from every sin. They blast the eyes of those sinners that look at them.
Their bones and bodies are as hard as thunder. They regard honour and
dishonour in the same light. They all look as if they are of celestial
origin. Besides, all of them are endued, with auspicious marks and great
strength. Their heads seem to be like umbrellas. Their voices are deep
like that of the clouds. Each of them has four Mushkas.[1794] The soles
of their feet are marked by hundreds of lines. They have sixty teeth all
of which are white (and large), and eight smaller ones. They have many
tongues. With those tongues they seem to lick the very Sun whose face is
turned towards every direction. Indeed, they seem to be capable of
devouring that deity from whom hath sprung the entire universe, the
Vedas, the deities, and the Munis wedded to the attribute of tranquillity."

"'Yudhishthira said,--"O grandsire, thou hast said that those beings have
no senses, that they do not eat anything for supporting their lives; that
their eyes are winkless; and that they always emit excellent perfumes. I
ask, how were they born? What also is the superior end to which they
attain? O chief of Bharata's race, are the indications of those men that
become emancipate the same as those by which the denizens of the White
Island are distinguished? Do thou dispel my doubts. The curiosity I feel
is very great. Thou art the repository of all histories and discourses.
As regards ourselves, we entirely depend on thee for knowledge and
instruction!"

"'Bhishma continued,--"This narrative, O monarch, which I have heard from
my sire, is extensive. I shall now recite it to thee. Indeed, it is
regarded as the essence of all narratives. There was, in times past, a
king on Earth of the name of Uparichara. He was known to be the friend of
Indra, the chief of the celestials. He was devoted to Narayana known also
by the name of Hari. He was observant of all the duties laid down in the
scriptures. Ever devoted to his sire, he was always heedful and ready for
action. He won the sovereignty of the world in consequence of a boon he
had obtained from Narayana. Following the Sattwata ritual that had been
declared in days of yore by Surya himself, king Uparichara used to
worship the God of gods (Narayana), and when his worship was over, he
used to adore (with what remained) the grandsire of the universe.[1795]
After worshipping the Grandsires (Pitris), he worshipped the Brahmanas.
He then di