planation
here. By Dhriti is meant steadiness of intelligence; by Dwitiya
lit, a second. What Yudhishthira says is that a steady
intelligence serves the purposes of a helpful companion.

[70] Nilakantha explains this correctly, as I imagine, by
supposing that by 'sacrifice' is meant the spiritual sacrifice
for the acquisition of pure knowledge. In the objective
sacrifice which one celebrates, the Sama, the Yajus, and the Rik
mantras are all necessary. In the subjective sacrifice the
acquisition of true knowledge, life and mind are as necessary as
the mantras from the Sama and the Yajur Vedas in an objective
one. And as no objective sacrifice can do without the Riks,
being principally dependent on them, so the subjective
sacrifices for acquiring true knowledge can never do without
prayerfulness, which, I imagine, is represented as the Riks. To
understand this passage thoroughly would require an intimate
acquaintance with the ritual of a sacrifice like the Agnishtoma
or any other of that kind.

[71] Some texts read apatatam for uvapatam. If the former be the
correct reading, the meaning would be--'What is the best of
things that fall?' Nilakantha explains both avapatam nivapatam
in a spiritual sense. By the first he understands--'They that
offer oblation to the gods,' and by the second, 'They that offer
oblations to the Pitris.' The necessity of a spiritual
interpretation, however, is not very apparent.

[72] Yudhishthira has the authority of the Srutis for saying
that the one pervading element of the universe is air.

[73] The word used in the question is _dik_, literally,
direction. Obviously, of course, it means in this connection
way. Yudhishthira answers that the way which one is to tread
along is that of the good.

[74] The _Srutis_ actually speak of space as water. These are
questions to test Yudhishthira's knowledge of the Vedic
cosmogony.

[75] The _Srutis_ speak of the cow as the only food, in the
following sense. The cow gives milk. The milk gives butter. The
butter is used in Homa. The Homa is the cause of the clouds. The
clouds give rain. The rain makes the seed to sprout forth and
produce food. Nilakantha endeavours to explain this in a
spiritual sense. There is however, no need of such explanation
here.

[76] What Yudhishthira means to