of the Chedis had\nto undergo that misery for having answered falsely. Therefore, when a\ndoubt arises, no person, however wise, should singly decide the matter,\nunless he be the puissant and self-born Lord himself of creatures. Gifts\nmade by a sinner with an impure understanding, even when they are very\nlarge, become lost. Such gifts go for nothing. By the gifts made by a\nperson of unrighteous conduct,--one, that is, who is of sinful soul and\nwho is a destroyer, just fame is never acquired either here or hereafter.\nThat person of little intelligence who, from desire of acquiring merit,\nperforms sacrifices with wealth acquired by unrighteous means, never\nsucceeds in earning merit. That low wretch of sinful soul, who\nhypocritically assuming a garb of righteousness makes gifts unto\nBrahmanas, only creates the conviction in men about his own righteousness\n(without earning true merit). That Brahmana of uncontrolled conduct, who\nacquires wealth by sinful acts, ever overwhelmed by passion and\nstupefaction, attains at last to the goal of the sinful. Someone,\noverwhelmed by cupidity and stupefaction, becomes bent on strong wealth.\nHe is seen to persecute all creatures, urged by a sinful and impure\nunderstanding. He who, having acquired wealth by such means, makes gifts\nor performs sacrifices therewith, never enjoys the fruits of those gifts\nor sacrifices in the other world in consequence of the wealth having been\nearned by unrighteous means. Men endued with wealth of penances, by\ngiving away, to the best of their power, grains of corn picked up from\nthe fields or roots or fruits or pot-herbs or water or leaves, acquire\ngreat merit and proceed to Heaven. Even such gifts, as also compassion to\nall creatures, and Brahmacharyya, truthfulness of speech and kindness,\nand fortitude, and forgiveness, constitute the eternal foundations of\nRighteousness which itself is eternal. We hear of Viswamitra and other\nkings of ancient times. Indeed, Viswamitra, and Asita, and king Janaka,\nand Kakshasena and Arshtisena, and king Sindhudwipa,--these and many\nother kings, endued with wealth of penances, having made gifts of\narticles acquired lawfully, have attained to high success. Those amongst\nBrahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras who betake themselves to\npenances, O Bharata, and who purify themselves by gifts and other acts of\nrighteousness, proceed to Heaven.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCII\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'If, O illustrious one, Heaven is the fruit of wealth\nacquired by lawful means, do thou discourse to me fully on it. Thou art\nwell-conversant with the subject and therefore, it behoveth thee to\nexplain it. O regenerate one, thou hast said unto me what the high fruit\nwas that accrued unto that Brahmana, who lived according to the Unccha\nmode, through his gift of powdered barley. Without doubt, all thou hast\nsaid is true. In what way, however, was the attainment held certain of\nthe highest end in all sacrifices? O foremost of regenerate persons, it\nbehoveth thee to expound this to me in all its details.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'In this connection is cited this old narrative, O\nchastiser of foes, of what occurred in former days in the great sacrifice\nof Agastya. In olden days, O king, Agastya of great energy, devoted to\nthe good of all creatures, entered into a Diksha extending for twelve\nyears.[219] In that sacrifice of the high-souled Rishi many Hotris were\nengaged that resembled blazing fires in the splendour of their bodies.\nAmong them were men that subsisted upon roots or fruits, or that used two\npieces of stone only for husking their corn, or that were supported by\nonly the rays (of the moon). Among them were also men who never took any\nfood unless it was placed before them by others solicitous of feeding\nthem, and those who never ate anything without having first served the\ndeities, the Pitris, and guests, and those who never washed the food\nwhich they took. There were also Yatis and Bikshus among them, O king.\nAll of them were men who had obtained a sight of the deity of\nRighteousness in his embodied form. They had subjugated wrath and\nacquired a complete mastery over all their senses. Living in the\nobservance of self-restraint, they were freed from pride and the desire\nof injuring others. They were always observant of a pure conduct and were\nnever obstructed (in the prosecution of their purposes) by their senses.\nThose great Rishis attended that sacrifice and accomplished its various\nrites. The illustrious Rishi (Agastya) acquired the food that was\ncollected in that sacrifice and that came up to the required measure, by\nlawful means according to the best of his power. Numerous other ascetics\nat that time performed large sacrifices. As Agastya, however, was engaged\nin that sacrifice of his, the thousand-eyed Indra, O best of the\nBharatas, ceased to pour rain (on the Earth). At the intervals, O king,\nof the sacrificial rites, this talk occurred among those Rishis of\ncleansed souls about the high-souled Agastya, viz., \"This Agastya,\nengaged in sacrifice, is making gifts of food with heart purged of pride\nand vanity. The deity of the clouds, however, has ceased to pour rain.\nHow, indeed, will food grow? This sacrifice of the Rishi, ye Brahmanas,\nis great and extends for twelve years. The deity will not pour rain for\nthese twelve years. Reflecting on this, it behoveth you to do some favour\nunto this Rishi of great intelligence, viz., Agastya of severe penances.\"\nWhen these words were said, Agastya of great prowess, gratifying those\nascetics by bending his head, said, \"If Vasava does not pour rain for\nthose twelve years, I shall then perform the mental sacrifice. Even this\nis the eternal ordinance. If Vasava does not pour rain for these twelve\nyears, I shall then perform the Touch-sacrifice. Even this is the eternal\nsacrifice. If Vasava does not pour rain for these twelve years, I shall\nthen, putting forth all my exertion, make arrangements for other\nsacrifices characterised by the observance of the most difficult and\nsevere vows. This present sacrifice of mine, with seeds, has been\narranged for by me with labour extending for many years.[220] I shall,\nwith seeds, accomplish much good. No impediment will arise. This my\nsacrifice is incapable of being baffled. It matters little whether the\ndeity pours rains or no downpours happen. Indeed, if Indra does not, of\nhis own will, show any regard for me, I shall, in that case, transform\nmyself into Indra and keep all creatures alive. Every creature, on\nwhatever food he has been nourished, will continue to be nourished on it\nas before. I can even repeatedly create a different order of things. Let\ngold and whatever else of wealth there is, come to this place today. Let\nall the wealth that occurs in the three worlds come here today of its own\naccord. Let all the tribes of celestial Apsaras, all the Gandharvas along\nwith the Kinnaras, and Viswavasu, and others there are (of that order),\napproach this sacrifice of mine. Let all the wealth that exists among the\nNorthern Kurus, come of their own accord to these sacrifices. Let Heaven,\nand all those who have Heaven for their home, and Dharma himself, come\nhither.\"--After the ascetic had uttered these words, everything happened\nas he wished, in consequence of his penances, for Agastya was endued with\na mind that resembled a blazing fire and was possessed of extraordinary\nenergy. The Rishis who were there beheld the power of penances with\nrejoicing hearts. Filled with wonder they then said these words of grave\nimport.'\n\n\"'The Rishis said, \"We have been highly gratified with the words thou hast\nuttered. We do not, however, wish that thy penances should suffer any\ndiminution. Those sacrifices are approved by us which are performed by\nlawful means. Indeed, we desire duly those sacrifices which rest on\nlawful means.[221] Earning our food by lawful means and observant of our\nrespective duties, we shall seek to go through sacrificial initiations\nand the pouring of libations on the sacred fire and the other religious\nrites. We should adore the deities, practising Brahmacharyya by lawful\nmeans. Completing the period of Brahmacharyya we have come out of our\nabode, observing lawful methods. That understanding, which is freed from\nthe desire of inflicting any kind of injury on others, is approved by us.\nThou shouldst always, O puissant one, command such abstention from injury\nin all sacrifices. We shall then be highly gratified, O foremast of\nregenerate ones. After the completion of thy sacrifice, when dismissed by\nthee, we shall then, leaving this place, go away.\" As they were saying\nthese words, Purandara, the chief of the deities, endued with great\nenergy, beholding the power of Agastya's penances, poured rain. Indeed, O\nJanamejaya, till the completion of the sacrifice of that Rishi of\nimmeasurable prowess, the deity of rain poured rain that met the wishes\nof men in respect of both quantity and time. Placing Vrihaspati before\nhim, the chief of the deities came there, O royal sage, and gratified the\nRishi Agastya. On the completion of that sacrifice, Agastya, filled with\njoy, worshipped those great Rishis duly and then dismissed them all.'\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'Who was that mongoose with a golden head, that said\nall those words in a human voice? Asked by me, do thou tell me this.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thou didst not ask me before and, therefore, I did\nnot tell thee. Hear as I tell thee who that mongoose was and why he could\nassume a human voice. In former times, the Rishi Jamadagni proposed to\nperform a Sraddha. His Homa cow came to him and the Rishi milked her\nhimself. He then placed the milk in a vessel that was new, durable and\npure. The deity Dharma, assuming the form of Anger, entered that vessel\nof milk. Indeed, Dharma was desirous of ascertaining what that foremost\nof Rishis would do when seeing some injury done to him. Having reflected\nthus, Dharma spoiled that milk. Knowing that the spoiler of his milk was\nAnger, the ascetic was not at all enraged with him. Anger, then, assuming\nthe form of a Brahmana lady, showed himself to the Rishi. Indeed, Anger,\nfinding that he had been conquered by that foremost one of Bhrigu's race,\naddressed him, saying, \"O chief of Bhrigu's race, I have been conquered\nby thee. There is a saying among men that the Bhrigus are very wrathful.\nI now find that that saying is false, since I have been subdued by thee.\nThou art possessed of a mighty soul. Thou art endued with forgiveness. I\nstand here today, owning thy sway. I fear thy penances, O righteous one.\nDo thou, O puissant Rishi, show me favour.\"\n\n\"'Jamadagni said, \"I have seen thee, O Anger, in thy embodied form. Go\nthou whithersoever thou likest, without any anxiety. Thou hast not done\nme any injury today. I have no grudge against thee. Those for whom I had\nkept this milk are the highly blessed Pitris. Present thyself before them\nand ascertain their intentions.\" Thus addressed, penetrated with fear,\nAnger vanished from the sight of the Rishi. Through the curse of the\nPitris he became a mongoose. He then began to gratify the Pitris in order\nto bring about an end of his curse. By them he was told these words, \"By\nspeaking disrespectfully of Dharma thou shalt attain to the end of thy\ncurse.\" Thus addressed by them he wandered over places where sacrifices\nwere performed and over other sacred places, employed in censuring great\nsacrifices. It was he that came to the great sacrifice of king\nYudhishthira. Dispraising the son of Dharma by a reference to the prastha\nof powdered barley, Anger became freed from his curse, for Yudhishthira\n(as Dharma's son) was Dharma's self. Even this is what occurred in the\nsacrifice of that high-souled king. Mongoose disappeared there in our\nvery sight.'\"[222]\n\nThe end of Aswamedha Parva\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. Mahavahu occurs twice in this passage. One of the epithets is left out\non the score of redundancy.\n\n2. i.e., human sacrifice. From this it appears that the sacrifice of\nhuman beings was in vogue at the time.\n\n3. King Marutta celebrated a sacrifice in the Himalayas, bestowing gold\non Brahmanas. Not being able to carry the entire quantity, they had\ncarried as much as they could, throwing away the remainder.\n\n4. Digambara, i.e., in naked state.\n\n5. Nityada always, left out on the ground of redundancy.\n\n6. Bhutanam etc. is explained by Nilakantha as no swasya, and the\nvocative vibho is taken as Paramatman.\n\n7. Agatagamam implies, as explained by the commentator,\npraptasastrarahasyam.\n\n8. Nirakarasritena is explained by Nilakantha as\nAsamprajnatas-samadhi-samadhigamya Brhamabhavasritena, implying reliance\non Brahman by having recourse to Samadhi or a suspension of all functions\nof both body and mind (through Yoga) and arrival at that state which is\none of perfect unconsciousness.\n\n9. The dissolution here spoken of is the Mahapralaya and not the Khanda\nor Avantara Pralayas. Till then, the sage will look upon all beings,\ni.e., their repeated migrations.\n\n10. The commentator explains that altogether seven questions are asked.\nThe first is about the dissolution of the body. The second relates to the\nmanner of re-acquiring a body. The third has reference to the manner in\nwhich rebirth may be avoided. The fourth relates to the causes that\noperate for giving a body to Jiva. By Prakriti is meant Nature or that\nNescience which is the cause of body. The fifth relates to the Anyat or\nParam, viz., how final Emancipation or absorption into Brahman takes\nplace. The sixth pertains to the manner in which the fruits of acts are\nenjoyed or endured. The seventh enquires after the way in which acts\nattach to Jiva even when devoid of a body.\n\n11. Kala here means both the season of the year and the age of the\nperson. Food that is beneficial in summer is not so in winter, or that\nwhich is beneficial in youth is otherwise at old age. All the texts that\nI have seen have viditwa and not aviditiwa which Telang takes in his\nversion for the Sacred Books of the East. Kala is always interpreted by\nthe commentators of Charaka as referring to either period of life or\nperiod of the year. This, as well as the following verses, relates to the\nlaws of health as expounded by Charaka.\n\n12. The faults are three, viz., Wind, Bile, and Phlegm. When existing in\na state of harmony, they produce health. When one is excited or two, or\nall, indisposition sets in. They are called dosha or faults, because of\ntheir liability to be excited and produce disease. Telang, not\nsuspecting that the whole passage is a reproduction of a passage in the\nancient work edited by Charaka, misunderstands some expressions and\nwrongly renders doshan into 'disorders.'\n\n13. Jivitam in the second line seems to be an objective of sariram in the\nfirst.\n\n14. Garbha-sankramane is explained by Nilakantha as entering the foetus\nin the womb after casting off the body appertaining to the other world. I\nthink Telang is not correct in his version of 19 and 20. Atisarpana can\nnever imply 'exhaustion'; hence, karmanam can never be the reading he\nadopts. Besides tadrisam seems to settle the question. The tortures felt\nat death are similar to those at birth.\n\n15. Sambutatwam is sanhatatwam. Niyachachati is nasyyati. Vayu is\nunderstood in the second line, or that in the first line of the next\nverse may be taken as the nom. of niyachachati.\n\n16. Pachante is phalam prayachhanti.\n\n17. Nilakantha explains this verse in a different way. According to him\nit means,--'in consequence of his subtlety and imperceptibility, Jiva\ndoes not become attached to anything. For this reason, one possessed of a\nknowledge of Brahman, having become cognisant of Brahman and attained the\ngreat object of his desire, succeeds in becoming so (i.e., dissociated\nfrom all things).' This interpretation seems to be a little far-fetched.\n\n18. Chetasa indicates upadhibhutena, for previously, Jiva was without\nupadhi. Pranasthaneshu implies Indriyagolokeshu or those vital parts\nwhich constitute the seats of the senses. Chetana does not, I think, mean\n'consciousness.' It implies mind.\n\n19. Causes them to grow. I do not follow Nilakantha here.\n\n20. Nilakantha points out that one of the cha's indicates the reason or\ncause. Hence, the use of 'therefore' in the text.\n\n21. Vikrita does not necessarily mean degraded. It implies 'changed or\naltered.' Jiva, who is pure and immaculate, takes birth in this world,\nfalling away from his true status of Brahman owing to his acts. Acts,\nagain, are eternal, no beginning being conceivable.\n\n22. Parantwa-maritam-aksharam indicates two things, viz., Amritam and\nAksharam. The first line speaks of Kshara, or the material case, or body;\nthen of that which is para or other. This other is of two kinds, viz.,\nAmritam or suddha-chaitanyam, implying Brahman in its condition of\npurity; and Aksharamt or Jiva as existing in the material case. In the\nsecond line, trayanam refers to Kshara, Amrita, and Akshara. Mithunam is\nduality, referring to that which is composed of Kshara and Akshara. What\nis stated in this verse is that every Purusha is a duality, made up of\nKshara and Akshara. Telang gives a different version of the verse. He\nignores the word trayanam totally, and takes Mithunam as implying a\ncouple (male and female). All the texts I have seen contain trayanam.\n\n23. Atra purvajamnani (vishaye) yatha kaschit Medhavi etc., (vadet),\nseems to be the correct order of the words. Telang translates the first\nline differently.\n\n24. Ekayana is the one receptacle of all things, viz., Brahman. Tushni\nimplies ahamevedam sarvamasmityabhimanamapyakurvan i.e., 'without even\nretaining the consciousness of his own identity with everything.'\nKinchikachintayan--i.e., not even thinking that he is existing. Purvam\npurvam parityajya implies the gradual merging of the grosser in the\nsubtler, i.e., the successive stages of Yoga before absorption into\nBrahman. I follow Nilakantha.\n\n25. The first half of the second line of 8 is read differently in the\nBengal texts. Aswasthamavasam mudham implies 'without ease or happiness,\nendued with slavery and ignorance.'\n\n26. The Soul being destitute of these becomes Chinmatra, i.e., a pure\nChit without the attributes superinduced upon it by Nescience or\nignorance.\n\n27. Formlessness implies subtlety. 'Without cause' implies increate or as\nidentical with eternal Brahman. Dissociation from attributes while\nenjoying them implies an emancipate condition.\n\n28. Nirvana, according to orthodox commentators, implies the annihilation\nor cessation of separate or individual existence by absorption into\nuniversal and eternal Brahman.\n\n29. The impressions caused by objects outside self are destroyed by those\nbelonging to contemplation. The latter, again, should be destroyed before\nabsorption into Brahman can occur.\n\n30. Siddham is explained as 'destitute of the errors due to Nescience.'\n\n31. Attnanam is Chittam; atmani is dehe; charayan is antarmukham kritwa;\nnityam is adyantasunyam. So Nilakantha.\n\n32. 'Fixing the mind upon the soul' is that concentration which leads to\nEmancipation. This becomes possible in consequence of severe austerities\nundergone previously.\n\n33. I expand the verse a little to make it intelligible. The sense is\nthis: having seen the supreme Soul in Samadhi, upon awaking from it, he\nrecognises it in the universe, i.e., regards the universe to be nothing\nelse than the Supreme Soul.\n\n34. This may also mean 'he has none superior to him; not even he that is\nthe Lord of the universe.'\n\n35. The first line seems to be doubtful. The sense, as I understand it,\nis,--such a person becomes the god of the very gods. The causal verb\nkarayate may be taken as equivalent to karoti.\n\n36. I follow Nilakantha in rendering the second line. The sense is clear,\nviz., that one should not fall away from the practice of Yoga, tempted by\nthe puissance that Yoga brings. Telang renders the line 'one practising\nconcentration should never become despondent.' I think, Nilakantha is\nright.\n\n37. Nilakantha notes that this indicates that only that Yogin who has not\nadvanced much may be tempted by the desire of enjoyment. He, however, who\nhas adequately devoted himself to Yoga feels no regard for Indra himself\nbut can turn him away like Diogenes dismissing Alexander the Great.\n\n38. I have endeavoured to render verses 33 to 37 as literally as\npossible, under the guide of Nilakantha, omitting his inferences. The\npassage relates to the mysteries of Yoga. In the second line of 33,\ndrishtapurvam disam, which has been rendered 'that point of the compass\nwhich has the Sun behind it,' means the instructions laid down in the\nVedanta as based upon Srutis. Drishtam implies 'Sruti', for it is as\nauthoritative as anything seen. 'Pura' implies a city, a citadel, or a\nmansion. Here it refers to the body. The avasatha within the pura refers\nto the chakra or nervous centres beginning with what is called the\nmuladhara. At the time when Brahman is realised, the whole universe\nappears as Brahman and so nothing exists, besides Brahman, upon which the\nmind can then dwell. Telang, I think, is not correct in rendering\nmanaschasya ... vahyatah as 'his mind should not any way wander outside'.\nThe correct version would 'the mind is then nowhere,' implying that at\nthat time the mind has nothing else to dwell upon. Kayamabhyantaram is\nkayamabhi and antaram, i.e., both within and without the body. The\nseveral parts of the body named, beginning with teeth, etc, refer to\neating and other operations, all of which influence the mind and dispose\nit for purity and otherwise.\n\n39. i.e., that from which the entire universe has been created.\n\n40. Probably, 'by any of the senses'. The plural form occurs in the\noriginal.\n\n41. This answers the questions respecting the form of the Soul, says\nNilakantha.\n\n42. I render this verse, following Nilakantha's gloss. The second line of\n50, according to that commentator, refers to the ascension of the Yogin\nfrom Brahma vested with attributes to Brahma divested of all attributes.\nThe tam does not refer to body, as Telang takes it, but to Brahma as\nendued with hands and feet on all sides, etc. Deheswam dharayan means\n'restraining the mind within the body'. Kevalam Brahma is Brahma without\nattributes.\n\n43. The speaker here is the regenerate visitor of Krishna. The latter is\nrepeating the words of that visitor. In this verse, Krishna, forgetting\nthat he is merely reciting the words of another, refers to himself as the\nSupreme Brahman in whom one must merge for attaining to Emancipation.\n\n44. The second line of 56 is read variously.\n\n45. Heaven is the reward of those who follow the religion of Pravritti or\nacts, such as sacrifices, religious observances, etc. The followers,\nhowever, of the religion of Nivritti or inaction, i.e., they who betake\nthemselves to the path of knowledge, become emancipated. The deities\nderive their sustenance from the former and become even jealous of the\nlatter, for the emancipate state is higher than that of the deities\nthemselves.\n\n46. Avichakshanam is undiscerning, in the sense of the husband's not\nknowing that the interrogatrix as wife, has no other refuge than her lord\nwith all his defects.\n\n47. I follow Nilakantha. Telang adopts the views of Arjuna Misra and\nrenders the first line as 'whatever acts are seized (by the touch, or\nseen, or heard, etc.') Grahyam, according to Nilakantha, implies those\nacts, like Diksha, etc, which are adopted with the aid of others.\n\n48. This seat, says Nilakantha, is called Avimukta and lies between the\neyebrows and the nose.\n\n49. Nilakantha interprets this mystically. By Soma he understands the\nartery or duct called Ida, and by Agni the duct called Pingala. Dhira is\nBuddipreraka; vyavayam is sancharam. Dhirobhutani dharayan nityam\nvyavayam kurute is the order of the words. The sense is this: in this\nspot is seated Brahman; there Ida and Pingala meet; and there also is\nVayu which urges the understanding and upholds all living creatures.\n\n50. Yatra is not to be taken as a locative here. It is equivalent to\nyatah or for which.\n\n51. Tasmin is taken, by Nilakantha as Apana sahite Prane.\n\n52. Utkarshena anayati, hence Udana, says Nilakantha. The sense of the\nwhole passage seems to be this. Worldly life is regulated by the\nlife-breaths. These are attached to the Soul and lead to its individual\nmanifestations. Udana controls all the breaths. Udana is controlled by\npenance. It is penance then that destroys the round of rebirths and leads\nto absorption into Brahman.\n\n53. The meaning seems to be this: they who renounce sensuous objects can\ncreate them when they like. One casting off smell that has earth for its\nobject can create earth when he likes.\n\n54. What is stated in this passage is, shortly, this: the ear, etc, are\nthe Hotris or sacrificing priests who are to pour libations on the\nsacrificial fire. The perceptions and functions of those organs\nconstitute the Havi or libations that are to be poured. The points, wind,\netc, are the Agni or sacred fires on which they are to be poured. These\nstatements are recapitulated in verse 5. The objects of the senses, of\nthe same as those in verse 3, are the fuel, previously described as Havi\nor libations, which are to be burnt off by being cast into the fires.\n\n55. The Hridaya or heart is the Garhapatya fire. From it is produced\nanother fire, the Ahavaniya, viz., the mind. 'The heart was pierced. From\nthe heart arose mind, for the mind arose Chandramas,' is the declaration\nof the Sruti cited by Nilakantha. The Ahavaniya fire or mind is the\nmouth. Asyam ahavaniya is the Sruti. Annamayam hi Somya manas, apomayah\npranah, tejomayi vak is the Sruti that bears upon this. Food or fire,\npoured into the mouth develops into speech or word. Vachaspati implies\nthe Veda or word. First arises the word, the mind sets itself upon it,\ndesirous of creation. This corresponds with the Mosaic Genesis.--'God\nsaid, let there be light, and there was light.' The word was first.\n\n56. The last question seems to be this: in dreamless slumber, the mind\ndisappears totally. If it is the mind upon which Prana rests, why does\nnot Prana also disappear? It is seen to separate itself from mind, for it\ncontinues to exist while mind does not exist. If so, i.e., if existing,\nas it must be admitted to do, why does it not apprehend objects? What is\nit that restrains its powers of apprehension?\n\n57. Bhutatmanam is ordinary Prajapati. Nilakantha takes it to mean here\nindividual Jiva or self.\n\n58. It is through words that desirable fruits, visible and invisible,\nare acquired. Of course, word means both ordinary speech and Vedic\nMantras.\n\n59. The speaker is the Brahmana, which Nilakantha explains to mean 'the\nBrahmana named Manas or Mind'. Instead of such a learned interpretation,\nwe may take it as implying that the Brahmana is repeating the answer\nwhich Bhutatman, i.e., Prajapati or Jiva, made to Word. The Brahmana is\nthe real speaker. He recites the words of Jiva. Immovable, according to\nNilakantha, means 'that which is seizable by the external senses'; and\n'movable', that which is beyond the ken of the senses, such as heaven,\netc. The external world being only a manifestation of the mind, it is\nspoken of here as identical with it. So, the ideas in the mind which are\nnot due to the senses, are only the mind. This is the movable mind. That\nmind depends on word or the scriptures.\n\n60. Telang gives a different version of this verse. I offer a verbal\nrendering, without attempting to explain it.\n\n61. i.e., as noisy or noiseless.\n\n62. I have given as close a verbal rendering of the passage as possible.\nThe sense, however, is not very intelligible to me. The gloss of\nNilakantha is as unintelligible as the text. Telang also has given a\nverbal rendering which differs from the above slightly. His foot-notes do\nnot, I think, bring out the meaning at all. As regards the two vernacular\nversions, both are useless.\n\n63. The correct reading is cha after arthan and not twam after it. Hence,\nthe Senses say that, 'without ourselves and without those which are our\nobjects, thou canst not have thy enjoyments.'\n\n64. Thus creatures may exist through us, even though mind may be out of\norder.\n\n65. Both mental purposes and dreams having failed to gratify him.\n\n66. The reading sarvam in the second line is incorrect, though Nilakantha\nadopts it. The different portions of the fire are indicated as the\ndifferent attributes. The smoke is of the form of Darkness (Tamas); the\nashes are the attributes of Passion; while the blazing flame, that into\nwhich the oblation is thrown, is the attribute of Goodness.\n\n67. I give a close rendering of these verses, without endeavouring to\nbring out the sense as explained by the commentators. The printed texts\nare not correct. The text adopted by Nilakantha differs from that of\nArjuna Misra. The very order of the verses is not uniform in all the\ntexts.\n\n68. 'These' refers to action, agent and instrument. The qualities of\nwhich they are possessed are goodness, passion, and darkness.\n\n69. What is stated in these two verses is this: it is the Senses that\nenjoy and not the Soul. This is well known to those that are learned. On\nthe other hand, those that are not learned, regard this or that to be\ntheirs, when in reality they are different from them. They are their\nselves, and not their senses, although they take themselves for the\nlatter, ignorantly identifying themselves with things which they are not.\n\n70. What is stated here is this: Restraining the senses and the mind, the\nobjects of those senses and the mind should be poured as libations on the\nsacred fire of the Soul that is within the body.\n\n71. i.e., truth is the Sastra of the Prasastri.\n\n72. Narayana is taken by Nilakantha to stand here for either the Veda or\nthe Soul. The animals offered up to Narayana in days of old were the\nsenses offered up as sacrifices.\n\n73. Srota here means preceptor or dispeller of doubts. Amaratwam is the\nstatus of the immortal head of all.\n\n74. I think Telang is not correct in his rendering of this verse. What is\nstated here is plain, viz., that it is He who is the preceptor and the\ndisciple. Ayam srinoti,--'prochyamanam grihnati,--tat prichcchatah ato\nbhuyas anye srinanti' is the grammar of the construction. The conclusion\nthen comes--'gururanyo na vidyate'.\n\n75. One who understands the truth.\n\n76. The seven large trees are the five senses, the mind, and the\nunderstanding. The fruits are the pleasures and pains derived from or\nthrough them. The guests are the powers of each sense, for it is they\nthat receive those pleasures and pains. The hermitages are those very\ntrees under which the guests take shelter. The seven forms of Yoga are\nthe extinctions of the seven senses. The seven forms of initiation are\nthe repudiation, one after another, of the actions of the seven senses.\n\n77. The correct reading is bhavantyanityah and vahuswabhavan.\n\n78. Swabhava is explained by Nilakantha as sutaram abhava.\n\n79. The sense seems to be this: the life-winds indicate the operations of\nthe several organs of action; the tongue, which stands here for all the\norgans of perception, of the sensual perceptions; the mind, of all the\ninternal operations; the quality of goodness, of all pleasure; and the\nquality of passion, of all kinds of pain. These, therefore include the\nwhole external and the internal worlds. He that is free from these,\ntranscends sin, for sin is destroyed by freedom from these, knowledge\nbeing the means of attaining to that freedom.\n\n80. 'I have no fault etc.'--The sense seems to be that by doing these\nrites with the aid of Mantras I have done that which has been approved\nfrom ages past by those who have always been regarded wise. My eyes,\nhowever, have now been opened by thee. I should not be held responsible\nfor what I did while I was ignorant.\n\n81. Kshatriyas always require Brahmanas for assisting them in their acts.\nThese particular Kshatriyas, through fear of Rama, fled to the forests\nand mountains. They could not, accordingly, find Brahmanas for assisting\nthem. Their children, therefore, fell away from the status of Kshatriyas\nand became Vrishalas or Sudras.\n\n82. Kshatriya-bandhu always implies low or inferior Kshatriyas, as\nBrahma-bandhu implies low or inferior Brahmanas. The expression, very\nprobably, is similar to Brahman-sangat in current Bengali. It does not\nsurely mean 'kinsmen of Kshatriyas'.\n\n83. The vocative, 'O foremost of regenerate ones' applies to Jamadagni's\nson. The narration is that of the Pitris. All the copies, however,\nrepresent this as the Brahmana's speech to his wife. Indeed, the Brahmana\nis only reciting to his wife the speech of the Pitris to Rama. The Yoga\nhere spoken of is, as Nilakantha explains the Raja-Yoga. Previously,\nAlarka had been bent upon Hatha-Yoga which frequently ends in the\ndestruction of the person practising it.\n\n84. Praharsha, rendered 'exultation', is explained by Nilakantha as the\njoy that is felt at the certainty of attaining what is desired. Priti is\nthat satisfaction which is felt when the object desired is attained.\nAnanda is what arises while enjoying the attained object.\n\n85. The sense seems to be this. Having first conquered the internal foes\nmentioned, the man of intelligence, bent on effecting his deliverance,\nshould then seek to vanquish all external foes standing in his way.\n\n86. Nilakantha explains that dosha here refers to attachment, cupidity\nand the rest; while Sadhu implies not men but the virtues of tranquillity\nand the rest.\n\n87. I think Telang renders this verse wrongly. Samhatadehabandhanah does\nnot mean 'with bodily frame destroyed' but 'with bodily frame united.' If\nsamhata be taken as destroyed, the compound bhinna-vikirna-dehah in the\nsecond line would be a useless repetition. The meaning is that with\nbodily frame or the bonds of body united, he takes birth. When he dies,\nthat frame becomes dismembered and scattered.\n\n88. The conditions referred to are affluence and indigence, as explained\nby Nilakantha.\n\n89. This is, rather, obscure. Nilakantha observes that the Vedic text\nreferred to is: 'Do not covet anybody's property.' What Janaka says seems\nto be this: Thinking of this prohibition about coveting other people's\nproperty, I thought how could it be ascertained what belongs to others.\n\n90. The sense seems to be this: the property of smell attaches to earth.\nI do not desire smell for my own enjoyment. If it is perceived, it is\nperceived by the organ of smell. The earth, therefore, is subject to me,\nnot I to the earth. I have transcended my sensations, and, therefore, the\nobjects to which they inhere. The whole world represents only the objects\nof the sensations. The latter being mastered, the whole world has been\nmastered by me.\n\n91. i.e., I live and act for these and not my own self.\n\n92. Nilakantha's reading is erroneous, Brahma-labhasya should be\nBrahmana-bhasya. So also durvarasya is incorrect. Nemi may also mean the\nline or track that is made by a wheel as it moves. If taken in this\nsense, it would mean 'that is confined to, or that cannot deviate from\nthe track constituted by goodness'. The nave, Brahman, is, of course, the\nVedas.\n\n93. The sense seems to be this. The sovereignty of the whole Earth or of\nHeaven, and this knowledge of my identity with the universe--of these two\nalternatives, I would freely choose the latter. Hence, he says--'This\nknowledge is my wealth.'\n\n94. These are different modes of life.\n\n95. The sense is this: the knowledge to be acquired is that all is one.\nDiverse ways there are for acquiring it. Those, again, that have attained\nto tranquillity have acquired it.\n\n96. Actions are perishable and can lead to no lasting result. It is by\nthe understanding that that knowledge, leading to what is permanent, is\nto be attained.\n\n97. I expand this verse a little for making it intelligible. A literal\nversion would run as follows: Good means may be seen, perceived as by\nbees. Action is (cleansed) understanding; through folly it is invested\nwith the symbols of knowledge. Karmabudhhi never means 'action and\nknowledge' as rendered by Telang. Abudhitwatt means 'through ignorance.'\nThis ignorance is of those persons whose understandings have not been\ncleansed by action.\n\n98. What is stated here is this. In the matter of achieving Emancipation,\nno ordinances have been laid down, positive or negative, like those in\nrespect of other things. If one wishes to attain to Heaven, he should do\nthis and abstain from the other. For achieving Emancipation, however,\nonly seeing and hearing are prescribed. Seeing implies contemplation, and\nhearing, the receiving of instructions from the preceptor. Nilakantha\nexplains hearing as Vedantadisravanam (vide his comment on the word\n'srutam' in verse 3 above).\n\n99. The speaker wishes to inculcate that one should first contemplate an\nobject of direct perception, such as earth, etc. Then on such\n'unperceived' objects as operations of the mind. Such contemplation will\ngradually lead to that which is Supreme. The abhyasa or practice referred\nto in the second line is the practice of sama, dama, etc. I do not think\nthat Telang's version of 8 and 9 brings out the meaning clearly.\n\n100. The sense is that when her individual soul became merged into the\nSupreme soul, she became identified with Brahman. This, was, of course,\ndue to the knowledge of Kshetra as something separate from Kshetrajna.\n\n101. Their origin is Brahman or Truth. They live, dissociated from their\norigin, in consequence of their acts. When their acts cease, they return\nto and become merged in Brahman.\n\n102. i.e., that course of life which has for its object the acquisition\nof knowledge relating to the soul. This, of course, includes the\nknowledge that is needed for achieving identification with the Supreme\nSoul or Brahman.\n\n103. The specific characteristics of the five elements are, as frequently\nreferred before, smell attaching to earth, sound to ether, taste, to\nwater, etc. The deities referred to in the last verse are probably the\nsenses.\n\n104. The total eleven is made up of the three qualities, the five\nelements, the group of organs and senses as one, egoism and understanding.\n\n105. Anyatha pratipannah is explained by Nilakantha as 'born in other\norders'. Telang takes it as 'Behaving in a contrary way.' 'How can goats\nand sheep behave otherwise?' The sense seems to be that those born as\ngoats, succeed in ascending upwards through the efficacy of the religious\nacts of the Brahmanas. By becoming sacrificial victims they regain their\ntrue position.\n\n106. Qualities abiding in Darkness etc, imply those qualities that are\npermanently attached to Darkness.\n\n107. Some texts read Santapah and not Sanghatah. The meaning then will be\ngrief or sorrow.\n\n108. This may refer to the exposure of other people's weaknesses by\ntearing open their veils or covers.\n\n109. Vibhajanti implies enjoyments in this connection. Telang starts a\nneedless objection to this word.\n\n110. 'From even a distance' implies that upon even a cursory view;\nwithout even being examined minutely.\n\n111. What is said here is this: the three qualities exist in even the\nimmobile objects of the universe. As regards Darkness, it predominates in\nthem. As regards Passion, it dwells in such properties of theirs as\npungency, sourness, sweetness, etc, which change with time or in\nconsequence of cooking or through admixture. Their only properties are\nsaid to appertain to Goodness. Tiryagbhavagatam is explained by\nNilakantha as adhikyam gatam. Telang thinks this is unwarrantable. His\nown version, however, of the first line is untenable. What can be the\ntiryagbhava or 'form of lower species' of immobile objects? Telang\nfrequently forgets that Nilakantha represents a school of interpretation\nnot founded by him but which existed from a time long anterior to him.\n\n112. 'Conjunctions' are evidently the periods joining the seasons, i.e.,\nthe close of one season and the beginning of another.\n\n113. This probably implies that the mind, through the aid of the senses,\nenters into all things or succeeds in knowing them.\n\n114. The sense seems to be that through these one succeeds in taking\nbirth as a Brahmana.\n\n115. A repetition occurs here of about 5 verses. The passage is evidently\nan interpolation originally caused by carelessness.\n\n116. Nilakantha explains that this implies that one should regard these\nas really undistinguished from the mind. Indeed, created by the mind\nitself, these should always be taken as having no real existence beyond\nthe mind.\n\n117. 'That' here refers to the attenuation of all things by absorption\ninto the mind.\n\n118. Gunagunam is treating the qualities as not qualities; i.e.,\nregarding bravery, magnanimity, etc, as really not merits, for these lead\nto pride. Ekacharyyam is ekantavasam, i.e., life in seclusion, or living\nwithout depending upon others. Anantaram is nirastasamastabheda or\nnon-recognition of all distinctions. Some texts read Brahmamatah meaning\n'existing among Brahmanas'. Ekapadam sukham is samastasukhagarbham, i.e.,\nthe source or fountain of all happiness.\n\n119. The two deities are Jiva and Iswara.\n\n120. The correct reading, in 53 seems to be samsargabhiratam and not\nsamsayabhiratam.\n\n121. In the second line, the correct words are martya and sarva. The\nsense of the second line seems to be that this body is ceaselessly\nrevolving, for Emancipation is difficult to achieve. Hence this body is,\nas it were, the wheel of Time. Nilakantha's explanation does not seem to\nbe satisfactory.\n\n122. I do not think that Telang is correct in his version of this verse.\nWhat is said here seems to be this. The body is, as it were the wheel of\nTime; the body is the ocean of delusion; the body is the creator,\ndestroyer and reawakener of the universe. Through the body creatures act,\nand hence creation, destruction, and re-creation are due to the body.\nThis accords with what is said elsewhere regarding the body.\n\n123. It would be wrong to take satah as implying 'the good,' the finite\nverses in every text being singular.\n\n124. The correct reading seems to be atmana as the last word of the first\nline, and not atman.\n\n125. What is said here is that the quality of passion predominates in\nthese.\n\n126. Nyagrodha is the Ficus Bengalensis, Linn. Jamvu is Eugenia\nJambolana, Lamk. Pippala is Ficus religiosa, Linn. Salmali is Bombax\nMalabaricum. Sinsapa is Dalbergia Sissoo, Roxb. Meshasringa is Asclepia\ngeminata, Roxb. Kichaka is a variety of mountain bamboo. Here however it\nevidently implies the Nimba or Melia Azadirachta, Linn.\n\n127. Nilakantha is for taking the second line as consisting of two\npropositions. It would be better to take satinam as referring to strinam,\nand vasumatyah, as an adjective of Apsarasah.\n\n128. The sense seems to be that good men never allow others to know what\ntheir acts are. They are strangers to ostentation.\n\n129. The sense seems to be that the knowledge of one's own identity and\nof things as discriminated from one another is presided over by Prakriti.\nIf the question is asked whence is the knowledge--'I am so,' and that\n'this is so,' the answer is that it comes from Prakriti or Nature.\n\n130. As explained by Nilakantha, the word Savitri is used here to imply\nall forms of worship observed by Brahmanas, etc, and the Mlecchas as\nwell. This turning back to explain a word used before is said to be an\ninstance of \"looking back like the lion.\"\n\n131. Telang, I think, renders this verse wrongly. In the first line it is\nsaid that Brahman is superior to the Prajapatis. In the second it is\npointed out that Vishnu is superior to Brahman.\n\n132. It is difficult to understand which part of the wheel is intended to\nbe expressedly 'bandhanam' or the bond; I take it for the spokes.\nPariskandha is Samuha or the materials that together compose an object.\nHere it may be taken for the nave or centre. Home is called the\ncircumference, because, as the circumference limits the wheel, even so\nhome (wife and children) limits the affections and acts of life.\n\n133. The words Kalachakram pravartate have been rendered in the first\nverse of this lesson. In verse 9, the words asaktaprabhavapavyam are\nexplained by Nilakantha differently. Manas-krantam, I take, is equivalent\nto 'be bounded by the mind,' I do not know whence Telang gets 'never\nfatigued' as the substitute of this word.\n\n134. Implying that he should go to the house of his preceptor, study and\nserve there, and after completing his course, return for leading a life\nof domesticity.\n\n135. The sense seems to be that these last three duties are productive of\nmerit and should, therefore, be performed. The first three however, are\nsources of living.\n\n136. Havishya is food cooked in a particular way and offered to the\ndeities. It must be free from meat. There may be milk or ghee in it, but\nthe cooking must be done in a single pot or vessel continuously; no\nchange of vessels is allowed.\n\n137. Vilwa is the Aegle marmelos, and Palasa is the Butea frondosa of\nRoxburgh.\n\n138. At first he should live on fruits and roots and leaves, etc. Next on\nwater, and then on air. There are different sects of forests recluses.\nThe course of life is settled at the time of the initiatory rites.\n\n139. What is stated here is this. The Sannyasin should not ask for alms:\nor, if he ever seeks for alms, he should seek them in a village or house\nwhere the cooking has been already done and where every one has already\neaten. This limitation is provided as otherwise the Sannyasin may be fed\nto his fill by the householder who sees him.\n\n140. He should never plunge into a stream or lake or tank for bathing.\n\n141. Kalakankhi implies, probably 'simply biding time', i.e., allowing\ntime to pass indifferently over him.\n\n142. The sense seems to be this: the self or soul is without qualities.\nHe who knows the self, or rather he who pursues the self with the desire\nof knowing it, should practise the truths of Piety laid down above. They\nconstitute the path that leads to the self.\n\n143. 'That which has Brahman for its origin' implies the Vedas.\n\n144. Commentators differ about what is implied by the ten or the twelve.\nNilakantha thinks that the ten mean the eight characteristics of Yoga,\nviz., Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana,\nSamadhi, and Tarka and Vairagya. The twelve would imply the first eight,\nand these four, viz., Maitri, Karuna, Mudita, and Upeksha. If ten plus\ntwelve or two and twenty be taken, then that number would be made up by\nthe five modes of Yama, the five of Niyama, the remaining six of Yoga\n(beginning with Asana and ending with Samadhi), the four beginning with\nMaitri, and the two, viz., Tarka and Vairagya.