"'Yudhishthira said, "Thou hast told me, O regenerate one, what the end is
of unrighteousness or sin. I desire now to hear, O foremost of speakers,
of what the end is of Righteousness. Having committed diverse acts of
sin, by what acts of people succeed in attaining to an auspicious end in
this world? By what acts also do people attain to an auspicious end in
heaven?"
"'Vrihaspati said, "By committing sinful acts with perverted mind, one
yields to the sway of unrighteousness and as a consequence goeth to hell.
That man who, having perpetrated sinful acts through stupefaction of
mind, feels the pangs of repentance and sets his heart on contemplation
(of the deity), has not to endure the consequences of his sins. One
becomes freed from one's sins in proportion as one repents for them. If
one having committed a sin, O king, proclaims it in the presence of
Brahmanas conversant with duties, one becomes quickly cleansed from the
obloquy arising from one's sin. Accordingly as one becomes cleansed
therefrom fully or otherwise, like a snake freed from his diseased
slough. By making, with a concentrated mind, gifts of diverse kinds unto
a Brahmana, and concentrating the mind (on the deity), one attains to an
auspicious end. I shall now tell thee what those gifts are, O
Yudhisthira, by making which a person, even if guilty of having committed
sinful acts, may become endued with merit. Of all kinds of gifts, that of
food is regarded as the best. One desirous of attaining to merit should,
with a sincere heart, make gifts of food. Food is the life-breath of men.
From it all creatures are born. All the worlds of living creatures are
established upon food. Hence food is applauded. The deities, Rishis,
Pitris, and men, all praise food. King Rantideva, in days of old,
proceeded to Heaven by making gifts of food. Food that is good and that
has been acquired lawfully, should be given, with a cheerful heart, unto
such Brahmanas as are possessed of Vedic lore. That man has never to take
birth in an intermediate order, whose food, given with a cheerful heart
is taken by a thousand Brahmanas. A person, O chief of men, by feeding
ten thousand Brahmanas, becomes cleansed of the piety and devoted to Yoga
practices. A Brahmana conversant with the Vedas, by giving away food
acquired by him as alms, unto a Brahmana devoted to the study of the
Vedas, succeeds in attaining to happiness here. That Kshatriya who,
without taking anything that belongs to a Brahmana, protects his subjects
lawfully, and makes gifts of food, obtained by the exercise of his
strength, unto Brahmanas foremost in Vedic knowledge, with concentrated
heart, succeeds by such conduct, O thou of righteous soul, in cleansing
himself, O son of Pandu, of all his sinful acts. That Vaisya who divides
the produce of his fields into six equal shares and makes a gift of one
of those shares unto Brahmanas, succeeds by such conduct in cleansing
himself from every sin. That Sudra who, earning food by hard labour and
at the risk of life itself, makes a gift of it to Brahmanas, becomes
cleansed from every sin. That man who, by putting forth his physical
strength, earns food without doing any act of injury to any creature, and
makes gift of it unto Brahmanas succeeds in avoiding all calamities. A
person by cheerfully making gifts of food acquired by lawful means unto
Brahmanas pre-eminent for Vedic lore, becomes cleansed of all his sins.
By treading in the path of the righteous one becomes freed from all sins.
A person by making gifts of such food as is productive of great energy,
becomes himself possessed of great energy. The path made by charitable
persons is always trod by those that are endued with wisdom. They that
make gifts of food are regarded as givers of life. The merit they acquire
by such gifts is eternal. Hence, a person should, under all
circumstances, seek to earn food by lawful means, and having earned to
make always gifts of it unto deserving men. Food is the great refuge of
the world of living creatures. By making gifts of food, one has never to
go to hell. Hence, one should always make gifts of food, having earned it
by lawful means. The householder should always seek to eat after having
made a gift of food unto a Brahmana. Every man should make the day
fruitful by making gifts of food.[518] A person by feeding, O king, a
thousand Brahmanas all of whom are conversant with duties and the
scriptures and the sacred histories, has not to go to Hell and to return
to this world for undergoing rebirths. Endued with the fruition of every
wish, he enjoys great felicity hereafter. Possessed of such merit, he
sports in happiness, freed from every anxiety, possessed of beauty of
form and great fame and endued with wealth. I have thus told thee all
about the high merit of gifts of food. Even this is the root of all
righteousness and merit, as also of all gifts, O Bharata!"'"