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 guests also with food on such days.  And as that high-souled one distributed his food with alacrity, the remainder of the drona of corn increased as soon as a guest appeared.  And by virtue of the pure spirit in which the sage gave a way, that food of his increased so much that hundreds upon hundreds of learned Brahmanas were fed with it.

[46] Picking up for support (1) ears of corn and (2) individual grains, left on the field by husbandmen after they have gathered and carried away the sheaves, are called the Sila and the Unchha modes of life.

“’And, O king, it came to pass that having heard of the virtuous Mudgala observant of vows, the Muni Durvasa, having space alone for his covering,[47] his accoutrements worn like that of maniac, and his head bare of hair, came there, uttering, O Pandava various insulting words.  And having arrived there that best of Munis said unto the Brahmana,