may seek
thee as their refuge as long as thou art alive, even as all creatures
seek the refuge of the deity of rain or even as the winged denizens of
the air seek the refuge of a large tree. Let all thy kinsmen and all thy
friends and well-wishers, O scorcher of foes, seek thee as their refuge
even as the Rakshasas seek Kuvera or the deities seek Indra as theirs."'"

SECTION LXII

"'Yudhishthira said, "People accept with affection the declarations of the
Srutis which say, 'This is to be given.' 'This other thing is to be
given!' As regards kings, again, they make gifts of various things unto
various men. What, however, O grandsire, is the best or foremost of all
gifts."

"'Bhishma said, "Of all kinds of gifts, the gift of earth has been said to
be the first (in point of merit). Earth is immovable and indestructible.
It is capable of yielding unto him who owns it all the best things upon
which his heart may be set. It yields robes and vestments, jewels and
gems, animals, paddy and barley. Amongst all creatures, the giver of
earth grows in prosperity for ever and ever. As long as the earth lasts,
so long does the giver thereof grow in prosperity. There is no gift that
is higher, O Yudhishthira, than the gift of earth. It hath been heard by
us that all men have given a little quantity of earth. All men have made
gifts of earth, hence all men enjoy a little of earth. Whether in this or
in the next world all creatures live under conditions dependent upon
their own acts. Earth is Prosperity's self. She is a mighty goddess. She
makes him her lord (in next life) who makes gifts of her in this life to
other people. That person, O best of kings, who gives away earth, which
is indestructible, as Dakshina, becomes born in next life as a man and
becomes also a lord of earth. The measure of one's enjoyment in this life
is commensurate with the measure of one's gifts in a previous life. Even
this is the conclusion to which the scriptures point. For a Kshatriya
should either give away the earth in gift or cast off his life in battle.
Even this constitutes the highest source of prosperity with regard to
Kshatriyas. It has been heard by us that earth, when given away, cleanses
and sanctifies the giver. The man that is of sinful behaviour, that is
guilty of even the slaughter of a Brahmana and of falsehood, is cleansed
by a gift of earth. Indeed, such a gift rescues even such a sinner from
all his sins. The righteous accept gifts of