thou not turn thy inclination upon untruth? And
art thou intent upon virtue? And, O Partha, hath
not thy attention to thy father and thy mother diminished?
Are all thy superiors, and the aged, and those versed
in the Vedas, honoured by thee? And O Pritha’s
son, dost thou not turn thy inclination unto sinful
acts? And dost thou, O best of the Kurus, properly
know how to perform meritorious acts, and to eschew
wicked deeds? Dost thou not exalt thyself?
And are pious men gratified, being honoured by thee?
And even dwelling in the woods, dost thou follow virtue
alone? And, O Partha, doth not Dhaumya grieve
at thy conduct? Dost thou follow the customs
of thy ancestors, by charity, and religious observances,
and asceticism, and purity, and candour, and forgiveness?
And dost thou go along the way taken by the royal
sages? On the birth of a son in their (respective)
lines, the
Pitris in their regions, both laugh
and grieve, thinking—Will the sinful acts
of this son of ours harm us, or will meritorious deeds
conduce to our welfare? He conquereth both the
worlds that payeth homage unto his father, and mother,
and preceptor, and Agni, and fifthly, the soul.’
Yudhishthira said, ’O worshipful one, those
duties have been mentioned by thee as excellent.
To the best of my power I duly and properly discharge
them.’
“Arshtishena said, ’During the Parvas
sages subsisting on air and water come unto this best
of the mountains ranging through the air. And
on the summits of the mountain are seen amorous Kimpurushas
with their paramours, mutually attached unto each
other; as also, O Partha, many Gandharvas and Apsaras
clad in white silk vestments; and lovely-looking Vidyadharas,
wearing garlands; and mighty Nagas, and Suparnas, and
Uragas, and others. And on the summits of the
mountain are heard, during the Parvas, sounds of kettle-drums,
and tabors, shells and mridangas. O foremost
of the Bharatas, even by staying here, ye shall hear
those sounds; do ye by no means feel inclined to repair
thither. Further, O best of the Bharata race,
it is impossible, to proceed beyond this. That
place is the sporting-region of the celestials.
There is no access thither for mortals. O Bharata,
at this place all creatures bear ill-will to, and
the Rakshasas chastise, that man who committeth aggression,
be it ever so little. Beyond the summit of this
Kailasa cliff, is seen the path of the celestial sages.
If any one through impudence goeth beyond this, the
Rakshasas slay him with iron darts and other weapons.
There, O child, during the Parvas, he that goeth about
on the shoulders of men, even Vaisravana is seen in
pomp and grandeur surrounded by the Apsaras.
And when that lord of all the Rakshasas is seated
on the summit, all creatures behold him like unto the
sun arisen. O best of Bharatas, that summit is
the sporting-garden of the celestials, and the Danavas,
and the Siddhas, and Vaisravana. And during the
Parvas, as Tumburu entertaineth the Lord of treasures,
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