to the world in the records of former times by sacred bards of great learning.  Though endued with every noble virtue, these have yielded up their lives.  Thy sons were malevolent, inflamed with passion, avaricious, and of very evil-disposition.  Thou art versed in the Sastras, O Bharata, and art intelligent and wise; they never sink under misfortunes whose understandings are guided by the Sastras.  Thou art acquainted, O prince, with the lenity and severity of fate; this anxiety therefore for the safety of thy children is unbecoming.  Moreover, it behoveth thee not to grieve for that which must happen:  for who can avert, by his wisdom, the decrees of fate?  No one can leave the way marked out for him by Providence.  Existence and non-existence, pleasure and pain all have Time for their root.  Time createth all things and Time destroyeth all creatures.  It is Time that burneth creatures and it is Time that extinguisheth the fire.  All states, the good and the evil, in the three worlds, are caused by Time.  Time cutteth short all things and createth them anew.  Time alone is awake when all things are asleep:  indeed, Time is incapable of being overcome.  Time passeth over all things without being retarded.  Knowing, as thou dost, that all things past and future and all that exist at the present moment, are the offspring of Time, it behoveth thee not to throw away thy reason.’

“Sauti said, ’The son of Gavalgana having in this manner administered comfort to the royal Dhritarashtra overwhelmed with grief for his sons, then restored his mind to peace.  Taking these facts for his subject, Dwaipayana composed a holy Upanishad that has been published to the world by learned and sacred bards in the Puranas composed by them.

“The study of the Bharata is an act of piety.  He that readeth even one foot, with belief, hath his sins entirely purged away.  Herein Devas, Devarshis, and immaculate Brahmarshis of good deeds, have been spoken of; and likewise Yakshas and great Uragas (Nagas).  Herein also hath been described the eternal Vasudeva possessing the six attributes.  He is the true and just, the pure and holy, the eternal Brahma, the supreme soul, the true constant light, whose divine deeds wise and learned recount; from whom hath proceeded the non-existent and existent-non-existent universe with principles of generation and progression, and birth, death and re-birth.  That also hath been treated of which is called Adhyatma (the superintending spirit of nature) that partaketh of the attributes of the five elements.  That also hath been described who is purusha being above such epithets as ‘undisplayed’ and the like; also that which the foremost yatis exempt from the common destiny and endued with the power of meditation and Tapas behold dwelling in their hearts as a reflected image in the mirror.