and great pain and rear
their children, O bull among Brahmanas, with great affection! Those
persons also who being always engaged in acts of cruelty and there by
incurring general hatred, succeed yet in doing their duties accomplish
what, in my opinion, is exceedingly difficult. O regenerate one, tell me
the truths of the duties of the Kshatriya order. It is difficult, O
twice-born one, for those high-souled ones to acquire virtue who by the
duties of their order are obliged to do what is cruel. O holy one, thou
art capable of answering all questions; I desire to hear thee discourse
on all this. O thou foremost of Bhrigu's race, I desire to listen to all
this, waiting respectfully on thee, O thou of excellent vows!'

"Markandeya said, 'O thou foremost of the Bharata race, I will discourse
to thee on all this truly, however difficult of answer thy question may
be. Listen to me, therefore, as I speak unto thee. Some regard the mother
as superior and some the father. The mother, however, that bringeth forth
and some the father. The mother, however, that bringeth forth and reareth
up offspring what is more difficult. Fathers also, by ascetic penances by
worship of the gods, by adorations addressed to them, by bearing cold and
heat, by incantations and other means desire to have children. And having
by these painful expedients obtained children that are so difficult of
acquisition, they then, O hero, are always anxious about the future of
their sons and, O Bharata, both the father and the mother desire to see
in their sons fame and achievements and prosperity and offspring and
virtue. That son is virtuous who realises these hopes of his parents.
And, O great king, that son with whom the father and the mother are
gratified, achieveth eternal fame and eternal virtue both here and
thereafter. As regards women again, neither sacrifice nor sraddhas, nor
fasts are of any efficacy. By serving their husbands only they can win
heaven. O king, O Yudhishthira, remembering this alone, listen thou with
attention to the duties of chaste women."

SECTION CCV

"Markandeya said, 'There was, O Bharata, a virtuous ascetic of the name
of Kausika and endued with wealth of asceticism and devoted to the study
of the Vedas, he was a very superior Brahmana and that best of Brahmanas
studied all the Vedas with the Angas and the Upanishadas and one day he
was reciting the Vedas at the foot of a tree and at that time there sat
on the top of that