the understanding on different directions (so that it may act in such a way as to avoid all unpleasant fruits).  Relying on earnest endeavour, and equipped with proper aids, he who sets himself to accomplish his tasks never meets with failure.  As the rays of light never abandon the Sun, even so prosperity never abandons one who is endued with undoubting faith.  That act which a man of stainless soul does with faith and earnestness, with the aid of proper means, without pride, and with intelligence, becomes never lost.  A creature obtains from the very time of his abode in the mother’s womb all his own acts good and bad that were achieved by him in his past lives.  Death, which is irresistible, aided by Time which brings about the destruction of life, leads all creatures to their end like wind scattering the dust of sawed timber.[1575] Through acts good and bad performed by himself in his past lives, man obtains gold and animals and spouses, and children, and honour of birth, and possessions of value, and his entire affluence.’

“Bhishma continued, ’Thus addressed conformably to the truth by the sage, Janaka, that foremost of righteous persons, O king, heard everything the Rishi said and obtained great happiness from it.’”

SECTION CCC

“Yudhishthira said, ’O grandsire, learned men praise truth, self-restraint, forgiveness, and wisdom.  What is thy opinion of these virtues?’

“Bhishma said, ’In this connection I shall recite to thee an old narrative, O Yudhishthira, of the discourse between the Sadhyas and a Swan.  Once on a time the Unborn and eternal Lord of all creatures (viz., Brahman), assuming the form of a golden Swan, wandered through the three worlds till in course of his wanderings he came upon the Sadhyas.’

“The Sadhyas said, ’O ford, we are the deities called Sadhyas.  We like to question thee.  Indeed, we would ask thee about the religion of Emancipation.  Thou art well-acquainted with it.  We have heard, O bird, that thou art possessed of great learning, and eloquent and wise of speech.  O bird, what dost thou think is the highest of all objects?  O high-souled one, in what does thy mind find pleasure?  Do thou, therefore, O foremost of birds, instruct us as to what that one act is which thou regardest as the foremost of all acts, and by doing which, O chief of the feathery creation, one may soon be freed from all bonds.’

“The Swan said, ’Ye who have drunk Amrita, I have heard that one should have recourse to these, viz., penances, self-restraint, truth, and subjugation of the mind.  Untying all the knots of the heart, one should also bring under one’s control both what is agreeable and what is disagreeable.[1576] One should not wound the vitals of others.  One should not be an utterer of cruel speeches.  One should never take scriptural lectures from a person that is mean.  One should never utter such words as inflict pain on others, as cause others to burn