ough
inhabited by the celestial Rishis, yet shorn of Vedic sounds, the
mountain no longer looks beautiful now but resembles a hamlet of
Nishadas.[1752] The Rishis, the deities, and the Gandharvas, too, no
longer shine as before in consequence of being deprived of Vedic
sound!'--Hearing these words of Narada, the Island-born Krishna answered,
saying,--'O great Rishi, O thou art conversant with the declarations of
the Vedas, all that thou hast said is agreeable to me and it truly
behoves thee to say it unto me! Thou art omniscient, thou hast seen
everything. Thy curiosity also embraces all things within its sphere. All
that has ever occurred in the three worlds is well known to thee. Do thou
then, O regenerate Rishi, set thy commands on me. O, tell me what I am to
do! Tell me, O regenerate Rishi, what should now be done by me. Separated
from my disciples, my mind has become very cheerless now.'

"'"Narada said, 'The stain of the Vedas is the suspension of their
recitation. The stain of the Brahmanas is their non-observance of vows.
The Valhika race is the stain of the Earth. Curiosity is the stain of
women. Do thou with thy intelligent son recite the Vedas, and do thou
with the echoes of Vedic sounds dispel the fears arising from Rakshasas.'"

"'Bhishma continued, "Hearing these words of Narada, Vyasa, the foremost
of all persons conversant with duties and firmly devoted to Vedic
recitation, became filled with joy and answered Narada, saying,--So be
it--With his son Suka, he set himself to recite the Vedas in a loud
sonorous voice, observing all the rules of orthoepy and, as it were,
filling the three worlds with that sound. One day as sire and son, who
were well-conversant with all duties, were engaged in reciting the Vedas,
a violent wind arose that seemed to be impelled by the gales that blow on
the bosom of the ocean. Understanding from this circumstance that the
hour was suited to sacred recitation, Vyasa immediately bade his son to
suspend the recitation. Suka, thus forbidden by his sire, became filled
with curiosity. He asked his sire, saying,--O regenerate one, whence is
this wind? It behoveth thee to tell me everything about the conduct of
the Wind.--Hearing this question of Suka, Vyasa became filled with
amazement. He answered Suka, by telling him that an omen which indicated
that the recitation of the Vedas should be suspended.--'Thou hast obtained
spiritual vision. Thy mind too has, of itself, become cleansed