36. Nor force of pride to counteract this law. (Hence the blessing of the god, being prior to the curse of the sage, must have its precedence over the latter).
37. But where both sides are of equal force, there both of them have their joint effect upon the same thing; so the curse and blessing being conjoined together, must remain as the commingling of milk with water.
38. The equal force of the blessing and curse, must produce a double or divided effect on the mind of man; as a person dreaming of the fairy city in his sleep, thinks himself as turned to one of its citizens (without losing the idea of his own personality: so a man has a different idea of himself, in different states of his life).
39. Now pardon me, O Lord for my repetition of the same truths before thee that I have learnt from thee, and permit me now to take leave of thee, and depart to my place.
40. Upon his saying so, the curse felt ashamed in itself, and fled away from the presence of the god; as the ghosts and goblins fly away from the air, at the dispersion of darkness from the sky.
41. Then the other blessing (which was given by the goddess Gaurí to the ladies of these brothers), concerning the restriction of their departed ghosts, to the confines of their house, came forward and presented itself before Brahmá in lieu of the curse, and began to plead his case, as a substitute does for his constituent.
42. He said:—I know not, O Lord of gods, how human souls can fly over the seven continents of the earth, after their separation from their dead bodies (Deign to explain this therefore unto me.)
43. I am the same blessing of the goddess, that promised unto them their dominion over the seven continents in their own house; and also their conquest of the whole earth within its confines.
44. Now tell me, O Lord of gods, how am I to restrain their spirits to the narrow limits of their own abodes; and at the same time confer the domain of the septuple earth, to each and every one of them (as it is destined to them by the blessing of the God of day.)
45. Brahmá responded:—Hear me, O thou blessing of conferring the realms of the seven continents on each of them; and thou the boon of detaining their departed spirits within the confines of these mansions; that both of you are successful in executing your respective purposes on them.