ee on all this truly, however difficult of answer thy question may
be. Listen to me, therefore, as I speak unto thee. Some regard the
mother as superior and some the father. The mother, however, that
bringeth forth and some the father. The mother, however, that bringeth
forth and reareth up offspring what is more difficult. Fathers also, by
ascetic penances, by worship of the gods, by adorations addressed to
them, by bearing cold and heat, by incantations and other means desire
to have children. And having by these painful expedients obtained
children that are so difficult of acquisition, they then, O hero, are
always anxious about the future of their sons and, O Bharata, both the
father and the mother desire to see in their sons fame and achievements
and prosperity and offspring and virtue. That son is virtuous who
realises these hopes of his parents. And, O great king, that son with
whom the father and the mother are gratified, achieveth eternal fame and
eternal virtue both here and thereafter. As regards women again, neither
sacrifice nor _sraddhas_, nor fasts are of any efficacy. By serving
their husbands only they can win heaven. O king, O Yudhishthira,
remembering this alone, listen thou with attention to the duties of
chaste women.'"

SECTION CCV

"Markandeya said, 'There was, O Bharata, a virtuous ascetic of the name
of Kausika and endued with wealth of asceticism and devoted to the study
of the _Vedas_, he was a very superior Brahmana and that best of
Brahmanas studied all the _Vedas_ with the _Angas_ and the _Upanishadas_
and one day he was reciting the _Vedas_ at the foot of a tree and at
that time there sat on the top of that tree a female crane and that
she-crane happened at that time to befoul the Brahmana's body and
beholding that crane the Brahmana became very angry and thought of doing
her an injury and as the Brahmana cast his angry glances upon the crane
and thought also of doing her an injury, she fell down on the ground and
beholding the crane thus fallen from the tree and insensible in death,
the Brahmana was much moved by pity and the regenerate one began to
lament for the dead crane saying, "Alas, I have done a bad deed, urged
by anger and malice!"

"Markandeya continued, 'Having repeated these words many times, that
learned Brahmana entered a village for procuring alms. And, O bull of
the Bharata race, in course of his eleemosynary round among the houses
of persons of good lineage, the Brah