SECTION XCI
"Janamejaya said, 'O puissant Rishi, kings are attached to sacrifices.
The great Rishis are attached to penances. Learned Brahmanas are
observant of tranquillity of mind, peacefulness of behaviour, and
self-restraint. Hence it seems that nothing can be seen in this world
which can compare with the fruits of sacrifices. Even this is my
conviction. That conviction, again, seems to be undoubtedly correct.
Innumerable kings, O best of regenerate persons, having worshipped the
deities in sacrifices, earned high fame here and obtained Heaven
hereafter. Endued with great energy, the puissant chief of the deities
viz., Indra of a thousand eyes, obtained the sovereignty over the deities
through the many sacrifices he performed with gifts in profusion and
attained to the fruition of all his wishes. When king Yudhishthira, with
Bhima and Arjuna by him, resembled the chief of the deities himself in
prosperity and prowess, why then did that mongoose depreciate that great
Horse-sacrifice of the high-souled monarch?'
"Vaisampayana said, 'Do thou listen to me, O king, as I discourse to thee
duly, O Bharata, on the excellent ordinances relating to sacrifice and
the fruits also, O ruler of men, that sacrifice yields. Formerly, on one
occasion Sakra performed a particular sacrifice. While the limbs of the
sacrifice were spread out, the Ritwijas became busy in accomplishing the
diverse rites ordained in the scriptures. The pourer of libations,
possessed of every qualification, became engaged in pouring libations of
clarified butter. The great Rishis were seated around. The deities were
summoned one by one by contented Brahmanas of great learning uttering
scriptural Mantras in sweet voices. Those foremost of Adhwaryyus, not
fatigued with what they did, recited the Mantras of the Yajurveda in soft
accents. The time came for slaughtering the animals. When the animals
selected for sacrifice were seized, the great Rishis, O king, felt
compassion for them. Beholding that the animals had all become cheerless,
those Rishis, endued with wealth of penances, approached Sakra and said
unto him, 'This method of sacrifice is not auspicious. Desirous of
acquiring great merit as thou art, this is verily an indication of thy
unacquaintance with sacrifice. O Purandara, animals have not been
ordained to be slaughtered in sacrifices. O puissant one, these
preparations of thine are destructive of merit. This sacrifice is not
consistent with righteousness. The destruction of creatures can never be
said to be an act of righteousness. If thou wishest it, let thy priests
perform thy sacrifice according to the Agama. By performing a sacrifice
according to the (true import of the) scriptural ordinances, great will
be the merit achieved by thee. O thou of a hundred eyes, do thou perform
the sacrifice with seeds of grain that have been kept for three years.
Even this, O Sakra, would be fraught with great righteousness and
productive of fruits of high efficacy.' The deity of a hundred
sacrifices, however, influenced by pride and overwhelmed by stupefaction,
did not accept these words uttered by the Rishis. Then, O Bharata, a
great dispute arose in that sacrifice of Sakra between the ascetics as to
how sacrifices should be performed, that is, should they be performed
with mobile creatures or with immobile objects. All of them were worn out
with disputation. The Rishis then, those beholders of truth, having made
an understanding with Sakra (about referring the matter to arbitration)
asked king Vasu, 'O highly blessed one, what is the Vedic declaration
about sacrifices? Is it preferable to perform sacrifices with animals or
with steeds and juices? Hearing the question, king Vasu, without all
judging of the strength or weakness of the arguments on the two sides, at
once answered, saying, 'Sacrifices may be performed with whichever of the
two kinds of objects is ready.' Having answered the question thus, he had
to enter the nether regions. Indeed the puissant ruler of the Chedis had
to undergo that misery for having answered falsely. Therefore, when a
doubt arises, no person, however wise, should singly decide the matter,
unless he be the puissant and self-born Lord himself of creatures. Gifts
made by a sinner with an impure understanding, even when they are very
large, become lost. Such gifts go for nothing. By the gifts made by a
person of unrighteous conduct,--one, that is, who is of sinful soul and
who is a destroyer, just fame is never acquired either here or hereafter.
That person of little intelligence who, from desire of acquiring merit,
performs sacrifices with wealth acquired by unrighteous means, never
succeeds in earning merit. That low wretch of sinful soul, who
hypocritically assuming a garb of righteousness mikes gifts unto
Brahmanas, only creates the conviction in men about his own righteousness
(without earning true merit). That Brahmana of uncontrolled conduct, who
acquires wealth by sinful acts, over overwhelmed by passion and
stupefaction, attains at last to the goal of the sinful. Someone,
overwhelmed by cupidity and stupefaction, becomes bent on strong wealth.
He is seen to persecute all creatures, urged by a sinful and impure
understanding. He who, having acquired wealth by such means, makes gifts
or performs sacrifices therewith, never enjoys the fruits of those gifts
or sacrifices in the other world in consequence of the wealth having been
earned by unrighteous means. Men endued with wealth of penances, by
giving away, to the best of their power, grains of corn picked up from
the fields or roots or fruits or pot-herbs or water or leaves, acquire
great merit and proceed to Heaven. Even such gifts, as also compassion to
all creatures, and Brahmacharyya, truthfulness of speech and kindness,
and fortitude, and forgiveness, constitute the eternal foundations of
Righteousness which itself is eternal. We hear of Visvamitra and other
kings of ancient times. Indeed, Visvamitra, and Asita, and king Janaka,
and Kakshasena and Arshtisena, and king Sindhudwipa,--these and many
other kings, endued with wealth of penances, having made gifts of
articles acquired lawfully, have attained to high success. Those amongst
Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras who betake themselves to
penances, O Bharata, and who purify themselves by gifts and other acts of
righteousness, proceed to Heaven."
