“Dhritarashtra said, ’He who lives for a hundred years, who is endued with heroism, who studies the Vedas, and who performs sacrifices with devotion, verity, such men proceed to the region of Sakra.  I shall repair to a higher region.  Verily, Dhritarashtra shall not go there!’

“Gautama said, ’Above the Heavens are the regions of the Prajapatis of superior felicity abounding in every happiness, and divested of sorrow.  Belonging to those puissant ones from whom the creation has sprung, they are coveted by all persons.  If thou repairest thither, even thither shall I go and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!’

“Dhritarashtra said, ’Those kings that have bathed upon the completion of the Rajasuya sacrifice, that are endued with righteous souls, that have protected their subjects properly, and that have washed their limbs with sanctified water upon the completion of the horse-sacrifice, repair to such regions.  Verily, Dhritarashtra shall not go there!’

“Gautama said, ’Next to those, blaze in beauty those eternal regions, redolent with delicious perfumes, free from passion, and transcending all sorrow.  Those are the regions of kine difficult of attainment where oppression can never be.  If thou repairest thither, I shall proceed even thither and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!’

“Dhritarashtra said, ’He who, owning thousand kine, gives away a hundred kine every year, or owning a hundred kine gives away ten every year to the best of his might, or owning only ten or even five kine gives away therefrom one cow, and they who attain to a mature old age practising the vows of Brahmacharya all their days, who obey the declarations of the Vedas, and who, endued with energy of mind, betake themselves to pilgrimages to sacred waters and shrines, dwell in felicity in the region of kine.  They who repair to Prabhasa and Manasa, the lakes of Pushkara, the large lake called Mahatsara, the sacred woods of Naimisha, Vahuda, Karatoya, Ganga, Gayasiras, Vipasa, Sthulavaluka, Krishna, the five rivers (of the Punjab), the extensive lake called Mahahrada, Gomati, Kausiki, Champa, Saraswati, Drisadwati, and Yamuna,—­indeed, those illustrious Brahmanas, steady in the observance of vows, who go to these sacred waters,—­repair to the regions of which thou speakest.  Endued with celestial bodies and adorned with celestial garlands those blessed individuals, always emitting the most delightful perfumes, repair to those regions of joy and gladness.  Verily, Dhritarashtra shall not go there!’

“Gautama said, ’Next to these are regions where there is no fear of the least cold or heat, no hunger, no thirst, no pain, no sorrow, no joy, no one that is agreeable or disagreeable, on friend, and on enemy:  where decrepitude and death are not, and where there is neither righteousness nor sin.  Proceeding even to that region which is freed from passion, which abounds with equable happiness, and where there is wisdom and the:  tribute of Sattwa,—­verily, proceeding to even that sacred abode of the self-born Brahman,—­I shall force thee to yield up this elephant to me!’