Yudhishthira said How O grandfather, should persons, employed as priests in our sacrifices, act? What sort of persons should they be, O king? Tell me all this, O foremost of orators.

Bhishma said It is laid down for those Brahmanas who are competent to officiate as priests that they should know the Chhandas including the Samans, and all the rites laid down in the Shrutis, and that they should be able to perform all such religious acts as secure the prosperity of the king.

They should be devotedly loyal and utter sweet words in addressing kings. They should also be friendly towards one another, and regard all impartially.

They should be shom of cruelty, and truthful. They should never lay out money on interest and should always be simple and sincere. One that is peaceful in temper, shorn of vanity, modest charitable, self-controlled, and contented, intelligent, truthful, observant of vows, and harmless to all creatures, without lust and malice, and endued with the three other excellent qualities, devoid of envy and blessed with knowledge, is worthy of the seat of Brahman himself. Persons possessing such qualities, O sire, are the best of priests and deserve every respect.

Yudhishthira said There are Vedic texts relating to the gift of Dakshina in sacrifices. There is no ordinance, however, which says that so much should be given.

This ordinance (about the gift of Dakshina) is not the outcome of motives connected with the distribution of wealth. The command of the ordinance, when one cannot give according to the prescription, is terrible. That commandment has altogether neglected the capacity of the sacrificer.

It occurs in the Vedas that a person should with devotion, celebrate a sacrifice. But what can devotion do when the sacrifice is sullied by false substitutes?

Bhishma said No man gains blessedness or merit by disregarding the Vedas or by deceitor falsehood. Never think that it is otherwise.

Dakshina is one of the limbs of sacrifice and conduces to the nourishment of the Vedas. A sacrifice without Dakshina can never bring on salvation.

The efficacy, however, of a single Purnapatra is tantamount to that of any Dakshina however rich. Therefore, O sire, every one belonging to the three castes should celebrate sacrifices.

The Vedas have settled that Soma is the king of the Brahmanas. Yet they wish to sell it for the sake of celebrating sacrifices, though they never wish to sell it for acquiring a livelihood.

Pious Rishis have declared, according to the dictates of morality, that a sacrifice performed with the income of the sale of Soma serves to extend sacrifices.

These three, viz., a person, a sacrifice, and Soma, must have good character. A person of a bad character neither enjoy this nor the other world.

We have heard this Shruti that the sacrifice which high-souled Brahmanas perform by wealth acquired by excessive physical labour, does not yield great merit.

There is an injunction in the Vedas that penances are higher than sacrifices. I shall now describe penances to you. O learned prince listen to me.

Abstention from injury, truthfulness of speech, benevolence, are considered as penances by the wise and not the emaciation of the body.

Disregard of the Vedas, disobedience to the scriptural injunctions and violation of all healthy restraints, bring on self-destruction.

Listen, O son of Pritha, to what has been laid down by those who pour ten libations upon mercy,-these the fire at ten times of the day.-For them who perform the sacrifice of penance, the Yoga they strive to bring about with Brahma is their ladle the heart is their clarified butter and high knowledge is their Pavitra (a couple of Kusha blades for pouring clarified butter).

All sorts of crookedness mean death and all sorts of sincerity are called Brahma. This is the subject of knowledge. The verses of philosophers cannot affect this.