Even the slayer of a cow, by
practising this duty, maybe cleansed of sin. That man, however, will
never be cleansed who slays a suppliant. By listening to this sacred and
sin-cleansing story one becomes freed from distress and attains to heaven
at last.'"
SECTION CL
"Yudhishthira said, 'O best of the Bharatas, when a person commits sin
from want of judgment, how may he be cleansed from it? Tell me everything
about it.'
"Bhishma said, 'I shall in this connection recite to thee the old
narrative, applauded by the Rishis, of what the regenerate Indrota, the
son of Sunaka, said unto Janamejaya. There was in days of yore, a king
possessed of great energy, called Janamejaya, who was the son of
Parikshit. That lord of earth on one occasion, from want of judgment
became guilty of killing a Brahmana. Upon this, all the Brahmanas
together with his priests abandoned him. Burning day and night with
regret, the king retired into the woods. Deserted by his subjects too, he
took this step for achieving high merit. Consumed by repentance, the
monarch underwent the most rigid austerities. For washing himself of the
sin of Brahmanicide he interrogated many Brahmanas, and wandered from
country to country over the whole earth. I shall now tell thee the story
of his expiation. Burning with the remembrance of his sinful act,
Janamejaya wandered about. One day, in course of his wanderings, he met
Indrota, the son of Sunaka, of rigid vows, and approaching him touched
his feet.
Pages:
1618
1619
1620
1621
1622
1623
1624
1625
1626
1627
1628
1629
1630
1631
1632
1633
1634
1635
1636
1637
1638
1639
1640
1641
1642