PART III.

SECTION I.

Maitreya said:—The situation of the earth and of seas the spurn of the sun and the other planets, the creation of the celestials and the rest and of the Rishis, the origin of the four castes and of the brute creation and the stories of Dhruva and Prahlād have been fully described by thee, my preceptor. Do thou describe to me, O Venerable Sir, all the Manwantaras and all the presiding deities with Sakra as their chief. I wish to hear this from you.

Parāçara said:—I shall serially describe to you all the Manwantaras that had passed away and all that shall take place.

The first Manu was Swayambhuva. Then came Swārochisha then Auttami, then Tāmasa, then Raivata, then Chākshusa: these six Manus have passed away. Vaivaswata, the son of the sun now presides over the seventh Manwantara, which is the present period.

The era of Swayambhuva Manu, which took place in the beginning of Kalpa together with the celestials, saints and other personages, has been related by me. I will now describe to you the period of Swārochisha Manu together with the presiding deities, saints and his sons.

There flourished two classes of celestials in the Manwantara of Swārochisha named Pārāvatas and Tushitas—and the king of the celestials was the powerful Vipascbit; the seven Rishis were Urja, Stambha, Prāna, Dattoli, Rishabha, Nischara, Arvarivat; and the sons of the Manu were Chaitra, Kimpurusha and others. I have thus described to you the second Manwantara. In the third Manwantara of Uttami, Susānti was the king of the celestials, who were severally denominated as the Sudhāmas, Satyas, Sivas, Pradersanas and Vasavertis and each of these orders consisted of twelve deities. The seven sons of Vasishtha were the seven celestial saints and Aja, Parasu, Divya and others were the sons of the Manu.

In the reign of Tāmasa the fourth Manu, the Surupas, Haris, Satyas and Sudhis were the orders of the celestials each consisting of twenty-seven. Sivi was their king who was named Satakratu by his performance of hundred sacrifices; the seven Rishis were Jyotirdhāmā, Prithu, Kāvya, Chaitra, Agni, Vanaka and Pivara. The sons of Tāmasa were the powerful kings Nara, Khyāti, Sāntahaya, Jānujangha and others.

In the fifth Manwantara Raivata was the Manu: Indra was their king and the celestials were Amitābhas, Abhutarajasas, Vaikunthas, and Sumedhasas each consisting of fourteen divinities. The seven Rishis were Hiranyaromā, Vedasri, Urddhabāhu, Vedabāhu, Sudhāman, Parjānya and Mahāmuni. The sons of Raivata were Balabandhu, Susambhavya, Satyaka and other brave kings.

These four Manus, Swārochishas, Uttami, Tāmasa and Raivata were born in the race of Pryavrata who propitiated Vishnu by his devotions and obtained in consequence thereof these rulers of Manwāntaras as his son.

In the sixth Manwantara Chākshusha was the Manu, when Manojava became the king of the celestials who were grouped as Adyas, Prastutas, Bhavyas, Prithugas, and the high-minded Lekhas each consisting of eight divinities; the seven Rishis were Sumedhas, Virajas, Havishmat, Uttama, Madhu, Abhinaman and Sahishnu. The sons of Chakshusha were the mighty Uru, Puru, Satadyumna and other kings of the earth.

O twice-born one, the Manu, who reigns in the present period is the wise and illustrious lord of obsequies the offspring of the sun. The celestials are the Adityas, Vasus and Rudras. Their king is Purandara. Vasishtha, Kasyapa, Atri, Jamadagni, Gautama, Viswamitra and Bharadwaja are the seven Rishis. And the nine pious sons of Vaivaswata Manu are the kings Ikshawku, Nabhaga, Dhrista, Sanyati, Narishyanta, Nabhanidishta, Karusha, Prishadhra and the well known Vasumat.

The incomparable energy of Vishnu, at one with the quality of goodness and preserving all created things, rules overall the Manwantaras in the shape of divinity. From a part of that divinity Yajna was born in the Swāyambhuva Manwantara the will-begotten child of Akuti. And at the arrival of the Manwantara of Swārochisha the irrepressible Yajna was born as Ajita along with Tushitas the sons of Tushitā. And at the advent of the Manwantara of Auttama, Tushitas were born as the excellent Satyas, of Satya. In the Manwantara of Tāmasa, Satya became Hari along with the Haris, the children of Hari. And in the Raivata Manwantara of Sambhuti the excellent Hari was born as Manasa along with the celestials called Abhutarajasas.

In the next Manwantara Vishnu was born of Vikunthi, as Vaikuntha along with the celestials called Vaikunthas. In the present period Vishnu was again born as Vamana the son of Kasyapa by Aditi. With three paces he conquered the worlds and having released them from all disturbances he gave them to Purandara. By these seven persons, in the various Manwantaras, the created beings have been preserved. He is called Vishnu because his energy pervades the whole world from the root Vis to 'enter' or 'pervade:' and all the celestials, the Manus, the kings of the gods are but the impersonations of the power of Vishnu.

SECTION II.

Maitreya said:—O foremost of Brāhmins, you have described to me the seven Manwantaras that have passed away. It behoves you to describe now the Manwantaras that shall take place in future.

