."[209]

"'Yudhishthira said, "In what time should one practise Righteousness? In
what time should wealth be sought? In what time should pleasure be
enjoyed? O grandsire, do tell me this."

"'Bhishma said,--"One should earn wealth in the first part of one's life.
Then should one earn Righteousness, and then enjoy pleasure. One should
not, however, attach oneself to any of these. One should regard the
Brahmanas, worship one's preceptor and seniors, show compassion for all
creatures, be of mild disposition and agreeable speech. To utter
falsehood in a court of justice, to behave deceitfully towards the king,
to act falsely towards preceptors and seniors, are regarded as equivalent
(in heinousness) to Brahmanicide. One should never do an act of violence
to the king's person. Nor should one ever strike a cow. Both these
offences are equivalent to the sin of foeticide. One should never abandon
one's (homa) fire. One should also never cast off one's study of the
Vedas. One should never assail a Brahmana by words or acts. All these
offences are equivalent to Brahmanicide."

"'Yudhishthira said,--"What kind of Brahmanas should be regarded as good?
By making presents unto (what kind of) Brahmanas one may acquire great
merit? What kind of Brahmanas are they whom one should feed? Tell me all
this, O grandsire!"

"'Bhishma said, "Those Brahmanas that are freed from wrath, that are
devoted to acts of righteousness, that are firm in Truth, and that
practise self-restraint are regarded as good. By making gifts unto them
one acquires great merit. One wins great merit by making presents unto
such Brahmanas as are free from pride, capable of bearing everything,
firm in the pursuit of their objects, endued with mastery over their
senses, devoted to the good of all creatures, and disposed to be friendly
towards all. One earns great merit by making gifts unto such Brahmanas as
are free from cupidity, as are pure of heart and conduct, possessed of
learning and modesty, truthful in speech and observant of their own
duties as laid down in the scriptures. The Rishis have declared that
Brahmana to be a deserving object of gifts who studies the four Vedas
with all their branches and is devoted to the six well-known duties (laid
down in the scriptures). One acquires great merit by making gifts unto
Brahmanas possessed of such qualifications. The man who makes gifts unto
a deserving Brahmana multiplies his merit a thousand-fold. A single
righte