\n\n145. What is said in this Lesson seems to be this: the Unmanifest or\nPrakriti is that condition in which all the three qualities of Goodness,\nPassion, and Darkness exist in a state of combination. The unmanifest is\nthe condition existing before creation. When one particular quality,\nviz., Goodness prevails over the others, there arises Purusha, viz., that\nfrom whom everything flows. The relation of Purusha and Nature is both\nunity and diversity. The three illustrations of the Gnat and the Udumbara,\nthe fish and water, and water drops and the lotus leaf, explain the\nrelation between Purusha and Nature. He is in Nature, yet different from\nit. There is both association and dissociation.\n\n146. The doubts appertain to duties, that is whether they should be done\nor not, and whether they have any effects here and hereafter.\n\n147. The thinking or enjoying agent is subject, and that which is thought\nor enjoyed is object. Subject and object an two well known words in Sir\nW. Hamilton's philosophy. I follow Telang in adopting them.\n\n148. Sattawa pradipa, rendered 'light of Nature,' implies, as Nilakantha\nexplains, knowledge, which is a manifestation of Nature. Arjuna Misra's\ninterpretation seems to be better. He says that knowledge,--that is,\nknowledge of truth,--is acquired by the self through Nature.\n\n149. The sense seems to be this: one who proceeds, on a journey must\nprovide oneself with the necessary means, otherwise one is sure to feel\ndiscomfort or meet with even destruction. So, in the journey of life, one\nmust provide oneself with knowledge as the means. One may then avoid all\ndiscomfort and danger. Action does not constitute the proper means. It\nmay or may not produce fruits.\n\n150. i.e., one should not care for the external.\n\n151. i.e., one need not do acts enjoined by the scriptures after one has\nattained to knowledge which is the highest seat.\n\n152. The sense is this: riding on a car may not always be comfortable. As\nlong as there is a car path, one should travel on one's car. If, however,\nthe road be such as not to be fit for a car to proceed along it, one\nshould avoid a car in going over it, for the car instead of conducing to\ncomfort, would, on such a path, be productive of only discomfort.\n\n153. i.e., first action with desire; then action without desire; then\nknowledge, according to Arjuna Misra. Nilakantha explains that action is\nfirst, then Yoga, then the state of Hansa or Paramahansa.\n\n154. Katu is not bitter but pungent or sharp, as that which is attached\nto chillies.\n\n155. These are the notes of the Hindu Gamut.\n\n156. The understanding operates on what is placed before it by the mind.\nThe understanding, therefore, is, as it were, the lord exercising power\nor sovereignty, being served by the mind.\n\n157. Sarvan srijati i.e., creates all things by attaining to the\ncondition of the universal cause, for the unmanifest is the universal\ncause. Between such a one and the Supreme Soul there is no difference.\nEven this is said in the last sentence.\n\n158. The man who reads the book called Veda is not truly conversant with\nthe Veda. He, however, who knows Kshetrajna, is regarded as truly knowing\nthe Veda.\n\n159. The argument is that Mrityu or death being of two syllables, the\ncorrespondence is justifiable between it and Mama or mineness which also\nis of two syllables. So in the case of Brahman and na-mama. Of course,\nwhat is meant by mineness being death and not-mineness being Brahman or\nemancipation, cannot be unintelligible to one who has carefully read the\npreceding sections.\n\n160. i.e., the five great elements, four organs of knowledge with mind,\nand the four organs of action.\n\n161. The word Purusha here is used in the sense of dehabhimani Jiva or\nindividual self with consciousness of body. True knowledge destroys this\ncondition of Jiva, for the man of knowledge identifies himself with the\nuniverse and thereby assimilates himself to Brahman. By eaters of Amrita\nare meant they who never take any food without offering portions thereof\nto the deities, Pitris, and guests. Of course, Yogins of piety are\nimplied by it.\n\n162. Purusha here implies Jiva divested of consciousness of body.\n\n163. The meaning is this: in a dream what is seen is all unreal. So, when\ntranquillity has been attained, all the surroundings become unreal.\nNilakantha gives a slightly different interpretation; it is this: when\ntranquillity has been attained, the Soul lives without attachment to the\nbody and all external objects. Indeed, the Soul then lives completely in\nitself even as it works in course of a dream.\n\n164. The sense is that they behold all worldly objects, present, past and\nfuture, which are, of course, due to development of previous causes.\n\n165. This line is rather obscure. The sense seems to be this: no one can\nknow the Supreme Deity if it is not the latter's pleasure to be known.\nOne, therefore, understands Him in exactly that measure in which it is\nHis pleasure to be known.\n\n166. Krishna's father Vasudeva is maternal uncle. Yudhishthira asks\nKrishna to worship Vasudeva and Valadeva on his behalf, i.e., he charges\nKrishna to bear to them a message of respect and love from him.\n\n167. The city of Hastinapura is sometimes called Nagapura, both Hasti and\nNaga being words expressive of the elephant. 'The city called after the\nelephant' is the usual description of the Kuru capital.\n\n168. Mahyam is equal to 'mam uddisya' i.e., referring to my divine nature.\n\n169. An ascetic loses his penances by cursing another rightly or wrongly.\nHence, forgiveness was always practised by the Brahmanas who were\nascetics. A Brahmana's strength consisted in forgiveness. The more\nforgiving he was, the more powerful he became.\n\n170. The first asat or non-existent refers to such objects as the horns\nof the hare. The second, viz., sadasat, or existent and non-existent\nrefers to such objects as exist and meet with destruction. Sadasat param\nor that which transcends the existent and non-existent, refers to the\nunmanifest. The universe consists of these three. All this is from\nVasudeva.\n\n171. To this day preceptors in India have to feed and teach their\ndisciples without any pecuniary compensation. In fact, the sale of\nknowledge has been strictly forbidden. Pupils, however, after completing\ntheir studies, had to give the final Dakshina which varied according to\ntheir means. The kings and princes of India thought themselves honoured\nif solicited by pupils in search of the final Dakshina. What Gautama says\nhere is that the object of the final present is to gratify the preceptor.\nHe (Gautama), however, had already been gratified with the dutiful\nconduct of Utanka. There was no need, therefore, of any present.\n\n172. These words of the king are intended to be reported to his queen who\nwould understand the allusion. The sense is this: cursed by Vasishtha, I\nhave become a cannibal. My condition is intolerable. By this gift of the\near-rings to a deserving Brahmana, much merit may arise. That merit may\nrelieve me.\n\n173. This also is an allusion to the dreadful curse of Vasishtha. The\nking refers to Madayanti as his only refuge. She may save him by doing an\nact or special merit, viz., giving away her costly ear-rings to a truly\ndeserving Brahmana.\n\n174. The sense is this: a Brahmana is never loose of tongue. He is\ntruthful. Hence, having passed my word to thee about my return, thou\nmayst be sure that I would keep my word. One, again, that acts improperly\ntowards a friend, comes to be regarded as a thief. By this, Utanka\nreminds the king that he should not inflict any wrong on him by carrying\nout his intention of eating him up.\n\n175. Vilwa is the Aegle marmalos.\n\n176. Chamu here is used in a general sense, viz., a division. Of course\nit stands for an Akshauhini.\n\n177. Kavi or Kavya is another name of Sukra, the preceptor of the Daityas.\n\n178. Krishna implies Vyasa here. The great Rishi was called 'the\nisland-born Krishna'.\n\n179. The commentator explains that by the constellation Dhruba is implied\nRohini and the Uttaras numbering three. Sunday, again is called the\nDhruba-day.\n\n180. Agnivesya was another name of Dhaumya.\n\n181. Three roads running north to south, and three running cast to west\nand intersecting the former, are the six roads that are directed to be\nlaid out in pitching encampments. Those give nine squares with two\nboundary lines at right angles with each other.\n\n182. Karaputa is made up of two wooden chests united with each other by\nchains or cords and intended to be borne by camels and bullocks.\n\n183. The first line of 17 is exceedingly terse. Literally rendered, it\nruns,--'Each vessel was united with another, and became half the (total)\nweight slung on balance.'\n\n184. Vilava is Arjuna.\n\n185. Before performing any rite or act of a grave nature, Hindus are\nrequired to touch water or perform what is called the 'achamana'. A\nlittle quantity of water is taken on the palm of the right hand, and with\nit are touched the lips, the nostrils, the ears, and the eyes.\n\n186. The abode of Vaisravana is called Alaka. Vaisravana is, of course,\nKuvera, the lord of treasures, friend of Mahadeva, and chief of the\nYakshas.\n\n187. The last line is slightly expanded.\n\n188. The sense is this: thou art the eldest brother of the Pandavas; if\nthou sacrificest, thy brothers also will come to be regarded as\nsacrificing with thee.\n\n189. Sphya was a wooden sword or scimitar, used for slaying the\nsacrificial animal. Kurcha is a handful of Kusa grass. All these things\nare directed by Vyasa to be made of pure gold.\n\n190. It will be remembered that the Samsaptaka host which had engaged\nArjuna for several days on the field of Kurukshetra, all consisted of\nTrigarta warriors led by their king Susarman, Samsaptaka means 'sworn'.\nThose soldiers who took the oath that they would either conquer or die,\nwore called by that name.\n\n191. The reading in every edition seems to be vicious. For obvious\nreasons, I read Parthadupadravat instead of Parthamupadravat.\n\n192. Bhagadatta was the friend of Indra, the father of Arjuna.\n\n193. The allusion is to Mahadeva's pursuing Sacrifice when the latter\nfled from him in the form of a deer.\n\n194. The Brahmanas were to receive Arjuna duly and the treasure was\nintended as a present or offering of respect.\n\n195. Ulupi was one of the wives of Arjuna. She was, therefore, the\nstep-mother of Vabhruvahana.\n\n196. Yahubharyyata, meaning polygamy in the first line, should, as the\nnoun of reference for Eshah be taken as vahunam bharyyata, i.e.,\npolyandry, in the second line.\n\n197. To sit in Praya is to remain seated in a particular spot, abstaining\nfrom food and drink with a view to cast off one's life-breaths.\n\n198. The sense is, that 'grief does not kill; one does not die till one's\nhour comes. If it were otherwise, I would have died, so heavy is the load\nof my affliction.'\n\n199. The name of the city was Suktimati.\n\n200. The etymology of Gudakesa as the lord of Gudaka or sleep, is\nfanciful.\n\n201. Sakuni was the maternal uncle of Duryodhana and, therefore, of\nArjuna also. Sakuni's son and Arjuna, hence, were cousins.\n\n202. The word chara does not mean always a spy. The ancient kings of\nIndia had their spies it is true, but they had a regular intelligence\ndepartment. It was the business of these men to send correct reports to\nthe king of every important occurrence. The news letter-writers of the\nMussalman time, or Harkaras, were the successors of the charas of Hindu\ntimes.\n\n203. Hetuvadins are dialecticians or philosophers who dispute on the\nreasons of things.\n\n204. It is worthy of note that Draupadi was always styled by Krishna as\nhis sakhi or 'friend'. Krishna was highly chivalrous to the other sex at\nan age when women were universally regarded as the inferiors of men.\n\n205. The sense is this: for a horse-sacrifice, the Dakshina or\nsacrificial present, payable to the principal Ritwija or to be\ndistributed among all the Ritwijas including the other Brahmanas, is\nenjoined to be of a certain measure. Vyasa advises Yudhishthira to make\nthat Dakshina triple of what the enjoined measure is. By thus increasing\nthe Dakshina, the merit of the sacrificer will increase correspondingly.\n\n206. The Diksha is the ceremony of initiation. Certain mantras are\nuttered in which the intention is declared of performing what is desired\nto be performed.\n\n207. The Karma of a sacrifice or religious rite is the procedure. It is,\nof course, laid down in the scriptures on the ritual. There are certain\nacts, however, which, though not laid down, should be done agreeably to\nreasonable inferences. What is said, therefore, in the second line of 20\nis that the procedure was fully followed, both as laid down and as\nconsistent with inferences.\n\n208. Pravargya is a special preliminary rite performed in a sacrifice.\n'Abhishva' is the extraction of the juice of the Soma plant after its\nconsecration with Mantras.\n\n209. Vitwa is the Aegle marmelos, Linn. Khadira is Acacia catechu, Linn,\nor Mimosa catechu; Saravarnin is otherwise called, as explained by\nNilakantha, Palasa. It is the Butea frondosa of Roxburgh. Devadaru is\nPinus Deodara of Roxburgh, or Cedruz Deodara. Sleshmataka is a small tree\nidentified with the Cordia latifolia. Here probably, some other tree is\nintended.\n\n210. It is difficult to understand what these constructions or figures\nwere. They were probably figures drawn on the sacrificial altar, with\ngold-dust. At the present day, powdered rice, coloured red, yellow, blue,\netc, is used.\n\n211. Each animal is supposed to be agreeable to a particular deity.\n\n212. Suvibhaktan implies that they were properly classed or grouped so\nthat there was no dispute or dissatisfaction among them regarding\nquestions of precedence.\n\n213. Nilakantha explains that Khandavaraga was made of piper longum and\ndried ginger (powdered), and the juice of Phaseolus Mungo, with sugar.\nProbably, it is identical with what is now called Mungka laddu in the\nbazars of Indian towns.\n\n214. The unccha vow consists of subsisting upon grains of corn picked up\nafter the manner of the pigeon from the field after the crops have been\ncut and removed by the owners.\n\n215. The day of 12 hours is divided into 8 divisions.\n\n216. A prastha is made up of four Kudavas. A Kudava is equal to about\ntwelve double handfuls.\n\n217. This verse is rather obscure. I am not sure that I have understood\nit correctly. The sense seems to be this: thou art capable of enduring\nmuch. Indeed, by barely living, thou art capable of earning\nreligious merit, for life-breath is a great deity. He should not be cast\noff. Thy life is at stake, for if this guest be not gratified, the\nthought of it will kill thee. Do thou, therefore, protect thy life by\ngratifying this guest with my share of the barley.\n\n218. The sense is this: for the sake of those auspicious results after\nwhich every family should strive, the daughter-in-law should be well\ntreated. How then can I deprive thee of food?\n\n219. The Diksha consists of the initiatory rites undergone by one\ndesirous of performing a particular sacrifice or completing a particular\nvow. Some auspicious day is selected. Mantras are uttered and the purpose\nis expressed in words. There were many long-extending sacrifices which\nwere partly of the nature of vows. Till their completion the performer or\nobserver is said to undergo the period of Diksha.\n\n220. The first line of 20 is differently read in the Bombay text. It\nruns,--'steadfastly observing my vow, I shall make arrangements for many\nsacrifices, creating the articles I want by thought alone (or fiats of my\nwill).'\n\n221. Probably, the sense is this: If a Brahmana produced extraordinary\nresults by his penances, a portion of his penances was supposed to be\ndestroyed. The Rishis did not like that any portion of Agastya's penances\nshould be spent for completing his sacrifice.\n\n222. It is difficult to resist the conviction that as much of this\nsection as relates to the mongoose is an interpolation. The Brahmanas\ncould not bear the idea of a sacrifice with such profusion of gifts, as\nthat of Yudhishthira, being censurable. Hence the invention about the\ntransformation of the mongoose. Truly speaking, the doctrine is noble of\nthe gift of a small quantity of barley made under the circumstances being\nsuperior in point of merit to even a Horse-sacrifice performed by a king\nwith gifts in profusion made to the Brahmanas.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 15\n\nASRAMAVASIKA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, 2003. Proofed by John Bruno Hare.\n\n\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Asramavasa Parva)\n\nOM! AFTER HAVING bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the foremost of men,\nand unto the goddess Saraswati also, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'After having acquired their kingdom, how did my\ngrandsires, the high-souled Pandavas, conduct themselves towards the\nhigh-souled king Dhritarashtra? How, indeed, did that king who had all\nhis counsellors and sons slain, who was without a refuge, and whose\naffluence had disappeared, behave? How also did Gandhari of great fame\nconduct herself? For how many years did my high-souled grandsires rule\nthe kingdom? It behoveth thee to tell me all this.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having got back their kingdom, the high-souled\nPandavas, their foes all slain, ruled the Earth, placing Dhritarashtra at\ntheir head. Vidura, and Sanjaya and Yuyutsu of great intelligence, who\nwas Dhritarashtra's son by his Vaisya wife, used to wait upon\nDhritarashtra. The Pandavas used to take the opinion of that king in all\nmatters. Indeed, for ten and five years, they did all things under the\nadvice of the old king. Those heroes used very often to go to that\nmonarch and sit beside him, after having worshipped his feet, agreeably\nto the wishes of king Yudhishthira the just. They did all things under\nthe command of Dhritarashtra who smelt their heads in affection. The\ndaughter of king Kuntibhoja also obeyed Gandhari in everything. Draupadi\nand Subhadra and the other ladies of the Pandavas behaved towards the old\nking and the queen as if they were their own father-in-law and\nmother-in-law. Costly beds and robes and ornaments, and food and drink\nand other enjoyable articles, in profusion and of such superior kinds as\nwere worthy of royal use, were presented by king Yudhishthira unto\nDhritarashtra. Similarly Kunti behaved towards Gandhari as towards a\nsenior. Vidura, and Sanjaya, and Yuyutsu, O thou of Kuru's race, used to\nalways wait upon the old king whose sons had all been slain. The dear\nbrother-in-law of Drona, viz., the very superior Brahmana, Kripa, that\nmighty bowman, also attended upon the king. The holy Vyasa also used to\noften meet with the old monarch and recite to him the histories of old\nRishis and celestial ascetics and Pitris and Rakshasas. Vidura, under the\norders of Dhritarashtra, superintended the discharge of all acts of\nreligious merit and all that related to the administration of the law.\nThrough the excellent policy of Vidura, by the expenditure of even a\nsmall wealth, the Pandavas obtained numerous agreeable services from\ntheir feudatories and followers. King Dhritarashtra liberated prisoners\nand pardoned those that were condemned to death. King Yudhishthira the\njust never said anything to this. On those occasions when the son of\nAmvika went on pleasure excursions, the Kuru king Yudhishthira of great\nenergy used to give him every article of enjoyment. Aralikas, and\njuice-makers, and makers of Ragakhandavas waited on king Dhritarashtra as\nbefore.[1] Pandu's son, collected costly robes and garlands of diverse\nkinds and duly offered them to Dhritarashtra. Maireya wines, fish of\nvarious kinds, and sherbets and honey, and many delightful kinds of food\nprepared by modifications (of diverse articles), were caused to be made\nfor the old king as in his days of prosperity. Those kings of Earth who\ncame there one after another, all used to wait upon the old Kuru monarch\nas before. Kunti, and Draupadi, and she of the Sattwata race, possessed\nof great fame, and Ulupi, the daughter of the snake chief, and queen\nChitrangada, and the sister of Dhrishtaketu, and the daughter of\nJarasandha,--these and many other ladies, O chief of men, used to wait\nupon the daughter of Suvala like maids of all work. That Dhritarashtra,\nwho was deprived of all his children, might not feel unhappy in any\nmatter, was what Yudhishthira often said unto his brothers to see. They\nalso, on their part, listening to these commands of grave import from\nking Yudhishthira, showed particular obedience to the old king. There was\none exception, however. It embraced Bhimasena. All that had followed from\nthat match at dice which had been brought about by the wicked\nunderstanding of Dhritarashtra, did not disappear from the heart of that\nhero. (He remembered those incidents still).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus worshipped by the Pandavas, the royal son of\nAmvika passed his time happily as before, waited upon and honoured by the\nRishis. That perpetuator of Kuru's race used to make those foremost of\nofferings which should be given to the Brahmanas. The royal son of Kunti\nalways placed those articles under Dhritarashtra's control. Destitute of\nmalice as king Yudhishthira was, he was always affectionate towards his\nuncle. Addressing his brothers and councillors, the king said, \"King\nDhritarashtra should be honoured both by myself and you all. He indeed,\nis a well-wisher of mine who is obedient to the commands of\nDhritarashtra. He, on the other hand, who behaves otherwise towards him,\nis my enemy. Such a man should certainly be punished by me.\" On days of\nperforming the rites ordained for the Pitris, as also in the Sraddhas\nperformed for his sons and all well-wishers, the high-souled Kuru king\nDhritarashtra, gave away unto Brahmanas, as each deserved, as profuse\nmeasures of wealth as he liked. King Yudhishthira the just, and Bhima,\nand Arjuna, and the twins, desirous of doing what was agreeable to the\nold king, used to execute all his orders. They always took care that the\nold king who was afflicted with the slaughter of his sons and\ngrandsons,--with, that is, grief caused by the Pandavas\nthemselves,--might not die of his grief. Indeed, the Pandavas bore\nthemselves towards him in such a way that that Kuru hero might not be\ndeprived of that happiness and all those articles of enjoyment which had\nbeen his while his sons lived. The five brothers, viz., the sons of\nPandu, behaved themselves even thus towards Dhritarashtra, living under\nhis command. Dhritarashtra also, seeing them so humble and obedient to\nhis commands and acting towards him as disciples towards preceptors,\nadopted the affectionate behaviour of a preceptor towards them in return.\nGandhari, by performing the diverse rites of the Sraddha and making gifts\nunto Brahmanas of diverse objects of enjoyment, became freed from the\ndebt she owed to her slain children. Thus did that foremost of righteous\nmen, viz., king Yudhishthira the just, possessed of great intelligence,\nalong with his brothers, worship king Dhritarashtra.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Possessed of great energy, that perpetuator of\nKuru's race, viz., the old king Dhritarashtra, could not notice any\nill-will in Yudhishthira. Seeing that the high-souled Pandavas were in the\nobservance of a wise and righteous conduct, king Dhritarashtra, the son\nof Amvika, became gratified with them. Suvala's daughter, Gandhari,\ncasting off all sorrow for her (slain) children, began to show great\naffection for the Pandavas as if they were her own children. Endued with\ngreat energy, the Kuru king Yudhishthira, never did anything that was\ndisagreeable to the royal son of Vichitraviryya. On the other hand, he\nalways behaved towards him in a highly agreeable way. Whatever acts,\ngrave or light, were directed by king Dhritarashtra, or the helpless\nGandhari to be done, were all accomplished with reverence, O monarch, by\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the Pandava king. The old king\nbecame highly gratified with such conduct of Yudhishthira. Indeed, he was\ngrieved at the remembrance of his own wicked son. Rising every day at\nearly dawn, he purified himself and went through his recitations, and\nthen blessed the Pandavas by wishing them victory in battle. Making the\nusual gifts unto the Brahmanas and causing them to utter benedictions,\nand pouring libations on the sacred fire, the old king prayed for long\nlife to the Pandavas. Indeed, the king had never derived that great\nhappiness from his own sons which he always derived from the sons of\nPandu. King Yudhishthira at that time became as agreeable to the\nBrahmanas as to the Kshatriyas, and the diverse bands of Vaisyas and\nSudras of his realm. Whatever wrongs were done to him by the sons of\nDhritarashtra, king Yudhishthira, forgot them all, and reverenced his\nuncle. If any man did anything that was not agreeable to the son of\nAmvika, he became thereby an object of hatred to the intelligent son of\nKunti. Indeed, through fear of Yudhishthira, nobody could talk of the\nevil deeds of either Duryodhana or Dhritarashtra. Both Gandhari and\nVidura also were well pleased with the capacity the king Ajatasatru\nshowed for bearing wrongs. They were, however, not so pleased, O slayer\nof foes, with Bhima. Dharma's son, Yudhishthira, was truly obedient to\nhis uncle. Bhima, however, at the sight of Dhritarashtra, became very\ncheerless. That slayer of foes, seeing Dharma's son reverencing the old\nking, reverenced him outwardly with a very unwilling heart.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The people who lived in the Kuru kingdom failed to\nnotice any variance in the cordiality that subsisted between king\nYudhishthira and the father of Duryodhana. When the Kuru king recollected\nhis wicked son, he then could not but feel unfriendly, in his heart,\ntowards Bhima. Bhimasena also, O king, impelled by a heart that seemed to\nbe wicked, was unable to put up with king Dhritarashtra. Vrikodara\nsecretly did many acts that were disagreeable to the old king. Through\ndeceitful servitors he caused the commands of his uncle to be disobeyed.\nRecollecting the evil counsels of the old king and some acts of his,\nBhima, one day, in the midst of his friends, slapped his armpits, in the\nhearing of Dhritarashtra and of Gandhari. The wrathful Vrikodara,\nrecollecting his foes Duryodhana and Karna and Dussasana, gave way to a\ntransport of passion, and said these harsh words: \"The sons of the blind\nking, capable of fighting with diverse kinds of weapons, have all been\ndespatched by me to the other world with these arms of mine that resemble\na pair of iron clubs. Verily, these are those two arms of mine, looking\nlike maces of iron, and invincible by foes, coming within whose clasp the\nsons of Dhritarashtra have all met with destruction. These are those two\nwell-developed and round arms of mine, resembling a pair of elephantine\ntrunks. Coming within their clasp, the foolish sons of Dhritarashtra have\nall met with destruction. Smeared with sandal-paste and deserving of that\nadornment are those two arms of mine by which Duryodhana has been\ndespatched to the other world along with all his sons and kinsmen.\"\nHearing these and many other words, O king, of Vrikodara, that were\nveritable darts, king Dhritarashtra gave way to cheerlessness and sorrow.\nQueen Gandhari, however, who was conversant with every duty and possessed\nof great intelligence, and who knew what Time brings on its course,\nregarded them as untrue. After five and ten years had passed away, O\nmonarch, king Dhritarashtra afflicted (constantly) by the wordy darts of\nBhima, became penetrated with despair and grief. King Yudhishthira the\nson of Kunti, however, knew it not; nor Arjuna of white steeds, nor\nKunti; nor Draupadi possessed of great fame; nor the twin sons of Madri,\nconversant with every duty and who were always engaged in acting after\nthe wishes of Dhritarashtra. Employed in doing the behests of the king,\nthe twins never said anything that was disagreeable to the old king. Then\nDhritarashtra one day honoured his friends by his confidence. Addressing\nthem with tearful eyes, he said these words.'\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"How the destruction of the Kurus has happened is\nwell known to you. All that was brought about by my fault though the\nKauravas approved of all my counsels. Fool that I was, I installed the\nwicked minded Duryodhana, that enhancer of the terrors of kinsmen, to\nrule over the Kurus. Vasudeva had said unto me, 'Let this sinful wretch\nof wicked understanding be killed along with all his friends and\ncounsellors.' I did not listen to those words of grave import. All\nwise men gave me the same beneficial advice. Vidura, and Bhishma, and\nDrona, and Kripa, said the same thing. The holy and high-souled Vyasa\nrepeatedly said the same, as also Sanjaya and Gandhari. Overwhelmed,\nhowever, by filial affection, I could not follow that advice. Bitter\nrepentance is now my lot for my neglect. I also repent for not having\nbestowed that blazing prosperity, derived from sires and grand sires, on\nthe high-souled Pandavas possessed of every accomplishment. The eldest\nbrother of Gada foresaw the destruction of all the kings; Janarddana,\nhowever, regarded that destruction as highly beneficial.[2] So many\nAnikas of troops, belonging to me, have been destroyed. Alas, my heart is\npierced with thousands of darts in consequence of all these results. Of\nwicked understanding as I am, now after the lapse of five and ten years,\nI am seeking to expiate my sins. Now at the fourth division of the day or\nsometimes at the eighth division, with the regularity of a vow, I eat a\nlittle food for simply conquering my thirst. Gandhari knows this. All my\nattendants are under the impression that I eat as usual. Through fear of\nYudhishthira alone I concealed my acts, for if the eldest son of Pandu\ncame to know of my vow, he would feel great pain. Clad in deer-skin, I\nlie down on the Earth, spreading a small quantity of Kusa grass, and pass\nthe time in silent recitations. Gandhari of great fame passes her time in\nthe observance of similar vows. Even thus do we both behave, we that have\nlost a century of sons none of whom ever retreated from battle. I do not,\nhowever, grieve for those children of mine. They have all died in the\nobservance of Kshatriya duties.\" Having said these words, the old king\nthen addressed Yudhishthira in particular and said, \"Blessed be thou, O\nson of the princess of Yadu's race. Listen now to what I say. Cherished\nby thee, O son, I have lived these years very happily. I have (with thy\nhelp) made large gifts and performed Sraddhas repeatedly.[3] I have, O\nson, to the best of my power, achieved merit largely. This Gandhari,\nthough destitute of sons, has lived with great fortitude, looking all the\nwhile at me. They whom inflicted great wrongs on Draupadi and robbed thee\nof thy affluence,--those cruel wights--have all left the world, slain in\nbattle agreeably to the practice of their order.\n\n\"'\"I have nothing to do for them, O delighter of the Kurus. Slain with\ntheir faces towards battle, they have attained to those regions which are\nfor wielders of weapons.[4] I should now accomplish what is beneficial and\nmeritorious for me as also for Gandhari. It behoveth thee, O great king,\nto grant me permission. Thou art the foremost of all righteous persons.\nThou art always devoted to righteousness. The king is the preceptor of\nall creatures. It is for this that I say so. With thy permission, O hero,\nI shall retire into the woods, clad in rags and barks. O king, alone with\nthis Gandhari, I shall live in the woods, always blessing thee. It is\nmeet, O son, for the members of our race, to make over sovereignty, when\nold age comes, to children and lead the forest mode of life. Subsisting\nthere on air alone, or abstaining from all food, I shall, with this wife\nof mine, O hero, practise severe austerities. Thou shalt be a sharer of\nthese penances, O son, for thou art the king. Kings are sharers of both\nauspicious and inauspicious acts done in their kingdom.\"[5]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When thou, O king, art thus subject to grief,\nsovereignty does not please me at all. Fie on me that am of wicked\nunderstanding, devoted to the pleasures of rule, and utterly heedless of\nmy true concerns. Alas, I, with all my brothers, was ignorant of thyself\nhaving so long been afflicted with grief, emaciated with fasts,\nabstaining from food, and lying on the bare ground. Alas, foolish that I\nam, I have been deceived by thee that hast deep intelligence, inasmuch\nas, having inspired me with confidence at first thou hast latterly\nundergone such grief. What need have I of kingdom or of articles of\nenjoyment, what need of sacrifices or of happiness, when thou, O king,\nhast undergone so much affliction? I regard my kingdom as a disease, and\nmyself also as afflicted. Plunged though I am in sorrow, what, however,\nis the use of these words that I am addressing thee? Thou art our father,\nthou art our mother; thou art our foremost of superiors. Deprived of thy\npresence, how shall we live? O best of king, let Yuyutsu, the son of thy\nloins, be made king, or, indeed, anybody else whom thou mayst wish. I\nshall go into the woods. Do thou rule the kingdom. It behoveth thee not\nto burn me that am already burned by infamy. I am not the king. Thou art\nthe king. I am dependent on thy will. How can I dare grant permission to\nthee that art my preceptor? O sinless one, I harbour no resentment in my\nheart on account of the wrongs done to us by Suyodhana. It was ordained\nthat it should be so. Both ourselves and others were stupefied (by fate).\nWe are thy children as Duryodhana and others were. My conviction is that\nGandhari is as much my mother as Kunti. If thou, O king of kings, goest\nto the woods leaving me, I shall then follow thee. I swear by my soul.\nThis Earth, with her belt of seas, so full of wealth, will not be a\nsource of joy to me when I am deprived of thy presence. All this belongs\nto thee. I gratify thee, bending my head. We are all dependent on thee, O\nking of kings. Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled. I think, O lord\nof Earth, that all this that has come upon thee is due to destiny. By\ngood luck, I had thought, that waiting upon thee and executing thy\ncommands obediently, I would rescue thee from the fever of thy heart.\"\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"O delighter of the Kurus, my mind is fixed, O son,\non penances. O puissant one, it is meet for our race that I should retire\ninto the woods. I have lived long under thy protection, O son, I have for\nmany years been served by thee with reverence. I am now old. It behoveth\nthee, O king, to grant me permission (to take up my abode in the woods).\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words unto king Yudhishthira,\nthe just, king Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, trembling the while and\nwith hands joined together, further said unto the high-souled Sanjaya and\nthe great car-warrior Kripa, these words, \"I wish to solicit the king\nthrough you. My mind has become cheerless, my mouth has become dry,\nthrough the weakness of age and the exertion of speaking.\" Having said\nso, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, viz., the righteous-souled old\nking, blessed with prosperity, leaned on Gandhari and suddenly looked\nlike one deprived of life. Beholding him thus seated like one deprived of\nconsciousness, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the royal son of\nKunti, became penetrated by a poignant grief.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Alas, he whose strength was equal to that of a\nhundred thousand elephants, alas, that king sitteth today, leaning on a\nwoman. Alas! he by whom the iron image of Bhima on a former occasion was\nreduced to fragments, leaneth today on a weak woman. Fie on me that am\nexceedingly unrighteous! Fie on my understanding! Fie on my knowledge of\nthe scripture! Fie on me for whom this lord of Earth lieth today in a\nmanner that is not becoming of him! I also shall fast even as my\npreceptor. Verily, I shall fast if this king and Gandhari of great fame\nabstain from food.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The Pandava king, conversant with every duty,\nusing his own hand, then softly rubbed with cold water the breast and the\nface of the old monarch. At the touch of the king's hand which was\nauspicious and fragrant, and on which were jewels and medicinal herbs,\nDhritarashtra regained his senses.[6]\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"Do thou again touch me, O son of Pandu, with thy\nhand, and do thou embrace me. O thou of eyes like lotus petals, I am\nrestored to my senses through the auspicious touch of thy hand. O ruler\nof men, I desire to smell thy head. The clasp of thy arms is highly\ngratifying to me. This is the eighth division of the day and, therefore,\nthe hour of taking my food. For not having taken my food, O child of\nKuru's race, I am so weak as to be unable to move. In addressing my\nsolicitations to thee, great has been my exertion. Rendered cheerless by\nit, O son, I had fainted. O perpetuator of Kuru's race, I think that\nreceiving the touch of thy hand, which resembles nectar in its vivifying\neffects I have been restored to my senses.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed, O Bharata, by the eldest brother of\nhis father, the son of Kunti, from affection, gently touched every part\nof his body. Regaining his life-breaths, king Dhritarashtra embraced the\nson of Pandu with his arms and smelled his head. Vidura and others wept\naloud in great grief. In consequence, however, of the poignancy of their\nsorrow, they said nothing to either the old king or the son of Pandu.\nGandhari, conversant with every duty, bore her sorrow with fortitude, and\nloaded as her heart was, O king, said nothing. The other ladies, Kunti\namong them, became greatly afflicted. They wept, shedding copious tears,\nand sat surrounding the old king. Then Dhritarashtra, once more\naddressing Yudhishthira, said these words, \"Do thou, O king, grant me\npermission to practise penances. By speaking repeatedly, O son, my mind\nbecomes weakened. It behoveth thee not, O son, to afflict me after this.\"\nWhen that foremost one of Kuru's race was saying so unto Yudhishthira, a\nloud sound of wailing arose from all the warriors there present.\nBeholding his royal father of great splendour, emaciated and pale,\nreduced to a state unbecoming of him, worn out with fasts, and looking\nlike a skeleton covered with skin, Dharma's son Yudhishthira shed tears\nof grief and once more said these words, \"O foremost of men, I do not\ndesire life and the Earth. O scorcher of foes, I shall employ myself in\ndoing what is agreeable to thee. If I deserve thy favour, if I am dear to\nthee, do thou eat something. I shall then know what to do.\" Endued with\ngreat energy, Dhritarashtra then said to Yudhishthira,--\"I wish, O son,\nto take some food, with thy permission.\" When Dhritarashtra said these\nwords to Yudhishthira, Satyavati's son Vyasa came there and said as\nfollows.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, do without any scruple what\nDhritarashtra of Kuru's race has said. This king is old. He has, again,\nbeen made sonless. I think he will not be able to bear his grief long.\nThe highly blessed Gandhari, possessed of great wisdom and endued with\nkindly speech, bears with fortitude her excessive grief owing to the loss\nof her sons. I also tell thee (what the old king says). Do thou obey my\nwords. Let the old king have thy permission. Let him not die an\ninglorious death at home. Let this king follow the path of all royal\nsages of old. Verily, for all royal sages, retirement into the woods\ncomes at last.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed at that time by Vyasa of wonderful\ndeeds, king Yudhishthira the just, possessed of mighty energy, said unto\nthe great ascetic these words, \"Thy holy self is held by us in great\nreverence. Thou alone art our preceptor. Thou alone art the refuge of\nthis our kingdom as also of our race. I am thy son. Thou, O holy one, art\nmy father. Thou art our king, and thou art our preceptor. The son should,\nagreeably to every duty, be obedient to the commands of his sire.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by the king, Vyasa, that\nforemost of poets, foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas,\nendued with great energy once more said unto Yudhishthira these words,\n\"It is even so, O mighty-armed one. It is even as thou sayest, O Bharata.\nThis king has reached old age. He is now in the last stage of life.\nPermitted both by me and thee, let this lord of Earth do what he\nproposes. Do not stand as an impediment in his way. Even this is the\nhighest duty, O Yudhishthira, of royal sages. They should die either in\nbattle or in the woods agreeably to the scriptures. Thy royal sire,\nPandu, O king of kings, reverenced this old king as a disciple reverences\nhis preceptor. (At that time) he adored the gods in many great sacrifices\nwith profuse gifts consisting of hills of wealth and jewels, and ruled\nthe Earth and protected his subjects wisely and well. Having obtained a\nlarge progeny and a swelling kingdom, he enjoyed great influence for\nthirteen years while you were in exile, and gave away much wealth.\nThyself also, O chief of men, with thy servants, O sinless one, hast\nadored this king and the famous Gandhari with that ready obedience which\na disciple pays to his preceptor. Do thou grant permission to thy father.\nThe time has come for him to attend to the practice of penances. He does\nnot harbour, O Yudhishthira, even the slightest anger against any of you.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words, Vyasa soothed the old\nking. Yudhishthira then answered him, saying, \"So be it.\" The great\nascetic then left the palace for proceeding to the woods. After the holy\nVyasa had gone away, the royal son of Pandu softly said these words unto\nhis old father, bending himself in humility,--\"What the holy Vyasa has\nsaid, what is thy own purpose, what the great bowman Kripa has said, what\nVidura has expressed, and what has been asked for by Yuyutsu and Sanjaya,\nI shall accomplish with speed. All these are worthy of my respect, for\nall of them are well-wishers of our race. This, however, O king, I beg of\nthee by bending my head. Do thou first eat and afterwards go to thy\nforest retreat.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Having received the king's permission, king\nDhritarashtra of great energy then proceeded to his own palace, followed\nby Gandhari. With weakened strength and slow motion, that king of great\nintelligence walked with difficulty, like the leader, worn out with age,\nof an elephantine herd. He was followed by Vidura of great learning, and\nhis charioteer Sanjaya, as also that mighty bowman Kripa, the son of\nSaradwata. Entering his mansion, O king, he went through the morning\nrites and after gratifying many foremost of Brahmanas he took some food.\nGandhari conversant with every duty, as also Kunti of great intelligence,\nworshipped with offers of various articles by their daughters-in-law,\nthen took some food, O Bharata. After Dhritarashtra had eaten, and Vidura\nalso and others had done the same, the Pandavas, having finished their\nmeals, approached and sat around the old king. Then the son of Amvika, O\nmonarch, addressing Kunti's son who was seated near him and touching his\nback with his hand, said, \"Thou shouldst always, O delighter of the\nKurus, act without heedlessness as regards everything connected with thy\nkingdom consisting of eight limbs, O foremost of rulers, and in which the\nclaims of righteousness should ever be kept foremost.[7] Thou art\npossessed, O son of Kunti, of intelligence and learning. Listen to me, O\nking, as I tell thee what the means are by which, O son of Pandu, the\nkingdom is capable of being righteously protected. Thou shouldst always,\nO Yudhishthira, honour those persons that are old in learning. Thou\nshouldst listen to what they would say, and act accordingly without any\nscruple. Rising at dawn, O king, worship them with due rites, and when\nthe time comes for action, thou shouldst consult them about thy\n(intended) acts. When, led by the desire of knowing what would be\nbeneficial to thee in respect of thy measures, thou honourest them, they\nwill, O son, always declare what is for thy good, O Bharata. Thou\nshouldst always keep thy senses, as thou keepest thy horses. They will\nthen prove beneficial to thee, like wealth that is not wasted. Thou\nshouldst employ only such ministers as have passed the tests of honesty,\n(i.e., as are possessed of loyalty, disinterestedness, continence, and\ncourage), as are hereditary officers of state, possessed of pure conduct,\nself-restrained, clever in the discharge of business, and endued with\nrighteous conduct. Thou shouldst always collect information through spies\nin diverse disguises, whose faithfulness have been tested, who are\nnatives of thy kingdom, and who should not be known to thy foes. Thy\ncitadel should be properly protected with strong walls and arched gates.\nOn every side the walls, with watch-towers on them standing close to one\nanother, should be such as to admit of six persons walking side by side\non their top.[8] The gates should all be large and sufficiently strong.\nKept in proper places those gates should be carefully guarded. Let thy\npurposes be accomplished through men whose families and conduct are well\nknown. Thou shouldst always protect thy person also with care, in matters\nconnected with thy food, O Bharata, as also in the hours of sport and\neating and in matters connected with the garlands thou wearest and the\nbeds thou liest upon. The ladies of thy household should be properly\nprotected, looked over by aged and trusted servitors, of good behaviour,\nwell-born, and possessed of learning, O Yudhishthira. Thou shouldst make\nministers of Brahmanas possessed of learning, endued with humility,\nwell-born, conversant with religion and wealth, and adorned with\nsimplicity of behaviour. Thou shouldst hold consultations with them. Thou\nshouldst not, however, admit many persons into thy consultations. On\nparticular occasions thou mayst consult with the whole of thy council or\nwith a portion of it. Entering a chamber or spot that is well protected\n(from intruders) thou shouldst hold thy consultation. Thou mayst hold thy\nconsultation in a forest that is divested of grass. Thou shouldst never\nconsult at night time.[9] Apes and birds and other animals that can\nimitate human beings should all be excluded from the council chamber, as\nalso idiots and lame and palsied individuals. I think that the evils that\nflow from the divulgence of the counsels of kings are such that they\ncannot be remedied. Thou shouldst repeatedly refer, in the midst of thy\ncounsellors, to the evils that arise from the divulgence of counsels, O\nchastiser of foes, and to the merits that flow from counsels properly\nkept. Thou shouldst, O Yudhishthira, act in such a manner as to ascertain\nthe merits and faults of the inhabitants of thy city and the provinces.