Parāçara said Sanjnā, the daughter of Viswakarman, was the wife of the sun, and bore him three children, the Manu Vaivaswata, Yama and the goddess Yami. Being unable to endure the fervours of her husband, she engaged Chāya in his attendance and repaired to the forest to practise devout austerities. Considering that Chāya as Sanjnā, he got upon her three other children—Sanaischra (Saturn) another Manu Sāvarni and a daughter Tapati. Once on a time being offended with Yama, the son of Sanjnā, Chāya imprecated a curse upon him and gave out to Yama and the sun that she was not in reality Sanjnā the mother of the former. (Having heard this) the sun, by his meditation saw her as a mare in the region of Uttara Kuru.

Thereupon assuming the shape of a horse the sun begot upon Sanjnā three other children, the two Aswins and Revanta, and brought her back to his own house. To diminish his fervours Viswakarman placed him on his lathe and reduced some of his effulgence; to the eighth portion, for more than which was insperable. The portions of the divine Vaishnava effulgence that were in the sun being filed off by Viswakarman, fell down shining on the earth and the artist constructed of them the discus of Vishnu—the trident of Siva, the weapon of the god of wealth, the lance of Kartikeya, and the weapons of the other celestials: all these Viswakarman made from the additional rays of the sun.

The son of Chāya, who was also called a Manu, was Sāvarni on account of his belonging to the same caste as his elder brother the Manu Vaivaswata. He rules over the coming or eighth Manwantara, the details whereof and of those following I shall now describe.

In the era when Sāvarni shall be the Manu the orders of the celestials will be Sutapas, Amitabhas and Mukshyas, each consisting of twenty-one divinities. The seven Rishis will be Diptimat, Gālava, Rāma, Kripa, Drauni: my son Vyāsa will be the sixth and the seventh will be Rishyasringa. The chief of the celestials will be Bali—the innocent son of Virochona who, on account of Vishnu's favour, is the king of a portion of Patala. The sons of Sāvarni will be Virajas, Arvarivas, Nirmoha and others.

O Maitreya, Daksha-Savarni will be the ninth Manu. The Paras, Marichigarbhas and Sudharmas will be the three orders of the celestials each consisting of twelve divinities. Indra Adbhuta will be their mighty king. Savana, Dyutimut, Bhavya, Vasu, Medhatithi, Jyotishman and Satya will be the seven Rishis. Dhritaketu, Driptiketu, Panchahasta, Niramaya, Prithusrava and others will be sons of the Manu.

In the tenth period Brahmā-Savarni will be the Manu: the celestials will be the Sudhamas, Viruddhas and Satasankhyas: their king will be the powerful Santi. The Rishis will be Havishman, Sukriti, Satya, Apammurtti, Nabhaga, Apratimaujas and Satyaketu and the ten sons of the Manu will be Sukshetra, Uttamaujas, Harishena and others.

In the eleventh period Dharma-Savarni will be the Manu and the leading celestials will be Vihangamas, Kamagamas and Nirmanaratis each consisting of thirty; Vrisha be their king. The Rishis will be Nischara, Agnitejas, Vapushman, Vishnu, Aruni, Havishman and Anagha. Savarga, Sarvadharma, Devanika and others—the kings of the earth—will be the sons of the Manu.

In the twelfth period Savarni, the son of Rudra, will be the Manu. Ritudhama will be the king of the gods who will be Haritas Lohitas, Sutnanasas, and Sukarmas, each consisting of fifteen divinities. The Rishis will be Tapaswi, Sutapas, Tapomurtti, Taporati, Tapodhriti, Tapodyuti and Tapodhana. And the Manu's sons will be Devayan, Upadeva, Devareshta and others—who will be the powerful kings of the earth.

In the thirteenth period Rauchya will be the Manu. The gods will be the Sudhmanas, Sudharmans and Sukarmans each consisting of thirty-three. Their king will be Divaspati. The Rishis will be Nirmoha, Tatwadersin, Nishprakampa, Nirutsuka, Dhritimat, Avyaya, and Sutpas. The sons of the Manu will be Chitrasena, Vichitra, and others who will be the kings of the earth.

At the fourteenth period Bhautya will be the Manu and Suchi will be the king of the celestials who will be the Chakshushas, Pavitras, Kanishthas, Bhrājiras and Vavriddhas. The seven Rishis will be Agnibahu, Suchi, Sukra, Megadha, Grighra, Yukta and Ajita. Uru, Gabhira, Bradhna and others will be the sons of Manu who will be the kings of the earth.

At the end of every four Yugas the Vedas disappear. And the seven Rishis descending on the earth again establish them. In every Krita age the presiding Manu becomes the legislator and during the Manwantaras the celestials of the various classes receive sacrifices. And those born in the race of Manus lord over the earth for that period. In every Manwantara, the Manu, the seven Rishis, the king of the gods and the sons of the Manu rule over the earth. In this wise, O Brahmin, fourteen Manwantaras constitute a Kalpa. And it is succeeded by a night of similar duration.

