to
the abandonment of all things. Having thoroughly mastered the principle
of desire he casts off his life-breaths and then enters into the Brahmic
body. Or, if he does not desire to enter into the Brahmic body, he at
once goes upwards into the region of Brahma and has never to undergo
rebirth. Having become tranquillity's self, and being freed from all
kinds of calamity, such a person, by depending upon his own intelligence,
succeeds in attaining to that Soul which is pure and immortal and which
is without a stain."'"

SECTION CXCVII

"'Yudhishthira said, "Thou hast said that as regards Reciters, they obtain
this very high end.[627] I beg to enquire whether this is their only end
or there is any other to which they attain."

"'Bhishma said, "Listen with concentrated attention, O puissant monarch,
to the end that silent Reciters attain, and to the diverse kinds of hell
into which they sink, O bull among men! That Reciter who does not at
first conduct himself according to the method that has been laid down,
and who cannot complete the ritual or course of discipline laid down, has
to go to hell.[628] That Reciter who goes on without faith, who is not
contented with his work, and who takes no pleasure in it, goes to hell,
without doubt. They who follow the ritual with pride in their hearts, all
go to hell. That Reciter who insults and disregards others has to go to
hell. That man who betakes himself to silent recitation under the
influence of stupefaction and from desire of fruit, obtains all those
things upon which his heart becomes set.[629] That Reciter whose heart
becomes set upon the attributes that go by the name of divinity, has to
incur hell and never becomes freed from it.[630] That Reciter who betakes
himself to recitation under the influence of attachments (to earthly
objects such as wealth, wives etc.) obtain those objects upon which their
hearts are set. That Reciter of wicked understanding and uncleansed soul
who sets himself to his work with an unstable mind, obtains an unstable
end or goes into hell. That Reciter who is not endued with wisdom and who
is foolish, becomes stupefied or deluded; and in consequence of such
delusion has to go to hell where he is obliged to indulge in
regrets.[631] If a person of even firm heart, resolving to complete the
discipline, betakes himself to recitation, but fails to attain to
completion in consequence of his having freed himself from attachments by
a violent str