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secured to himself unique and undying fame in this as well as in the other world. Rantideva, the son of Sankriti, attained to the |
highest heaven by duly making gifts to the high-souled Vasishtha. Devavriddha too went to heaven by giving a hundred-ribbed |
and excellent golden umbrella to a Brahmana for a sacrifice. The worshipful Amvarisha too has attained to the region of the |
gods, by making a gift of all his kingdom to a Brahmana of great power. King Janamejaya of the solar race, went to the highest |
heaven by making a gift of ear-rings, fine vehicles, and cows to Brahmanas. The Royal sage Vrishadarbhi went to heaven by |
making gifts of various jewels and beautiful houses to Brahmanas. King Nimi of Vidarva, attained to heaven with his sons, |
friends and cattle, by giving his daughter and kingdom to the high-souled Agastya. The far-famed Rama, the son of Jamadagni, |
attained to the eternal regions, far beyond his expectation, by giving lands to Brahmanas. Vasishtha, the prince of Brahmanas, |
preserved all the creatures at a time of great drought when the god Parjjanya did not bestow his grateful showers upon the |
earth, and for this act he has secured eternal bliss for himself. Rama, the son of Dasaratha, whose fame is very high in this |
world, attained to the eternal regions by making gifts of wealth at sacrifices. The far-famed royal sage Kakshasena, went to |
heaven by duly making over to the high-souled Vasishtha the wealth which he had deposited with him. Marutta, the son of |
Parikshita and the grandson of Karandhama, by giving his daughter in marriage to Angiras, immediately went to heaven. The |
highly devout king of Panchalal Brahmadatta, attained the blessed way by giving away a precious conch-shell. King Mitrasaha, |
by giving his favourite wife Madayanti to the high-souled Vasishtha, ascended to heaven. Sudyumna, the son of Manu, by |
causing the proper punishment to be inflicted upon the high-souled Likhita, attained to the most blessed regions. The celebrated |
royal sage Saharachitta went to the blessed regions, by sacrificing his dear life for the sake of a Brahmana. The king |
Satadyumna went to heaven by giving to Maudgaya a golden mansion replete with all the objects of desire. In ancient times, |
king Sumanyu by giving to Sandilya heaps of food looking like a hill, proceeded to heaven. The Salwa prince Dyutimat of |
great splendour attained to the highest regions by giving his kingdom to Richika. The Royal sage Madiraswa by giving his |
slender-waisted daughter to Hiranyahasta went to the region of the gods. The lordly Lomapada attained all the vast objects of |
his desire by giving his daughter Santa in marriage to Rishyasringa. The royal sage Bhagiratha, by giving his famous daughter |
Hansi in marriage to Kautsa, went to the eternal regions. King Bhagiratha by giving hundreds and thousands of kine with their |
young ones to Kohala attained to the most blessed regions. These and many other men, O Yudhishthira, have attained to |
heaven, by the merit of their charities and penances and they have also returned from thence again and again. Their fame will |
endure as long as the world will last. I have related to thee, O Yudhishthira, this story of those good householders who have |
attained to eternal regions by dint of their charities and penances. By their charities and by performing sacrifices and by |
procreating offspring, these people have attained to the heavenly regions. O foremost scion of Kuru's race, by always |
performing acts of charity, these men applied their virtuous intellects to the performance of sacrifices and charities. O mighty |
prince, as night has approached I shall explain to thee in the morning whatever doubts may arise in thy mind.'" |
SECTION CXXXVIII |
"Yudhishthira said, 'I have heard from thee, O sire, the names of those kings that have ascended to heaven. O thou whose |
power is great in the observance of the vow of truth by following the religion of gift. How many kinds of gift are there that |
should be given? What are the fruits of the several kinds of gifts respectively? For what reasons, what kinds of gifts, made to |
what persons are productive of merits? Indeed, unto what persons should what gifts be made? For what reasons are how many |
kinds of gifts to be made? I desire to hear all this in detail.'" |
"Bhishma said, 'Listen, O son of Kunti, in detail to me, O sinless one as I discourse on the subject of gifts. Indeed, I shall tell |
you, O Bharata, how gifts should be made unto all the orders of men. From desire of merit, from desire of profit, from fear, |
from free choice, and from pity, gifts are made, O Bharata! Gifts, therefore, should be known to be of five kinds. Listen now to |
the reasons for which gifts are thus distributed in five classes. With mind freed from malice one should make gifts unto |
Brahmanas, for by making gifts unto the one acquires fame here and great felicity hereafter. (Such gifts are regarded as made |
from desire of merit.) He is in the habit of making gifts; or he has already made gifts to me. Hearing such words from solicitors |
one gives away all kinds of wealth unto a particular solicitor. (Such gifts are regarded as made from desire of profit.) I am not |
his, nor is he mine. If disregarded, he may injure me. From such motives of fear even a man of learning and wisdom may make |
gifts unto an ignorant wretch. (Such gifts are regarded as made from fear.) This one is dear to me, I am also dear to him. |
Influenced by considerations like these, a person of intelligence, freely and with alacrity, make gifts unto a friend. (Such gifts |
