145. A mere áchárya, or a teacher of the gáyatrì CHAP. II. only, surpasses ten upadhyayas; a father, a hundred such ácháryas; and a mother, a thousand natural fa'thers. 146. Of him, who gives natural birth, and him, 'who gives knowledge of the whole Veda, the giver of sacred knowledge is the more venerable father; since the second or divine birth ensures life to the twice born both in this world and hereafter eternally. 147. Let a man consider that as a mere human birth, which his parents gave him for their mutual gratification, and which he receives after lying in the • womb ; 148. But that birth which his principal áchárya, 'who knows the whole Véda, procures for him by his 'divine mother the gayatri, is a true birth: that birth is exempt from age and from death. 149. Him, who confers on a man the benefit of sa'cred learning, whether it be little or much, let him know to be here named guru, or venerable father, in consequence of that heavenly benefit. 6 6 150. A Brahmen, who is the giver of spiritual birth, the teacher of prescribed duty, is by right called the father of an old man, though himself be a child. 151. CAVI, or the learned, child of ANGIRAS, taught his paternal uncles and cousins to read the Véda, and, excelling them in divine knowledge, said to them, 6 "little sons CHAP. II. 152. They, moved with resentment, asked the Gods 'the meaning of that expression; and the Gods, being assembled, answered them: "The child has addressed you properly; 153. For an unlearned man is in truth a child; and he who teaches him the Veda, is his father: holy sages have always said child to an ignorant man, and father to a teacher of scripture." 154. Greatness is not conferred by years, not by gray hairs, not by wealth, not by powerful kindred: the divine sages have established this rule; "Whoever has read the Védas and their Angas, he among us is great. 155. The seniority of priests is from sacred learning; of warriours from valour; of merchants from ' abundance of grain; of the servile class only from priority of birth. 156. A man is not therefore aged, because his head is gray him, surely, the Gods considered as aged, who, though young in years, has read and understands the Véda. 157. As an elephant made of wood, as an antelope 'made of leather, such is an unlearned Bráhmen: those three have nothing but names. 158. As an eunuch is unproductive with women, as cow with a cow is unprolifick, as liberality to a fool is fruitless, so is a Bráhmen useless, if he read not the holy texts. 159. Good 6 159. Good instruction must be given without pain CHAP. to the instructed; and sweet gentle speech must be ' used by a preceptor, who cherishes virtue. 6 6 160. He, whose discourse and heart are pure, and ever perfectly guarded, attains all the fruit arising from his complete course of studying the Véda. 161. Let not a man be querulous even though in pain; let him not injure another in deed or in thought; let him not even utter a word, by which 'his fellow creature may suffer uneasiness; since that ' will obstruct his own progress to future beatitude. 162. A Bráhmen should constantly shun worldly honour, as he would shun poison; and rather constantly 'seek disrespect, as he would seek nectar; " sure; 163. For though scorned, he may sleep with plea- 164. Let the twice-born youth, whose soul has 'been formed by this regular succession of prescribed acts, collect by degrees, while he dwells with his preceptor, the devout habits proceeding from the study of scripture. 165. With various modes of devotion, and with au'sterities ordained by the law, must the whole Véda be read, and above all the sacred Upanishads, by him, who has received a new birth. 166. Let II. CHAP. II. 6 166. Let the best of the twice-born classes, intending to practice devotion, continually repeat the reading of scripture; since a repetition of reading the scripture is here styled the highest devotion of 6 a Bráhmen. 167. Yes verily; that student in theology performs the highest act of devotion with his whole body, to the extremities of his nails, even though he be so far 'sensual as to wear a chaplet of sweet flowers, who to the utmost of his ability daily reads the Véda. 6 168. A twice-born man, who not having studied the Veda, applies diligent attention to a different and worldly study, soon falls, even when living, to the 'condition of a Súdra; and his descendants after him. 169. The first birth is from a natural mother; the second, from the ligation of the zone; the third from 'the due performance of the sacrifice; such are the 'births of him who is usually called twice-born, according to a text of the Véda : 6 170. Among them his divine birth is that, which is distinguished by the ligation of the zone, and sacrificial cord; and in that birth the Gayatrì is his mother, and the A'chárya, his father. 171 Sages call the Acharya father, from his giving instruction in the Véda: nor can any holy rite be performed by a young man, before his in' vestiture. 172. Till he be invested with the signs of his class, • he 6 he must not pronounce any sacred text, except what CHAP. II. ought to be used in obsequies to an ancestor; since he is on a level with a Súdra before his new birth from the revealed scripture : 173. From him, who has been duly invested, are required both the performance of devout acts and the study of the Véda in order, preceded by stated 'ceremonies. 174. Whatever sort of leathern mantle, sacrificial thread, and zone, whatever staff, and whatever underapparel are ordained, as before-mentioned, for a youth of each class, the like must also be used in his religious acts. 175. These following rules must a Brahmackárí, or 'student in theology, observe, while he dwells with his preceptor; keeping all his members under control, for the sake of increasing his habitual devotion. 176. ' Day by day, having bathed and being purified, let him offer fresh water to the Gods, the Sages, and the Manes; let him show respect to the images of the deities, and bring wood for the oblation to fire. 177. Let him abstain from honey, from flesh meat, 'from perfumes, from chaplets of flowers, from sweet vegetable juices, from women, from all sweet sub'stances turned acid, and from injury to animated 6 178. From unguents for his limbs, and from black powder |