\nLet thy laws, O king, be always administered by trusted judges placed in\ncharge thereof, who should also be contented and of good behaviour. Their\nacts should also be ascertained by thee through spies. Let thy judicial\nofficers, O Yudhishthira, inflict punishments, according to the law, on\noffenders after careful ascertainment of the gravity of the offences.\nThey that are disposed to take bribes, they that are the violators of the\nchastity of other people's wives, they that inflict heavy punishments,\nthey that are utterers of false speeches, they that are revilers, they\nthat are stained by cupidity, they that are murderers, they that are\ndoers of rash deeds, they that are disturbers of assemblies and the\nsports of others, and they that bring about a confusion of castes,\nshould, agreeably to considerations of time and place, be punished with\neither fines or death.[10] In the morning thou shouldst see those that\nare employed in making thy disbursements. After that thou shouldst look\nto thy toilet and then to thy food. Thou shouldst next supervise thy\nforces, gladdening them on every occasion. Thy evenings should be set\napart for envoys and spies. The latter end of the night should be devoted\nby thee to settle what acts should be done by thee in the day. Mid-nights\nand mid-days should be devoted to thy amusements and sports. At all\ntimes, however thou shouldst think of the means for accomplishing thy\npurposes. At the proper time, adorning thy person, thou shouldst sit\nprepared to make gifts in profusion. The turns for different acts, O son,\nceaselessly revolve like wheels. Thou shouldst always exert thyself to\nfill thy treasuries of various kinds by lawful means. Thou shouldst avoid\nall unlawful means towards that end. Ascertaining through thy spies who\nthy foes are that are bent on finding out thy laches, thou shouldst,\nthrough trusted agents, cause them to be destroyed from a distance.\nExamining their conduct, thou shouldst O perpetuator of Kuru's race,\nappoint thy servants. Thou shouldst cause all thy acts to be accomplished\nthrough thy servitors: whether they are appointed for those acts or not.\nThe commandant of thy forces should be of firm conduct, courageous,\ncapable of bearing hardships, loyal, and devoted to thy good. Artisans\nand mechanics, O son of Pandu, dwelling in thy provinces, should always\ndo thy acts like kine and asses.[11] Thou shouldst always, O\nYudhishthira, be careful to ascertain thy own laches as also those of thy\nfoes. The laches also of thy own men as also of the men of thy foes\nshould equally be ascertained. Those men of thy kingdom, that are well\nskilled in their respective vocations, and are devoted to thy good,\nshould be favoured by thee with adequate means of support. A wise king, O\nruler of men, should always see that the accomplishments of his\naccomplished subjects might be kept up. They would then be firmly devoted\nto thee, seeing that they did not fall away from their skill.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"Thou shouldst always ascertain the Mandalas that\nbelong to thee, to thy foes, to neutrals, and to those that are disposed\nequally towards thee and thy foes, O Bharata.[12] The Mandalas also of\nthe four kinds of foes, of these called Atatayins, and of allies, and the\nallies of foes, should be distinguished by thee, O crusher of foes.[13]\nThe ministers of state, the people of the provinces, the garrisons of\nforts, and the forces, O foremost one of Kuru's race, may or may not be\ntampered with. (Thou shouldst, therefore, behave in such a manner that\nthese may not be tampered with by thy foes). The twelve (enumerated\nabove), O son of Kunti, constitute the principal concerns of kings. These\ntwelve, as also sixty, having Ministers for their foremost, should be\nlooked after by the king.[14] Professors conversant with the science of\npolitics call these by the name of Mandala. Understand, O Yudhishthira,\nthat the six incidents (of peace, war, march, halt, sowing dissensions,\nand conciliation) depend upon these. Growth and diminution should also be\nunderstood, as also the condition of being stationary. The attributes of\nthe sixfold incidents, O thou of mighty arms, as resting on the two and\nseventy (already enumerated), should also be carefully understood. When\none's own side has become strong and the side of the foe has become weak,\nit is then, O son of Kunti, that the king should war against the foe and\nstrive to win victory. When the enemy is strong and one's own side is\nweak, then the weak king, if possessed of intelligence, should seek to\nmake peace with the enemy. The king should collect a large store of\narticles (for his commissariat). When able to march out, he should on no\naccount make a delay, O Bharata. Besides, he should on that occasion set\nhis men to offices for which they are fit, without being moved by any\nother consideration. (When obliged to yield a portion of his territories)\nhe should give his foe only such land as does not produce crops in\nabundance. (When obliged to give wealth), he should give gold containing\nmuch base metal. (When obliged to give a portion of his forces), he\nshould give such men as are not noted for strength. One that is skilled\nin treaties should, when taking land or gold or men from the foe, take\nwhat is possessed of attributes the reverse of this.[15] In making\ntreaties of peace, the son of the (defeated) king, should be demanded as\na hostage, O chief of the Bharatas. A contrary course of conduct would\nnot be beneficial, O son. If a calamity comes over the king, he should,\nwith knowledge of means and counsels, strive to emancipate himself from\nit.[16] The king, O foremost of monarchs, should maintain the cheerless\nand the destitute (such as the blind, the deaf and dumb, and the\ndiseased) among his people. Himself protecting his own kingdom, the king,\npossessed of great might, should direct all his efforts, either one after\nanother or simultaneously, against his foes. He should afflict and\nobstruct them and seek to drain their treasury. The king that desires his\nown growth should never injure the subordinate chieftains that are under\nhis sway. O son of Kunti, thou shouldst never seek to war with that king\nwho desires to conquer the whole Earth. Thou shouldst seek to gain\nadvantages by producing, with the aid of thy ministers, dissensions among\nhis aristocracy and subordinate chieftains. A powerful king should never\nseek to exterminate weak kings, for these do good to the world by\ncherishing the good and punishing the wicked. O foremost of kings, thou\nshouldst live, adopting the behaviour of the cane.[17] If a strong king\nadvances against a weak one, the latter should make him desist, by\nadopting conciliation and other modes. If unable to stop the invader in\nthis way, then he, as also those that are disposed to do him good, should\nfall upon the foe for battling with him. Indeed, with his ministers and\ntreasury and citizens, he should thus adopt force against the invader. If\nbattling with the foe becomes hopeless, then he should fall, sacrificing\nhis resources one after another. Casting off his life in this way, he\nwill attain to liberation from all sorrow.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"O best of kings, thou shouldst also reflect\nproperly on war and peace. Each is of two kinds. The means are various,\nand the circumstances also, under which war or peace may be made, are\nvarious, O Yudhishthira.[18] O thou of Kuru's race, thou shouldst, with\ncoolness, reflect on the two (viz., thy strength and weakness) with\nregard to thyself. Thou shouldst not suddenly march against a foe that is\npossessed of contented and healthy soldiers, and that is endued with\nintelligence. On the other hand, thou shouldst think carefully of the\nmeans of vanquishing him.[19] Thou shouldst march against a foe that is\nnot provided with contented and healthy combatants. When everything is\nfavourable, the foe may be beaten. After that, however, the victor should\nretire (and stay in a strong position). He should next cause the foe to\nbe plunged into various calamities, and sow dissensions among his allies.\nHe should afflict the foe and inspire terror in his heart, and attacking\nhim weaken his forces. The king, conversant with the scriptures that\nmarches against a foe, should think of the three kinds of strength, and,\nindeed, reflect on his own strength and of his foe.[20] Only that king, O\nBharata, who is endued with alacrity, discipline, and strength of\ncounsels, should march against a foe. When his position is otherwise, he\nshould avoid defensive operations.[21] The king should provide himself\nwith power of wealth, power of allies, power of foresters, power of paid\nsoldiery, and power of the mechanical and trading classes, O puissant\none.[22] Among all these, power of allies and power of wealth are\nsuperior to the rest. The power of classes and that of the standing army\nare equal. The power of spies is regarded by the king as equal in\nefficacy to either of the above, on many occasions, when the time comes\nfor applying each. Calamity, O king, as it overtakes rulers should be\nregarded as of many forms. Listen, O thou of Kuru's race, as to what\nthose diverge forms are. Verily of various kinds are calamities, O son of\nPandu. Thou shouldst always count them, distinguishing their forms, O\nking, and strive to meet them by applying the well-known ways of\nconciliation and the rest (without concealing them through idleness). The\nking should, when equipt with a good force, march (out against a foe), O\nscorcher of enemies. He should attend also to the considerations of time\nand place, while preparing to march, as also to the forces he has\ncollected and his own merits (in other respects). That king who is\nattentive to his own growth and advancement should not march unless\nequipt with cheerful and healthy warriors. When strong, O son of Pandu,\nhe may march in even an unfavourable season. The king should make a river\nhaving quivers for its stones, steeds and cars for its current, and\nstandards for the trees that cover its banks, and which is miry with\nfoot-soldiers and elephants. Even such a river should the king apply for\nthe destruction of his foe. Agreeably to the science known to Usanas,\narrays called Sakata, Padma, and Vijra, should be formed, O Bharata, for\nfighting the enemy.[23] Knowing everything about the enemy's strength\nthrough spies, and examining his own strength himself the king should\ncommence war either within his own territories or within those of his\nfoe.[24] The king should always gratify his army, and hurl all his\nstrongest warriors (against the enemy). First ascertaining the state of\nhis kingdom, he should apply conciliation or the other well-known means.\nBy all means, O king, should the body be protected. One should do that\nwhich is highly beneficial for one both here and hereafter. The king, O\nmonarch, by behaving duly according to these ways, attains to Heaven\nhereafter, after ruling his subjects righteously in this world. O\nforemost one of Kuru's race, it is even thus that thou shouldst always\nseek the good of thy subjects for attaining to both the worlds.[25] Thou\nhast been instructed in all duties by Bhishma, by Krishna, and by Vidura,\nI should also, O best of kings, from the affection I bear thee, give thee\nthese instructions. O giver of profuse presents in sacrifices, thou\nshouldst do all this duly. Thou shalt, by conducting thyself in this way,\nbecome dear to thy subjects and attain to felicity in Heaven. That king\nwho adores the deities in a hundred horse-sacrifices, and he who rules\nhis subjects righteously, acquire merit that is equal.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O lord of Earth, I shall do as thou biddest me. O\nforemost of kings, I should be further instructed by thee. Bhishma has\nascended to Heaven. The slayer of Madhu has departed (for Dwaraka).\nVidura and Sanjaya also will accompany thee to the forest. Who else,\ntherefore, than thee will teach me? Those instructions which thou\nimparted today, desirous of doing good to me, I shall certainly follow, O\nlord of Earth. Be thou assured of this, O king.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by king Yudhishthira the just,\nof great intelligence, the royal sage, Dhritarashtra, O chief of the\nBharatas, wished to obtain the king's permission (about his retirement to\nthe forest). And he said, \"Cease, O son, great has been my toil.\" Having\nsaid these words, the old king entered the apartments of Gandhari. Unto\nthat husband of hers who resembled a second Lord of all creatures, while\nresting on a seat, Gandhari of righteous conduct, conversant with the\nopportuneness of everything, said these words, the hour being suited to\nthem,--\"Thou hast obtained the permission of that great Rishi, viz.,\nVyasa himself. When, however, wilt thou go to the forest, with the\npermission of Yudhishthira?\"\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"O Gandhari, I have received the permission of my\nhigh-souled sire. With the permission of Yudhishthira (next obtained), I\nshall soon retire into the woods. I desire, however, to give away some\nwealth capable of following the status of Preta, in respect of all those\nsons of mine who were addicted to calamitous dice. Verily, I desire to\nmake those gifts, inviting all the people to my mansion.\"'[26]\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said so (to Gandhari), Dhritarashtra\nsent for Yudhishthira. The latter, at his uncle's command, brought all\nthe articles necessary. Many Brahmanas residing in Kuru-jangala, and many\nKshatriyas, many Vaisyas, and many Sudras also, came to Dhritarashtra's\nmansion, with gratified hearts. The old king, coming out of the inner\napartments, beheld them all, as also his subjects assembled together.\nBeholding all those assembled citizens and inhabitants of the provinces,\nand his well-wishers also thus gathered together, and the large number of\nBrahmanas arrived from diverge realms, king Dhritarashtra of great\nintelligence, O monarch, said these words,--\"Ye all and the Kurus have\nlived together for many long years, well-wishers of each other, and each\nemployed in doing good to the other. What I shall now say in view of the\nopportunity that has come, should be accomplished by you all even as\ndisciples accomplish the biddings of their preceptors. I have set my\nheart upon retiring into the woods, along with Gandhari as my companion.\nVyasa has approved of this, as also the son of Kunti. Let me have your\npermission too. Do not hesitate in this. That goodwill, which has always\nexisted between you and us, is not to be seen, I believe, in other realms\nbetween the rulers and the ruled. I am worn out with this load of years\non my head. I am destitute of children. Ye sinless ones, I am emaciated\nwith fasts, along with Gandhari. The kingdom having passed to\nYudhishthira, I have enjoyed great happiness. Ye foremost of men, I think\nthat happiness has been greater than what I could expect from\nDuryodhana's sovereignty. What other refuge can I have, old as I am and\ndestitute of children, save the woods? Ye highly blessed ones, it behoves\nyou to grant me the permission I seek.\" Hearing these words of his, all\nthese residents of Kurujangala, uttered loud lamentations, O best of the\nBharatas, with voices choked with tears. Desirous of telling those\ngrief-stricken people something more, Dhritarashtra of great energy, once\nmore addressed them and said as follows.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"Santanu duly ruled this Earth. Similarly,\nVichitraviryya also, protected by Bhishma, ruled you. Without doubt, all\nthis is known to you. It is also known to you how Pandu, my brother, was\ndear to me as also to you. He also ruled you duly. Ye sinless ones, I\nhave also served you. Whether those services have come up to the mark or\nfallen short of it, it behoveth you to forgive me, for I have attended to\nmy duties without heedlessness. Duryodhana also enjoyed this kingdom\nwithout a thorn in his side. Foolish as he was and endued with wicked\nunderstanding, he did not, however, do any wrong to you. Through the\nfault, however, of that prince of wicked understanding, and through his\npride, as also through my own impolicy, a great carnage has taken place\nof persons of the royal order. Whether I have, in that matter, acted\nrightly or wrongly, I pray you with joined hands to dispel all\nremembrance of it from your hearts.--This one is old; this one has lost\nall his children; this one is afflicted with grief; this one was our\nking;--this one is a descendant of former kings;--considerations like\nthese should induce you to forgive me. This Gandhari also is cheerless\nand old. She too has lost her children and is helpless. Afflicted with\ngrief for the loss of her sons, she solicits you with me. Knowing that\nboth of us are old and afflicted and destitute of children, grant us the\npermission we seek. Blessed be you, we seek your protection. This Kuru\nking, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, should be looked after by you all,\nin prosperity as well as in adversity. He will never fall into distress,\nhe that has for his counsellors four such brothers of abundant prowess.\nAll of them are conversant with both righteousness and wealth, and\nresemble the very guardians of the world. Like the illustrious Brahman\nhimself, the Lord of the universe of creatures, this Yudhishthira of\nmighty energy will rule you. That which should certainly be said is now\nsaid by me. I make over to you it this Yudhishthira here as a deposit. I\nmake you also a deposit in the hands of this hero. It behoves you all to\nforget and forgive whatever injury has been done to you by those sons of\nmine that are no longer alive, or, indeed, by any one else belonging to\nme. Ye never harboured any wrath against me on any previous occasion. I\njoin my hands before you who are distinguished for loyalty. Here, I bow\nto you all. Ye sinless ones, I, with Gandhari by my side, solicit your\npardon now for anything done to you by those sons of mine, of restless\nunderstandings, stained by cupidity, and ever acting as their desires\nprompted.\" Thus addressed by the old monarch, all those citizens and\ninhabitants of the provinces, filled with tears, said nothing but only\nlooked at one another.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed, O thou of Kuru's race, by the old\nking, the citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces stood sometime\nlike men deprived of consciousness. King Dhritarashtra, finding them\nsilent, with their throats choked by grief, once more addressed them,\nsaying, \"Ye best of men, old as I am, sonless, and indulging, through\ncheerlessness of heart, in diverse lamentations along with this my wedded\nwife, I have obtained the permission, in the matter of my retirement into\nthe forest, of my sire, the Island-born Krishna himself, as also of king\nYudhishthira, who is conversant with every duty, ye righteous denizens of\nthis kingdom. Ye sinless ones, I, with Gandhari, repeatedly solicit you\nwith bent heads. It behoves you all to grant us permission.\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these pitiable words of the Kuru king,\nO monarch, the assembled denizens of Kurujangala all began to weep.\nCovering their faces with their hands and upper garments, all those men\nburning with grief, wept for a while as fathers and mothers would weep\n(at the prospect of a dear son about to leave them for ever). Bearing in\ntheir hearts, from which every other thought had been dispelled, the\nsorrow born of Dhritarashtra's desire to leave the world, they looked\nlike men deprived of all consciousness. Checking that agitation of heart\ndue to the announcement of Dhritarashtra's desire of going to the forest,\nthey gradually were able to address one another, expressing their wishes.\nSettling their words in brief, O king, they charged a certain Brahmana\nwith the task of replying unto the old monarch. That learned Brahmana, of\ngood behaviour, chosen by unanimous consent, conversant with all topics,\nmaster of all the Richs, and named Samba, endeavoured to speak. Taking\nthe permission of the whole assembly and with its full approbation, that\nlearned Brahmana of great intelligence, conscious of his own abilities,\nsaid these words unto the king,--\"O monarch, the answer of this assembly\nhas been committed to my care. I shall voice it, O hero. Do thou receive\nit, O king. What thou sayest, O king of kings, is all true, O puissant\none. There is nothing in it that is even slightly untrue. Thou art our\nwell-wisher, as, indeed, we are thine. Verily, in this race of kings,\nthere never was a king who coming to rule his subjects became unpopular\nwith them. Ye have ruled us like fathers or brothers. King Duryodhana\nnever did us any wrong. Do that, O king, which that righteous-souled\nascetic, the son of Satyavati, has said. He is, verily, our foremost of\ninstructors. Left by thee, O monarch, we shall have to pass our days in\ngrief and sorrow, filled with remembrance of thy hundreds of virtues. We\nwere well protected and ruled by king Duryodhana even as we had been\nruled by king Santanu, or by Chitrangada, or by thy father, O monarch,\nwho was protected by the prowess of Bhishma, or by Pandu, that ruler of\nEarth, who was overlooked by thee in all his acts. Thy son, O monarch,\nnever did us the slightest wrong. We lived, relying on that king as\ntrustfully as on our own father. It is known to thee how we lived (under\nthat ruler). After the same manner, we have enjoyed great happiness, O\nmonarch, for thousands of years, under the rule of Kunti's son of great\nintelligence and wisdom[27]. This righteous-souled king who performs\nsacrifices with gifts in profusion, follows the conduct of the royal\nsages of old, belonging to thy race, of meritorious deeds, having Kuru\nand Samvara and others and Bharata of great intelligence among them.\nThere is nothing, O monarch, that is even slightly censurable in the\nmatter of this Yudhishthira's rule. Protected and ruled by thee, we have\nall lived in great happiness. The slightest demerit is incapable of being\nalleged against thee and thy son. Regarding what thou hast said about\nDuryodhana in the matter of this carnage of kinsmen, I beg thee, O\ndelighter of the Kurus (to listen to me).\"\n\n\"'The Brahmana continued, \"The destruction that has overtaken the Kurus\nwas not brought about by Duryodhana. It was not brought about by thee.\nNor was it brought about by Karna and Suvala's son. We know that it was\nbrought about by destiny, and that it was incapable of being\ncounteracted. Verily, destiny is not capable of being resisted by human\nexertion. Eight and ten Akshauhinis of troops, O monarch, were brought\ntogether. In eight and ten days that host was destroyed by the foremost\nof Kuru warriors, viz., Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and others, and the\nhigh-souled Karna, and the heroic Yuyudhana, and Dhrishtadyumna, and by\nthe four sons of Pandu, that is, Bhima and Arjuna and twins. This\n(tremendous) carnage, O king, could not happen without the influence of\ndestiny. Without doubt, by Kshatriyas in particular, should foes be slain\nand death encountered in battle. By those foremost of men, endued with\nscience and might of arms, the Earth has been exterminated with her\nsteeds and cars and elephants. Thy son was not the cause of that carnage\nof high-souled kings. Thou wert not the cause, nor thy servants, nor\nKarna, nor Suvala's son. The destruction of those foremost ones of Kuru's\nrace and of kings by thousands, know, was brought about by destiny. Who\ncan say anything else in this? Thou art regarded as the Guru and the\nmaster of the whole world. We, therefore, in thy presence, absolve thy\nrighteous-souled son. Let that king, with all his associates, obtain the\nregions reserved for heroes. Permitted by foremost of Brahmanas, let him\nsport blissfully in heaven. Thou also shalt attain to great merit, and\nunswerving steadiness in virtue. O thou of excellent vows, follow thou\nfully the duties indicated in the Vedas. It is not necessary for either\nthee or ourselves to look after the Pandavas. They are capable of ruling\nthe very Heavens, what need then be said of the Earth? O thou of great\nintelligence, in prosperity as in adversity, the subjects of this\nkingdom, O foremost one of Kuru's race, will be obedient to the Pandavas\nwho have conduct for their ornament. The son of Pandu makes those\nvaluable gifts which are always to be made to foremost of regenerate\npersons in sacrifices and in obsequial rites, after the manner of all the\ngreat kings of antiquity. The high-minded son of Kunti is mild, and\nself-restrained, and is always disposed to spend as if he were a second\nVaisravana. He has great ministers that attend on him. He is\ncompassionate to even his foes. Indeed, that foremost one of Bharata's\nrace is of pure conduct. Endued with great intelligence, he is perfectly\nstraight-forward in his dealings and rules and protects us like a father\nprotecting his children. From association with him who is the son of\nDharma, O royal sage, Bhima and Arjuna and others will never do us the\nleast wrong. They are mild, O thou of Kuru's race, unto them that are\nmild, and fierce like snakes of virulent poison unto them that are\nfierce. Possessed of great energy, those high-souled ones are always\ndevoted to the good of the people. Neither Kunti, nor thy\n(daughter-in-law) Panchali, nor Ulupi, nor the princess of the Sattwata\nrace, will do the least wrong to these people.[28] The affection which\nthou hast shown towards us and which in Yudhishthira is seen to exist in\na still larger measure is incapable of being forgotten by the people of\nthe city and the provinces. Those mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of\nKunti, themselves devoted to the duties of the righteousness, will\nprotect and cherish the people even if these happen to be unrighteous. Do\nthou, therefore, O king, dispelling all anxiety of heart on account of\nYudhishthira, set thyself to the accomplishment of all meritorious acts,\nO foremost of men.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words, fraught with righteousness\nand merit, of that Brahmana and approving of them, every person in that\nassembly said, \"Excellent, Excellent\" and accepted them as his own.\nDhritarashtra also, repeatedly applauding those words, slowly dismissed\nthat assembly of his subjects. Thus honoured by them and looked upon with\nauspicious glances, the old king, O chief of Bharata's race, joined his\nhands and honoured them all in return. He then entered his own mansion\nwith Gandhari. Listen now to what he did after that night had passed\naway.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After that night had passed away, Dhritarashtra, the\nson of Amvika, despatched Vidura to Yudhishthira's mansion. Endued with\ngreat energy and the foremost of all persons possessed of intelligence,\nVidura, having arrived at Yudhishthira's mansion, addressed that foremost\nof men, that king of unfading glory, in these words, \"King Dhritarashtra\nhas undergone the preliminary rites for accomplishing his purpose of\nretiring into the woods. He will set out for the woods, O king, on the\ncoming day of full moon of the month of Kartika. He now solicits from\nthee, O foremost one of Kuru's race, some wealth. He wishes to perform\nthe Sraddha of the high-souled son of Ganga, as also of Drona and\nSomadatta and Valhika of great intelligence, and of all his sons as also\nof all well-wishers of his that have been slain, and, if thou permittest\nit, of that wicked-souled wight, viz., the ruler of the Sindhus.\"[29]\nHearing these words of Vidura, both Yudhishthira, and Pandu's son Arjuna\nof curly hair, became very glad and applauded them highly. Bhima,\nhowever, of great energy and unappeasable wrath, did not accept those\nwords of Vidura in good spirits, recollecting the acts of Duryodhana. The\ndiadem-decked Phalguna, understanding the thoughts of Bhimasena, slightly\nbending his face downwards, addressed that foremost of men in these\nwords, \"O Bhima, our royal father who is advancing in years, has resolved\nto retire into the woods. He wishes to make gifts for advancing the\nhappiness of his slain kinsmen and well-wishers now in the other world. O\nthou of Kuru's race, he wishes to give away wealth that belongs to thee\nby conquest. Indeed, O mighty-armed one, it is for Bhishma and others\nthat the old king is desirous of making those gifts. It behoves thee to\ngrant thy permission. By good luck it is, O thou of mighty arms that\nDhritarashtra today begs wealth of us, he who was formerly begged by us.\nBehold the reverse brought about by Time. That king who was before the\nlord and protector of the whole Earth, now desires to go into the woods,\nhis kinsmen and associates all slain by foes. O chief of men, let not thy\nviews deviate from granting the permission asked for. O mighty-armed one,\nrefusal, besides bringing infamy, will be productive of demerit. Do thou\nlearn your duty in this matter from the king, thy eldest brother, who is\nlord of all. It becometh thee to give instead of refusing, O chief of\nBharata's race.\" Vibhatsu who was saying so was applauded by king\nYudhishthira the just. Yielding to wrath, Bhimasena said these words, \"O\nPhalguna, it is we that shall make gifts in the matter of Bhishma's\nobsequies, as also of king Somadatta and of Bhurisravas, of the royal\nsage Valhika, and of the high-souled Drona, and of all others. Our mother\nKunti shall make such obsequial offerings for Karna. O foremost of men,\nlet not Dhritarashtra perform those Sraddhas. Even this is what I think.\nLet not our foes be gladdened. Let Duryodhana and others sink from a\nmiserable to a more miserable position. Alas, it was those wretches of\ntheir race that caused the whole Earth to be exterminated. How hast thou\nbeen able to forget that anxiety of twelve long years, and our residence\nin deep incognito that was so painful to Draupadi? Where was\nDhritarashtra's affection for us then? Clad in a black deer-skin and\ndivested of all thy ornaments, with the princess of Panchala in thy\ncompany, didst thou not follow this king? Where were Bhishma and Drona\nthen, and where was Somadatta? Thou hadst to live for thirteen years in\nthe woods, supporting thyself on the products of the wilderness. Thy\neldest father did not then look at thee with eyes of parental affection.\nHast thou forgotten, O Partha, that it was this wretch of our race, of\nwicked understanding, that enquired of Vidura, when the match at dice was\ngoing on,--'What has been won?'\" Hearing thus far, king Yudhishthira, the\nson of Kunti, endued with great intelligence, rebuked him and told him to\nbe silent.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"O Bhima, thou art my elder brother and, therefore, my\nsenior and preceptor. I dare not say anything more than what I have\nalready said. The royal sage Dhritarashtra deserves to be honoured by us\nin every respect. They that are good, they that are distinguished above\nthe common level, they that break not the distinctions which characterise\nthe good, remember not the wrongs done to them but only the benefits they\nhave received.\" Hearing these words of the high-souled Phalguna, the\nrighteous-souled Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, addressed Vidura and\nsaid these words, \"Instructed by me, O Kshattri, do thou say unto the\nKuru king that I shall give him as much wealth from my treasury as he\nwishes to give away for the obsequies of his sons, and of Bhishma and\nothers among his well-wishers and benefactors. Let not Bhima be cheerless\nat this!\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having said these words, king Yudhishthira the\njust, highly applauded Arjuna. Meanwhile Bhimasena began to cast angry\nglances at Dhananjaya. Then Yudhishthira, endued with great intelligence,\nonce more addressed Vidura and said, \"It behoves not king Dhritarashtra\nto be angry with Bhimasena. This Bhima of great intelligence was greatly\nafflicted by cold and rain and heat and by a thousand other griefs while\nresiding in the woods. All this is not unknown to thee. Do thou, however,\ninstructed by me, say unto the king, O foremost one of Bharata's race,\nthat he may take from my house whatever articles he wishes and in\nwhatever measure also he likes. Thou shalt also tell the king that he\nshould not allow his heart to dwell on this exhibition of pride in which\nBhima, deeply afflicted, has indulged. Whatever wealth I have and\nwhatever Arjuna has in his house, the owner thereof is king\nDhritarashtra. Even this thou shouldst tell him. Let the king make gifts\nunto the Brahmanas. Let him spend as largely as he likes. Let him free\nhimself from the debt he owes to his sons and well-wishers. Let him be\ntold besides,--O Monarch, this very body of mine is at thy disposal and\nall the wealth I have. Know this, and let there be no doubt in this.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus addressed by king Yudhishthira, Vidura, that\nforemost of all intelligent persons, returned to Dhritarashtra and said\nunto him these words of grave import. \"I at first reported thy message to\nking Yudhishthira. Reflecting on thy words, Yudhishthira of great\nsplendour applauded them highly. Vibhatsu also, of great energy, places\nall his mansions, with all the wealth therein, as also his very\nlife-breaths, at thy disposal. Thy son, king Yudhishthira, too, offers\nthee, O royal sage, his kingdom and life-breath and wealth and all else\nthat belongs to him. Bhima, however, of mighty arms, recollecting all his\ninnumerable sorrows, has with difficulty given his consent, breathing\nmany heavy sighs. That mighty-armed hero, O monarch, was solicited by the\nrighteous king as also by Vibhatsu, and induced to assume relations of\ncordiality towards thee. King Yudhishthira the just, has prayed thee not\nto give way to dissatisfaction for the improper conduct which Bhima has\ndisplayed at the recollection of former hostilities. This is generally\nthe behaviour of Kshatriyas in battle, O king, and this Vrikodara is\ndevoted to battle and the practices of Kshatriyas. 'Both myself and\nArjuna, O king, repeatedly beg thee for pardoning Vrikodara. Be gracious\nunto us. Thou art our lord. Whatever wealth we have, thou mayst give away\nas thou likest, O ruler of Earth. Thou, O Bharata, art the Master of this\nkingdom and of all lives in it. Let the foremost one of Kuru's race give\naway, for the obsequial rites of his sons, all those foremost of gifts\nwhich should be given to the Brahmanas. Indeed, let him make those gifts\nunto persons of the regenerate order, taking away from our mansions\njewels and gems, and kine, and slaves both male and female, and goats and\nsheep. Let gifts be made unto also those that are poor or sightless or in\ngreat distress, selecting the objects of his charity as he likes. Let, O\nVidura, large pavilions be constructed, rich with food and drink of\ndiverse tastes collected in profusion. Let reservoirs of water be\nconstructed for enabling kine to drink, and let other works of merit be\naccomplished.'--Even these were the words said unto me by the king as also\nby Pritha's son Dhananjaya. It behoveth thee to say what should be done\nnext.\" After Vidura had said these words, O Janamejaya, Dhritarashtra his\nsatisfaction at them and set his heart upon making large presents on the\nday of full moon in the month of Kartika.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said,--'Thus addressed by Vidura, king Dhritarashtra became\nhighly pleased, O monarch, with the act of Yudhishthira and Jishnu.\nInviting then, after proper examination, thousands of deserving Brahmanas\nand superior Rishis, for the sake of Bhishma, as also of his sons and\nfriends, and causing a large quantity of food and drink to be prepared,\nand cars and other vehicles and clothes, and gold and jewels and gems,\nand slaves both male and female, and goats and sheep, and blankets and\ncostly articles to be collected, and villages and fields, and other kinds\nof wealth to be kept ready, as also elephants and steeds decked with\nornaments, and many beautiful maidens who were the best of their sex,\nthat foremost of kings gave them away for the advancement of the dead,\nnaming each of them in due order as the gifts were made. Naming Drona,\nand Bhishma, and Somadatta, and Valhika, and king Duryodhana, and each\none of his other sons, and all his well-wishers with Jayadratha numbering\nfirst, those gifts were made in due order. With the approval of\nYudhishthira, that Sraddha-sacrifice became characterised by large gifts\nof wealth and profuse presents of jewels and gems and other kinds of\ntreasure. Tellers and scribes on that occasion, under the orders of\nYudhishthira, ceaselessly asked the old king.--Do thou command, O\nmonarch, what gifts should be made to these. All things are ready\nhere.--As soon as the king spoke, they gave away what he directed.[30]\nUnto him that was to receive a hundred, a thousand was given, and unto\nhim that was to receive a thousand was given ten thousand, at the command\nof the royal son of Kunti.[31] Like the clouds vivifying the crops with\ntheir downpours, that royal cloud gratified the Brahmanas by downpours of\nwealth. After all those gifts had been distributed, the king, O thou of\ngreat intelligence, then deluged the assembled guests of all the four\norders with repeated surges of food and drink of diverse tastes. Verily,\nthe Dhritarashtra-ocean, swelling high, with jewels and gems for its\nwaters, rich with the villages and fields and other foremost of gifts\nconstituting its verdant islands, heaps of diverse kinds of precious\narticles for its rich caves, elephants and steeds for its alligators and\nwhirlpools, the sound of Mridangas for its deep roars, and clothes and\nwealth and precious stones for its waves, deluged the Earth. It was even\nin this way, O king, that that monarch made gifts for the advancement in\nthe other world of his sons and grandsons and Pitris as also of himself\nand Gandhari. At last when he became tired with the task of making gifts\nin such profusion, that great Gift-sacrifice came to an end. Even thus\ndid that king of Kuru's race perform his Gift-sacrifice. Actors and mimes\ncontinually danced and sang on the occasion and contributed to the\nmerriment of all the guests. Food and drink of diverse tastes were given\naway in large quantities. Making gifts in this way for ten days, the\nroyal son of Amvika, O chief of Bharata's race, became freed from the\ndebts he owed to his sons and grandsons.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said,--'The royal son of Amvika, viz., Dhritarashtra,\nhaving settled the hour of his departure for the woods, summoned those\nheroes, the Pandavas. Possessed of great intelligence, the old monarch,\nwith Gandhari, duly accosted those princes. Having caused the minor rites\nto be performed, by Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas, on that day\nwhich was the day of full moon in the month of Kartika, he caused the\nfire which he worshipped daily to be taken up. Leaving his usual robes he\nwore deer-skins and barks, and accompanied by his daughters-in-law, he\nset out of his mansion. When the royal son of Vichitraviryya thus set\nout, a loud wail was uttered by the Pandava and the Kaurava ladies as\nalso by other women belonging to the Kaurava race. The king worshipped\nthe mansion in which he had lived with fried paddy and excellent flowers\nof diverse kinds. He also honoured all his servants with gifts of wealth,\nand then leaving that abode set out on his journey. Then O son, king\nYudhishthira, trembling all over, with utterance choked with tears, said\nthese words in a loud voice, viz.,--\"O righteous monarch, where dost thou\ngo?\"--and fell down in a swoon. Arjuna, burning with great grief, sighed\nrepeatedly. That foremost of Bharata princes, telling Yudhishthira that\nhe should not behave in that manner, stood cheerlessly and with heart\nplunged into distress. Vrikodara, the heroic Phalguna, the two sons of\nMadri, Vidura, Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra's son by his Vaisya wife, and\nKripa, and Dhaumya, and other Brahmanas, all followed the old monarch,\nwith voices choked in grief. Kunti walked ahead, bearing on her shoulders\nthe hand of Gandhari who walked with her bandaged eyes. King\nDhritarashtra walked confidently behind Gandhari, placing his hand on her\nshoulder.[32] Drupada's daughter Krishna, she of the Sattwata race,\nUttara the daughter-in-law of the Kauravas, who had recently become a\nmother, Chitrangada, and other ladies of the royal house-hold, all\nproceeded with the old monarch. The wail they uttered on that occasion, O\nking, from grief, resembled the loud lamentations of a swarm of\nshe-ospreys. Then the wives of the citizens,--Brahmanas and Kshatriyas\nand Vaisyas and Sudras,--also came out into the streets from every side.\nAt Dhritarashtra's departure, O king, all the citizens of Hastinapore\nbecame as distressed as they had been, O monarch, when they had witnessed\nthe departure of the Pandavas in former days after their defeat at the\nmatch at dice. Ladies that had never seen the sun or the moon, came out\ninto the streets on the occasion, in great grief, when king Dhritarashtra\nproceeded towards the great forest.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Great was the uproar, at that time, O king, of both\nmen and women standing on the terraces of mansions or on the Earth.\nPossessed of great intelligence, the old king, with joined hands, and\ntrembling with weakness, proceeded with difficulty along the principal\nstreet which was crowded with persons of both sexes. He left the city\ncalled after the elephant by the principal gate and then repeatedly bade\nthat crowd of people to return to their homes. Vidura had set his heart\non going to the forest along with the king. The Suta Sanjaya also, the\nson of Gavalgani, the chief minister of Dhritarashtra, was of the same\nheart. King Dhritarashtra however, caused Kripa and the mighty\ncar-warrior Yuyutsu to refrain from following him. He made them over into\nYudhishthira's hands. After the citizens had ceased following the\nmonarch, king Yudhishthira, with the ladies of his house-hold, prepared\nto stop, at the command of Dhritarashtra. Seeing that his mother Kunti\nwas desirous of retiring into the woods, the king said unto her, \"I shall\nfollow the old monarch. Do thou desist. It behoveth thee, O queen, to\nreturn to the city, accompanied by these thy daughters-in-law. This\nmonarch proceeds to the woods, firmly resolved to practise penances.\"\nThough king Yudhishthira said these words unto her, with his eyes bathed\nin tears, Kunti, however, without answering him, continued to proceed,\ncatching hold of Gandhari.\n\n\"'Kunti said, \"O king, never show any disregard for Sahadeva. He is very\nmuch attached to me, O monarch, and to thee also always. Thou shouldst\nalways bear in mind Karna who never retreated from battle. Through my\nfolly that hero has been slain in the field of battle. Surely, my son,\nthis heart of mine is made of steel, since it does not break into a\nhundred pieces at not seeing that child born of Surya. When such has been\nthe case, O chastiser of foes, what can I now do? I am very much to blame\nfor not having proclaimed the truth about the birth of Surya's child. O\ncrusher of foes, I hope thou wilt, with all thy brothers, make excellent\ngifts for the sake of that son of Surya. O mower of foes, thou shouldst\nalways do what is agreeable to Draupadi. Thou shouldst look after\nBhimasena and Arjuna and Nakula and Sahadeva. The burthens of the Kuru\nrace have now fallen on thee, O king. I shall live in the woods with\nGandhari, besmearing my body with filth, engaged in the performance of\npenances, and devoted to the service of my father-in-law and\nmother-in-law.\"'[33]\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by her, the righteous-souled\nYudhishthira, with passions under complete control, became, with all his\nbrothers, plunged into great distress. Endued with great intelligence,\nthe king said not a word. Having reflected for a little while, king\nYudhishthira the Just, cheerless and plunged in anxiety and sorrow,\naddressed his mother, saying,--\"Strange, indeed, is this purpose of\nthine. It behoves thee not to accomplish it. I can never grant thee\npermission. It behoves thee to show us compassion. Formerly, when we\nwere about to set out of Hastinapore for the woods, O thou of agreeable\nfeatures, it was thou who, reciting to us the story of Vidula's\ninstructions to her son, excited us to exertion. It behoves thee not to\nabandon us now. Having slain the kings of Earth, I have won sovereignty,\nguided by thy words of wisdom communicated through Vasudeva. Where now is\nthat understanding of thine about which I had heard from Vasudeva? Dost\nthou wish now to fall away from those Kshatriya practices about which\nthou hadst instructed us? Abandoning ourselves, this kingdom, and this\ndaughter-in-law of thine who is possessed of great fame, how wilt thou\nlive in the inaccessible woods? Do thou relent!\" Kunti, with tears in her\neyes, heard these words of her son, but continued to proceed on her way.\nThen Bhima addressed her, saying,--\"When, O Kunti, sovereignty has been\nwon, and when the time has come for thee to enjoy that sovereignty thus\nacquired by thy children, when the duties of royalty await discharge by\nthee, whence has this desire got hold of thy mind? Why then didst thou\ncause us to exterminate the Earth? For what reason wouldst thou leave all\nand wish to take up thy abode in the woods? We were born in the woods.\nWhy then didst thou bring us from the woods while we were children?\nBehold, the two sons of Madri are overwhelmed with sorrow and grief.\nRelent, O mother, O thou of great fame, do not go into the woods now. Do\nthou enjoy that prosperity which acquired by might, has become\nYudhishthira's today.\" Firmly resolved to retire into the woods, Kunti\ndisregarded these lamentations of her sons. Then Draupadi with a\ncheerless face, accompanied by Subhadra, followed her weeping\nmother-in-law who was journeying on from desire of going into the woods.\nPossessed of great wisdom and firmly resolved on retirement from the\nworld, the blessed dame walked on, frequently looking at her weeping\nchildren. The Pandavas, with all their wives and servitors, continued to\nfollow her. Restraining then her tears, she addressed her children in\nthese words.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\n\"'Kunti said, \"It is even so, O mighty-armed son of Pandu, as thou sayest.\nYe kings, formerly when ye were cheerless, it was even in this way that I\nexcited you all. Yes, seeing that your kingdom was wrested from you by a\nmatch at dice, seeing that you all fell from happiness, seeing that you\nwere domineered over by kinsmen, I instilled courage and high thoughts\ninto your minds. Ye foremost of men, I encouraged you in order that they\nthat were the sons of Pandu might not be lost, in order that their fame\nmight not be lost. You are all equal to Indra. Your prowess resembles\nthat of the very gods. In order that you might not live, watching the\nfaces of others, I acted in that way.