(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Ashtaka asked, 'Who amongst these, O king, both exerting constantly like the Sun and the Moon, first attaineth attains to communion with Brahma, the ascetic or the man of knowledge?'
" answered, 'The wise, with the help of the Vedas and of Knowledge, having ascertained the visible universe to be illusory, instantly realises the Supreme Spirit as the sole existent independent essence. While they that devote themselves to Yoga meditation take time to acquire the same knowledge, for it is by practice alone that these latter divest themselves of the consciousness of quality. Hence the wise attain to salvation first. Then again if the person devoted to Yoga find not sufficient time in one life to attain success, being led astray by the attractions of the world, in his next life he is benefited by the progress already achieved, for he devoteth devotes himself regretfully to the pursuit of success. But the man of knowledge ever beholdeth beholds the indestructible unity, and, is, therefore, though steeped in worldly enjoyments, never affected by them at heart. Therefore, there is nothing to impede his salvation. He, however, who faileth fails to attain to knowledge, should yet devote himself to piety as dependent on action (sacrifices &c.). But he that devoteth devotes himself to such piety, moved thereto by desire of salvation, can never achieve success. His sacrifices bear no fruit and partake of the nature of cruelty. Piety which is dependent on action that proceedeth proceeds not from the desire of fruit, is, in case of such men Yoga itself.'
"Ashtaka said, 'O king, thou you lookest look like a young man; thou you art handsome and decked with a celestial garland. Thy your splendour is great! Whence from where dost do thou you come and where dost do thou you go? Whose messenger art thou you? Art thou you going down into the Earth?'
" said, 'Fallen from heaven upon the loss of all my religious merits, I am doomed to enter the Earth-hell. Indeed, I shall go there after I have finished my discourse with you. Even now the regents of the points of the universe command me to hasten thither there. And, O king, I have obtained it as a boon from that though fall I must upon the earth, yet I should fall amidst the wise and the virtuous. Ye you are all wise and virtuous that are assembled here.'
"Ashtaka said, 'Thou you art acquainted with everything. I ask thee you, O king, are there any regions for myself to enjoy in heaven or in the firmament? If there be, then, thou you shalt shall not fall, though falling.'
" answered, 'O king, there are as many regions for thee you to enjoy in heaven even as the number of kine and horses on Earth with the animals in the wilderness and on the hills.'
"Ashtaka said, 'If there are worlds for me to enjoy, as fruits of my religious merits, in heaven, O king, I give them all unto to thee you. Therefore, though falling, thou you shalt shall not fall. O, take thou you soon all those, wherever they be, in heaven or in the firmament. Let thy your sorrow cease.'
" answered, 'O best of kings, a Brahma-knowing Brahmana alone can take in gift, but not one like ourselves. And, O monarch, I myself have given away to Brahmanas as one should. Let no man who, is not a Brahmana and let not the wife of a learned Brahmana ever live in infamy by accepting gifts. While on earth, I ever desired to perform virtuous acts. Having never done so before, how shall I now accept a gift?'
"Pratardana who was amongst them asked, 'O thou you of the handsomest form, I am Pratardana by name. I ask thee you if there are any worlds for me to enjoy as fruits of my religious merits, in heaven or the firmament? Answer me, thou you art acquainted with everything.'
" said, 'O king, numberless worlds, full of felicity, effulgent like the solar disc, and where woe can never dwell, await thee you. If thou you dwellest in each but for seven days, they would not yet be exhausted.'
"Pratardana said, 'These then I give unto to thee you. Therefore, though falling, thou you must not fall. Let the worlds that are mine be thine yours, whether they be in the firmament or heaven. O, soon take them. Let thy your woes cease.'
" answered, 'O monarch, no king of equal energy should ever desire to receive as gift the religious merits of another king acquired by Yoga austerities. And no king who is afflicted with calamity through the fates should, if wise, act in a censurable way. A king keeping his eye fixed for ever on virtue should walk along the path of virtue like myself and, knowing what his duties are, should not act so meanly as thou you directest. When others desirous of acquiring religious merits do not accept gifts, how can I do what they themselves do not? On the conclusion of this speech, that best of kings, , was then addressed by Vasumat in the following words.'"
(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vasumat said, 'I am Vasumat, the son of Oshadaswa. I would ask thee you, O king, whether there are any worlds for me to enjoy as fruits of my religious merits, in heaven or the firmament. Thou you art, O high-souled one, acquainted with all holy regions.'
