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"Bhishma continued, 'Having heard these words of the self-born Brahman, O Yudhishthira, Sakra of a thousand eyes began |
from that time to worship kine every day and to show them the greatest respect. I have thus told thee everything about the |
sanctifying character of kine, O thou of greet splendour. The sacred and high pre-eminence and glory of kine, that is capable of |
cleansing one from every sin, has, O chief of men, been thus explained to thee. That man who with senses withdrawn from |
every other object will recite this account unto Brahmanas, on occasions when Havya and Kavya are offered, or at sacrifices, or |
on occasions of adoring the Pitris, succeeds in conferring upon his ancestors an inexhaustible felicity fraught with the fruition |
of every wish. That man who is devoted to kine succeeds in obtaining the fruition of every wish of his. Indeed, even those |
women that are devoted to kine succeed in obtaining the accomplishment of every wish of theirs. He that desireth sons |
obtaineth them. He that desireth daughters obtaineth them. He that desireth wealth succeedeth in aquiring it and he that desireth |
religious merit succeedeth in winning it. He that desireth knowledge acquireth it and he that desireth felicity succeedeth in |
acquiring it. Indeed, O Bharata, there is nothing that is unattainable to one that is devoted to kine.'" |
SECTION LXXXIV |
"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed to me on the gift of kine that is fraught with great merit. In the case of |
kings observant of their duties, that gift is most meritorious. Sovereignty is always painful. It is incapable of being borne by |
persons of uncleansed souls. In the generality of cases, kings fail to attain to auspicious ends. By always making, however, |
gifts of earth, they succeed in cleansing themselves (of all their sins). Thou hast, O prince of Kuru's race, discoursed to me on |
many duties. Thou hast discoursed to me on the gifts of kine made by king Nriga in days of old. The Rishi Nachiketa, in |
ancient times, had discoursed on the merits of this act. The Vedas and the Upanishads also have laid down that in all |
sacrifices,--in fact, in all kinds of religious acts,--the Dakshina should be earth or kine or gold. The Srutis, however, declare |
that in all Dakshinas, gold is superior and is, indeed, the best. I desire, O grandsire, to hear thee discourse truly on this topic. |
What is gold? How did it spring up? When did it come into existence? What is its essence? Who is its presiding deity? What |
are its fruits? Why is it regarded as the foremost of all things? For what reason do men of wisdom applaud the gift of gold? For |
what reason is gold regarded as the best Dakshinas in all sacrifices? Why also is gold regarded as a cleanser superior to earth |
itself and kine? Why, indeed, is it regarded so superior as a Dakshina? Do thou, O grandsire, discourse to me on all this!' |
"Bhishma said, Listen, O king, with concentrated attention to me as I recite to thee in detail the circumstances connected with |
the origin of gold as understood by me. When my father Santanu of great energy departed from this world, I proceeded to |
Gangadwara for performing his Sraddha. Arrived there, I commenced the Sraddha of my father. My mother Jahnavi, coming |
there, rendered me great help. Inviting many ascetics crowned with success and causing them to take their seats before me, I |
commenced the preliminary rites consisting of gifts of water and of other things. Having with a concentrated mind performed |
all preliminary rites as laid down in the scriptures, I set myself to duly offer the obsequial cake. I then saw, O king, that a |
handsome arm, adorned with Angadas and other ornaments, rose up, piercing the ground, through the blades of Kusa grass |
which I had spread. Beholding that arm rise from the ground, I became filled with wonder. Indeed, O chief of Bharata's race, I |
thought that my father had come himself for accepting the cake I was about to offer. Reflecting then, by the light of the |
scriptures, the conviction soon came upon me that the ordinance does occur in the Vedas that the cake should not be presented |
into the hand of him whose Sraddha is performed. Even this was the conviction that took possession of my mind, viz., that the |
obsequial cake should never be presented in this world by a man into the visible hand of the man whose obsequial rites are |
performed. The Pitris do not come in their visible forms for taking the cake. On the other hand, the ordinance provides that it |
should be presented on the blades of Kusa grass spread on the earth for the purpose. I then, disregarding that hand which |
constituted an indication of my father's presence, and recollecting the true ordinance depending upon the authority of the |
scriptures respecting the mode of presenting the cake, offered the entire cake, O chief of the Bharatas, upon those blades of |
Kusa grass that were spread before me. Know, O prince of men, that what I did was perfectly consistent with the scriptural |
ordinance. After this, the arm of my sire, O monarch, vanished in our very sight. On that night as I slept, the Pitris appeared to |
me in a dream. Gratified with me they said, O chief of Bharata's race, even these words, 'We have been pleased with thee, for |
the indication thou hast afforded today of thy adherence to the ordinance. It has pleased us to see that thou hast not swerved |
from the injunctions of the scriptures. The scriptural ordinance, having been followed by thee, has become more authoritative, |
O king. By such conduct thou hast honoured and maintained the authority of thyself, the scriptures, the auditions of the Vedas, |
the Pitris and the Rishis, the Grandsire Brahman himself, and those seniors, viz., the Prajapatis. Adherence to the scriptures has |
been maintained. Thou hast today, O chief of the Bharatas, acted very properly. Thou hast made gifts of earth and kine. Do |
