SECTION CLXII "Yudhishthira said, 'Brahmanas and Rishis and Pitris and the gods all a laud the

dut! o" truth# I desire to hear o" truth# $is%ourse to me u on it, O grandsire& 'hat are the indi%ations, O (ing, o" truth) *o+ ma! it ,e a%-uired) 'hat is gained ,! ra%tising truth, and ho+) Tell me all this#' "Bhishma said, '. %on"usion o" the duties o" the "our orders is ne/er a lauded# That +hi%h is %alled Truth al+a!s e0ists in a ure and unmingled state in e/er! one o" those "our orders# 'ith those that are good, Truth is al+a!s a dut!# Indeed, Truth is an eternal dut!# One should re/erentiall! ,o+ unto Truth# Truth is the highest re"uge 1o" all2# Truth is dut!3 Truth is enan%e3 Truth is Yoga3 and Truth is the eternal Brahma# Truth has ,een said to ,e Sa%ri"i%e o" a high order# 4 E/er!thing rests u on Truth# I shall no+ tell thee the "orms o" Truths one a"ter another, and its indi%ations also in due order# It ,eho/eth thee to hear also as to ho+ Truth ma! ,e a%-uired# Truth, O Bharata, as it e0ists in all the +orld, is o" thirteen (inds# The "orms that Truth assumes are im artialit!, sel" %ontrol, "orgi/eness, modest!, enduran%e, goodness, renun%iation, %ontem lation, dignit!, "ortitude, %om assion, and a,stention "rom in5ur!# These, O great monar%h, are the thirteen "orms o" Truth# Truth is immuta,le, eternal, and un%hangea,le# It ma! ,e a%-uired through ra%ti%es +hi%h do not militate against an! o" the other /irtues# It ma! also ,e a%-uired through Yoga# 'hen desire and a/ersion, as also lust and +rath, are destro!ed, that attri,ute in %onse-uen%e o" +hi%h one is a,le to loo( u on one's o+n sel" and one's "oe, u on one's good and one's e/il, +ith an un%hanging e!e, is %alled im artialit!# Sel"6%ontrol %onsists in ne/er +ishing "or another man's ossessions, in gra/it! and atien%e and %a a%it! to alla! the "ears o" others in res e%t to one's o+n sel", and immunit! "rom disease# It ma! ,e a%-uired through (no+ledge# $e/otion to the ra%ti%e o" li,eralit! and the o,ser/an%e o" all duties are regarded ,! the +ise as %onstituting good+ill# One %omes to a%-uire uni/ersal good+ill ,! %onstant de/otion to truth# .s regards non6"orgi/eness and "orgi/eness, it should ,e stated that the attri,ute through +hi%h an esteemed and good man endures ,oth +hat is agreea,le and disagreea,le, is said to ,e "orgi/eness# This /irtue ma! +ell ,e a%-uired # 787 through the ra%ti%e o" truth"ulness# That /irtue in %onse-uen%e o" +hi%h an intelligent man, %ontented in mind and s ee%h, a%hie/es man! good deeds and ne/er in%urs the %ensure o" others, is %alled modest!# It is a%-uired through the aid o" righteousness# That /irtue +hi%h "orgi/es "or the sa(e o" /irtue and ro"it is %alled enduran%e# It is a "orm o" "orgi/eness# It is a%-uired through atien%e, and its ur ose is to atta%h eo le to one's sel"# The %asting o"" o" a""e%tion as also o" all earthl! ossessions, is %alled renun%iation# Renun%iation %an ne/er ,e a%-uired e0%e t ,! one +ho is di/ested o" anger and mali%e# That /irtue in %onse-uen%e o" +hi%h one does good, +ith +at%h"ulness and %are, to all %reatures is %alled goodness# It hath no arti%ular sha e and %onsists in the di/estment o" all sel"ish atta%hments# That /irtue o+ing to +hi%h one remains un%hanged in ha iness and miser! is %alled "ortitude# That +ise man +ho desires his o+n good al+a!s ra%tises this /irtue# One should al+a!s ra%tise "orgi/eness and de/otedness to truth# That man o"

+isdom +ho su%%eeds in %asting o"" 5o! and "ear and +rath, su%%eeds in a%-uiring "ortitude# .,stention "rom in5ur! as regards all %reatures in thought, +ord, and deed, (indness, and gi"t, are the eternal duties o" those +ho are good# These thirteen attri,utes, though a arentl! distin%t "rom one another, ha/e ,ut one and the same "orm, /i9#, Truth# .ll these, O Bharata, su ort Truth and strengthen it# It is im ossi,le, O monar%h, to e0haust the merits o" Truth# It is "or these reasons that the Brahmanas, the Pitris, and the gods, a laud Truth# There is no dut! +hi%h is higher than Truth, and no sin more heinous than untruth# Indeed, Truth is the /er! "oundation o" righteousness# :or this reason, one should ne/er destro! Truth# :rom Truth ro%eed gi"ts, and sa%ri"i%e +ith resents, as +ell as the three"old .gnihotras, the ;edas, and e/er!thing else that leads to righteousness# On%e on a time a thousand horse6sa%ri"i%es and Truth +ere +eighed against ea%h other in the ,alan%e# Truth +eighed hea/ier than a thousand horse6 sa%ri"i%es#"'