It is those
men that are the leaders of others to heaven. They are the men who bear
on their shoulders the burden of sacrifices and live for eternity."
SECTION CXXII
"Bhishma said, 'Thus addressed, the holy one replied unto Maitreya,
saying 'by good luck, thou art endued with knowledge. By good luck, thy
understanding is of this kind! They that are good highly applaud all
righteous attributes. That personal beauty and youth and prosperity do
not succeed in overwhelming thee is due to good luck. This favour done to
thee is due to the kindness of the deities. Listen to me as I discourse
to thee upon what is even superior (in efficacy) to gift. Whatever
scriptures and religious treatises there are, whatever (righteous)
inclinations are observable in the world, they have flowed in their due
order, agreeably with the lead of the Vedas, according to their due
order. Following them I applaud gift. Thou praisest penances and Vedic
lore. Penances are sacred. Penances are the means by which one may
acquire the Vedas and heaven also. With the aid of penances and of
knowledge, one attains to the highest fruits, we have heard. It is by
penances that one destroys one's sins and all else that is evil. It has
been heard by us that with whatever purpose in view one undergoes
penances, one attains the fruition thereof in consequence of those
penances.
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