Anushasanika Parva — An account of gold and its gifts

Yudhishthira said You have, O grandfather, expounded to me the highly meritorious gift of kine. In the case of kings performing their duties, that gift is most meritorious.

Sovereignty is always painful. It is incapable of being borne by persons of impure souls. Generally kings fail to acquire auspicious ends.

By always making, however, gifts of earth, they succeed in purifying themselves. You have, O prince of Kuru's race, describe to me many duties.

You have described to me the gifts of kine formerly made by king Nriga. The Rishi Nachiketa, in ancient times, had described the merits of this act.

The Vedas and the Upanishads also have laid down that in all sacrifices, in fact, in all sorts of religious rites, the sacrificial present should be earth or kine or gold.

The Shrutis, however, declare that of all presents, gold is very superior and is, indeed, the best. I wish, O grandfather, to hear you describe truly this subject.

What is gold? How did it spring up? When did it come into existence? What is its essence? Who is its presiding god? What are its fruits. Why is it considered as the foremost of all things?

Why do wise men applaud the gift of gold? Why is gold considered as the best of presents in all sacrifices?

Why also is gold considered as a purifier superior to earth itself and kine? Why, indeed, is it considered so superior as a sacrificial present? Do you, O grandfather, describe to me all this.

Bhishma said Listen, O king, with rapt attention to me as I recite to you in detail the circumstances connected with the origin of gold as understood by me.

When my highly energetic father Shantanu died, I proceeded to Gangadvara for performing his Shraddha.

Arrived there I began the Shraddha of my father. My mother Janhavi coming there, gave me great assistance.

Inviting many ascetics crowned with success and making them take their seats before me, I began the preliminary rites consisting of gifts of water and of other things.

Having with concentrated mind performed all preliminary rites as laid down in the scriptures, I began to duly offer the obsequial cake.

I then saw, O king, that a beautiful arm, adorned with armlets and other ornaments, rose a up, piercing the ground, through the blades of Kusha grass which I had spread.

Seeing that arm rise from the ground, I became stricken with wonder. Indeed, O chief of Bharata's race, I thought that my father had come himself for accepting the cake I was about to offer.

Reflecting then, by the light of the scriptures. I became convinced that the ordinance is in the Vedas that the cake should not be presented to the hand of him whose Shraddha is performed. My conviction was that the obsequial cake should never be presented in this world by a man to the visible hand of the nan whose obsequial rites are performed. The departed Manes do not come in their visible forms for taking the cake. On the other hand, the ordinance lays down that it should be presented on the blades of Kusha grass spread the earth for the purpose. I then, disregarding that hand which was the mark of may father's presence, and recollecting the true ordinance of the scriptures regarding to mode of presenting the cake, offered the entire cake, O chief of the Bharatas, upon those blades of Kusha grass that were spread before me.

Know, O king, that what I did was perfectly consistent with the scriptural ordinance. After this, the arm of my father, O monarch, vanished, in our very sight. on more

On that night as I slept, the departed Manes appeared to me in a dream. Pleased with me they said, O chief of Bharata's race, these words, We have been pleased with you, for the mark you have shown today of your adherence to the ordinance. It has pleased us to see that you have not deviated from the injunctions of the scriptures. The scriptural ordinance, followed by you, has become authoritative, O king.

By such conduct you have honoured and maintained the authority of yourself, the scriptures, the Vedas, the Pitris and the Rishis, the Grandfather Brahman himself, and those elders, viz., the Prajapatis. Adherence to the scriptures has been upheld. You have today, O chief of the Bharatas, acted very properly.

You have made gifts of earth and kine. Do you make gifts of gold. The gift of gold is very purifying. O you that are wellconversant with duties, know that by such acts both ourselves and our forefathers will all be purged of all our sins. Such gifts rescue both ancestors, and descendants of tenth degree of the person who makes them! These were the words that my ancestors, appearing to me in a dream, said to me. I then awoke, o king, and become filled with wonder.

