doring the
Pitris, succeeds in conferring upon his ancestors an inexhaustible
felicity fraught with the fruition of every wish. That man who is devoted
to kine succeeds in obtaining the fruition of every wish of his. Indeed,
even those women that are devoted to kine succeed in obtaining the
accomplishment of every wish of theirs. He that desireth sons obtaineth
them. He that desireth daughters obtaineth them. He that desireth wealth
succeedeth in acquiring it and he that desireth religious merit succeedeth
in winning it. He that desireth knowledge acquireth it and he that
desireth felicity succeedeth in acquiring it. Indeed, O Bharata, there is
nothing that is unattainable to one that is devoted to kine."'"

SECTION LXXXIV

"'Yudhishthira said, "Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed to me on the gift
of kine that is fraught with great merit. In the case of kings observant
of their duties, that gift is most meritorious. Sovereignty is always
painful. It is incapable of being borne by persons of uncleansed souls.
In the generality of cases, kings fail to attain to auspicious ends. By
always making, however, gifts of earth, they succeed in cleansing
themselves (of all their sins). Thou hast, O prince of Kuru's race,
discoursed to me on many duties. Thou hast discoursed to me on the gifts
of kine made by king Nriga in days of old. The Rishi Nachiketa, in
ancient times, had discoursed on the merits of this act. The Vedas and
the Upanishads also have laid down that in all sacrifices,--in fact, in
all kinds of religious acts,--the Dakshina should be earth or kine or
gold. The Srutis, however, declare that in all Dakshinas, gold is
superior and is, indeed, the best. I desire, O grandsire, to hear thee
discourse truly on this topic. What is gold? How did it spring up? When
did it come into existence? What is its essence? Who is its presiding
deity? What are its fruits? Why is it regarded as the foremost of all
things? For what reason do men of wisdom applaud the gift of gold? For
what reason is gold regarded as the best Dakshinas in all sacrifices? Why
also is gold regarded as a cleanser superior to earth itself and kine?
Why, indeed, is it regarded so superior as a Dakshina? Do thou, O
grandsire, discourse to me on all this!"

"'Bhishma said, "Listen, O king, with concentrated attention to me as I
recite to thee in detail the circumstances connected with the origin of
gold as understood by me. When my father Santanu of great