’Narada said, The stain of the Vedas is the suspension of their recitation.  The stain of the Brahmanas is their non-observance of vows.  The Valhika race is the stain of the Earth.  Curiosity is the stain of women.  Do thou with thy intelligent son recite the Vedas, and do thou with the echoes of Vedic sounds dispel the fears arising from Rakshasas: 

“Bhishma continued, ’Hearing these words of Narada, Vyasa, the foremost of all persons conversant with duties and firmly devoted to Vedic recitation, became filled with joy and answered Narada, saying,—­So be it—­With his son Suka, he set himself to recite the Vedas in a loud sonorous voice, observing all the rules of orthoepy and, as it were, filling the three worlds with that sound.  One day as sire and son, who were well-conversant with all duties, were engaged in reciting the Vedas, a violent wind arose that seemed to be impelled by the gales that blow on the bosom of the ocean.  Understanding from this circumstance that the hour was suited to sacred recitation.  Vyasa immediately bade his son to suspend the recitation.  Suka, thus forbidden by his sire, became filled with curiosity.  He asked his sire, saying,—­O regenerate one, whence is this wind?  It behoveth thee to tell me everything about the conduct of the Wind.—­Hearing this question of Suka, Vyasa became filled with amazement.  He answered Suka, by telling him that an omen which indicated that the recitation of the Vedas should be suspended.—­Thou hast obtained spiritual vision.  Thy mind too has, of itself, become cleansed of every impurity.  Thus hast been freed from the attributes of Passion and Darkness.  Thou stayest now in the attributes of Goodness.  Thou beholdest now thy Soul with thy Soul even as one beholds one’s own shadow in a mirror.  Staying thyself on thy own Soul, do thou reflect on the Vedas.  The path of the Supreme Soul is called Deva-yana (the path of the gods).  The path that is made up of the attribute of Tamas is called Pitri-yana (the path of Pitris).  These are the two paths in the world hereafter.  By one, people go to heaven.  By the other, people go to hell.  The winds blow on the Earth’s surface and in the welkin.  There are seven courses in which they blow.  Listen to me as I recount them one after another.  The body is furnished with the senses are dominated over by the Sadhyas and many great beings of mighty strength.  These gave birth to an invincible son named Samana.  From Samana sprang a son called Udana.  From Udana sprang Vyana arose Apana, and lastly from Apana sprung the wind called Prana.  That invincible scorcher of all foes, viz., Prana, became childless.  I shall now recite to thee the different functions of those winds.  The wind is the cause of the different functions of all living creatures, and because living creatures are enabled to live by it, therefore is the wind called Prana (or life).  That wind which is the first in the above enumeration and which is known by the name of Pravaha (Samana) urges, along