[34] I instilled courage into thy\nheart in order that thou who art the foremost of all righteous persons,\nwho art equal to Vasava, might not again go into the woods and live in\nmisery. I instilled courage into your hearts in order that this Bhima who\nis possessed of the strength of ten thousand elephants and whose prowess\nand manliness are widely known, might not sink into insignificance and\nruin. I instilled courage into your hearts in order that this Vijaya, who\nwas born after Bhimasena, and who is equal unto Vasava himself might not\nbe cheerless. I instilled courage into your hearts in order that Nakula\nand Sahadeva, who are always devoted to their seniors, might not be\nweakened and rendered cheerless by hunger. I acted in that way in order\nthat this lady of well-developed proportions and of large expansive eyes\nmight not endure the wrongs inflicted on her in the public hall without\nbeing avenged. In the very sight of you all, O Bhima, Dussasana, through\nfolly, dragged her trembling all over like a plantain plant, during the\nperiod of her functional illness, and after she had been won at dice, as\nif she were a slave. All this was known to me. Indeed, the race of Pandu\nhad been subjugated (by foes). The Kurus, viz., my father-in-law and\nothers, were cheerless when she, desirous of a protector, uttered loud\nlamentations like a she-osprey. When she was dragged by her fair locks by\nthe sinful Dussasana with little intelligence, I was deprived of my\nsenses, O king. Know, that for enhancing your energy, I instilled that\ncourage into your hearts by reciting the words of Vidula, O my sons. I\ninstilled courage into your hearts, O my sons, in order that the race of\nPandu, represented by my children, might not be lost. The sons and\ngrandsons of that person who brings a race to infamy never succeed in\nattaining to the regions of the righteous. Verily, the ancestors of the\nKaurava race were in danger of losing those regions of felicity which had\nbecome theirs. As regards myself, O my sons, I, before this, enjoyed the\ngreat fruits of that sovereignty which my husband had acquired. I made\nlarge gifts. I duly drank the Soma juice in sacrifice.[35] It was not for\nmy own sake that I had urged Vasudeva with the stirring words of Vidula.\nIt was for your sake that I had called upon you to follow that advice. O\nmy sons, I do not desire the fruits of that sovereignty which has been\nwon by my children. O thou of great puissance, I wish to attain, by my\npenances, to those regions of felicity which have been acquired by my\nhusband. By rendering obedient service to my father-in-law and\nmother-in-law both of whom wish to take up their abode in the woods, and\nby penances, I desire, O Yudhishthira, to waste my body. Do thou cease to\nfollow me, O foremost one of Kuru's race, along with Bhima and others.\nLet thy understanding be always devoted to righteousness. Let thy mind be\nalways great.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Hearing these words of Kunti, the sinless Pandavas,\nO best of kings, became ashamed. They, therefore, desisted, along with\nthe princess of Panchala, from following her.[36] Beholding Kunti\nresolved to go into the woods, the ladies of the Pandava household\nuttered loud lamentations. The Pandavas then circumambulated the king and\nsaluted him duly. They ceased to follow further, having failed to\npersuade Pritha to return. Then Amvika's son of great energy, viz.,\nDhritarashtra, addressing Gandhari and Vidura and supporting himself on\nthem, said, \"Let the royal mother of Yudhishthira cease to go with us.\nWhat Yudhishthira has said is all very true. Abandoning this high\nprosperity of her sons, abandoning those high fruits that may be hers,\nwhy should she go into the inaccessible woods, leaving her children like\na person of little intelligence? Living in the enjoyment of sovereignty,\nshe is capable of practising penances and observing the high vow of\ngifts. Let her, therefore, listen to my words. O Gandhari, I have been\nmuch gratified with the services rendered to me by this daughter-in-law\nof mine. Conversant as thou art with all duties, it behoveth thee to\ncommand her return.\" Thus addressed by her lord, the daughter of Suvala\nrepeated unto Kunti all those words of the old king and added her own\nwords of grave import. She, however, failed to cause Kunti to desist\ninasmuch as that chaste lady, devoted to righteousness, had firmly set\nher heart upon residing in the woods. The Kuru ladies, understanding how\nfirm her resolution was regarding her retirement into the woods, and\nseeing that those foremost ones of Kuru's race (viz., their own lords),\nhad ceased to follow her, set up a loud wail of lamentation. After all\nthe sons of Pritha and all the ladies had retraced their steps, king\nYudhishthira of great wisdom continued his journey to the woods. The\nPandavas, exceedingly cheerless and afflicted with grief and sorrow\naccompanied by their wives, returned to the city, on their cars. At that\ntime the city of Hastinapura, with its entire population of men, both old\nand young, and women, became cheerless and plunged into sorrow. No\nfestivals of rejoicing were observed. Afflicted with grief, the Pandavas\nwere without any energy. Deserted by Kunti, they were deeply afflicted\nwith grief, like calves destitute of their dams. Dhritarashtra reached\nthat day a place far removed from the city. The puissant monarch arrived\nat last on the banks of the Bhagirathi and took rest there for the night.\nBrahmanas conversant with the Vedas duly ignited their sacred fires in\nthat retreat of ascetics. Surrounded by those foremost of Brahmanas,\nthose sacred fires blazed forth in beauty. The sacred fire of the old\nking was also ignited. Sitting near his own fire, he poured libations on\nit according to due rites, and then worshipped the thousand-rayed sun as\nhe was on the point of setting. Then Vidura and Sanjaya made a bed for\nthe king by spreading some blades of Kusa grass. Near the bed of that\nKuru hero they made another for Gandhari. In close proximity to Gandhari,\nYudhishthira's mother Kunti, observant of excellent vows, happily laid\nherself down. Within hearing distance of those three, slept Vidura and\nothers. The Yajaka Brahmanas and other followers of the king laid\nthemselves down on their respective beds. The foremost of Brahmanas that\nwere there chanted aloud many sacred hymns. The sacrificial fires blazed\nforth all around. That night, therefore, seemed as delightful to them as\na Brahmi night.[37] When the night passed away, they all arose from their\nbeds and went through their morning acts. Pouring libations then on the\nsacred fire, they continued their journey. Their first day's experience\nof the forest proved very painful to them on account of the grieving\ninhabitants of both the city and the provinces of the Kuru kingdom.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said. 'Following the advice of Vidura, the king took up his\nabode on the banks of the Bhagirathi which were sacred and deserved to be\npeopled with the righteous. There many Brahmanas who had taken up their\nabode in the woods, as also many Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras, came\nto see the old monarch. Sitting in their midst, he gladdened them all by\nhis words. Having duly worshipped the Brahmanas with their disciples, he\ndismissed them all. As evening came, the king, and Gandhari of great\nfame, both descended into the stream of the Bhagirathi and duly performed\ntheir ablutions for purifying themselves. The king and the queen, and\nVidura and others, O Bharata, having bathed in the sacred stream,\nperformed the usual rites of religion. After the king had purified\nhimself by a bath, the daughter of Kuntibhoja gently led both him, who\nwas to her as her father-in-law and Gandhari from the water into the dry\nbank. The Yajakas had made a sacrificial altar there for the king.\nDevoted to truth, the latter poured libations then on the fire. From the\nbanks of the Bhagirathi the old king, with his followers, observant of\nvows and with senses restrained, then proceeded to Kurukshetra. Possessed\nof great intelligence, the king arrived at the retreat of the royal sage\nSatayupa of great wisdom and had an interview with him. Satayupa, O\nscorcher of foes, had been the great king of the Kekayas. Having made\nover the sovereignty of his kingdom to his son he had come into the\nwoods. Satayupa, received king Dhritarashtra with due rites. Accompanied\nby him, the latter proceeded to the retreat of Vyasa. Arrived at Vyasa's\nretreat, the delighter of the Kurus received his initiation into the\nforest mode of life. Returning he took up his abode in the retreat of\nSatayupa. The high-souled Satayupa, instructed Dhritarashtra in all the\nrites of the forest mode, at the command of Vyasa. In this way the\nhigh-souled Dhritarashtra set himself to the practice of penances, and\nall his followers also to the same course of conduct. Queen Gandhari\nalso, O monarch, along with Kunti, assumed barks of trees and deer-skins\nfor her robe, and set herself to the observance of the same vows as her\nlord. Restraining their senses in thought, words, and deeds, as well as\nby eye, they began to practise severe austerities. Divested of all\nstupefaction of mind, king Dhritarashtra began to practise vows and\npenances like a great Rishi, reducing his body to skin and bones, for his\nflesh was all dried up, bearing matted locks on head, and his person clad\nin barks and skins. Vidura, conversant with the true interpretations of\nrighteousness, and endued with great intelligence, as also Sanjaya,\nwaited upon the old king with his wife. Both of them with souls under\nsubjection, Vidura and Sanjaya also reduced themselves, and wore barks\nand rags.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Those foremost of ascetics, viz. Narada and Parvata\nand Devala of austere penances, came there to see king Dhritarashtra. The\nIsland-born Vyasa with all his disciples, and other persons endued with\ngreat wisdom and crowned with ascetic success, and the royal sage\nSatayupa of advanced years and possessed of great merit, also came. Kunti\nworshipped them with due rites, O king. All those ascetics were highly\ngratified with the worship offered to them. Those great Rishis gladdened\nthe high-souled king Dhritarashtra with discourses on religion and\nrighteousness. At the conclusion of their converse, the celestial Rishi\nNarada, beholding all things as objects of direct perceptions, said the\nfollowing words.'\n\n\"'Narada said, \"There was a ruler of the Kekayas, possessed of great\nprosperity and perfectly fearless. His name was Sahasrachitya and he was\nthe grandfather of this Satayupa. Resigning his kingdom to his eldest son\nendued with a large measure of righteousness, the virtuous king\nSahasrachitya retired into the woods. Reaching the other end of blazing\npenances, that lord of Earth, endued with great splendour, attained to\nthe region of Purandara where he continued to live in his company. On\nmany occasions, while visiting the region of Indra, O king, I saw the\nmonarch, whose sins had all been burnt off by penances, residing in\nIndra's abode. After the same manner, king Sailalaya, the grandfather of\nBhagadatta, attained to the region of Indra by the power alone of his\npenances. There was another king, O monarch, of the name of Prishadhra\nwho resembled the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself. That king also, by\nhis penances proceeded from the Earth to Heaven. In this very forest, O\nking, that lord of Earth, Purukutsa, the son of Mandhatri, attained to\nhigh success. That foremost of rivers, viz., Narmada, became the consort\nof that king. Having undergone penances in this very forest, that ruler\nof Earth proceeded to Heaven. There was another king, highly righteous,\nof the name of Sasaloman. He too underwent severe austerities in this\nforest and then ascended to Heaven. Thou also, O monarch, having arrived\nat this forest, shalt, through the grace of the Island-born, attain to a\ngoal that is very high and that is difficult of attainment. Thou also, O\nforemost of kings, at the end of thy penances, become endued with great\nprosperity and, accompanied by Gandhari, attain to the goal reached by\nthose high-souled ones. Dwelling in the presence of the slayer of Vala,\nPandu thinks of thee always. He will, O monarch, certainly assist thee in\nthe attainment of prosperity. Through serving thee and Gandhari, this\ndaughter-in-law of thine, possessed of great fame, will attain to\nresidence with her husband in the other world. She is the mother of\nYudhishthira who is the eternal Dharma. We behold all this, O king, with\nour spiritual vision. Vidura will enter into the high-souled\nYudhishthira. Sanjaya also, through meditation, will ascend from this\nworld into Heaven.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'That high-souled chief of Kuru's race,\npossessed of learning, having, with his wife, heard these words of\nNarada, praised them and worshipped Narada with unprecedented honours.\nThe conclave of Brahmanas there present became filled with great joy, and\ndesirous of gladdening king Dhritarashtra, O monarch, themselves\nworshipped Narada with profound regards. Those foremost of regenerate\npersons also praised the words of Narada. Then the royal sage Satayupa,\naddressing Narada, said, \"Thy holy self hath enhanced the devotion of the\nKuru king, of all those people here, and of myself also, O thou of great\nsplendour. I have, however, the wish to ask thee something. Listen to me\nas I say it. It has reference to the king Dhritarashtra, O celestial\nRishi, that art worshipped by all the worlds. Thou art acquainted with\nthe truth of every affair. Endued with celestial sight, thou beholdest, O\nregenerate Rishi, what the diverse goals are of human beings. Thou hast\nsaid what the goal has been of the kings mentioned by thee, viz.,\nassociation with the chief of celestials. Thou hast not, however, O great\nRishi, declared what those regions are that will be acquired by this\nking. O puissant one, I wish to hear from thee what region will be\nacquired by the royal Dhritarashtra. It behoveth thee to tell me truly\nthe kind of region that will be his and the time when he will attain to\nit.\" Thus addressed by him, Narada of celestial sight and endued with\naustere penances, said in the midst of the assembly these words highly\nagreeable to the minds of all.'\n\n\"'Narada said, \"Repairing at my will to the mansion of Sakra, I have seen\nSakra the lord of Sachi; and there, O royal sage, I have beheld king\nPandu. There a talk arose, O monarch, regarding this Dhritarashtra and\nthose highly austere penances which he is performing. There I heard from\nthe lips of Sakra himself that there are three years yet of the period of\nlife allotted to this king. After that, king Dhritarashtra, accompanied\nby his wife Gandhari, will go to the regions of Kuvera and be highly\nhonoured by that king of kings. He will go there on a car moving at his\nwill, his person adorned with celestial ornaments. He is the son of a\nRishi; he is highly blessed; he has burnt all his sins by his penances.\nEndued with a righteous soul, he will rove at will through the regions\nof the deities, the Gandharvas, and the Rakshasas. That about which thou\nhast enquired is a mystery of the gods. Through my affection for you, I\nhave declared this high truth. Ye all are possessed of the wealth of\nSrutis and have consumed all your sins by your penances.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these sweet words of the celestial\nRishi, all the persons there assembled, as also king Dhritarashtra,\nbecame greatly cheered and highly pleased. Having cheered Dhritarashtra\nof great wisdom with such talk, they left the spot, wending away by the\npath that belongs to those who are crowned with success.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Upon the retirement of the chief of the Kurus into\nthe forest, the Pandavas, O king, afflicted besides by grief on account\nof their mother, became very cheerless. The citizens also of Hastinapura\nwere possessed by deep sorrow. The Brahmanas always talked of the old\nking. \"How, indeed, will the king, who has become old, live in the\nsolitary woods? How will the highly blessed Gandhari, and Pritha, the\ndaughter of Kuntibhoja, live there? The royal sage has always lived in\nthe enjoyment of every comfort. He will certainly be very miserable.\nArrived in deep woods, what is now the condition of that personage of\nroyal descent, who is, again, bereft of vision? Difficult is the feat\nthat Kunti has achieved by separating herself from her sons. Alas casting\noff kingly prosperity, she chose a life in the woods. What, again, is the\ncondition of Vidura who is always devoted to the service of his elder\nbrother? How also is the intelligent son of Gavalgani who is so faithful\nto the food given him by his master?\" Verily, the citizens, including\nthose of even nonage meeting together, asked one another these questions.\nThe Pandavas also, exceedingly afflicted with grief, sorrowed for their\nold mother, and could not live in their city long. Thinking also of their\nold sire, the king, who had lost all his children, and the highly blessed\nGandhari, and Vidura of great intelligence, they failed to enjoy peace of\nmind. They had no pleasure in sovereignty, nor in women, nor in the study\nof the Vedas. Despair penetrated their souls as they thought of the old\nking and as they repeatedly reflected on that terrible slaughter of\nkinsmen. Indeed, thinking of the slaughter of the youthful Abhimanyu on\nthe field of battle, of the mighty-armed Karna who never retreated from\nthe fray, of the sons of Draupadi, and of other friends of theirs, those\nheroes became exceedingly cheerless. They failed to obtain peace of mind\nupon repeatedly reflecting that the Earth had become divested of both her\nheroes and her wealth. Draupadi had lost all her children, and the\nbeautiful Subhadra also had become childless. They too were of cheerless\nhearts and grieved exceedingly. Beholding, however, the son of Virata's\ndaughter, viz., thy sire Parikshit, thy grandsires somehow held their\nlife-breaths.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Those foremost of men, the heroic Pandavas,--those\ndelighters of their mother--became exceedingly afflicted with grief. They\nwho had formerly been always engaged in kingly offices, did not at that\ntime attend to those acts at all in their capital. Afflicted with deep\ngrief, they failed to derive pleasure from anything. If any body accosted\nthem, they never honoured him with an answer. Although those irresistible\nheroes were in gravity like the ocean, yet they were now deprived of\ntheir knowledge and their very senses by the grief they felt. Thinking of\ntheir mother, the sons of Pandu were filled with anxiety as to how their\nemaciated mother was serving the old couple. \"How, indeed, is that king,\nwhose sons have all been slain and who is without refuge, living alone,\nwith only his wife, in the woods that are the haunt of beasts of prey?\nAlas, how does that highly blessed queen, Gandhari, whose dear ones have\nall been slain, follow her blind lord in the solitary woods?\"--Even such\nwas the anxiety manifested by the Pandavas when they talked with one\nanother. They then set their hearts upon seeing the king in his forest\nretreat. Then Sahadeva, bowing down to the king, said, \"I see thy heart\nto be set upon seeing our sire. From my respect for thee, however, I\ncould not speedily open my mouth on the subject of our journey to the\nwoods. The time for that sojourn is now come. By good luck I shall see\nKunti living in the observance of penances, with matted locks on her\nhead, practising severe austerities, and emaciated with sleeping on\nblades of Kusa and Kasa. She was brought up in palaces and mansions, and\nnursed in every comfort and luxury. Alas, when shall I see my mother who\nis now toil-worn and plunged into exceeding misery? Without doubt, O\nchief of Bharata's race, the ends of mortals are exceedingly uncertain,\nsince Kunti, who is a princess by birth, is now living in misery in the\nwoods.\" Hearing these words of Sahadeva, queen Draupadi, that foremost of\nall women duly honouring the king said, with proper salutations,--\"Alas,\nwhen shall I see queen Pritha, if, indeed, she be yet alive. I shall\nconsider my life as not passed in vain if I succeed in beholding her once\nmore, O king. Let this sort of understanding be ever stable in thee. Let\nthy mind always take a pleasure in such righteousness as is involved, O\nking of kings, in thy desire of bestowing such a high boon on us. Know, O\nking, that all these ladies of thy house are staying with their feet\nraised for the journey, from desire of beholding Kunti, and Gandhari, and\nmy father-in-law.\" Thus addressed by queen Draupadi, the king, O chief of\nBharata's race, summoned all the leaders of his forces to his presence\nand told them,--\"Cause my army, teeming with cars and elephants, to march\nout. I shall behold king Dhritarashtra who is now living in the woods.\"\nUnto those that supervised the concerns of the ladies, the king gave the\norder, \"Let diverse kinds of conveyances be properly equipt, and all my\nclosed litters that count by thousands. Let carriages and granaries, and\nwardrobes, and treasuries, be equipt and ordered out, and let mechanics\nhave the command to march out. Let men in charge of treasuries go out on\nthe way leading to the ascetic retreats on Kurukshetra. Whoever amongst\nthe citizens wishes to see the king is allowed to do so without any\nrestriction. Let him proceed, properly protected. Let cooks and\nsuperintendents of kitchens, and the whole culinary establishment, and\ndiverse kinds of edibles and viands, be ordered to be borne out on carts\nand conveyances. Let it be proclaimed that we march out tomorrow. Indeed,\nlet no delay occur (in carrying out the arrangements). Let pavilions and\nresting houses of diverse kinds be erected on the way.\" Even these were\nthe commands which the eldest son of Pandu gave, with his brothers. When\nmorning came, O monarch, the king set out, with a large train of women\nand old men. Going out of his city, king Yudhishthira waited five days\nfor such citizens as might accompany him, and then proceeded towards the\nforest.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'That foremost one of Bharata's race, then ordered\nhis troops, which were protected by heroes that were headed by Arjuna and\nthat resembled the very guardians of the universe, to march out.\nInstantly, a loud clamour arose consisting of the words--Equip,\nEquip!--of horse-men, O Bharata, engaged in equipping and their steeds.\nSome proceeded on carriages and vehicles, some on horses of great speed,\nand some on cars made of gold endued with the splendour of blazing fires.\nSome proceeded on mighty elephants, and some on camels, O king. Some\nproceeded on foot, that belonged to that class of combatants which is\narmed with tiger-like claws.[38] The citizens and inhabitants of the\nprovinces, desirous of seeing Dhritarashtra, followed the king on diverse\nkinds of conveyances. The preceptor Kripa also, of Gotama's race, that\ngreat leader of forces, taking all the forces with him, proceeded, at the\ncommand of the king, towards the old monarch's retreat. The Kuru king\nYudhishthira, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, surrounded by a large\nnumber of Brahmanas, his praises sung by a large band of Sutas and\nMagadhas and bards, and with a white umbrella held over his head and\nencompassed around by a large number of cars, set out on his journey.\nVrikodara, the son of the Wind-god, proceeded on an elephant as gigantic\nas a hill, equipt with strung bow and machines and weapons of attack and\ndefence. The twin sons of Madri proceeded on two fleet steeds, well cased\nin mail, well protected, and equipt with banners. Arjuna of mighty\nenergy, with senses under control, proceeded on an excellent car endued\nwith solar effulgence and unto which were equipt excellent steeds of\nwhite hue. The ladies of the royal household, headed by Draupadi,\nproceeded in closed litters protected by the superintendents of women.\nThey scattered copious showers of wealth as they proceeded. Teeming with\ncars and elephants and steeds, and echoing with the blare of trumpets and\nthe music of Vinas, the Pandava host, O monarch, blazed with great\nbeauty. Those chiefs of Kuru's race proceeded slowly, resting by\ndelightful banks of rivers and lakes, O monarch. Yuyutsu of mighty\nenergy, and Dhaumya, the priest at the command of Yudhishthira, were\nengaged in protecting the city. By slow marches, king Yudhishthira\nreached Kurukshetra, and then, crossing the Yamuna, that highly sacred\nriver, he beheld from a distance the retreat, O thou of Kuru's race, of\nthe royal sage of great wisdom and of Dhritarashtra. Then all the men\nbecame filled with joy and quickly entered the forest, filling it with\nloud sounds of glee, O chief of Bharata's race.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The Pandavas alighted, at a distance, from their\ncars and proceeded on foot to the retreat of the king, bending themselves\nin humility. All the combatants also, and all the denizens of the\nkingdom, and the spouses of the Kuru chiefs, followed them on foot. The\nPandavas then reached the sacred retreat of Dhritarashtra which abounded\nwith herds of deer and which was adorned with plantain plants. Many\nascetics of rigid vows, filled with curiosity, came there for beholding\nthe Pandavas who had arrived at the retreat. The king, with tears in his\neyes, asked them, saying,--\"Where has my eldest sire, the perpetuator of\nKuru's race, gone?\" They answered, O monarch, telling him that he had\ngone to the Yamuna for his ablutions, as also for fetching flowers and\nwaters. Proceeding quickly on foot along the path pointed out by them,\nthe Pandavas beheld all of them from a distance. Desirous of meeting with\ntheir sire they walked with a rapid pace. Then Sahadeva ran with speed\ntowards the spot where Pritha was. Touching the feet of his mother, he\nbegan to weep aloud. With tears gushing down her cheeks, she saw her\ndarling child. Raising her son up and embracing him with her arms, she\ninformed Gandhari of Sahadeva's arrival. Then seeing the king and\nBhimasena and Arjuna, and Nakula, Pritha endeavoured to advance quickly\ntowards them. She was walking in advance of the childless old couple, and\nwas dragging them forward. The Pandavas, beholding her, fell down on the\nearth. The puissant and high-souled monarch, endued with great\nintelligence, recognising them by their voices and also by touch,\ncomforted them one after another. Shedding tears, those high-souled\nprinces, with due formalities, approached the old king and Gandhari, as\nalso their own mother. Indeed, regaining their senses, and once more\ncomforted by their mother, the Pandavas took away from the king and their\naunt and mother the jars full of water which they had been carrying,\nforbearing them themselves. The ladies of those lions among men, and all\nthe women of the royal household, as also all the inhabitants of the city\nand provinces, then beheld the old king. King Yudhishthira presented all\nthose individuals one after another to the old king, repeating their\nnames and races, and then himself worshipped his eldest sire with\nreverence. Surrounded by them all, the old monarch, with eyes bathed in\ntears of joy, regarded himself as once more staying in the midst of the\ncity called after the elephant. Saluted with reverence by all his\ndaughters-in-law headed by Krishna, king Dhritarashtra, endued with great\nintelligence, with Gandhari and Kunti, became filled with joy. He then\nreached his forest-retreat that was applauded by Siddhas and Charanas,\nand that then teemed with vast crowds of men all desirous of beholding\nhim, like the firmament teeming with innumerable stars.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'The king, O chief of Bharata's race, with those\nforemost of men, viz., his brothers, who were all possessed of eyes that\nresembled lotus-petals, took his seat in the retreat of his eldest sire.\nThere sat around him many highly-blessed ascetics, hailing from diverse\nregions, from desire of beholding the sons of that lord of Kuru's race,\nviz., the Pandavas of wide chests. They said, \"We wish to know who\namongst these is Yudhishthira, who are Bhima and Arjuna, who the twins,\nand who is Draupadi of great fame.\" Then the Suta, Sanjaya, in answer to\ntheir queries, pointed out to them the Pandavas, naming each, and\nDraupadi too as also the other ladies of the Kuru household.'\n\n\"'Sanjaya said, \"This one that is as fair of complexion as pure gold, that\nis endued with a body which looks like that of a full-grown lion, that is\npossessed of a large aquiline nose, and wide and expansive eyes that are,\nagain, of a coppery hue, is the Kuru king. This one, whose tread\nresembles that of an infuriate elephant, whose complexion is as fair as\nthat of heated gold, whose frame is of large and expansive proportions\nand whose arms are long and stout, is Vrikodara. Behold him well! The\nmighty bowman who sits besides him, of darkish complexion and youthful\nframe, who resembles the leader of an elephantine herd, whose shoulders\nare as high as those of a lion, who walks like a sporting elephant, and\nwhose eyes are as expansive as the petals of a lotus, is the hero called\nArjuna. Those two foremost of men, that are sitting besides Kunti, are\nthe twins, resembling Vishnu and Mahendra. In this whole world of men,\nthey have not their equals in beauty and strength and excellence of\nconduct. This lady, of eyes as expansive as lotus petals, who seems to\nhave touched the middle age of life, whose complexion resembles that of\nthe blue lotus, and who looks like a goddess of Heaven, is Krishna, the\nembodied form of the goddess of prosperity.[39] She who sits besides her,\npossessed of the complexion of pure gold, who looks like the embodied\nrays of the moon, in the midst of the other ladies, is, ye foremost of\nregenerate ones, the sister of that unrivalled hero who wields the\ndiscus. This other, as fair as pure gold, is the daughter of the\nsnake-chief and wife of Arjuna.[40] This other whose complexion is like\nthat of pure gold or like that of Madhuka flowers, is the princess\nChitrangada. This one, that is possessed of the complexion of an\nassemblage of blue lotuses, is the sister of that monarch, that lord of\nhosts, who used to always challenge Krishna. She is the foremost wife of\nVrikodara. This is the daughter of the king of Magadha who was known by\nthe name of Jarasandha. Possessed of the complexion of an assemblage of\nChampakas, she is the wife of the youngest son of Madravati. Possessed of\na complexion as darkish as that of the blue lotus, she who sits there on\nthe earth, and whose eyes are as expansive as lotus-petals, is the wife\nof the eldest son of Madravati. This lady whose complexion is as fair as\nthat of heated gold and who sits with her child on her lap, is the\ndaughter of king Virata. She is the wife of that Abhimanyu who, while\ndivested of his car, was slain by Drona and others fighting from their\ncars.[41] These ladies, the hair on whose heads shows not the parted\nline, and who are clad in white, are the widows of the slain sons of\nDhritarashtra. They are the daughters-in-law of this old king, the wives\nof his hundred sons, now deprived of both their husbands and children who\nhave been slain by heroic foes. I have now pointed them out in the order\nof precedence. In consequence of their devotion to Brahmanas, their\nunderstandings and hearts are divested of every kind of crookedness.\nPossessed of pure souls, they have all been pointed out by me,--these\nprincesses of the Kaurava house-hold,--in answer to your queries.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus that king of Kuru's race, of very advanced\nyears, having met with those sons of him that was a deity among men,\nenquired about their welfare after all the ascetics had gone away. The\nwarriors who had accompanied the Pandavas, leaving the retreat, sat\nthemselves down at a little distance, alighting from their cars and the\nanimals they rode. Indeed, after all the crowd, viz., the ladies, the old\nmen, and the children, had been seated, the old king duly addressed them,\nmaking the usual enquiries of politeness.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\n\"'Dhritarashtra said, \"O Yudhishthira, art thou in peace and happiness,\nwith all thy brothers and the inhabitants of the city and the provinces?\nAre they that live in dependance on thee also happy? Are thy ministers,\nand servitors, and all thy seniors and preceptors also, happy? Are those\nalso that live in thy dominions free from fear? Dost thou follow the old\nand traditional conduct of rulers of men? Is thy treasury filled without\ndisregarding the restraints imposed by justice and equity? Dost thou\nbehave as thou shouldst towards foes, neutrals, and allies? Dost thou\nduly look after the Brahmanas, always making them the first gifts\n(ordained in sacrifices and religious rites)? What need I say of the\ncitizens, and thy servants, and kinsmen,--are thy foes, O chief of\nBharata's race, gratified with thy behaviour? Dost thou, O king of kings,\nadore with devotion the Pitris and the deities? Dost thou worship guests\nwith food and drink, O Bharata? Do the Brahmanas in thy dominions,\ndevoted to the duties of their order, walk along the path of\nrighteousness? Do the Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras also within thy\nkingdom, and all thy relatives, observe their respective duties? I hope\nthe women, the children, and the old, among thy subjects, do not grieve\n(under distress) and do not beg (the necessaries of life). Are the ladies\nof thy household duly honoured in thy house, O best of men? I hope, O\nmonarch, that this race of royal sages, having obtained thee for their\nking, have not fallen away from fame and glory.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Unto the old king who said so, Yudhishthira,\nconversant with morality and justice, and well-skilled in acts and\nspeech, spoke as follows, putting some questions about his welfare.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Doth thy peace, O king, thy self-restraint, thy\ntranquillity of heart, grow? Is this my mother able to serve thee without\nfatigue and trouble? Will, O king, her residence in the woods be\nproductive of fruits? I hope this queen, who is my eldest mother, who is\nemaciated with (exposure to) cold and wind and the toil of walking, and\nwho is now devoted to the practice of severe austerities, no longer gives\nway, to grief for her children of mighty energy, all of whom, devoted to\nthe duties of the Kshatriya order, have been slain on the field of\nbattle. Does she accuse us, sinful wretches, that are responsible for\ntheir slaughter? Where is Vidura, O king? We do not see him here. I hope\nthis Sanjaya, observant of penances, is in peace and happiness.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed, Dhritarashtra answered king\nYudhishthira, saying,--\"O son, Vidura is well. He is performing austere\npenances, subsisting on air alone, for he abstains from all other food.\nHe is emaciated and his arteries and nerves have become visible.\nSometimes he is seen in this empty forest by Brahmanas.\" While\nDhritarashtra was saying this Vidura was seen at a distance. He had\nmatted locks on his head, and gravels in his mouth, and was exceedingly\nemaciated. He was perfectly naked. His body was besmeared all over with\nfilth, and with the dust of various wild flowers. When Kshattri was\nbeheld from a distance, the fact was reported to Yudhishthira. Vidura\nsuddenly stopped, O king, casting his eyes towards the retreat (and\nseeing it peopled by so many individuals). King Yudhishthira pursued him\nalone, as he ran and entered the deep forest, sometimes not seen by the\npursuer. He said aloud, \"O Vidura, O Vidura, I am king Yudhishthira, thy\nfavourite!\"--Exclaiming thus, Yudhishthira, with great exertion, followed\nVidura. That foremost of intelligent men, viz., Vidura, having reached a\nsolitary spot in the forest, stood still, leaning against a tree. He was\nexceedingly emaciated. He retained only the shape of a human being (all\nhis characteristic features having totally disappeared). Yudhishthira of\ngreat intelligence recognised him, however, (in spite of such change).\nStanding before him, Yudhishthira addressed him, saying, \"I am\nYudhishthira!\" Indeed, worshipping Vidura properly, Yudhishthira said\nthese words in the hearing of Vidura. Meanwhile Vidura eyed the king with\na steadfast gaze. Casting his gaze thus on the king, he stood motionless\nin Yoga. Possessed of great intelligence, he then (by his Yoga-power)\nentered the body of Yudhishthira, limb by limb. He united his\nlife-breaths with the king's life-breaths, and his senses with the king's\nsenses. Verify, with the aid of Yoga-power, Vidura, blazing with energy,\nthus entered the body of king Yudhishthira the just. Meanwhile, the body\nof Vidura continued to lean against the tree, with eyes fixed in a\nsteadfast gaze. The king soon saw that life had fled out of it. At the\nsame time, he felt that he himself had become stronger than before and\nthat he had acquired many additional virtues and accomplishments.\nPossessed of great learning and energy, O monarch, Pandu's son, king\nYudhishthira the just, then recollected his own state before his birth\namong men.[42] Endued with mighty energy, he had heard of Yoga practice\nfrom Vyasa. King Yudhishthira the just, possessed of great learning,\nbecame desirous of doing the last rites to the body of Vidura, and wished\nto cremate it duly. An invisible voice was then heard,--saying,--\"O king,\nthis body that belonged to him called Vidura should not be cremated. In\nhim is thy body also. He is the eternal deity of Righteousness. Those\nregions of felicity which are known by the name of Santanika will be his,\nO Bharata. He was an observer of the duties of Yatis. Thou shouldst not,\nO scorcher of foes, grieve for him at all.\" Thus addressed, king\nYudhishthira the just, returned from that spot, and represented\neverything unto the royal son of Vichitraviryya. At this, that king of\ngreat splendour, all these men, and Bhimasena and others, became filled\nwith wonder. Hearing what had happened, king Dhritarashtra became pleased\nand then, addressing the son of Dharma, said,--\"Do thou accept from me\nthese gifts of water and roots and fruits. It has been said, O king, that\none's guest should take that which one takes oneself.\" Thus addressed,\nDharma's son answered the king, saying,--\"So be it.\" The mighty-armed\nking ate the fruits and roots which the monarch gave him. Then they all\nspread their beds under a tree and passed that night thus, having eaten\nfruits and roots and drunk the water that the old king had given them.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'They passed that night which was characterised by\nauspicious constellations even thus, O king, in that retreat of righteous\nascetics. The conversation that occurred was characterised by many\nreflections on morality and wealth. Consisting of delightful and sweet\nwords, it was graced with diverse citations from the Srutis. The\nPandavas, O king, leaving costly beds, laid themselves down, near their\nmother, on the bare ground. Indeed, those heroes passed that night,\nhaving eaten the food which was the food of the high-souled king\nDhritarashtra. After the night had passed away, king Yudhishthira, having\ngone through his morning acts, proceeded to survey that retreat in the\ncompany of his brothers. With the ladies of his household, the servants,\nand his priest, the king roved about the retreat in all directions, as he\npleased, at the command of Dhritarashtra. He beheld many sacrificial\naltars with sacred fires blazing on them and with many ascetics seated on\nthem, that had performed their oblations and poured libations in honour\nof the deities. Those altars were overspread with fruits and roots of the\nforest, and with heaps of flowers. The smoke of clarified butter curled\nupwards from them. They were graced, besides, with many ascetics\npossessed of bodies that looked like the embodied Vedas and with many\nthat belonged to the lay brotherhood. Herds of deer were grazing, or\nresting here and there, freed from every fear. Innumerable birds also\nwere there, engaged in uttering their melodious notes, O king. The whole\nforest seemed to resound with the notes of peacocks and Datyuhas and\nKokilas and the sweet songs of other warblers.[43] Some spots echoed with\nthe chant of Vedic hymns recited by learned Brahmanas. Some were adorned\nwith large heaps of fruits and roots gathered from the wilderness. King\nYudhishthira then gave those ascetics jars made of gold or copper which\nhe had brought for them, and many deer-skins and blankets and sacrificial\nladles made of wood, and Kamandalus and wooden platters, and pots and\npans, O Bharata.[44] Diverse kinds of vessels, made of iron, and smaller\nvessels and cups of various sizes, were also given away by the king, the\nascetics taking them away, each as many as he liked. King Yudhishthira of\nrighteous soul, having thus roved through the woods and beheld the\ndiverse retreats of ascetics and made many gifts, returned to the place\nwhere his uncle was. He saw king Dhritarashtra, that lord of Earth, at\nhis ease, with Gandhari beside him, after having finished his morning\nrites. The righteous-souled monarch saw also his mother, Kunti, seated\nnot much remote from that place, like a disciple with bent head, endued\nwith humility. He saluted the old king, proclaiming his name. \"Sit down\"\nwere the words the old king said. Receiving Dhritarashtra's permission,\nYudhishthira sat himself down on a mat of Kusa grass. Then the other sons\nof Pandu with Bhima among them, O thou of Bharata's race, saluted the\nking and touched his feet and sat themselves down, receiving his\npermission. The old Kuru king, surrounded by them, looked exceedingly\nbeautiful. Indeed, he blazed with a Vedic splendour like Vrihaspati in\nthe midst of the celestials. After they had sat themselves down, many\ngreat Rishis, viz., Satayupa and others, who were denizens of\nKurukshetra, came there. The illustrious and learned Vyasa, possessed of\ngreat energy, and reverenced by even the celestial Rishis, showed\nhimself, at the head of his numerous disciples, unto Yudhishthira. The\nKuru king Dhritarashtra, Kunti's son Yudhishthira of great energy, and\nBhimasena and others, stood up and advancing a few steps, saluted those\nguests. Approaching near, Vyasa, surrounded by Satayupa and others,\naddressed king Dhritarashtra, saying,--\"Be thou seated.\" The illustrious\nVyasa then took an excellent seat made of Kusa grass placed upon a black\ndeer-skin and covered with a piece of silken cloth. They had reserved\nthat seat for him. After Vyasa had been seated, all those foremost of\nregenerate persons, endued with abundant energy, sat themselves down,\nhaving received the permission of the Island-born sage.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After the high-souled Pandavas had all been seated,\nSatyavati's son Vyasa said,--\"O Dhritarashtra of mighty arms, hast thou\nbeen able to achieve penances? Is thy mind, O king, pleased with thy\nresidence in the woods? Has the grief that was thine, born of the\nslaughter of thy sons in battle, disappeared from thy heart? Are all thy\nperceptions, O sinless one, now clear? Dost thou practise the ordinances\nof forest life after having made thy heart firm? Does my daughter-in-law,\nGandhari, allow herself to be overwhelmed by grief? She is possessed of\ngreat wisdom. Endued with intelligence, that queen understands both\nReligion and Wealth. She is well conversant with the truths that relate\nto both prosperity and adversity. Does she still grieve? Does Kunti, O\nking, who in consequence of her devotion to the service of her seniors,\nleft her children, attend to thy wants and serve thee with all humility?\nHave the high-minded and high-souled king, Yudhishthira, the son of\nDharma and Bhima and Arjuna and the twins been sufficiently comforted?\nDost thou feel delight at seeing them? Has thy mind become freed from\nevery stain? Has thy disposition, O king, become pure in consequence of\nthe increase of thy knowledge? This aggregate of three, O king, is the\nforemost of all concerns, O Bharata, viz., abstension from injury to any\ncreature, truth, and freedom from anger. Does thy forest life any longer\nprove painful to thee? Art thou able to earn with thy own exertions the\nproducts of the wilderness for thy food? Do fasts give thee any pain now?\nHast thou learnt, O king, how the high-souled Vidura, who was Dharma's\nself, left this world? Through the curse of Mandavya, the deity of\nRighteousness became born as Vidura. He was possessed of great\nintelligence. Endued with high penances, he was high-souled and\nhigh-minded. Even Vrihaspati among the celestials, and Sukra among the\nAsuras, was not possessed of such intelligence as that foremost of\npersons. The eternal deity of Righteousness was stupefied by the Rishi\nMandavya with an expenditure of his penances earned for a long time with\ngreat care.[45] At the command of the Grandsire, and through my own\nenergy, Vidura of great intelligence was procreated by me upon a soil\nowned by Vichitraviryya. A deity of deities, and eternal, he was, O king,\nthy brother. The learned know him to be Dharma in consequence of his\npractices of Dharana and Dhyana.[46] He grows with (the growth of) truth,\nself-restraint, tranquillity of heart, compassion, and gifts. He is\nalways engaged in penances, and is eternal. From that deity of\nRighteousness, through Yoga-puissance, the Kuru king Yudhishthira also\ntook his birth. Yudhishthira, therefore, O king, is Dharma of great\nwisdom and immeasurable intelligence. Dharma exists both here and\nhereafter, and is like fire or wind or water or earth or space. He is, O\nking of kings, capable of going everywhere and exists, pervading the\nwhole universe. He is capable of being beheld by only those that are the\nforemost of the deities and those that are cleansed of every sin and\ncrowned with ascetic success. He that is Dharma is Vidura; and he that is\nVidura is the (eldest) son of Pandu. That son of Pandu. O king, is\ncapable of being perceived by thee. He stays before thee as thy servitor.\nEndued with great Yoga-puissance, thy high-souled brother, that foremost\nof intelligent men, seeing the high-souled Yudhishthira, the son of\nKunti, has entered into his person. These also, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, I shall unite with great benefit. Know, O son, that I am come here\nfor dispelling thy doubts. Some feat that has never been accomplished\nbefore by any of the great Rishis, some wonderful effect of my\npenances,--I shall show thee. What object is that, O king, whose\naccomplishment thou desirest from me? Tell me what is that which thou\nwishest to see or ask or hear? O sinless one, I shall accomplish it.