unto Purandara, saying, 'So be it!' They then ascended to heaven in
company of Indra himself. Even thus, those high-souled persons, though
famishing with hunger and though tempted at such a time with the offer of
diverse kinds of enjoyable articles, refrained from yielding to
temptation. As the result of such self-denial, they attained to heaven.
It seems, therefore, that one should, under all circumstances, cast off
cupidity from oneself. Even this, O king, is the highest duty. Cupidity
should be cast off. The man who recites this account (of the deeds of the
righteous Rishis) in assemblies of men, succeeds in acquiring wealth.
Such a man has never to attain to a distressful end. The Pitris, the
Rishis, and the deities become all pleased with him. Hereafter, again, he
becomes endued with fame and religious merit and wealth!"'"

SECTION XCIV

"'Bhishma said, "In this connection is cited the old history of the oaths
(taken by many Rishis one after another) on the occasion of a sojourn to
the sacred waters. O best of the Bharatas, the act of theft had been done
by Indra, and the oaths were taken by many royal and regenerate Rishis.
Once on a time, the Rishis, having assembled together, proceeded to the
western Prabhasa. They held a consultation there which resulted in a
resolve on their part to visit all the sacred waters on earth. There were
Sakra and Angiras and Kavi of great learning and Agastya and Narada and
Pravata; and Bhrigu and Vasishtha and Kasyapa and Gautama and Viswamitra
and Jamadagni, O king! There were also the Rishi Galava, and Ashtaka and
Bharadwaja and Arundhati and the Valakhilyas; and Sivi and Dilipa and
Nahusha and Amvarisha and the royal Yayati and Dhundhumara and Puru.
These foremost of men, placing the high-souled Satakratu, the slayer of
Vritra, at their head, went to all the sacred waters one after another,
and at last reached the highly sacred Kausiki on the day of the full moon
in the month of Magha. Having cleansed themselves of all sins by
ablutions performed in all the sacred waters, they at last proceeded to
the very sacred Brahmasara. Bathing in that lake, those Rishis endued
with energy like that of fire began to gather and eat the stalks of the
lotus. Amongst those Brahmanas, some had extracted the stalks of the
lotus and some the stalks of the Nymphoea stellata. Soon they found that
the stalks extracted by Agastya (and deposited on the bank) had been
taken away by somebody. The for