Indeed, O chief of Bharata's race, I determined upon making gifts of gold, Listen now, O king, to this old history.

It is highly praiseworthy, and it gives longevity to a man who listens to it. It was first recited to Rama the son of Jamadagni. Formerly Jamadagni's son Rama, existed with great anger, rooted out the Kshatriyas from off the face of the Earth for twentyone times. Having subjugated the entire Earth, the heroic Rama having cyes like lotus petals began to make preparations for celebrating a Horse Sacrifice, O king, that is lauded by all Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and that is capable of granting the fruition of every desire.

That sacrifice purifies all creatures and increases the energy and splendour of those who succeed in celebrating it. Gifted with great energy, Rama, by the celebration of that sacrifice, became sinless.

Having, however, celebrated that foremost of sacrifices, the great Rama could not acquire perfect lightness of heart.

Going to Rishis conversant with every branch of learning as also the celestials, Rama of Bhrigu's race questioned them. Filled with repentance and mercy, he addressed them, saying, highly blessed ones, do you declare that which purifies men engaged in terrific deeds? Thus addressed by him, those great Rishis, fully read in the Vedas and the scriptures, answered him, saying, ( Rama, guided by the authority of the Vedas, do you honour all learned Brahmanas. Acting thus for sometime, do you once more ask the twice born Rishis as to what should be done by you for purifying yourself.

Follow the advice which those highly wise persons would give! Going then to Vashishtha and Agastya and Kashyapa, that delighter of the Bhrigus, gifted with great energy, asked them the very question, You foremost of Brahmanas, even this is the wish that has originated in my heart. How, indeed, can I purify myself.

wa urah fos wafafa autetar:118011 By what acts and rites may this be engendered? Or, if by gifts, what is that article by giving away which this wish of mine may be satisfied, O foremost of righteous persons, if you are bent upon doing me a favour, then do tell me, you who have asceticism for wealth, what is that by which I may succeed in purifying myself!

The Rishis said O delighter of the Bhrigus, the mortal that has committed sin becomes purified by making gifts of kine, of earth, and of riches. This is what we have heard.

There is another gift that is considered as a great purifier. Listen to us, O twiceborn Rishi, as we discourse on it! That article is excellent and is wonderful to look at and is, besides, the offspring of Fire

Formerly the god Agni burnt all the world. We have heard that from his seed sprung gold of bright complexion. It passed by the name of the goodcomplexioned. By making gifts of gold you are sure to have your wish fulfilled.

Then the illustrious Vashishtha in especial, of rigid vows, addressing him, said, Hear, O Rama, how gold, which is effulgent like fire, first came into being .

That gold will confer merit on you. Ini matters of gifts, gold is highly spoken of. I shall also tell you what is gold, whence it has come, and how it has come to be endued with superior attributes.

Listen to me, O you of mighty arms, as I describe these subjects. Know this as certain that gold is of the essence of Fire and Moor.

The goat is Fire, the sheep is Varuna; the horse is the Sun; elephants are Nagas; buffaloes are Asuras; cocks and boars are Rakshasas; O delighter of the Bhrigus; earth is sacrifice, kine, water, and Soma. These are the declarations of the Smritis.

Churning the entire universe, a mass of energy was found. That energy is gold. Hence, O twiceborn Rishi, compared to all these objects gold is surely superior. It is a valuable thing, high and excellent.

It is therefore that the celestial and Gandharvas and Uragas and Rakshasas and human beings and Pishachas hold it with care.

All these beings, O son of Bhrigu's race, shine in splendour, with the help of gold, after converting it into crowns and armlets and various ornaments.

It is also for this reason that gold is considered as the most purifying of all cleansing things such as earth and kine and all other kinds of riches, O king.

The gift of gold, O powerful king, is the highest gift. It is superior to the gift of earth, of kine, and of all other things.

