e
Vedas planted in their heart, thou alone hast been able to recognise me.
For this reason I am exceedingly pleased with thee! Do thou, therefore, O
Brahmana, come with me quickly, accompanied by this thy son! Thou
deservest to attain to diverse regions of great felicity without the
delay of even a single day!'"

"'Bhishma continued, "Having said these words, the wielder of the
thunderbolt, taking Gautama with him and placing him before, along with
his son, viz., that elephant, proceeded to heaven, that is difficult of
attainment by even the righteous. He who would listen to this history
every day or would recite it, restraining his senses the while,
proceedeth (after death) to the region of Brahman even as Gautama
himself."'"

SECTION CIII

"'Yudhishthira said, "Thou hast discoursed to us on diverse kinds of gift,
on tranquillity of soul, on Truth, on compassion, on contentment with
one's wedded wife, and the merits of gift. It is known to thee, O
grandsire, that there is nothing whose puissance is superior to that of
penances. It behoveth thee to expound to us what constitutes the highest
penances."

"'Bhishma said, "I tell thee, O Yudhishthira, that one attains to a region
of felicity that corresponds with the kind of penances that one observes.
This is what I hold, O son of Kunti, that there is no penance that is
superior to abstention from food! In this connection is recited the
ancient narrative of the discourse between Bhagiratha and the illustrious
Brahman (the Grandsire of the Creation). It has been heard by us, O
Bharata, that Bhagiratha attained to that region which transcends that of
the deities, of kine, and of the Rishis. Beholding this, O monarch, the
Grandsire Brahman, addressing Bhagiratha, said, 'How, O Bhagiratha, hast
thou attained to this region that is so difficult of attainment? Neither
the deities, nor Gandharvas, nor human beings, O Bhagiratha succeed in
coming here without having practised the severest austerities. How,
indeed, hast thou attained to this region?'

"'"Bhagiratha said, 'I used to make gifts of hundreds of thousands of gold
coin unto the Brahmanas, observing the Brahmacharya vow all the while, it
is not through the merit on those gifts, O learned one, that I have
attained to this region. I performed the Ekaratra sacrifice for ten
times, and the Pancharatra sacrifice for as many times. The Ekadasaratra
sacrifice was performed by me eleven times. The great sacrifice of
Jy