मोक्तिकैश्चापि सोमस्य शोभां वज्रैर्दिवाकरे। ग्रहाणां चैव सर्वेषां सुवर्णानि च दापयेत्
He should also enhance the beauty of Soma with pearls, and of the Sun with diamonds; and for all the planets, he should provide gold.
स्वर्णात्सप्तगुणं रौप्यं रौप्यात्ताम्रं तथाविधम्। ततः सप्तगुणं कार्यं कांस्यं सप्तगुणं तथा
Silver should be made seven times the amount of gold; copper likewise seven times the amount of silver; then bronze should be made seven times the amount of copper.
कांस्यात्सप्तगुणं कार्यं त्रपु चैव नराधिप। त्रपुसप्तगुणं सीसं सीसाल्लोहं च कारयेत्
Bronze should be made seven times the amount of tin, O king; lead should be seven times the amount of tin, and iron should be made from lead.
सप्तद्वीपास्समुद्राश्च सप्त वै कुलपर्वताः। अनया संख्यया कृत्वा निपुणैः शिल्पिभिस्ततः
The seven continents, the oceans, and the seven principal mountains—having made them in this proportion with skilled artisans,
पादपादीनि भूतानि राजतान्येव कारयेत्। आरण्यानि च सत्त्वानि सौवर्णानि च कारयेत्
He should make the creatures of the earth from silver, and the beings of the forests from gold.
वृक्षान्वनस्पतीन्गुल्मतृणपर्णानि वीरुधः। सर्वं प्रकल्प्य विधिवत्तीर्थे देयं विचक्षणैः
Trees, forest trees, bushes, grasses, leaves, and herbs—all should be properly arranged and offered at the sacred site by the wise.
कुरुक्षेत्रे गयायां च प्रयागेऽमरकंटके। द्वारवत्यां प्रभासे च गंगाद्वारे च पुष्करे
At Kurukshetra, Gaya, Prayaga, Amarakantaka, Dvaravati, Prabhasa, Gangadvara, and Pushkara,
तीर्थेष्वेतेषु वै देयं ग्रहणे शशिसूर्ययोः। दिनच्छिद्रेषु सर्वेषु अयने दक्षिणोत्तरे
At these sacred places, it should be given during the lunar and solar eclipses, at all breaks of the day, and at the solstices, both southern and northern.
व्यतीपाते बहुगुणं विषुवे च विशेषतः। दातव्यमेतद्राजेंद्र विचारं नैव कारयेत्1.34.
Especially at the time of planetary conjunctions and equinoxes, it should be given in abundance, O king; no deliberation should be made regarding this.
शालाग्निहोत्रिणं कृत्वा सुरूपं च गुणान्वितम्। सपत्नीकं च संपूज्य भूषयित्वा च भूषणैः
Having appointed a chief priest, handsome and endowed with virtues, together with his wife, he should be honored and adorned with ornaments.
पुरोहितं मुख्यतमं कृत्वाऽन्ये च तथा द्विजाः। चतुर्विंशद्गुणोपेताः सपत्नीका निमंत्रिताः
Having chosen the foremost officiating priest, and likewise other twice-borns, twenty-four in number, together with their wives, should be invited.
अंगुलीयानि च तथा कर्णवेष्टं च दापयेत्। एवंविधांस्तु तान्पूज्य तेषामग्रे सुसंस्थितः
He should give them rings and earrings; honoring them thus, he should stand properly before them.
अष्टांगप्रणिपातेन प्रणम्य च पुनःपुन।ः॥ पुरोहिताय पुरतः कृत्वा वै करसंपुटम्
With eightfold prostration, bowing again and again, he should place his hands together before the priest.
यूयं वै ब्राह्मणाः प्रीता मैत्रत्वेनानुगृह्णत। सौमुख्येन द्विजश्रेष्ठा भूयः पूततरस्त्वहः
You, O Brahmins, pleased, grant your favor with friendship; with your graciousness, O best of the twice-born, today is made even more pure.
भवतां प्रीतियोगेन स्वयं प्रीतः पितामहः। ब्रह्मांडेन तु दत्तेन तोषं यातु जनार्दनः
By your union with devotion, the Grandfather himself is pleased; may Janardana be satisfied by the gift of the golden egg.
