वैशम्पायन उवाच अस्मिन् वाक्यान्तरे वक्ता देवस्थानो महातपाः। अभिनीततरं वाक्यमित्युवाच युधिष्ठिरम्॥
Vaishampayana said After Yudhishthira had stopped, the great and eloquent ascetic Devasthana, said these words pregnant with reason to the king.
देवस्थान उवाच यद् वचः फाल्गुनेनोक्तं न ज्यायोऽस्ति धनादिति। अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि तदेकान्तमनाः शृणु॥
Devasthana said *Phalguna has told you that there is nothing superior to wealth. I shall speak to you on that subject. Listen to me with rapt attention.
अजातशत्रो धर्मेण कृत्स्ना ते वसुधा जिता। तां जित्वा च वृथा राजन् न परित्यक्तुनर्हसि॥
O you, having no enemy you have righteously conquered the Earth. Having won her, you should not, () king, abandon her without cause.
चतुष्पदी हि नि:श्रेणी ब्रह्मण्येव प्रतिष्ठिता। तां क्रमेण महाबाहो यथावज्जय पार्थिव॥
Four modes of life and laid down in the Vedas. Do you, O king, duly pass through them one after another.
तस्मात् पार्थ महायज्ञैर्यजस्व बहुदक्षिणैः। स्वाध्याययज्ञा ऋषयो ज्ञानयज्ञास्तथापरे॥
At present you should, therefore, celebrate great sacrifices with profuse presents. Amongst the very Rishis, some celebrate the sacrifice represented by Vedic study, and some that represented by knowledge.
कर्मनिष्ठांश्च बुद्ध्येथास्तपोनिष्ठांश्च पार्थिव। वैखानसानां कौन्तेय वचनं श्रूयते यथा॥ ईहेत धनहेतोर्यस्तस्यानीहा गरीयसी। भूयान् दोषो हि वर्धेत् यस्तं धनमुपाश्रयेत्॥
Therefore, O Bharata, you must know that even the very ascetics also are devoted to action. The Vaikhanasas, however, are said to preach that he who does not seek for wealth is superior to him that seeks for it. I think that he who would follow that precept would be visited by many shortcomings.
कृच्छ्राच्च द्रव्यसंहारं कुर्वन्ति धनकारणात्। धनेन तृषितोऽबुद्ध्या भ्रूणहत्यां न बुद्ध्यते॥
Men collect together various articles (for the celebration of sacrifices) according to the Vedic prescription. He who, impelled by his own foolish understanding, gives away wealth to an undeserving person without giving it to the deserving, does not know that he incurs the sin of killing a foetus.
अनर्हते यद् ददाति न ददाति यदर्हते। अनिर्हापरिज्ञानाद् दानधर्मोऽपि दुष्करः॥
The distribution of charities after discriminating the deserving from the undeserving is not easy.
यज्ञाय सृष्टानि धनानि धात्रा यज्ञोद्दिष्टः पुरुषो रक्षिता च। तस्मात् सर्वं यज्ञ एवोपयोज्यं धनं ततोऽनन्तर एव कामः॥
The Supreme Creator created wealth for Sacrifice, and He created man also for taking care of that wealth and for celebrating Sacrifice. For this reason, the entire wealth of a man should be devoted to the celebration of a sacrifice. This would beget pleasure as a matter of course.
यज्ञैरिन्द्रो विविधै रत्नवर्द्धि र्देवान्सर्वानभ्ययाद् भूरितेजाः। तेनेन्द्रत्वं प्राप्य विभ्राजतेऽसौ तस्माद्यज्ञे सर्वमेवोपयोज्यम्॥
By the performance of various sacrifices with profuse gifts of valuables, the highly energetic Indra excelled all the gods. Having thus become their king, he shines in heaven. Therefore, everything should be given to Sacrifices.
महादेवः सर्वयज्ञे महात्मा हुत्वाऽऽत्मानं देवदेवो बभूव। विश्वाल्लोकान् व्याप्य विष्टभ्य कीर्त्या विराजते द्युतिमान् कृत्तिवासाः॥
Clad in deer-skin the great Mahadeva, having poured his own self as a libation in the sacrifice called Sarva, become the first of gods, and excelling all creatures in the universe and reigning Supreme over them thereby, shines in resplendence.
आविक्षितः पार्थिवोऽसौ मरुत्तो वृद्ध्या शक्रं योऽजयद् देवराजम्। यज्ञे यस्य श्रीः स्वयं संनिविश यस्मिन् भाण्डं काञ्चनं सर्वमासीत्॥
King Marutta, the son of a Avikshit by the profusion of his wealth, defeated Shakra ! himself, the king of the gods. In great sacrifice he performed, all the vessels were made of gold, and the Goddess of Prosperity herself came in person.
हरिश्चन्द्रः पार्थिवेन्द्रः श्रुतस्ते यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा पुण्यभाग् वीतशोकः। ऋद्ध्या शक्रं योऽजयन्मानुषः सं स्तस्माद् यज्ञे सर्वमेवोपयोज्यम्॥
You have heard that the great king Harishchandra, having celebrated sacrifices, earned great merit and great happiness. Though a man, he nevertheless defeated Shakra by wealth. For this reason everything should be given to Sacrifice.