the sports of the chief of the deities.  Fasting for four days in succession, he who eats only one meal every fifth day, and pours libations on the sacred fire every day for the period of a whole year, and who lives without cupidity, telling the truth, reverencing the Brahmanas, abstaining from every kind of injury, and avoiding malice and sin, acquires the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.  The car he rides is made of gold and drawn by swans and endued with the effulgence of many suns rising together.  He acquires, a palatial mansion of pure white.  He lives there in great happiness for full one and fifty Padmas of years.[492] Fasting for five days, he who takes food on only the sixth day, and pours libations on his sacred fire every day for a whole year, and who performs three ablutions in course of the day for purifying himself and saying his prayers and doing his worship, and who leads a life of Brahmacharya, divested of malice in his conduct, acquires the merit of the Gomedha sacrifice.  He acquires an excellent car adorned with pure gold, possessed of the effulgence of a blazing fire and drawn by swans and peacocks.  He sleeps on the lap of Apsaras and is awakened every morning by the melodious tinkle of Nupuras and Kanchis.  He leads such a life of happiness for ten thousand million years and three thousand million besides and eight and ten Padmas and two Patakas.[493] Such a man resides also, honoured by all, in the region of Brahma for as many years as there are hairs on the bodies of hundreds of bears.  Fasting for six days, he who eats only one meal every seventh day and pours libations on the sacred fire every day, for a full year, restraining speech all the while and observing the vow of Brahmacharya, and abstaining from the use of flowers and unguents and honey and meat, attains to the region of the Maruts and of India.  Crowned with the fruition of every desire as it springs up in the mind, he is waited upon and adored by celestial damsels.  He acquires the merits of a sacrifice in which abundance of gold is given away.  Proceeding to the regions named, he lives there for countless years in the greatest happiness[494].  He who shows forgiveness to all and fasting for seven days eats on every eighth day for a whole year, and, pouring libations every day on the sacred fire, adores the deities regularly, acquires the high merits of the Paundarika sacrifice.  The car he rides is of a colour like that of the lotus.  Without doubt, such a man acquires also a large number of damsels, possessed of youth and beauty, some having complexions that are dark, some with complexions like that of gold, and some that are Syamas, whose looks and attitudes are of the most agreeable kind.  He who fasts for eight days and takes only one meal on every ninth day for a whole year, and pours libations on the sacred fire every day, acquires the high merits of a thousand Horse-sacrifices.  The car he rides in Heaven is as beautiful as a lotus.  He always makes his journeys on that car, accompanied by the