“Bhishma continued, I have thus told thee of high Brahma agreeably to what the great Rishi (Vasishtha) had said (unto king Karala of Janaka’s race), by attaining to which the Twenty-fifth (or Jiva) has never to return.  Jiva, in consequence of his not knowing truly the Supreme Soul which is not subject to decay and death, is obliged to frequently come back into the world.  When, however, Jiva succeeds in acquiring that high knowledge, he has no longer to come back.  Having heard it, O king from the celestial Rishi, I have, O son, communicated to thee high knowledge productive of the highest good.  This knowledge was obtained from Hiranyagarbha by the high-souled Rishi Vasishtha.  From that foremost of Rishis, viz., Vasishtha, it was acquired by Narada.  From Narada I have acquired that knowledge which is truly identifiable with the eternal Brahma.  Having heard this discourse of high import, fraught with excellent words, do not, O foremost of the Kurus, yield any longer to grief.  That man who knows Kshara and Akshara becomes freed from fear.  He, indeed, O king, is obliged to cherish fear who is destitute of this knowledge.  In consequence of Ignorance (of Brahma), the man of foolish soul hath repeatedly to come back into this world.  Indeed, departing from this life, he has to be born in thousands and thousands of orders of Being every one of which hath death in the end.  Now in the world of the deities, now among men, and now among intermediate orders of Being, he has to appear again and again.  If in course of time he succeeds in crossing that Ocean of Ignorance in which he is sunk, he then succeeds in avoiding rebirth altogether and attaining to identity with the Supreme Soul.  The Ocean of Ignorance is terrible.  It is bottomless and called the Unmanifest.  O Bharata, day after day, creatures are seen to fall and sink in that Ocean.  Since thou, O king, hast been freed from that eternal and limitless Ocean of Ignorance, thou, hast, therefore become freed from Rajas and also Tamas.’”

SECTION CCCX

“Bhishma said, ’Once on a time a king of Janaka’s race, while ranging the uninhabited forests in pursuit of deer, saw a superior Brahmana or Rishi of Bhrigu’s race.  Bowing with his head unto the Rishi who was seated at his ease, king Vasuman took his seat near him and obtaining his permission put to him this question:  O holy one, what is productive of the highest benefit, both here and hereafter, to man who is endued with an unstable body and who is the slave of his desires?  Properly honoured by the king, and thus questioned, that high-souled Rishi possessed of ascetic merit then said these words unto him that were highly beneficial.