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मैत्रेयभिक्षा (maitreyabhikSA)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Maitreya-bhikshā]
(“the alms of Maitreya”). § 763b (Ānuśāsanik.): Bhīshma said: Once Vyāsa, while wandering in disguise, waited at Vārāṇasī upon Maitreya in the house of a loose woman (svairiṇīkule
so BR.
quite otherwise Nīl. and PCR.), and was fed by him with excellent food. As he smiled, Maitreya said that he did not see much difference between one that behaved as an ordinary person [such as Vyāsa]
[and himself], [or generally]
between one who is unemancipated and one who is emancipated, especially when [the latter, such as Maitreya]
was distinguished by birth (pṛthag ācaratas tāta pṛthagātmasukhātmanoḥ|alpāntaram ahaṃ manye, viśishṭam api cānvayāt
cf. Nīl. and PCR.). Vyāsa said that he wondered that the Vedas should [seemingly]
contain an untruth
for even a small gift (as, for instance, a little water given to a thirsty man) produces great results, and Maitreya had, by feeding Vyāsa, conquered many high regions of felicity, as one does [according to the Vedas, only]
by great sacrifices. Gift is more auspicious than all sacred acts (XIII, 120). Maitreya, approving of the words of Vyāsa, praised the brahmans as the root of righteousness: “if the brahman be gratified, D. and P. also are gratified, ” referring to Ṛ. (XIII, 121). Vyāsa, saying that even the most atrocious sins are washed off by (gifts and) penances, recommended to him the duties of householders (XIII, 123).