embraced, as the root of all piety, good ufages long established.

III. THE Creation of this universe, the forms of inftitution and education, with the obfervances and behaviour of a student in theology; the best rules for the ceremony on his return from the • manfion of his preceptor;

112. The law of marriage in general, and of nuptials in different forms; the regulations for the great facraments, and the manner, primevally fettled, of performing obfequies;

113. The modes of gaining fubfiftence, and the rules to be obferved by the mafter of a family; the allowance and prohibition of diet, with the purification of men and utenfils;

114. Laws concerning women, the devotion of hermits, and of anchorets wholly intent on final beatitude, the whole duty of a king, and the judicial decifion of controverfies,

115. With the law of evidence and examination; laws concerning husband and wife, canons ⚫ of inheritance; the prohibition of gaming, and the punishments of criminals;

116. Rules ordained for the mercantile and ⚫ fervile claffes, with the origin of those that are ‹ mixed; the duties and rights of all the claffes in ⚫ time of diftrefs for fubfiftence; and the penances for expiating fins;

117. The feveral tranfmigrations in this univerfe, caused by offences of three kinds, with the ultimate blifs attending good actions, on the full trial of vice and virtue;

118. All these titles of law, promulgated by MENU, and occafionally the customs of dif<ferent countries, different tribes, and different families,

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families, with rules concerning hereticks and companies of traders, are difcuffed

• code.

in this

119. Even as MENU, at my request, formerly revealed this divine Sáftra, hear it now from me without any diminution or addition.

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

On Education; or on the Sacerdotal Clafs, and The First Order.

1. Know that fyftem of duties, which is revered by fuch as are learned in the Védas, and impreffed, as the means of attaining beatitude, on the hearts of the juft, who are ever exempt from hatred and inordinate affection.

2. Self-love is no laudable motive, yet an • exemption from felf-love is not to be found in this world on felf-love is grounded the ftudy of fcripture, and the practice of actions re'commended in it.

3. Eager defire to act has its root in expectation of fome advantage; and with fuch expectation are facrifices performed; the rules of religious aufterity and abftinence from fins are 'all known to arife from hope of remuneration.

4. Not a fingle act here below appears ever to be done by a man free from felf-love; whatever he performed, it is wrought from his defire of a reward.

5. He, indeed, who should perfift in discharging thefe duties without any view to their fruit, would attain hereafter the ftate of the immortals, and even in this life, would enjoy all the virtuous gratifications, that his fancy could fuggeft. C 6. The

6. The roots of law are the whole Véda, the ordinances and moral practices of such as perfectly understand it, the immemorial customs of good men, and, in cafes quite indifferent, felf⚫ fatisfaction.

7. Whatever law has been ordained for any perfon by MENU, that law is fully declared in the Véda: for He was perfect in divine know• ledge:

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8. A man of true learning, who has viewed this complete fyftem with the eye of facred wisdom, cannot fail to perform all thofe duties, which are ordained on the authority of the Véda. 9. No doubt, that man who fhall follow the rules prefcribed in the Sruti and in the Smriti, will acquire fame in this life, and, in the next, inexpreffible happiness :

IO. By Sruti, or what was beard from above, is meant the Véda; and by Smriti, or what was remembered from the beginning, the body of law: those two muft not be oppugned by heterodox arguments; fince from thofe two, proceeds the whole fyftem of duties.

11. Whatever man of the thiree higheft claffes, having addicted himfelf to heretical books, fhall treat with contempt those two roots of law, he 'must be driven, as an Atheist and a fcorner of • revelation, from the company of the virtuous.

12. The fcripture, the codes of law, approved ufage, and, in all indifferent cafes, felffatisfaction, the wife have openly declared to be the quadruple defcription of the juridical • fyftem.

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13. 'A knowledge of right is a fufficient incentive for men unattached to wealth or to fenfuality; and to thofe who feek a knowledge of ' right,

14. But, when there are two facred texts, apparently inconfiftent, both are held to be law; for both are pronounced by the wife to be valid and reconcileable;

"let

15. Thus in the Véda are thefe texts: the facrifice be when the fun has arifen," and, "before it has rifen," and, "when neither fun nor stars can be feen :" the facrifice, therefore, " may be performed at any or all of thofe times. 16. He, whofe life is regulated by holy texts, from his conception even to his funeral pile, has a decided right to study this code; but no other man whatsoever.

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17. BETWEEN the two divine rivers Sarafwati and Drifbadwatt, lies the tract of land, which the fages have named Brahmaverta, because it was frequented by Gods:

18. The cuftom preferved by immemorial tradition in that country, among the four pure claffes, and among thofe which are mixed, is called approved ufage.

19. Curuchétra, Matfya, Panchila, or Cánya, cubja, and Súraféna, or Mathurà, form the region called Brahmarhi, diftinguished from Brak

máverta :

20.

• From a Brahmen who was born in that country, let all men on earth learn their feveral

ufages. 21. That country which lies between Himawat and Vindhya, to the east of Vinas'ana, and to the west of Prayaga, is celebrated by the title of Medhya-dija, or the central region.

22. As far as the eaftern, and as far as the 'western oceans, between the two mountains just

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men