life for the sake of a Brahmana.  The king Satadyumna went to heaven by giving to Maudgaya a golden mansion replete with all the objects of desire.  In ancient times, king Sumanyu by giving to Sandilya heaps of food looking like a hill, proceeded to heaven.  The Salwa prince Dyutimat of great splendour attained to the highest regions by giving his kingdom to Richika.  The Royal sage Madiraswa by giving his slender-waisted daughter to Hiranyahasta went to the region of the gods.  The lordly Lomapada attained all the vast objects of his desire by giving his daughter Santa in marriage to Rishyasringa.  The royal sage Bhagiratha, by giving his famous daughter Hansi in marriage to Kautsa, went to the eternal regions.  King Bhagiratha by giving hundreds and thousands of kine with their young ones to Kohala attained to the most blessed regions.  These and many other men, O Yudhishthira, have attained to heaven, by the merit of their charities and penances and they have also returned from thence again and again.  Their fame will endure as long as the world will last.  I have related to thee, O Yudhishthira, this story of those good householders who have attained to eternal regions by dint of their charities and penances.  By their charities and by performing sacrifices and by procreating offspring, these people have attained to the heavenly regions.  O foremost scion of Kuru’s race, by always performing acts of charity, these men applied their virtuous intellects to the performance of sacrifices and charities.  O mighty prince, as night has approached I shall explain to thee in the morning whatever doubts may arise in thy mind.’”

SECTION CXXXVIII

“Yudhishthira said, ’I have heard from thee, O sire, the names of those kings that have ascended to heaven.  O thou whose power is great in the observance of the vow of truth by following the religion of gift.  How many kinds of gift are there that should be given?  What are the fruits of the several kinds of gifts respectively?  For what reasons, what kinds of gifts, made to what persons are productive of merits?  Indeed, unto what persons should what gifts be made?  For what reasons are how many kinds of gifts to be made?  I desire to hear all this in detail.’”

“Bhishma said, ’Listen, O son of Kunti, in detail to me, O sinless one as I discourse on the subject of gifts.  Indeed, I shall tell you, O Bharata, how gifts should be made unto all the orders of men.  From desire of merit, from desire of profit, from fear, from free choice, and from pity, gifts are made, O Bharata!  Gifts, therefore, should be known to be of five kinds.  Listen now to the reasons for which gifts are thus distributed in five classes.  With mind freed from malice one should make gifts unto Brahmanas, for by making gifts unto the one acquires fame here and great felicity hereafter. (Such gifts are regarded as made from desire of merit.) He is in the habit of making gifts; or he has already