grains of corn, the Brahmana soon became worn out with hunger and toil.  Indeed, with all the members of his family, he had no food to eat.  That best of Brahmanas passed the days in great suffering.  One day, after the sixth division came, he succeeded in obtaining a prastha of barley.  That barley was then reduced by those ascetics to powder for making what is called Saktu of it.  Having finished their silent recitations and other daily rites, and having duly poured libations on the sacred fire, those ascetics divided that little measure of powdered barley amongst themselves so that the share of each came up to the measure of a Kudava.[216] As they were about to sit down for eating, there came unto their abode a guest.  Beholding the person who came as a guest, all of them became exceedingly glad.  Indeed, seeing him, they saluted him and made the usual enquiries of welfare.  They were of pure minds, self-restrained, and endued with faith and control over the passions.  Freed from malice, they had conquered wrath.  Possessed of piety, they were never pained at the sight of other people’s happiness.  They had cast off pride and haughtiness and anger.  Indeed, they were conversant with every duty, ye foremost of regenerate ones.  Informing their guest of their own penances and of the race or family to which they belonged, and ascertaining from him in return those particulars, they caused that hungry guest of theirs to enter their cottage.  Addressing him they said, ’This is the Arghya for thee.  This water is for washing thy feet.  There are scattered some Kusa grass for thy seat, O sinless one.  Here is some clean Saktu acquired by lawful means, O puissant one.  Given by us, O foremost of regenerate persons, do thou accept it,’ Thus addressed by them, that Brahmana accepted the Kudava of powdered barley that was offered to him and ate it all.  But his hunger, O king, was not appeased by what he ate.  The Brahmana in the observance of the Unccha vow, seeing that his guest’s hunger was still unappeased, began to think of what other food he could place before him for gratifying him.  Then his wife said unto him,—­’Let my share be given unto him.  Let this foremost of regenerate persons be gratified and let him then go whithersoever he will.’  Knowing that his chaste wife who said so was herself afflicted by hunger, that best of Brahmanas could not approve of her share of the powdered barley being given to the guest.  Indeed, that best of Brahmanas possessed of learning, knowing from his own state that his aged, toil-worn, cheerless, and helpless wife was herself afflicted by hunger and seeing that lady who had been emaciated into mere skin and bone was quivering with weakness, addressed her and said, ’O beautiful one, with even animals, with even worms and insects, wives are fed and protected.  It behoveth thee not, therefore, to say so.  The wife treats her lord with kindness and feeds and protects him.  Everything appertaining to religion, pleasure, and