ind which was his spouse's.[1293] Abstention from injury is
that religion which is complete in respect of its rewards. The religion,
however, of cruelty is only thus far beneficial that it leads to heaven
(which has a termination). I have spoken to thee of that religion of
Truth which, indeed, is the religion of those that are utterers of
Brahma.'"'"[1294]

SECTION CCLXXIII

"'Yudhishthira said, "By what means doth a man become sinful, by what doth
he achieve virtue, by what doth he attain to Renunciation, and by what
doth he win Emancipation?"

"'Bhishma said, "Thou knowest all duties. This question that thou askest
is only for confirmation of thy conclusions. Listen now to Emancipation,
and Renunciation, and Sin, and Virtue to their very roots. Perceiving any
one of the five objects (viz., form, taste, scent, sound, and touch),
desire runs after it at first. Indeed, obtaining them within the purview
of the senses, O chief of Bharata's race, desire or aversion springs
up.[1295] One, then, for the sake of that object (i.e., for acquisition
of what is liked and avoidance of what is disliked) strives and begins
acts that involve much labour. One endeavours one's best for repeatedly
enjoying those forms and scents (and the three other objects of the
remaining three senses) that appear very agreeable. Gradually,
attachment, and aversion, and greed, and errors of judgment arise. The
mind of one overwhelmed by greed and error and affected by attachment and
aversion is never directed to virtue. One then begins with hypocrisy to
do acts that are good. Indeed, with hypocrisy one then seeks to acquire
virtue, and with hypocrisy one likes to acquire wealth. When one
succeeds, O son of Kuru's race, in winning wealth with hypocrisy, one
sets one's heart to such acquisition wholly. It is then that one begins
to do acts that are sinful, notwithstanding the admonitions of
well-wishers and the wise, unto all which he makes answers plausibly
consistent with reason and conformable to the injunctions of the
scriptures. Born of attachment and error, his sins, of three kinds,
rapidly increase, for he thinks sinfully, speaks sinfully, and acts
sinfully. When he fairly starts on the way of sin, they that are good
mark his wickedness. They, however, that are of a disposition similar to
that of the sinful man, enter into friendship with him. He succeeds not
in winning happiness even here. Whence then would he succeed in winning
happiness