Chapter 20

Vaisampayana said, “After Yudhishthira had stopped, the great asceticDevasthana, possessed of eloquence, said these words, fraught withreason, unto the king.”

“Devasthana said, ‘Phalguna has told thee that there is nothing superiorto wealth. I shall discourse to thee on that subject. Listen to me withundivided attention, O Ajatasatru, thou hast righteously won the earth.Having won her, it behoves thee not, O king, to abandon her withoutcause. Four modes of life are indicated in the Vedas. Do thou, O king,duly pass through them, one after another. At present thou shouldst,therefore, perform great sacrifices with profuse presents. Amongst thevery Rishis, some are engaged in the sacrifice represented by Vedicstudy, and some in that presented by knowledge. Therefore, O Bharata,thou must know that the very ascetics also are addicted to action. TheVaikhanasas, however, are said to preach that he who does not seek forwealth is superior to him that seeks for it.[65] I think that he whowould follow that precept would incur many faults. Men collect togetherdiverse things (for the performance of sacrifices) simply because of the(Vedic) ordinance. He who, tainted by his own understanding, giveth awaywealth to an undeserving person without giving it to the deserving, dothnot know that he incurs the sin of killing a foetus.[66] The exercise ofthe duty of charity after discriminating the deserving from theundeserving is not easy. The Supreme Ordainer created wealth forsacrifice, and He created man also for taking care of that wealth and forperforming sacrifice. For this reason the whole of one’s wealth should beapplied to sacrifice. Pleasure would follow from it as a naturalconsequence. Possessed of abundant energy, Indra, by the performance ofdiverse sacrifices with profuse gifts of valuables, surpassed all thegods. Having got their chiefship by that means, he shineth in heaven.Therefore, everything should be applied to sacrifices. Clad indeer-skins, the high-souled Mahadeva, having poured his own self as alibation in the sacrifice called Sarva, became the first of gods, andsurpassing all creatures in the universe and prevailing over them bymeans of that achievement, shines in resplendence. King Marutta, the sonof Avikshit, by the profusion of his wealth, vanquished Sakra himself,the chief of the gods. In the great sacrifice he performed, all thevessels were of gold, and Sree herself came in person. Thou hast heardthat the great king Harischandra, having performed sacrifices, earnedgreat merit and great happiness. Though a man, he nevertheless vanquishedSakra by his wealth. For this reason everything should be applied tosacrifice.'”