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 mArkaNDeya uvAcha - markandeya reiterating
what sanat-kumAra has said:

 Asan pUrva yuge tAta bharadvAja AtmajA dvijAH |
yoga dharmam anuprApya bhraShTA dushcharitena vai || 1-19-1
 apabhraMsham anuprAptA yogadharma apachAriNaH |
mahataH sarasaH pAre mAnasasya visaMj~nitAH || 1-19-2
 tam eva artham anudhyAto naShTam apsu iva mohitAH |
aprApya yogaM te sarve saMyuktAH kAla-dharmaNA || 1-19-3

In earlier era there used to be seven sons of sage bharaadvAja who having followed yogic ascesis have became degenerates by virtue of their misconduct...  those practitioners of yoga-dharma have obtained a fall from higher abodes onto the banks of lake called mAnasa-sarovaram... there they spent time always sighing for their lost virtue, as if one would sigh for chattel personal drowned deep in the well - toya nimagna vastu - till their end-time in that birth has occurred..." so continued mArkanDeya to bhIShma, by reporting what sanat-kumAra said to him...

 tataH te yoga-vibhraShTA deveShu suchira uShitAH |
jAtAH kauShika dAyAdAH kurukShetre nararShabhAH || 1-19-4
 hiMsayA vihariShyanto dharmaM pitR^i-kR^itena vai |
tataste punarAjAtiM bhraShTAH prApsyanti kutsitAm || 1-19-5
 teShAM pitR^I prasAdena pUrvajAti kR^itena vai |
smR^itiH utpatsyate prApya tAM tAM jAtiM  jugupsitAm || 1-19-6

Again they ascended to heaven, stayed there for a long time, and then they have now become the progeny of kaushika near at kurukshetra... soon they will commit a cruel crime for the sake of their father, whereby they again fall into the enceinte of lowly beings... however, they retain the memories of their past lives because they adored their fatherly gods, and because of the yogic merit they accrued earlier...

te dharmachAriNo nityaM bhaviShyanti samAhitAH |
brAhmaNyaM pratilapsyanti tato bhUyaH svakarmaNA|| 1-19-7
tatashcha yogaM prApsyanti pUrvajAtikR^itaM punaH |
bhUyaH siddhim anuprAptAH sthAnaM prApsyanti shAshvatam || 1-19-8

Ultimately they acquire brahamaNa-hood whereby they get redemption, salvation, and an eternal abode in higher worlds... all this is because of their dharma - persistent devotion to fatherly gods...

jAti smaratvAt eva dharma parA api janA - knowing one's own roots is a better sanctitude...

  evaM dharme cha te buddhiH bhaviShyati punaH punaH |
yoga-dharme cha nitarAM prApsyase buddhim uttamAm || 1-19-9

In this way, if your mind too, oh, mArkanDeya, is inclined towards dharma constantly, you will be deemed to be an adherent of yoga-tenets and one day wisdom will dawn upon you...

 yogo hi durlabho nityam alpa praj~naiH kadAchana |
labdhvA api nAshayanti enaM vyasanaiH kaTutAmitAH |
adharmeShu eva vartante prArdayante gurUn api || 1-19-10

yoga is an impossible thing for commoners... even if they achieve it, it will ruin them because of their excesses... thus they abide in unrighteousness, even to the maximum of committing treachery towards his mentors...

yAchante na tu ayAchyAni rakShanti sharaNAgatAn |
na avajAnanti kR^ipaNAnmAdyante na dhanoShmaNA || 1-19-11

Those who do not tread the path of adharma will not envy the unenviable, will not protect the unprotectable, weigh the pitiable, and will not become money-mongers...

yukta AhAra vihArAH cha yukta cheShTAH sva-karmasu |
dhyAna Adhyayana yuktAH cha na naShTa anu gaveShiNaH || 1-19-12

They will be strict in the regimen of food and activities, comport befitting in their deeds, properly conduct self-study, and impart scriptures, and they do not quest after their lost wealth, for they are self-contented...

na upa-bhoga-ratA nityaM na mAMsa-madhu-bhakShaNAH |
na cha kAma-parA nityaM na vipra asevinaH tathA || 1-19-13
na anArya saMkatha AsaktA na alasya upahatAH tathA |
na atyanta mAna-saMsaktA goShThIShu aniratAH tathA || 1-19-14
prApnuvanti narA yogaM yogo vai durlabho bhuvi |

yogis will neither be indulgent in luxuries, nor partake animal food and wine, nor carnal, nor non-serving the brAhmaNA-s, nor engrossed in bohemian legends, nor easily whacked out... thus yogis will attain such a state, where yoga itself is not-so-easy practice in this world...

prashAntAH cha jita-krodhA mAna aha~NkAra varjitAH || 1-19-15
kalyANa bhAjanaM ye tu te bhavanti yata-vratAH |
evaM vidhAH tu te tAta brAhmaNA hi abhavan tadA || 1-19-16
smaranti hi Atmano doShaM pramAda-kR^itam eva tu |
dhyAna adhyayana yuktAH cha shAnte vartmani saMsthitAH || 1-19-17

Serene, ire-controlled and above the pairs of opposite like glory and vainglory etc., are the brAhmaNA-s of yore... those were the industrious people and they were all good-natured... they used to brood on the fault accidentally committed by them, lest it may not be repeated... exiling themselves into the self-study and imparting of scriptures, they eked out a living of peacefulness...

yoga dharmAt hi dharmaj~na na dharmo.asti visheShavAn |
variShThaH sarva dharmANAM tam eva Achara bhArgava || 1-19-18

There is nothing whatsoever that surpasseth the strength of character... have that aplomb and practice that alone, since it is the best...

This is something like: Di tibi, si qua pios respectant numina, si quid Usquam iustitia est et mens sibi conscia recti, Praemia digna ferant.

  If the divine powers take note of the dutiful in any way, if there is any justice anywhere and a mind recognizing in itself what is right, may the gods bring you your earned rewards. Aeneid bk. 1, l. 603 [if only you practise them rightly - suffix]

 kAlasya pariNAmena laghu AhAro jitendriyaH |
tatparaH prayataH shrAddhI yoga dharmam avApsyasi || 1-19-19

Controlling your dietary habits and senses you should earnestly undertake self-discipline in due course of time, whereby you will achieve yoga-dharma..." so said sanat-kumAra to sage mArkanDeya.

 iti uktvA bhagavAn devaH tatra eva ataradhIyata |
aShTA-dasha eva varShANi tu eka Aham iva me.abhavat || 1-19-20
upAsataH taM deveshaM varShANi aShTAdasha eva me |
prasAdAt tasya devasya na glAniH abhavat tadA || 1-19-21
 na kShut pipAse kAlaM vA jAnAmi sma tada anagha |
pashchAt shiShya sakAshAt tu kAlaH saMvidito mayA || 1-19-22

"Saying so to me that godly sanat-kumAra vanished then and there... eighteen years said to have lapsed in his narrating all this to me... but I felt it as one day... I had no hunger, thirst, or fatigue etc humanly traits just because I stayed in the presence of that god sanat-kumAra... later the presence of disciples around me brought my attention to this timelessness..." So said sage mArkanDeya to bhIShma.

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  iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe harivaMshaparvaNi pitR^ikalpe
yoga-bhraMsha- nirUpaNa - nAma ekonaviMsho.adhyAyaH

Thus, this is the nineteenth chapter of first canto called harivamsha-parva, in harivamsha-purANa, the sequel of mahAbhArata, narrating about the subsidence of ascetic merit.

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