Anushasanika Parva — The mysteries of duty and religion

Bhishma said The diverse Rishis there assembled together with the departed Manes and the deities, then, with rapt attention, asked Arundhati who was gifted with great ascetic merit.

Having penances for wealth Arundhati was equal to her husband the highsouled Vasishtha in energy, for both in vows and conduct she was her husbands equal. Addressing her, they said, We wish to hear from you the mysteries of duty and religion. You should, O amiable lady, tell us what you consider as a great mystery.

Arundhati said The great progress I have been able to make in penances is owing to your consideration for me in thus remembering my poor self. With your gracious permission I shall now describe duties that are eternal, and are great mysteries. I shall describe them with the causes on which they depend. Listen to me as I describe them to you in full. A knowledge of these should be communicated to him only who has faith or who has a pure heart. These four viz., he who is bereft of faith, he who is full of pride, he who is guilty of Brahmanicide, and he who violates the bed of his preceptor, should never be talked to. Religion and duty should never be communicated to them.

The merits acquired by a person who gives way a Kapila cow every day for twelve years, or by a person who worships the deities every month in a sacrifice or by him who gives away hundreds of thousands o kine in the great Pushkara, do not equal those that are his with whom a guest is pleased. now

Listen to another duty whose observance yields happiness to mankind. It should be observed its secret ritual by a person having faith. Its merits are certainly high.

Listen to what they are. If a person rising at dawn and taking with him a quantity of water and a few blades of Kusha grass, goes to a cowpen and arrived there, washes a cow's horns by sprinkling thereon that water with those blades of Kusha grass and then causes the water to drip down on his own head, he is considered, on account of such a bath, as one who has performed his ablutions in all the sacred waters that the wise have heard to exist in the three worlds and that are honored and resorted to by the Shiddhas and Charanas.

After Arundhati had said these words all the deities and ancestors applauded her saying, Excellent, Excellent, Indeed all the beings there were highly pleased and all of them adored Arundhati.

Brahman said O highly blessed one, excellent is the duty that you have described together with its secret ritual. Praise be to you! I grant you a boon, viz., that your penances always may increase.

Yama said I have heard from you an excellent and agrecable subject. Listen to what Chitragupta has said and what is agreeable to now me.

Those words touch on duty with its secret ritual and are worthy of being heard by the great Rishis as also by men having faith and desirous of achieving their own good.

Nothing is lost of either virtue or sin that is committed by creatures. On days of the full moon and the new moon, those acts are taken to the Sun where they rest.

When a mortal goes into the regions of the dead the Sun witnesses all his deeds. He who is virtuous, acquires the fruits of his virtue there.

I shall now tell you of some auspicious duties that are approved of by Chitragupta. Water for drink, and lamps for lighting darkness, should always be given as also sandals and umbrellas and Kapila kine with due rites. In Pushkara especially, one should make the gift of a Kapila cow to a Brahmana conversant with the Vedas.

One should also always maintain his Agnihotra with great care. Here is another duty which was proclaimed by Chitragupta.

The best of creatures should listen to what the merits are of that duty separately. In course of time every creature is destined to undergo dissolution.

The little witted meet with great distress in the regions of the dead, for they become stricken with hunger and thirst. Indeed, they have to rot there in pain. There is no escape for them from such a disaster.

They have to enter into a thick darkness. I shall now tell you of those duties by discharging which one may succeed in getting Over such disasters.

The performance of those duties costs every little but yields great merit. Indeed, such performance yields great happiness in the other world. The merits of the gift of water for drink, are excellent. In the next world, in especial, those merits are very great.

A large river full of excellent water is ordained in the other world for them who make gifts of water for drink. Indeed, the water contained in that river is endless and cool and sweet as neetar.

He who makes gifts of water in this world, drinks from that river in the next world when he goes there, listen now to the profuse merits accruing from the gift of lamps.

The man who gives lamps in this world has never to even see the thick darkness (of Hell). The Sun and the Moon and the God of Fire always give him their light when he goes to the other world.

The celestials ordain that on very side of such a person there should be burning light. Indeed, when the giver of lights goes to the world of the dead, he himself shines in pure effulgence like a second sun.

Hence, one should give lights while here and water for drink in especial. Listen now to what the merits are of the person who makes the gift of a Kapila cow to a Brahmana knowing the Vedas, especially if the gift be made in Pushkara. Such a man is considered as having made a gift of a hundred kine with a bull a gift that yields eternal merit.

The gift of a single Kapila cow is capable cleansing whatever sins the giver may be guilty of even if those sins be as grave as Brahmanicide, for the gift of a single Kapila cow is considered as equal in merit to that of a hundred kine.

Hence, one should give away a Kapila cow at that Pushkara which is considered as the senior, on the day of the full moon in the month o. Kartika. Men who succeed in making such a gift have never to meet with distress of any kind, or sorrow, or thorns giving pain.

That man who gives away a pair of sandals to a superior Brahmana who is worthy of the gift, acquires similar merits. By giving away an umbrella, a person gets comfortable shade in the next world.

A gift made to worthy person never goes for nothing. It is sure to yield agreeable results to the giver. Hearing these opinions of Chitragupta the Sun's hairs stood erect.

Gifted with great splendour, he addressed all the celestials and the departed Manes, saying, Ye have heard the mysteries about duty, as explained by the great Chitragupta.

Those human beings who gifted with faith, make these gifts to great Brahmanas, become freed from fear of every sort.

These five kinds of men sullied with vicious deeds have no escape. Indeed, these wretched men of sinful conduct, should never be talked to. Indeed they should always be avoided.

Those five are he who is the destroyer of a Brahmana, he who is the destroyer of a cow, he who is addicted to sexual union with other people's wives, he who is bereft of faith (in the Vedas), and he who maintains himself by selling the virtue of his wife.

These men of sinful conduct when they go to the region of the dead rot in hell like worms which live upon puss and blood.

These five are avoided by the departed Manes, the celestials, the Snataka Brahmanas and other twice born persons who are given to the practice of penances.