And the glorious Jannardana, wearing form of Brahmā, the essence of all things, the lord of all, the creator of all, involved in his own illusions and having swallowed up three spheres, sleeps upon the serpent Sesha in the midst of the ocean. And awaking after sleep the undecaying Hari, resorting to the quality of foulness, creates all things as they were before. And by virtue of a part of his essence which is identical with the quality of goodness he, as the Manus, the celestials, their chiefs, kings, as well as the seven Rishis, preserves the universe. I will now explain to you, O Maitreya, how Vishnu, who is regarded as Providence all through the four ages, preserved (the universe).

In the Krita Yuga, He, for the behoof of all creatures, was born as the great ascetic Kapila and imparted to them true wisdom. In the Treta Yuga he was born as the Lord Paramount and repressed the wicked and protected the three worlds. In the Dwapara Yuga He was born as Vyāsa and divided the Vedas into four divisions which were again divided into various branches; which were again divided into diverse sections. And at the end of Kali the fourth Yuga, He shall be born as Kalki and shall lead again the wicked to the paths of piety. Thus the endless Vishnu creates, preserves and destroys the universe. And there is none else but Him. I have thus described to you, O Brahman, the real nature of that Great Being who is at one with all things, and besides whom there is nothing else, nor has there been, nor will there be either here or elsewhere. I have also described to you all the Manwantaras with their presiding deities. What else do you wish to hear?

SECTION III.

Maitreya said:—I had been informed before by you that this universe is but the manifestation of Vishnu, that it exists in Him and that there is nothing else distinct from Him. I wish now to hear how the illustrious Vedvyāsa divided the Vedas into various sections in diverse Yugas. Describe to me, O great Muni, who were the Vyāsas in different eras, and what were the various divisions of the Vedas?

Parāçara said:—O Maitreya, the great tree of Vedas has a thousand branches. It is impossible for me to describe them at length. Listen, I shall, however, describe them in short.

O great Muni, the glorious Vishnu, in the form of Vyāsa, at every Dwāpara Yuga, for the benefit of mankind, divided the Vedas into various branches. Beholding the diminution of the prowess and energy of mankind, He, for their behoof, divided the Vedas into various divisions. The form, in which the glorious Vishnu divides the Vedas, is named Veda-Vyāsa. Listen, I shall now describe to you, O Muni, who were the Vyāsas in their respective periods and how they divided the Vedas.

In the Vaivaswata Manwantara in the Dwapara age, the Rishis divided the Vedas twenty-eight times and accordingly twenty-eight Vyāsas have passed away who divided the Vedas in their respective periods into four. In the Dwapara age the distribution was made by Swayambhuva (Brahmā) himself; in the second period Veda-Vyāsa was the Manu; in the third, Usanas; in the fourth, Vrihaspatii in the fifth, Savitri; in the sixth, Mrityu; in the seventh, Indra; in the eighth, Vasishtha; in the ninth, Sāraswata; in the tenth, Tridhāman; in the eleventh, Trivreshan; in the twelfth, Bharadwāja; in the thirteenth, Antariksha; in the fourteenth, Vapra; in the fifteenth, Trayyaruna; in the sixteenth, Dhananjaya; in the seventeenth, Kritanjaya; in the eighteenth, Rina; in the nineteenth, Bharadwāja; in the twentieth, Goutama; in the twenty-first, Uttama, also called Haryāttmā; in the twenty-second, Vena, who is otherwise named Rājasravas; in the twenty-third, Somasushināpana, also Trina-Vindu; in the twenty-fourth, Riksha, the descendant of Bhrigu, who is known by the name Vālmiki; in the twenty-fifth my father Sakti was the Vyāsa; I was the Vyāsa of the twenty-sixth period; and was succeeded by Jaratkaru: the Vyāsa in the twenty-eighth period was Krishna Dwaipāyana. These are the twenty-eight elder Vyāsas who divided the Vedas into four in the preceding Dwāpara ages. In the next Dwāpara, Drauni, the son of Drona, will be the Vyāsa when my son the Muni Krishna Dwaipāyana, who is the actual Vyāsa, shall cease to be.

The syllable Om is defined to be the eternal monosyllabic Brahmā. The word Brahmā is derived from the root Vriha to increase because it is infinite and because it is the cause by which the Vedas developed. The regions, Bhur, Bhuva and Swa exist in Brahmā, who is Om. Glory to Brahmā, who is known as Om and who is at one with Rik, Yajur, and Shāma. Salutation unto Brahmā who is the cause of creation and destruction, who is the great and mysterious cause of the intellectual principle (Mahat), who is devoid of limit in time and space and is freed from diminution and decay, from whom proceeds worldly illusion and in whom exists the end of soul through the qualities of goodness and foulness. He is the refuge of those who are acquainted with the Sānkhya philosophy and those who have mastered their thoughts and passions. He is the invisible and imperishable Brahmā, assuming various forms but invariable in substance and the chief self-create principle. He lightens the recesses of heart, is indivisible, radiant, undecaying and multiform. Salutation unto this supreme Brahmā, ever and ever—this form of Vāsudeva who is at one with the supreme spirit. This Brahmā, although diversified as threefold, is identical, is the lord of all, exists as one in all creatures, and is perceived as many on account of their diversity of understanding. He, composed of Rik, Shāma and Yajur Vedas, is at the same time their essence as He is the soul of all embodied spirits. He, though at one with the Vedas, creates them and divides them into various branches. He is the author of these divisions—He is those branches collectively; for that eternal lord is the essence of true knowledge.

