? And what is true restraint? What constitutes forgiveness.
And what is shame?' Yudhishthira answered,--'Staying in one's own
religion is asceticism; the restraint of the mind is of all restraints
the true one; forgiveness consists in enduring enmity; and shame, in
withdrawing from all unworthy acts.' The Yaksha asked,--'What, O king is
said to be knowledge? What, tranquillity? What constitutes mercy? And
what hath been called simplicity?' Yudhishthira answered,--'True
knowledge is that of Divinity. True tranquillity is that of the heart.
Mercy consists in wishing happiness to all. And simplicity is equanimity
of heart.' The Yaksha asked,--'What enemy is invincible? What
constitutes an incurable disease for man? What sort of a man is called
honest and what dishonest?' Yudhishthira answered,--'Anger is an
invincible enemy. Covetousness constitutes an incurable disease. He is
honest that desires the weal of all creatures, and he is dishonest who
is unmerciful.' The Yaksha asked,--'What, O king, is ignorance? And what
is pride? What also is to be understood by idleness? And what hath been
spoken of as grief?' Yudhishthira answered,--'True ignorance consists in
not knowing one's duties. Pride is a consciousness of one's being
himself an actor or sufferer in life. Idleness consists in not
discharging one's duties, and ignorance in grief.' The Yaksha
asked,--'What hath steadiness been said by the _Rishis_ to be? And what,
patience? What also is a real ablution? And what is charity?'
Yudhishthira answered,--'Steadiness consists in one's staying in one's
own religion, and true patience consists in the subjugation of the
senses. A true bath consists in washing the mind clean of all
impurities, and charity consists in protecting all creatures.' The
Yaksha asked,--'What man should be regarded as learned, and who should
be called an atheist? Who also is to be called ignorant? What is called
desire and what are the sources of desire? And what is envy?'
Yudhishthira answered,--'He is to be called learned who knoweth his
duties. An atheist is he who is ignorant and so also he is ignorant who
is an atheist. Desire is due to objects of possession, and envy is
nothing else than grief of heart.' The Yaksha asked,--'What is pride,
and what is hypocrisy? What is the grace of the gods, and what is
wickedness?' Yudhishthira answered,--'Stolid ignorance is pride. The
setting up of a religious standard is hypocrisy. The grace of the gods
is the