another way.  The flesh those high-souled ones had intended to cook remained uncooked.  Indeed, abandoning that flesh, they went away, and entered the woods in search of food.  After this, the ministers of the king, urged by their master, entered those woods and plucking certain figs endeavoured to give them away unto those Rishis.  The officers of the king filled some of those figs with gold and mixing them with others sought to induce those ascetics to accept them.  Atri took up some of those figs, and finding them heavy refused to take them.  He said, ’We are not destitute of knowledge.  We are not fools!  We know that there is gold within these figs.  We have our senses about us.  Indeed, we are awake instead of being asleep.  If accepted in this world, those will produce bitter consequence hereafter.  He who seeks happiness both here and hereafter should never accept these.’”

“Vasishtha said, ’If we accept even one gold coin, it will be counted as a hundred or even a thousand (in assigning the demerit that attaches to acceptance).  If, therefore, we accept many coins, we shall surely attain to an unhappy end hereafter!’”

Kasyapa said, ’All the paddy and barley on earth, all the gold and animals and women that occur in the world, are incapable of gratifying the desire of a single person.  Hence, one possessed of wisdom should dispelling cupidity, adopt tranquillity!’”

“Bharadwaja said, ’The horns of a Ruru, after their first appearance, begin to grow with the growth of the animal.  The cupidity of man is even like this.  It has no measure!’”

“Gautama said, ’All the objects that exist in the world are incapable of gratifying even a single person.  Man is even like the ocean, for he can never be filled (even as the ocean can never be filled by all the waters that are discharged into it by the rivers).’”

“Viswamitra said, ’When one desire cherished by a person becomes gratified, there springs up immediately another whose gratification is sought and which pierces him like a shaft.’”

“Jamadagni said, ’Abstention from accepting guts supports penances as their foundation.  Acceptance, however, destroys that wealth (viz., the merit of penances).’”

“Arundhati said, ’Some people are of opinion that things of the world may be stored with a view to spend them upon the acquisition of righteousness (by gifts and sacrifices).  I think, however, that the acquisition of righteousness is better than that of worldly wealth.’”

“Ganda said, ’When these my lords, who are endued with great energy, are so very much afraid of this which seems to be a great terror a weak man as I am fear it the more.’”

“Pasusakha said, ’The wealth there is in righteousness is very superior.  There is nothing superior to it.  That wealth is known to the Brahmans.  I wait upon them as their servant, only for learning to value that wealth.’”

“The Rishis (all together) said, ’Let happiness be his, as the result of the gifts he makes, who is the king of the people of this land.  Let his gift be successful who has sent these fruits to us, enclosing gold within them.’”