l regions a car. And an aerial voice was heard which said,
addressing Indradyumna, "Come thou and obtain the place thou deservest
in heaven! Thy achievements are great! Come thou cheerfully to thy
place! Here also are certain _slokas_: The report of virtuous deeds
spreadeth over the earth and ascendeth to heaven. As long as that report
lasts, so long is the doer said to be in heaven. The man whose evil
deeds are bruited about, is said to fall down and live, as long as that
evil report lasts in the lower regions. Therefore should man be virtuous
in his acts if he is to gain Heaven. And he should seek refuge in
virtue, abandoning a sinful heart."

"'"And hearing these words, the king said, 'Let the car stay here as
long as I do not take these old persons to the places whence I brought
them.' And having brought me and the owl Pravarakarna to our respective
places, he went away, riding on that car, to the place that was fit for
him. Being longlived, I witness all this."'"

Vaisampayana continued, "It was thus that Markandeya narrated all this
unto the son of Pandu. And after Markandeya finished, the sons of Pandu
said, 'Blessed be thou! Thou hadst acted properly in causing king
Indradyumna who had fallen from Heaven to regain his sphere!' And
Markandeya answered them, saying, 'Devaki's son, Krishna, also had thus
raised the royal sage Nriga who had sunk in hell and caused him to
regain Heaven!'"

SECTION CLXLIX

Vaisampayana said, "King Yudhishthira, hearing from the illustrious
Markandeya the story of the royal sage Indradyumna's regaining of
Heaven, again asked the _Muni_, saying, 'O great _Muni_, tell me in what
condition should a man practise charity in order to gain admission into
the regions of Indra? Is it by practising charity while leading a
domestic mode of life, or in boyhood, or in youth, or in old age? O,
tell me about the respective merits reaped from the practice of charity
in these different stages of life.'

"Markandeya said, 'Life that is futile is of four kinds. Charity also
that is futile is of sixteen kinds. His life is vain who hath no son;
and his also who is out of pale of virtue: and his too who liveth on the
food of other; and, lastly, his who cooketh for himself without giving
therefrom unto the _Pitris_, the gods, and the guests, and who eateth of
it before these all. The gift to one that has fallen away from the
practice of virtuous vows, as also the gift of wealth that has been
earned w