, however, a little sin
which was unconsciously perpetrated by thee. Do thou suffer the
punishment for that sin now or afterwards as it pleases thee. Thou hadst
(upon thy accession to the throne) sworn that thou wouldst protect (all
persons in the enjoyment of their own). That oath of thine was not
rigidly kept by thee. Thou tookest also what belonged to a Brahmana. Even
this has been the two-fold sin thou hast committed." I answered, saying,
"I shall first undergo the distress of punishment, and when that is over,
I shall enjoy the happiness that is in store for me, O lord!" After I had
said those words unto the king of the dead, I fell down on the Earth.
Though fallen down I still could hear the words that Yama said unto me
very loudly. Those words were, "Janardana the son of Vasudeva, will rescue
thee! Upon the completion of a full thousand years, when the demerit will
be exhausted of thy sinful act, thou shalt then attain to many regions of
inexhaustible felicity that have been acquired by thee through thy own
acts of righteousness." Falling down I found myself, with head downwards,
within this well, transformed into a creature of the intermediate order.
Memory, however, did not leave me. By thee I have been rescued today.
What else can it testify to than the puissance of thy penances? Let me
have thy permission, O Krishna! I desire to ascend to heaven.' Permitted
then by Krishna, king Nriga bowed his head unto him and then mounted a
celestial car and proceeded to heaven. After Nriga had thus proceeded to
heaven, O best of the Bharatas, Vasudeva recited this verse, O delighter
of the Kurus. No one should consciously appropriate anything belonging to
a Brahmana. The property of a Brahmana, if taken, destroys the taker even
as the Brahmana's cow destroyed king Nriga! I tell thee, again, O Partha,
that a meeting with the good never proves fruitless. Behold, king Nriga
was rescued from hell through meeting with one that is good. As a gift is
productive of merit even so an act of spoliation leads to demerit. Hence
also, O Yudhishthira, one should avoid doing any injury to kine."'"[352]

SECTION LXXI

"'Yudhishthira said, "O sinless one, do thou discourse to me more in
detail upon the merits that are attainable by making gifts of kine. O
thou of mighty arms, I am never satiated with thy words!"

"'Bhishma said, "In this connection is recited the old history of the
discourse between the Rishi Uddalaki and his son call