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LET a Bráhmen, having dwelt with a preceptor during the firft quarter of a man's life, pass the second quarter of human life in his own house, when he has contracted a legal marriage.'

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2. He must live, with no injury, or with the leaft poffible injury, to animated beings, by pursuing those means of gaining fubfiftence, ' which are strictly prescribed by law, except in times of diftrefs:

3. For the fole purpose of supporting life, 'let him acquire property by thofe irreproacha'ble occupations, which are peculiar to his class, • and unattended with bodily pain.`

4. He may live by' rita and amrita, or, if neceffary, by mrita, or pramrita, or even by fatyánrita; but never let him fubfift by fwav• ritti:

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5. By rita, must be understood lawful gleaning and gathering; by amrita, what is unafked; by mržta, what is asked as alms; tillage • is called pramrita;

6. Traffick and money lending are fatyánrita; even by them, when he is deeply diftreffed, may he fupport life; but fervice for hire is named 'fwavritti, or dog-living, and of course he must by all means avoid it.

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7. He may either ftore up grain for three years; or garner up enough for one year; or collect what may laft three days; or make no provifion for the morrow.

8. Of the four Bráhmens keeping house, who follow thofe four different modes, a preference ' is given to the last in order fucceffively; as to him, who most completely by virtue has vanquifhed the world:

9. One of them fubfifts by all the fix means ' of livelihood; another by three of them; a third, by two only; and a fourth lives barely 'on continually teaching the Veda.

10. He, who fuftains himself by picking up grains and ears, must attach himself to fome • altar of confecrated fire, but constantly per'form those rites only, which end with the dark and bright fortnights and with the fol• ftices.

II. Let him never, for the fake of a fubfiftence, have recourfe to popular converfation; 'let him live by the conduct of a priest, neither crooked, nor artful, nor blended with the manners of the mercantile class.

12. Let him, if he feek happiness, be firm in perfect content, and check all defire of ac•quiring more than he poffeffes; for happiness ⚫ has its root in content, and difcontent is the root • of mifery.

13. A Bráhmen keeping house, and fupporting himself by any of the legal means be⚫fore mentioned, muft discharge thefe following · ' duties, which conduce to fame, length of life, • and beatitude.

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14. 'Let him daily without floth perform his peculiar duty, which the Veda prescribes; for he, who performs that duty, as well as he is able, attains the highest path to fupreme blifs. 15.He must not gain wealth by mufick or dancing, or by any art that pleases the sense

nor by any prohibited art; nor, whether he be rich or poor, must be receive gifts indifcrimi"nately.

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16. Let him not, from a felfish appetite, be 'ftrongly addicted to any fenfual gratification; let him, by improving his intellect, ftudioufly preclude an exceffive attachment to such plea-· fures, even though lawful.

17. All kinds of wealth, that may impede his reading the Veda, let him wholly abandon, perfifting by all means in the ftudy of scripfor that will be found his moft beneficial

ture;

' attainment.

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18. Let him pafs through this life, bringing his apparel, his discourse, and his frame of mind, 'to a conformity with his age, his occupations, his property, his divine knowledge, and his family.

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19. Each day let him examine those holy 'books, which foon give increase of wisdom; and thofe, which teach the means of acquiring wealth; thofe, which are falutary to life; and thofe nigamas, which are explanatory of 'the Veda;

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20. Since, as far as a man ftudies completely 'the system of facred literature, so far only can • he become eminently learned, and so far may his learning fhine brightly.

21. The facramental oblations to fages, to 'the gods, to spirits, to men, and to his ancestors, 'let him conftantly perform to the best of his power.

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22. Some, who well know the ordinances 'for thofe oblations, perform not always externally the five great facraments, but continually 'make offerings in their own organs of fenfation • and intellect:

23. Some conftantly facrifice their breath in their speech, when they inftruct others, or • praise GOD aloud, and their speech in their

breath, when they meditate in filence; perceiving

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in their fpeech and breath thus employed the unperishable fruit of a facrificial offering:

24. Other Bráhmens inceffantly perform thofe facrifices with fcriptural knowledge only; feeing with the eye of divine learning, that fcriptural knowledge is the root of every ceremonial obfervance.

25. Let a Bráhmen perpetually make oblations to confecrated fire, at the beginning and • end of day and night, and at the close of each fortnight, or at the conjunction and oppofition: 26. At the feason, when old grain is ufually consumed, let him offer new grain for a plen• tiful harvest; and at the close of the season, let him perform the rites called adhvara; at the folftices let him facrifice cattle; at the end of the year, let his oblations be made with the juice of the moonplant:

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27. 'Not having offered grain for the harvest, nor cattle at the time of the folftice, let no Brahmen, who keeps hallowed fire, and wishes for long life, tafte rice or flesh;`

28. Since the holy fires, not being honoured with new grain and with a facrifice of cattle,

are greedy for rice and flefh, and feek to devour his vital fpirits.

29. Let him take care, to the utmost of his power, that no gueft fojourn in his house un

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