SECTION IV.

Parāçara said:—The original Veda, divided into four branches, consists of one hundred thousand Stanzas and from it originated sacrifice of ten kinds—the fulfiller of all desires. In the twenty-eighth Dwāpara era, my son Vyāsa divided the Veda into four branches.

As the Veda was divided by the intelligent Veda-Vyāsa, to it was divided at various other periods by myself and other Vyāsas. In this way, O foremost of twice-born ones, the Veda is divided into various branches and the people of the four Yugas perform sacrifices. O Maitreya, know this Krishna Dwaipāyana Vyāsa, as the Nārāyana, for who else on this earth could have composed the Mahabhārata? How in the Dwāpara age the Veda was divided by my high-souled son, I shall describe, O Maitreya, do thou hear it.

When Vyāsa was engaged by Brahmā in the work of arranging the Vedas, he took four persons, proficient in these works, as his disciples. He appointed Paila reader of the Rich; Vaisampāyana of Yajush; and Jaimini of the Shāma Veda. And Sumantu, who was acquainted with the Atharva-Veda, was also the disciple of the learned Vyāsa. He also took Suta, who was named Lomaharshana, as his disciple in history and Purānas.

There was but one Yaju Veda, which he divided into four parts—from which originated the sacrificial rite that is performed by the four orders of priests. In this, the Muni enjoined the Adhwaryu to recite the prayers of Yajuns; the Hotri to sing the hymn of (Rik-Veda); the Udgatri to sing the hymns of Shāma-Veda and the Brahman to utter the formulæ of the Atharva-Veda. He then compiled the Rig-Veda with the collection of these hymns (Richas); the Yajur-Veda with the prayers and directions named Yajush; and Shāma Veda, with those called Shāma; and with the Atharvas he laid down the function of the Brahman and the rules for the performance of all the ceremonies by kings.

In this way the huge Veda tree was divided into four stems, which soon spread out into an extensive forest. O Brahmin, Paila first divided the Rig-Veda and gave the two Sanhitas to Indra-Pramati and to Bhāshkali. Bhāshkali again divided his Sanhita into four and handed them over to his disciples Baudhya, Agnimathara, Yajtiawalka, and Parāçara; and they studied these secondary branches from the original O Muni.

Indira-Pramati, O Maitreya, gave his Sanhita to his magnanimous son Mandukeya, which thence descended through successive generations and disciples. Vedamitra, otherwise called Sākalya, read the same Sanhita and divided it into five Sanhitas which he gave to his disciples named severally Mudgala, Goswalu, Vātsya, Sāliya and Sisira. Sākapuvni made a different classification of the original Sanhita into three and added a Nirukta (glossary) constituting a fourth. And he gave these three Sanhjtas to his three pupils, Kraunch, Vaitalaki, and Valaka. And the glossary was given to the fourth who was named Niruktakrit and who was versed in the Vedas and their various branches.

In this way, O foremost of twice-born ones, Vedas, their divisions and Sub-divisions sprang up. Bash kall composed three other Sanhitas which he gave to his three pupils Kalayani, Gargya, and Kathajava. These are they by whom various Sanhitas have been composed.

SECTION V.

Parāçara said:—The high-minded disciple of Vyāsa, Vaisampayana made out twenty-seven branches of the tree of Yajur-Veda and gave them to as many disciples, of whom Yajnawalka, the son of Brahmarata was famous for piety and obedience to his preceptor.

Formerly at one time the Munis had entered into a covenant that any one of them, who at a certain time, did not join a council held on mount Meru, should perpetrate the crime of Brahminicide within a period of seven nights. Vaisampayana alone was not present at the appointed hour and so broke the engagement. And he accidentally slew the child of his sister by a kick of his foot. Thereupon he said to his disciples—"O my disciples, do ye engage in such ceremonies as will remove the sin consequent upon the destruction of a Brahmin on my behalf. You need not hesitate in this". Thereupon Yājnawalka said—"What is the use of troubling these miserable and inefficient Brahmans? I shall alone perform this penance". Thereupon the high-minded preceptor, enraged, said to him—"O thou who hast insulted these Brahmins, relinquish all thou hast learnt from me. Dost thou that these Brahmins are inefficient? What is the use of a disciple who disobeys my commands?" Whereto Yājnawalka replied—"I spoke this out of my devotion to thee. It is more than enough—do thou take, O twice-born one, what I have learnt from thee".

Having said this, he ejected from his stomach the texts of Yajush stained in blood. He then went away. The other pupils of Vaisampayana transforming themselves into partridges (Tittiri) picked up the texts which he had ejected, which, in consequence thereof, were called Taittriya and the pupils were named the Charaka professors, of the Yajush, from Charana[241] —'going through.' Yājnawalka too, O Maitreya, who was accomplished in devout practices engaged in propitiating the sun, being desirous of recovering the texts of the Yajush.