O you who are effulgent like an immortal, gold is an eternal purifier. Do you make gifts of it to the foremost of Brahmanas as it is the foremost of purifying things.

Of all kinds of presents, gold is the best. They who make gifts of gold are said to be givers of all things,

Indeed, they who make gifts of gold are considered as givers of celestials. Agni is all the deities in one, and gold has Agni for its essence.

Hence it is that the person who makes gift of gold gives away all the celestials. Hence, O king, there is no gift higher than the gift of gold.

Vashishtha said Hear once more, O twice born Rishi, as I describe the superiority of gold, O foremost of all wielders weapons.

I heard this formerly in the Purana, O son of Bhrigu's race. It represents the speech of Prajapati himself.

After the marriage was over of the illustrious and great Rudra armed with the trident, O son Bhrigu's race, with the goddess who became his consort, on the breast of that foremost of mountains, viz., Himavat, the illustrious and great deity wished to unite himself with the goddess. Thereupon all the celestials, stricken with anxiety, approached Rudra. Bending their heads with respect and pleasing Mahadeva and his boon-giving consort Uma, both of whom were seated together, they addressed Rudra, O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, saying, This union, O illustrious and sinless one, of you with the goddess, is a union of an ascetic with another. Indeed, it is the union, O lord, of one energetic person with another equally so. You, O illustrious one, are of irresistible energy. The goddess Uma also is gifted with energy that is equally irresistible.

The offspring that will result from a union like this, will, forsooth, O illustrious deity, be gifted with very great might. Indeed, powerful lord, that offspring will consume all things in the three worlds without leaving a residue.

Do you then, O lord of all the universe, O you having large eyes, grant to these celestials prostrated before you, a boon from desire of benefiting the three worlds.

Do you, O powerful one, restrain this great energy of yours may become the seed of offspring. Indeed, that energy is the essence of all forces in the three worlds. You two, by an act of congress, are sure of scorch the universe.

Your offspring will certainly be able of afflict the celestials. Neither the goddess Earth, nor the Sky, nor Heaven, O powerful one, nor all of them together, will be able to bear your energy, we firmly believe. The entire universe yours which is certain to be burnt through the force of your energy.

You should, O powerful one, show us favour, O illustrious deity. That favour consists in your not begetting a son, O foremost of the celestials, upon the goddess Uma. Do you, patiently govern your fiery and powerful energy.

To the deities that said so, the holy Mahadeva having the bull for his sign, O twiceborn Rishi, answered, saying, So be it!

Having said so, the deity that has the bull for his vehicle, drew up his vital seed. From that time he passed by the name of Urddharetas (one that has drawn up the vital seed). At this attempt of the celestials to stop procreation, the consort of Rudra became highly wroth. On account of her being the opposite sex, she used hard words. On account of her being the opposite sex, she used hard words.

Since you have opposed my lord in procreating an offspring when he was desirous of procrcating one upon me, as the result of this act, you celestials, you all shall become sonless.

Indeed, since you have opposed the birth of an offspring from me, therefore, you shall have no offspring of your own When this curse was imprecated.

O perpetuator of Bhrigu's race, the deity of fire was not there. It is on account of this curse of the goddess that the deities have become childless.

Rudra begged them, held in himself his energy of incomparable power. A small quantity, however, that came out o this body dropped on the Earth.

That seed, falling on the Earth, leaped into a burning fire and there began to grow most wonderfully.

The energy of Rudra, coming in contact with another energy of great power, became une with it in essence. Mean while, all the celestials headed by Indra were scorched by the Asura named Taraka. The Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Maruts, the Ashvins, and the Saddhyas all became greatly afflicted on account of the prowess of that son of Diti.

All the regions of the celestials, their beautiful cars, and their palaces, and the asylums of the Rishis, we.e snatched away by the Asuras.

Then the celestials and the Rishis, with depressed hearts, sought the protection of the illustrious and powerful Brahman of unfading glory.