Vaisampayana continued, “Pandu’s son, the king of the Kuru tribe, having observed that the great saint as willing to speak, questioned him with a view to suggesting topics to speak upon, saying, ’You who are ancient (in years), know the deeds of gods and demons, and illustrious saints, and of all the royal ones.  We consider you as worthy of being worshipped and honoured; and we have long yearned after your company.  And here is this son of Devaki, Krishna, who has come to us on a visit.  Verily, when I look at myself, fallen away from happiness, and when I contemplate the sons of Dhritarashtra, of evil life, flourishing in every way, the idea arises in me that it is man who does all acts, good or bad, and that it is he that enjoys the fruit the acts bring forth.  How then is god the agent?  And, O best of those that are proficient in the knowledge of God, how is it that men’s actions follow them?  Is it in this world?  Or is it in some subsequent existence?  And, O best of righteous men among the twice-born, in what way is an embodied animated being joined by his good and evil deeds that seek him out?  Is it after death?  Or is it in this world?  And, O descendant of Bhrigu, is what we experience in this world the result of the acts of this very life?  Or will the acts of this life bear fruit in the world to come?  And where do the actions of an animated being who is dead find their resting place?”

“Markandeya said, ’O best of those that can speak, this question befits thee, and is just what it should be?  Thou knowest all that there is to know.  But thou art asking this question, simply for the sake of form.  Here I shall answer thee:  listen to me with an attentive mind, as to how in this world and in that to come, a man experienceth happiness and misery.  The lord of born beings, himself sprung first of all, created, for all embodied beings, bodies which were stainless, pure, and obedient to virtuous impulses, O wisest of the descendants of Kuru!  The ancient men had all their desires fulfilled, were given to praiseworthy courses of life, were speakers of truth, godly and pure.  All were equal to the gods, could ascend to the sky at their pleasure, and could come back again; and all went about at their pleasure.  And they had their death and their life also under their own control; and they had few sufferings; had no fear; and had their wishes fulfilled; and they were free from trouble; could visit the gods and the magnanimous saints; knew by heart all righteous rules; were self-controlled and free from envy.  And they lived many thousand years; and had many thousand sons.  Then in course of time they came to be restricted to walking solely on the surface of the earth, overpowered by lust and wrath, dependent for subsistence upon falsehood and trick, overwhelmed by greed and senselessness.  Then those wicked men, when disembodied, on account of their unrighteous and unblessed deeds, went to hell in a crooked way.  Again and again, they were grilled, and, again and