Yājnawalka said:—Salutation unto the sun who is the gate of final emancipation, the spring of bright radiance, the three-fold source of splendour as the Rig, the Yajur and the Sama-Vedas. Salutation unto him, who is the Agnishome[242] sacrifice, the cause of the universe and who is charged with radiant heat and the Sushumna ray. Salutation unto him, who is identical with the idea of time and all its divisions of hours, minutes and seconds, who is the visible form of Vishnu, as the impersonation of the mystic Om. Salutation unto him, who is gratification, who nourishes the moon with his rays and feeds the manes and the gods with nectar and ambrosia; salutation unto the sun, who in the form of three seasons distributes and absorbs the water in the time of the rains, of cold and heat. Salutation unto Vaivaswata, who, alone as the lord of the world, dispels darkness and who is clothed with the quality of goodness. Salutation unto him, until whose rising people cannot perform religious ceremonies, water does not purify and who is the source of all religious rites. Salutation onto him who is the centre and source of purification. Glory to Savitri, to Surya, to Bhaskara, Vaivaswata, to Aditya, to the first-born of the celestials and demons. Salutation unto him who is the eye of the universe borne in a golden car whose banners scatter ambrosia.

Parāçara said:—Being thus eulogised by Yājnawalka the sun assumed the form of a horse and said—"Ask of me what you desire". Having bowed unto him Yājnawalka said—"Confer upon me a knowledge of those texts of Yajush which even my preceptor does not know".

Being thus addressed, the sun gave to him the texts of Yajush called Ayatayama which Vaisampayana even did not know. Because these texts were imparted by the sun in the form of a horse, the Brahmins who study this portion are called Vajis (horses). Fifteen branches of this school originated from Kanwa and other pupils of Yājnawalka.

SECTION VI.

Parāçara said:—Hear O Maitreya, how Jaimini, the pupil of Vyāsa, divided the branches of Sama-Veda. The son of Jarmini was Sumanta whose son was Sukarman. They both studied the same Sanhita under Jaimini. The latter composed Sahasra Sanhita which he gave to his two pupils named Hiranyanabha, otherwise named Kausalya and Paushyinji. Fifteen pupils of the latter composed as many Sanhitas and they were called the northern chanters of Sāman. Hiranyanabha had as many disciples who were called the eastern chanters of Sāman. Lokakshmi, Kuthami, Kushidi and Langali were the pupils of Paushyinji; and by them and their disciples many other branches were made. There was another learned disciple of Hiranyanābha by name Kriti who gave twenty-four Sanhitas to as many pupils; who again divided Sama-Veda into various branches.

I will now give you an account of the various branches of Atharva-Veda. The highly illustrious ascetic Sumanta taught this Veda to his pupil Kabandha who divided it into two and gave them to Devadersa and Pathya. The disciples of Devadersa were Mandga, Brahmabali, Saulkāyani and Pippalāda. Pathya had three disciples, Jājali, Kumudādi and Saunaka to whom were severally given three Sanhitās. Saunaka divided his Sanhitā into two and gave them to his disciples Babhru and Saindhavāyan and from them originated two schools the Saindhavas and Munjakesas. The Sanhitās of the Atharva-Veda are divided into five Kalpas or ceremonials; namely Nakshatra Kalpa or rules for worshipping the planets; the Vaitāna Kalpa or rules for oblations; the Sanhitā Kalpa or rules for sacrifices; the Angirasa Kalpa or incantations and prayers for the destruction of enemies; the Sānti Kalpa—or prayers for averting evil.

The glorious Veda-Vyāsa, conversant with the knowledge of Purānas, composed a Paurānik Sanhitā consisting of historical and legendary traditions, prayers and hymns and sacred chronology. He had a distinguished pupil Suta, who was otherwise named Romaharshana, to whom he gave the Purānas. Suta had six disciples, Sumati, Agnivarchas, Mitrayu, Sānsapāyana, Akritavrana, who is otherwise called Kāsyapa and Sāverni. The last three composed three principal Sanhitas and Romaharsana himself compiled a fourth, which is named (after him) Romaharshanika. The substance of these four Sanhitas is embodied in this Vishnu-Purāna.

Brāhma is the first of all the Purānas. Those who are conversant with the knowledge of Purānas enumerate them as eighteen—Brāhma, Padma, Vaishnava, Saiva, Bhāgvata, Nāradya, Mārkandeya, Ageney, Bhavishyat, Brahmā Vaivartta, Lainga, Varāha, Skanda, Vāmana, Kaurmma, Matsya, Gārura, Brahmānda, The creation of the universe and its successive generations, the genealogies of patriarchs and kings, the Manwantaras, and the royal dynasties are described in the Purānas. The Purāna, which I have described to you, O Maitreya, is Vaishnava and is next to Padma. And in every part, in the creation of universe and the successive generations, in the description of the genealogies of the patriarchs it has declared the glory of the great Vishnu. There are fourteen principal kinds of knowledge—namely, the four Vedas, the six Angas,[243] the Mimānsa (theology,) Nyāya (logic,) Dharma (the institutes of law) and the Purānas. And they are enumerated as eighteen with the addition of these four—Aur-Veda, medical science taught by Dhunwantari; Dhanur-veda, the science of archery, taught by Bhrigu; Ghāndharba-Veda, the art of music, dancing &c. of which the Muni Bharata was the author; and the Artha Sastram or the science of Government, taught by Vrihaspati.

