uman life, the
strength of human beings, and the nature of the time that has come,
should award punishments.[1223] Indeed, Manu, the son of the Self-born,
has, through compassion for human beings, indicated the way by means of
which men may adhere to knowledge (instead of harmfulness) for the sake
of emancipation."''"[1224]

SECTION CCLXVIII

"'Yudhishthira said, "Thou hast already explained to me, O grandsire, how
the religion of Yoga, which leads to the six well-known attributes, may
be adopted and practised without injuring any creature. Tell me, O
grandsire, of that religion which leads to both results, viz., Enjoyment
and Emancipation. Amongst these two, viz., the duties of domesticity and
those of Yoga, both of which lead to the same end, which is superior?"

"'Bhishma said, "Both courses of duty are highly blessed. Both are
extremely difficult of accomplishment. Both are productive of high
fruits. Both are practised by those that are admittedly good. I shall
presently discourse to thee on the authoritativeness of both those
courses of duty, for dispelling thy doubts about their true import.
Listen to me with concentrated attention. In this connection is instanced
the old narrative of the discourse between Kapila and the cow. Listen to
it, O Yudhishthira![1225] It has been heard by us that in days of old
when the deity Tvashtri came to the place of king Nahusha, the latter,
for discharging the duties of hospitality, was on the point of killing a
cow agreeably to the true, ancient, and eternal injunction of the Vedas.
Beholding that cow tied for slaughter, Kapila of liberal soul, ever
observant of the duties of Sattwa, always engaged in restraining his
senses, possessed of true knowledge, and abstemious in diet, having
acquired an excellent understanding that was characterised by faith,
perfectly fearless, beneficial, firm, and ever directed towards truth,
uttered this word once, viz.,--'Alas ye Vedas!'--At that time a Rishi, of
the name of Syumarasmi, entering (by Yoga power) the form of that cow,
addressed the Yati Kapila, saying, 'Hist O Kapila! If the Vedas be
deserving (in consequence of those declarations in them that sanction the
slaughter of living creatures), whence have those other duties (fraught
with entire harmlessness to all creatures) come to be regarded as
authoritative?[1226] Men devoted to penances and endued with
intelligence, and who have the Srutis and knowledge for their eyes,
regard th