“Markandeya continued, ‘O thou conqueror of hostile cities, in this
connection Saraswati too, when interrogated by that intelligent Muni
Tarkshya, had said (this). Do thou listen to her words! Tarkshya had
asked, saying, ‘Excellent lady, what is the best thing for a man to do
here below, and how must he act so that he may not deviate from (the path
of) virtue. Tell me all this, O beautiful lady, so that instructed by
thee, I may not fall away from the path of virtue! When and how must one
offer oblations to the (sacred) fire and when must he worship so that
virtue may not be compromised? Tell me all this, O excellent lady, so
that I may live without any passions, craving, or desire, in this world.’
“Markandeya continued, ‘Thus questioned by that cheerful Muni and seeing
him eager to learn and endued with high intelligence, Saraswati addressed
these pious and beneficial words to the Brahmana, Tarkshya.’
“Saraswati said, ‘He who is engaged in the study of the Vedas, and with
sanctity and equanimity perceives the supreme Godhead in his proper
sphere, ascends the celestial regions and attains supreme beatitude with
the Immortals. Many large, beautiful, pellucid and sacred lakes are
there, abounding with fish, flowers, and golden lilies. They are like
shrines and their very sight is calculated to assuage grief. Pious men,
distinctively worshipped by virtuous well-adorned golden-complexioned
Apsaras, dwell in contentment on the shores of those lakes. He who giveth
cows (to Brahmanas) attaineth the highest regions; by giving bullocks he
reacheth the solar regions, by giving clothes he getteth to the lunar
world, and by giving gold he attaineth to the state of the Immortals. He
who giveth a beautiful cow with a fine calf, and which is easily milked
and which doth not run away, is (destined) to live for as many years in
the celestial regions as there are hairs on the body of that animal. He
who giveth a fine, strong, powerful, young bullock, capable of drawing
the plough and bearing burdens, reacheth the regions attained by men who
give ten cows. When a man bestoweth a well-caparisoned kapila cow with a
brazen milk-pail and with money given afterwards, that cow becoming, by
its own distinguished qualities, a giver of everything reacheth the side
of the man who gave her away. He who giveth away cows, reapeth
innumerable fruits of his action, measured by the hairs on the body of
that animal. He also saveth (from perdition) in the next world his sons
and grandsons and ancestors to the seventh generation. He who presenteth
to a Brahmana, sesamum made up in the form of a cow, having horns made of
gold, with money besides, and a brazen milk-pail, subsequently attaineth
easily to the regions of the Vasus. By his own acts man descends into the
darksome lower regions, infested by evil spirits (of his own passions)
like a ship tossed by the storm in the high seas; but the gift of kine to
Brahmanas saves him in the next world. He who giveth his daughter in
marriage, in the Brahma form, who bestoweth gifts of land on Brahmanas
and who duly maketh other presents, attaineth to the regions of
Purandara. O Tarkshya, the virtuous man who is constant in presenting
oblations to the sacred fire for seven years, sanctifieth by his own
action seven generations up and down.’
“Tarkshya said, ‘O beautiful lady, explain to me who ask thee, the rules
for the maintenance of the sacred fire as inculcated in the Vedas. I
shall now learn from thee the time-honoured rules for perpetually keeping
up the sacred fire.’”