father to proceed (thus) along a way whence there is no return?—­Hearing these words of Urvasi, and attending to their import, Suka, that foremost of all persons conversant with duties, cast his eyes on all sides, and once more beheld the entire welkin, the whole Earth with her mountains and waters and forests, and also all the lakes and rivers.  All the deities also of both sexes, joining their hands, paid reverence to the son of the Island-born Rishi and gazed at him with wonder and respect.  That foremost of all righteous men, Suka, addressing all of them, said these words,—­If my sire follow me and repeatedly call after me by my name, do all of you together return him an answer for me.  Moved by the affection all of you bear for me, do you accomplish this request of mine!—­Hearing these words of Suka, all the points of the compass, all the forest, all the seas, all the rivers, and all the mountains, answered him from every side, saying,—­We accept thy command, O regenerate one!  It shall be as thou sayst!  It is in this way that we answer the words spoken by the Rishi!

SECTION CCCXXXIV

“Bhishma said, ’Having spoken in this way (unto all things), the regenerate Rishi of austere penances, viz., Suka, stayed on his success casting off the four kinds of faults.  Casting off also the eight kinds of Tamas, he dismissed the five kinds of Rajas.  Endued with great intelligence, he then cast off the attribute of Sattwa.  All this seemed exceedingly wonderful.  He then dwelt in that eternal station that is destitute of attributes, freed from every indication, that is, in Brahma, blazing like a smokeless fire.  Meteors began to shoot.  The points of the compass seemed to be ablaze.  The Earth trembled.  All those phenomena seemed exceedingly wonderful.  The trees began to cast off their branches and the mountains their summits.  Loud-reports (as of thunder) were heard that seemed to rive the Himavat mountains.  The sun seemed at that moment to be shorn of splendour.  Fire refused to blaze forth.  The lakes and rivers and seas were all agitated.  Vasava poured showers of rain of excellent taste and fragrance.  A pure breeze began to blow, bearing excellent perfumes.  Suka as he proceeded through the welkin, beheld two beautiful summits, one belonging to Himavat and another to Meru.  These were in close contact with each other.  One of them was made of gold and was, therefore yellow; the other was white, being made of silver.  Each of them, O Bharata, was a hundred yojanas in height and of the same measure in breadth.  Indeed, as Suka journeyed towards the north, he saw those two beautiful summits.  With a fearless heart he dashed against those two summits that were united with each other.  Unable to bear the force, the summits were suddenly rent in twain.  The sight they thereupon presented, O monarch, was exceedingly wonderful to behold.  Suka pierced through those summits, for they were unable to stop his onward course.