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forming the sacrament of the Gods; for, being em- CHAP. 'ployed in the sacrament of deities, he supports this 'whole animal and vegetable world;

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76. Since his oblation of clarified butter, duly cast into the flame, ascends in smoke to the sun; from the sun it falls in rain; from rain comes vegetable food; and from such food animals derive their subsistence.

77. As all creatures subsist by receiving support from air, thus all orders of men exist by receiving support from house-keepers;

78. And since men of the three other orders are each day nourished by them with divine learning and ' with food, a house-keeper is for this reason of the C most eminent order:

79. That order, therefore, must be constantly sus'tained with great care by the man who seeks unperish

able bliss in heaven, and in this world pleasurable 'sensations; an order which cannot be sustained by men with uncontrolled organs.

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80. The divine sages, the manes, the gods, the spirits, and guests, pray for benefits to masters of families; let these honours, therefore, be done to them by the house-keeper who knows his duty:

81. Let him honour the Sages by studying the Veda: the Gods, by oblations to fire ordained by the Manes, by pious obsequies; men by supplying them with food; and spirits, by gifts to all animated creatures.

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CHAP.

82. Each day let him perform a sráddha with boiled III. rice and the like, or with water, or with milk, roots,

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and fruit; for thus he obtains favour from departed progenitors.

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83. He may entertain one Bráhmen in that sacra6 ment among the five, which is performed for the 'Pitris; but, at the oblation to all the Gods, let him ' not invite even a single priest.

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84. In his domestick fire for dressing the food of all the Gods, after the prescribed ceremony, let a · Bráhmen make an oblation each day to these following divinities;

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85. First to AGNI, god of fire, and to the lunar god, severally; then, to both of them at once; next to the assembled gods; and afterwards, to DHANWANTARI, god of medicine;

86. TO CUнU', goddess of the day, when the new moon is discernible; to ANUMATI, goddess of the day, ' after the opposition; to PRAJAPATI, or the Lord of Creatures; to DYA'VA' and PRITHIVI', goddesses of sky and earth; and lastly, to the fire of the good sacri'fice.

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87. Having thus, with fixed attention, offered cla'rified butter in all quarters, proceeding from the east in a southern direction, to INDRA, YAMA, VARUNA, and 'the god SO'MA, let him offer his gift to animated

'creatures :

88. Saying,

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88.

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Saying,

"I salute the Maruts," or Winds, CHAP. let him throw dressed rice near the door; saying,

"I salute the water-gods," in water; and on his 'pestle and mortar, saying, "I salute the gods of large trees."

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89. Let him do the like in the north-east, or near his pillow, to SRI', the goddess of abundance; in 'the south-west, or at the foot of his bed, to the propitious goddess BHADRACA'LI'; in the centre of his mansion, to BRAHMA' and his household god;

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90. To all the Gods assembled, let him throw up 'his oblation in the open air; by day, to the spirits 'who walk in light; and by night, to those who walk in darkness:

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91. In the building on his house-top, 'his back, let him cast his oblation for the welfare ' of all creatures; and what remains let him give to the Pitris with his face toward the south:

92. The share of dogs, of outcasts, of dog-feeders, ' of sinful men, punished with elephantiasis or consumption, of crows, and of reptiles, let him drop on the ground by little and little.

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93. A Brahmen, who thus each day shall honour all beings, will go to the highest region in a straight 'path, in an irradiated form.

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94. When he has performed his duty of making oblations, let him cause his guest to take food be

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CHAP.
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'fore himself; and let him give a portion of rice, as the law ordains, to the mendicant who studies the • Véda :

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95. Whatever fruit shall be obtained by that student, as the reward of his virtue, when he shall have given a cow to his preceptor, according to law, the like reward to virtue shall be obtained by the twice'born house-keeper, when he has given a mouthful of rice to the religious mendicant.

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96. To a Bráhmen who knows the true principle ' of the Veda, let him present a portion of rice, or a pot of water, garnished with fruit and flowers, due ceremonies having preceded :

97. Shares of oblations to the Gods, or to the Manes, utterly perish, when presented, through de'lusion of mind, by men regardless of duty, to such 'ignorant Bráhmens as are mere ashes;

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98. But an offering in the fire of a sacerdotal

mouth, which richly blazes with true knowledge and piety, will release the giver from distress, and even from deadly sin.

99. To the guest who comes of his own accord, 'let him offer a seat and water, with such food as he after the due rites of courtesy.

is able to prepare,

100. A Bráhmen coming as a guest, and not re'ceived with just honour, takes to himself all the

' reward of the house-keeper's former virtue, even

' though he had been so temperate as to live on the

' gleanings

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gleanings of harvests, and so pious as to make obla- CHAP. 'tions in five distinct fires.

101. Grass and earth to sit on, water to wash the

feet, and, fourthly, affectionate speech are at no time

• deficient in the mansions of the good, although they may be indigent.

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102. A Bráhmen, staying but one night as a guest, ' is called an atiťhi; since continuing so short a time, ' he is not even a sojourner for a whole tiťhị, or day of the moon.

103. 'The house-keeper must not consider as an 'atiť hi a mere visitor of the same town, or a Bráhmen, who attends him on business, even though he

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come to the house where his wife dwells, and where his fires are kindled.

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104. Should any house-keepers be so senseless, as to seek, on pretence of being guests, the food of ' others, they would fall after death, by reason of that baseness, to the condition of cattle belonging to 'the giver of such food.

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105. No guest must be dismissed in the evening by a house-keeper; he is sent by the retiring sun; and, whether he come in fit season or unseasonably, he 'must not sojourn in the house without entertainment.

106. Let not himself eat any delicate food, without asking his guest to partake of it: the satisfaction of a guest

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