Puru and Kartavirya and Aniruddha and Nahusha and Yayati and Nrigas and Vishwaksena and Sasavindu and Yuvanaswa and Sivi, the son of Usinara, and Muchukunda and Mandhatri, and Harischandra.  Do thou always speak the truth.  Never speak an untruth.  Truth is an eternal duty.  It is by truth that Harischandra roves through heaven like a second Chandramas.  These other kings also, viz., Syenachitra, O monarch, and Somaka and Vrika and Raivata and Rantideva and Vasu and Srinjaya, and Dushmanta and Karushma and Rama and Alarka and Nala, and Virupaswa and Nimi and Janaka of great intelligence, and Aila and Prithu and Virasena, and Ikshvaku, and Sambhu, and Sweta, and Sagara, and Aja and Dhundhu and Suvahu, and Haryaswa and Kshupa and Bharata, O monarch, did not eat flesh for the month of Karttika and as the consequence thereof attained to heaven, and endued with prosperity, blazed forth with effulgence in the region of Brahman, adored by Gandharvas and surrounded by thousand damsels of great beauty.  Those high-souled men who practise this excellent religion which is characterised by abstention from injury succeed in attaining to a residence in heaven.  These righteous men who, from the time of birth, abstain from honey and meat and wine, are regarded as Munis.  That man who practises this religion consisting of abstention from meat or who recites it for causing others to hear it, will never have to go to hell even if he be exceedingly wicked in conduct in other respects.  He, O king, who (often-times) reads these ordinances about abstention from meat, that are sacred and adored by the Rishis, or hears it read, becomes cleansed of every sin and attains to great felicity in consequence of the fruition of every wish.  Without doubt, he attains also to a position of eminence among kinsmen.  When afflicted with calamity, he readily transcends it.  When obstructed with impediments, he succeeds in freeing himself from them with the utmost ease.  When ill with disease, he becomes cured speedily, and afflicted with sorrow he becomes liberated from it with greatest ease.  Such a man has never to take birth in the intermediate order of animals or birds.  Born in the order of humanity, he attains to great beauty of person.  Endued with great prosperity, O chief of Kuru’s race, he acquires great fame as well.  I have thus told thee, O king, all that should be said on the subject of abstention from meat, together with the ordinances respecting both the religion of Pravritti and Nivritti as framed by the Rishis.”

SECTION CXVI

“Yudhishthira said, ’Alas, those cruel men, who, discarding diverse kinds of food, covet only flesh, are really like great Rakshasas!  Alas, they do not relish diverse kinds of cakes and diverse sorts of potherbs and various species of Khanda with juicy flavour so much as they do flesh!  My understanding, for this reason, becomes stupefied in this matter.  I think, when such is the case, that, there is nothing