Chapter 66

“Yudhishthira said, ‘I desire to hear, O grandsire, what the merits areof that person who makes the gift of a pair of sandals unto a Brahmanawhose feet are burning or being scorched by hot sand, while he iswalking.’

“Bhishma said, ‘The man, that gives unto the Brahmanas sandals for theprotection of their feet, succeeds in crushing all thorns and gets overevery kind of difficulty. Such a man, O Yudhishthira, stays over theheads of all his foes. Vehicles of pure splendour, with mules harnessedthereto, and made of gold and silver, O monarch, approach him. He whomakes a gift of sandals is said to earn the merit of making the gift of avehicle with well-broken steeds yoked thereto.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Do thou tell me in detail once more, O grandsire, ofthe 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 thatattach to the gift of sesame. Hearing me, do thou, then, O best of theKurus, make gifts of sesame according to the ordinance. Sesame seeds werecreated by the Self-born Brahman as the best food for the Pitris. Hence,gifts of sesame seeds always gladden the Pitris greatly. The man whomakes gifts of sesame seeds, in the month of Magha, unto the Brahmanas,has never to visit hell which abounds with all frightful creatures. Hewho adores the Pitris with offerings of sesame seeds is regarded asworshipping the deities at all the sacrifices. One should never perform aSraddha with offerings of sesame seeds without cherishing somepurpose.[340] Sesame seeds sprang from the limbs of the great RishiKasyapa. Hence, in the matter of gifts, they have come to be regarded aspossessed of high efficacy. Sesame seeds bestow both prosperity andpersonal beauty and cleans the giver of all his sins It is for thisreason that the gift of sesame seeds is distinguished above the gift ofevery other article. Apastamva of great intelligence, and Kankha andLikhita, and the great Rishi Gautama have all ascended to heaven byhaving made gifts of sesame seeds. Those Brahmanas that make Homa withofferings of sesame, abstain from sexual intercourse, and are observantof the religion of Pravritti or acts, are regarded as equal (in purityand efficacy) to bovine Havi. The gift of sesame seeds is distinguishedabove all gifts. Amongst all gifts, the gifts of sesame is regarded asproductive of inexhaustible merit. In ancient times when Havi (clarifiedbutter) on one occasion had become unobtainable the Rishi Kusika, Oscorcher of foes, made offerings of sesame seeds to his three sacrificialfires and succeeded in attaining to an excellent end. I have thus saidunto thee, O chief of the Kurus, what the regulations are respecting theexcellent gift of sesame seeds. It is in consequence of these regulationsthat the gift of sesame seeds has come to be regarded as endued with verysuperior merit. After this, listen to what I would say. Once on a timethe deities, desirous of making a sacrifice, repaired, O monarch, to thepresence of the Self-born Brahman. Having met Brahman, being desirous ofperforming a sacrifice on earth, they begged him for a piece ofauspicious earth, saying, ‘We want it for our sacrifice.’

‘The deities said, ‘O illustrious one, thou art the lord of all the earthas also of all the deities. With thy permission, O highly blessed one, wedesire to perform a sacrifice. The person who has not obtained by lawfulmeans the earth whereon to make the sacrificial altar, earns not themerit of the sacrifice he performs. Thou art the Lord of all the universeconsisting of its mobile and immobile objects. Hence, it behoveth thee togrant 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 earthwhereon, ye sons of Kasyapa, you shall perform your intended sacrifice.’

