Chapter 147
“The Rishis said, ‘O wielder of Pinaka, O tearer of the eyes of Bhaga, Othou that art worshipped by all the universe, we desire to hear the gloryof Vasudeva.’
“The Rishis said, ‘O wielder of Pinaka, O tearer of the eyes of Bhaga, Othou that art worshipped by all the universe, we desire to hear the gloryof Vasudeva.’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Abstention from injury, the observance of the Vedicritual, meditation, subjugation of the senses, penances, and obedientservices rendered to the preceptors,–which amongst these is fraught withthe greatest merit with respect to a person?’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hast told me, O regenerate one, what the end isof unrighteousness or sin. I desire now to hear, O foremost of speakers,of what the end is of Righteousness.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘O grandsire, O thou that art possessed of greatwisdom and conversant with all the scriptures. I desire to know thoseexcellent ordinances in consequence of which mortal creatures have totravel through their rounds of rebirth.
“Vaisampayana said, ‘Approaching the Kuru grandsire, venerable in years,viz., Bhishma, who was then lying on his bed of arrows, Yudhishthirapossessed of great wisdom put the following question.’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘It behoveth thee, O grandsire, to tell me what arethe highest, the most beneficial, and the most certain fruit of all hindsof fasts k this world.’
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Do thou tell me, O grandsire, of that which isregarded as the foremost of all Tirthas. Indeed, it behoveth thee toexpound to me what that Tirtha is which conduces to the greatestpurity.'[501]
“Yudhishthira said, ‘O high-souled grandsire, thou hast duly discoursedto us on the subject of Sacrifices, including the merits in detail thatattach to them both here and hereafter.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘The disposition is seen, O grandsire, in all theorders of men, including the very Mlechchhas, of observing fasts.
“Yudhishthira said, ‘Tell me, O chief of Bharata’s race, how the eldestbrother should behave towards his younger brothers and how the youngerbrothers should behave towards their eldest brother.’