By foregoing all intercourse with one’s wife and making ablutions three times during the day and by inhaling the air only for purposes of subsistence, one obtains the merit of a sacrifice.  Heaven is attained by the practice of truth, nobility of birth by sacrifices.  The Brahmana of pure practices that subsists on water only, and performs the Agnihotra ceaselessly, and recites the Gayatri, obtains a kingdom.  By abstaining food or by regulating it, one attains to residence in heaven.  O king, by abstaining from all but the prescribed diet while engaged in sacrifices, and by making pilgrimage for twelve years, one attains to a place better than the abodes reserved for heroes.  By reading all the Vedas, one is instantly liberated from misery, and by practising virtue in thought, one attains to the heavenly regions.  That man who is able to renounce that intense yearning of the heart for happiness and material enjoyments,—­a yearning that is difficult of conquest by the foolish and that doth not abate with the abatement of bodily vigour and that clings like a fatal disease unto him,—­is able to secure happiness.  As the young calf is able to recognise its dam from among a thousand cows, so does the previous acts of a man pursue him (in all his different transformations).  As the flowers and fruits of a tree, unurged by visible influences, never miss their proper season, so does Karma done in a previous existence bring about its fruits in proper time.  With age, man’s hair grows grey, his teeth become loose; his eyes and ears too become dim in action; but the only thing that does not abate is his desire for enjoyments.  Prajapati is pleased with those acts that please one’s father, and the Earth is pleased with those acts that please one’s mother, and Brahma is adored with those acts that please one’s preceptor.  Virtue is honoured by him who honours these three.  The acts of those that despise these three do not avail them.’”

“Vaisampayana said, ’The princes of Kuru’s race became filled with wonder upon listening to this speech of Bhishma.  All of them became pleased in mind and overpowered with joy.  As Mantras applied with a desire to win victory, or the performance of the Shoma sacrifice made without proper gifts, or oblations poured on the fire without proper hymns, become useless and lead to evil consequences, even so sin and evil results flow from falsehood in speech.  O prince, I have thus related to thee this doctrine of the fruition of good and evil acts, as narrated by the Rishis of old.  What else dost thou wish to hear?”

 Section VIII

“Yudhishthira said, ’Who are deserving of worship?  Who are they unto whom one may bow?  Who are they, O Bharata, unto whom thou wouldst bend thy head?  Who, again, are they whom thou likest?  Tell me all this, O prince.  What is that upon which thy mind dwells when affliction overwhelms thee?  Do thou discourse to me on what is beneficial here, that is, in this region of human beings, as also hereafter.’"[10]