SECTION XX
Vaisampayana said, "After Yudhishthira had stopped, the great ascetic
Devasthana, possessed of eloquence, said these words, fraught with
reason, unto the king."
"Devasthana said, 'Phalguna has told thee that there is nothing superior
to wealth. I shall discourse to thee on that subject. Listen to me with
undivided attention, O Ajatasatru, thou hast righteously won the earth.
Having won her, it behoves thee not, O king, to abandon her without
cause. 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 the
very Rishis, some are engaged in the sacrifice represented by Vedic
study, and some in that presented by knowledge. Therefore, O Bharata,
thou must know that the very ascetics also are addicted to action. The
Vaikhanasas, however, are said to preach that he who does not seek for
wealth is superior to him that seeks for it.[65] I think that he who
would follow that precept would incur many faults. Men collect together
diverse things (for the performance of sacrifices) simply because of the
(Vedic) ordinance. He who, tainted by his own understanding, giveth away
wealth to an undeserving person without giving it to the deserving, doth
not know that he incurs the sin of killing a foetus.[66] The exercise of
the duty of charity after discriminating the deserving from the
undeserving is not easy. The Supreme Ordainer created wealth for
sacrifice, and He created man also for taking care of that wealth and for
performing sacrifice. For this reason the whole of one's wealth should be
applied to sacrifice. Pleasure would follow from it as a natural
consequence. Possessed of abundant energy, Indra, by the performance of
diverse sacrifices with profuse gifts of valuables, surpassed all the
gods. Having got their chiefship by that means, he shineth in heaven.
Therefore, everything should be applied to sacrifices. Clad in
deer-skins, the high-souled Mahadeva, having poured his own self as a
libation in the sacrifice called Sarva, became the first of gods, and
surpassing all creatures in the universe and prevailing over them by
means of that achievement, shines in resplendence. King Marutta, the son
of Avikshit, by the profusion of his wealth, vanquished Sakra himself,
the chief of the gods. In the great sacrifice he performed, all the
vessels were of gold, and Sree herself came in person. Thou hast heard
that the great king Harischandra, having performed sacrifices, earned
great merit and great happiness. Though a man, he nevertheless vanquished
Sakra by his wealth. For this reason everything should be applied to
sacrifice.'"
