that is bent upon (achieving) his own good, will certainly suppress vanity. He who having acquired great wealth performeth meritorious sacrifices, who having acquired all kinds of learning remaineth humble, and who having studied the entire Vedas devoteth himself to ascetisim with a heart withdrawn from all mundane enjoyments, goeth to heaven. None should exulc in having acquired great wealth. None should be vain of having studied the entire Vedas. In the world men are of different dispositions. Destity is supreme. Both power and exertion are all fruitless. Knowing Destiny to be all powerful, the wise, whatever their portions may be, should nether exult nor grieve. When creatures know that their weal and woe are dependent on Destiny and not on their own exertion or power, they should neither grieve nor exult, remembering that Destiny is all-powerful. The wise should ever live contented, neither grieving at woe nor exulting at weal. When Destiny is supreme, both grief and exultattion are unbecoming. O Ashtaka, I never suffer myself to be be overcome by fear, nor do I ever entertain griet, knowing for certain that I shall be in the world what the great disposer of all hath ordained. Insects and worms, all oviparous creatures, vegetable existences, all crawling animals, vermin, the fish in water, stones, grass, wood-in fact, all created things, when they are freed from the effects of their acts, are united with the Supreme Soul. Happiness and misery are both transient. Therefore, O Ashtaka, why should I grieve? We can never know how we are to act in order to avoid misery. Therefore, none should grieve for misery.'
"Possessed of every virtue, King Yayati who was the maternal grandfather of Ashtaka, while staying in the welkin, at the conclusion of his speech was again questioned by Ashtaka. The latter said._'O king of kings, tell me, in detail, of all those regions that thou hast visited and enjoyed, as well as the periods for which thou hast enjoyed each. Thou speakest of the precepts of religion even like the clever masters acquainted with the acts and saying of great beings 1' Yayati replied-'I was a great king on Earth, owning the whole world for my dominion. Leaving it, I acquired by dint of religious merit many high regions. There I dwelt for full thousand years, and then I attained to a very high region, the abode of Indra, of extraordinary beauty having a thousand gates, and extending over a hundred yojanas all round. There, too, I dwelt a full thousand years and then attained to a bigher region still. That is the region of perfect beautitude, where decay never exists, the region, viz., of the Creator and the Lord of Earth, so difficult of attainment! There also I dwelt for a full thousand years, and then attained to another very high region-viz., that of the god of gods (Vishnu) where, too, I had lived in happiness. Indeed, I dwelt in
