duties of my order?'

"Markandeya, hearing this, answered, 'Be merciful to all creatures, and
devoted to their good. Love all creatures, scorning none. Be truthful in
speech, humble, with passions under complete control, and always devoted
to the protection of thy people. Practise virtue and renounce sin, and
worship thou the manes and the god and whatever thou mayst have done
from ignorance or carelessness, wash them off and expiate them by
charity. Renouncing pride and vanity, be thou possessed to humility and
good behaviour. And subjugating the whole earth, rejoice thou and let
happiness be thine. This is the course of conduct that accords with
virtue. I have recited to thee all that was and all that will be
regarded as virtuous. There is nothing appertaining to the past or the
future that is unknown to thee. Therefore, O son, take not to heart this
present calamity of thine. They that are wise are never overwhelmed when
they are persecuted by _Time_. O thou of mighty arms, the very dwellers
of heaven cannot rise superior to Time. Time afflicts all creatures. O
sinless one, let not doubt cross thy mind regarding the truth of what I
have told thee, for, if thou sufferest doubt to enter thy heart, thy
virtue will suffer diminution! O bull of the Bharata race, thou art born
in the celebrated family of the Kurus. Thou shouldst practise that which
I have told thee, in thought, word and deed.'

"Yudhishthira answered, 'O thou foremost of the regenerate ones, at thy
command I will certainly act according to all the instructions thou hast
given me, and which, O lord, are all so sweet to the ear. O foremost of
Brahmanas, avarice and lust I have none, and neither fear nor pride nor
vanity. I shall, therefore, O lord, follow all that thou hast told me.'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Having listened to the words of the intelligent
Markandeya, the sons of Pandu, O king, along with the wielder of the bow
called _Saranga_, and all those bulls among Brahmanas, and all others
that were there, became filled with joy. And having heard those blessed
words appertaining to olden time, from Markandeya gifted with wisdom,
their hearts were filled with wonder."

SECTION CLXLI

Janamejaya said, "It behoveth thee to narrate to me in full the
greatness of the Brahmanas even as the mighty ascetic Markandeya had
expounded it to the sons of Pandu."

Vaisampayana said, "The eldest son of Pandu had asked Markandeya saying,
'It behoveth thee to