с

MENU, fprung from the felf-exifting, promulged

this code of laws:

103. A code which must be ftudied with extreme ease by every learned Bráhmen, and fully explained to his difciples, but must be taught by no other man of an inferior class.

104. The Brahmen who ftudies this book, having performed facred rites, is perpetually free from offence in thought, in word, and in ‹ deed;

105. He confers purity on his living family, on his ancestors, and on his defcendants, as far as the feventh perfon; and He alone deferves < to poffefs this whole earth.

106. This moft excellent code produces every thing aufpicious; this code increases underftanding; this code procures fame and long life; this code leads to fupreme blifs.

107. In this book appears the fyftem of law in its full extent, with the good and bad pro.. 'perties of human actions, and the immemorial • cuftoms of the four claffes.

108. Immemorial custom is tranfcendent law, approved in the facred fcripture, and in the codes of divine legiflators: let every man, therefore, of the three principal claffes, who has a due reverence for the fupreme fpirit which dwells in bim, diligently and conftantly obferve immemorial custom:

109. A man of the priestly, military, or commercial clafs, who deviates from immemorial usage, taftes not the fruit of the Véda; but, by an exact obfervance of it, he gathers that fruit in perfection.

110. Thus have holy fages, well knowing that law is grounded on immemorial cuftom,

embraced,

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 ftudent 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 controversies,

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 distress for fubfiftence; and the penances for expiating fins;

117. The feveral tranfmigrations in this uni• verse, 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,

7

clared to be in devotion; in the Trétà, divine knowledge; in the Dwápara, holy fages call facrifice the duty chiefly performed; in the Cali, liberality alone.

87. FOR the fake of preferving this univerfe, the Being, fupremely glorious, allotted feparate duties to thofe who fprang refpectively from his 'mouth, his arm, his thigh, and his foot.

88. To Brábmens he affigned the duties of reading the Veda, of teaching it, of facrificing, of affifting others to facrifice, of giving alms, if they be rich, and, if indigent, of receiving gifts:

89. To defend the people, to give alms, to facrifice, to read the Véda, to fhun the allurements of fenfual gratification, are, in a few words, the duties of a Chatriya:

90. 'To keep herds of cattle, to bestow largeffes, to facrifice, to read the fcripture, to carry on trade, to lend at intereft, and to cultivate land are prefcribed or permitted to a Vaifya:

91. One principal duty the fupreme Ruler affigns to a Súdra; namely, to ferve the before-mentioned claffes, without depreciating their worth.

92. Man is declared purer above the navel; but the self-creating Power declared the pureft part of him to be his mouth.

93. Since the Bráhmen fprang from the most excellent part, fince he was the first born, and fince he poffeffes the Véda, he is by right the chief of this whole creation.

94. Him, the Being, who exifts of himself, produced in the beginning from his own mouth, that, having performed holy rites, he might prefent clarified butter to the Gods, and cakes

'of

of rice to the progenitors of mankind, for the 'prefervation of this world:

95. What created being then can furpafs "Him, with whofe mouth the Gods of the fir'mament continually feast on clarified butter, and 'the manes of ancestors, on hallowed cakes?

96. Of created things, the moft excellent are thofe which are animated; of the animated, thofe which fubfift by intelligence; of the intelligent, mankind; and of men, the facerdotal clafs;

97. Of priests, thofe eminent in learning; of the learned, those who know their duty; of 'those who know it, fuch as perform it virtuously, ⚫ and of the virtuous, those who seek beatitude from a perfect acquaintance with fcriptural doc'trine.

98. The very birth of Brahmens is a conftant incarnation of DHERMA, God of Justice; for the • Brahmen is born to promote juftice, and to procure ultimate happiness.

09. When a Brahmen fprings to light, he is born above the world, the chief of all creatures, affigned to guard the treasury of duties, religious ' and civil.

100. Whatever exifts in the univerfe, is all ' in effect, though not in form, the wealth of 'the Brahmen; fince the Brahmen is entitled to it all by his primogeniture and eminence ⚫ of birth:

ΙΟΙ, 'The Brahmen eats but his own food; wears but his own apparel; and beftows but his own in alms: through the benevolence of the Brábmen, indeed, other mortals enjoy life.

102. To declare the facerdotal duties, and 'thofe of the other claffes in due order, the fage

6

MENU,

MENU, fprung from the felf-exifting, promulged

this code of laws:

103. A code which must be ftudied with extreme ease by every learned Bráhmen, and fully explained to his difciples, but must be taught by no other man of an inferior class.

104. The Brahmen who ftudies this book, having performed facred rites, is perpetually free from offence in thought, in word, and in ‹ deed;

105.

'He confers purity on his living family, on his ancestors, and on his defcendants, as far < as the feventh perfon; and He alone deferves to poffefs this whole earth.

106. This moft excellent code produces every thing aufpicious; this code increafes underftanding; this code procures fame and long life; this code leads to fupreme bliss.

107. In this book appears the fyftem of law in its full extent, with the good and bad pro.. < perties of human actions, and the immemorial cuftoms of the four claffes.

108. Immemorial custom is transcendent law, approved in the facred fcripture, and in the codes of divine legiflators: let every man, therefore, of the three principal claffes, who has a due • reverence for the fupreme fpirit which dwells in bim, diligently and conftantly obferve immemorial custom:

109. A man of the priestly, military, or commercial clafs, who deviates from imme'morial usage, taftes not the fruit of the Véda; but, by an exact obfervance of it, he gathers that fruit in perfection.

110. Thus have holy fages, well knowing that law is grounded on immemorial cuftom, embraced,