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\n(Putradarsana Parva)\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'Tell me. O learned Brahmana, what that wonderful feat\nwas which the great Rishi Vyasa of high energy accomplished after his\npromise to the old king, made when Dhritarashtra, that lord of Earth,\nthat foremost one of Kuru's race, had taken up his abode in the forest,\nwith his wife and with his daughter-in-law Kunti; and after, indeed,\nVidura had left his own body and entered into Yudhishthira, and at the\ntime when all the sons of Pandu were staying in the ascetic retreat. For\nhow many days did the Kuru king Yudhishthira of unfading glory stay, with\nhis men, in the woods? On what food, O puissant one, did the high-souled\nPandavas support themselves, with their men, and wives, while they lived\nin the woods? O sinless one, do thou tell me this.'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'With the permission of the Kuru king, the Pandavas,\nO monarch, with their troops and the ladies of their household, supported\nthemselves on diverse kinds of food and drink and passed about a month in\ngreat happiness in that forest. Towards the close of that period, O\nsinless one, Vyasa came there. While all those princes sat around Vyasa,\nengaged in conversation on diverse subjects, other Rishis came to that\nspot. They were Narada, and Parvata and Devala of austere penances, and\nViswavasu and Tumvuru, and Chitrasena, O Bharata. Endued with severe\npenances, the Kuru king Yudhishthira, with the permission of\nDhritarashtra, worshipped them according to due rites. Having obtained\nthat worship from Yudhishthira, all of them sat down on sacred seats\n(made of Kusa grass), as also on excellent seats made of peacock\nfeathers. After they had all taken their seats, the Kuru king of high\nintelligence took his seat there, surrounded by the sons of Pandu.\nGandhari and Kunti and Draupadi, and she of the Sattwata race, and other\nladies of the royal household also sat down. The conversation that then\narose was excellent and had reference to topics connected with piety, and\nthe Rishis of old, and the deities and the Asuras. At the close of that\nconversation Vyasa of great energy, that foremost of eloquent men, that\nfirst of all persons conversant with the Vedas, highly gratified,\naddressed the blind monarch and once more said,--\"Burning as thou art\nwith grief on account of thy children, I know, O king of kings, what\nobject is cherished by thee in thy heart. The sorrow that always exists\nin the heart of Gandhari, that which exists in the heart of Kunti, and\nthat also which is cherished by Draupadi in her heart, and that burning\ngrief, on account of the death of her son, which Krishna's sister\nSubhadra also cherishes, are all known to me. Hearing of this meeting, O\nking, of thine with all these princes and princesses of thy house, I have\ncome here, O delighter of the Kauravas, for dispelling thy doubts. Let\nthe deities and Gandharvas, and all these great Rishis, behold today the\nenergy of those penances which I have acquired for these long years.\nTherefore, O king, tell me what wish of thine I shall grant today. I am\npuissant enough to grant thee a boon. Behold the fruit of my penances.\"\nThus addressed by Vyasa of immeasurable understanding, king Dhritarashtra\nreflected for a moment and then prepared to speak. He said,--\"I am\nexceedingly fortunate. Lucky am I in obtaining thy favour. My life is\ncrowned with success today,--since this meeting has happened between me\nand ye all of great piety. Today I shall attain to that highly happy goal\nwhich is reserved for me, since, ye ascetics endued with wealth of\npenances, ye who are equal to Brahma himself, I have succeeded in\nobtaining this meeting with you all. There is not the least doubt that\nthis sight that I have obtained of you all has cleansed me of every sin.\nYe sinless ones, I have no longer any fear in respect of my end in the\nnext world. Full as I am of love for my children, I always cherish their\nremembrance. My mind, however, is always tortured by the recollection of\nthe diverse acts of wrong which my wicked son of exceedingly evil\nunderstanding perpetrated. Possessed of a sinful understanding, he always\npersecuted the innocent Pandavas. Alas, the whole Earth has been\ndevastated by him, with her steeds, elephants and men. Many high-souled\nkings, rulers of diverse realms, came for siding with my son and succumbed\nto death. Alas, leaving their beloved sires and wives and their very\nlife-breaths, all those heroes have become guests of the king of the\ndead. What end, O regenerate one, has been attained by those men who have\nbeen slain, for the sake of their friend, in battle? What end also has\nbeen attained by my sons and grandsons who have fallen in the fray? My\nheart is always pained at the thought of my having brought about the\nslaughter of the mighty Bhishma, the son of Santanu, and of Drona, that\nforemost of Brahmanas, through my foolish and sinful son who was an\ninjurer of his friends. Desirous of obtaining the sovereignty of the\nEarth, he caused the Kuru race, blazing with prosperity, to be\nannihilated. Reflecting on all this, I burn day and night with grief.\nDeeply afflicted with pain and grief, I am unable to obtain peace of\nmind. Indeed, O father, thinking of all this, I have no peace of mind.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these lamentations expressed in diverse\nways, of that royal sage, the grief, O Janamejaya, of Gandhari, became\nfresh. The grief also of Kunti, of the daughter of Drupada, of Subhadra,\nand of the other members, male and female, and the daughters-in-law, of\nthe Kuru race, became equally green. Queen Gandhari, with bandaged eyes,\njoining her hands, addressed her father-in-law. Deeply afflicted with\ngrief on account of the slaughter of her sons, she said,--\"O foremost of\nascetics, sixteen years have passed over the head of this king grieving\nfor the death of his sons and divested of peace of mind. Afflicted with\ngrief on account of the slaughter of his children, this king\nDhritarashtra, always breathes heavily, and never sleeps at night. O\ngreat Rishi, through the power of thy penances thou art competent to\ncreate new worlds. What need I say then about showing this king his\nchildren who are now in the other world? This Krishna, the daughter of\nDrupada, hath lost all her kinsmen and children. For this, she who is the\ndearest of my daughters-in-law grieves exceedingly. The sister of\nKrishna, viz., Subhadra of sweet speech, burning with the loss of her\nson, grieves as deeply. This lady that is respected by all, that is the\nwife of Bhurisravas, afflicted with grief on account of the fate that has\novertaken her husband, always indulges in heart-rending lamentations. Her\nfather-in-law was the intelligent Valhika of Kuru's race. Alas, Somadatta\nalso was slain, along with his sire, in the great battle![47] Alas, a\ncentury of sons, heroes that never retreated from battle, belonging to\nthis son of thine, this king of great intelligence and great prosperity,\nhas been slain in battle. The hundred wives of those sons are all\ngrieving and repeatedly enhancing the grief of both the king and myself.\nO great ascetic, stricken by that great slaughter, they have gathered\nround me. Alas, those high-souled heroes, those great car warriors, my\nfathers-in-law, Somadatta and others,--alas, what end has been theirs, O\npuissant one? Through thy grace, O holy one, that will happen in\nconsequence of which this lord of Earth, myself, and this daughter-in-law\nof thine, viz., Kunti, shall all become freed from our grief.\" After\nGandhari had said so, Kunti, whose face had become wasted through\nobservance of many hard vows, began to think of her secret-born son\nendued with solar effulgence. The boon-giving Rishi Vyasa, capable of\nboth beholding and hearing what happened at a remote distance, saw that\nthe royal mother of Arjuna was afflicted with grief. Unto her Vyasa\nsaid,--\"Tell me, O blessed one, what is in thy mind. Tell me what thou\nwishest to say.\" At this, Kunti, bending her head unto her father-in-law,\nand overcome with bashfulness, said these words unto him, relating to the\noccurrences of the past.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\n\"'Kunti said, \"O holy one, thou art my father-in-law and therefore, my\ndeity of deities. Verily, thou art my god of gods. Hear my words of\ntruth. An ascetic named Durvasas, who is of the regenerate order and who\nis full of wrath, came to my father's house for eleemosynary charity. I\nsucceeded in gratifying him by the purity of my external behaviour and of\nmy mind, as also by refusing to notice the many wrongs he did. I did not\ngive way to wrath although there was much in his behaviour quite capable\nof exciting that passion. Served with care, the great ascetic became\nhighly pleased with me and disposed to grant me a boon. 'Thou must accept\nthe boon I shall give,' were his words to me. Fearing his curse, I\nanswered him, saying,--'So be it.' The regenerate Rishi once more said\nunto me,--'O blessed damsel, O thou of beautiful face, thou wilt become\nthe mother of Dharma. Those deities whom thou wilt summon will be\nobedient to thee.' Having said those words, the regenerate one vanished\naway from my sight. I became filled with wonder. The mantra, however,\nwhich the Rishi gave has dwelt in my memory at all times. One day,\nsitting within my chamber I beheld the sun rising. Desiring to bring the\nmaker of day before me, I recollected the words of the Rishi. Without any\nconsciousness of the fault I committed, I summoned the deity from mere\ngirlishness. The deity, however, of a thousand rays, (summoned by me)\ncame to my presence. He divided himself in twain. With one portion he was\nin the firmament, and with the other he stood on the Earth before me.\nWith one he heated the worlds and with another he came to me. He told me,\nwhile I was trembling at his sight, these words,--'Do thou ask a boon of\nme.' Bowing unto him with my head, I asked him to leave me. He replied\nunto me, saying,--'I cannot bear the idea of coming to thee fruitlessly.\nI shall consume thee as also that Brahmana who gave thee the Mantra as a\nboon.' The Brahmana who had done no evil--I wished to protect from\nSurya's curse. I therefore, said--'Let me have a son like thee, O god.'\nThe deity of thousand rays then penetrated me with his energy and\nstupefied me completely. He then said unto me,--'Thou wilt have a son,'\nand then went back to the firmament. I continued to live in the inner\napartments and desirous of saving the honour of my sire, I cast into the\nwaters my infant son named Karna who thus came into the world secretly.\nWithout doubt, through the grace of that god, I once more became a\nvirgin, O regenerate one, even as the Rishi Durvasas had said unto me.\nFoolish that I am, although he knew me for his mother when he grew up, I\nyet made no effort to acknowledge him. This burns me, O regenerate Rishi,\nas is well-known to thee. Whether it is sinful or not so, I have told\nthee truth. It behoveth thee, O holy one, to gratify the craving I feel\nfor beholding that son of mine. O foremost of ascetics, let this king\nalso, O sinless one, obtain the fruition today of that wish of his which\nhe cherishes in his bosom and which has become known to thee.\" Thus\naddressed by Kunti, Vyasa, that foremost of all persons, said unto her in\nreply,--\"Blessed be thou; all that thou hast said unto me will happen.\n(As regards the birth of Karna) no fault is ascribable to thee. Thou wert\nrestored to virginity. The deities are possessed of (Yoga) puissance.\nThey are able to penetrate human bodies.[48] There are deities. They\nbeget (offspring) by thought alone. By word, by sight, by touch, and by\nsexual union, also, they beget children. These are the five methods. Thou\nbelongest to the order of humanity. Thou hast no fault (in what\nhappened). Know this, O Kunti. Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled.\nFor those that are mighty, everything is becoming. For those that are\nmighty, everything is pure. For those that are mighty, everything is\nmeritorious. For those that are mighty, everything is their own.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Blessed be thou, O Gandhari, thou shalt behold thy sons and\nbrothers and friends and kinsmen along with thy sires this night like men\nrisen from sleep. Kunti also shall behold Karna, and she of Yadu's race\nshall behold her son Abhimanyu. Draupadi shall behold her five sons, her\nsires, and her brothers also. Even before ye had asked me, this was the\nthought in my mind. I entertained this purpose when I was urged to that\neffect by the king, by thee, O Gandhari, and by Kunti. Thou shouldst not\ngrieve for those foremost of men. They met with death in consequence of\ntheir devotion to the established practices of Kshatriyas. O faultless\none, the work of the gods could not but be accomplished. It was for\naccomplishing that object that those heroes came down on Earth. They were\nall portions of the deities. Gandharvas and Apsaras, and Pisachas and\nGuhyakas and Rakshasas, many persons of great sanctity, many individuals\ncrowned with success (of penances), celestial Rishis, deities and Danavas\nand heavenly Rishis of spotless character, met with death on the\nbattle-field of Kurukshetra.[49] It is heard that he that was the\nintelligent king of the Gandharvas, and named Dhritarashtra, took birth\nin the world of men as thy lord Dhritarashtra. Know that Pandu of\nunfading glory and distinguished above all others, sprung from the\nMaruts. Kshattri and Yudhishthira are both portions of the deity of\nRighteousness. Know that Duryodhana was Kali, and Sakuni was Dwapara. O\nthou of good features, know that Dussasana and others were all Rakshasas.\nBhimasena of great might, that chastiser of foes, is from the Maruts.\nKnow that this Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, is the ancient Rishi Nara.\nHrishikesa is Narayana, and the twins are the Aswins. The foremost of\nheat-giving ones, viz., Surya, having divided his body in twain,\ncontinued with one portion to give heat to the worlds and with another to\nlive (on Earth.) as Karna. He that took his birth as the son of Arjuna,\nthat gladdener of all, that heir to the possessions of the Pandavas, who\nwas slain by six great car-warriors (fighting together), was Soma. He was\nborn of Subhadra. Through Yoga-puissance he had divided himself in twain.\nDhrishtadyumna who sprung with Draupadi from the sacrificial fire, was an\nauspicious portion of the deity of fire. Sikhandin was a Rakshasa. Know\nthat Drona was a portion of Vrihaspati, and that Drona's son is born of a\nportion of Rudra. Know that Ganga's son Bhishma was one of the Vasus that\nbecame born as a human being. Thus, O thou of great wisdom, the deities\nhad taken birth as human beings, and after having accomplished their\npurposes have gone back to Heaven. That sorrow which is in the hearts of\nyou all, relating to the return of these to the other world, I shall\ntoday dispel. Do you all go towards the Bhagirathi.--You will then behold\nall those that have been slain on the field of battle.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'All the persons there present, having heard the\nwords of Vyasa, raised a loud leonine shout and then proceeded towards\nthe Bhagirathi. Dhritarashtra with all his ministers and the Pandavas, as\nalso with all those foremost of Rishis and Gandharvas that had come\nthere, set out as directed. Arrived at the banks of Ganga, that sea of\nmen took up their abode as pleased them. The king possessed of great\nintelligence, with the Pandavas, took up his abode in a desirable spot,\nalong with the ladies and the aged ones of his household. They passed\nthat day as if it were a whole year, waiting for the advent of the night\nwhen they would behold the deceased princes. The Sun then reached the\nsacred mountain in the west and all those persons, having bathed in the\nsacred stream, finished their evening rites.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'When night came, all those persons, having finished\ntheir evening rites, approached Vyasa. Dhritarashtra of righteous soul,\nwith purified body and with mind solely directed towards it, sat there\nwith the Pandavas and the Rishis in his company. The ladies of the royal\nhousehold sat with Gandhari in a secluded spot. All the citizens and the\ninhabitants of the provinces ranged themselves according to their years.\nThen the great ascetic, Vyasa, of mighty energy, bathing in the sacred\nwaters of the Bhagirathi, summoned all the deceased warriors, viz., those\nthat had fought on the side of the Pandavas, those that had fought for\nthe Kauravas, including highly blessed kings belonging to diverse realms.\nAt this, O Janamejaya, a deafening uproar was heard to arise from within\nthe waters, resembling that which had formerly been heard of the forces\nof the Kurus and the Pandavas. Then those kings, headed by Bhishma and\nDrona, with all their troops, arose by thousands from the waters of the\nBhagirathi. There were Virata and Drupada, with their sons and forces.\nThere were the sons of Draupadi and the son of Subhadra, and the Rakshasa\nGhatotkacha. There were Karna and Duryodhana, and the mighty car-warrior\nSakuni, and the other children, endued with great strength, of\nDhritarashtra, headed by Dussasana. There were the son of Jarasandha, and\nBhagadatta, and Jalasandha of great energy, and Bhurisravas, and Sala,\nand Salya, and Vrishasena with his younger brother. There were prince\nLakshmana (the son of Duryodhana), and the son of Dhrishtadyumna, and all\nthe children of Sikhandin, and Dhrishtaketu, with his younger brother.\nThere were Achala and Vrishaka, and the Rakshasa Alayudha, and Valhika,\nand Somadatta, and king Chekitana. These and many others, who for their\nnumber cannot be conveniently named, appeared on that occasion. All of\nthem rose from the waters of the Bhagirathi, with resplendent bodies.\nThose kings appeared, each clad in that dress and equipt with that\nstandard and that vehicle which he had while fighting on the field. All\nof them were now robed in celestial vestments and all had brilliant\near-rings. They were free from all animosity and pride, and divested of\nwrath and jealousy. Gandharvas sang their praises, and bards waited on\nthem, chanting their deeds. Robed in celestial vestments and wearing\ncelestial garlands, each of them was waited upon by bands of Apsaras. At\nthat time, through the puissance of his penances, the great ascetic, the\nson of Satyavati, gratified with Dhritarashtra, gave him celestial\nvision. Endued with celestial knowledge and strength, Gandhari of great\nfame saw all her children as also all that had been slain in battle. All\npersons assembled there beheld with steadfast gaze and hearts filled with\nwonder that amazing and inconceivable phenomenon which made the hair on\ntheir bodies stand on its end. It looked like a high carnival of\ngladdened men and women. That wondrous scene looked like a picture\npainted on the canvas. Dhritarashtra, beholding all those heroes, with\nhis celestial vision obtained through the grace of that sage, became full\nof joy, O chief of Bharata's race.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said. 'Then those foremost of men divested of wrath and\njealousy, and cleansed of every sin, met with one another, agreeably to\nthose high and auspicious ordinances that have been laid down by\nregenerate Rishis. All of them were happy of hearts and looked like gods\nmoving in Heaven. Son met with sire or mother, wives with husbands,\nbrother with brother, and friend with friend, O king. The Pandavas, full\nof joy, met with the mighty bowman Karna as also with the son of\nSubhadra, and the children of Draupadi. With happy hearts the sons of\nPandu approached Karna, O monarch, and became reconciled with him. All\nthose warriors, O chief of Bharata's race, meeting with one another\nthrough the grace of the great ascetic, became reconciled with one\nanother. Casting off all unfriendliness, they became established on amity\nand peace. It was even thus that all those foremost of men, viz., the\nKauravas and other kings became united with the Kurus and other kinsmen\nof theirs as also with their children. The whole of that night they\npassed in great happiness. Indeed, the Kshatriya warriors, in consequence\nof the happiness they felt, regarded that place as Heaven itself. There\nwas no grief, no fear, no suspicion, no discontent, no reproach in that\nregion, as those warriors, O monarch, met with one another on that night.\nMeeting with their sires and brothers and husbands and sons, the ladies\ncast off all grief and felt great raptures of delight. Having sported\nwith one another thus for one night, those heroes and those ladies,\nembracing one another and taking one another's leave returned to the\nplaces they had come from. Indeed, that foremost of ascetics dismissed\nthat concourse of warriors. Within the twinkling of an eye that large\ncrowd disappeared in the very sight of all those (living) persons. Those\nhigh-souled persons, plunging into the sacred river Bhagirathi proceeded,\nwith their cars and standards, to their respective abodes. Some went to\nthe regions of the gods, some to the region of Brahman, some to the\nregion of Varuna, and some to the region of Kuvera. Some among those\nkings proceeded to the region of Surya. Amongst the Rakshasas and\nPisachas some proceeded to the country of Uttara-Kurus. Others, moving in\ndelightful attitudes, went in the company of the deities. Even thus did\nall those high-souled persons disappear with their vehicles and animals\nand with all their followers. After all of them had gone away, the great\nsage, who was standing in the waters of the sacred stream viz., Vyasa of\ngreat righteousness and energy, that benefactor of the Kurus, then\naddressed those Kshatriya ladies who had become widows, and said these\nwords, \"Let those amongst these foremost of women that are desirous of\nattaining to the regions acquired by their husbands cast away all sloth\nand quickly plunge into the sacred Bhagirathi.\"--Hearing these words of\nhis, those foremost ladies, placing faith in them, took the permission of\ntheir father-in-law, and then plunged into the waters of the Bhagirathi.\nFreed from human bodies, those chaste ladies then proceeded, O king, with\ntheir husbands to the regions acquired by the latter. Even thus, those\nladies of virtuous conduct, devoted to their husbands, entering the\nwaters of the Bhagirathi, became freed from their mortal tenements and\nattained to the companionship of their husbands in the regions acquired\nby them. Endued with celestial forms, and adorned with celestial\nornaments, and wearing celestial vestments and garlands, they proceeded\nto those regions where their husbands had found their abodes. Possessed\nof excellent behaviour and many virtues, their anxieties all dispelled,\nthey were seen to ride on excellent cars, and endued with every\naccomplishment they found those regions of happiness which were theirs by\nright. Devoted to the duties of piety, Vyasa, at that time, becoming a\ngiver of boons, granted unto all the men there assembled the fruition of\nthe wishes they respectively cherished. People of diverse realms, hearing\nof this meeting between the hallowed dead and living human beings, became\nhighly delighted. That man who duly listens to this narrative meets with\neverything that is dear to him. Indeed, he obtains all agreeable objects\nboth here and hereafter. That man of learning and science, that foremost\nof righteous persons, who recites this narrative for the hearing of\nothers acquires great fame here and an auspicious end hereafter, as also\na union with kinsmen and all desirable objects. Such a man has not to\nundergo painful labour for his sustenance, and meets with all sorts of\nauspicious objects in life. Even these are the rewards reaped by a person\nwho, endued with devotion to Vedic studies and with penances, recites\nthis narrative in the hearing of others. Those persons who possessed of\ngood conduct, devoted to self-restraint, cleansed of all sins by the\ngifts they make, endued with sincerity, having tranquil souls, freed from\nfalsehood and the desire of injuring others, adorned with faith, belief\nin the scriptures, and intelligence, listen to this wonderful parvan,\nsurely attain to the highest goal hereafter.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n\nSauti said, \"Hearing this story of the re-appearance and departure of\nhis forefathers, king Janamejaya of great intelligence became highly\npleased. Filled with joy, he once more questioned Vaisampayana on the\nsubject of the reappearance of dead men, saying,--'How is it possible for\npersons whose bodies have been destroyed to re-appear in those very\nforms?' Thus asked, that foremost of regenerate persons, viz., the\ndisciple of Vyasa, that first of speakers, possessed of great energy,\nthus answered Janamejaya.\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'This is certain, viz., that acts are never destroyed\n(without their consequences being enjoyed or endured). Bodies, O king,\nare born of acts; so also are features. The great primal elements are\neternal (indestructible) in consequence of the union with them of the\nLord of all beings. They exist with what is eternal. Accordingly, they\nhave no destruction when the non-eternal are destroyed. Acts done without\nexertion are true and foremost, and bear real fruit. The soul, united\nhowever with such acts as require exertion for their accomplishment,\nenjoys pleasure and pain.[50] Though united so (that is, with pleasure\nand pain), yet it is a certain inference that the soul is never modified\nby them, like the reflection of creatures in a mirror. It is never\ndestroyed.[51] As long as one's acts are not exhausted (by enjoyment or\nendurance of their fruits good and bad), so long does one regard the body\nto be oneself. The man, however, whose acts have been exhausted, without\nregarding the body to be self, takes the self to be something\notherwise.[52] Diverse existent objects (such as the primal elements and\nthe senses, etc.) attaining to a body, become united as one. To men of\nknowledge who understand the difference (between the body and self),\nthose very objects become eternal.[53] In the Horse-sacrifice, this Sruti\nis heard in the matter of the slaying of the horse. Those which are the\ncertain possessions of embodied creatures, viz., their life-breaths (and\nthe senses, etc.), exist eternally even when they are borne to the other\nworld. I shall tell thee what is beneficial, if it be agreeable to thee,\nO king. Thou hast, while employed in thy sacrifices, heard of the paths\nof the deities. When preparations were made for any sacrifice of thine,\nthe deities became beneficially inclined to thee. When indeed, the\ndeities were thus disposed and came to thy sacrifices, they were lords in\nthe matter of the passage (from this to the next world) of the animals\nslain.[54] For this reason, the eternal ones (viz., Jivas), by adoring\nthe deities in sacrifices, succeed in attaining to excellent goals. When\nthe five primal elements are eternal, when the soul also is eternal, he\ncalled Purusha (viz., the soul invested with case) is equally so. When\nsuch is the case, he who beholds a creature as disposed to take diverse\nforms, is regarded as having an erroneous understanding. He who indulges\nin too much grief at separation is, I think, a foolish person. He who\nsees evil in separation should abandon union. By standing aloof, no\nunions are formed, and sorrow is cast off, for sorrow in the world is\nborn of separation.[55] Only he who understands the distinction between\nbody and self, and not another, becomes freed from the erroneous\nconviction. He that knows the other (viz., self) attains to the highest\nunderstanding and becomes freed from error.[56] As regards creatures.\nthey appear from an invisible state, and once more disappear into\ninvisibleness. I do not know him. He also does not know me. As regards\nmyself, renunciation is not yet mine.[57] He that is not possessed of\npuissance enjoys or endures the fruits of all his acts in those too dies\nin which he does them. If the act be a mental one, its consequences are\nenjoyed or endured mentally; if it be done with the body, its\nconsequences are to be enjoyed or endured in the body.'\"[58]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'King Dhritarashtra had never beheld his own sons.\nObtaining eye-sight through the grace of the Rishi, he beheld, for the\nfirst time, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, those children of his that were\nvery like his own self. That foremost of men, viz., the Kuru monarch, had\nlearnt all the duties of kings, as also the Vedas and the Upanishads,\nand had acquired certitude of understanding (from the same source).\nVidura of great wisdom attained to high success through the power of his\npenances. Dhritarashtra also attained to great success in consequence of\nhaving met the ascetic Vyasa.'\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'If Vyasa, disposed to grant me a boon, kindly show me\nmy sire in that form which he had, clad as he used to be clad, and as old\nas he was when he departed from this world, I may then believe all that\nthou hast told me. Such a sight will be most agreeable to me. Indeed, I\nshall regard myself crowned with success. I shall have gained a certainty\nof conclusion. O, let my wish be crowned with fruition through the grace\nof that foremost of Rishis.'\"\n\nSauti said,--\"After king Janamejaya had said these words, Vyasa of great\nenergy and intelligence showed his grace and brought Parikshit (from the\nother world). King Janamejaya beheld his royal father, possessed of great\nbeauty, brought down from Heaven, in the same form that he had and of the\nsame age as he was (at the time of leaving this world). The high-souled\nSamika also, and his son Sringin, were similarly brought there. All the\ncounsellors and ministers of the king beheld them. King Janamejaya.\nperforming the final bath in his sacrifice, became highly glad. He poured\nthe sacred water on his father, even as he caused it to be poured on\nhimself. Having undergone the final bath, the king addressed the\nregenerate Astika who had sprung from the race of the Yayavaras and who\nwas the son of Jaratkaru, and said these words,--'O Astika, this\nsacrifice of mine is fraught with many wonderful incidents, since this my\nsire has been seen by me--he who has dispelled all my sorrows.'\n\n\"Astika said, 'The performer of that sacrifice in which the ancient\nRishi, the Island-born Vyasa, that vast receptacle of penances, is\npresent, is sure, O foremost one of Kuru's race, to conquer both the\nworlds. O son of the Pandavas, thou hast heard a wonderful history. The\nsnakes have been consumed into ashes and have followed the footsteps of\nthy sire. Through thy truthfulness, O monarch, Takshaka has with\ndifficulty escaped a painful fate. The Rishis have all been worshipped.\nThou hast seen also the end that has been attained by thy high-souled\nsire. Having heard this sin-cleansing history thou hast achieved abundant\nmerit. The knots of thy heart have been untied through sight of this\nforemost of person. They that are the supporters of the wings of\nRighteousness, they that are of good conduct and excellent disposition,\nthey at sight of whom sins become attenuated,--we should all bow to them.'\"\n\nSauti continued, \"Having heard this from that foremost of regenerate\nones, King Janamejaya worshipped that Rishi, repeatedly honouring him in\nevery way. Conversant with all duties he then asked the Rishi\nVaisampayana of unfading glory about the sequel, O best of ascetics, of\nking Dhritarashtra's residence in the woods.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'Having seen his sons and grandsons with all their\nfriends and followers, what, indeed, did that ruler of men, viz.,\nDhritarashtra, and king Yudhishthira also, do?'\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Beholding that exceedingly wonderful sight, viz.,\nthe re-appearance of his children, the royal sage, Dhritarashtra, became\ndivested of his grief and returned (from the banks of the Bhagirathi) to\nhis retreat. The common people and all the great Rishis, dismissed by\nDhritarashtra, returned to the places they respectively wished. The\nhigh-souled Pandavas, accompanied by their wives, and with a small\nretinue, went to the retreat of the high-souled monarch. Then Satyavati's\nson, who was honoured by regenerate Rishis and all other persons, arrived\nat the retreat, addressed Dhritarashtra, saying,--\"O mighty-armed\nDhritarashtra, O son of Kuru's race, listen to what I say. Thou hast\nheard diverse discourses from Rishis of great knowledge and sacred deeds,\nof wealth of penances and excellence of blood, of conversance with the\nVedas and their branches, of piety and years, and of great eloquence. Do\nnot set thy mind again on sorrow. He that is possessed of wisdom is never\nagitated at ill luck. Thou hast also heard the mysteries of the deities\nfrom Narada of celestial form. Thy children have all attained, through\nobservance of Kshatriya practices, to that auspicious goal which is\nsanctified by weapons. Thou hast seen how they move about at will in\ngreat happiness. This Yudhishthira of great intelligence is awaiting thy\npermission, with all his brothers and wives and kinsmen. Do thou dismiss\nhim. Let him go back to his kingdom and rule it. They have passed more\nthan a month in thus residing in the woods. The station of sovereignty\nshould always be well guarded. O king, O thou of Kuru's race, [thy]\nkingdom has many foes.\" Thus addressed by Vyasa of incomparable energy,\nthe Kuru king, well-versed in words, summoned Yudhishthira and said unto\nhim,--\"O Ajatasatru, blessings on thee! Do thou listen to me, with all\nthy brothers. Through thy grace, O king, grief no longer stands in my\nway. I am living as happily, O son, with thee here as if I were in the\ncity called after the elephant. With thee as my protector, O learned one,\nI am enjoying all agreeable objects. I have obtained from thee all those\nservices which a son renders to his sire. I am highly gratified with\nthee. I have not the least dissatisfaction with thee, O mighty-armed one.\nGo now, O son, without tarrying here any longer. Meeting with thee, my\npenances are being slackened. This my body, endued with penances, I have\nbeen able to sustain only in consequence of my meeting with thee.[59]\nThese two mothers of thine, subsisting now upon fallen leaves of trees,\nand observing vows similar to mine, will not live long. Duryodhana and\nothers, who have become denizens of the other world, have been seen by\nus, through the puissance of Vyasa's penances and through (the merit of)\nthis my meeting with thee. O sinless one, the purpose of my life has been\nattained. I now wish to set myself to the practice of the austerest of\npenances. It behoveth thee to grant me permission. On thee now the\nobsequial cake, the fame and achievements, and the race of our ancestors,\nrest. O mighty-armed one, do thou then depart either tomorrow or this\nvery day. Do not tarry, O son. O chief of Bharata's race, thou hast\nrepeatedly heard what the duties are of kings. I do not see what more I\ncan say unto thee. I have no longer any need with thee, O thou of great\npuissance.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'Unto the (old) monarch who said so, king\nYudhishthira replied,--\"O thou that art conversant with every rule of\nrighteousness, it behoveth thee, not to cast me off in this way. I am\nguilty of no fault. Let all my brothers and followers depart as they\nlike. With steadfast vows I shall wait upon thee and upon these two\nmothers of mine.\" Unto him Gandhari then said,--\"O son, let it not be so.\nListen, the race of Kuru is now dependant on thee. The obsequial cake\nalso of my father-in-law depends on thee. Depart then, O son. We have\nbeen sufficiently honoured and served by thee. Thou shouldst do what the\nking says. Indeed, O son, thou shouldst obey the behests of thy sire.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued,--'Thus addressed by Gandhari, King Yudhishthira,\nrubbing his eyes which were bathed in tears of affection, said these\nwords of lament. \"The king casts me off, as also Gandhari of great fame.\nMy heart, however, is bound to thee. How shall I, filled as I am with\ngrief, leave thee? I do not, however, at the same time, venture to\nobstruct thy penances, O righteous lady. There is nothing higher than\npenances. It is by penances that one attains to the Supreme. O queen, my\nheart no longer turns as of old towards kingdom. My mind is wholly set\nupon penances now. The whole Earth is empty now. O auspicious lady, she\ndoes not please me any longer. Our kinsmen have been reduced in number.\nOur strength is no longer what it was before. The Panchalas have been\nwholly exterminated. They exist in name only. O auspicious lady, I do not\nbehold any one that may assist as their re-establishment and growth. All\nof them have been consumed to ashes by Drona on the field of battle.\nThose that remained were slain by Drona's son at night. The Chedis and\nthe Matsyas, who were our friends, no longer exist. Only the tribes of\nthe Vrishnis are all that remain, Vasudeva having upheld them. Beholding\nonly the Vrishnis I wish to live. My desire of life, however, is due to\nmy wish of acquiring merit and not wealth or enjoyment. Do thou cast\nauspicious looks upon us all. To obtain thy sight will be difficult for\nus. The king will commence to practise the most austere and unbearable of\npenances.\" Hearing these words, that lord of battle, the mighty-armed\nSahadeva, with eyes bathed in tears, addressed Yudhishthira, saying,--\"O\nchief of Bharata's race, I dare not leave my mother. Do thou return to\nthe capital soon. I shall practise penances, O puissant one. Even here I\nshall emaciate my body by penances, engaged in serving the feet of the\nking and of these my mothers.\" Unto that mighty-armed hero, Kunti, after\nan embrace, said--\"Depart, O son. Do not say so. Do my bidding. Do all of\nyou go hence. Let peace be yours. Ye sons, let happiness be yours. By\nyour stay here, our penances will be obstructed. Bound by the ties of my\naffection for thee, I shall fall off from my high penances. Therefore, O\nson, leave us. Short is the period that we have of life, O thou of great\npuissance.\" By these and diverse other speeches of Kunti, the minds of\nSahadeva and king Yudhishthira were composed. Those foremost ones of\nKuru's race, having received the permission of their mother as also of\nthe (old) monarch, saluted the latter and began to take his leave.\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Gladdened by auspicious blessings, we shall return\nto the capital. Indeed, O king, having received thy permission, we shall\nleave this retreat, freed from every sin.\" Thus addressed by the\nhigh-souled king Yudhishthira the just, that royal sage, viz.,\nDhritarashtra, blessed Yudhishthira and gave him permission. The king\ncomforted Bhima, that foremost of all persons endued with great strength.\nEndued with great energy and great intelligence, Bhima showed his\nsubmissiveness to the king. Embracing Arjuna and clasping those foremost\nof men, viz., the twins also, and blessing them repeatedly, the Kuru king\ngave them permission to depart. They worshipped the feet of Gandhari and\nreceived her blessings also. Their mother Kunti then smelt their heads,\nand dismissed them. They then circumambulated the king like calves, when\nprevented from sucking their dams. Indeed, they repeatedly walked round\nhim, looking steadfastly at him.[60] Then all the ladies of the Kaurava\nhousehold, headed by Draupadi, worshipped their father-in-law according\nto the rites laid down in the scriptures, and took his leave. Gandhari\nand Kunti embraced each of them, and blessing them bade them go. Their\nmothers-in-law instructed them as to how they should conduct themselves.\nObtaining leave, they then departed, with their husbands. Then loud\nsounds were heard, uttered by the charioteers that said,--\"Yoke,\nyoke,\"--as also of camels that grunted aloud and of steeds that neighed\nbriskly. King Yudhishthira, with his wives and troops and all his\nkinsmen, set out for Hastinapura.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\n(Naradagamana Parva)\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'After two years had elapsed from the date of the\nreturn of the Pandavas (from the retreat of their sire), the celestial\nRishi, Narada, O king, came to Yudhishthira. The mighty-armed Kuru king,\nthat foremost of speakers, viz., Yudhishthira, having duly worshipped\nhim, caused him to take a seat. After the Rishi had rested awhile, the\nking asked him, saying,--\"It is after a long time that I behold thy holy\nself arrived at my court. Art thou in peace and happiness, O learned\nBrahmana? What are those countries which thou hast passed through? What\nshall I do to thee? Do thou tell me. Thou art the foremost of regenerate\nones, and thou art our highest refuge.\"\n\n\"'Narada said, \"I have not seen thee for a long while. Hence it is that I\nhave come to thee from my ascetic retreat. I have seen many sacred\nwaters, and the sacred stream Ganga also, O king.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"People dwelling on the banks of Ganga report that\nthe high-souled Dhritarashtra is practising the austerest of penances.\nHast thou seen him there? Is that perpetuator of Kuru's race in peace?\nAre Gandhari and Pritha, and the Suta's son Sanjaya also, in peace? How,\nindeed, is it faring with that royal sire of mine? I desire to hear this,\nO holy one, if thou hast seen the king (and knowest of his condition).\"\n\n\"'Narada said, \"Listen, O king, with calmness to me as I tell thee what I\nhave heard and seen in that ascetic retreat. After thy return from\nKurukshetra, O delighter of the Kurus, thy sire, O king, proceeded\ntowards Gangadwara. That intelligent monarch took with him his (sacred)\nfire, Gandhari and his daughter-in-law Kunti, as also Sanjaya of the Suta\ncaste, and all the Yajakas. Possessed of wealth of penances, thy sire set\nhimself to the practice of severe austerities. He held pebbles of stone\nin his mouth and had air alone for his subsistence, and abstained\naltogether from speech. Engaged in severe penances, he was worshipped by\nall the ascetics in the woods. In six months the king was reduced only to\na skeleton. Gandhari subsisted on water alone, while Kunti took a little\nevery sixth day. The sacred fire, O monarch, (belonging to the Kuru king)\nwas duly worshipped by the sacrificing assistants that were with him,\nwith libations of clarified butter poured on it. They did this whether\nthe king saw the rite or not. The king had no fixed habitation. He became\na wanderer through those woods. The two queens, as also Sanjaya, followed\nhim. Sanjaya acted as the guide on even and uneven land. The faultless\nPritha, O king, became the eye of Gandhari. One day, that best of kings\nproceeded to a spot on the margin of Ganga. He then bathed in the sacred\nstream and finishing his ablutions turned his face towards his retreat.\nThe wind rose high. A fierce forest-conflagration set in. It began to\nburn that forest all around. When the herds of animals were being burnt\nall around, as also the snakes that inhabited that region, herds of wild\nboars began to take themselves to the nearest marshes and waters. When\nthat forest was thus afflicted on all sides and such distress came upon\nall the living creatures residing there, the king, who had taken no food,\nwas incapable of moving or exerting himself at all. Thy two mothers also,\nexceedingly emaciated, were unable to move. The king, seeing the\nconflagration approach him from all sides, addressed the Suta Sanjaya,\nthat foremost of skilful charioteers, saying,--'Go, O Sanjaya, to such a\nplace where the fire may not burn thee. As regards ourselves, we shall\nsuffer our bodies to be destroyed by this fire and attain to the highest\ngoal.' Unto him, Sanjaya, that foremost of speakers, said,--'O king, this\ndeath, brought on by a fire that is not sacred, will prove calamitous to\nthee. I do not, however, see any means by which thou canst escape from\nthis conflagration. That which should next be done should be indicated by\nthee.' Thus addressed by Sanjaya the king once more said,--'This death\ncannot be calamitous to us, for we have left our home of our own accord.\nWater, fire, wind, and abstention from food,[61] (as means of death), are\nlaudable for ascetics. Do thou, therefore, leave us, O Sanjaya, without\nany delay.' Having said these words to Sanjaya, the king concentrated his\nmind. Facing the east, he sat down, with Gandhari and Kunti. Beholding\nhim in that attitude, Sanjaya walked round him. Endued with intelligence,\nSanjaya said,--'Do thou concentrate thy soul, O puissant one.' The son of\na Rishi, and himself possessed of great wisdom, the king acted as he was\ntold. Restraining all the senses, he remained like a post of wood. The\nhighly blessed Gandhari, and thy mother Pritha too, remained in the same\nattitude. Then thy royal sire was overtaken by the forest-conflagration.\nSanjaya, his minister, succeeded in escaping from that conflagration. I\nsaw him on the banks of Ganga in the midst of ascetics. Endued with great\nenergy and great intelligence, he bade them farewell and then started for\nthe mountains of Himavat. Even thus the high-souled Kuru king met with\nhis death, and it was even thus that Gandhari and Kunti, thy two mothers,\nalso met with death, O monarch. In course of my wanderings at will, I saw\nthe bodies of that king and those two queens, O Bharata. Many ascetics\ncame to that retreat, having heard of the end of king Dhritarashtra. They\ndid not at all grieve for that end of theirs. There, O best of men, I\nheard all the details of how the king and the two queens, O son of Pandu,\nhad been burnt. O king of kings, thou shouldst not grieve for him. The\nmonarch, of his own will, as also Gandhari and thy mother, obtained that\ncontact with fire.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued,--'Hearing of the exit of Dhritarashtra from this\nworld, the high-souled Pandavas all gave way to great grief. Loud sounds\nof wailing were heard within the inner apartments of the palace. The\ncitizens also, hearing of the end of the old king, uttered loud\nlamentations. \"O fie!\" cried king Yudhishthira in great agony, raising his\narms aloft. Thinking of his mother, he wept like a child. All his\nbrothers too, headed by Bhimasena, did the same. Hearing that Pritha had\nmet with such a fate, the ladies of the royal household tittered loud\nlamentations of grief. All the people grieved upon hearing that the old\nking, who had become childless, had been burnt to death and that the\nhelpless Gandhari too had shared his fate. When those sounds of wailing\nceased for a while, king Yudhishthira the just, stopping his tears by\nsummoning all his patience, said these words.