hishthira endued with humility, once again
questioned the royal son of Santanu on the subject of gifts of kine in
detail.'

"'The king said, "Do thou, O Bharata, once more discourse to me in detail
on the merits of giving away kine. Verily, O hero, I have not been
satiated with hearing thy nectar-like words!"'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by king Yudhishthira the just,
Santanu's son began to discourse to him once again, in detail on the
merits attaching to the gift of kine.'

"'Bhishma said, "By giving unto a Brahmana a cow possessed of a calf,
endued with docility and other virtues, young in years, and wrapped round
with a piece of cloth, one becomes cleansed of all one's sins. There are
many regions (in Hell) which are sunless. One who makes the gift of a cow
has not to go thither. That man, however, who gives unto a Brahmana a cow
that is incapable of drinking or eating, that has her milk dried up, that
is endued with senses all of which have been weakened, and that is
diseased and overcome with decrepitude, and that may, therefore, be
likened to a tank whose water has been dried up,--indeed, the man who
gives such a cow unto a Brahmana and thereby inflicts only pain and
disappointment upon him, has certainly to enter into dark Hell. That cow
which is wrathful and vicious, or diseased, or weak or which has been
purchased without the price agreed upon having been paid,--or which would
only afflict the regenerate recipient with distress and disappointment,
should never be given. The regions such a man may acquire (as the rewards
of other acts of righteousness performed by him) would fail to give him
any happiness or impart to him any energy. Only such kine as are strong,
endued with good behaviour, young in years, and possessed of fragrance,
are applauded by all (in the matter of gift). Verily, as Ganga is the
foremost of all rivers, even so is a Kapila cow the foremost of all kine."

"'Yudhishthira said, "Why, O grandsire, do the righteous applaud the gift
of a Kapila cow (as more meritorious) when all good kine that are given
away should be regarded as equal? O thou of great puissance, I wish to
hear what the distinction is that attaches to a Kapila cow. Thou art,
verily, competent to discourse to me on this topic!"[371]

"'Bhishma said, "I have, O son, heard old men recite this history
respecting the circumstances under which the Kapila cow was created. I
shall recite that old history to thee! In da