the great
deity and said unto him in reply, 'Bereft of this one who was our only
child, all of us are at the point of death. It behoveth thee to grant us
life by granting life to this our son.' Thus solicited, the illustrious
deity, taking up a quantity of water in his hands granted unto that dead
child life extending for a hundred years. Ever employed in the good of
all creatures, the illustrious wielder of Pinaka granted a boon unto both
the jackal and the vulture in consequence of which their hunger was
appeased. Filled with delight and having achieved great prosperity, the
men bowed unto the god. Crowned with success, they then, O king, left
that spot in great joy. Through persistent hopefulness and firm
resolution and the grace of the great god, the fruits of one's acts are
obtained without delay. Behold, the combination of circumstances and the
resolution of those kinsmen. While they were crying with agonised hearts,
their tears were wiped and dried up. Behold, how within only a short
time, through their steadiness of resolution, they obtained the grace of
Sankara, and their afflictions dispelled, they were made happy. Indeed,
through Sankara's grace, O chief of the Bharatas, those sorrowing kinsmen
were filled with amazement and delight at the restoration of their child
to life. Then, O king, casting off that grief of which their child had
been the cause, those Brahmanas, filled with delight, quickly went back
to their town taking the restored child with them. Behaviour like this
has been laid down for all the four orders. By frequently listening to
this auspicious story fraught with virtue, profit, and salvation, a man
obtains happiness both here and hereafter."'"

SECTION CLIV

"'Yudhishthira said, "If a person, weak, worthless, and light-hearted, O
grandsire, doth from folly provoke, by means of unbecoming and boastful
speeches, a powerful foe always residing in his vicinity, competent to do
good (when pleased) and chastise (when displeased), and always ready for
action, how should the former, relying on his own strength, act when the
latter advances against him in anger and from desire of exterminating
him?"

"'Bhishma said, "In this connection is cited, O chief of the Bharatas, the
old story of the discourse between Salmali and Pavana. There was a lordly
(Salmali) tree on one of the heights of Himavat. Having grown for many
centuries, he had spread out his branches wide around. His trunk also was
huge