word, body, or mind. By doing good and evil
acts, one is sure to enjoy or endure the just consequences thereof.
Nothing can be more certain than this."'"

SECTION XIV

"'Yudhishthira said, "O son of the River Ganga, thou hast heard all the
names of Maheshwara, the Lord of the universe. Do thou tell us, O
grandsire, all the names that are applied, O puissant one, unto Him who
is called Isa and Sambhu. Do thou tell us all those names that are
applied unto Him who is called Vabhru or vast, Him that has the universe
for his form, Him that is the illustrious preceptor of all the deities
and the Asuras, that is called Swayambhu (self-creating) and that is the
cause of the origin and dissolution of the universe. Do thou tell us also
of the puissance of Mahadeva."

"'Bhishma said, "I am quite incompetent to recite the virtues of Mahadeva
of highest intelligence. He pervades all things in the universe and yet
is not seen anywhere. He is the creator of universal self and the Pragna
(knowing) self and he is their master. All the deities, from Brahman to
the Pisachas, adore and worship him. He transcends both Prakriti and
Purusha. It is of Him that Rishis, conversant with Yoga and possessing a
knowledge of the tattwas, think and reflect. He is indestructible and
Supreme Brahman. He is both existent and non-existent. Agitating both
Prakriti and Purusha by means of His energy, He created therefrom the
universal lord of creatures, viz., Brahma. Who is there that is competent
to tell the virtues of that god of gods, that is endued with supreme
Intelligence? Man is subject to conception (in the mother's womb), birth,
decrepitude, and death. Being such, what man like me is competent to
understand Bhava? Only Narayana, O son, that bearer of the discus and the
mace, can comprehend Mahadeva. He is without deterioration. He is the
foremost of all beings in attributes. He is Vishnu, because of his
pervading the universe. He is irresistible. Endued with spiritual vision,
He is possessed of supreme Energy. He sees all things with the eye of
Yoga. It is in consequence of the devotion of the high-souled Krishna to
the illustrious Rudra whom he gratified, O Bharata, in the retreat of
Vadari, by penances, that he has succeeded in pervading the entire
universe. O king of kings, it is through Maheswara of celestial vision
that Vasudeva has obtained the attribute of universal agreeableness,--an
agreeableness that is much greater than what is po