mbs owing to the way he has walked, and besmeared
with the dust of the high-road, the traveller enquireth for the name of
him who giveth food, and cometh in hope to his house. Adore thou him
with reverent attention, for he indeed is a guest, and he is a Brahmana.
The gods with Indra at their head follow him as he proceedeth. And if he
is adored, the gods with Indra become gratified, and if he is not
adored, the celestials with their chief become cheerless. Therefore, O
thou foremost of kings, worship thou these Brahmanas duly. I have thus
spoken to thee upon a hundred subjects. What dost thou desire to hear
from me again?'

"Yudhishthira said, 'O master, conversant thou art with virtue and
morality, and so I desire to repeatedly listen to thee as thou speakest
on sacred subjects appertaining to virtue and morals.'

"Markandeya said, 'O king, I will now speak on another sacred subject
appertaining to eternal interests and capable of washing off all sins.
Listen thou with rapt attention. O thou foremost of the Bharatas, the
merit equal to that of giving away a _Kapila_ cow in (the _tirtha_
called) _Jyeshtha-Pushkara_ arises from washing the feet of Brahmanas.
As long as the earth remains wet with water which a Brahmana hath
touched with his feet, so long do _Pitris_ drink water of cups made of
lotus-leaves. If the guest is welcomed (with enquiries about his
welfare), the deities of fire become glad; and if he is offered a seat,
it is the god of a hundred sacrifices, who is gratified. If his feet are
washed, it is the _Pitris_ who are delighted; and if he is fed it is
_Prajapati_ that is pleased. One should with collected soul, give a cow
when (during her throes) the feet and head of her calf are visible,
before her delivery is complete. A cow with her calf in the air in
course of falling from the uterus to the earth, is to be regarded as
equal to the earth herself. He, therefore, that giveth away such a cow,
reapeth the merit of giving away the earth. And he that giveth away such
a cow, is adored in heaven for as many thousands of _Yugas_ as there are
bristles on the bodies of the animal and her young one together. And, O
Bharata, he that having accepted a thing in gift giveth it away
immediately unto a person that is virtuous and honest, reapeth very
great merit. Without doubt, he reapeth the fruit of giving away the
whole earth to her utmost limits and with her oceans and seas and caves,
her mountains and forests and w