Vaishampayana said Vyasa then removed the grief of the cldest of Pandu, who, filled with sorrow consequent on the destruction of his kinsmen, had resolved to throw off his life-brcaths.

Vyasa said 'Regarding this subject is cited the old story, O foremost of men, that is known by the name of Ashma's discourse, Listen to it, O Yudhishthira.

Janaka the king of the Videhas, O king, filled with sorrow and grief, asked a wise Brahmana of the name of Ashma for removing his doubts.

Janaka said How should a man seeking his own wellbeing act upon occasions of the accession and the destruction of both kinsmen and wealth?-

Ashma said Immediately after the formation of a man's body, joys and sorrows are themselves attached to it.

Although either of the two may overtake the person, yet whichever actually overtakes him quickly deprives him of his understanding like the wind dissipating gathering clouds.

In prosperity one thinks,-I am of highbirth.-I can do whatever I like.-I am not an ordinary person.-His mind because soaked with these three vain thoughts.

Addicted to all earthly pleasures, he begins to dissipate the wealth hoarded by his ancestors. Impoverished in course of time, he considers the misappropriation of others' property as even laudable.

Like a hunter striking a deer with his arrows, the king then punishes the wicked man, that robber of other people's wealth, that transgressor, of law and regulations.

Without attaining to a hundred years, such man scarcely live beyond twenty or thirty years.

Carefully observing the conduct of all creatures, a king should, by the exercise of his intelligence, concert measures for alleviating the great sorrows of his subjects.

The causes of all mental sorrow are twofold viz., delusion of the mind and distress. No third cause is there.

All these various kinds of misery as also those arising from attachment to earthly pleasures that overtake man, are even such.

Like a pair of wolves Decrepitude and Death, devour all creatures, strong or weak, short or tall.

No man can escape decrepitude and death, not even the conqueror of the whole Earth encompassed by the sea.

Happiness or sorrow whatever comes upon creatures, it should be enjoyed or borne without elation or depression. There is no means of escaping from them.

The evils of life, O king, overtake one in infancy or youth or old age. They can never be avoided, while those which one seeks most never come.

The absence of what is pleasant, the presence of what is disagreeable, good and evil, happiness and misery, follow Destiny.

Likewise, the birth of creatures and their death, and profit and loss, are all preordained.

As smell, colour, taste, and touch originate of themselves, so happiness and misery originate from what has been preordained.

Seats, beds, cars, riches, drink and food, always come to living creatures in the due course of Time.

Physicians even fall ill. The strong become weak. The rich man lose all and become poor. The course of Time is highly wonderful.

Noble-birth, health, beauty, prosperity, and objects of pleasures, are all begotten by Destiny.

The poor, although they may not desire it, have many children. The rich again are seen to have none. Wonderful is the course of Destiny.

The dangers of ailment, fire, water, weapons, hunger, poison, fever, and death, and falls from elevated places, visit a man according to the Destiny under which he is born. It is generally seen in this world, that somebody, without committing any sin, suffers many miseries while another, having committed sins, is not pressed down by the weight of calamity.

It is seen that a rich man dies in youth; while a poor man lives on suffering from decrepitude, for a hundred years.

One born in a mean family may live very long while one descended from a noble family dies soon like an insect.

It is very common in this world, that rich men have no appetite, while the poor can digest pieces of wood.

Discontented with his position, whatever sins a wicked man commits, under the influence of destiny, saying,-I am the doer,-he considers to be all for his good.

Hunting, dice, women, wine, quarrels, these are censured by the wise. many persons, well, and greatly, read in the scriptures, are seen to be addicted to them.

Objects, whether sought for or otherwise, come upon creature in course of Time. No other cause is seen.

Who creates and maintains air, ether, fire, moon, sun, day, night, the planets, rivers, and mountains?

Cold, and heat, and rain, come in turn in course of Time. Such is the case, O foremost of men, with the happiness and the misery of mankind.

Neither medicines, nor incantations, can save the man attacked by decrepitude or overtaken by death.

As two pieces wood, floating on the great ocean, come together and are again separated, so creatures are united and are again separated in time.

Time acts impartially towards rich men who enjoy the pleasure of song and dance in the company of women and those unfortunate men who live upon another's food.

In this world a thousand sorts of relationship are made such as mother and father and son and wife. In truth, however, whose are they are whose are we?

No one can become any one's own, nor can any one become anybody else's own. Our union here with wives and kinsmen and wellwishers is like that of travellers at an inn in the road.

Where am I? Where shall I go?-Who am I?—How came I here?-Why and for whom should I grieve?-Thinking of all these questions one gets tranquillity.

Life and its surroundings are always revolving like a wheel, and the companionship of those who are dear in only for the time being. The union with brother, mother, father, and friend is like that of travellers in an inn.

The wise men behold, as if with corporeal eyes, the next world which is unseen. Without setting at naught the scriptures, one desirous of knowledge should cherish faith.

One possessed of knowledge should perform the rites laid down for the Pitris and the gods, perforin all religious duties, celebrate sacrifices, judiciously pursue religion, profit and pleasure.

Alas, no one perceives that the world is sinking in the deep ocean of Time which is infested with those huge crocodiles called decrepitude and death.

Many physicians are seen suffering from a disease along with all the members of their families, although they have carefully read the science of Life.

Taking bitters and various sorts of oily drugs, they cannot go beyond death as the ocean cannot transcend its continents.

Despite the wise application of chemical compounds, men well-versed in chemistry, are seen to be broken down by decrepitude like trees broken down by elephants.

Likewise, persons endued with ascetic merit, devoted to study of the Vedas, practising charity and frequently celebrating sacrifices. cannot escape the hands of decrepitude and death.

as Neither years, nor months, nor fortnights, nor days, nor nights that have once gone away do ever return to creatures who are born.

Man, whose existence is so transitory is compelled, in course of Time, whether he will or no, to come upon this inevitable and broad path of all creatures.

Whether the body originates from the creature, or the creature originates from the body, one's union, however, with wives and other friends is like that of travellers in an inn.

One cannot obtain another his companion for ever. One cannot obtain such union even with his own body. How then can it be secured with any one else?

Where, O king, is your father, to-day and where your grandfathers? You do not see them to-day and they do not see you. O sinless one.

No person can see either heaven or hell. The sacred books, however, are the eyes of the virtuous. O king, regulate your conduct according to the scriptures.

With a pure heart, one should lead the life of Brahmacharya and then procreate children and then celebrate sacrifices for satisfying the debt one owes of the Pitris, the gods and men.

Celebrating sacrifices and engaged in begetting (children),. after having first observed the vow of Brahmacharya, one who has eyes of wisdom shaking off all anxiety of heart, should seek heaven, this world, and his own soul.

That virtuous king who tries judiciously for acquiring Heaven and Earth and who takes his own share of earthly goods as sanctioned in the scriptures, acquires a reputation that spreads over all the worlds and among all creatures mobile and immobile.

Having heard these words pregnant with reason, the king of the Videhas of clear understanding became freed from grief, and taking Ashma's leave proceeded towards his house.

O you of unfading glory, cast off your sorrow and rise up. You are equal to Shakra himself. Cheer up your heart. The Earth has been conquered by you by means of Kshatriya duties. Enjoy here, O son of Kunti, and do not disobey my words?"