this reason, I would deem death to be preferable to life. O hero that
never swervest from virtue, had I with my brothers met with destruction
ere this at the hands of our enemies on the battle-field, I would not
have found thee in this pitiful plight, thus pierced with arrows. Surely,
O prince, the Maker had created is to become perpetrators of evil deeds.
O king, if thou wishest to do me good, do thou then instruct me in such a
way that I may be cleansed of this sin in even another world.'

"Bhishma replied, 'Why, O fortunate one, dost thou consider thy soul,
which is dependent (on God and Destiny and Time) to be the cause of thy
actions? The manifestation of its inaction is subtle and imperceptible to
the senses. In this connection is cited the ancient story of the
conversation between Mrityu and Gautami with Kala and the Fowler and the
serpent. There was, O son of Kunti, an old lady of the name of Gautami,
who was possessed of great patience and tranquillity of mind. One day she
found her son dead in consequence of having been bitten by a serpent. An
angry fowler, by name Arjunaka, bound the serpent with a string and
brought it before Gautami. He then said to her,--This wretched serpent
has been the cause of thy son's death, O blessed lady. Tell me quickly
how this wretch is to be destroyed. Shall I throw it into the fire or
shall I hack it into pieces? This infamous destroyer of a child does not
deserve to live longer.'

"Gautami replied, 'Do thou, O Arjunaka of little understanding, release
this serpent. It doth not deserve death at thy hands. Who is so foolish
as to disregard the inevitable lot that awaits him and burdening himself
with such folly sink into sin? Those that have made themselves light by
the practice of virtuous deeds, manage to cross the sea of the world even
as a ship crosses the ocean. But those that have made themselves heavy
with sin sink into the bottom, even as an arrow thrown into the water. By