"'"Saunaka said, 'I shall for these reasons discourse to thee of
righteousness, to thee whose heart has been exceedingly agitated.
Possessed of knowledge and great strength, and with a contented heart,
thou seekest righteousness of thy own will. A king, first becoming
exceedingly stern, then shows compassion and does good to all creatures
by his acts. This is certainly very wonderful. People say that that king
who commences with sternness burns the whole world. Thou wert stern
before. But thou turnest thy eyes on righteousness now. Forsaking
luxurious food and all articles of enjoyment, thou hast betaken thyself
for a long time to rigid penances. All this, O Janamejaya, is certain to
appear wonderful to those kings that are sunk in sin. That he who has
affluence should become liberal, or that he who is endued with wealth of
asceticism should become reluctant to spend it, is not at all wonderful.
It has been said that the one does not live at a distance from the
other.[443] That which is ill-judged produces misery in abundance. That
on the other hand, which is accomplished with the aid of sound judgment
leads to excellent results.[444] Sacrifice, gift, compassions, the Vedas,
and truth, O lord of the earth--these five--are cleansing. The sixth is
penance well-performed. This last, O Janamejaya, is highly cleansing for
kings. By betaking thyself to it properly, thou art certain to earn great
merit and blessedness. Visiting sacred spots has also been said to be
highly cleansing. In this connection are cited the following verses sung
by Yayati: "That mortal who would earn life and longevity should, after
having performed sacrifices with devotion, renounce them (in old age) and
practise penances." The field of Kuru has been said to be sacred. The
river Saraswati has been said to be more so. The tirthas of the Saraswati
are more sacred than the Saraswati herself; and the tirtha called
Prithudaka is more sacred than all the tirthas of the Saraswati. One that
has bathed in Prithudaka. and drunk its waters will not have to grieve
for a premature death. Thou shouldst go to Mahasaras, to all the tirthas
designated by the name of Pushkara, to Prabhasa, to the northern lake
Manasa, and to Kalodaka. Thou shalt then regain life and acquire
longevity. Lake Manasa is on the spot where the Saraswati and the
Drisadwati mingle with each other. A person possessed of Vedic knowledge
should bathe in these places. Manu has said that liberality is the best
of all duties and that renunciation is better than liberality. In this
connection is cited the following verse composed by Satyavat. (One should
act) as a child full of simplicity and destitute of either merit or sin.
As regards all creatures there is in this world neither misery nor
happiness. (That which is called misery and that which is called
happiness are the results of a distraught imagination.) Even this is the
true nature of all living creatures. Of all creatures, their lives are
superior who have betaken themselves to renunciation and abstained from
acts both meritorious and sinful. I shall now tell thee those acts which
are best for a king. By putting forth thy might and liberality do thou
conquer heaven, O king! That man who possesses the attributes of might
and energy succeeds in attaining to righteousness.[445] Do thou rule the
earth, O king, for the sake of the Brahmanas and for the sake of
happiness. Thou usedst formerly to condemn the Brahmanas. Do thou gratify
them now. Though they have cried fie on thee and though they have
deserted thee, do thou still, guided by knowledge of self, solemnly
pledge thyself never to injure them. Engaged in acts proper for thee,
seek what is for thy highest good. Amongst rulers some one becomes as
cool as snow; some one, as fierce as fire; some one becomes like a plough
(uprooting all enemies); and some one, again, becomes like a thunder-bolt
(suddenly scorching his foes). He who wishes to prevent self-destruction
should never mix with wicked wights for general or special reasons. From
a sinful act committed only once, one may cleanse one's self by repenting
of it. From a sinful act committed twice, one may cleanse one's self by
vowing never to commit it again. From such an act committed thrice, one
may cleanse one's self by the resolution to bear one's self righteously
ever afterwards. By committing such an act repeatedly, one may cleanse
one's self by a trip to sacred places. One who is desirous of obtaining
prosperity should do all that results in blessedness. They who live
amidst fragrant odours themselves become fragrant in consequence. They,
on the other hand, who live in the midst of foul stench themselves become
foul. One devoted to the practice of ascetic penances is soon cleansed of
all one's sins. By worshipping the (homa) fire for a year, one stained by
diverse sins becomes purified. One guilty of foeticide is cleansed by
worshipping the fire for three years. One guilty of foeticide becomes
cleansed at even a hundred Yojanas from Mahasaras, or the tirthas called
Pushkara, or Prabhasa, or Manasa on the north, if only one gets out for
any of them.[446] A slayer of creatures is cleansed of his sins by saving
from imminent peril as many creatures of that particular species as have
been slain by him. Manu has said that by diving in water after thrice
reciting the Aghamarshana mantras, one reaps the fruits of the final bath
in a Horse-sacrifice.[447] Such an act very soon cleanses one of all
one's sins, and one regains in consequence the esteem of the world. All
creatures become obedient to such a person like helpless idiots (obedient
to those that surround them). The gods and Asuras, in days of yore,
approaching the celestial preceptor Vrihaspati, O king, humbly enquired
of him, saying, "Thou knowest, O great Rishi, the fruits of virtue, as
also the fruits of those other acts that lead to hell in the next world.
Does not that person succeed in liberating himself from both merit and
sin with whom the two (weal and woe) are equal? Tell us, O great Rishi,
what the fruits of righteousness are, and how does a righteous person
dispels his sins."
"'"Vrihaspati answered, 'If having committed sin through folly, one does
meritorious acts understanding their nature, one succeeds, by such
righteousness, in cleansing one's self from sin even as a piece of dirty
cloth is washed clean by means of some saline substance. One should not
boast after having committed sin. By having recourse to faith and by
freeing one's self from malice, one succeeds in obtaining blessedness.
That person who covers the faults, even when exposed, of good men,
obtains blessedness even after committing faults. As the sun rising at
morn dispels darkness, one dispels all ones sins by acting righteously.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Indrota, the son of Sunaka, having said these words
unto king Janamejaya, assisted him, by his ministrations, in the
performance of the horse-sacrifice. The king, cleansed of his sins and
regaining blessedness, shone with splendour like a blazing fire, and that
slayer of foes then entered his kingdom like Soma in his full form
entering heaven."'"