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"When such a fate overtook that high-souled monarch\nwho was engaged in austere penances, notwithstanding the fact of his\nhaving such kinsmen as ourselves all alive, it seems to me, O regenerate\none, that the end of human beings is difficult to guess. Alas, who would\nhave thought that the son of Vichitraviryya would thus be burnt to death.\nHe had a hundred sons each endued with mighty arms and possessed of great\nprosperity. The king himself had the strength of ten thousand elephants.\nAlas, even he has been burnt to death in a forest-conflagration! Alas, he\nwho had formerly been fanned with palm leaves by the fair hands of\nbeautiful women was fanned by vultures with their wings after he had been\nburnt to death in a forest-conflagration! He who was formerly roused from\nsleep every morning by bands of Sutas and Magadhas had to sleep on the\nbare ground through the acts of my sinful self. I do not grieve for the\nfamous Gandhari who had been deprived of all her children. Observing the\nsame vows as her husband, she has attained to those very regions which\nhave become his. I grieve, however, for Pritha who, abandoning the\nblazing prosperity of her sons, became desirous of residing in the woods.\nFie on this sovereignty of ours, fie on our prowess, fie on the practices\nof Kshatriyas! Though alive, we are really dead! O foremost of superior\nBrahmanas, the course of Time is very subtle and difficult to understand,\ninasmuch as Kunti, abandoning sovereignty, became desirous of taking up\nher abode in the forest. How is it that she who was the mother of\nYudhishthira, of Bhima, of Vijaya, was burnt to death like a helpless\ncreature. Thinking of this I become stupefied. In vain was the deity of\nfire gratified at Khandava by Arjuna. Ingrate that he is, forgetting that\nservice he has burnt to death the mother of his benefactor! Alas, how\ncould that deity burn the mother of Arjuna. Putting on the guise of a\nBrahmana, he had formerly come to Arjuna for soliciting a favour. Fie on\nthe deity of fire! Fie on the celebrated success of Partha's shafts! This\nis another incident, O holy one, that appears to me to be productive of\ngreater misery, for that lord of Earth met with death by union with a\nfire that was not sacred. How could such a death overtake that royal sage\nof Kuru's race who, after having ruled the whole Earth, was engaged in\nthe practice of penances. In that great forest there were fires that had\nbeen sanctified with mantras. Alas, my father has made his exit from this\nworld, coming in contact with an unsanctified fire! I suppose that\nPritha, emaciated and reduced to a form in which all her nerves became\nvisible, must have trembled in fear and cried aloud, saying,--'O son\nYudhishthira,' and awaited the terrible approach of the conflagration. She\nmust have also said,--'O Bhima, rescue me from this danger'--when she, my\nmother, was surrounded on all sides by that terrible conflagration. Among\nall her sons, Sahadeva, was her darling. Alas, that heroic son of\nMadravati did not rescue her.\" Hearing these lamentations of the king,\nthose persons that were present there began to weep, embracing each\nother. In fact, the five sons of Pandu were so stricken with grief that\nthey resembled living creatures at the time of the dissolution of the\nuniverse. The sound of lamentations uttered by those weeping heroes,\nfilling the spacious chambers of the palace, escaped therefrom and\npenetrated the very welkin.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\n\"'Narada said, \"The king has not been burnt to death by an unsanctified\nfire. I have heard this there. I tell thee, O Bharata, such has not been\nthe fate of Vichitraviryya. It has been heard by us that when the old\nking endued with great intelligence and subsisting on air alone entered\nthe woods (after his return from Gangadwara), he caused his sacrificial\nfires to be duly ignited. Having performed his sacred rites therewith, he\nabandoned them all. Then the Yajaka Brahmanas he had with him cast off\nthose fires in a solitary part of the woods and went away as they liked\non other errands, O foremost one of Bharata's race. The fire thus cast\noff grew in the woods. It then produced a general conflagration in the\nforest. Even this is what I have heard from the ascetics dwelling on the\nbanks of Ganga. United with that (sacred) fire of his own, O chief of the\nBharatas, the king, as I have already said unto thee, met with death on\nthe banks of Ganga. O sinless one, this is what the ascetics have told\nme,--those, viz., whom I saw on the banks of the sacred Bhagirathi, O\nYudhishthira. Thus O lord of Earth, king Dhritarashtra, coming into\ncontact with his own sacred fire, departed from this world and attained\nto that high goal that has been his. Through service rendered by her to\nher seniors, thy mother, O lord of men, has attained to very great\nsuccess. There is not the slightest doubt of this. It behoveth thee, O\nking of kings, to now discharge the rites of water to their honour, with\nall thy brothers. Let, therefore, the necessary steps be taken towards\nthat end.\"'\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued,--'Then that lord of Earth, that foremost of men,\nthat upholder of the burthens of the Pandavas, went out, accompanied by\nall his brothers as well as the ladies of his household. The inhabitants\nof the city as also those of the provinces, impelled by their loyalty,\nalso went out. They all proceeded towards the banks of Ganga, every one\nclad in only single peace of raiment. Then all those foremost of men,\nhaving plunged into the stream, placed Yuyutsu at their head, and began\nto offer oblations of water unto the high-souled king. And they also gave\nsimilar oblations unto Gandhari and Pritha, naming each separately and\nmentioning their families. Having finished those rites that cleanse the\nliving, they came back but without entering their capital took up their\nresidence outside of it. They also despatched a number of trusted people\nwell conversant with the ordinances relating to the cremation of the\ndead, to Gangadwara where the old king had been burnt to death. The king,\nhaving rewarded those men beforehand, commanded them to accomplish those\nrites of cremation which the bodies of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and\nKunti still awaited.[62] On twelfth day, the king, properly purified,\nduly performed the Sraddhas of his deceased relations, which were\ncharacterised by gifts in abundance. Referring to Dhritarashtra,\nYudhishthira made many gifts of gold and silver, of kine and costly beds.\nUttering the names of Gandhari and Pritha, the king, endued with great\nenergy, made many excellent gifts. Every man received what thing he\nwished and as much of it as he wished. Beds and food, and cars and\nconveyances, and jewels and gems, and other wealth were given away in\nprofusion. Indeed, the king referring to his two mothers, gave away cars\nand conveyances, robes and coverlets, various kinds of food, and female\nslaves adorned with diverse ornaments. Having thus made many kinds of\ngifts in profusion, that lord of Earth then entered his capital called\nafter the elephant. Those men who had gone to the banks of Ganga at the\ncommand of the king, having disposed of (by cremation) the remains of the\nking and two queens, returned to the city. Having duly honoured those\nremains with garlands and scents of diverse kinds and disposed of them,\nthey informed Yudhishthira of the accomplishment of their task. The great\nRishi Narada, having comforted king Yudhishthira of righteous soul, went\naway to where he liked. Even thus did king Dhritarashtra make his exit\nfrom this world after having passed three years in the forest and ten and\nfive years in the city. Having lost all his children in battle, he had\nmany gifts in honour of his kinsmen, relatives, and friends, his brethren\nand own people. King Yudhishthira after the death of his uncle, became\nvery cheerless. Deprived of his kinsmen and relatives, he somehow bore\nthe burthen of sovereignty.\n\n\"'One should listen with rapt attention to this Asramavasika Parvan, and\nhaving heard it recited, one should feed Brahmanas with Habishya,\nhonouring them with scents and garlands.'\"\n\nThe end of Asramavasika Parvan.\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. The derivation of Aralikas is explained by Nilakantha thus; Potherbs\ncut off with a kind of weapon called Ara are called Aralu. They who were\nexpert in cooking those potherbs were called Aralikas. Ragakhandava was\nmanufactured from piper longum, dry ginger, sugar, and the juice of\nPhaseolus Mango.\n\n2. It will be remembered, Earth, unable to bear her load of population,\nprayed to the Grandsire for lightening that load. The Grandsire urged\nVishnu to do the needful. Hence Vishnu incarnated himself as Krishna and\nbrought about a lightening of Earth's load.\n\n3. Mahadana implies such gifts as elephants, boats, cars, horses, etc.\nEverybody does not accept these gifts, for their acceptance causes a\nBrahmana to fall away from his status.\n\n4. Some of the Bengal texts read avimukham hatah for abhimukam hatah. The\nsense is the same.\n\n5. The king gets a sixth share of the penances performed by the Rishis\nliving under his protection. The demerit, again, of all evil deeds done\nwithin his realm is shared by the king, for such deeds become possible\nthrough absence of supervision by the king.\n\n6. Formerly kings and noblemen wore jewels and medicinal herbs on their\narms. The last were enclosed in drum-like capsules of gold, hermetically\nclosed on both sides. It was believed that jewels and medicinal herbs are\na great protection against many evils.\n\n7. The eight limbs of a kingdom are the law, the judge, the assessors,\nthe scribe, the astrologer, gold, fire, and water.\n\n8. Atta is explained by Nilakantha as the space kept for the soldiers to\ntread upon.\n\n9. Grass may conceal the spies of foes. The darkness of night also may do\nthe same.\n\n10. Adanaruchi is a very civil way of indicating corrupt officials and\nthieves. Inflictors of severe punishments were looked upon as tyrants\ndeserving of being put down. Heavy fines were at one time interdicted in\nEngland. Sahasapriya is a doer of rash deeds, such as culpable homicide\nnot amounting to murder, to adopt the terminology of the Indian Penal\nCode.\n\n11. i.e., content to work on receiving their food only. Their wages\nshould not be higher that what is needed to feed them.\n\n12. The word Mandala has been explained below in verse 5. The distinction\nbetween Udasinas and Madhyasthas, as explained by Nilakantha, is that the\nformer are neutrals, while the latter are those who cherish equal\nsentiments towards both the parties.\n\n13. The four kinds of foes, as explained by the commentator, are (1) foes\nproper, (2) allies of foes, (3) those that wish victory to both sides,\nand (4) those that wish defeat to both sides. As regards Atatayins, they\nare six, viz., (1) he that sets fire to one's house, (2) he that mixes\npoison with one's food, (3) he that advances, weapon in hand, with\nhostile intent, (4) he that robs one of one's wealth, (5) he that invades\none's fields, and (6) he that steals one's wife.\n\n14. The sixty are thus made up. Eight consisting of agriculture and the\nrest; twenty-eight consisting of forces and the rest; fourteen consisting\nof atheists and the rest and eighteen consisting of counsels and the rest.\n\n15. i.e., land that is fertile, gold that is pure, and men that are\nstrong.\n\n16. The wards Kasyanchidapadi should be construed with what follows.\n\n17. The cane yields when pressure is directed towards it. In the Santi\nParva occurs the detailed conversation between the Ocean and the Rivers.\nThe former enquired why, when the Rivers washed down the largest trees,\nthey could not wash into the Ocean a single cane. The answer was that the\ncane was yielding; the trees were not so.\n\n18. War and peace are each of two kinds, i.e., war with a strong foe and\nthat with a weak foe: peace with a strong foe and that with a weak foe.\nThe Bengal texts wrongly read dividhopayam or vividhopayam.\n\n19. I expand this verse a little, following the commentator.\n\n20. Strength is of three kinds, as explained in the next verse.\n\n21. Utsaha is readiness or alacrity, of the forces to attack the foe:\nprabhusakti is the complete mastery of the king over his forces, i.e.,\nthrough discipline. By strength of counsels, in this connection, is meant\nwell-formed plans of attack and defence.\n\n22. Maulam is explained as the strength of money. In modern warfare also,\nmoney is called 'the sinews of war'. Atavivala or the force consisting of\nforesters, was, perhaps, the body of Irregulars that supported a regular\narmy of combatants. Bhritavala implies the regular army, drawing pay from\nthe state at all times. In India, standing armies have existed from\nremote times. Sreni-vala is, perhaps, the forces of artisans, mechanics,\nand engineers, who looked after the roads and the transport, as also of\ntraders who supplied the army with provision.\n\n23. A sakata array was an array after the form of a car. It is described\nin Sukraniti fully, and occurs in the Drona Parva, ante. The Padma is a\ncircular array with angular projections. It is the same with what is now\ncalled the starry array, many modern forts being constructed on this\nplan. The Vajra is a wedge-like array. It penetrates into the enemy's\ndivisions like a wedge and goes out, routing the foe. It is otherwise\ncalled suchivyuha.\n\n24. i.e., meet the foe whether within his own kingdom or invade the foe's\nrealm and thus oblige the foe to fall back for resisting him there.\n\n25. i.e., for obtaining fame here and felicity hereafter.\n\n26. Those who die become at first what is called Preta. They remain so\nfor one year, till the Sapindikarana Sraddha is performed. They then\nbecome united with the Pitris. The gifts made in the first Sraddha as\nalso in the monthly ones, have the virtue of rescuing the Preta or\nbringing him an accession of merit. The gifts in annual Sraddhas also\nhave the same efficacy.\n\n27. The text in verse 2, where mention is made of thousands of years as\nembracing the rule of Yudhishthira, is evidently vitiated.\n\n28. The correct reading is jane and not kshane.\n\n29. It is difficult to imagine why the ruler of the Sindhus, Jayadratha,\nonly should be regarded as a wrong-doer to the Pandavas. In the matter of\nthe slaying of Abhimanyu he played a very minor part, by only guarding\nthe entrance of the array against the Pandava warriors. It is true he had\nattempted to abduct Draupadi from the forest retreat of the Pandavas, but\neven in this, the wrong was not so great as that which Duryodhana and\nothers inflicted on the Pandavas by dragging Draupadi to the court of the\nKurus.\n\n30. The usual way in which gifts are made at the present day on occasions\nof Sraddhas and marriages or other auspicious rites very nearly resembles\nwhat is described here. Instead of dedicating each gift with mantras and\nwater and making it over to the receiver, all the articles in a heap are\ndedicated with the aid of mantras. The guests are then assembled, and are\ncalled up individually. The Adhyaksha or superintendent, according to a\nlist prepared, names the gifts to be made to the guest called up. The\ntellers actually make them over, the scribes noting them down.\n\n31. Each gift that was indicated by Dhritarashtra was multiplied ten\ntimes at the command of Yudhishthira.\n\n32. As Dhritarashtra was blind, his queen Gandhari, whose devotion to her\nlord was very great, had, from the days of her marriage, kept her eyes\nbandaged refusing to look on the world which her lord could not see.\n\n33. Nilakantha explains that as Dhritarashtra is Pandu's elder brother,\ntherefore, Kunti regards him as Pandu's father. Queen Gandhari therefore\nis Kunti's mother-in-law. The eldest brother is looked upon as a father.\n\n34. To live watching the faces of others is to live in dependence on\nothers.\n\n35. It has been pointed out before that mahadana means gifts of such\nthings as elephants, horses, cars and other vehicles, boats, etc. The\ngiver wins great merit by making them, but the receiver incurs demerit by\nacceptance, unless he happens to be a person of exceptional energy. To\nthis day, acceptors of such gifts are looked upon as fallen men.\n\n36. The words that Kunti spoke were just. The opposition her sons offered\nwas unreasonable. Hence, their shame.\n\n37. 'Brahmi night' implies a night in course of which sacred hymns are\nsung.\n\n38. Nakharaprasa-yodhina, Nilakantha explains, are those combatants who\nare armed with tiger-like claws made of iron and tied to their waists.\n\n39. Suradevata is like karivringhati or govalivardda.\n\n40. Ulupi is implied.\n\n41. Implying the unfair character of the fight, for one on the earth\nshould never be assailed by one on his car.\n\n42. Yudhishthira was Dharma's self, Vidura also was Dharma born as a\nSudra through the curse of the Rishi Animandavya. Both, therefore, were\nof the same essence. When Vidura left his human body, he entered the body\nof Yudhishthira and thus the latter felt himself strengthened greatly by\nthe accession.\n\n43. Nilakantha here implies the peacock and not the blue jay, for the\nword keka is applied to the notes of the peacock alone. Datyuhas are\ngallinules or a species of Chatakas whose cry resembles, Phatik\njal--phatik jal--phatik jal! repeated very distinctly, the second\nsyllable being lengthened greatly.\n\n44. Audumvaran is an adjective of kalasan. It means 'made of copper'.\nPraveni is a kutha or blanket. Sruk is a ladle having the cup like cavity\nat one extremity only. Sruv is a ladle having cup-like cavities at both\nextremities.\n\n45. Whenever a Brahmana cursed another, his penances underwent a\ndiminution. Forgiveness was the highest virtue of the Brahmana. His power\nlay in forgiveness. Hence, when Mandavya cursed Dharma, he had to spend a\nportion of his hard-earned penances. Previously, the plea of minority or\nnon-age could not be urged in the court of Dharma. Mandavya forced Dharma\nto admit that plea in the matter of punishment for offences.\n\n46. Both Dharana and Dhyana are processes or, rather, stages of Yoga. The\nformer implies the fixing of the mind on one thing; the latter is the\nabstraction of the mind from surrounding objects.\n\n47. Valhika was the sire of Somadatta and the grandsire of Bhurisravas.\nValhika, therefore, was the grand-father-in-law of the lady mentioned by\nGandhari.\n\n48. The puissance here referred to is that of Anima, Laghima, etc. i.e.,\nthe capacity of becoming minute and subtile, etc.\n\n49. The sense is that those had been incarnated as human beings and\nfighting with one another met with death as regards their human existence.\n\n50. Nilakantha explains that anayasakritani karma implies the religion of\nNivritti, for the religion of Pravritti consists of acts that require\nayasa or exertion for their accomplishment. The religion of Nivritti or\nabstention from acts is said hereto be true and superior, and productive\nof real fruit, in the form, that is, of Emancipation. The soul, however,\nin the generality of cases, united with ebhih, by which is meant\nayasa-kritam karma, that is, the acts done in pursuance of the religion\nof Pravritti, becomes embodied and, therefore, enjoys happiness or\nendures misery as the case may be.\n\n51. The sense seems to be this--when a creature stands before a mirror,\nits image is formed in the mirror; such reflection, however, never\naffects the mirror in the least, for when the object leaves the vicinity\nof the mirror, the image or reflection vanishes away. The soul is like\nthe mirror. Pleasure and pain are like reflections in it. They come and\ngo away without the soul being at all modified by them in anyway.\nPleasure and pain are destructible, but not so the soul.\n\n52. The ordinary man thinks this conglomeration of diverse objects to be\nhis self. The man of wisdom who has exhausted his acts does not think so.\nHe is freed from the obligation of taking a body.\n\n53. The sense probably is this. In the case of ordinary men, the\ncomponent parts of the body dissolve away, while Yogins can keep such\nparts from dissolution as long as they like.\n\n54. The sense is, the deities bear away to the next world the animals\nslain in sacrifices. Though the bodies of such animals are apparently\ndestroyed, yet their life-breaths and senses continue to exist.\n\n55. The sense is that as wives etc., when lost, are sources of sorrow,\nwise men should abstain from contracting such relations. They might then\nbe free from sorrow.\n\n56. Paraparajnah is one that understands the distinction between body and\nsell. Apara is, therefore, one that is not possessed of such knowledge;\nhence, as Nilakantha explains, it implies one who has not attained to\nJnana nishtha. What is said in the second line is that he that adores\nsaguna Brahma, succeeds afterwards, through such adoration, in reaching\nto nirguna Brahma.\n\n57. The sense seems to be this: we spring from the unmanifest and\ndisappear once more in the unmanifest. The Bengal texts read the first\nline incorrectly. It is adarsanalapatitah. The second line is\nunintelligible. Naham tam vedini is taken by Nilakantha as implying 'I do\nnot know him,' i.e., him that is Emancipate. Asau cha no vetti mam is\nexplained as a due to karanabhat. But who is asau? 'I have no\nrenunciation,' or 'renunciation is not yet mine,' implies that\nEmancipation, which directly flows from renunciation, is not mine.\n\n58. What is stated here is that if a man does an act that is bad, its\nconsequences he will have to endure in a human body. The same with regard\nto rewards. By doing a meritorious act in one's human form, one will\nenjoy its good consequences in one's human body. So acts done mentally\naffect the mind and those done with the body affect the body.\n\nIt should be noted that the whole of the above translation is offered\ntentatively. A verbal rendering has been attempted. The chain of\nreasoning is not at all clear. The commentator has done much to elucidate\nthe sense, but the original obscurities have scarcely been removed.\n\n59. The Bengal reading manah is incorrect. It should be punah.\n\n60. Nripam pradakshinam chakru is the construction. Nivarana has\nsnanapanat understood after it.\n\n61. Vikarshanam is emaciation of the body by abstention from all food.\n\n62. The verb anvacat from root sas can govern two objectives. Here the\ntwo objectives are purushan and krityani.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 16\n\nMausala-parva\n\n\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and\nformatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.\n\n\n\n1\n\nOm! Having bowed down unto Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as\nalso to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word \"Jaya\" be uttered.\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'When the thirty-sixth year (after the battle) was\nreached, the delighter of the Kurus, Yudhishthira, beheld many unusual\nportents. Winds, dry and strong, and showering gravels, blew from every\nside. Birds began to wheel, making circles from right to left. The great\nrivers ran in opposite directions. The horizon on every side seemed to be\nalways covered with fog. Meteors, showering (blazing) coals, fell on the\nEarth from the sky. The Sun's disc, O king, seemed to be always covered\nwith dust. At its rise, the great luminary of day was shorn of splendour\nand seemed to be crossed by headless trunks (of human beings). Fierce\ncircles of light were seen every day around both the Sun and the Moon.\nThese circles showed three hues. Their edges seemed to be black and rough\nand ashy-red in colour. These and many other omens, foreshadowing fear\nand danger, were seen, O king, and filled the hearts of men with anxiety.\nA little while after, the Kuru king Yudhishthira heard of the wholesale\ncarnage of the Vrishnis in consequence of the iron bolt. The son of\nPandu, hearing that only Vasudeva and Rama had escaped with life,\nsummoned his brothers and took counsel with them as to what they should\ndo. Meeting with one another, they became greatly distressed upon hearing\nthat the Vrishnis had met with destruction through the Brahmana's rod of\nchastisement. The death of Vasudeva, like the drying up of the ocean,\nthose heroes could not believe. In fact the destruction of the wielder of\nSaranga was incredible to them. Informed of the incident about the iron\nbolt, the Pandavas became filled with grief and sorrow. In fact, they sat\ndown, utterly cheerless and penetrated with blank despair.'\n\n\"Janamejaya said: 'Indeed, O holy one, how was it that the Andhakas along\nwith Vrishnis, and those great car-warriors, the Bhojas, met with\ndestruction in the very sight of Vasudeva?'\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'When the thirty-sixth year was reached (after\nthe great battle) a great calamity overtook the Vrishnis. Impelled by\nTime, they all met with destruction in consequence of the iron bolt.'\n\n\"Janamejaya said: 'Cursed by whom did those heroes, the Vrishnis, the\nAndhakas, and the Bhojas, met with destruction? O foremost of regenerate\npersons, do thou tell me this in detail.'\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'One day, the Vrishni heroes numbering Samva\namongst them, saw Vishvamitra and Kanwa and Narada arrived at Dwaraka.\nAfflicted by the rod of chastisement wielded by the deities, those\nheroes, causing Samva to be disguised like a woman, approached those\nascetics and said, \"This one is the wife of Vabhru of immeasurable energy\nwho is desirous of having a son. Ye Rishis, do you know for certain what\nthis one will bring forth?\"\n\n\"'Hear now, O king, what those ascetics, attempted to be thus deceived,\nsaid: \"This heir of Vasudeva, by name Samva, will bring forth a fierce\niron bolt for the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. Ye wicked\nand cruel ones, intoxicated with pride, through that iron bolt ye will\nbecome the exterminators of your race with the exception of Rama and\nJanarddana. The blessed hero armed with the plough will enter the ocean,\ncasting off his body, while a hunter of the name of Jara will pierce the\nhigh-souled Krishna while lying on the ground.\"\n\n\"'Endeavoured to be deceived by those wicked ones, those ascetics, with\neyes red in wrath, looked at each other and uttered those words. Having\nsaid so they then proceeded to see Keshava. The slayer of Madhu, informed\nof what had taken place, summoned all the Vrishnis and told them of it.\nPossessed of great intelligence and fully acquainted with what the end of\nhis race would be, he simply said that that which was destined would\nsurely happen. Hrishikesa having said so, entered his mansion. The Lord\nof the universe did not wish to ordain otherwise. When the next day came,\nSamva actually brought forth an iron bolt through which all the\nindividuals in the race of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas became consumed\ninto ashes. Indeed, for the destruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas,\nSamva brought forth, through that curse, a fierce iron bolt that looked\nlike a gigantic messenger of death. The fact was duly reported to the\nking. In great distress of mind, the king (Ugrasena) caused that iron\nbolt to be reduced into fine powder. Men were employed, O king, to cast\nthat powder into the sea. At the command of Ahuka, of Janarddana, of\nRama, and of the high-souled Vabhru, it was, again, proclaimed throughout\nthe city that from that day, among all the Vrishnis and the Andhakas no\none should manufacture wines and intoxicating spirits of any kind, and\nthat whoever would secretly manufacture wines and spirits should be\nimpaled alive with all his kinsmen. Through fear of the king, and knowing\nthat it was the command of Rama also of unimpeachable deeds, all the\ncitizens bound themselves by a rule and abstained from manufacturing\nwines and spirits.'\"\n\n\n\n2\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'While the Vrishnis and the Andhakas were thus\nendeavouring (to avoid the impending calamity), the embodied form of Time\n(death) every day wandered about their houses. He looked like a man of\nterrible and fierce aspect. Of bald head, he was black and of tawny\ncomplexion. Sometimes he was seen by the Vrishnis as he peered into their\nhouses. The mighty bowmen among the Vrishnis shot hundreds and thousands\nof shafts at him, but none of these succeeded in piercing him, for he was\nnone else than the Destroyer of all creatures. Day by day strong winds\nblew, and many were the evil omens that arose, awful and foreboding the\ndestruction of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. The streets swarmed with\nrats and mice. Earthen pots showed cracks or broke from no apparent\ncause. At night, the rats and mice ate away the hair and nails of\nslumbering men. Sarikas chirped, sitting within the houses of the\nVrishnis. The noise made by those birds ceased not for even a short while\nby day or by night. The Sarashas were heard to imitate the hooting of the\nowl, and goats imitated the cries, O Bharata, of jackals. Many birds\nappeared, impelled by Death, that were pale of complexion but that had\nlegs red of hue. Pigeons were seen to always disport in the houses of the\nVrishnis. Asses were born of kine, and elephants of mules. Cats were born\nof bitches, and mouse of the mongoose. The Vrishnis, committing sinful\nacts, were not seen to feel any shame. They showed disregard for\nBrahmanas and the Pitris and the deities. They insulted and humiliated\ntheir preceptors and seniors. Only Rama and Janardana acted differently.\nWives deceived their husbands, and husbands deceived their wives. Fires,\nwhen ignited, cast their flames towards the left. Sometimes they threw\nout flames whose splendour was blue and red. The Sun, whether when rising\nor setting over the city, seemed to be surrounded by headless trunks of\nhuman form. In cook rooms, upon food that was clean and well-boiled, were\nseen, when it was served out for eating, innumerable worms of diverse\nkinds. When Brahmanas, receiving gifts, blessed the day or the hour\n(fixed for this or that undertaking) or when high-souled men were engaged\nin silent recitations, the heavy tread was heard of innumerable men\nrunning about, but no one could be seen to whom the sound of such tread\ncould be ascribed. The constellations were repeatedly seen to be struck\nby the planets. None amongst the Yadavas could, however, obtain a sight\nof the constellation of his birth. When the Panchajanya was blown in\ntheir houses, asses of dissonant and awful voice brayed aloud from every\ndirection. Beholding these signs that indicated the perverse course of\nTime, and seeing that the day of the new moon coincided with the\nthirteenth (and the fourteenth) lunation, Hrishikesa, summoning the\nYadavas, said unto them these words: \"The fourteenth lunation has been\nmade the fifteenth by Rahu once more. Such a day had happened at the time\nof the great battle of the Bharatas. It has once more appeared, it seems,\nfor our destruction.\" The slayer of Keshi, Janardana, thinking upon the\nomens that Time showed, understood that the thirty-sixth year had come,\nand that what Gandhari, burning with grief on account of the death of her\nsons, and deprived of all her kinsmen, had said was about to transpire.\n\"The present is exactly similar to that time when Yudhishthira noted at\nsuch awful omens when the two armies had been arrayed in order of battle.\"\nVasudeva, having said so, endeavoured to bring about those occurrences\nwhich would make Gandhari's words true. That chastiser of foes commanded\nthe Vrishnis to make a pilgrimage to some sacred water. The messengers\nforthwith proclaimed at the command of Keshava that the Vrishnis should\nmake a journey to the sea-coast for bathing in the sacred waters of the\nocean.'\"\n\n\n\n3\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'At that time the Vrishni ladies dreamed every night\nthat a woman of black complexion and white teeth, entering their abodes,\nlaughed aloud and ran through Dwaraka, snatching from them the auspicious\nthreads in their wrists. The men dreamt that terrible vultures, entering\ntheir houses and fire-chambers, gorged themselves on their bodies. Their\nornaments and umbrellas and standards and armour were seen to be taken\naway by terrible Rakshasas. In the very sight of the Vrishnis, the discus\nof Krishna, given by Agni, made of iron and having its nave composed of\nhardest adamant, ascended into the firmament. In the very sight of\nDaruka, the excellent car of Vasudeva, of solar effulgence, and properly\nequipped, was taken away by the horses yoked unto it. Those foremost of\nsteeds, numbering four, (Saivya, Sugriva, Meghapushpa and Valahaka), and\nendued with the speed of thought, fled away, dragging the car after them\nalong the surface of the ocean. The two great standards of Krishna's car\nand Valadeva's car, that with the device of Garuda and that bearing the\ndevice of the palmyra, which were reverently worshipped by those two\nheroes, were taken away by Apsaras who, day and night, called upon the\nVrishnis and the Andhakas to set out on a pilgrimage to some sacred\nwater. When these omens were seen and heard, those foremost of men, the\nmighty car-warriors of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, became desirous of\nsetting out, with their whole families, on a pilgrimage to some sacred\nwater. They prepared diverse kinds of viands and edibles and diverse\nkinds of wines and meat. The troops of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas,\nblazing with beauty and endued with fierce energy, then set out from the\ncity on cars and steeds and elephants. The Yadavas, then, with their\nwives, proceeded to Prabhasa and took up their residence there, each in\nthe (temporary) habitation that was assigned to him, and all having an\nabundance of provisions consisting of edibles and drink.\n\n\"'Hearing that they had taken up their abode on the sea-coast, Uddhava,\nthe wisest of men, who was, besides, well-versed in Yoga, proceeded there\nand took his leave (for departing). Krishna, with joined hands, saluted\nUddhava, and seeing him bent on departing (from the world) and knowing\nthat the destructions of the Vrishnis was at hand, did not feel any\ndisposition to prevent him. The mighty car-warriors among the Vrishnis\nand the Andhakas, whose hour had come, then saw Uddhava proceed on his\ngreat journey, filling the whole welkin with his splendour. The Vrishnis,\nmixing with wine the food that had been cooked for high-souled Brahmanas,\ngave it away unto monkeys and apes. Those heroes of fierce energy then\nbegan their high revels, of which drinking formed the chief feature, at\nPrabhasa. The entire field echoed with the blare of hundreds of trumpets\nand abounded with actors and dancers plying their vocations. In the very\nsight of Krishna, Rama began to drink, with Kritavarma, Yuyudhana and\nGada; and Vabhru also did the same. Then Yuyudhana, inebriated with wine,\nderisively laughing at and insulting Kritavarma in the midst of that\nassembly, said, \"What Kshatriya is there who, armed with weapons, will\nslay men locked in the embraces of sleep and, therefore, already dead?\nHence, O son of Hridika, the Yadavas will never tolerate what thou hast\ndone.\" When Yuyudhana had said these words, Pradyumna, that foremost of\ncar-warriors, applauded them, expressing his disregard for the son of\nHridika.\n\n\"'Highly incensed at this, Kritavarma, emphasising his disregard for\nSatyaki, by pointing to him with his left hand, said these words:\n\"Professing thyself to be a hero, how couldst thou so cruelly slay the\narmless Bhurishrava who, on the field of battle, (gave up all hostile\nintentions and) sat in praya?\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words of his, Keshava, that slayer of hostile heroes,\ngiving way to wrath, cast an angry glance at Kritavarma. Then Satyaki\ninformed the slayer of Madhu as to how Kritavarma had behaved towards\nSatrajit for taking away from him the celebrated gem Syamantaka. Hearing\nthe narrative, Satyabhama, giving way to wrath and tears, approached\nKeshava and sitting on his lap enhanced his anger (for Kritavarma). Then\nrising up in a rage, Satyaki said, \"I swear to thee by Truth that I shall\nsoon cause this one to follow in the wake of the five sons of Draupadi,\nand of Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi, they that were slain by this sinful\nwretch, while they were asleep, with the assistance of Drona's son. O thou\nof slender waist, Kritavarma's period of life and fame have come to their\nend.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words, Satyaki rushed at Kritavarma and severed his\nhead with a sword in the very sight of Keshava. Yuyudhana, having\nachieved this feat, began to strike down others there present. Hrishikesa\nran to prevent him from doing further mischief. At that time, however, O\nmonarch, the Bhojas and Andhakas, impelled by the perverseness of the\nhour that had come upon them, all became as one man and surrounded the\nson of Sini. Janardana of mighty energy, knowing the character of the\nhour, stood unmoved without giving way to anger at the sight of those\nheroes rushing in wrath at Satyaki from every side. Urged by fate and\ninebriated with drink, they began to strike Yuyudhana with the pots from\nwhich they had been eating. When the son of Sini was being thus\nassaulted, Rukmini's son became highly enraged. He rushed forward for\nrescuing Satyaki who was engaged with the Bhojas and the Andhakas. Endued\nwith might of arms and wealth of energy, those two heroes exerted\nthemselves with great courage. But as the odds were overwhelming, both of\nthem were slain in the very sight of Krishna. The delighter of the Yadus,\nbeholding his own son, and the son of Sini too, slain, took up, in wrath,\na handful of the Eraka grass that grew there. That handful of grass\nbecame a terrible bolt of iron endued with the energy of the thunderbolt.\nWith it Krishna slew all those that came before him. Then the Andhakas\nand the Bhojas, the Saineyas and the Vrishnis, urged by Time, struck one\nanother in that fearful melee. Indeed, O king, whoever amongst them took\nup in wrath a few blades of the Eraka grass, these, in his hands, became\nsoon converted into a thunderbolt, O puissant one. Every blade of grass\nthere was seen to be converted into a terrible iron bolt. All this, know,\nO king, was due to the curse denounced by Brahmanas. He who hurled a\nblade of grass saw that it pierced through even such things as were\nutterly impenetrable. In fact, every blade was seen to become a terrible\nbolt having the force of thunder. Son killed sire, and sire killed son, O\nBharata. Inebriated with wine, they rushed and fell upon one another. The\nKukuras and the Andhakas met with destruction like insects rushing at a\nblazing fire. As they were thus being slaughtered, no one among them\nthought of escaping by flight. Knowing that the hour of destruction had\ncome, the mighty-armed Keshava stood there, eyeing everything. Indeed,\nthe slayer of Madhu stood, raising a bolt of iron formed of a blade of\ngrass. Beholding that Samva was slain, as also Charudeshna and Pradyumna\nand Aniruddha, Madhava became filled with rage. Beholding Gada lying dead\non the ground, his wrath became enhanced. The wielder of Sarnga and the\ndiscus and the mace then exterminated the Vrishnis and the Andhakas.\nHear, O king, what that conquerer of hostile towns, Vabhru of mighty\nenergy and Daruka then said to Krishna, \"O holy one, a very large number\nof men has been slain by thee. Turn now to where Rama has gone. We wish\nto go there where he has proceeded.\"'\"\n\n\n\n4\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'Then Daruka and Keshava and Vabhru left that spot,\nfollowing in the wake of Rama (for discovering his retreat). They beheld\nthat hero of infinite energy sitting thoughtfully, reclining his back\nagainst a tree, in a solitary spot of earth. Finding Rama of great soul,\nKrishna commanded Daruka, saying, \"Going to the Kurus, inform Partha of\nthis great slaughter of the Yadus. Let Arjuna come here quickly, hearing\nof the destruction of the Yadavas through the Brahmana's curse.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed, Daruka, deprived of his senses by grief, proceeded on a\ncar to the (capital of the) Kurus. After Daruka had gone away, Keshava,\nseeing Vabhru waiting on him, told him these words: \"Do thou go quickly\nfor protecting the ladies. Let not robbers do them any injury, tempted by\nthe wealth (that is with them).\" Thus commanded by Keshava, Vabhru, still\nhelpless with wine but cheerless at the slaughter of his kinsmen,\ndeparted. He had rested for a while by the side of Keshava, but as soon\nas he had proceeded to a distance, the iron-bolt, attaching itself to a\nmallet in the hands of a hunter, suddenly sprang of itself upon that\nsolitary survivor of the Yadava race and slew him, who also had been\nincluded in the curse of the Brahmanas. Beholding Vabhru slain, Keshava\nof great energy addressed his elder brother and said, \"Do thou, O Rama\nwait for me here till I place the ladies under the care of kinsmen.\"\n\n\"'Entering the city of Dwaravati, Janardana said these words unto his\nfather, \"Do thou protect all the ladies of our house, till Dhananjaya\ncomes. At the skirts of the forest Rama is waiting for me. I shall meet\nhim today. This great carnage of the Yadus has been beheld by me even as\nI beheld before the carnage of those Kshatriyas who were the foremost\nones of Kuru's race. It is impossible for me to see this city of the\nYadavas without the Yadus beside me. Know that proceeding to the woods I\nshall practise penances with Rama in my company.\" Having said these words,\nKrishna touched the feet of his father with his head, and quickly left\nhis presence. Then a loud wail of sorrow arose from the ladies and\nchildren of his house. Hearing that loud sound of wailing uttered by the\nweeping ladies, Keshava retraced his foot-steps and said unto them,\n\"Arjuna will come here. That foremost of men will relieve you of your\ngrief.\"\n\n\"'Proceeding then to the forest, Keshava beheld Rama sitting in a solitary\nspot thereof. He also saw that Rama had set himself to Yoga and that from\nout his mouth was issuing a mighty snake. The colour of that snake was\nwhite. Leaving the human body (in which he had dwelt so long), that\nhigh-souled naga of a 1,000 heads and having a form as large as that of a\nmountain, endued besides with red eyes, proceeded along that way which\nled to the ocean. Ocean himself, and many celestial snakes, and many\nsacred Rivers were there, for receiving him with honour. There were\nKarkotaka and Vasuki and Takshaka and Prithusravas and Varuna and\nKunjara, and Misri and Sankha and Kumuda and Pundarika, and the\nhigh-souled Dhritarashtra, and Hrada and Kratha and Sitikantha of fierce\nenergy, and Chakramanda and Atishanda, and that foremost of Nagas called\nDurmukha, and Amvarisha, and king Varuna himself, O monarch. Advancing\nforward and offering him the Arghya and water to wash his feet, and with\ndiverse other rites, they all worshipped the mighty Naga and saluted him\nby making the usual enquiries.\n\n\"'After his brother had thus departed from the (human) world, Vasudeva of\ncelestial vision, who was fully acquainted with the end of all things,\nwandered for some time in that lonely forest thoughtfully. Endued with\ngreat energy he then sat down on the bare earth. He had thought before\nthis of everything that had been fore-shadowed by the words uttered by\nGandhari in former days. He also recollected the words that Durvasas had\nspoken at the time his body was smeared by that Rishi with the remnant of\nthe Payasa he had eaten (while a guest at Krishna's house). The\nhigh-souled one, thinking of the destruction of the Vrishnis and the\nAndhakas, as also of the previous slaughter of the Kurus, concluded that\nthe hour (for his own departure from the world) had come. He then\nrestrained his senses (in Yoga). Conversant with the truth of every\ntopic, Vasudeva, though he was the Supreme Deity, wished to die, for\ndispelling all doubts and establishing a certainty of results (in the\nmatter of human existence), simply for upholding the three worlds and for\nmaking the words of Atri's son true. Having restrained all his senses,\nspeech, and mind, Krishna laid himself down in high Yoga.\n\n\"'A fierce hunter of the name of Jara then came there, desirous of deer.\nThe hunter, mistaking Keshava, who was stretched on the earth in high\nYoga, for a deer, pierced him at the heel with a shaft and quickly came\nto that spot for capturing his prey. Coming up, Jara beheld a man dressed\nin yellow robes, rapt in Yoga and endued with many arms. Regarding\nhimself an offender, and filled with fear, he touched the feet of\nKeshava. The high-souled one comforted him and then ascended upwards,\nfilling the entire welkin with splendour. When he reached Heaven, Vasava\nand the twin Ashvinis and Rudra and the Adityas and the Vasus and the\nViswedevas, and Munis and Siddhas and many foremost ones among the\nGandharvas, with the Apsaras, advanced to receive him. Then, O king, the\nillustrious Narayana of fierce energy, the Creator and Destroyer of all,\nthat preceptor of Yoga, filling Heaven with his splendour, reached his\nown inconceivable region. Krishna then met the deities and (celestial)\nRishis and Charanas, O king, and the foremost ones among the Gandharvas\nand many beautiful Apsaras and Siddhas and Saddhyas. All of them, bending\nin humility, worshipped him. The deities all saluted him, O monarch, and\nmany foremost of Munis and Rishis worshipped him who was the Lord of all.\nThe Gandharvas waited on him, hymning his praises, and Indra also\njoyfully praised him.'\"\n\n\n\n5\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'Meanwhile Daruka, going to the Kurus and seeing\nthose mighty car-warriors, the son of Pritha, informed them of how the\nVrishnis had slain one another with iron bolts. Hearing that the Vrishnis\nalong with the Bhojas and Andhakas and Kukuras had all been slain, the\nPandavas, burning with grief, became highly agitated. Then Arjuna, the\ndear friend of Keshava, bidding them farewell, set out for seeing his\nmaternal uncle. He said that destruction would soon overtake everything.