CHAP. IV. 'must discharge these following duties, which conduce 'to fame, length of life, and beatitude. 14. Let him daily without sloth perform his pe'culiar duty, which the Véda prescribes; for he, who performs that duty, as well as he is able, attains the highest path, to supreme bliss. 15. He must not gain wealth by musick or dancing, or by any art that pleases the sense; nor by any pro'hibited art; nor, whether he be rich or poor, must he receive gifts indiscriminately. 16. Let him not, from a selfish appetite, be strongIly addicted to any sensual gratification; let him, by improving his intellect, studiously preclude an exces'sive attachment to such pleasures, even though lawful. 17. All kinds of wealth, that may impede his reading the Véda, let him wholly abandon, persisting by all means in the study of scripture; for that will be 'found his most beneficial attainment. 18. Let him pass through this life, bringing his ap parel, his discourse, and his frame of mind, to a conformity with his age, his occupations, his property, 'his divine knowledge, and his family. 19. Each day let him examine those holy books, 'which soon give increase of wisdom; and those, which teach the means of acquiring wealth; those, which are salutary to life; and those nigamas, which are explanatory of the Véda; 20. Since, as far as a man studies completely the system IV. system of sacred literature, so far only can he become CHAP. eminently learned, and so far may his learning shine brightly. 21. The sacramental oblations to sages, to the gods, to spirits, to men, and to his ancestors, let him constantly perform to the best of his power. 22. Some, who well know the ordinances for those oblations, perform not always externally the five great sacraments, but continually make offerings in 'their own organs of sensation and intellect : 6 23. Some constantly sacrifice their breath in their speech, when they instruct others, or praise God aloud, and their speech in their breath, when they meditate in silence; perceiving in their speech and breath, thus employed, the unperishable fruit of a sacrificial offering: 24. Other Bráhmens incessantly perform those sacri'fices with scriptural knowledge only; seeing with the eye of divine learning, that scriptural knowledge is the root of every ceremonial observance. 6 25. Let a Bráhmen perpetually make oblations to 'consecrated fire at the beginning and end of day and night, and at the close of each fortnight, or at the conjunction and opposition : 6 6 26. At the season, when old grain is usually consumed, let him offer new grain for a plentiful harvest; and at the close of the season, let him perform the rites called adhwara; at the solstices let him 'sacrifice P 2 CHAP. sacrifice cattle; at the end of the year, let his obla'tions be made with the juice of the moon-plant. IV. 6 6 27. Not having offered grain for the harvest, nor 'cattle at the time of the solstice, let no Bráhmen, who keeps hallowed fire, and wishes for long life, taste rice or flesh 28. Since the holy fires, not being honoured with new grain and with a sacrifice of cattle, are greedy 'for rice and flesh, and seek to devour his vital spirits. 29. Let him take care, to the utmost of his power, 'that no guest sojourn in his house unhonoured with a seat, with food, with a bed, with water, with esculent roots, and with fruit: 6 30. 6 by interested craft; such as believe not the scripture; 'such as oppugn it by sophisms; or such as live like rapacious water-birds. 31. With oblations to the gods and to ancestors, 'let him do reverence to Bráhmens of the second order, 'who are learned in theology, who have returned home 'from their preceptors, after having performed their religious duties and fully studied the Veda; but men of an opposite description let him avoid. 6 32. Gifts must be made by each house-keeper, as 'far as he has ability, to religious mendicants, though heterodox; and a just portion must be reserved, with 'out ' out inconvenience to his family, for all sentient beings, CHAP. animal and vegetable. 6 33. A priest, who is master of a family, and pines ' with hunger, may seek wealth from a king of the mi litary class, from a sacrificer, or his own pupil, but 'from no person else, unless all other helps fail: thus 'will he shew his respect for the law. 34. Let no priest, who keeps house, and is able to procure food, ever waste himself with hunger; nor, ' when he has any substance, let him wear old or sordid ' clothes. 35. His hair, nails, and beard, being clipped; his passions subdued; his mantle, white; his body, pure; 'let him diligently occupy himself in reading the Veda, and be constantly intent on such acts, as may be 'salutary to him. 36. Let him carry a staff of Vénu, an ewer with ' water in it, a handful of cusa-grass, or a copy of the Veda; with & pair of bright golden rings in his ears, 37. He must not gaze on the sun, whether rising or setting, or eclipsed, or reflected in water, or advanced to the middle of the sky. 38. Over a string, to which a calf is tied, let him not step; nor let him run, while it rains; nor let him look on his own image in water: this is a settled rule. 39. By a mound of earth, by a cow, by an idol, by a Bráhmen, by a pot of clarified butter, or of IV. CHAP. 6 IV. 6 honey, by a place where four ways meet, and by large trees well known in the district, let him pass with his right hand toward them. 40. Let him not, though mad with desire, approach his wife, when her courses appear; nor let him then sleep with her in the same bed; 41. Since the knowledge, the manhood, the strength, 'the eye-sight, even the vital spirit of him, who ap'proaches his wife thus defiled, utterly perish; 42. But the knowledge, the manhood, the strength, the sight, and the life of him, who avoids her in that 'state of defilement, are greatly increased. 43. Let him neither eat with his wife, nor look at her eating, or sneezing, or yawning, or sitting carelessly at her ease; 44. Nor let a Bráhmen, who desires manly strength, 'behold her setting off her eyes with black powder, or scenting herself with essences, or baring her bosom, or bringing forth a child. 45. ' him eject urine or feces in the highway, nor on ashes, 46. Nor on tilled ground, nor in water, nor on 'wood raised for burning, nor, unless he be in great need, on a mountain, nor on the ruins of a temple, nor at any time on a nest of white ants; " 47. Nor |