"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."'"