Vaishampayana said After Yudhishthira had stopped, the great and eloquent ascetic Devasthana, said these words pregnant with reason to the king.

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.

O you, having no enemy you have righteously conquered the Earth. Having won her, you should not, () king, abandon her without cause.

Four modes of life and laid down in the Vedas. Do you, O king, duly pass through them one after another.

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.

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.

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.

The distribution of charities after discriminating the deserving from the undeserving is not easy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.