ng. The illustrious Rishi Narada then said
unto him thus sitting silent, 'O thou of great splendour, hast thou heard
those histories recited by me, and hast thou caught their purport? Or,
are all these lost like Sraddha as performed by a person of regenerate
classes having a Sudra wife?' Thus addressed, Srinjaya then replied with
joined hands, 'O thou that hast wealth of asceticism, having listened to
these excellent and praiseworthy histories of ancient royal sages, all of
whom had performed great sacrifices with profuse presents unto the
Brahmanas, my grief hath all been dispelled by wonder, like the darkness
that is dispelled by the rays of the sun. I have now been cleansed of my
sins, and I do not feel any pain now. Tell me, what shall I do now?'

"'"Narada said, 'By good luck it is that thy grief hath been dispelled.
Solicit thou the boon that thou desirest. Thou wilt obtain all thou mayst
ask. We never say what is not true.'

"'"Srinjaya said, 'I am happy with even this, viz., that thou, O holy one,
art gratified with me. He with whom thou, O holy one, art gratified, hath
nothing unobtainable here.'

"'"Narada said, 'I will once more give thee thy son who was fruitlessly
slain by the robbers, like an animal, slaughtered in sacrifice, taking
him out of terrible hell.'"

"'Vyasa said, "Then the son of Srinjaya, of wonderful splendour, appeared,
that child resembling the son of Kuvera himself, bestowed by the
gratified Rishi (on the bereaved father). And king Srinjaya, once more
meeting with his son, became highly delighted. And he performed many
meritorious sacrifices, giving away profuse sacrificial presents upon
completion. Srinjaya's son had not fulfilled the purposes of his being.
He had performed no sacrifice and had no children. Destitute of bravery,
he had perished miserably and not in battle. It was for this reason that
he could be brought back into life.[123] As regards Abhimanyu, he was
brave and heroic. He hath fulfilled the purposes of life, for the brave
son of Subhadra, having blasted his foes by thousands, hath left the
world, falling in the field of battle. Those inaccessible regions that
are attainable by Brahmacharya, by knowledge, by acquaintance with the
scriptures, by foremost of sacrifices, even these have been obtained by
thy son. Men of knowledge always desire heaven by their righteous deeds.
They that are living in heaven never prefer this world to heaven.
Therefore, it is not easy for an