demerits of that man of wicked understanding who lifts up his feet for
striking therewith a cow or a highly blessed Brahmana or a blazing fire.
The infamy of such a man spreads throughout the world and touches the
confines of heaven itself. His Pitris become filled with fear. The
deities also become highly dissatisfied on his account. Endued with great
energy, Fire refuses to accept the libations poured by him. For a hundred
lives he has to rot in hell. He is never rescued at any time. One should,
therefore, never touch a cow with one's feet, or a Brahmana of high
energy, or a blazing fire, if one is endued with faith and desires one's
own good. These are the demerits declared by me of one who lifts up one's
feet towards these three.'

"'"Viswamitra said, 'Listen to a high mystery that is unknown to the
generality of men and that is connected with religion. He who offers the
Pitris rice boiled in sugared milk, sitting with face directed to the
south at noontide in the shade caused by an elephant's body, in the month
of Bhadrapada, under the constellation Magha, acquires great merits.
Listen to what those merits are. The man who makes such an offering to
the Pitris under such circumstances, is regarded as performing a great
Sraddha each year for thirteen years in succession.'[552]

"'"The kine said, 'That man becomes cleansed of all his sins who adores a
cow with these Mantras, viz., 'O Vahula, O Samanga, O thou that art
fearless everywhere, O thou that art forgiving and full of
auspiciousness, O friend, O source of all plenty, in the region of
Brahman, in days of yore, thou wert present with thy calf in the
sacrifice of Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. Thou tookest thy
station in the firmament and in the path of Agni. The deities with Narada
among them adored thee on that occasion by calling thee Sarvamsaha. Such
man attains to the region of Purandara. He acquires, besides, the merits
that attach to kine, and the splendour of Chandramas also. Such a man
becomes freed from every sin, every fear, every grief. At the end, he
obtains residence in the happy region of the Thousand-eyed Indra!'"

"'Bhishma continued, "After this, the highly blessed and celebrated seven
Rishis, with Vasishtha at their head, rose and circumambulating the
Lotus-born Brahman, stood around him with hands joined in reverence.
Vasishtha, that foremost of all persons conversant with Brahma, became
their spokesman and asked this question that