“Bhishma continued, ’I have now told thee how Reciters obtain the fruits (of their recitation) and what, indeed, is their end, what the spot, and what the regions, that a Reciter may win.  A Reciter of Gayatri goes to the supreme god Brahman, or repairs to Agni or enters the region of Surya.  If he sports there in his (new) energetic form, then stupefied by such attachment, he catches the attributes of those particular regions.[643] The same becomes the case with him if he goes to Soma, or Vayu, or Earth, or Space.  The fact is, he dwells in all these, with attachment, and displays the attributes peculiar to those regions.  If, however, he goes to those regions after having freed himself from attachments, and feels a. mistrust (respecting the felicity he enjoys) and wishes for That Which is Supreme and Immutable, he then enters even That.  In that case he attains to the ambrosia of ambrosia, to a state free from desire and destitute of separate consciousness.  He becomes Brahma’s self freed from the influence of opposites, happy, tranquil, and without pain.[644] Indeed, he attains to, that condition which is free from pain, which is tranquillity’s self, which is; called Brahma, whence there is no return, and which is styled the One and Immutable.  He becomes freed from the four means of apprehension,[645] the six conditions, and also the other six and ten attributes.[646] Transcending the Creator (Brahman), he attains to absorption into the One Supreme Soul.  Or, if under the influence of attachments, he wishes not for such absorption, but desires to have a separate existence as dependent on that Supreme Cause of everything, then obtains the fruition of everything for which he cherishes a wish.  Or, if he looks (with aversion) upon all regions of felicity, which have been (as previously stated) called hells, he then, driving off desire and freed from everything, enjoys supreme felicity even in those very regions.[647] Thus, O monarch, I have discoursed to thee about the end attained by Reciters.  I have told thee everything.  What else thou wishest to hear?’”

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“Yudhishthira said, ’Tell me, O grandsire, what reply was given by either the Brahmana or the monarch to Virupa after the conclusion of the latter’s speech.  What kind of end was it, amongst those described by thee, that they obtained?  What, indeed, was the discourse that happened between them, and what did they do there?’

“Bhishma said, ’The Brahmana, saying, ’Let it be as thou hast said, ’worshipped Dharma and Yama and Time and Mrityu and Heaven, all of whom were worthy of worship.  He also worshipped all those foremost of Brahmanas that had come there by bending his head unto them.  Addressing the monarch then, he said, ’Endued with the reward of my recitations, O royal sage, attain thou to a position of eminence.  With thy leave I shall set myself to my recitations again.  O thou of great might, the goddess Savitri gave me a boon, saying, ’Let thy devotion to recitations be continuous.’