thou make gifts of gold. The gifts of gold is very cleansing. O thou that art well-conversant with duties, know that by such acts |
of thine, both ourselves and our forefathers will all be cleansed of all our sins. Such gifts rescue both ancestors and descendants |
to the tenth degree of the person who makes them.' Even these were the words that my ancestors, appearing unto me in a |
dream, said unto me, I then awoke, O king, and became filled with wonder. Indeed, O chief of Bharata's race, I set my heart |
then upon making gifts of gold. Listen now, monarch, to this old history. It is highly praiseworthy and it extends the period of |
his life who listens to it. It was first recited to Rama, the son of Jamadagni In former days Jamadagni's son Rama, filled with |
great wrath, exterminated the Kshatriyas from off the face of the earth for thrice seven times. Having subjugated the entire |
earth the heroic Rama of eyes like lotus-petals began to make preparations for performing a Horse-sacrifice, O king, that is |
praised by all Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and that is capable of granting the fruition of every wish. That sacrifice cleanses all |
creatures and enhances the energy and splendour of those who succeed in performing it. Endued with great energy, Rama, by |
the performance of that sacrifice became purified. Having, however, performed that foremost of sacrifices, the high-souled |
Rama failed yet to attain to perfect lightness of heart. Repairing unto Rishis conversant with every branch of learning as also |
the deities, Rama of Bhrigu's race questioned them. Filled with repentance and compassion, he addressed them, saying, 'Ye |
highly blessed ones, do ye declare that which is more cleansing still for men engaged in fierce deeds.' Thus addressed by him, |
those great Rishis, fully acquainted with the Vedas and the scriptures, answered him, saying, 'O Rama, guided by the authority |
of the Vedas, do thou honour all learned Brahmanas. Following this conduct for some time do thou once more ask the |
regenerate Rishis as to what should be done by thee for cleansing thyself. Follow the advice which those persons of great |
wisdom give.' Repairing then to Vasishtha and Agastya and Kasyapa, that delighter of the Bhrigus, endued with great energy, |
asked them that question, 'Ye foremost of Brahmanas, even this is the wish that has arisen in my heart. How, indeed, may I |
succeed in cleansing myself? By what acts and rites may this be brought about? Or, if by gifts, what is that article by giving |
away which this wish of mine may be accomplished? Ye foremost or righteous persons, if your minds be inclined to do me a |
favour, then do tell me, ye that are endued with wealth of asceticism, what is that by which I may succeed in cleansing myself.' |
"The Rishis said, 'O delighter of the Bhrigus, the mortal that has sinned becomes cleansed by making gifts of kine, of earth, and |
of wealth. Even this is what we have heard. There is another gift that is regarded as a great cleanser. Listen to us, O regenerate |
Rishi, as we discourse on it. That article is excellent and is endued with wonderful aspect and is, besides, the offspring of Fire. |
In days of yore, the god Agni burnt all the world. It has been heard by us that from his seed sprung gold of bright complexion. |
It came to be celebrated under the name of good complexioned. By making gifts of gold thou art sure to have thy wish crowned |
with fruition. Then the illustrious Vasishtha in especial, of rigid vows, addressing him, said, 'Hear, O Rama, how gold, which |
has the splendour of fire sprang into existence. That gold will confer merit on thee. In matters of gifts, gold is highly |
applauded. I shall also tell thee what is gold, whence it has come, and how it has come to be invested with superior attributes. |
Listen to me, O thou of mighty arms, as I discourse upon these topics. Know this as certain that gold is of the essence of Fire |
and Soma. The goat is Fire (for it given, it leads to the region of the deity of fire); the sheep is Varuna (for if leads to the region |
of Varuna the lord of waters); the horse is Surya (for if leads to the region of Surya); elephants are Nagas (for they lead to the |
world of Nagas); buffaloes are Asuras (for they lead to the region of Asuras); cocks and boars are Rakshasas (for they lead to |
the regions of the Rakshasas), O delighter of the Bhrigus; earth is sacrifice, kine, water, and Soma (for it leads to the merits of |
sacrifice, and to the region of kine, of the lord of waters and of Soma). Even these are the declarations of the Smritis. Churning |
the entire universe, a mass of energy was found. That energy is gold. Hence, O regenerate Rishi, compared to all these objects |
(which I have named above) gold is certainly superior. It is a precious thing, high and excellent.'[383] It is for this reason that |
the deities and Gandharvas and Uragas and Rakshasas and human beings and Pisachas hold it with care. All these beings, O |
son of Bhrigu's race, shine in splendour, with the aid of gold, after converting it into crowns and armlets and diverse kinds of |
ornaments. It is also for this reason that gold is regarded as the most cleansing of all cleansing things such as earth and kine and |
all other kinds of wealth, O prince of men. The gift of gold, O puissant king, is the highest gift. It is distinguished above the |
gifts of earth, of kine, and of all other things, O thou that art endued with the effulgence of an immortal, gold is an eternal |
cleanser. Do thou make gifts of it unto the foremost of Brahmanas as it is the foremost of cleansing things. Of all kinds of |
Dakshina, gold is the best. They who make gifts of gold are said to be givers of all things. Indeed, they who make gifts of gold |
come to be regarded as givers of deities. Agni is all the deities in one, and gold has Agni for its essence. Hence it is that the |
person who makes gifts of gold gives away all the deities. Hence, O chief of men, there is no gift higher than the gift of gold.' |
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