are regarded as made from free choice.) The person that solicits me is poor. He is, again, gratified with a little. From |
considerations such as these, one should always make gifts unto the poor, moved by pity. (Gifts made from such considerations |
are regarded as made from pity.) These are the five kinds of gift. They enhance the giver's merits and fame. The Lord of all |
creatures (Brahman himself) has said that one should always make gifts according to one's power.'" |
SECTION CXXXIX |
"Yudhishthira said, 'O grandsire, thou art possessed of great wisdom. Indeed, thou art fully conversant with every branch of |
learning. In our great race thou art the only individual that swellest with all the sciences. I desire to hear from thee discourses |
that are interwoven with Religion and Profit, that lead to felicity hereafter, and that are fraught with wonder unto all creatures. |
The time that has come is fraught with great distress. The like of it does not generally come to kinsmen and friends. Indeed, |
save thee, O foremost of men, we have now none else that can take the place of an instructor. If, O sinless one, I with my |
brothers deserve the favour, it behoveth thee to answer the question I desire to ask thee. This one is Narayana who is endued |
with every prosperity and is honoured by all the kings. Even he waits upon thee, showing thee every indulgence and honouring |
thee greatly. It behoveth thee to discourse unto me, through affection, for my benefit as also for that of my brothers, in the |
presence of Vasudeva himself and of all these kings.'" |
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira, Bhishma, the son of the river called after Bhagiratha, |
filled with joy in consequence of his affection for the monarch and his brothers, said what follows.'[559] |
"Bhishma said, 'I shall certainly recite to thee discourses that are delightful, on the subject, O king, of the puissance of this |
Vishnu as displayed in days of yore and as I have heard (from my preceptors). Listen to me also as I describe the puissance of |
that great god who has a bull for his device. Listen to me as I narrate also the doubt that filled the mind of the spouse of Rudra |
and that of Rudra himself. Once on a time the righteous souled Krishna observed a vow extending for ten and two years. For |
beholding him who had gone through the rite of initiation for the observance of his great vow, there came to that place Narada |
and Parvata, and the Island-born Krishna, and Dhaumya, that foremost of silent reciters, and Devala, and Kasyapa, and |
Hastikasyapa. Other Rishis also, endued with Diksha and self-restraint, followed by their disciples and accompanied by many |
Siddhas and many ascetics of great merit, came there. The son of Devaki offered them such honours of hospitality as are |
deserving of the highest praise and as are offered unto the gods alone. Those great Rishis sat themselves down upon seats some |
of which were green and some endued with the colour of gold and some that were fraught with the plumes of the peacock and |
some that were perfectly new and fresh. Thus seated, they began to converse sweetly with one another on subjects connected |
with Religion and duty as also with many royal sages and deities. At that time the energy, in the form of fire, Narayana, rising |
from the fuel that consisted of the rigid observance of his vow, issued out of the mouth of Krishna of wonderful feats. That fire |
began to consume those mountains with their trees and creepers and little plants, as also with their birds and deer and beasts of |
prey and reptiles. Soon the summit of that mountain presented a distressing and pitiful appearance, Inhabited by animals of |
diverse kinds which began to utter cries of woe and pain, the summit soon became bereft of every living creature. That fire of |
mighty flames, having consumed everything without leaving a remnant at last came back to Vishnu and touched his feet like a |
docile disciple. That crusher of foes, viz., Krishna, beholding that mountain burnt, cast a benignant look upon it and thereby |
brought it back to its former condition. That mountain thereupon once more became adorned with flowering trees and creepers, |
and once more echoed with the notes and cries of birds and deer and animals of prey and reptiles. Seeing that wonderful and |
inconceivable sight, all the ascetics became amazed. Their hairs stood on end and their vision was blurred with tears. That |
foremost of speakers, Narayana, beholding those Rishis thus filled with wonder, addressed them in these sweet and refreshing |
words, 'Why, indeed, has wonder filled the hearts of this assemblage of Rishis, these ascetics that are always free from |
attachment of every kind, that are divested of the idea of meum, and that are fully conversant with every sacred science? It |
behoveth these Rishis possessed of wealth of penances and freed from every stain to explain to me truly this doubt that has |
arisen in my mind.'" |
"The Rishis said, 'It is thou that createst all the worlds, and it is thou that destroyest them again. It is thou that art Winter, it is |
thou that art Summer, and it is thou that art the season of rains. Of all the creatures, mobile and immobile, that are found on the |
earth, thou art the father, thou art the mother, thou art the master, and thou art the origin! Even this, O slayer of Madhu, is a |
matter of wonder and doubt with us. O source of all auspiciousness, it behoveth Thee to resolve to us that doubt, viz., the issue |
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