n thousands, in heaven. Existing in all the
regions of heaven, these places belong to the Rishis. Persons, leaving
this world, attain to them and become transformed into deities. O king,
the great Rishis repair thither, aided only by their self-restraint, and
as the end of their efforts to attain to a region of superior happiness.
Hence, self-restraint is superior (in efficacy) to gift. The person, who
becomes a preceptor (for teaching the Vedas), and who duly worships the
fire, taking leave of all his afflictions in this world, enjoys
inexhaustible felicity, O king, in the region of Brahma. That man, who,
having himself studied the Vedas, imparts a knowledge thereof unto
righteous disciples, and who praises the acts of his own preceptor,
attains to great honours in heaven. That Kshatriya, who takes to the study
of the Vedas, to the performance of sacrifices, to the making of gifts,
and who rescues the lives of others in battle, similarly attains to
great honours in heaven. The Vaisya, who, observant of the duties of his
order, makes gifts, reaps as the fruit of those gifts, a crowning reward.
The Sudra, who duly observes the duties of his order (which consist of
services rendered to the three other orders) wins heaven as the reward of
such services. Diverse kinds of heroes have been spoken of (in the
scriptures). Listen to me as I expound to thee what the rewards are that
they attain to. The rewards are fixed of a hero belonging to a heroic
race. There are heroes of sacrifice, heroes of self-restraint, heroes of
truth, and others equally entitled to the name of hero. There are heroes
of battle, and heroes of gift of liberality among men. There are many
persons, who may be called the heroes of the Sankhya faith as, indeed,
there are many others that are called heroes of Yoga. There are others
that are regarded as heroes in the matter of forest-life, of householding
or domesticity, and of renunciation (or Sannyasa). Similarly, there are
others that are called heroes of the intellect, and also heroes of
forgiveness. There are other men, who live in tranquillity and who are
regarded as heroes of righteousness. There are diverse other kinds of
heroes that practise diverse other kinds of vows and observances. There
are heroes devoted to the study of the Vedas and heroes devoted to the
teaching of the same. There are, again, men that come to be regarded as
heroes for the devotion with which they wait upon and serve their
precep