wealth also
is gotten with difficulty. Nay, renouncing even dear life itself, heroic
men, O magnanimous one, enter into the depths of the sea and the forest
for the sake of wealth. For wealth, some betake themselves to
agriculture and the tending of kine, and some enter into servitude.
Therefore, it is extremely difficult to part with wealth that is
obtained with such trouble. Since nothing is harder to practise than
charity, therefore, in my opinion, even the bestowal of boons is
superior to everything. Specially is this to be borne in mind that
well-earned gains should, in proper time and place, be given away to
pious men. But the bestowal of ill-gotten gains can never rescue the
giver from the evil of rebirth. It hath been declared, O Yudhishthira,
that by bestowing, in a pure spirit, even a slight gift in due time and
to a fit recipient, a man attaineth inexhaustible fruit in the next
world. In this connection is instanced the old story regarding the fruit
obtained by _Mudgala_, for having given away only a _drona_[45] of
corn.'"

[45] A very small measure.

SECTION CCLVIII

"Yudhishthira said, 'Why did that high-souled one give away a drona of
corn? And, O eminently pious one, to whom and in what prescribed way did
he give it? Do thou tell me this. Surely, I consider the life of that
virtuous person as having borne fruit with whose practices the possessor
himself of the six attributes, witnessing everything, was well pleased.'

"Vyasa said, 'There lived, O king, in Kurukshetra a virtuous man (sage),
Mudgala by name. And he was truthful, and free from malice, and of
subdued senses. And he used to lead the _Sila_ and _Unchha_ modes of
life.[46] And although living like a pigeon, yet that one of mighty
austerities entertained his guests, celebrated the sacrifice called
_Istikrita_, and performed other rites. And that sage together with his
son and wife, ate for a fortnight, and during the other fortnight led
the life of a pigeon, collecting a _drona_ of corn. And celebrating the
_Darsa_ and _Paurnamasya_ sacrifices, that one devoid of guile, used to
pass his days by taking the food that remained after the deities and the
guests had eaten. And on auspicious lunar days, that lord of the three
worlds, Indra himself, accompanied by the celestials used, O mighty
monarch, to partake of the food offered at his sacrifice. And that one,
having adopted the life of a _Muni_, with a cheerful heart entertained
his guest