rought thee hither. After the accomplishment of thy
business, whatever it is, expressed or unexpressed in speech, thou mayst
depart, O foremost of regenerate persons, saluting me and dismissed by me
cheerfully, O thou of excellent vows. Thou hast conceived a friendship
for me. O regenerate Rishi, it behoveth thee not to depart from this
place after having only seen me, thyself sitting under the shade of this
tree. Thou hast become dear to me and I have become dear to thee, without
doubt. All the persons in this city are thine. What objection then is
there, O sinless one, to pass some time in my house?--'

"'"The Brahmana said, 'It is even so, O thou of great wisdom, O Naga that
hast acquired a knowledge of the soul. It is very true that the deities
are not superior to thee in any respect. He that is thyself, is verily
myself, as he that is myself is truly thyself. Myself, thyself, and all
other creatures, shall all have to enter into the Supreme Soul. Doubt
penetrated my mind, O chief of Nagas, in the matter of the best means for
winning righteousness or merit. That doubt has been dispelled by thy
discourse, for I have learnt the value of the Unccha vow. I shall hence
follow that which is so very efficacious in the matter of beneficial
consequences. That, O blessed one, has become my certain conclusion now,
based on excellent reasons. I take thy leave. Blessings to thee. My
object has been accomplished, O Naga.'"

"'Bhishma said, "Having saluted that foremost of Nagas in this way, the
Brahmana (named Dharmaranya), firmly resolved to follow the Unccha mode
of life, proceeded to the presence, O king, of Chyavana of Bhrigu's race,
from desire of being formally instructed and initiated in that vow.[1942]
Chyavana performed the Samskara rites of the Brahmana and formally
initiated him into the Unccha mode of life. The son of Bhrigu, O monarch,
recited this history to king Janaka in his place. King Janaka, in his
turn, narrated it to the celestial Rishi Narada of high soul. The
celestial Rishi Narada too, of stainless acts, repairing on one occasion
to the abode of Indra, the chief of the deities, gave to Indra this
history upon being asked by him. The chief of the celestials, having
obtained it thus from Narada, recited this blessed history to a conclave
consisting of all the foremost Brahmanas, O monarch. On the occasion,
again, of my dreadful encounter with Rama of Bhrigu's race (on the field
of Kurukshetra), the celestial