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CHAP. XI.

On Penance and Expiation.

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XI.

1. HIM, who intends to marry for the sake of CHAP. having issue; him, who wishes to make a sacrifice;

him, who travels; him, who has given all his wealth 6 at a sacred rite; him, who desires to maintain his preceptor, his father, or his mother; him, who 'needs a maintenance for himself, when he first reads. 'the Védas; and him, who is afflicted with illness;

2. These nine Bráhmens let mankind consider as 'virtuous mendicants, called snátacas; and, to relieve 'their wants, let gifts of cattle or gold be presented to them in proportion to their learning:

3. To these most excellent Bráhmens must rice ' also be given, with holy presents at oblations to 'fire and within the consecrated circle; but the dressed rice, which others are to receive, must be delivered

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on the outside of the sacred hearth: gold and the like may be given any where.

4. On such Bráhmens as well know the Véda, let 'the king bestow, as it becomes him, jewels of all 'sorts, and the solemn reward for officiating at the 'sacrifice.

5. HE, who has a wife, and, having begged mo-
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CHAP.

XI.

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ney to defray his nuptial expences, marries another woman, shall have no advantage but sensual enjoy'ment the offspring belongs to the bestower of the gift.

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6. LET every man, according to his ability, give 'wealth to Bráhmens detached from the world and 'learned in scripture: such a giver shall attain hea6 ven after this life.

7. HE alone is worthy to drink the juice of the 'moon-plant, who keeps a provision of grain suf'ficient to supply those, whom the law commands him to nourish, for the term of three years or

more;

8. But a twice-born man, who keeps a less provi'sion of grain, yet presumes to taste the juice of the 'moon-plant, shall gather no fruit from that sacrament, even though he taste it at the first, or solemn, much less at any occasional, ceremony.

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9. HE, who bestows gifts on strangers, with a view to worldly fame, while he suffers his family to live in distress, though he has power to support them, touches his lips with honey, but swallows poisuch virtue is counterfeit :

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10. Even what he does for the sake of his future 'spiritual body, to the injury of those, whom he is bound to maintain, shall bring him ultimate misery 'both in this life and in the next.

11. SHOULD a sacrifice, performed by any twice• born

'born sacrificer, and by a Bráhmen especially, be imperfect from the want of some ingredient, during "the reign of a prince, who knows the law,

12. Let him take that article, for the completion ' of the sacrifice, from the house of any Vaisya, who possesses considerable herds, but neither sacrifices, nor drinks the juice of the moon-plant :

13. If such a Vaisya be not near, he may take two or three such necessary articles at pleasure 'from the house of a Súdra; since a Súdra has no 'business with solemn rites.

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14. Even from the house of a Bráhmen or a Cshatriya, who possesses a hundred cows, but has no consecrated fire, or a thousand cows, but performs no sacrifice with the moon-plant, let a priest without scruple take the articles wanted.

15. From another Bráhmen, who continually re'ceives presents but never gives, let him take such ingredients of the sacrifice, if not bestowed on request: so shall his fame be spread abroad, and his 'habits of virtue increase.

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16. Thus, likewise, may a Bráhmen, who has not eaten at the time of six meals, or has fasted three whole days, take at the time of the seventh meal, or on the fourth morning, from the man, who behaves basely by not offering him food, enough to supply • him till the morrow:

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17. He may take it from the floor, where the grain 3A 2

CHAP.

is

XI.

CHAP.
XI.

is trodden out of the husk, or from the field, or 'from the house, or from any place whatever; but, if the owner ask why he takes it, the cause of the taking must be declared.

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18. The wealth of a virtuous Bráhmen must at no time be seized by a Cshatriya; but, having no other means to complete a sacrifice, he may take the goods of any man, who acts wickedly, and of any, 'who performs not his religious duties:

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19. He, who takes property from the bad for the purpose before-mentioned, and bestows it on the good, 'transforms himself into a boat, and carries both the good and the bad over a sea of calamities.

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20. Wealth, possessed by men for the performance

of sacrifices, the wise call the property of the gods; but the wealth of men, who perform no sacrifice, they consider as the property of demons.

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21. Let no pious king fine the man, who takes by stealth or by force what he wants to make a sa crifice perfect; since it is the king's folly, that causes the hunger or wants of a Bráhmen :

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22. Having reckoned up the persons, whom the Bráhmen is obliged to support, having ascertained his divine knowledge and moral conduct, let the king allow him a suitable maintenance from his own household;

23.

And, having appointed him a maintenance, let the king protect him on all sides; for he gains

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from the Bráhmen whom he protects, à sixth part CHAP. of the reward for his virtue.

24. LET no Bráhmen ever beg a gift from a Súdra ; for, if he perform a sacrifice after such begging, he shall, in the next life, be born a Chandála.

25. The Bráhmen who begs any articles for a sacrifice, and disposes not of them all for that purpose, shall become a kite or a crow for a hundred years.

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26. Any evil-hearted wretch, who, through covetousness, shall seize the property of the gods or ' of Bráhmens, shall feed in another world 6 orts of vultures.

27.

on the

THE sacrifice Vaiswánarí must be constantly performed on the first day of the new year, or on the new moon of Chaitra, as an expiation for having omitted, through mere forgetfulness, the ap'pointed sacrifices of cattle and the rites of the moon-plant :

28. But a twice-born man, who, without necessity, 'does an act allowed only in a case of necessity, reaps no fruit from it hereafter: thus has it been ' decided.

29. By the Viswédévas, by the Sádhyas, and by ' eminent Rishis of the sacerdotal class, the substitute was adopted for the principal act, when they were apprehensive of dying in times of imminent peril;

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30. But no reward is prepared in a future state

XI.

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