the Rishi Vasishtha to be foremost in point of
importance, then made gifts of a very large number of kine unto the
Brahmanas, restraining his senses the while, and as the consequence of
those gifts, the monarch succeeded in attaining to many regions of
felicity in the next world."'"[378]

SECTION LXXXI

"'Yudhishthira said, "Tell me, O grandsire, what is that which is the most
sacred of all sacred things in the world, other than that which has been
already mentioned, and which is the highest of all sanctifying objects."

"'Bhishma said, "Kine are the foremost of all objects. They are highly
sacred and they rescue men (from all kinds of sin and distress). With
their milk and with the Havi manufactured therefrom, kine uphold all
creatures in the universe. O best of the Bharatas, there is nothing that
is more sacred than kine. The foremost of all things in the three worlds,
kine are themselves sacred and capable of cleansing others. Kine reside
in a region that is even higher than the region of the deities. When
given away, they rescue their givers. Men of wisdom succeed in attaining
to Heaven by making gifts of kine. Yuvanaswa's son Mandhatri, Yayati, and
(his sire) Nahusha, used always to give away kine in thousands. As the
reward of those gifts, they have attained to such regions as are
unattainable by the very deities. There is, in this connection, O sinless
one, a discourse delivered of old. I shall recite it to thee. Once on a
time, the intelligent Suka, having finished his morning rites, approached
with a restrained mind his sire, that foremost of Rishis, viz., the
Island-born Krishna, who is acquainted with the distinction between that
which is superior and that which is inferior, and saluting him, said,
'What is that sacrifice which appears to thee as the foremost of all
sacrifices? What is that act by doing which men of wisdom succeed in
attaining to the highest region? What is that sacred act by which the
deities enjoy the felicity of Heaven? What constitutes the character of
sacrifice as sacrifice? What is that upon which sacrifice rests? What is
that which is regarded as the best by the deities? What is that sacrifice
which transcends the sacrifices of this world? Do thou also tell me, O
sire, what is that which is the most sacred of all things.' Having heard
these words of his son, O chief of Bharata's race, Vyasa, the foremost of
all persons conversant with duties, discoursed as follows unto him.

"'