mobile
creatures.'

"'"The kine said, 'We do not disregard thee, O goddess. We do not show thee
a slight! Thou art fickle and of a very restless heart. It is for this
only that we take leave of thee. What need of much talk? Do thou go
wheresoever thou choosest. All of us are endued with excellent forms.
What need have we with thee, O sinless one?'

"'"Sri said, 'Ye givers of honours, cast off by you in this way, I shall
certainly be an object of disregard with all the world. Do ye show me
grace. Ye are all highly blessed. Ye are ever ready to grant protection
unto those that seek your protection. I have come to you soliciting your
protection. I have no fault. Do you rescue me (from this situation). Know
that I shall always be devoted to you. I am desirous of residing in any
parts, however repulsive, of your bodies. Indeed, I wish to reside in
even your rectum. Ye sinless ones, I do not see that ye have any part in
your bodies that may be regarded as repulsive, for ye are sacred, and
sanctifying, and highly blessed. Do ye, however, grant my prayer. Do ye
tell me in which part, of your bodies I shall take up my residence.'"

"'Bhishma continued, "Thus addressed by Sri, the kine, always auspicious
and inclined to kindness unto all who are devoted to them, took counsel
with one another, and then addressing Sri, and unto her, O king, these
words.

"'"The kine said, 'O thou of great fame, it is certainly desirable that we
should honour thee. Do thou live in our urine and dung. Both these are
sacred, O auspicious goddess!'

"'"Sri said, 'By good luck, ye have shown me much grace implying your
desire to favour me. Let it be even as ye say! Blessed be ye all, I have
really been honoured by you, ye givers of happiness!'"

"'Bhishma continued, "Having, O Bharata, made this compact with the kine,
Sri, there and then, in the very sight of those kine, rendered herself
invisible. I have thus told thee, O son, the glory of the dung of kine. I
shall once again discourse to thee on the glory of kine. Do thou listen
to me."'"

SECTION LXXXIII

"'Bhishma said, "They who make gifts of kine, and who subsist upon the
remnants of things offered as libations on the sacred fire, are regarded,
O Yudhishthira, as always performing sacrifices of every kind. No
sacrifice can be performed without the aid of curds and ghee. The very
character as sacrifice which sacrifices have, depends upon ghee. Hence
ghee (or, the cow from which it is