“The deities said, ‘Our wishes, O holy one, have been crowned withfruition. We shall perform our sacrifice even here with large Dakshina.Let, however, the Munis always adore the piece of earth. Then there cameto that place Agastya and Kanwa and Bhrigu and Atri and Vrishakapi, andAsita and Devala. The high-souled deities then, O thou of unfading glory,performed their sacrifice. Those foremost of gods concluded it in duetime. Having completed that sacrifice of theirs on the breast of thatforemost of mountains. Himavat, the deities attached to the gift of eartha sixth part of the merit arising from their sacrifice. The man who makesa gift of even a span of earth (unto a Brahmana) with reverence andfaith, has never to languish under any difficulty and has never to meetwith 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 tothe region of the deities and does not fall down even when his meritbecomes 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 whosehouse a Brahmana of restrained sense, well-versed in the Vedas, andbelonging 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 forthe shelter of kine that can keep out cold and rain and that issubstantial in structure, the giver rescues seven generations of his race(from hell). By giving away a piece of arable earth the giver attains toexcellent prosperity. By giving a piece of earth containing mineralwealth, the giver aggrandises his family and race. One should never giveaway any earth that is barren or that is burnt (arid); nor should onegive away any earth that is in close vicinity to a crematorium, or thathas been owned and enjoyed by a sinful person before such gift. When aman performs a Sraddha in honour of the Pitris on earth belonging toanother person, the Pitris render both the gift of that earth and theSraddha itself futile.[342] Hence, one possessed of wisdom should buyeven a small piece of earth and make a gift of it. The Pinda that isoffered to one’s ancestors on earth that has been duly purchased becomesinexhaustible.[343] Forests, and mountains, and rivers, and Tirthas areregarded as having no owners. No earth need be purchased here forperforming Sraddhas. Even this has been said, O king, on the subject ofthe merits of making gifts of earth. After this, O sinless one, I shalldiscourse to thee on the subject of the gift of kine. Kine are regardedas superior to all the ascetics. And since it is so, the divine Mahadevafor that reason performed penance in their company. Kine, O Bharata,dwell in the region of Brahman, in the company of Soma. Constituting asit does the highest end, regenerate Rishis crowned with success strive toattain to that very region. Kine benefit human beings with milk, ghee,curds, dung, skin, bones, horns, and hair, O Bharata. Kine do not feelcold or heat. They always work. The season of rains also cannot afflictthem at all. And since kine attain to the highest end (viz., residence inthe region of Brahman), in the company of Brahmanas, therefore do thewise say that king and Brahmanas are equal. In days of yore, kingRantideva performed a grand sacrifice in which an immense number of kinewere offered up and slaughtered. From the juice that was secreted by theskins of the slaughtered animals, a river was formed that came to becalled by the name of Charmanwati. Kine no longer form animals fit forsacrifice. They now constitute animals that are fit for gift. That kingwho makes gifts of kine unto the foremost of Brahmanas, O monarch, issure to get over every calamity even if he falls into it. The man whomakes a gift of a thousand kine has not to go to hell. Such a person, Oruler of men, obtains victory everywhere. The very chief of the deitieshad said that the milk of kine is nectar. For this reason, one who makesa gift of a cow is regarded as making a gift of nectar. Personsconversant with the Vedas have declared that the Ghee manufactured fromcows’ milk is the very best of all libations poured into the sacrificialfire. For this reason, the man who makes a gift of a cow is regarded asmaking a gift of a libation for sacrifice. A bovine bull is theembodiment of heaven. He who makes the gift of a bovine bull unto anaccomplished Brahmana, receives great honours in heaven. Kine, O chief ofBharata’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 oflife-breath. Persons conversant with the Vedas have said that kineconstitute the great refuge of living creatures. Hence, the man who makesthe gift of a cow is regarded as making the gift of what is the highrefuge for all creatures. The cow should never be given away forslaughter (i.e., unto one who will kill her); nor should the cow be givenunto 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 whoseoccupation is the keeping of kine.[344] The wise have said that a personwho gives away the cow unto any of such sinful persons has to sink intoeverlasting hell. One should never give unto a Brahmana a cow that islean, or that produces calves that do not live, or that is barren, orthat is diseased, or that is defective of limb, or that is worn out withtoil. The man that gives away ten thousand kine attains to heaven andsports in bliss in the companionship of Indra. The man who makes gifts ofkine by hundred thousand acquires many regions of inexhaustible felicity.Thus have I recited to thee the merits attaching to the gift of kine andof sesame, as also to the gift of earth. Listen now to me as I discourseto thee upon the gift of food, O Bharata. The gift of food, O son ofKunti, is regarded as a very superior gift. King Rantideva in days ofyore ascended to heaven by having made gifts of food. That king, who makea gift of food unto one that is toil-worn and hungry, attains to thatregion of supreme felicity which is the Self-born’s own. Men fail toattain by gifts of gold and robes and of other thing, to that felicity towhich givers of food succeed in attaining, O thou of great puissance!Food is, indeed, the first article. Food is regarded as the highestprosperity. It is from food that life springs, as also energy and prowessand strength. He who always makes gifts of food, with attention, unto therighteous, never falls into any distress.. Even this has been said byParasara. Having worshipped the deities duly, food should be firstdedicated to them. It has been said, O king, that the kind of food thatis taken by particular men is taken also by the deities those menworship.[345] That man who makes a gift of food in the bright fortnightof the month of Kartika, succeeds in crossing every difficulty here addattains to inexhaustible felicity hereafter. That man who makes a gift offood unto a hungry guest arrived at his abode, attains to all thoseregions, O chief of Bharata’s race, that are reserved for personsacquainted with Brahma. The man who makes gifts of food is sure to crossevery difficulty and distress. Such a person comes over every sin andcleanses himself of every evil act. I have thus discoursed to thee uponthe merits of making gifts of food, of sesame, of earth, and of kine.'”