!'"

SECTION XXXI

"Yudhishthira said, 'Thy speech, O Yajnaseni, is delightful, smooth and
full of excellent phrases. We have listened to it (carefully). Thou
speakest, however, the language of atheism. O princess, I never act,
solicitous of the fruits of my actions. I give away, because it is my
duty to give; I sacrifice because it is my duty to sacrifice! O Krishna,
I accomplish to the best of my power whatever a person living in
domesticity should do, regardless of the fact whether those acts have
fruits or not. O thou of fair hips, I act virtuously, not from the desire
of reaping the fruits of virtue, but of not transgressing the ordinances
of the Veda, and beholding also the conduct of the good and wise! My
heart, O Krishna, is naturally attracted towards virtue. The man who
wisheth to reap the fruits of virtue is a trader in virtue. His nature is
mean and he should never be counted amongst the virtuous. Nor doth he
ever obtain the fruits of his virtues! Nor doth he of sinful heart, who
having accomplished a virtuous act doubteth in his mind, obtain the
fruits of his act, in consequence of that scepticism of his! I speak unto
thee, under the authority of the Vedas, which constitute the highest
proof in such matters, that never shouldst thou doubt virtue! The man
that doubteth virtue is destined to take his birth in the brute species.
The man of weak understanding who doubteth religion, virtue or the words
of the Rishis, is precluded from regions of immortality and bliss, like
Sudras from the Vedas! O intelligent one, if a child born of a good race
studieth the Vedas and beareth himself virtuously, royal sages of
virtuous behaviour regard him as an aged sage (not withstanding his
years)! The sinful wretch, however, who doubteth religion and
transgresseth the scriptures, is regarded as lower even than Sudras and
robbers! Thou hast seen with thy own eyes the great ascetic Markandeya of
immeasurable soul come to us! It is by virtue alone that he hath acquired
immortality in the flesh. Vyasa, and Vasistha and Maitreya, and Narada
and Lomasa, and Suka, and other Rishis have all, by virtue alone, become
of pure soul! Thou beholdest them with thy own eyes as furnished with
prowess of celestial asceticism, competent to curse or bless (with
effect), and superior to the very gods! O sinless one, these all, equal
to the celestials themselves, behold with their eyes what Is written in
the Vedas, and describe virtue as the