13.094
Faults arising from the acceptance (of gifts)
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
They give various gifts to Brāhmaṇas; O grandsire, what distinction exists between the giver and the receiver? (13-94-1)
Bhīṣma said;
A twice-born should accept gifts from the virtuous, but likewise from the unvirtuous; for one with good qualities, a little defect may be tolerated, but in one without a quality, he sinks. (13-94-2)
O Bhārata, here too they relate this ancient legend, the conversation between Vṛṣādarbha and the seven sages. (13-94-3)
Kaśyapa, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Bharadvāja, Gautama, Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni, and also the virtuous woman Arundhatī. (13-94-4)
Then, among all of them, it was the female artisan who had taken the form of a tumor; the Śūdra, friend of the beast and her husband, was indeed who he became. (13-94-5)
They, indeed, all, practicing austerities, once wandered this earth; by means of concentration, studying, they attained the eternal world of Brahman. (13-94-6)
Then a great drought occurred, O descendant of Kuru. The people there struggled to survive, all afflicted by hunger. (13-94-7)
Once long ago, in a sacrifice, the son of Śibi, acting as the sacrificer, indeed gave his own son to the priests as the sacrificial fee. (13-94-8)
At that time, O lord, the short-lived man reached his destined end. They, afflicted by hunger, surrounded him and approached. (13-94-9)
O Bhārata, then, the excellent sages, afflicted by hunger, indeed cooked the son of the chief priest—having seen him lifeless—in a pot. (13-94-10)
In this enjoymentless mortal world, those ascetics, wishing to preserve their own lives, undertook a severe livelihood just for the sake of food. (13-94-11)
Then, as King Śaibya Vṛṣādarbhi was wandering on the path, he indeed saw them being tormented and suffering. (13-94-12)
Vṛṣādarbhir said.
The acceptance of a gift indeed sustains the nourishment of the receivers. Hear from me what wealth exists; O ascetics. (13-94-13)
Indeed, the begging brahmin is dear to me; may I grant you a thousand mules. Each one, well bred, with males, quick-moving and white-haired for every one of you. (13-94-14)
I give away hundreds and hundreds of high-backed bullocks that do not give milk, all the excellent yoke-fit ones. Likewise, I give fat oxen used for carrying loads, and an equal number of excellent, productive, well-disciplined milch-cows. (13-94-15)
What else shall I give—choose villages, rice and barley, juices, gems, or any other rare thing? Do not entertain such a feeling towards that which is inedible; for the sake of your nourishment, tell me, what shall I offer you? (13-94-16)
The sages said.
O king, acceptance of gifts is for a king as sweet as honey, but like poison. Knowing that, why do you tempt us? (13-94-17)
The kṣatriya, like a divinity, is entirely depended upon by the brāhmaṇa. Indeed, this brāhmaṇa, pure and pleased through austerity, pleases the deities. (13-94-18)
Even by day, here, the austerity of a brāhmaṇa always arises; that may, like a wild fire, consume a royal gift that has been received. (13-94-19)
"May well-being with charity always be yours, O king. Let everything be given to those who request it"—having said this, they then departed. (13-94-20)
The meat indeed remained uncooked for those wise ones; then, having left it, they all went into the forest longing for food. (13-94-21)
Then, at the king's urging, his ministers went to the forest and undertook to give the eastern udumbara trees as gifts. (13-94-22)
They brought udumbara fruits and other objects containing gold; then their servants approached to receive those. (13-94-23)
Having understood the teachers' words, Atri then said, “These are not to be accepted. Not so, O deluded ones! Not so, O dull-minded ones! We know these golden matters; having awakened, we are indeed alert.” (13-94-24)
Here, indeed, that which is received may result in bitterness after death. This should certainly not be accepted, either after death or here, by one seeking happiness. (13-94-25)
Vasiṣṭha said.
A golden coin is reckoned with a hundred, and measured with a thousand; just as one who desires much indeed attains the most sinful path. (13-94-26)
Kaśyapa said.
All the rice and barley, gold, cattle, and women on earth—none of it is enough for one person; therefore, a wise man should seek tranquillity. (13-94-27)
Bharadvāja said.
The horn of a beast, once born, keeps growing as the animal grows. In the same way, a person's desire has no limit. (13-94-28)
Gautama said.
There is no such substance in that world capable of filling the world. A man like the ocean is never satisfied. (13-94-29)
Viśvāmitra said.
When the desire of a desiring person is fulfilled, then another desire, thirst, pierces him like an arrow. (13-94-30)
Jamadagni said.
When receiving gifts, restraint is indeed supported certainly by austerity. Here, the wealth of the Brāhmaṇa who is being tempted flows away. (13-94-31)
Arundhati said.
The accumulation of wealth for the sake of dharma, though approved by men, is surpassed here by the accumulation of austerity; the accumulation of austerity is superior to the accumulation of substances. (13-94-32)
Gaṇḍa said.
Because of the fear arising from this fierce one, these lords of mine are afraid; even those more powerful than I am, like the weak, I too am afraid of that which is beyond this. (13-94-33)
The friend of the animals said.
Which indeed is unsurpassed in dharma, that the Brāhmaṇas know as true wealth. For the sake of humility, one should serve the truly learned, in any way. (13-94-34)
The sages said.
To that person for whom these subjects, along with welfare and means of giving, are granted by you, who thus gives us these fruits. (13-94-35)
Bhīṣma said.
After thus having spoken, the sages, all steadfast in their vows, abandoned those golden-inside fruits and went elsewhere. (13-94-36)
The ministers said.
Those, suspecting the intention, abandon these fruits and as a result move on by another path; let this be known to you, O king. (13-94-37)
Thus, when spoken to in this way by those attendants, Vṛṣādarbhi became angry. To retaliate against all of them, he went to his house. (13-94-38)
The king, having gone to the āhavanīya fire and undertaken an intense vow, offered each purified oblation with mantras. (13-94-39)
From Agni there arose a kṛtyā, a being who brought terror to the world. Vṛṣādarbhi then gave her the name 'yātudhānī'. (13-94-40)
Kṛtyā, appearing like the night of destruction Kālarātrī with folded hands, stood before the king Vṛṣādarbhī and said, "What shall I do?" (13-94-41)
Vṛṣādarbhih said.
Mentally hold the names of the group of seven seers, of Arundhati, as well as those of the husband and the female servant. (13-94-42)
After learning the names and all of these, destroy every one of them. Once they are destroyed, you may freely go wherever you wish. (13-94-43)
She, saying "so be it" and having promised, the demoness in her own form went to that forest where the great sages wandered. (13-94-44)
