devotion having passions under control, performing their ablutions in
this lake, become free from sins and, without doubt, attain to the holy
regions. Here is the sacred _tirtha_ called Vijanaka. where the holy
sage Vasistha with his wife Arundhati and also the sage Yavakri obtained
tranquillity. Yonder is the lake Kausava, where grown the lotuses called
Kausesaya, and here also is the sacred hermitage of Rukmini, where she
attained peace, after conquering that evil passion, anger. I think, O
prince, that thou hast heard something about that man of meditations,
Bhrigutunga. There, O king, before thee is that lofty peak. And, O
foremost of kings, yonder is Vitasta, the sacred stream that absolveth
men from all sins. The water of this stream is extremely cool and
limpid, and it is largely used by the great sages. O prince, behold the
holy rivers Jala and Upajala, on either side of the Yamuna. By
performing a sacrifice here, king Usinara surpassed in greatness Indra
himself. And, O descendant of Bharata, desirous of testing Usinara's
merit and also of bestowing boons on him, Indra and Agni presented
themselves at his sacrificial ground. And Indra assuming the shape of a
hawk, and Agni that of a pigeon, came up to that king. And the pigeon in
fear of the hawk, fell upon the king's thigh, seeking his protection.'"

SECTION CXXXI

"'The hawk said, "All the kings of the earth represent thee as a pious
ruler. Wherefore, O prince, has thou then stopped to perpetrate a deed
not sanctioned by the ordinance? I have been sore afflicted with hunger.
Do thou not withhold from me that which hath been appointed by the Diety
for my food,--under the impression that thereby thou servest the
interests of virtue, whereas in reality, thou wilt forsake it, (by
committing thyself to this act)." Thereupon, the king said, "O best of
the feathered race, afflicted with fear of thee, and desirous of
escaping from thy hands, this bird, all in a hurry, hath come up to me
asking for life. When this pigeon hath in such a manner sought my
protection, why dost thou not see that the highest merit is even in my
not surrendering it unto thee? And it is trembling with fear, and is
agitated, and is seeking its life from me. It is therefore certainly
blameworthy to forsake it. He that slayeth a Brahmana, he that
slaughtered a cow--the common mother of all the worlds--and he that
forsaketh one seeking for protection are equally sinful." Thereat the
hawk rep