\nProceeding to the city of the Vrishnis with Daruka in his company, O\npuissant king, that hero beheld that the city of Dwaraka looked like a\nwoman bereft of her husband. Those ladies who had, before this, the very\nLord of the universe for their protector, were now lordless. Seeing that\nPartha had come for protecting them, they all set up a loud wail. 16,000\nladies had been wedded to Vasudeva. Indeed, as soon as they saw Arjuna\narrive, they uttered a loud cry of sorrow. As soon as the Kuru prince met\nthose beauteous ones deprived of the protection of Krishna and of their\nsons as well, he was unable to look at them, his vision being obstructed\nby tears. The Dwaraka river had the Vrishnis and the Andhakas for its\nwater, steeds for its fishes, cars for its rafts, the sound of musical\ninstruments and the rattle of cars for its waves, houses and mansions and\npublic squares for its lakes. Gems and precious stones were its abundant\nmoss. The walls of adamant were the garlands of flowers that floated on\nit. The streets and roads were the strong currents running in eddies\nalong its surface. The great open squares were the still large lakes in\nits course. Rama and Krishna were its two mighty alligators. That\nagreeable river now seemed to Arjuna to be the fierce Vaitarani bound up\nwith Time's net. Indeed, the son of Vasava, endued with great\nintelligence, beheld the city to look even thus, reft as it was of the\nVrishni heroes. Shorn of beauty, and perfectly cheerless, it presented\nthe aspect of a lotus flower in the season of winter. Beholding the sight\nthat Dwaraka presented, and seeing the numerous wives of Krishna, Arjuna\nwailed aloud with eyes bathed in tears and fell down on the earth. Then\nSatya, the daughter of Satrajit, and Rukmini too, O king, fell down\nbeside Dhananjaya and uttered loud wails of grief. Raising him then they\ncaused him to be seated on a golden seat. The ladies sat around that\nhigh-souled one, giving expression to their feelings. Praising Govinda\nand talking with the ladies, the son of Pandu comforted them and then\nproceeded to see his maternal uncle.'\"\n\n\n\n6\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'The Kuru prince beheld the heroic and high-souled\nAnakadundubhi lying on the ground and burning with grief on account of\nhis sons. The broad-chested and mighty-armed son of Pritha, more\nafflicted than his uncle, with eyes bathed in tears, touched his uncle's\nfeet, O Bharata. The mighty-armed Anakadundubhi wished to smell the head\nof his sister's son but failed to do it, O slayer of foes. The old man of\nmighty arms, deeply afflicted, embraced Partha with his arms and wept\naloud, remembering his sons, brothers, grandsons, daughters' sons, and\nfriends.\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Without beholding those heroes, O Arjuna, who had\nsubjugated all the kings of the Earth and the Daityas a hundred times, I\nam still alive! Methinks, I have no death! Through the fault of those two\nheroes who were thy dear disciples and who were much regarded by thee,\nalso, O Partha, the Vrishnis have been destroyed. Those two who were\nregarded as Atirathas amongst the foremost of the Vrishnis, and referring\nto whom in course of conversation thou wert wont to indulge in pride, and\nwho, O chief of Kuru's race, were ever dear to Krishna himself, alas, those\ntwo, O Dhananjaya, have been the chief causes of the destruction of the\nVrishnis! I do not censure the son of Sini or the son of Hridika, O\nArjuna. I do not censure Akrura or the son of Rukmini. No doubt, the\ncurse (of the Rishis) is the sole cause. How is it that that lord of the\nuniverse, the slayer of Madhu, who had put forth his prowess for\nachieving the destruction of Kesin and Kansa, and Chaidya swelling with\npride, and Ekalavya, the son of the ruler of the Nishadas, and the\nKalingas and the Magadhas, and the Gandharas and the king of Kasi, and\nmany rulers assembled together in the midst of the desert, many heroes\nbelonging to the East and the South, and many kings of the mountainous\nregions, alas, how could he remain indifferent to such a calamity as the\ncurse denounced by the Rishis? Thyself, Narada, and the Munis, knew him\nto be the eternal and sinless Govinda, the Deity of unfading glory. Alas,\nbeing puissant Vishnu himself, he witnessed, without interfering, the\ndestruction of his kinsmen! My son must have himself allowed all this to\nhappen. He was the Lord of the universe. He did not, however, wish to\nfalsify the words of Gandhari and the Rishis, O scorcher of foes. In thy\nvery sight, O hero, thy grandson, who had been slain by Ashvatthama, was\nrevived through his energy. That friend, however, of yours did not wish\nto protect his kinsmen. Beholding his sons and grandsons and brothers and\nfriends lying dead, he said unto me these words, O chief of Bharata's\nrace, 'The destruction of this our race has at last come. Vibhatsu will\ncome to this city, Dwaravati. Tell him what has occurred, this great\ncarnage of the Vrishnis. I have no doubt that as soon as he will hear of\nthe destruction of the Yadus, that hero of mighty energy will come here\nwithout any loss of time. Know, O father, that I am Arjuna and Arjuna is\nmyself. That should be done by thee which he would say. The son of Pandu\nwill do what is best for the women and the children. Even he will perform\nthy funeral rites. This city of Dwaravati, after Arjuna's departure, will,\nwith its walls and edifices, be swallowed up by the ocean without any\ndelay. As regards myself, retiring to some sacred place, I shall bide my\nhour, with the intelligent Rama in my company, observing strict vows all\nthe while.' Having said these words unto me, Hrishikesa of inconceivable\nprowess, leaving me with the children, has gone away to some spot which I\ndo not know. Thinking of those two high-souled brothers of thine, as also\nof the terrible carnage of my kinsmen, I have abstained from all food,\nand am emaciated with grief. I shall neither eat, nor live. By good luck\nthou meetest me, O son of Pandu. Do thou accomplish all, O Partha, that\nKrishna has said. This kingdom, with all these women, and all the wealth\nhere, is thine now, O son of Pritha. As regards myself, O slayer of foes,\nI shall cast off my life-breaths dear though they be.\"'\"\n\n\n\n7\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'That scorcher of foes, Vibhatsu, thus addressed by\nhis maternal uncle, replied, with great cheerlessness of heart, unto\nVasudeva who was equally cheerless, saying, \"O uncle, I am unable to look\nat this Earth when she is reft of that hero of Vrishni's race and those my\nother kinsmen. The king and Bhimasena and Sahadeva and Nakula and\nYajnaseni, numbering the sixth, are of the same mind with myself in this\nmatter. The time has come for the departure of the king also. Know this,\nthat the hour of our departure too is at hand. Thou art the foremost of\nthose that are well conversant with the course of time. I shall, however,\nO chastiser of foes, first remove to Indraprastha the women of the\nVrishni race as also the children and the aged.\" Having said so unto his\nuncle, Arjuna next addressed Daruka, saying, \"I wish to see without any\ndelay the chief officers of the Vrishni heroes.\" Having uttered these\nwords, the heroic Arjuna, grieving for those great car-warriors (who had\nbeen slain), entered the great hall of the Yadavas (where they used to\nhold their court), called Sudharma. When he had taken his seat there, all\nthe citizens, including the Brahmanas, and all the ministers of state\ncame and stood surrounding him. Then Partha, more grieved than they,\naddressed those grieving and cheerless citizens and officers who were\nmore dead than alive, and said these words that were well suited to the\noccasion: \"I shall take away with me the remnants of the Vrishnis and the\nAndhakas. The sea will soon engulf this city. Equip all your cars and\nplace on them all your wealth. This Vajra (the grandson of Krishna) will\nbe your king at Shakraprastha. On the seventh day from this, at sunrise,\nwe shall set out. Make your preparations without delay.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed by Pritha's son of pure deeds, all of them hastened their\npreparations with eagerness for achieving their safety. Arjuna passed\nthat night in the mansion of Keshava. He was suddenly overwhelmed with\ngreat grief and stupefaction. When morning dawned, Vasudeva of great\nenergy and prowess attained, through the aid of Yoga, to the highest\ngoal. A loud and heart-rending sound of wailing was heard in Vasudeva's\nmansion, uttered by the weeping ladies. They were seen with dishevelled\nhair and divested of ornaments and floral wreaths. Beating their breasts\nwith their hands, they indulged in heart-rending lamentations. Those\nforemost of women, Devaki and Bhadra and Rohini and Madira threw\nthemselves on the bodies of their lord. Then Partha caused the body of\nhis uncle to be carried out on a costly vehicle borne on the shoulders of\nmen. It was followed by all the citizens of Dwaraka and the people of the\nprovinces, all of whom, deeply afflicted by grief, had been well-affected\ntowards the deceased hero. Before that vehicle were borne the umbrella\nwhich had been held over his head at the conclusion of the\nhorse-sacrifice he had achieved while living, and also the blazing fires\nhe had daily worshipped, with the priests that had used to attend to\nthem. The body of the hero was followed by his wives decked in ornaments\nand surrounded by thousands of women and thousands of their\ndaughters-in-law. The last rites were then performed at that spot which\nhad been agreeable to him while he was alive. The four wives of that\nheroic son of Sura ascended the funeral pyre and were consumed with the\nbody of their lord. All of them attained to those regions of felicity\nwhich were his. The son of Pandu burnt the body of his uncle together\nwith those four wives of his, using diverse kinds of scents and perfumed\nwood. As the funeral pyre blazed up, a loud sound was heard of the\nburning wood and other combustible materials, along with the clear chant\nof Samans and the wailing of the citizens and others who witnessed the\nrite. After it was all over, the boys of the Vrishni and Andhaka races,\nheaded by Vajra, as also the ladies, offered oblations of water to the\nhigh-souled hero.\n\n\"'Phalguna, who was careful in observing every duty, having caused this\nduty to be performed, proceeded, O chief of Bharata's race, next to the\nplace where the Vrishnis were slaughtered. The Kuru prince, beholding\nthem lying slaughtered all around, became exceedingly cheerless. He,\nhowever, did what was required to be done in view of that which had\nhappened. The last rites were performed, according to the order of\nseniority, unto the bodies of those heroes slain by the iron bolts born,\nby virtue of the curse denounced by the Brahmanas, of the blades of Eraka\ngrass. Searching out the bodies then of Rama and Vasudeva, Arjuna caused\nthem to be burnt by persons skilled in that act. The son of Pandu, having\nnext performed duly those sraddha rites that are done to the dead,\nquickly set out on the seventh day, mounting on his car. The widows of\nthe Vrishni heroes, wailing aloud, followed the high-souled son of Pandu,\nDhananjaya, on cars drawn by bullocks and mules and camels. All were in\ndeep affliction. The servants of the Vrishnis, their horsemen, and their\ncar-warriors too, followed the procession. The citizens and the\ninhabitants of the country, at the command of Pritha's son, set out at the\nsame time and proceeded, surrounding that cavalcade destitute of heroes\nand numbering only women and the aged and the children. The warriors who\nfought from the backs of elephants proceeded on elephants as huge as\nhills. The foot-soldiers also set out, together with the reserves. The\nchildren of the Andhaka and the Vrishni races, all followed Arjuna. The\nBrahmanas and Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and wealthy Sudras, set out,\nkeeping before them the 16,000 women that had formed Vasudeva's harem, and\nVajra, the grandson of the intelligent Krishna. The widows of the other\nheroes of the Bhoja, the Vrishni, and the Andhaka races, lordless now,\nthat set out with Arjuna, numbered many millions. That foremost of\ncar-warriors, that conqueror of hostile towns, the son of Pritha,\nescorted this vast procession of Vrishnis, which still abounded with\nwealth, and which looked like a veritable ocean.\n\n\"'After all the people had set out, the ocean, that home of sharks and\nalligators, flooded Dwaraka, which still teemed with wealth of every\nkind, with its waters. Whatever portion of the ground was passed over,\nocean immediately flooded over with his waters. Beholding this wonderful\nsight, the inhabitants of Dwaraka walked faster and faster, saying,\n\"Wonderful is the course of fate!\" Dhananjaya, after abandoning Dwaraka,\nproceeded by slow marches, causing the Vrishni women to rest in pleasant\nforests and mountains and by the sides of delightful streams. Arrived at\nthe country of the five waters, the puissant Dhananjaya planted a rich\nencampment in the midst of a land that abounded with corn and kine and\nother animals. Beholding those lordless widows escorted by Pritha's son\nalone O Bharata, the robbers felt a great temptation (for plunder). Then\nthose sinful wretches, with hearts overwhelmed by cupidity, those Abhiras\nof ill omen, assembled together and held a consultation. They said, \"Here\nthere is only one bowman, Arjuna. The cavalcade consists of children and\nthe old. He escorts them, transgressing us. The warriors (of the\nVrishnis) are without energy.\" Then those robbers, numbering by thousands,\nand armed with clubs, rushed towards the procession of the Vrishnis,\ndesirous of plunder. Urged by the perverse course of time they fell upon\nthat vast concourse, frightening it with loud leonine shouts and desirous\nof slaughter. The son of Kunti, suddenly ceasing to advance along the\npath, turned, with his followers, towards the place where the robbers had\nattacked the procession. Smiling the while, that mighty-armed warrior\naddressed the assailants, saying, \"You sinful wretches, forbear, if ye\nlove your lives. Ye will rue this when I pierce your bodies with my\nshafts and take your lives.\" Though thus addressed by that hero, they\ndisregarded his words, and though repeatedly dissuaded, they fell upon\nArjuna. Then Arjuna endeavoured to string his large, indestructible,\ncelestial bow with some effort. He succeeded with great difficulty in\nstringing it, when the battle had become furious. He then began to think\nof his celestial weapons but they would not come to his mind. Beholding\nthat furious battle, the loss of the might of his arm, and the\nnon-appearance of his celestial weapons, Arjuna became greatly ashamed.\nThe Vrishni warriors including the foot-soldiers, the elephant-warriors,\nand the car-men, failed to rescue those Vrishni women that were being\nsnatched away by the robbers. The concourse was very large. The robbers\nassailed it at different points. Arjuna tried his best to protect it, but\ncould not succeed. In the very sight of all the warriors, many foremost of\nladies were dragged away, while others went away with the robbers of\ntheir own accord. The puissant Arjuna, supported by the servants of the\nVrishnis, struck the robbers with shafts sped from Gandiva. Soon,\nhowever, O king, his shafts were exhausted. In former days his shafts had\nbeen inexhaustible. Now, however, they proved otherwise. Finding his\nshafts exhausted, he became deeply afflicted with grief. The son of Indra\nthen began to strike the robbers with the horns of his bow. Those\nMlecchas, however, O Janamejaya, in the very sight of Partha, retreated,\ntaking away with them many foremost ladies of the Vrishnis and Andhakas.\nThe puissant Dhananjaya regarded it all as the work of destiny. Filled\nwith sorrow he breathed heavy sighs at the thought of the non-appearance\nof his (celestial) weapons, the loss of the might of his arms, the\nrefusal of his bow to obey him, and the exhaustion of his shafts.\nRegarding it all as the work of destiny, he became exceedingly cheerless.\nHe then ceased, O king, to make further efforts, saying, he had not the\npower which he had before. The high-souled one, taking with him the\nremnant of the Vrishni women, and the wealth that was still with them,\nreached Kurukshetra. Thus bringing with him the remnant of the Vrishnis,\nhe established them at different places. He established the son of\nKritavarma at the city called Marttikavat, with the remnant of the women\nof the Bhoja king. Escorting the remainder, with children and old men and\nwomen, the son of Pandu established them, who were reft of heroes, in the\ncity of Indraprastha. The dear son of Yuyudhana, with a company of old\nmen and children and women, the righteous-souled Arjuna established on\nthe banks of the Sarasvati. The rule of Indraprastha was given to Vajra.\nThe widows of Akrura then desired to retire into the woods. Vajra asked\nthem repeatedly to desist, but they did not listen to him. Rukmini, the\nprincess of Gandhara, Saivya, Haimavati, and queen Jamvabati ascended the\nfuneral pyre. Satyabhama and other dear wives of Krishna entered the\nwoods, O king, resolved to set themselves to the practice of penances.\nThey began to live on fruits and roots and pass their time in the\ncontemplation of Hari. Going beyond the Himavat, they took up their abode\nin a place called Kalpa. Those men who had followed Arjuna from\nDwaravati, were distributed into groups, and bestowed upon Vajra. Having\ndone all these acts suited to the occasion, Arjuna, with eyes bathed in\ntears, then entered the retreat of Vyasa. There he beheld the Island-born\nRishi seated at his ease.'\"\n\n\n\n8\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'As Arjuna entered the asylum of the truthful Rishi,\nhe beheld the son of Satyavati seated in a secluded spot.\n\n\"'Approaching that Rishi of high vows and endued with a knowledge of all\nduties, he said, \"I am Arjuna,\" and then awaited his pleasure. Satyavati's\nson, endued with high penances, answered, saying \"Welcome!\" Of tranquil\nsoul, the great Muni further said, \"Take thy seat.\" Seeing that the son of\nPritha was exceedingly cheerless and breathing heavy sighs repeatedly and\nfilled with despair, Vyasa addressed him, saying, \"Hast thou been\nsprinkled with water from anybody's nails or hair, or the end of anybody's\ncloth, or from the mouth of a jar? Hast thou had sexual congress with any\nwoman before the cessation of her functional flow? Hast thou slain a\nBrahmana? Hast thou been vanquished in battle? Thou lookest like one\nshorn of prosperity. I do not know that thou hast been defeated by\nanyone. Why then, O chief of Bharata's race, this exceedingly dejected\naspect? It behoveth thee, O son of Pritha, to tell me all, if, indeed,\nthere be no harm in telling it.\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"He whose complexion was like that of a (newly-risen) cloud,\nhe whose eyes were like a pair of large lotus petals, Krishna, has, with\nRama, cast off his body and ascended to Heaven. At Prabhasa, through iron\nbolts generated by the curse denounced by Brahmanas, the destruction has\ntaken place of the Vrishni heroes. Awful hath that carnage been, and not\neven a single hero has escaped. The heroes of the Bhoja, the Andhaka, and\nthe Vrishni races, O Brahmana, who were all endued with high souls, great\nmight, and leonine pride, have slaughtered one another in battle.\nPossessed of arms that looked like maces of iron, and capable of bearing\nthe strokes of heavy clubs and darts, alas, they have all been slain with\nblades of Eraka grass. Behold the perverse course of Time. 500,000\nmighty-armed warriors have thus been laid low. Encountering one another,\nthey have met with destruction. Thinking repeatedly of this carnage of\nthe Yadava warriors of immeasurable energy and of the illustrious\nKrishna, I fail to derive peace of mind. The death of the wielder of\nSarnga is as incredible as the drying up of the ocean, the displacement\nof a mountain, the falling down of the vault of heaven, or the cooling\nproperty of fire. Deprived of the company of the Vrishni heroes, I desire\nnot to live in this world. Another incident has happened that is more\npainful than this, O thou that art possessed of wealth of penances.\nRepeatedly thinking of it, my heart is breaking. In my very sight, O\nBrahmana, thousands of Vrishni ladies were carried away by the Abhiras of\nthe country of the five waters, who assailed us. Taking up my bow I found\nmyself unequal to even string it. The might that had existed in my arms\nseemed to have disappeared on that occasion. O great ascetic, my weapons\nof diverse kinds failed to make their appearance. Soon, again, my shafts\nbecame exhausted. That person of immeasurable soul, of four arms,\nwielding the conch, the discus, and the mace, clad in yellow robes, dark\nof complexion, and possessing eyes resembling lotus-petals, is no longer\nseen by me. Alas, reft of Govinda, what have I to live for, dragging my\nlife in sorrow? He who used to stalk in advance of my car, that divine\nform endued with great splendour and unfading puissance, consuming as he\nproceeded all hostile warriors, can no longer be seen by me. No longer\nbeholding him who by his energy first burnt all hostile troops whom I\nafterwards despatched with shafts sped from Gandiva, I am filled with\ngrief and my head swims, O best of men. Penetrated with cheerlessness and\ndespair, I fail to obtain peace of mind. I dare not live, reft of the\nheroic Janardana. As soon as I heard that Vishnu had left the Earth, my\neyes became dim and all things disappeared from my vision. O best of men,\nit behoveth thee to tell me what is good for me now, for I am now a\nwanderer with an empty heart, despoiled of my kinsmen and of my\npossession.\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"The mighty car-warriors of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races\nhave all been consumed by the Brahmana's curse. O chief of Kuru's race, it\nbehoveth thee not to grieve for their destruction. That which has\nhappened had been ordained. It was the destiny of those high-souled\nwarriors. Krishna suffered it to take place although he was fully\ncompetent to baffle it. Govinda was able to alter the very course of the\nuniverse with all its mobile and immobile creatures. What need then be\nsaid of the curse of even high-souled Brahmanas? He who used to proceed\nin front of thy car, armed with discus and mace, through affection for\nthee, was the four-armed Vasudeva, that ancient rishi. That high-souled\none of expansive eyes, Krishna, having lightened the burthen of the Earth\nand cast off his (human) body, has attained to his own high seat. By thee\nalso, O foremost of men, with Bhima for thy helpmate and the twins, O\nmighty-armed hero, has the great work of the gods been accomplished. O\nforemost one of Kuru's race, I regard thee and thy brothers as crowned\nwith success, for ye have accomplished the great purpose of your lives.\nThe time has come for your departure from the world. Even this, O\npuissant one, is what is beneficial for you now. Even thus, understanding\nand prowess and foresight, O Bharata, arise when days of prosperity have\nnot outrun. These very acquisitions disappear when the hour of adversity\ncomes. All this has Time for its root. Time is, indeed, the seed of the\nuniverse, O Dhananjaya. It is Time, again, that withdraws everything at\nits pleasure. One becomes mighty, and, again, losing that might, becomes\nweak. One becomes a master and rules others, and, again, losing that\nposition, becomes a servant for obeying the behests of others. Thy\nweapons, having achieved success, have gone away to the place they came\nfrom. They will, again, come into thy hands when the Time for their\ncoming approaches. The time has come, O Bharata, for you all to attain to\nthe highest goal. Even this is what I regard to be highly beneficial for\nyou all, O chief of Bharata's race.\"\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'Having heard these words of Vyasa of\nimmeasurable energy, the son of Pritha, receiving his permission,\nreturned to the city named after the elephant. Entering it, the hero\napproached Yudhishthira and informed him of all that had taken place with\nreference to the Vrishnis.'\"\n\nThe end of Mausala-parva.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 17\n\nMahaprasthanika-parva\n\n\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and\nformatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.\n\n\n\n\n\n1\n\nOm! Having bowed down unto Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as\nalso to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word \"Jaya\" be uttered.\n\n\"Janamejaya said: 'Having heard of that encounter with iron bolts between\nthe heroes of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races, and having been informed\nalso of Krishna's ascension to Heaven, what did the Pandavas do?'\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'Having heard the particulars of the great slaughter\nof the Vrishnis, the Kaurava king set his heart on leaving the world. He\naddressed Arjuna, saying, O thou of great intelligence, it is Time that\ncooks every creature (in his cauldron). I think that what has happened is\ndue to the cords of Time (with which he binds us all). It behoveth thee\nalso to see it.\n\n\"'Thus addressed by his brother, the son of Kunti only repeated the word\n\"Time, Time!\" and fully endorsed the view of his eldest brother gifted with\ngreat intelligence. Ascertaining the resolution of Arjuna, Bhimasena and\nthe twins fully endorsed the words that Arjuna had said. Resolved to\nretire from the world for earning merit, they brought Yuyutsu before\nthem. Yudhishthira made over the kingdom to the son of his uncle by his\nVaisya wife. Installing Parikshit also on their throne, as king, the\neldest brother of the Pandavas, filled with sorrow, addressed Subhadra,\nsaying, This son of thy son will be the king of the Kurus. The survivor\nof the Yadus, Vajra, has been made a king. Parikshit will rule in\nHastinapura, while the Yadava prince, Vajra, will rule in Shakraprastha.\nHe should be protected by thee. Never set thy heart on unrighteousness.\n\n\"'Having said these words, king Yudhishthira the just, along with his\nbrothers, promptly offered oblations of water unto Vasudeva of great\nintelligence, as also unto his old maternal uncle and Rama and others. He\nthen duly performed the Sraddhas of all those deceased kinsmen of his.\nThe king, in honour of Hari and naming him repeatedly, fed the\nIsland-born Vyasa, and Narada, and Markandeya possessed of wealth of\npenances, and Yajnavalkya of Bharadwaja's race, with many delicious\nviands. In honour of Krishna, he also gave away many jewels and gems, and\nrobes and clothes, and villages, and horses and cars, and female slaves\nby hundreds and thousands unto foremost of Brahmanas. Summoning the\ncitizens, Kripa was installed as the preceptor and Parikshit was made\nover to him as his disciple, O chief of Bharata's race.\n\n\"'Then Yudhishthira once more summoned all his subjects. The royal sage\ninformed them of his intentions. The citizens and the inhabitants of the\nprovinces, hearing the king's words, became filled with anxiety and\ndisapproved of them. \"This should never be done,\" said they unto the king.\nThe monarch, well versed with the changes brought about by time, did not\nlisten to their counsels. Possessed of righteous soul, he persuaded the\npeople to sanction his views. He then set his heart on leaving the world.\nHis brothers also formed the same resolution. Then Dharma's son,\nYudhishthira, the king of the Kurus, casting off his ornaments, wore\nbarks of trees. Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, and Draupadi also of\ngreat fame, similarly clad themselves in bark of trees, O king. Having\ncaused the preliminary rites of religion, O chief of Bharata's race, which\nwere to bless them in the accomplishment of their design, those foremost\nof men cast off their sacred fires into the water. The ladies, beholding\nthe princes in that guise, wept aloud. They seemed to look as they had\nlooked in days before, when with Draupadi forming the sixth in number\nthey set out from the capital after their defeat at dice. The brothers,\nhowever, were all very cheerful at the prospect of retirement.\nAscertaining the intentions of Yudhishthira and seeing the destruction of\nthe Vrishnis, no other course of action could please them then.\n\n\"'The five brothers, with Draupadi forming the sixth, and a dog forming\nthe seventh, set out on their journey. Indeed, even thus did king\nYudhishthira depart, himself the head of a party of seven, from the city\nnamed after the elephant. The citizens and the ladies of the royal\nhousehold followed them for some distance. None of them, however, could\nventure to address the king for persuading him to give up his intention.\nThe denizens of the city then returned; Kripa and others stood around\nYuyutsu as their centre. Ulupi, the daughter of the Naga chief, O thou of\nKunti's race, entered the waters of Ganga. The princess Chitrangada set\nout for the capital of Manipura. The other ladies who were the\ngrandmothers of Parikshit centered around him. Meanwhile the high-souled\nPandavas, O thou of Kuru's race, and Draupadi of great fame, having\nobserved the preliminary fast, set out with their faces towards the east.\nSetting themselves on Yoga, those high-souled ones, resolved to observe\nthe religion of Renunciation, traversed through various countries and\nreached diverse rivers and seas. Yudhishthira, proceeded first. Behind\nhim was Bhima; next walked Arjuna; after him were the twins in the order\nof their birth; behind them all, O foremost one of Bharata's race,\nproceeded Draupadi, that first of women, possessed of great beauty, of\ndark complexion, and endued with eyes resembling lotus petals. While the\nPandavas set out for the forest, a dog followed them.\n\n\"'Proceeding on, those heroes reached the sea of red waters. Dhananjaya\nhad not cast off his celestial bow Gandiva, nor his couple of\ninexhaustible quivers, actuated, O king, by the cupidity that attaches\none to things of great value. The Pandavas there beheld the deity of fire\nstanding before them like a hill. Closing their way, the god stood there\nin his embodied form. The deity of seven flames then addressed the\nPandavas, saying, \"Ye heroic sons of Pandu, know me for the deity of fire.\nO mighty-armed Yudhishthira, O Bhimasena that art a scorcher of foes, O\nArjuna, and ye twins of great courage, listen to what I say! Ye foremost\nones of Kuru's race, I am the god of fire. The forest of Khandava was\nburnt by me, through the puissance of Arjuna and of Narayana himself. Let\nyour brother Phalguna proceed to the woods after casting off Gandiva,\nthat high weapon. He has no longer any need of it. That precious discus,\nwhich was with the high-souled Krishna, has disappeared (from the world).\nWhen the time again comes, it will come back into his hands. This\nforemost of bows, Gandiva, was procured by me from Varuna for the use of\nPartha. Let it be made over to Varuna himself.\"\n\n\"'At this, all the brothers urged Dhananjaya to do what the deity said. He\nthen threw into the waters (of the sea) both the bow and the couple of\ninexhaustible quivers. After this, O chief of Bharata's race, the god of\nthe fire disappeared then and there. The heroic sons of Pandu next\nproceeded with their faces turned towards the south. Then, by the\nnorthern coast of the salt sea, those princes of Bharata's race proceeded\nto the south-west. Turning next towards the west, they beheld the city of\nDwaraka covered by the ocean. Turning next to the north, those foremost\nones proceeded on. Observant of Yoga, they were desirous of making a\nround of the whole Earth.'\"\n\n\n\n2\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'Those princes of restrained souls and devoted to\nYoga, proceeding to the north, beheld Himavat, that very large mountain.\nCrossing the Himavat, they beheld a vast desert of sand. They then saw\nthe mighty mountain Meru, the foremost of all high-peaked mountains. As\nthose mighty ones were proceeding quickly, all rapt in Yoga, Yajnaseni,\nfalling of from Yoga, dropped down on the Earth. Beholding her fallen\ndown, Bhimasena of great strength addressed king Yudhishthira the just,\nsaying, \"O scorcher of foes, this princess never did any sinful act. Tell\nus what the cause is for which Krishna has fallen down on the Earth!\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said: \"O best of men, though we were all equal unto her she\nhad great partiality for Dhananjaya. She obtains the fruit of that\nconduct today, O best of men.\"'\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'Having said this, that foremost one of Bharata's\nrace proceeded on. Of righteous soul, that foremost of men, endued with\ngreat intelligence, went on, with mind intent on itself. Then Sahadeva of\ngreat learning fell down on the Earth. Beholding him drop down, Bhima\naddressed the king, saying, \"He who with great humility used to serve us\nall, alas, why is that son of Madravati fallen down on the Earth?\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"He never thought anybody his equal in wisdom. It is\nfor that fault that this prince has fallen down.\"\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'Having said this, the king proceeded, leaving\nSahadeva there. Indeed, Kunti's son Yudhishthira went on, with his\nbrothers and with the dog. Beholding both Krishna and the Pandava\nSahadeva fallen down, the brave Nakula, whose love for kinsmen was very\ngreat, fell down himself. Upon the falling down of the heroic Nakula of\ngreat personal beauty, Bhima once more addressed the king, saying, \"This\nbrother of ours who was endued with righteousness without incompleteness,\nand who always obeyed our behests, this Nakula who was unrivalled for\nbeauty, has fallen down.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed by Bhimasena, Yudhishthira said, with respect to Nakula,\nthese words: \"He was of righteous soul and the foremost of all persons\nendued with intelligence. He, however, thought that there was nobody that\nequalled him in beauty of person. Indeed, he regarded himself as superior\nto all in that respect. It is for this that Nakula has fallen down. Know\nthis, O Vrikodara. What has been ordained for a person, O hero, must have\nto be endured by him.\"\n\n\"'Beholding Nakula and the others fall down, Pandu's son Arjuna of white\nsteeds, that slayer of hostile heroes, fell down in great grief of heart.\nWhen that foremost of men, who was endued with the energy of Shakra, had\nfallen down, indeed, when that invincible hero was on the point of death,\nBhima said unto the king, \"I do not recollect any untruth uttered by this\nhigh-souled one. Indeed, not even in jest did he say anything false. What\nthen is that for whose evil consequence this one has fallen down on the\nEarth?\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Arjuna had said that he would consume all our foes in\na single day. Proud of his heroism, he did not, however, accomplish what\nhe had said. Hence has he fallen down. This Phalguna disregarded all\nwielders of bows. One desirous of prosperity should never indulge in such\nsentiments.\"'\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'Having said so, the king proceeded on. Then\nBhima fell down. Having fallen down, Bhima addressed king Yudhishthira\nthe just, saying, \"O king, behold, I who am thy darling have fallen down.\nFor what reason have I dropped down? Tell me if thou knowest it.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou wert a great eater, and thou didst use to boast\nof thy strength. Thou never didst attend, O Bhima, to the wants of others\nwhile eating. It is for that, O Bhima, that thou hast fallen down.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira proceeded on,\nwithout looking back. He had only one companion, the dog of which I have\nrepeatedly spoken to thee, that followed him now.'\"\n\n\n\n3\n\n\"Vaishampayana said: 'Then Shakra, causing the firmament and the Earth to\nbe filled by a loud sound, came to the son of Pritha on a car and asked\nhim to ascend it. Beholding his brothers fallen on the Earth, king\nYudhishthira the just said unto that deity of a 1,000 eyes these words:\n\"My brothers have all dropped down here. They must go with me. Without\nthem by me I do not wish to go to Heaven, O lord of all the deities. The\ndelicate princess (Draupadi) deserving of every comfort, O Purandara,\nshould go with us. It behoveth thee to permit this.\"\n\n\"'Shakra said, \"Thou shalt behold thy brothers in Heaven. They have reached\nit before thee. Indeed, thou shalt see all of them there, with Krishna.\nDo not yield to grief, O chief of the Bharatas. Having cast off their\nhuman bodies they have gone there, O chief of Bharata's race. As regards\nthee, it is ordained that thou shalt go thither in this very body of\nthine.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"This dog, O lord of the Past and the Present, is\nexceedingly devoted to me. He should go with me. My heart is full of\ncompassion for him.\"\n\n\"'Shakra said, \"Immortality and a condition equal to mine, O king,\nprosperity extending in all directions, and high success, and all the\nfelicities of Heaven, thou hast won today. Do thou cast off this dog. In\nthis there will be no cruelty.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"O thou of a 1,000 eyes. O thou that art of righteous\nbehaviour, it is exceedingly difficult for one that is of righteous\nbehaviour to perpetrate an act that is unrighteous. I do not desire that\nunion with prosperity for which I shall have to cast off one that is\ndevoted to me.\"\n\n\"'Indra said, \"There is no place in Heaven for persons with dogs. Besides,\nthe (deities called) Krodhavasas take away all the merits of such\npersons. Reflecting on this, act, O king Yudhishthira the just. Do thou\nabandon this dog. There is no cruelty in this.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"It has been said that the abandonment of one that is\ndevoted is infinitely sinful. It is equal to the sin that one incurs by\nslaying a Brahmana. Hence, O great Indra, I shall not abandon this dog\ntoday from desire of my happiness. Even this is my vow steadily pursued,\nthat I never give up a person that is terrified, nor one that is devoted\nto me, nor one that seeks my protection, saying that he is destitute, nor\none that is afflicted, nor one that has come to me, nor one that is weak\nin protecting oneself, nor one that is solicitous of life. I shall never\ngive up such a one till my own life is at an end.\"\n\n\"'Indra said, \"Whatever gifts, or sacrifices spread out, or libations\npoured on the sacred fire, are seen by a dog, are taken away by the\nKrodhavasas. Do thou, therefore, abandon this dog. By abandoning this dog\nthou wilt attain to the region of the deities. Having abandoned thy\nbrothers and Krishna, thou hast, O hero, acquired a region of felicity by\nthy own deeds. Why art thou so stupefied? Thou hast renounced everything.\nWhy then dost thou not renounce this dog?\" Yudhishthira said, \"This is\nwell known in all the worlds that there is neither friendship nor enmity\nwith those that are dead. When my brothers and Krishna died, I was unable\nto revive them. Hence it was that I abandoned them. I did not, however,\nabandon them as long as they were alive. To frighten one that has sought\nprotection, the slaying of a woman, the theft of what belongs to a\nBrahmana, and injuring a friend, each of these four, O Shakra, is I think\nequal to the abandonment of one that is devoted.\"'\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the\njust, (the dog became transformed into) the deity of Righteousness, who,\nwell pleased, said these words unto him in a sweet voice fraught with\npraise.\n\n\"'Dharma said: \"Thou art well born, O king of kings, and possessed of the\nintelligence and the good conduct of Pandu. Thou hast compassion for all\ncreatures, O Bharata, of which this is a bright example. Formerly, O son,\nthou wert once examined by me in the woods of Dwaita, where thy brothers\nof great prowess met with (an appearance of) death. Disregarding both thy\nbrothers Bhima and Arjuna, thou didst wish for the revival of Nakula from\nthy desire of doing good to thy (step-) mother. On the present occasion,\nthinking the dog to be devoted to thee, thou hast renounced the very car\nof the celestials instead of renouncing him. Hence, O king, there is no\none in Heaven that is equal to thee. Hence, O Bharata, regions of\ninexhaustible felicity are thine. Thou hast won them, O chief of the\nBharatas, and thine is a celestial and high goal.\"'\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'Then Dharma, and Shakra, and the Maruts, and\nthe Ashvinis, and other deities, and the celestial Rishis, causing\nYudhishthira to ascend on a car, proceeded to Heaven. Those beings\ncrowned with success and capable of going everywhere at will, rode their\nrespective cars. King Yudhishthira, that perpetuator of Kuru's race,\nriding on that car, ascended quickly, causing the entire welkin to blaze\nwith his effulgence. Then Narada, that foremost of all speakers, endued\nwith penances, and conversant with all the worlds, from amidst that\nconcourse of deities, said these words: \"All those royal sages that are\nhere have their achievements transcended by those of Yudhishthira.\nCovering all the worlds by his fame and splendour and by his wealth of\nconduct, he has attained to Heaven in his own (human) body. None else\nthan the son of Pandu has been heard to achieve this.\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words of Narada, the righteous-souled king, saluting the\ndeities and all the royal sages there present, said, \"Happy or miserable,\nwhatever the region be that is now my brothers', I desire to proceed to. I\ndo not wish to go anywhere else.\"\n\n\"'Hearing this speech of the king, the chief of the deities, Purandara,\nsaid these words fraught with noble sense: \"Do thou live in this place, O\nking of kings, which thou hast won by thy meritorious deeds. Why dost\nthou still cherish human affections? Thou hast attained to great success,\nthe like of which no other man has ever been able to attain. Thy\nbrothers, O delighter of the Kurus, have succeeded in winning regions of\nfelicity. Human affections still touch thee. This is Heaven. Behold these\ncelestial Rishis and Siddhas who have attained to the region of the gods.\"\n\n\"'Gifted with great intelligence, Yudhishthira answered the chief of the\ndeities once more, saying, \"O conqueror of Daityas, I venture not to dwell\nanywhere separated from them. I desire to go there, where my brothers\nhave gone. I wish to go there where that foremost of women, Draupadi, of\nample proportions and darkish complexion and endued with great\nintelligence and righteous of conduct, has gone.\"'\"\n\nThe end of Mahaprasthanika-parva.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 18\n\nSvargarohanika-parva\n\n\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned and Proofed by Mantra Caitanya. Additional proofing and\nformatting at sacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare, October 2003.\n\n\n\n1\n\nOm! Having bowed down into Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as\nalso to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word \"Jaya\" be uttered.\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'Having attained to Heaven, what regions were\nrespectively attained by my grandsires of old, viz., the Pandavas and the\nsons of Dhritarashtra? I desire to hear this. I think that thou art\nconversant with everything, having been taught by the great Rishi Vyasa\nof wonderful feats.'\n\n\"Vaishampayana said, 'Listen now to what thy grandsires, Yudhishthira and\nothers, did after having attained to Heaven, that place of the deities.\nArrived at Heaven, king Yudhishthira the just, beheld Duryodhana endued\nwith prosperity and seated on an excellent seat. He blazed with\neffulgence like the sun and wore all those signs of glory which belong to\nheroes. And he was in the company of many deities of blazing effulgence\nand of Sadhyas of righteous deeds. Yudhishthira, beholding Duryodhana and\nhis prosperity, became suddenly filled with rage and turned back from the\nsight.\n\n\"'He loudly addressed his companions, saying, \"I do not desire to share\nregions of felicity with Duryodhana who was stained by cupidity and\npossessed of little foresight. It was for him that friends, and kinsmen,\nover the whole Earth were slaughtered by us whom he had afflicted greatly\nin the deep forest. It was for him that the virtuous princess of Panchala,\nDraupadi of faultless features, our wife, was dragged into the midst of\nthe assembly before all our seniors. Ye gods, I have no desire to even\nbehold Suyodhana. I wish to go there where my brothers are.\"\n\n\"'Narada, smiling, told him, \"It should not be so, O king of kings. While\nresiding in Heaven, all enmities cease. O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, do\nnot say so about king Duryodhana. Hear my words. Here is king Duryodhana.\nHe is worshipped with the gods by those righteous men and those foremost\nof kings who are now denizens of Heaven. By causing his body to be poured\nas a libation on the fire of battle, he has obtained the end that\nconsists in attainment of the region for heroes. You and your brothers,\nwho were veritable gods on Earth, were always persecuted by this one. Yet\nthrough his observance of Kshatriya practices he has attained to this\nregion. This lord of Earth was not terrified in a situation fraught with\nterror.\n\n\"'\"O son, thou shouldst not bear in mind the woes inflicted on thee on\naccount of the match at dice. It behoveth thee not to remember the\nafflictions of Draupadi. It behoveth thee not to remember the other woes\nwhich were yours in consequence of the acts of your kinsmen, the woes,\nviz., that were due to battle or to other situations. Do thou meet\nDuryodhana now according to the ordinances of polite intercourse. This is\nHeaven, O lord of men. There can be no enmities here.\"\n\n\"'Though thus addressed by Narada, the Kuru king Yudhishthira, endued with\ngreat intelligence, enquired about his brothers and said, \"If these\neternal regions reserved for heroes be Duryodhana's, that unrighteous and\nsinful wight, that man who was the destroyer of friends and of the whole\nworld, that man for whose sake the entire Earth was devastated with all\nher horses and elephants and human beings, that wight for whose sake we\nwere burnt with wrath in thinking of how best we might remedy our wrongs,\nI desire to see what regions have been attained by those high-souled\nheroes, my brothers of high vows, steady achievers of promises, truthful\nin speech, and distinguished for courage. The high-souled Karna, the son\nof Kunti, incapable of being baffled in battle, Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki,\nthe sons of Dhrishtadyumna and those other Kshatriyas who met with death\nin the observance of Kshatriya practices, where are those lords of Earth,\nO Brahmana? I do not see them here, O Narada. I desire to see, O Narada,\nVirata and Drupada and the other great Kshatriyas headed by Dhrishtaketu,\nas also Shikhandi, the Panchala prince, the sons of Draupadi, and\nAbhimanyu, irresistible in battle.