" answered, 'There are as many regions for thee you to enjoy in heaven as the number of places in the firmament, the Earth and the ten points of the universe illumined by .'
"Vasumat then said, 'I give them to thee you. Let those regions that are for me be thine yours. Therefore, though falling, thou you shall not fall. If to accept them as gift be improper for thee you, then, O monarch, buy them for a straw?'
" answered, 'I do not remember having ever bought and sold anything unfairly. This has never been done by other kings. How shall I therefore do it?'
"Vasumat said, 'If buying them, O king, be regarded by thee you as improper, then take them as gilt from me. For myself I answer that I will never go to those regions that are for me. Let them, therefore, be thine yours.'
"Sivi then addressed the king thus, I am, O king, Sivi by name, the son of Usinara. O father, are there in the firmament or in heaven any worlds for me to enjoy? Thou you knowest know every region that one may enjoy as the fruit of his religious merit.'
" said, 'Thou you hast have never, by speech or in mind, disregarded the honest and the virtuous that applied to thee you. There are infinite worlds for thee you to enjoy in heaven, all blazing like lightning.' Sivi then said, 'If thou you regardest regard their purchase as improper, I give them to thee you. Take them all, O king! I shall never take them, viz., those regions where the wise never feel the least disquiet.'
answered, 'O Sivi, thou you hast have indeed, obtained for thyself, possessed of the prowess of , infinite worlds. But I do not desire to enjoy regions given to me by others. Therefore, I accept not thy your gift.'
"Ashtaka then said, 'O king, each of us has expressed his desire to give thee you worlds that each of us has acquired by his religious merits. Thou you acceptest not them. But leaving them for thee you, we shall descend into the Earth-hell.'
" answered, 'Ye you all are truth-loving and wise. Give me that which I deserve. I shall not be able to do what I have never done before.'
"Ashtaka then said, 'Whose are those five golden cars that we see? Do men that repair to these regions of everlasting bliss ride in them?'
" answered, 'Those five golden cars displayed in glory, and blazing as fire, would indeed, carry you to regions of bliss.'
"Ashtaka said, 'O king, ride on those cars thyself and repair to heaven. We can wait. We follow thee you in time.'
" said, 'We can now all go together. Indeed, all of us have conquered heaven. Behold, the glorious path to heaven becomes visible."
" continued, 'Then all those excellent monarchs riding in those cars set out for heaven for gaining admittance into it, illuminating the whole firmament by the glory of their virtues.'
"Then Ashtaka, breaking the silence asked, 'I had always thought that was my especial friend, and that I, of all others, should first obtain admittance into heaven. But how is it that Usinara's son, Sivi hath has already left us behind?'
" answered, 'This Usinara's son had given all he possessed for attaining to the region of Brahman. Therefore, is he the foremost among us. Besides, Sivi's liberality, asceticism, truth, virtue, modesty, forgiveness, amiability, desire of performing good acts, have been so great that none can measure them!'
" continued, 'After this, Ashtaka, impelled by curiosity, again asked his maternal grandfather resembling himself, saying, 'O king, I ask thee you, tell me truly, whence from where thou you art, who thou you art, and whose son? Is there any other Brahmana or Kshatriya who hath has done what thou you didst did on earth?' answered, 'I tell thee you truly, I am , the son of and the father of . I was lord of all the Earth. Ye you are my relatives; I tell thee you truly, I am the maternal grandfather of you all. Having conquered the whole earth, I gave clothes to Brahmanas and also a hundred handsome horses fit for sacrificial offering. For such acts of virtue, the gods became propitious to those that perform them. I also gave to Brahmanas this whole earth with her horses and elephants and kine and gold all kinds of wealth, along with a hundred Arbudas of excellent milch cows. Both the earth and the firmament exist owing to my truth and virtue; fire yet burneth burns in the world of men owing to my truth and virtue. Never hath has a word spoken by me been untrue. It is for this that the wise adore Truth. O Ashtaka, all I have told thee you, Pratardana, and Vasumat, is Truth itself. I know it for certain that the gods and the Rishis and all the mansions of the blessed are adorable only because of Truth that characteriseth characterises them all. He that will without malice duly read unto to good Brahmanas his account of our ascension to heaven shall himself attain to the same worlds with us.'
" continued, 'It was thus that the illustrious king of high achievements, rescued by his collateral descendants, ascended to heaven, leaving the earth and covering the three worlds with the fame of his deeds.'"