king, in whom an expectation has been raised, has, O king, been said to be like a blazing fire.[15] That man upon whom a Brahmana with raised expectations casts his eye, is sure, O monarch, to be consumed even as a heap of straw is capable of being consumed by a blazing fire.[16] When the Brahmana, gratified (with honours and gifts) by the king addresses the king in delightful and affectionate words, he becomes, O Bharata, a source of great benefit to the king, for he continues to live in the kingdom like a physician combating against diverse ills of the body.[17] Such a Brahmana is sure to maintain by his puissance and good wishes, the sons and grandsons and animals and relatives and ministers and other officers and the city and the provinces of the king.[18] Even such is the energy, so great, of the Brahmana like unto that of the thousand-rayed Surya himself, on the Earth.  There-fore, O Yudhishthira, if one wishes to attain to a respectable or happy order of being in one’s next birth, one should, having passed the promise to a Brahmana, certainly keep it by actually making the gift to him.  By making gifts to a Brahmana one is sure to attain to the highest heaven.  Verily, the making of gifts is the highest of acts that one can achieve.  By the gifts one makes to a Brahmana, the deities and the pitris are supported.  Hence one possessed of knowledge should ever make gifts unto the Brahmanas.  O chief of the Bharatas, the Brahmana is regarded as the highest object unto whom gifts should be made.  At no time should a Brahmana be received without being properly worshipped.”

SECTION X

“Yudhisthira said, ’I wish to know, O royal sage, whether any fault is incurred by one who from interested or disinterested friendship imparts instructions unto a person belonging to a low order of birth!  O grandsire, I desire to hear this, expounded to me in detail.  The course of duty is exceedingly subtile.  Men are often seen to be stupefied in respect of that course.’

“Bhishma said, ’In this connection, O king, I shall recite to thee, in due order, what I heard certain Rishis say in days of yore.  Instruction should not be imparted unto one that belongs to a low or mean caste.  It is said that the preceptor who imparts instruction to such a person incurs great fault.  Listen to me, O chief of Bharata’s race, as I recite to thee, O Yudhishthira, this instance that occurred in days of old, O monarch, of the evil consequences of the imparting of instruction unto a low-born person fallen into distress.  The incident which I shall relate occurred in the asylum of certain regenerate sages that stood on the auspicious breast of Himavat.  There, on the breast of that prince of mountains, was a sacred asylum adorned with trees of diverse kinds.  Overgrown also with diverse species of creepers and plants, it was the resort of many animals and birds.  Inhabited by Siddhas and Charanas also, it was exceedingly delightful in