'
"Markandeya said, 'Life that is futile is of four kinds. Charity also
that is futile is of sixteen kinds. His life is vain who hath no son;
and his also who is out of pale of virtue: and his too who liveth on the
food of other; and, lastly, his who cooketh for himself without giving
therefrom unto the _Pitris_, the gods, and the guests, and who eateth of
it before these all. The gift to one that has fallen away from the
practice of virtuous vows, as also the gift of wealth that has been
earned wrongly, are both in vain. The gift to a fallen Brahmana, that to
a thief, that also to a preceptor that is false, is in vain. The gift to
an untruthful man, to a person that is sinful, to one that is
ungrateful, to one that officiates at sacrifices performed by all
classes of people residing in a village, to one that sells the
_Vedas_,[12] to a Brahmana that cooks for Sudra, to one that too by
birth is a Brahmana but who is destitute of the occupations of his
order, is in vain. The gift to one that has married a girl after the
accession of puberty, to females, to one that sports with snakes, and to
one that is employed in menial offices, is also in vain. These sixteen
kinds of gifts are productive of no merits. That man who with mind
clouded with darkness giveth away from fear or anger, enjoyeth the merit
of such gift while he is in the womb of his mother. The man who (under
other circumstances) maketh gifts unto the Brahmanas, enjoyeth the fruit
thereof while he is in old age.
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