Vrihaspati with proper honours. Verily, the worship they offered to the
preceptor of the celestials was excellent. Then Dharma's royal son,
Yudhishthira, approaching the illustrious Vrihaspati, asked him the
question in proper form, desirous of knowing the truth.'

"'Yudhishthira said, "O illustrious one, thou art conversant with all
duties and all the scriptures. Do thou tell me, what is truly the friend
of mortal creatures? Is the father, or mother, or son, or preceptor, or
kinsmen, or relatives, or those called friends, that may be said to truly
constitute the friend of a mortal creature? One goes to the next world,
leaving one's dead body that is like a piece of wood or a clod of earth.
Who is it that follows him thither?"

"'Vrihaspati said, "One is born alone, O king, and one dies alone; one
crosses alone the difficulties one meets with, and one alone encounters
whatever misery falls to one's lot. One has really no companion in these
acts. The father, the mother, the brother, the son, the preceptor,
kinsmen, relatives, and friends, leaving the dead body as if it were a
piece of wood or a clod of earth, after having mourned for only a moment,
all turn away from it and proceed to their own concerns. Only
Righteousness follows the body that is thus abandoned by them all. Hence,
it is plain, that Righteousness is the only friend and that Righteousness
only should be sought by all. One endued with righteousness would attain
to that high end which is constituted by heaven. If endued with
unrighteousness, he goes to Hell. Hence, the man of intelligence should
always seek to acquire religious merit through wealth won by lawful
means. Piety is the one only friend which creatures have in the world
hereafter. Let by cupidity, or stupefaction, or compassion, or fear, one
destitute of much knowledge is seen to do improper acts, for the sake of
even another, his judgment thus stupefied by cupidity.[506] Piety, wealth
and pleasure,--these three constitute the fruit of life. One should
acquire these three by means of being free from impropriety and sin."

"'Yudhishthira said, "I have carefully heard the words spoken by thy
illustrious self,--these words that are fraught with righteousness, and
that are highly beneficial. I wish now to know of the existence of the
body (after death).[507] The dead body of man becomes subtil and
unmanifest. It becomes invisible. How is it possible for piety to follow
it?"

"'Vrihaspati said, "