Chapter 293

“Parasara said, ‘Nobody in this world does good to another. Nobody isseen to make gifts to others. All persons are seen to act for their ownselves. People are seen to cast off their very parents and their uterinebrothers when these cease to be affectionate. What need be said then orrelatives of other degrees?[1517] Gifts to a distinguished person andacceptance of the gifts made by a distinguished person both lead to equalmerit. Of these two acts, however, the making of a gift is superior tothe acceptance of a gift.[1518] That wealth which is acquired by propermeans and increased also by proper means, should be protected with carefor the sake of acquiring virtue. This is an accepted truth. One desirousof acquiring righteousness should never earn wealth by means involvinginjury to others. One should accomplish one’s acts according to one’spower, without zealously pursuing wealth. By giving water, whether coldor heated by fire, with a devoted mind, unto a (thirsty) guest, accordingto the best of one’s power, one earns the merit that attaches to the actof giving food to a hungry man. The high-souled Rantideva obtainedsuccess in all the worlds by worshipping the ascetics with offerings ofonly roots and fruits leaves. The royal son of Sivi also won the highestregions of felicity by having gratified Surya along with his companionwith offerings of the same kind. All men, by taking birth, incur debts togods, guests, servants, Pitris, and their own selves. Everyone should,therefore, do his best for freeing himself from those debts. One freesoneself from one’s debt to the great Rishis by studying the Vedas. Onepays off one’s debts to the gods by performing sacrifices. By performingthe rites of the Sraddha one is freed from one’s debts to the Pitris. Onepays off one’s debt to one’s fellowmen by doing good offices to them. Onepays off the debts one owes to one’s own self by listening to Vedicrecitations and reflecting on their import, by eating the remnants ofsacrifices, and by supporting one’s body. One should duty discharge allthe acts, from the beginning, that one owes to one’s servants. Thoughdestitute of wealth, men are seen to attain to success by greatexertions.[1519] Munis by duly adoring the deities and by duty pouringlibations of clarified butter on the sacred fire, have been seen toattain to ascetic success. Richika’s son became the son of Vishwamitra.By adoring the deities who have shares in sacrificial offerings, withRichs (he attained to success in after life). Usanas became Sukra byhaving gratified the god of gods. Indeed., by hymning the praises of thegoddess (Uma), he sports in the firmament, endued with greatsplendour.[1520] Then, again, Asita and Devala, and Narada and Parvata,and Karkshivat, and Jamadagni’s son Rama, and Tandya possessed ofcleansed soul, and Vasishtha, and Jamadagni, and Viswamitra and Atri, andBharadwaja, and Harismasru, and Kundadhara, and Srutasravas,–these greatRishis, by adoring Vishnu with concentrated minds with the aid of Richs,and by penances, succeeded in attaining to success through the grace ofthat great deity endued with intelligence. Many undeserving men, byadoring that good deity, obtained great distinction. One should not seekfor advancement by achieving any wicked or censurable act. That wealthwhich is earned by righteous ways is true wealth. Fie on that wealth,however, which is earned by unrighteous means. Righteousness is eternal.It should never, in this world, be abandoned from desire of wealth. Thatrighteous-souled person who keeps his sacred fire and offers his dailyadorations to the deities is regarded as the foremost of righteouspersons. All the Vedas, O foremost of kings, are established on the threesacred fires (called Dakshina, Garhapatya, and Ahavaniya). That Brahmanais said to possess the sacred fire whose acts exist in their entirety. Itis better to at once abandon the sacred fire than to keep it, abstainingthe while from acts. The sacred fire, the mother, the father who hasbegotten, and the preceptor, O tiger among men, should all be duly waitedupon and served with humility. That man who, casting off all feelings ofpride, humbly waits upon and serves them that are venerable for age, whois possessed of learning and destitute of lust, who looketh upon allcreatures with an eye of love, who has no wealth, who is righteous in hisacts, and who is destitute of the desire of inflicting any kind of harm(upon any one), that truly respectable man is worshipped in this world bythose that are good and pious.'”[1521]