पिनाकपाणिर्भगवान्शक्रश्च त्रिदशेश्वरः। एते तोषं समायांतु अनुध्यानाद्द्विजोत्तमाः
May the blessed Pinakapani and Indra, the lord of the gods, also be satisfied, O best of twice-born, by your constant meditation.
एवं स्तुत्वा ततो राजा ब्राह्मणान्वेदपारगान्। ब्रह्माण्डं तु गुरोः प्रादात्सविधानं पुनः क्षणात्
Having thus praised, the king then gave the golden egg, with proper rites, to the brahmins learned in the Vedas, and again to his teacher in an instant.
सर्वकामैस्ततस्तृप्तो ययौ स्वर्गं नराधिपः। तेनैव गुरुणा तच्च विभक्तं ब्राह्मणैः सह
Then, satisfied in every desire, the king went to heaven; that same teacher divided it with the brahmins.
दत्तं तेनापि चान्येभ्यो ब्रह्मांडं च नराधिप। ब्रह्मांडे भूमिदाने च ग्राही चैको न वै भवेत्
That king also gave the golden egg to others; but in the giving of the golden egg or land, there should not be a single recipient.
गृह्णन्दोषमवाप्नोति ब्रह्महत्यां न संशयः। सर्वेषां चैव प्रत्यक्षं दातव्यं परिकीर्त्य वै
One who accepts it alone incurs the sin of brahmin-murder, without doubt; it must be given openly to all, as is declared.
दीयमानं च पश्यंति तेपि पूता भवंति हि। दर्शनादेव ते मुक्ता भवंन्त्येव न संशयः
Those who witness the giving also become purified; by merely seeing, they are liberated, without doubt.
या भीमद्वादशी प्रोक्ता स्वर्णं तोयं मृगाजिनं। एतानि कृत्वा पश्यन्तु दृष्टैरेतैः क्रियाफलं
That terrible Dvadashi is prescribed, with gold, water, and deer skin; having performed these, let them see the fruit of the rite with their own eyes.
अयत्नादेव लभ्येत कर्तुश्चैव सलोकता। सदा गावः प्रणम्याश्च मंत्रेणानेन पार्थिव
It is easily obtained, and the doer attains the same world; cows should always be saluted with this mantra, O king.
नमो गोभ्यः श्रीमतीभ्यः सौरभेयीभ्य एव च। नमो ब्रह्मसुताभ्यश्च पवित्राभ्यो नमोनमः
Salutations to the cows, to the splendid ones, and to those of the Saurabhi line; salutations again and again to the daughters of Brahma, the pure ones.
मंत्रस्य चास्य स्मरणाद्गोदानफलमाप्नुयात्। तस्मात्त्वमपि राजेंद्र पुष्करे तीर्थ उत्तमे
By remembering this mantra, one attains the fruit of gifting a cow; therefore, O king, you too at the supreme holy place of Pushkara—
कार्तिक्यां तु विशेषेण गोदानफलमाप्स्यसि। यत्किंचिद्विद्यते पापं स्त्रियो वा पुरुषस्य वा
—especially in Kartika, will obtain the fruit of gifting a cow; whatever sin exists, whether of women or men—
पुष्करे स्नानमात्रेण तदशेषं प्रणश्यति। पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि आसमुद्रात्तु भारत
—is completely destroyed by merely bathing at Pushkara; all the holy places on earth, O Bharata, up to the ocean—
पुष्करे तान्युपायांति कार्तिक्यां तु विशेषतः
—come together at Pushkara, especially in Kartika.
भीष्म उवाच। उक्तं भगवता सर्वं पुराणाश्रयसंयुतं। तथा श्वेतेन ब्रह्मांडं गुरवे प्रतिपादितं
Bhishma said: All this has been spoken by the Blessed One, accompanied by the authority of the Puranas; thus the golden egg was given to the teacher by Shveta.
श्रुत्वैतत्कौतुकं जातं यथा तेनास्थिलेहनं। कृतं क्षुधापनोदार्थे अन्नदानाद्विना द्विज
Hearing this, I became curious: how did he perform the licking of bones to remove hunger, without giving food, O twice-born?