Yudhishthira said You have told me, O twiceborn one, what the end is of virtue or sin, I wish now to hear, O foremost of speakers, of what the end is of virtue.

Having committed various sinful deeds, by what acts do people succeed in acquiring an auspicious end in this world? By what acts also, do people acquire auspicious end in the celestial region?

Brihaspati said By committing sinful deeds with perverted mind, one gives way to the influence of sin, and accordingly goes to Hell.

That man who having perpetrated sinful deeds through stupefaction of mind, feels the pangs of repentance and sets his heart on meditation (of the deity), has not to suffer the consequences of his sins. One becomes freed from his sins inasmuch as he repents for them.

If one having committed a sin, O king, mentions it before Brahmanas conversant with a duties, he speedily becomes freed from the obloquy arising from his sin.

Accordingly as one mentions his sins, fully or otherwise, with concentrated mind, he becomes cleansed there from fully or otherwise, like a snake freed from his diseased slough.

By making with a concentrated mind, gifts of various kinds to Brahmana, and concentrating the mind (on the deity), one attains to an auspicious end.

I shall now tell you what those gifts are, o Yudhishthira, by making which a person, even if guilty of having committed sinful deeds, may become gifted with merit.

Of all kinds of gifts, that of food is considered as the best. One desirous of acquiring merit should, with a sincere heart, make gifts of food.

Food is the vital air of men. From it all creatures originate. All the worlds of living creatures are established upon food. Hence food is highly spoken of.

The deities Rishis, departed manes, and men, all praise food. Formerly king Rantideva, proceeded to the celestial region by making gifts of food.

Good food that has been acquired by fair means, should be given with a cheerful heart, lo Brahmanas possessed of Vedic learning.

That man, whose food, given with a cheerful heart, is taken by a is taken by a thousand Brahmanas, has never to take birth in an intermediate order.

A person, O king, by feeding ten thousand Brahmanas, becomes cleansed of sin and devoted to Yoga practices.

A Brahmana knowing the Vedas, by giving away food acquired by him as alms, to a Brahmana devoted to the study of the Vedas, succeeds in acquiring happiness here.

That Kshatriya who, without taking anything belonging to a Brahmana, protects his subjects lawfully, and makes gifts of food, obtained by his strength. to Brahmanas foremost in Vedic knowledge, with concentrated heart, succeeds by such conduci, O you of righteous soul in cleansing himself, O son of Pandu, of all his sinful deeds.

Thai Vaishya who divides the produce of his fields into six equal parts and makes of gift a one of those shares to Brahmanas, succeeds by such conduct in cleansing himself from every sin.

That Shudra who acquiring food by hard labour and at the risk of life itself, makes a gift of it to Brahmanas, becomes purged off of every sin.

That man who, by dint of his physical strength acquires food without doing any act of injury to any creature, and makes gift of it to Brahmanas, succeeds in avoiding all calamities.

A person by cheerfully making gifts of food acquired by fair means to Brahmans pereminent for Vedic learning, becomes purged off of all his sins.

By treading in the path of the pious, one becomes freed from all sins, A person by making gifts of such food as creates great energy becomes himself endued with great energy.

The path made by charitable persons, is always trod by the wise. They who make gifts of food, are considered as givers of life. The merit they acquire by such gifts, is eternal.

Hence, person should, under all circumstances, seek to acquire food by fair means, and having got it to make always gifts of it to worthy men. Food is the great support of living creatures.

By making gifts of food, one has never to go to hell. Hence one should always make gifts of food, having got it by fair means. a

The householder should always try to eat after having made a gift of food to a Brahmana. Every man should make the day fruitful by making gifts of food.

A person by feeding, O king a thousand Brahmanas who are all conversant with duties and the scriptures and the sacred histories, has not to go to Hell and to return to this world for going through rebirths. Gifted with the fruition of every desire he enjoys great happiness in the next world.

Gifted with such merit, he sports in happiness, freed from every anxiety, possessed of personal beauty and great fame and endued with wealth.

I have thus told you all about the great merit of gifts of food. This is the root of all virtue and merit, as also of all gifts, O Bharata.