CHAP. IV. portion of misery, is afflicted with disease and short• lived; 158. While the man, who is observant of approved usages, endued with faith in scripture, and free from a spirit of detraction, lives a hundred years, even though he bear no bodily mark of a prosperous • life. 6 159. Whatever act depends on another man, that act let him carefully shun; but whatever depends on himself, to that let him studiously attend; 160. ALL, THAT DEPENDS ON ANOTHER, GIVES PAIN ; " AND ALL, THAT DEPENDS ON HIMSELF, GIVES PLEASURE ; let him know this to be in few words the definition of pleasure and pain. 161. When an act, neither prescribed nor prohibited, gratifies the mind of him who performs it, let him perform it with diligence; but let him avoid its opposite. 162. Him, by whom he was invested with the sacri'ficial thread, him, who explained the Veda or even a part of it, his mother, and his father, natural or spiritual, let him never oppose; nor priests, nor cows, nor persons truly devout. 163. Denial of a future state, neglect of the scrip ture, and contempt of the deities, envy and hatred, vanity and pride, wrath and severity, let him at all times avoid. 164. Let IV. 164. Let him not, when angry, throw a stick at CHAP. 165. 6 166. But, having smitten him in anger and by de- 167. He, who, through ignorance of the law, sheds blood from the body of a Bráhmen, not engaged in 'battle, shall feel excessive pain in his future life: 8 168. As many particles of dust as the blood shall roll up from the ground, for so many years shall 'the shedder of that blood be mangled by other ani'mals in his next birth. 169. Let not him then, who knows this law, even 'assault a Bráhmen at any time, nor strike him even 'with grass, nor cause blood to gush from his body. 170. EVEN here below an unjust man attains no felicity; nor he, whose wealth proceeds from giving 'false evidence; nor he, who constantly takes delight in mischief. 6 171. Though oppressed by penury, in consequence ' of his righteous dealings, let him never give his • mind S IV. CHAP. mind to unrighteousness; for he may observe the Iniquity, committed in this world, produces 173. Yes; iniquity, once committed, fails not of "producing fruit to him, who wrought it; if not in his own person, yet in his sons; or, if not in his sons, yet in his grandsons: 174. He grows rich for a while through unrighteousness; then he beholds good things; then it is, that The vanquishes his foes; but he perishes at length from his whole root upwards. 175. LET a man continually take pleasure in truth, in justice, in laudable practices, and in purity; let him chastise those, whom he may chastise, in a legal ' mode; let him keep in subjection his speech, his arm, and his appetite : 176. Wealth and pleasures, repugnant to law, let him shun; and even lawful acts, which may cause 'future pain, or be offensive to mankind. 6 177. Let him not have nimble hands, restless feet, or voluble eyes; let him not be crooked in his ways 178. Let him walk in the path of good men; the 6 path, in which his parents and forefathers walked; CHAP. while he moves in that path, he can give no offence. 179. WITH an attendant on consecrated fire, a per'former of holy rites, and a teacher of the Véda, with his maternal uncle, with his guest or a dependant, ' with a child, with a man either aged or sick, with a physician, with his paternal kindred, with his re'lations by marriage, and with cousins on the side of • his mother, 180. With his mother herself, or with his father, ' with his kinswomen, with his brother, with his son, his wife, or his daughter, and with his whole set 6 of servants let him have no strife. 181. A house-keeper, who shuns altercation with 'those just mentioned, is released from all secret faults; and, by suppressing all such disputes, he obtains a victory over the following worlds: 182. The teacher of the Véda secures him the world of BRAHMA'; his father, the world of the Sun, or of the Prajapatis; his guest, the world of INDRA; 'his attendance on holy fire, the world of Dévas; 183. His female relations, the world of celestial nymphs; his maternal cousins, the world of the Viswadévas; his relations by affinity, the world of waters; his mother and maternal uncle give him power on < earth; 184. Children, old men, poor dependants, and sick persons, must be considered as rulers of the pure • ether, s 2 IV. CHAP. IV. ether; his elder brother, as equal to his father; his wife and son, as his own body; 185. His assemblage of servants, as his own shadow; 'his daughter, as the highest object of tenderness : let him, therefore, when offended by any of those, bear the offence without indignation. 186. THOUGH permitted to receive presents, let him avoid a habit of taking them; since, by taking many gifts, his divine light soon fades. 6 187. Let no man of sense, who has not fully in'formed himself of the law concerning gifts of par'ticular things, accept a present, even though he pine ' with hunger. 188. The man who knows not that law, yet accepts gold or gems, land, a horse, a cow, food, raiment, oils or clarified butter, becomes mere ashes, like 'wood consumed by fire: 189. Gold and gems burn up his nourishment and life; land and a cow, his body; a horse, his eyes; raiment, his skin; clarified butter, his manly strength; oils, his progeny. 190. A twice-born man, void of true devotion, and not having read the Véda, yet eager to take a gift, 'sinks down together with it, as with a boat of stone in deep water. 191. Let him then, who knows not the law, be fearful of presents from this or that giver; since an ignorant |