There are three orders of Rishis—the royal Rishis or princes who have devoted themselves to devotion as Viswamitra; divine Rishis or demi-gods, as Nārada; and Brahman Rishis, who are the sons of Brahmā as Vasishtha and others.

I have thus related to you the various branches of the Vedas and their sub-divisions, the persons by whom they made and the object with which they were ushered into existence. Such was the division in all the Manwantaras. The primitive Veda, which was instituted by Brahmā at the beginning of Kalpa, is eternal; these branches are but its modifications.

I have thus related to you, Maitreya, the Vedas which you desired to hear. What else do you wish to hear now?

SECTION VII.

Maitreya said:—O twice-born one, you have related to me what I have asked of you. I wish to hear one thing more from you: Relate that to me. O great Muni, this egg of Brahmā, consisting seven zones, seven subterrestial regions, and seven spheres, abounds in living creatures, large or small, smaller and smallest, larger and largest. And there is not the eighth part of an inch where they do not dwell; And all these are bound by chains of acts and at the end of existence are subject to the power of Yama by whom they are doomed to dreadful punishments. And being freed from those inflictions they are born as celestials, men and the like; And those living creatures, as Sastras inform us, perpetually revolve. I wish to hear from you, performing what pure actions people are freed from subjection to Yama.

Parāçara said:—O Muni, hear from me what his grandfather Bhishma said when this question was put to him by the high-souled Nakula.

Bhishma said:—O my son, there came on a certain time, a friend of mine, a Brahmin from Kalinga country, to visit me. He told me that he had put this question to an ascetic who had the recollection of his previous births. To which the Muni replied "What is now shall be (the same) in future." What was said by that intelligent sage proved to be true. When that twice-born one was again accosted by me with due reverence, he said that he had never found otherwise what had been related to him. Once I put to him the same question which you have asked. And he, remembering the words of the Brahmin who retained the recollection of his former births, said—"I shall reveal to you the mystery that was revealed to me by the Brahmin retaining the recollection of his former births and I shall describe to you a dialogue that took place between Yama and one of his ministers".

The Brahmin of Kalinga said—"Beholding his own emissary with a noose in hand approach, the Yama said to his ears 'Never bring here any one who has obtained the shelter of the slayer of Madhu; for I am the lord of all spirits but not of the spirits of those who are devoted to Vishnu. I was appointed by Brahmā, honored by the immortals, to sit in judgment upon the good and bad conduct of mankind. Hari is my lord; I am not independent, for he can mete out punishment to me. As gold, though (in reality) it is one substance, appears diversified as bracelets, tiaras and earrings, so Hari, though He is one appears many as gods, animals and man. As the drops of water, raised by wind from the earth, sink again into the earth when the wind disappears, so gods, man and animals created by the agitation of qualities are reunited with the eternal with the end of disturbance. He, who reverentially bows unto Hari, whose lotus-feet are being meditated upon by the celestials, is freed from all iniquities. Do you avoid such a man who is freed from all sinful bonds like unto fire fed with clarified butter".

Having heard these words of Yama, his messenger, with noose in hand, said "Tell me, O Lord, how am I to distinguish the worshipper of Hari, who is the Lord of all beings?" Yama said—"Consider him as the worshipper of Vishnu who never swerves from the duties assigned to his caste, who regards with an impartial eye his own self, his friends and enemies, does not steal nor injure any body and whose mind is freed from all passions. Know him to be a follower of Hari, whose heart is not sullied by iniquities of Kali who meditates on Janārddana in his mind freed from illusions. Consider that excellent man to be a worshipper of Vishnu, who, looking upon good in secret, holds that which is another's wealth as grass and devotes all his thoughts to the Lord.

"There is Vishnu as mountain of clear crystal: for how can he live in the hearts of those men sullied with malice and envy? The glowing heat of does not exist in the cluster of the cooling rays of the moon. Vāsudeva always resides in his heart whose mind is pure, free from malice, quiet, who has a pure character, is a friend to all, speaking wisely and kindly, humble and sincere. The eternal Vishnu residing in his heart a man appears lovely to all, as a beautiful young Sal-tree declares that there is the excellent juice inside it. Depart, O my emissary, speedily from those men, whose sins have been washed away by self-control and moral discipline, whose minds are always devoted to the undecaying and who are freed from avarice, unkindness and malice. If the divine Hari, who is without beginning or end and is armed with a sword, conch and mace, lives in the heart of a man he is freed from all sins: for how can darkness exist in the sun? He, who pilfers another's wealth, slays animals, speaks untrue and cruel words, whose mind is impure and is addicted to impious actions, does not get the Endless in his heart. Janārddana does not reside in the heart of that vile wight who cannot bear the prosperity of another, who vilifies the pious, does not perform sacrifices and does not make gifts to the pious. Consider not that person, engaged in vile actions, as the worshipper of Vishnu, who by foul means, earns wealth for his dear friend, wife, son, daughter, father, mother or servants.

