h forgiveness and self-restraint and wisdom,
or those with whom they have associated for many years, when these are no
longer of services to them, have to sink in hell. Those men who
themselves eat without giving portions of the food to children and aged
men and servants, have to sink in hell.
"'"All these men enumerated above have to go to hell. Listen now to me, O
bull of Bharata's race, as I tell thee who those men are that ascend to
heaven. The man who transgresses against a Brahmana by impeding the
performances of all such acts in which the deities are adored, becomes
afflicted with the loss of all his children and animals. (They who do not
transgress against Brahmanas by obstructing their religious acts ascend
to heaven). Those men, O Yudhishthira, who follow the duties as laid down
in the scriptures for them and practise the virtues of charity and
self-restraint and truthfulness, ascend to heaven. Those men who having
acquired knowledge by rendering obedient services to their preceptors and
observing austere penances, become reluctant to accept gifts, succeed in
ascending to heaven. Those men through whom other people are relieved and
rescued from fear and sin and the impediments that lie in the way of what
they wish to accomplish and poverty and the afflictions of disease,
succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men who are endued with a forgiving
disposition, who are possessed of patience, who are prompt in performing
all righteous acts, and who are of auspicious conduct, succeed in
ascending to heaven. Those men who abstain from honey and meat, who
abstain from sexual congress with the spouses of other people, and who
abstain from wines and spirituous liquors, succeed in ascending to
heaven. Those men that help in the establishment of retreats for
ascetics, who become founders of families, O Bharata, who open up new
countries for purposes of habitation, and lay out towns and cities
succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men who give away cloths and
ornaments, as also food and drink, and who help in marrying others,
succeed in ascending to heaven.[230] Those men that have abstained from
all kinds of injury or harm to all creatures, who are capable of enduring
everything, and who have made themselves the refuge of all creatures,
succeed in ascending to heaven. Those men who wait with humility upon
their fathers and mothers, who have subjugated their senses, and who are
affectionate towards their brothers, succeed i
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