ly that the man that hath not
restrained his senses is not rescued from his sinful acts by either the
Sama or the Rig, or the Yajus Veda. The Vedas never rescue from sin the
deceitful person living by deceit. On the other hand, like newfledged
birds forsaking their nest, the Vedas forsake such a person at the end.'

"Dhritarashtra said, 'O thou that hast restrained thy senses, if, indeed,
the Vedas are not competent to rescue a person without the aid of virtue,
whence then is this delusion of the Brahmanas that the Vedas are always
destructive of sins?'

"Sanat-sujata said, 'O magnanimous one, this universe hath sprung from
that Supreme Soul by the union of Conditions respecting name, form, and
other attributes. The Vedas also, pointing it out duly, declare the same,
and inculcate that the Supreme Soul and the universe are different and
not identical. It is for attaining to that Supreme Soul that asceticism
and sacrifices are ordained, and it is by these two that the man of
learning earneth virtue. Destroying sin by virtue, his soul is
enlightened by knowledge. The man of knowledge, by the aid of knowledge,
attaineth to the Supreme Soul. Otherwise, he that coveteth the four
objects of human pursuit, taking with him all that he doth here, enjoyeth
their fruits hereafter, and (as those fruits) are not everlasting cometh
back to the region of action (when the enjoyment is over). Indeed, the
fruits of ascetic austerities performed in this world have to be enjoyed
in the other world (as regards those persons who have not obtained the
mastery of their souls). As regards those Brahmanas employed in ascetic
practices (who have the mastery of their souls), even these regions are
capable of yielding fruits.'

"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Sanat-sujata, how can ascetic austerities which
are all of the same kind, be sometimes successful and sometimes
unsuccessful? Tell us this in order that we may know it!'

"Sanat-sujata said, 'That asceticism which is not stained by (desire and
other) faults is said to be capable of procuring emancipation, and is,
therefore, successful, while the asceticism that is stained by vanity and
want of true devotion is regarded as unsuccessful. All thy enquiries, O
Kshatriya, touch the very root of asceticism. It is by asceticism that
they that are learned, know Brahman and win immortality!'

"Dhritarashtra said, 'I have listened to what thou hast said about
asceticism unstained by faults, and by which I h