earth, freed from grief and every kind of anxiety of
heart. Like one that has drunk nectar I have no fear, here or hereafter,
of death, or iniquity, or cupidity, or anything of that kind. I have
acquired this knowledge, O Brahmana, as the result of my severe and
indestructible penances. It is for this reason, O Narada, that grief,
even when it comes to me, does not succeed in afflicting me.'"'"

SECTION CCLXXXVIII

"'Yudhishthira said, "Tell me, O grandsire, what is beneficial for one
that is unconversant with the truths of the scriptures, that is always in
doubt, and that abstains from self-restraint and the other practices
having for their object the knowledge of the Soul."

"'Bhishma said, "Worshipping the preceptor, always waiting reverentially
on those that are aged, and listening to the scriptures (when recited by
competent Brahmanas),--these are said to be of supreme benefit (to a
person like the one thou hast described). In this connection also is
cited the old narrative of the discourse between Galava and the celestial
Rishi Narada. Once on a time Galava, desirous of obtaining what was for
his benefit, addressed Narada freed from error and fatigue, learned in
the scriptures, gratified with knowledge, a thorough master of his
senses, and with soul devoted to Yoga, and said, 'Those virtues, O Muni,
by the possession of which a person becomes respected in the world, I
see, dwell permanently in thee. Thou art freed from error and, as such,
it behoveth thee to remove the doubts that fill the minds of men like
ourselves that are subject to error and that are unacquainted with the
truths of the world. We do not know what we should do, for the
declarations of the scriptures generate an inclination for (the
acquisition of) Knowledge simultaneously with the inclination for acts.
It behoveth thee to discourse to us on these subjects.[1460] O
illustrious one, the different asramas approve different courses of
conduct.--_This_ is beneficial,--_This_ (other) is beneficial--the
scriptures exhort us often in this wise.[1461] Beholding the followers of
the four asramas, who are thus exhorted by the scriptures and who fully
approve of what the scriptures have laid down for them, thus travelling
in diverse courses, and seeing that ourselves also are equally content
with our own scriptures, we fail to understand what is truly beneficial.
If the scriptures were all uniform, then what is truly beneficial would
have become man