\"'\"\n\n\n\n2\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Ye deities, I do not see here Radha's son of\nimmeasurable prowess, as also my high-souled brothers, and Yudhamanyu and\nUttamaujas, those great car-warriors that poured their bodies (as\nlibations) on the fire of battle, those kings and princes that met with\ndeath for my sake in battle. Where are those great car-warriors that\npossessed the prowess of tigers? Have those foremost of men acquired this\nregion? If those great car-warriors have obtained these regions, then\nonly do you know, ye gods, that I shall reside here with those\nhigh-souled ones. If this auspicious and eternal region has not been\nacquired by those kings, then know, ye gods, that without those brothers\nand kinsmen of mine, I shall not live here. At the time of performing the\nwater rites (after the battle), I heard my mother say, 'Do thou offer\noblations of water unto Karna.' Since hearing those words of my mother, I\nam burning with grief. I grieve also incessantly at this, ye gods, that\nwhen I marked the resemblance between the feet of my mother and those of\nKarna of immeasurable soul, I did not immediately place myself under\norders of that afflicter of hostile ranks. Ourselves joined with Karna,\nShakra himself would have been unable to vanquish in battle. Wherever may\nthat child of Surya be, I desire to see him. Alas, his relationship with\nus being unknown, I caused him to be slain by Arjuna. Bhima also of\nterrible prowess and dearer to me than my life-breaths, Arjuna too,\nresembling Indra himself, the twins also that resembled the Destroyer\nhimself in prowess, I desire to behold. I wish to see the princess of\nPanchala, whose conduct was always righteous. I wish not to stay here. I\ntell you the truth. Ye foremost ones among the deities, what is Heaven to\nme if I am dissociated from my brothers? That is Heaven where those\nbrothers of mine are. This, in my opinion, is not Heaven.\"\n\n\"'The gods said, \"If thou longest to be there, go then, O son, without\ndelay. At the command of the chief of the deities, we are ready to do\nwhat is agreeable to thee.\"'\n\n\"Vaishampayana continued: 'Having said so, the gods then ordered the\ncelestial messenger, O scorcher of foes, saying, \"Do thou show unto\nYudhishthira his friends and kinsmen.\" Then the royal son of Kunti and the\ncelestial messenger proceeded together, O foremost of kings, to that\nplace where those chiefs of men (whom Yudhishthira had wished to see)\nwere. The celestial messenger proceeded first, the king followed him\nbehind. The path was inauspicious and difficult and trodden by men of\nsinful deeds. It was enveloped in thick darkness, and covered with hair\nand moss forming its grassy vesture. Polluted with the stench of sinners,\nand miry with flesh and blood, it abounded with gadflies and stinging\nbees and gnats and was endangered by the inroads of grisly bears. Rotting\ncorpses lay here and there. Overspread with bones and hair, it was\nnoisome with worms and insects. It was skirted all along with a blazing\nfire. It was infested by crows and other birds and vultures, all having\nbeaks of iron, as also by evil spirits with long mouths pointed like\nneedles. And it abounded with inaccessible fastnesses like the Vindhya\nmountains. Human corpses were scattered over it, smeared with fat and\nblood, with arms and thighs cut off, or with entrails torn out and legs\nsevered.\n\n\"'Along that path so disagreeable with the stench of corpses and awful\nwith other incidents, the righteous-souled king proceeded, filled with\ndiverse thoughts. He beheld a river full of boiling water and, therefore,\ndifficult to cross, as also a forest of trees whose leaves were sharp\nswords and razors. There were plains full of fine white sand exceedingly\nheated, and rocks and stones made of iron. There were many jars of iron\nall around, with boiling oil in them. Many a Kuta-salmalika was there,\nwith sharp thorns and, therefore, exceedingly painful to the touch. The\nson of Kunti beheld also the tortures inflicted upon sinful men.\n\n\"'Beholding that inauspicious region abounding with every sort of\nfoulness, Yudhishthira asked the celestial messenger, saying, \"How far\nshall we proceed along a path like this? It behoveth thee to tell me\nwhere those brothers of mine are. I desire also to know what region is\nthis of the gods?\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the just, the celestial\nmessenger stopped in his course and replied, saying, \"Thus far is your\nway. The denizens of Heaven commanded me that having come thus far, I am\nto stop. If thou art tired, O king of kings, thou mayst return with me.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira, however, was exceedingly disconsolate and stupefied by the\nfoul odour. Resolved to return, O Bharata, he retraced his steps.\nAfflicted by sorrow and grief, the righteous-souled monarch turned back.\nJust at that moment he heard piteous lamentations all around, \"O son of\nDharma, O royal sage, O thou of sacred origin, O son of Pandu, do thou\nstay a moment for favouring us. At thy approach, O invincible one, a\ndelightful breeze hath begun to blow, bearing the sweet scent of thy\nperson. Great hath been our relief at this. O foremost of kings,\nbeholding thee, O first of men, great hath been our happiness. O son of\nPritha, let that happiness last longer through thy stay here, for a few\nmoments more. Do thou remain here, O Bharata, for even a short while. As\nlong as thou art here, O thou of Kuru's race, torments cease to afflict\nus.\" These and many similar words, uttered in piteous voices by persons in\npain, the king heard in that region, wafted to his ears from every side.\n\n\"'Hearing those words of beings in woe, Yudhishthira of compassionate\nheart exclaimed aloud, \"Alas, how painful!\" And the king stood still. The\nspeeches of those woe-begone and afflicted persons seemed to the son of\nPandu to be uttered in voices that he had heard before although he could\nnot recognise them on that occasion.\n\n\"'Unable to recognise voices, Dharma's son, Yudhishthira, enquired, saying,\n\"Who are you? Why also do you stay here?\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed, they answered him from all sides, saying, \"I am Karna!\"\n\"I am Bhimasena!\" \"I am Arjuna!\" \"I am Nakula!\" \"I am Sahadeva!\" \"I am\nDhrishtadyumna!\" \"I am Draupadi!\" \"We are the sons of Draupadi!\" Even thus,\nO king, did those voices speak.\n\n\"'Hearing those exclamations, O king, uttered in voices of pain suitable\nto that place, the royal Yudhishthira asked himself, \"What perverse destiny\nis this? What are those sinful acts which were committed by those\nhigh-souled beings, Karna and the sons of Draupadi, and the\nslender-waisted princess of Panchala, so that their residence has been\nassigned in this region of foetid smell and great woe? I am not aware of\nany transgression that can be attributed to these persons of righteous\ndeeds. What is that act by doing which Dhritarashtra's son, king\nSuyodhana, with all his sinful followers, has become invested with such\nprosperity? Endued with prosperity like that of the great Indra himself,\nhe is highly adored. What is that act through the consequence of which\nthese (high-souled ones) have fallen into Hell? All of them were\nconversant with every duty, were heroes, were devoted to truth and the\nVedas; were observant of Kshatriya practices; were righteous in their\nacts; were performers of sacrifices; and givers of large presents unto\nbrahmanas. Am I asleep or awake? Am I conscious or unconscious? Or, is\nall this a mental delusion due to disorders of the brain?\"\n\n\"'Overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, and with his senses agitated by\nanxiety, king Yudhishthira indulged in such reflections for a long time.\nThe royal son of Dharma then gave way to great wrath. Indeed,\nYudhishthira then censured the gods, as also Dharma himself. Afflicted by\nthe very foul odour, he addressed the celestial messenger, saying, \"Return\nto the presence of those whose messenger thou art. Tell them that I shall\nnot go back to where they are, but shall stay even here, since, in\nconsequence of my companionship, these afflicted brothers of mine have\nbecome comforted.\" Thus addressed by the intelligent son of Pandu, the\ncelestial messenger returned to the place where the chief of the deities\nwas, viz., he of a hundred sacrifices. He represented unto him the acts\nof Yudhishthira. Indeed, O ruler of men, he informed Indra of all that\nDharma's son had said.'\"\n\n\n\n3\n\n\"Vaishampayana said, 'King Yudhishthira the just, the son of Pritha, had\nnot stayed there for more than a moment when, O thou of Kuru's race, all\nthe gods with Indra at their head came to that spot. The deity of\nRighteousness in his embodied form also came to that place where the Kuru\nking was, for seeing that monarch. Upon the advent of those deities of\nresplendent bodies and sanctified and noble deeds, the darkness that had\noverwhelmed that region immediately disappeared. The torments undergone\nby beings of sinful deeds were no longer seen. The river Vaitarani, the\nthorny Salmali, the iron jars, and the boulders of rock, so terrible to\nbehold, also vanished from sight. The diverse repulsive corpses also,\nwhich the Kuru king had seen, disappeared at the same time. Then a\nbreeze, delicious and fraught with pleasant perfumes, perfectly pure and\ndelightfully cool, O Bharata, began to blow on that spot in consequence\nof the presence of the gods. The Maruts, with Indra, the Vasus with the\ntwin Ashvinis, the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Adityas, and the other\ndenizens of Heaven, as also the Siddhas and the great Rishis, all came\nthere where Dharma's royal son of great energy was.\n\n\"'Then Shakra, the lord of the deities, endued with blazing prosperity,\naddressed Yudhishthira and comforting him, said, \"O Yudhishthira of mighty\narms, come, come, O chief of men. These illusions have ended, O puissant\none. Success has been attained by thee, O mighty-armed one, and eternal\nregions (of felicity) have become thine. Thou shouldst not yield to\nwrath. Listen to these words of mine. Hell, O son, should without doubt\nbe beheld by every king. Of both good and bad there is abundance, O chief\nof men. He who enjoys first the fruits of his good acts must afterwards\nendure Hell. He, on the other hand, who first endures Hell, must\nafterwards enjoy Heaven. He whose sinful acts are many enjoys Heaven\nfirst. It is for this, O king, that desirous of doing thee good, I caused\nthee to be sent for having a view of Hell. Thou hadst, by a pretence,\ndeceived Drona in the matter of his son. Thou hast, in consequence\nthereof, been shown Hell by an act of deception. After the manner of\nthyself, Bhima and Arjuna, and Draupadi, have all been shown the place of\nsinners by an act of deception. Come, O chief of men, all of them have\nbeen cleansed of their sins. All those kings who had aided thee and who\nhave been slain in battle, have all attained to Heaven. Come and behold\nthem, O foremost one of Bharata's race.\n\n\"'\"Karna, the mighty bowman, that foremost of all wielders of weapons for\nwhom thou art grieving, has also attained to high success. Behold, O\npuissant one, that foremost of men, viz., the son of Surya. He is in that\nplace which is his own, O mighty-armed one. Kill this grief of thine, O\nchief of men. Behold thy brothers and others, those kings, that is, who\nhad espoused thy side. They have all attained to their respective places\n(of felicity). Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled. Having endured a\nlittle misery first, from this time, O son of Kuru's race, do thou sport\nwith me in happiness, divested of grief and all thy ailments dispelled. O\nmighty-armed one, do thou now enjoy, O king, the rewards of all thy deeds\nof righteousness of those regions which thou hast acquired thyself by thy\npenances and of all thy gifts. Let deities and Gandharvas, and celestial\nApsaras, decked in pure robes and excellent ornaments, wait upon and\nserve thee for thy happiness. Do thou, O mighty-armed one, enjoy now\nthose regions (of felicity) which have become thine through the Rajasuya\nsacrifice performed by thee and whose felicities have been enhanced by\nthe sacrificial scimitar employed by thee. Let the high fruits of thy\npenances be enjoyed by thee. Thy regions, O Yudhishthira, are above\nthose of kings. They are equal to those of Hariscandra, O son of Pritha.\nCome, and sport there in bliss. There where the royal sage Mandhatri is,\nthere where king Bhagiratha is, there where Dushmanta's son Bharata is,\nthere wilt thou sport in bliss. Here is the celestial river, sacred and\nsanctifying the three worlds. It is called Heavenly Ganga. Plunging into\nit, thou wilt go to thy own regions. Having bathed in this stream, thou\nwilt be divested of thy human nature. Indeed, thy grief dispelled, thy\nailments conquered, thou wilt be freed from all enmities.\"\n\n\"'While, O Kuru king, the chief of the gods was saying so unto\nYudhishthira, the deity of Righteousness, in his embodied form, then\naddressed his own son and said, \"O king, I am greatly pleased, O thou of\ngreat wisdom, with thee, O son, by thy devotion to me, by thy\ntruthfulness of speech, and forgiveness, and self-restraint. This,\nindeed, is the third test, O king, to which I put thee. Thou art\nincapable, O son of Pritha, of being swerved from thy nature or reason.\nBefore this, I had examined thee in the Dwaita woods by my questions,\nwhen thou hadst come to that lake for recovering a couple of fire sticks.\nThou stoodst it well. Assuming the shape of a dog, I examined thee once\nmore, O son, when thy brothers with Draupadi had fallen down. This has\nbeen thy third test; thou hast expressed thy wish to stay at Hell for the\nsake of thy brothers. Thou hast become cleansed, O highly blessed one.\nPurified of sin, be thou happy.\n\n\"'\"O son of Pritha, thy brothers, O king, were not such as to deserve Hell.\nAll this has been an illusion created by the chief of the gods. Without\ndoubt, all kings, O son, must once behold Hell. Hence hast thou for a\nlittle while been subjected to this great affliction. O king, neither\nArjuna, nor Bhima, nor any of those foremost of men, viz., the twins, nor\nKarna, ever truthful in speech and possessed of great courage, could be\ndeserving of Hell for a long time. The princess Krishna too, O\nYudhishthira, could not be deserving of that place of sinners. Come,\ncome, O foremost one of the Bharatas, behold Ganga who spreads her\ncurrent over the three worlds.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed, that royal sage, viz., thy grandsire, proceeded with\nDharma and all the other gods. Having bathed in the celestial river\nGanga, sacred and sanctifying and ever adored by the Rishis, he cast off\nhis human body. Assuming then a celestial form, king Yudhishthira the\njust, in consequence of that bath, became divested of all his enmities\nand grief. Surrounded by the deities, the Kuru king Yudhishthira then\nproceeded from that spot. He was accompanied by Dharma, and the great\nRishis uttered his praises. Indeed, he reached that place where those\nforemost of men, those heroes, viz., the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras,\nfreed from (human) wrath, were enjoying each his respective status.'\"\n\n\n\n4\n\n\"Vaishampayana said, 'King Yudhishthira, thus praised by the gods, the\nMaruts and the Rishis, proceeded to that place where those foremost ones\nof Kuru's race were. He beheld Govinda endued with his Brahma-form. It\nresembled that form of his which had been seen before and which,\ntherefore, helped the recognition. Blazing forth in that form of his, he\nwas adorned with celestial weapons, such as the terrible discus and\nothers in their respective embodied forms. He was being adored by the\nheroic Phalguna, who also was endued with a blazing effulgence. The son\nof Kunti beheld the slayer of Madhu also in his own form. Those two\nforemost of Beings, adored by all the gods, beholding Yudhishthira,\nreceived him with proper honours.\n\n\"'In another place, the delighter of the Kurus beheld Karna, that foremost\none among all wielders of weapons, resembling a dozen Suryas in\nsplendour. In another part he beheld Bhimasena of great puissance,\nsitting in the midst of the Maruts, and endued with a blazing form. He\nwas sitting by the side of the God of Wind in his embodied form. Indeed,\nhe was then in a celestial form endued with great beauty, and had\nattained to the highest success. In the place belonging to the Ashvinis,\nthe delighter of the Kurus beheld Nakula and Sahadeva, each blazing with\nhis own effulgence.\n\n\"'He also beheld the princess of Panchala, decked in garlands of lotuses.\nHaving attained to Heaven, she was sitting there, endued with a form\npossessed of solar splendour. King Yudhishthira suddenly wished to\nquestion her. Then the illustrious Indra, the chief of the gods, spoke to\nhim, \"This one is Sree herself. It was for your sake that she took birth,\nas the daughter of Drupada, among human beings, issuing not from any\nmother's womb, O Yudhishthira, endued with agreeable perfume and capable\nof delighting the whole world. For your pleasure, she was created by the\nwielder of the trident. She was born in the race of Drupada and was\nenjoyed by you all. These five highly blessed Gandharvas endued with the\neffulgence of fire, and possessed of great energy, were, O king, the sons\nof Draupadi and yourself.\n\n\"'\"Behold Dhritarashtra, the king of the Gandharvas, possessed of great\nwisdom. Know that this one was the eldest brother of thy sire. This one\nis thy eldest brother, the son of Kunti, endued with effulgence of fire.\nThe son of Surya, thy eldest brother, the foremost of men, even this one\nwas known as the son of Radha. He moves in the company of Surya. Behold\nthis foremost of Beings. Among the tribes of the Saddhyas, the gods, the\nViswedevas, and the Maruts, behold, O king of kings, the mighty\ncar-warriors of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, viz., those heroes having\nSatyaki for their first, and those mighty ones among the Bhojas. Behold\nthe son of Subhadra, invincible in battle, now staying with Soma. Even he\nis the mighty bowman Abhimanyu, now endued with the gentle effulgence of\nthe great luminary of the night. Here is the mighty bowman Pandu, now\nunited with Kunti and Madri. Thy sire frequently comes to me on his\nexcellent car. Behold the royal Bhishma, the son of Santanu, now in the\nmidst of the Vasus. Know that this one by the side of Brihaspati is thy\npreceptor Drona. These and other kings, O son of Pandu, who had warred on\nthy side now walk with the Gandharvas or Yakshas or other sacred beings.\nSome have attained to the status of Guhyakas, O king. Having cast off\ntheir bodies, they have conquered Heaven by the merit they had acquired\nthrough word, thought and deed.\"'\"\n\n\n\n5\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'Bhishma and Drona, those two high-souled persons, king\nDhritarashtra, and Virata and Drupada, and Sankha and Uttara,\nDhrishtaketu and Jayatsena and king Satyajit, the sons of Duryodhana, and\nShakuni the son of Subala, Karna's sons of great prowess, king Jayadratha,\nGhatotkaca and others whom thou hast not mentioned, the other heroic\nkings of blazing forms, tell me for what period they remained in Heaven. O\nforemost of regenerate persons, was theirs an eternal place in Heaven?\nWhat was the end attained to by those foremost of men when their acts\ncame to an end? I desire to hear this, O foremost of regenerate persons,\nand therefore have I asked thee. Through thy blazing penances thou seest\nall things.\"'\n\nSauti said: \"Thus questioned, that regenerate Rishi, receiving the\npermission of the high-souled Vyasa, set himself to answer the question\nof the king.\n\n\"Vaishampayana said, 'Every one, O king of men, is not capable of\nreturning to his own nature at the end of his deeds. Whether this is so\nor not, is, indeed a good question asked by thee. Hear, O king, this\nwhich is a mystery of the gods, O chief of Bharata's race. It was\nexplained (to us) by Vyasa of mighty energy, celestial vision and great\nprowess, that ancient ascetic, O Kauravya, who is the son of Parasara and\nwho always observes high vows, who is of immeasurable understanding, who\nis omniscient, and who, therefore knows the end attached to all acts.\n\n\"'Bhishma of mighty energy and great effulgence attained to the status of\nthe Vasus. Eight Vasus, O chief of Bharata's race, are now seen. Drona\nentered into Brihaspati, that foremost one of Angirasa's descendants.\nHridika's son Kritavarma entered the Maruts. Pradyumna entered Sanatkumara\nwhence he had issued. Dhritarashtra obtained the regions, so difficult of\nacquisition, that belong to the Lord of treasures. The famous Gandhari\nobtained the same regions with her husband Dhritarashtra. With his two\nwives, Pandu proceeded to the abode of the great Indra. Both Virata and\nDrupada, the king Dhrishtaketu, as also Nishatha, Akrura, Samva,\nBhanukampa, and Viduratha, and Bhurishrava and Sala and king Bhuri, and\nKansa, and Ugrasena, and Vasudeva, and Uttara, that foremost of men, with\nhis brother Sankha, all these foremost of persons entered the deities.\nSoma's son of great prowess, named Varchas of mighty energy, became\nAbhimanyu, the son of Phalguna, that lion among men. Having fought,\nagreeably to Kshatriya practices, with bravery such as none else had ever\nbeen able to show, that mighty-armed and righteous-souled being entered\nSoma. Slain on the field of battle, O foremost of men, Karna entered\nSurya. Shakuni obtained absorption into Dwapara, and Dhrishtadyumna into\nthe deity of fire. The sons of Dhritarashtra were all Rakshasas of fierce\nmight. Sanctified by death caused by weapons, those high-souled beings of\nprosperity all succeeded in attaining to Heaven. Both Kshattri and king\nYudhishthira entered into the god of Righteousness. The holy and\nillustrious Ananta (who had taken birth as Balarama) proceeded to the\nregion below the Earth. Through the command of the Grandsire, he, aided\nby his Yoga power, supported the Earth. Vasudeva was a portion of that\neternal god of gods called Narayana. Accordingly, he entered into\nNarayana. 16,000 women had been married to Vasudeva as his wives. When\nthe time came, O Janamejaya, they plunged into the Sarasvati. Casting\noff their (human) bodies there, they re-ascended to Heaven. Transformed\ninto Apsaras, they approached the presence of Vasudeva. Those heroic and\nmighty car-warriors, Ghatotkaca and others, who were slain in the great\nbattle, attained to the status, some of gods and some of Yakshas. Those\nthat had fought on the side of Duryodhana are said to have been\nRakshasas. Gradually, O king, they have all attained to excellent regions\nof felicity. Those foremost of men have proceeded, some to the abode of\nIndra, some to that of Kuvera of great intelligence, and some to that of\nVaruna. I have now told thee, O thou of great splendour, everything about\nthe acts, O Bharata, of both the Kurus and the Pandavas.'\"\n\nSauti said: \"Hearing this, ye foremost of regenerate ones, at the\nintervals of sacrificial rites, king Janamejaya became filled with\nwonder. The sacrificial priests then finished the rites that remained to\nbe gone through. Astika, having rescued the snakes (from fiery death),\nbecame filled with joy. King Janamejaya then gratified all the Brahmanas\nwith copious presents. Thus worshipped by the king, they returned to\ntheir respective abodes. Having dismissed those learned Brahmanas, king\nJanamejaya came back from Takshasila to the city named after the elephant.\n\n\"I have now told everything that Vaishampayana narrated, at the command of\nVyasa, unto the king at his snake sacrifice. Called a history, it is\nsacred, sanctifying and excellent. It has been composed by the ascetic\nKrishna, O Brahmana, of truthful speech. He is omniscient, conversant\nwith all ordinances, possessed of a knowledge of all duties, endued with\npiety, capable of perceiving what is beyond the ken of the senses, pure,\nhaving a soul cleansed by penances, possessed of the six high attributes,\nand devoted to Sankhya Yoga. He has composed this, beholding everything\nwith a celestial eye that has been cleansed (strengthened) by varied\nlore. He has done this, desiring to spread the fame, throughout the\nworld, of the high-souled Pandavas, as also of other Kshatriyas possessed\nof abundant wealth of energy.\n\n\"That learned man who recites this history of sacred days in the midst of\na listening auditory becomes cleansed of every sin, conquers Heaven, and\nattains to the status of Brahma. Of that man who listens with rapt\nattention to the recitation of the whole of this Veda composed by (the\nIsland-born) Krishna, a million sins, numbering such grave ones as\nBrahmanicide and the rest, are washed off. The Pitris of that man who\nrecites even a small portion of this history at a Sraddha, obtain\ninexhaustible food and drink. The sins that one commits during the day by\none's senses or the mind are all washed off before evening by reciting a\nportion of the Mahabharata. Whatever sins a Brahmana may commit at night\nin the midst of women are all washed off before dawn by reciting a\nportion of the Mahabharata.\n\n\"The high race of the Bharatas is its topic. Hence it is called Bharata.\nAnd because of its grave import, as also of the Bharatas being its topic,\nit is called Mahabharata. He who is versed in interpretations of this\ngreat treatise, becomes cleansed of every sin. Such a man lives in\nrighteousness, wealth, and pleasure, and attains to Emancipation also, O\nchief of Bharata's race.\n\n\"That which occurs here occurs elsewhere. That which does not occur here\noccurs nowhere else. This history is known by the name of Jaya. It should\nbe heard by every one desirous of Emancipation. It should be read by\nBrahmanas, by kings, and by women quick with children. He that desires\nHeaven attains to Heaven; and he that desires victory attains to victory.\nThe woman quick with child gets either a son or a daughter highly\nblessed. The puissant Island-born Krishna, who will not have to come\nback, and who is Emancipation incarnate, made an abstract of the Bharata,\nmoved by the desire of aiding the cause of righteousness. He made another\ncompilation consisting of sixty lakhs of verses. Thirty lakhs of these\nwere placed in the region of the deities. In the region of the Pitris\nfifteen lakhs, it should be known, are current; while in that of the\nYakshas fourteen lakhs are in vogue. One lakh is current among human\nbeings.\n\n\"Narada recited the Mahabharata to the gods; Asita-Devala to the Pitris;\nSuka to the Rakshasas and the Yakshas; and Vaishampayana to human beings.\nThis history is sacred, and of high import, and regarded as equal to the\nVedas. That man, O Saunaka, who hears this history, placing a Brahmana\nbefore him, acquires both fame and the fruition of all his wishes. He\nwho, with fervid devotion, listens to a recitation of the Mahabharata,\nattains (hereafter) to high success in consequence of the merit that\nbecomes his through understanding even a very small portion thereof. All\nthe sins of that man who recites or listens to this history with devotion\nare washed off.\n\n\"In former times, the great Rishi Vyasa, having composed this treatise,\ncaused his son Suka to read it with him, along with these four Verses.\nThousands of mothers and fathers, and hundreds of sons and wives arise in\nthe world and depart from it. Others will (arise and) similarly depart.\nThere are thousands of occasions for joy and hundreds of occasions for\nfear. These affect only him that is ignorant but never him that is wise.\nWith uplifted arms I am crying aloud but nobody hears me. From\nRighteousness is Wealth as also Pleasure. Why should not Righteousness,\ntherefore, be courted? For the sake neither of pleasure, nor of fear, nor\nof cupidity should any one cast off Righteousness. Indeed, for the sake\nof even life one should not cast off Righteousness. Righteousness is\neternal. Pleasure and Pain are not eternal. Jiva is eternal. The cause,\nhowever, of Jiva's being invested with a body is not so.\n\n\"That man who, waking up at dawn, reads this Savittri of the Bharata,\nacquires all the rewards attached to a recitation of this history and\nultimately attains to the highest Brahma. As the sacred Ocean, as the\nHimavat mountain, are both regarded as mines of precious gems, even so is\nthis Bharata (regarded as a mine of precious gems). The man of learning,\nby reciting to others this Veda or Agama composed by (the Island-born)\nKrishna, earns wealth. There is no doubt in this that he who, with rapt\nattention, recites this history called Bharata, attains to high success.\nWhat need has that man of a sprinkling of the waters of Pushkara who\nattentively listens to this Bharata, while it is recited to him? It\nrepresents the nectar that fell from the lips of the Island-born. It is\nimmeasurable, sacred, sanctifying, sin-cleansing, and auspicious.\"\n\n\n\n6\n\n\"Janamejaya said, 'O holy one, according to what rites should the learned\nlisten to the Bharata? What are the fruits (acquirable by hearing it)?\nWhat deities are to be worshipped during the several paranas? What should\nbe the gifts that one should make, O holy one, at every parva or sacred\nday (during the continuance of the recitation)? What should be the\nqualification of the reciter to be engaged? Tell me all this!'\n\n\"Vaishampayana said, 'Hear, O king, what the procedure is, and what the\nfruits, O Bharata, are that will spring from ones listening (to a\nrecitation of the Bharata). Even this, O king of kings, is what thou\naskest me. The deities of Heaven, O ruler of Earth, came to this world\nfor sport. Having achieved their task, they ascended once more to Heaven.\nListen to what I shall tell thee in brief. In the Mahabharata is to be\nfound the births of Rishis and deities on the Earth. In this treatise,\ncalled Bharata, O foremost one of Bharata's race, are to be seen in one\nplace the eternal Rudras, the Saddhyas, and the Viswedevas; the Adityas,\nthe two deities named the Ashvinis, the regents of the World, the great\nRishis, the Guhyakas, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, the Vidyadharas, the\nSiddhas, the diverse deities, the Self-born visible in a body, with many\nascetics; the Hills and Mountains, Oceans and Seas and Rivers, the\ndiverse tribes of Apsaras; the Planets, the Years, the Half-years, and\nthe Seasons; and the whole universe of mobile and immobile entities, with\nall the gods and Asuras.\n\n\"'Hearing their celebrity, and in consequence of a recitation of their\nnames and achievements, a man that has committed even terrible sins, will\nbe cleansed. Having, with a concentrated soul and cleansed body, heard\nthis history duly, from the beginning, and having reached its end, one\nshould make Sraddha offerings, O Bharata, unto those (foremost of persons\nwho have been mentioned in it). Unto the Brahmanas also, O chief of\nBharata's race, should, with due devotion and according to ones power, be\nmade large gifts and diverse kinds of gems, and kine, and vessels of\nwhite brass for milking kine, and maidens decked with every ornament, and\npossessed of every accomplishment suited to enjoyment, as also diverse\nkinds of conveyances, beautiful mansions, plots of land, and cloths.\nAnimals also should be given, such as horses and elephants in rage, and\nbeds, and covered conveyances borne on the shoulders of men, and\nwell-decked cars. Whatever objects occur in the house, of the foremost\nkind, whatever wealth of great value occurs in it, should be given away\nunto Brahmanas. Indeed, one should give away one's own self, wives, and\nchildren.\n\n\"'One desirous of hearing the Bharata, should hear it without a doubting\nheart, with cheerfulness and joy; and as he proceeds listening to its\nrecitation, he should according to the extent of his power, make gifts\nwith great devotion.\n\n\"'Hear how a person that is devoted to truth and sincerity, that is\nself-restrained, pure (in mind), and observant of those acts which lead\nto purity of body, that is endued with faith, and that has subjugated\nwrath, attains to success (in the matter of a recitation of the Bharata).\nHe should appoint as reciter one that is pure (of body), that is endued\nwith good and pious conduct, that should be robed in white, that should\nhave a complete mastery over his passions, that is cleansed of all\noffences, that is conversant with every branch of learning, that is\nendued with faith, that is free from malice, that is possessed of\nhandsome features, that is blessed, self-restrained, truthful, and with\npassions under control, and that is beloved of all for the gifts he makes\nand the honours of which he is the possessor.\n\n\"'The reciter, seated at his ease, free from all bodily complaints, and\nwith rapt attention, should recite the text without too much slowness,\nwithout a labouring voice, without being fast or quick, quietly, with\nsufficient energy, without confusing the letters and words together, in a\nsweet intonation and with such accent and emphasis as would indicate the\nsense giving full utterance to the three and sixty letters of the\nalphabet from the eight places of their formation. Bowing unto Narayana,\nand to Nara, that foremost of men, as also to the goddess Sarasvati,\nshould the word Jaya be uttered.\n\n\"'Listening to the Bharata, O king, when recited, O thou of Bharata's race,\nby a reader of this kind, the listener, observant of vows all the while\nand cleansed by purificatory rites, acquires valuable fruits. When the\nfirst Parana is reached, the hearer should gratify Brahmanas with\npresents of all desirable objects. By doing this, one obtains the fruits\nof the Agnishtoma sacrifice. He acquires a large (celestial) car teeming\nwith diverse orders of Apsaras (that wait upon him). With a glad heart,\nand with the deities in his company, he proceeds to Heaven, his heart\nrapt (in felicity).\n\n\"'When the second Parana is reached, the hearer acquires the fruits of the\nAtiratra vow. Indeed, he ascends a celestial car made entirely of\nprecious gems. Wearing celestial garlands and robes, and decked with\ncelestial unguents and always shedding a celestial fragrance around, he\nreceives high honours in Heaven.\n\n\"'When the third Parana is reached, he acquires the fruits of the\nDwadasaha vow. Indeed he resides in Heaven for myriads of years, like a\ngod.\n\n\"'At the fourth Parana he acquires the fruits of the Vajapeya sacrifice.\n\n\"'At the fifth, twice those fruits are his. Ascending a celestial car that\nresembles the rising sun or a blazing fire, and with the deities for his\ncompanions, he goes to Heaven and sports in felicity for myriads of years\nin the abode of Indra.\n\n\"'At the sixth Parana, twice, and at the seventh, thrice those fruits\nbecome his. Ascending a celestial car that resembles the summit of the\nKailasa mountains (in beauty), that is equipt with an altar made of\nstones of lapis lazuli and other precious gems, that is surrounded by\nbeautiful objects of diverse kinds, that is decked with gems and corals,\nthat moves at the will of the rider, and that teems with waiting Apsaras,\nhe roves through all the regions of felicity, like a second deity of the\nSun.\n\n\"'At the eight Parana, he acquires the fruits of the Rajasuya sacrifice.\nHe ascends a car as beautiful as the rising moon, and unto which are\nyoked steeds white as the rays of the moon and endued with the speed of\nthought. He is served by women of the foremost beauty and whose faces are\nmore charming than the moon. He hears the music of the garlands that\nencircle their waists and the Nupuras encircling their ankles. Sleeping\nwith his head resting on the laps of women of transcendent beauty, he\nawakes greatly refreshed.\n\n\"'At the ninth Parana, he acquires, O Bharata, the fruits of that foremost\nof sacrifices, viz., the Horse-sacrifice. Ascending on a car equipt with\na chamber consisting of a top supported by columns of gold, furnished\nwith a seat made of stones of lapis lazuli, with windows on all sides\nmade of pure gold, and teeming with waiting Apsaras and Gandharvas and\nother celestials, he blazes forth in splendour. Wearing celestial\ngarlands and robes, and decked with celestial unguents, he sports in\nbliss, with deities for his companions, in Heaven, like a second deity\nhimself.\n\n\"'Reaching the tenth Parana and gratifying Brahmanas, he acquires a car\nwhich tinkles with innumerable bells, which is decked with flags and\nbanners, which is equipt with a seat made of precious gems, which has\nmany arches made of lapis lazuli, which has a net-work of gold all round,\nwhich has turrets made of corals, which is adorned with Gandharvas and\nApsaras well-skilled in singing, and which is fit for the residence of\nthe Righteous. Crowned with a diadem of the complexion of fire, decked\nwith ornaments of gold, his person smeared with celestial sandal paste,\ngarnished with celestial wreaths, he roves through all celestial regions,\nenjoying all celestial objects of enjoyment, and endued with great\nsplendour, through the grace of the deities.\n\n\"'Thus accoutred, he receives high honours in Heaven for many long years.\nWith Gandharvas in his company, for full 21,000 years, he sports in bliss\nwith Indra himself in abode of Indra. He roves at pleasure every day\nthrough the diverse regions of the gods, riding on celestial cars and\nconveyances, and surrounded by celestial damsels of transcendent beauty.\nHe is able to go to the abode of the solar deity, of the lunar deity, and\nof Siva, O king. Indeed, he succeeds in living in the same region with\nVishnu himself. It is even so, O monarch. There is no doubt in this. A\nperson listening with faith, becomes even so. My preceptor has said this.\nUnto the reciter should be given all such objects as he may wish.\nElephants and steeds and cars and conveyances, especially animals and the\nvehicles they draw, a bracelet of gold, a pair of ear-rings, sacred\nthreads, beautiful robes, and perfumes in especial (should be given). By\nworshipping him as a deity one attains to the regions of Vishnu.\n\n\"'After this I shall declare what should be given away, as each parva is\nreached of the Bharata in course of its recitation, unto brahmanas, after\nascertaining their birth, country, truthfulness, and greatness, O chief\nof Bharata's race, as also their inclination for piety, and unto\nKshatriyas too, O king, after ascertainment of similar particulars.\nCausing the Brahmanas to utter benedictions, the business of recitation\nshould be begun. When a parva is finished, the brahmanas should be\nworshipped to the best of one's power. At first, the reciter, clad in good\nrobes and smeared with perfumed paste, should, O king, be duly fed with\nhoney and frumenty of the best kind.\n\n\"'When the Astika-parva is being recited, brahmanas should be entertained\nwith fruits and roots, and frumenty, and honey and clarified butter, and\nrice boiled with raw sugar.\n\n\"'When the Sabha-parva is being recited, brahmanas should be fed with\nhabisya along with apupas and pupas and modakas, O king.\n\n\"'When the Aranyaka-parva is being recited, superior brahmanas should be\nfed with fruits and roots.\n\n\"'When the Arani-parva is reached, water-pots full of water should be\ngiven away. Many superior kinds of delicious food, also rice and fruits\nand roots, and food possessed of every agreeable attribute, should be\npresented unto the brahmanas.\n\n\"'During the recitation of the Virata-parva diverse kinds of robes should\nbe given away; and during that of the Udyoga-parva, O chief of the\nBharatas, the twice-born ones, after being decked with perfumes and\ngarlands, should be entertained with food possessed of every agreeable\nquality.\n\n\"'During the recitation of the Bhishma-parva, O king of kings, after\ngiving them excellent cars and conveyances, food should be given that is\npure and well-cooked and possessed of every desirable attribute.\n\n\"'During the Drona-parva food of very superior kind should be given to\nlearned brahmanas, as also beds, O monarch, and bows and good swords.\n\n\"'During the recitation of the Karna-parva, food of the foremost kind,\nbesides being pure and well-cooked, should be presented unto the\nbrahmanas by the house-holder with rapt mind.\n\n\"'During the recitation of the Shalya-parva, O king of kings, food with\nconfectionery and rice boiled with raw sugar, as also cakes of wheat and\nsoothing and nutritive viands and drinks should be presented.\n\n\"'During the recitation of the Gada-parva, brahmanas should be entertained\nwith food mixed with mudga.\n\n\"'During the recitation of the Stri-parva, foremost of brahmanas should be\nentertained with gems and precious stones; and during the recitation of\nthe Aishika-parva, rice boiled in ghee should first be given, and then\nfood pure and well-cooked, and possessed of every desirable quality,\nshould be presented.\n\n\"'During the recitation of the Shanti-parva, the brahmanas should be fed\nwith havisya.\n\n\"'When the Asvamedhika-parva is reached, food possessed of every agreeable\nquality should be given; and when the Asramvasika is reached, brahmanas\nshould be entertained with havisya.\n\n\"'When the Mausala is reached, scents and garlands possessed of agreeable\nqualities should be given away.\n\n\"'During the Mahaprasthanika, similar presents should be made, possessed\nof every quality of an agreeable kind.\n\n\"'When the Svarga-parva is reached, the brahmanas should be fed with\nhavisya.\n\n\"'Upon the conclusion of the Harivansa, a 1,000 brahmanas should be fed.\nUnto each of them should be presented a cow accompanied with a piece of\ngold. Half of this should be presented to each poor man, O king.\n\n\"'Upon the conclusion of all the Parvas, the house-holder of wisdom should\ngive unto the reciter a copy of the Mahabharata with a piece of gold.\nWhen the Harivansa Parva is being recited, Brahmanas should be fed with\nfrumenty at each successive Parana, O king. Having finished all the\nParvas, one versed in the scriptures, robing himself in white, wearing\ngarlands, decked with ornaments, and properly purified, should place a\ncopy of the Mahabharata on an auspicious spot and cover it with a piece\nof silken cloth and worship it, according to due rites, with scents and\ngarlands, offering each at a time. Indeed, O king, the several volumes of\nthis treatise should be worshipped by one with devotion and concentrated\nmind. Offerings should be made unto them of diverse kinds of food and\ngarlands and drinks and diverse auspicious articles of enjoyment. Gold\nand other precious metals should be given as Dakshina. The names should\nthen be taken of all the deities as also of Nara and Narayana. Then,\nadorning the persons of some foremost of Brahmanas with scents and\ngarlands, they should be gratified with diverse kinds of gifts of\nenjoyable and very superior or costly articles. By doing this, one\nattains to the merits of the Atiratra sacrifice. Indeed, at each\nsuccessive Parva, he acquires the merits that attach to the performance\nof a sacrifice. The reciter, O chief of the Bharatas, should be possessed\nof learning and endued with a good voice and a clear utterance respecting\nboth letters and words. Even such a man should, O chief of the Bharatas,\nrecite the Bharata. After entertaining a number of foremost Brahmanas,\npresents should be made unto them according to the ordinances. The\nreciter also, O chief of the Bharatas, should be decked with ornaments\nand fed sumptuously. The reciter being gratified, the house-holder\nattains to an excellent and auspicious contentment. If the Brahmanas are\ngratified, all the deities are gratified. After this, O chief of the\nBharatas, Brahmanas should be duly entertained with diverse kinds of\nenjoyable articles and superior things.\n\n\"'I have thus indicated the ordinances, O foremost of men, (about the\nmanner of reciting these scriptures) in answer to thy enquiries. Thou\nshouldst observe them with faith. In listening to a recitation of the\nBharata and at each Parana, O best of kings, one that desires to attain\nto the highest good should listen with the greatest care and attention.\nOne should listen to the Bharata every day. One should proclaim the\nmerits of the Bharata every day. One in whose house the Bharata occurs,\nhas in his hands all those scriptures which are known by the name of\nJaya. The Bharata is cleansing and sacred. In the Bharata are diverse\ntopics. The Bharata is worshipped by the very gods. The Bharata is the\nhighest goal. The Bharata, O chief of the Bharatas, is the foremost of\nall scriptures. One attains to Emancipation through the Bharata. This\nthat I tell thee is certain truth. One that proclaims the merits of this\nhistory called the Mahabharata, of the Earth, of the cow, of Sarasvati\n(the goddess of speech), of Brahmanas, and of Keshava, has never to\nlanguish.\n\n\"'In the Vedas, in the Ramayana, and in the sacred Bharata, O chief of\nBharata's race, Hari is sung in the beginning, the middle, and at the end.\nThat in which occur excellent statements relating to Vishnu, and the\neternal Srutis, should be listened to by men desirous of attaining to the\nhighest goal. This treatise is sanctifying. This is the highest indicator\nas regards duties; this is endued with every merit. One desirous of\nprosperity should listen to it. Sins committed by means of the body, by\nmeans of words, and by means of the mind, are all destroyed (through\nlistening to the Bharata) as Darkness at sunrise. One devoted to Vishnu\nacquires (through this) that merit which is acquired by listening to the\neighteen Puranas. There is no doubt in this. Men and women (by listening\nto this) would certainly attain to the status of Vishnu. Women desirous\nof having children should certainly listen to this which proclaims the\nfame of Vishnu. One desirous of attaining to the fruits that attach to a\nrecitation of the Bharata should, according to one's power, give unto the\nreciter Dakshina, as also an honorarium in gold. One desirous of one's own\ngood should give unto the reciter a Kapila cow with horns cased in gold\nand accompanied by her calf, covered with a cloth. Ornaments, O chief of\nBharatas race, for the arms, as also those for the ears, should be given.\nBesides these, other kinds of wealth should be presented. Unto the\nreciter, O king of men, gift of land should be made. No gift like that of\nland could ever be or will be. The man that listens (to the Bharata) or\nthat recites it to other people, becomes cleansed of all his sins and\nattains at last to the status of Vishnu. Such a man rescues his ancestors\nto the eleventh degree, as also himself with his wives and sons, O chief\nof Bharata's race. After concluding a recitation of the Bharata, one\nshould, O king, perform a Homa with all its ten parts.\n\n\"'I have thus, O chief of men, told everything in thy presence. He that\nlistens with devotion to this Bharata from the beginning becomes cleansed\nof every sin even if he be guilty of Brahmanicide or the violation of his\npreceptor's bed, or even if he be a drinker of alcohol or a robber of\nother people's wares, or even if he be born in the Chandala order.\nDestroying all his sins like the maker of day destroying darkness, such a\nman, without doubt, sports in felicity in the region of Vishnu like\nVishnu himself.'\"\n\nThe End of the Svargarohanika-parva\n\nThe Eighteen parvas of the Mahabharata are thus complete.","title":"The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4: Books 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":441933}