from malice strives to do what is good, attains wealth, virtue, happiness and heaven (hereafter).  Those who are purified of sins, wise, forbearing, constant in righteousness, and self-restrained enjoy continuous felicity in this as well as in the next world.  Man must follow the standard of virtue of the good and in his acts imitate the example of the righteous.  There are virtuous men, versed in holy writ and learned in all departments of knowledge.  Man’s proper duty consists in following his own proper avocation, and this being the case these latter do not become confused and mixed up.  The wise man delights in virtue and lives by righteousness.  And, O good Brahmana, such a man with the wealth of righteousness which he hereby acquires, waters the root of the plant in which he finds most virtue.  The virtuous man acts thus and his mind is calmed.  He is pleased with his friends in this world and he also attains happiness hereafter.  Virtuous people, O good man, acquire dominion over all and the pleasure of beauty, flavour, sound and touch according to their desire.  These are known to be the rewards of virtue.  But the man of enlightened vision, O great Brahmana, is not satisfied with reaping the fruits of righteousness.  Not content with that, he with the light of spiritual wisdom that is in him, becomes indifferent to pain and pleasure and the vice of the world influenceth him not.  Of his own free will he becometh indifferent to worldly pursuits but he forsaketh not virtue.  Observing that everything worldly is evanescent, he trieth to renounce everything and counting on more chance he deviseth means for the attainment of salvation.  Thus doth he renounce the pursuits of the world, shunneth the ways of sin, becometh virtuous and at last attaineth salvation.  Spiritual wisdom is the prime requisite of men for salvation, resignation and forbearance are its roots.  By this means he attaineth all the objects of this desire.  But subduing the senses and by means of truthfulness and forbearance, he attaineth, O good Brahmana, the supreme asylum of Brahma.”  The Brahmana again enquired, “O thou most eminent in virtue and constant in the performance of the religious obligations, you talk of senses; what are they; how may they be subdued; and what is the good of subduing them; and how doth a creature reap the fruits thereof?  O pious man, I beg to acquaint myself with the truth of this matter."’”

SECTION CCIX

“Markandeya continued, ’Hear, O king Yudhishthira what the virtuous fowler, thus interrogated by that Brahmana, said to him in reply.  The fowler said, “Men’s minds are at first bent on the acquisition of knowledge.  That acquired, O good Brahmana, they indulge in their passions and desires, and for that end, they labour and set about tasks of great magnitude and indulge in much-desired pleasures of beauty, flavour, &c.  Then follows fondness, then envy, then avarice and then extinction of all spiritual