"'Yudhishthira said, "I have been greatly assured, O thou of puissance, by
thee thus discoursing unto me of duties. I shall, however, give
expression to the doubts I have. Do thou explain them to me, O grandsire!
What are the fruits, declared in the scriptures, of the vows that men
observe. Of what nature are the fruits, O thou of great splendour, of
observances of other kinds? What, again, are the fruits, of one's
studying the Vedas properly?[365] What are the fruits of gifts, and what
those of holding the Vedas in memory? What are the fruits that attach to
the teaching of the Vedas? I desire to know all this. What, O grandsire,
are the merits attaching to the non-acceptance of gifts in this world?
What fruits are seen to attach to him who makes gifts of knowledge? What
are the merits acquired by persons that are observant of the duties of
their order, as also by heroes that do not flee from battle? What are the
fruits that have been declared to attach to the observance of purity and
to the practice of Brahmacharya? What are the merits that attach to the
service of the father and of the mother? What also are the merits of
serving preceptors and teachers, and what are the merits of compassion
and kindness? I desire to know all these, O grandsire, truly and in
detail, O thou that art conversant with all the scriptures! Great is the
curiosity I feel."
"'Bhishma said, "Eternal regions of felicity become his, who, having
properly commenced a Vrata (vow) completes its observance according to
the scriptures, without a break. The fruits of Niyamas, O king, are
visible even in this world. These rewards that thou hast won are those of
Niyamas and sacrifices. The fruits that attach to the study of the Vedas
are seen both here and hereafter. The person, who is devoted to the study
of the Vedas is seen to sport in felicity both in this world and in the
region of Brahma. Listen now to me, O king, as I tell thee in detail what
the fruits are of self-restraint. They that are self-restrained are happy
everywhere. They that are self-restrained are always in the enjoyment of
that felicity which attaches to the absence or subjugation of desire.
They that are self-restrained are competent to go everywhere at will.
They that are self-restrained are capable of destroying every foe.
Without doubt, they that are self-restrained succeed in obtaining
everything they seek. They that are self-restrained, O son of Pandu,
obtain the fruition of every wish. The happiness that men enjoy in heaven
through penances and prowess (in arms), through gift, and through diverse
sacrifices, becomes theirs that are self-restrained and forgiving.
Self-restraint is more meritorious than gift. A giver, after making a
gift unto the Brahmanas, may yield to the influence of wrath. A
self-restrained man, however, never yields to wrath. Hence,
self-restraint is superior (in point of merit) to gift. That man, who
makes gifts without yielding to wrath, succeeds in attaining to eternal
regions of felicity. Wrath destroys the merit of a gift. Hence,
self-restraint is superior to gift. There are various invisible places, O
monarch, numbering by ten thousands, in heaven. Existing in all the
regions of heaven, these places belong to the Rishis. Persons, leaving
this world, attain to them and become transformed into deities. O king,
the great Rishis repair thither, aided only by their self-restraint, and
as the end of their efforts to attain to a region of superior happiness.
Hence, self-restraint is superior (in efficacy) to gift. The person, who
becomes a preceptor (for teaching the Vedas), and who duly worships the
fire, taking leave of all his afflictions in this world, enjoys
inexhaustible felicity, O king, in the region of Brahma. That man, who,
having himself studied the Vedas, imparts a knowledge thereof unto
righteous disciples, and who praises the acts of his own preceptor,
attains to great honours in heaven. That Kshatriya, who takes to the study
of the Vedas, to the performance of sacrifices, to the making of gifts,
and who rescues the lives of others in battle, similarly attains to
great honours in heaven. The Vaisya, who, observant of the duties of his
order, makes gifts, reaps as the fruit of those gifts, a crowning reward.
The Sudra, who duly observes the duties of his order (which consist of
services rendered to the three other orders) wins heaven as the reward of
such services. Diverse kinds of heroes have been spoken of (in the
scriptures). Listen to me as I expound to thee what the rewards are that
they attain to. The rewards are fixed of a hero belonging to a heroic
race. There are heroes of sacrifice, heroes of self-restraint, heroes of
truth, and others equally entitled to the name of hero. There are heroes
of battle, and heroes of gift of liberality among men. There are many
persons, who may be called the heroes of the Sankhya faith as, indeed,
there are many others that are called heroes of Yoga. There are others
that are regarded as heroes in the matter of forest-life, of householding
or domesticity, and of renunciation (or Sannyasa). Similarly, there are
others that are called heroes of the intellect, and also heroes of
forgiveness. There are other men, who live in tranquillity and who are
regarded as heroes of righteousness. There are diverse other kinds of
heroes that practise diverse other kinds of vows and observances. There
are heroes devoted to the study of the Vedas and heroes devoted to the
teaching of the same. There are, again, men that come to be regarded as
heroes for the devotion with which they wait upon and serve their
preceptors, as indeed, heroes in respect of the reverence they show to
their sires. There are heroes in respect of obedience to mothers, and
heroes in the matter of the life of mendicancy they lead. There are
heroes in the matter of hospitality to guests, whether living as
householders. All these heroes attain to very superior regions of
felicity which are, of course, acquired by them as the rewards of their
own acts. Holding all the Vedas in memory, or ablutions performed in all
the sacred waters, may or may not be equal to telling the Truth every day
in one's life. A thousand horse sacrifices and Truth were once weighed in
the balance. It was seen that Truth weighed heavier than a thousand
horse-sacrifices. It is by Truth that the sun is imparting heat, it is by
Truth that fire blazes up, it is by Truth that the winds blow; verily,
everything rests upon Truth. It is Truth that gratifies the deities, the
Pitris and the Brahmanas. Truth has been said to be the highest duty.
Therefore, no one should ever transgress Truth. The Munis are all devoted
to Truth. Their prowess depends upon Truth. They also swear by Truth.
Hence, Truth is pre-eminent. All truthful men, O chief of Bharata's race,
succeed by their truthfulness in attaining to heaven and sporting there
in felicity. Self-restraint is the attainment of the reward that attaches
to Truth. I have discoursed on it with my whole heart. The man of humble
heart who is possessed of self-restraint, without doubt, attains to great
honours in heaven. Listen now to me, O lord of Earth, as I expound to
thee the merits of Brahmacharya. That man, who practises the vow of
Brahmacharya from his birth to the time of his death, know, O king, has
nothing unattainable! Many millions of Rishis are residing in the region
of Brahma. All of them, while here, were devoted to Truth, and
self-restrained and had their vital seed drawn up. The vow of
Brahmacharya, O king, duly observed by a Brahmana, is sure to burn all
his sins. The Brahmana is said to be a blazing fire. In those Brahmanas
that are devoted to penances, the deity of fire becomes visible. If a
Brahmacharin yields to wrath in consequence of any slight the chief of
the deities himself trembles in fear. Even this is the visible fruit of
the vow of Brahmacharya that is observed by the Rishis. Listen to me, O
Yudhishthira, what the merit is that attaches to the worship of the
father and the mother. He, who dutifully serves his father without ever
crossing him in anything, or similarly serves his mother or (elder)
brother or other senior or preceptor, it should be known, O king, earns a
residence in heaven. The man of cleansed soul, in consequence of such
service rendered to his seniors, has never even to behold hell."'"