"'Yudhishthira said, "I desire to hear, O grandsire, what the merits are
of that person who makes the gift of a pair of sandals unto a Brahmana
whose feet are burning or being scorched by hot sand, while he is
walking."
"'Bhishma said, "The man, that gives unto the Brahmanas sandals for the
protection of their feet, succeeds in crushing all thorns and gets over
every kind of difficulty. Such a man, O Yudhishthira, stays over the
heads of all his foes. Vehicles of pure splendour, with mules harnessed
thereto, and made of gold and silver, O monarch, approach him. He who
makes a gift of sandals is said to earn the merit of making the gift of a
vehicle with well-broken steeds yoked thereto."
"'Yudhishthira said, "Do thou tell me in detail once more, O grandsire, of
the merits that attach to gifts of sesame and land and kine and food."
"'Bhishma said, "Do thou hear, O son of Kunti, what the merits are that
attach to the gift of sesame. Hearing me, do thou, then, O best of the
Kurus, make gifts of sesame according to the ordinance. Sesame seeds were
created by the Self-born Brahman as the best food for the Pitris. Hence,
gifts of sesame seeds always gladden the Pitris greatly. The man who
makes gifts of sesame seeds, in the month of Magha, unto the Brahmanas,
has never to visit hell which abounds with all frightful creatures. He
who adores the Pitris with offerings of sesame seeds is regarded as
worshipping the deities at all the sacrifices. One should never perform a
Sraddha with offerings of sesame seeds without cherishing some
purpose.[340] Sesame seeds sprang from the limbs of the great Rishi
Kasyapa. Hence, in the matter of gifts, they have come to be regarded as
possessed of high efficacy. Sesame seeds bestow both prosperity and
personal beauty and cleans the giver of all his sins. It is for this
reason that the gift of sesame seeds is distinguished above the gift of
every other article. Apastamva of great intelligence, and Kankha and
Likhita, and the great Rishi Gautama have all ascended to heaven by
having made gifts of sesame seeds. Those Brahmanas that make Homa with
offerings of sesame, abstain from sexual intercourse, and are observant
of the religion of Pravritti or acts, are regarded as equal (in purity
and efficacy) to bovine Havi. The gift of sesame seeds is distinguished
above all gifts. Amongst all gifts, the gifts of sesame is regarded as
productive of inexhaustible merit. In ancient times when Havi (clarified
butter) on one occasion had become unobtainable the Rishi Kusika, O
scorcher of foes, made offerings of sesame seeds to his three sacrificial
fires and succeeded in attaining to an excellent end. I have thus said
unto thee, O chief of the Kurus, what the regulations are respecting the
excellent gift of sesame seeds. It is in consequence of these regulations
that the gift of sesame seeds has come to be regarded as endued with very
superior merit. After this, listen to what I would say. Once on a time
the deities, desirous of making a sacrifice, repaired, O monarch, to the
presence of the Self-born Brahman. Having met Brahman, being desirous of
performing a sacrifice on earth, they begged him for a piece of
auspicious earth, saying, 'We want it for our sacrifice.'
"'"The deities said, 'O illustrious one, thou art the lord of all the earth
as also of all the deities. With thy permission, O highly blessed one, we
desire to perform a sacrifice. The person who has not obtained by lawful
means the earth whereon to make the sacrificial altar, earns not the
merit of the sacrifice he performs. Thou art the Lord of all the universe
consisting of its mobile and immobile objects. Hence, it behoveth thee to
grant us a piece of earth for the sacrifice we wish to make.'
"'"Brahman said, 'Ye foremost of deities, I shall give you a piece of earth
whereon, ye sons of Kasyapa, you shall perform your intended sacrifice.'
"'"The deities said, 'Our wishes, O holy one, have been crowned with
fruition. We shall perform our sacrifice even here with large Dakshina.
Let, however, the Munis always adore the piece of earth.' Then there came
to that place Agastya and Kanwa and Bhrigu and Atri and Vrishakapi, and
Asita and Devala. The high-souled deities then, O thou of unfading glory,
performed their sacrifice. Those foremost of gods concluded it in due
time. Having completed that sacrifice of theirs on the breast of that
foremost of mountains, Himavat, the deities attached to the gift of earth
a sixth part of the merit arising from their sacrifice. The man who makes
a gift of even a span of earth (unto a Brahmana) with reverence and
faith, has never to languish under any difficulty and has never to meet
with any calamity. By making a gift of a house that keeps out cold, wind,
and sun, and that stand upon a piece of clean land, the giver attains to
the region of the deities and does not fall down even when his merit
becomes exhausted. By making a gift of a residential house, the giver,
possessed of wisdom, lives, O king, in happiness in the company of Sakra.
