tranger to
enjoyments of every kind. O blessed lady, know that I have become
desirous of wedlock for obtaining offspring. I swear by truth itself.
Through the aid of offspring righteously obtained, I shall proceed to
those regions of felicity which cannot be attained without such aid. O
good lady, know what is consistent with morality, and knowing it, desist
from thy efforts.'

"'"The lady said, 'The very deities of wind and fire and water, or the
other celestials, O regenerate one, are not so agreeable to women as the
deity of desire. Verily, women are exceedingly fond of sexual congress.
Among a thousand women, or, perhaps, among hundreds of thousands,
sometimes only one may be found that is devoted to her husband. When
under the influence of desire, they care not for family or father or
mother or brother or husband or sons or husband's brother (but pursue the
way that desire points out). Verily, in pursuit of what they consider
happiness, they destroy the family (to which they belong by birth or
marriage) even as many queenly rivers eat away the banks that contain
them. The Creator himself had said this, quickly marking the faults of
women.'"[196]

"'Bhishma continued, "The Rishi, bent upon finding out the faults of
women, then addressed that lady, saying,--'Cease to speak to me in this
strain. Yearning springs from liking. Tell me what (else) I am to
do.'[197]--That lady then said in return,--'O illustrious one, thou shalt
see according to time and place (as do whether I have anything agreeable
in me). Do thou only live here (for some time), O highly blessed one, and
I shall regard myself amply rewarded.'--Thus addressed by her, the
regenerate Rishi, O Yudhishthira, expressed his resolution to comply with
her request, saying,--'Verily, I shall dwell with thee in this place as
long as I can venture to do so.'--The Rishi then, beholding that lady
afflicted with decrepitude, began to reflect earnestly on the matter. He
seemed to be even tortured by his thoughts. The eyes of that foremost of
Brahmanas failed to derive any delight from those parts of that lady's
person whereupon they were cast. On the other hand, his glances seemed to
be dispelled by the ugliness of those particular limbs.--'This lady is
certainly the goddess of this palace. Has she been made ugly through some
curse? It is not proper that I should hastily ascertain the cause of
this.'--Reflecting upon this in the secrecy of his heart, and curious to
kn