ECTION LX

"'Yudhishthira said, "Unto which of two Brahmanas, when both happen to be
equally pure in behaviour, equally possessed of learning and purity, of
birth and blood, but differing from each other in only this, viz., the
one solicits and the other does not,--I ask, O grandsire, unto which of
these two would a gift be more meritorious?"

"'Bhishma said, "It has been said. O son of Pritha, that a gift made unto
an unsoliciting person is productive of greater merit than one made to a
person who solicits. One possessed of contentment is certainly more
deserving than that person who is destitute of that virtue and is,
therefore, helpless amidst the storms and buffets of the world. The
firmness of a Kshatriya consists in the protection he gives to others.
The firmness of a Brahmana consists in his refusal to solicit. The
Brahmana possessed of steadiness and learning and contentment gladdens
the deities. The wise have said that an act of solicitation on the part
of a poor man is a great reproach. Those persons that solicit others are
said to annoy the world like thieves and robbers.[323] The person who
solicits is said to meet with death. The giver, however, is said not to
meet with death. The giver is said to grant life unto him who solicits.
By an act of gift, O Yudhishthira, the giver is said to rescue his own
self also. Compassion is a very high virtue. Let people make gift from
compassion unto those that solicit. Those, however, that do not beg, but
are plunged into poverty and distress should be respectfully invited to
receive assistance. If such Brahmanas, who must be regarded as the
foremost of their order, live in thy kingdom, thou shouldst regard them
as fire covered with ashes. Blazing with penances, they are capable of
consuming the whole earth. Such persons, O son of Kuru's race, though not
generally worshipped, should still be regarded as deserving of worship in
every way. Endued with knowledge and spiritual vision and penances and
Yoga, such persons always deserve our worship. O scorcher of foes, do
thou always offer worship unto such Brahmanas. One should repair of one's
own accord unto those foremost of Brahmanas that do not solicit anybody
and make unto them gifts of diverse kinds of wealth in abundance. The
merit that flows from properly pouring libations into the sacred fire
every morning and evening is won by the person who makes gifts unto a
Brahmana endued with learning, with the Vedas and with hi