Such a person receives great honours in heaven. That person in whose
house a Brahmana of restrained sense, well-versed in the Vedas, and
belonging by birth to a family of preceptors, resides in contentment,
succeeds in attaining to and enjoying a region of high felicity.[341]
After the same manner, O best of the Bharatas, by giving away a shed for
the shelter of kine that can keep out cold and rain and that is
substantial in structure, the giver rescues seven generations of his race
(from hell). By giving away a piece of arable earth the giver attains to
excellent prosperity. By giving a piece of earth containing mineral
wealth, the giver aggrandises his family and race. One should never give
away any earth that is barren or that is burnt (arid); nor should one
give away any earth that is in close vicinity to a crematorium, or that
has been owned and enjoyed by a sinful person before such gift. When a
man performs a Sraddha in honour of the Pitris on earth belonging to
another person, the Pitris render both the gift of that earth and the
Sraddha itself futile.[342] Hence, one possessed of wisdom should buy
even a small piece of earth and make a gift of it. The Pinda that is
offered to one's ancestors on earth that has been duly purchased becomes
inexhaustible.[343] Forests, and mountains, and rivers, and Tirthas are
regarded as having no owners. No earth need be purchased here for
performing Sraddhas. Even this has been said, O king, on the subject of
the merits of making gifts of earth. After this, O sinless one, I shall
discourse to thee on the subject of the gift of kine. Kine are regarded
as superior to all the ascetics. And since it is so, the divine Mahadeva
for that reason performed penance in their company. Kine, O Bharata,
dwell in the region of Brahman, in the company of Soma. Constituting as
it does the highest end, regenerate Rishis crowned with success strive to
attain to that very region. Kine benefit human beings with milk, ghee,
curds, dung, skin, bones, horns, and hair, O Bharata. Kine do not feel
cold or heat. They always work. The season of rains also cannot afflict
them at all. And since kine attain to the highest end (viz., residence in
the region of Brahman), in the company of Brahmanas, therefore do the
wise say that king and Brahmanas are equal. In days of yore, king
Rantideva performed a grand sacrifice in which an immense number of kine
were offered up and slaughtered. From the juice that was secreted by the
skins of the slaughtered animals, a river was formed that came to be
called by the name of Charmanwati. Kine no longer form animals fit for
sacrifice. They now constitute animals that are fit for gift. That king
who makes gifts of kine unto the foremost of Brahmanas, O monarch, is
sure to get over every calamity even if he falls into it. The man who
makes a gift of a thousand kine has not to go to hell. Such a person, O
ruler of men, obtains victory everywhere. The very chief of the deities
had said that the milk of kine is nectar. For this reason, one who makes
a gift of a cow is regarded as making a gift of nectar. Persons
conversant with the Vedas have declared that the Ghee manufactured from
cows' milk is the very best of all libations poured into the sacrificial
fire. For this reason, the man who makes a gift of a cow is regarded as
making a gift of a libation for sacrifice. A bovine bull is the
embodiment of heaven. He who makes the gift of a bovine bull unto an
accomplished Brahmana, receives great honours in heaven. Kine, O chief of
Bharata's race, are said to be the life-breath of living creatures.
Hence, the man who makes the gift of a cow is said to make the gift of
life-breath. Persons conversant with the Vedas have said that kine
constitute the great refuge of living creatures. Hence, the man who makes
the gift of a cow is regarded as making the gift of what is the high
refuge for all creatures. The cow should never be given away for
slaughter (i.e., unto one who will kill her); nor should the cow be given
unto a tiller of the soil; nor should the cow be given unto an atheist.
The cow should not also, O chief of the Bharatas, be given unto one whose
occupation is the keeping of kine.[344] The wise have said that a person
who gives away the cow unto any of such sinful persons has to sink into
everlasting hell. One should never give unto a Brahmana a cow that is
lean, or that produces calves that do not live, or that is barren, or
that is diseased, or that is defective of limb, or that is worn out with
toil. The man that gives away ten thousand kine attains to heaven and
sports in bliss in the companionship of Indra. The man who makes gifts of
kine by hundred thousand acquires many regions of inexhaustible felicity.
Thus have I recited to thee the merits attaching to the gift of kine and
of sesame, as also to the gift of earth. Listen now to me as I discourse
to thee upon the gift of food, O Bharata. The gift of food, O son of
Kunti, is regarded as a very superior gift. King Rantideva in days of
yore ascended to heaven by having made gifts of food. That king, who make
a gift of food unto one that is toil-worn and hungry, attains to that
region of supreme felicity which is the Self-born's own. Men fail to
attain by gifts of gold and robes and of other thing, to that felicity to
which givers of food succeed in attaining, O thou of great puissance!
Food is, indeed, the first article. Food is regarded as the highest
prosperity. It is from food that life springs, as also energy and prowess
and strength. He who always makes gifts of food, with attention, unto the
righteous, never falls into any distress. Even this has been said by
Parasara. Having worshipped the deities duly, food should be first
dedicated to them. It has been said, O king, that the kind of food that
is taken by particular men is taken also by the deities those men
worship.[345] That man who makes a gift of food in the bright fortnight
of the month of Kartika, succeeds in crossing every difficulty here and
attains to inexhaustible felicity hereafter. That man who makes a gift of
food unto a hungry guest arrived at his abode, attains to all those
regions, O chief of Bharata's race, that are reserved for persons
acquainted with Brahma. The man who makes gifts of food is sure to cross
every difficulty and distress. Such a person comes over every sin and
cleanses himself of every evil act. I have thus discoursed to thee upon
the merits of making gifts of food, of sesame, of earth, and of kine."'"