After that learned Brahmana, conversant with all
duties, had thus ascended to Heaven with his son, daughter-in-law, and
wife numbering the fourth, I came out of my hole. There with the scent of
that powdered barley, with the mire caused by the water (which the
Brahmana had given to his guest), with the contact (of my body) with the
celestial flowers that had been rained down, with the particles of the
barley-powder which that good man had given away, and the penances of
that Brahmana, my head became gold, Behold, in consequence of the gift of
that Brahmana who was firm in truth, and his penances, half of this my
ample body has become golden. Ye regenerate ones, for converting the rest
of my body into gold I repeatedly repair, with a cheerful heart, to the
retreats of ascetics and the sacrifices performed by kings. Hearing of
this sacrifice of the Kuru king endued with great wisdom, I came hither
with high hopes. I have not, however, been made gold. Ye foremost of
Brahmanas, it was for this that I uttered those words, viz., that this
sacrifice can by no means compare with (the gift of) that prastha of
powdered barley. With the grains of that prastha of powdered barley, I
was made gold on that occasion. This great sacrifice however, is not
equal to those grains. Even this is my opinion.
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