"That beast of a man is not a follower of Vāsudeva whose mind is addicted to foul actions, who is always engaged in actions, who lives for a long time in evil company and who always endeavours to drown himself in sins. Do you stand aloof from those persons in whose hearts resides Ananta; from him, who by his pure understanding conceives the supreme male and ruler Vāsudeva as one with his devotees and the whole world. Do you depart from those, O my emissary, who are freed from sins and who always invoke the lotus-eyed Vāsudeva, Vishnu, the upholder of the earth, the immortal wielder of the discus and the shell, the refuge of the world do not approach him in whose heart dwells the imperishable soul for he is protected against my power by the discus of his deity and he is bound for the heaven of Vishnu".

The Brāhmin of Kalinga said—"O foremost of Kurus, these were the instructions given by the king of justice, the son of the sun, to his servant. That servant communicated those instructions to me and I have in turn related them to you".

Bhishma said:—"This was communicated to me, O Nakula, by the Brahmin, hailing from Kalinga. And I have duly related that to you, O my son, and thus there is no protection in the ocean of the world but Vishnu. They whose minds are always devoted to Keshava, have no fear from death, his servant, his rod, his noose and his tortures".

Parāçara said:—O Muni I have thus described to you what you desired me to say and what was related by the sort of Vivaswat. What else do you wish to hear?

SECTION VIII.

Maitreya said:—O reverend sir, tell me how should they worship the glorious Vishnu, the lord of the earth, who desire to get at the other end of the ocean of the world. I wish to hear from you, O great Muni, what fruits can be be obtained by worshipping the glorious Vishnu.

Parāçara said:—The question you have put to me, was put to Aurva by the high-souled Sagara. Do you hear from me what he said (on this). Having bowed to Aurva, born in the race of Vrigu, Sagara said—"O foremost of Munis, tell me the mode of worshipping Vishnu, and the fruits that a man can obtain by worshipping him". Hear from me, O Maitreya, all that he said when thus questioned (by Sagara).

Aurva said:—"Vishnu being worshipped, a man obtains the consummation of all earthly desires and attains to the regions of the celestials and of Brahmā and even final liberation. O king of kings, whatever a man desires, either small, or great, he gets by the worship of Achyuta. O king of earth, you have asked me how Vishnu can be worshipped. Hear I shall relate all that to you. He is the true worshipper of Vishnu who observes duly the duties of the four castes and rules of four Asramas. There is no other means of satisfying Vishnu. He who offers sacrifices, sacrifices to him; he who recites prayers, prays to him; he who injures living beings injures him; for Hari is identical with all living beings. Therefore, he who observes duly the duties of his caste, is said to worship the glorious Janārddana. O lord of earth, the Brahman, the Kshatriya, the Vaiçya, the Sudra by attending to the duties prescribed by his caste, best worships Vishnu. He, who does not vilify another either in his presence, or in his absence, who does not speak untruth, does not injure others, pleases Keshava the best. Keshava is best pleased with him, O king, who does not covet another's wife, wealth and who does not bear ill feeling towards any. O lord of men, Keshava is pleased with him who neither beats nor slays any animate or inanimate thing. O lord of men, Govinda is pleased with that man who is ever intent upon serving the gods, the Brahmans and his spiritual preceptor. Hari is always satisfied with him who is ever anxious for the welfare of all creatures, his children and his own soul. Vishnu is always pleased with that pure-minded man whose mind is not sullied with anger and other passions. He best worships Vishnu, O king, who observes the duties laid down by scripture for every caste and condition of life; there is no other mode". Sagara said:—"O foremost of twice-born ones, I wish to hear of the duties of caste and condition. Relate them to me". Aurva said:—"Hear attentively from me in order the duties of the Brāhman, the Kshatriya, the Vaiçya and the Sudra. The duties of the Brāhmins consist in making gifts, worshipping the celestials with sacrifices, studying the Vedas, performing oblations and libations with water and preserving the sacred fire. For maintenance, he may offer sacrifices for others, teach others and may accept liberal presents in a becoming manner. He must advance the well-being of all and do injury to none—for the greatest wealth of a Brahman consists in cherishing kind feelings towards all. He must consider with an equal eye, the jewel and stone belonging to another. He should at proper seasons beget offspring on his wife, O king of earth.

"The duties of the Kshatriyas consist in making gifts to the Brahmins at pleasure, in worshipping Vishnu with various sacrifices and receiving instructions from the preceptor. His principal sources of maintenance are arms and protection of the earth. But his greatest duty consists in guarding the earth. By protecting the earth a king attains his objects; for he gets a share of the merit of all sacrifices. If a king, by maintaining the order of caste, represses the wicked, supports the pious he proceeds to whatever region he desires.

"O lord of men, the great Patriarch Brahmā has assigned to the Vaiçyas, for their maintenance, the feeding of the cattle, commerce and agriculture. Study, sacrifice and gift are also within the duties of the Vaiçyas: besides these they may also observe the other fixed and occasional rites.

"The Sudra must maintain himself by attending upon the three castes, or by the profits of trade, or the earnings of mechanical labour. He may also make gifts, offer the sacrifices in which food is presented and he may also make obsequial offerings.

