II. 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. 160. 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 Brahmen should constantly shun worldly honour, as he would shun poison; and rather constantly 'seek disrespect, as he would seek nectar; 6 163. For though scorned, he may sleep with pleasure; with pleasure may he awake; with pleasure 6 may he pass through this life but the scorner utterly perishes. 6 164. 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. CHAP. II. 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 a Brahmen. 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. 168. A twice-born man, who not having studied the Vida, 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. 6 169. 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: 170. Among them his divine birth is that, which Sages call the A'chárya 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. ought to be used in obsequies to an ancestor; since II. 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 re'ligious acts. 175. These following rules must a Brahmachárí, 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. 6 176. 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 beings; 178. From unguents for his limbs, and from black powder CHAP. II. 6 6 6 powder for his eyes, from wearing sandals, and carrying an umbrella, from sensual desires, from wrath, 'from covetousness, from dancing, and from vocal and instrumental musick; 179. From gaming, from disputes, from detraction, and from falsehood, from embracing or wantonly looking at women, and from disservice to other men. 6 180. Let him constantly sleep alone: let him never waste his own manhood; for he, who voluntary wastes his manhood, violates the rule of his order, and becomes an avacírní : 181. A twice-born youth, who has involuntarily ' wasted his manly strength during sleep, must repeat with reverence, having bathed and paid homage to the sun, the text of scripture: Again let my 'strength return to me. 6 182. Let him carry water-pots, flowers, cow-dung, fresh earth, and cusa-grass, as much as may be useful to his preceptor; and let him perform every day the duty of a religious mendicant. 183. Each day must a Bráhmen student receive his food by begging, with due care, from the houses of persons renowned for discharging their duties, and not deficient in performing the sacrifices which the Véda ordains. 184. Let him not beg from the cousins of his preceptor; nor from his own cousins; nor from other 'kinsmen by the father's side, or by the mother's; 'but 6 but, if other houses be not accessible, let him begin CHAP. with the last of those in order, avoiding the first; 185. Or, if none of those houses just mentioned can 'be found, let him go begging through the whole dis'trict round the village, keeping his organs in subjection, and remaining silent; but let him turn away 6 from such as have committed any deadly sin. 6 186. Having brought logs of wood from a distance, 'let him place them in the open air; and with them 'let him make an oblation to fire without remissness, 'both evening and morning. 6 187. He, who for seven successive days omits the ceremony of begging food, and offers not wood to the sacred fire, must perform the penance of an avacírní, ' unless he be afflicted with illness. 6 6 6 188. Let the student persist constantly in such beg ging, but let him not eat the food of one person only the subsistence of a student by begging is held equal to fasting in religious merit. 189. Yet, when he is asked in a solemn act in honour of the Gods or the Manes, he may eat at his pleasure the food of a single person; observing, however, the laws of abstinence and the austerity of an ' anchoret: thus the rule of his order is kept inviolate. 190. This duty of a mendicant is ordained by the ' wise for a Bráhmen only; but no such act is appointed for a warriour, or for a merchant. II. |