regions.
O great Rishi, I shall repair to a region that is higher. Indeed,
Dhritarashtra shall not have to go thither!'

"'"Gautama said, 'If thou goest to that region where the Uttara-Kurus blaze
in beauty and pass their days in gladness, O king, in the company of the
very deities, where those beings that have their origin in fire, those
that have their origin in water, and those having their origin in
mountains, reside in happiness, and where Sakra raineth down the fruition
of every wish, and where women live in perfect freedom, unrestrained by
rules of any kind regulating their conduct or motions, and where there is
no feeling of jealousy between the sexes,--if thou repairest thither,
even thither shall I proceed and force thee to yield up this elephant to
me!'

"'"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those men that are freed from desire with respect
to all articles of enjoyment, that abstain from meat, that never take up
the rod of chastisement, and never inflict the least harm on mobile and
immobile creatures, that have constituted themselves the soul of all
creatures, that are entirely freed from the idea of meum, that have cast
off attachments of every kind, that regard gain and loss as also praise
and blame as equal,--only those men, O great Rishi, repair to such
regions. I shall repair to a higher region. Verily, Dhritarashtra shall
not go thither!'

"'"Gautama said, 'Next to these blaze in beauty those eternal regions,
redolent with excellent perfumes, that are free from passions of every
kind and that are destitute of sorrow. These constitute the abode of the
high-souled king Soma. If thou repairest thither, even thither shall I
proceed and force thee to yield up this elephant to me!'

"'"Dhritarashtra said, 'Those men that always make gifts without receiving
any gift, who never accept any service from others, who own nothing which
they cannot give to a deserving person, who are hospitable to all
creatures, who are inclined to show grace to every one, who are endued
with forgiving dispositions, who never speak ill of others, who protect
all creatures by throwing over them the shroud of compassion, and who are
always righteous in their behaviour,--only those men, O great Rishi,
proceed to such regions. I shall proceed to a higher region. Verily,
Dhritarashtra shall not go there!'

"'"Gautama said, 'Next to these blaze in beauty other regions that are
eternal, free from passion and darkness and sorrow, and that lie at th