"Besides these, the four castes have got other duties namely—the acquisition of wealth for the support of servants, co-habitation with their wives for the sake of children, kindness towards all creatures, patience, humility, truth, purity, contentment, decorum of manners, gentleness of speech, friendliness, freedom from envy or avarice and the habit of vilifying, these also constitute the duties of every condition of life.

"In cases of emergency a Brāhmin may follow the occupations of a Kshatriya or Vaiçya; the Kshatriya may adopt those of Vaiçyas and the Vaiçya those of Kshatriya: but the last two should never adopt the functions of the Sudra if they could avoid them. And if that be not possible they must at any rate avoid the functions of the mined caste. I will now describe to you, O king, the duties of the several Asramas".

SECTION IX.

Aurva said:—"O king, when a youth is invested with the sacred thread, he must reside in the house of his preceptor and study the Vedas with a concentrated mind, and leading a life of continence. He must, with pure practices, wait upon his spiritual preceptor and with the performance of religious rites acquire the Veda. He must, O king, with concentration, worship both in the morning and evening, the fire and the sun and after that he must bow to his spiritual guide. O King, he must stand when his preceptor is standing, he must move when he is walking and he must sit beneath him when he is seated; he must never sit nor walk, nor stand when his teacher does the otherwise. Whatever portion of the Vedas he shall be taught by his preceptor, he must read that with undivided mind before him. He must beg when permitted by his teacher and eat the food thus collected. He must bathe in the water which has been first used by his preceptor and every morning he must bring for him fuel, water or anything that he may require. Having thus completed his studies, he must receive dismissal from his preceptor and then enter into the order of the householder; and taking to himself with lawful ceremonies, house, wife and wealth, he must discharge to the best of his power the duties of his life. He must satisfy the manes with cakes, the celestials with sacrifices, the guests with hospitality, the Rishis with holy study, the Patriarch with progeny, the spirits with oblations and all the worlds with truthful words. By thus discharging duties a householder may attain to heaven. A householder is a refuge to those who depend upon alms for their maintenance and those who lead an itinerant life of self denial; thus the condition of the householder is the best of all. O lord, the Brāhmins travel all over the earth either for studying the Vedas or for beholding the holy places; many of them are houseless and without food and live for the night at the house at which they arrive in the evening. The householder is always a refuge to these people. O king, it is his duty to welcome them and address them kindly and to provide them, whenever they come to his house, with a bed, a seat and food. If a guest goes back disappointed from a house he leaves behind his iniquities and takes away the accumulated piety of the householder. In the house of a good man, contumely, arrogance, hypocrisy, repining, contradiction and violence are strictly prohibited: and the householder, who performs the principal duty of hospitality, is freed from all chains and attains to better stations after death.

"O king, having performed all these duties, when a householder is stricken in years, he must proceed to woods, either with his wife, or leaving her to the charge of his son. He must live there upon leaves, roots and fruits; allow his hair and beard to grow, and braid the former upon his brows and sleep upon the ground. His dress must be made of skin or of Kāsa and Kusā grasses. He must bathe thrice a day, offer oblations to the celestials and to fire and treat all his guests with hospitality. He must beg alms and give food to all creatures. He must annoint himself with such unguents as are found in the forest and while carrying on his devout practices he must endure heat and cold. He, who leading the life of a hermit, follows these rules, destroys like fire all imperfections, and attains to the region of Brahman.

"The fourth condition of life, O king, is called by the sages, that of a mendicant. I shall relate the characteristics thereof; do thou hear. O lord of men, having relinquished attachments for wife, children and other earthly objects, men leading the life of a hermit, must enter into the fourth stage of life. He must forego the three objects of life, namely pleasure, wealth and virtue either secular or religious. And regarding all with an equal eye, he must be friend to all living beings. And being devoted, he must not injure any living creature, human or brute, either in act, word, or thought and renounce all attachments. He must not live more than one night in a village and more than five nights in a city. He must live in all those places where good feeling and not animosity is created in mind. He must, for his maintenance, beg for alms at the houses of the three first castes at the time when fires have been put out and peoples have eaten. The itinerant beggar must not call anything his own and must suppress desire, anger, covetousness, pride and folly. The ascetic, who gives no cause of fear to any living creature, does not apprehend any danger from them. The Brāhmin, who, having placed the sacrificial fire in his own body, feeds that flame with the butter that is procured by alms, through the altar of his mouth, goes to his own proper abode. But the Brāhman who longs for final emancipation, who has got a pure heart, and whose mind is perfected by self-investigation, goes to the region of Brahman, which is quiet and is as bright as the flameless smoke".

SECTION X.

Sagara said:—"O foremost of twice-born ones, you have described to me the duties of the four orders and four castes. I wish to hear from you the religious observances of men. Methinks you know every thing, O foremost of Vrigus, tell me all about these observances, either invariable, occasional or voluntary". Whereto Aurva replied, "I shall describe to you all you have asked, the invariable and occasional ceremonies of men: do you hear, O king.

"As soon as a son is born his father should perform the ceremonies consequent upon the birth of a child and all other initiatory ceremonies as well as a Srādh which is the source of prosperity. He must feed two Brāhminis, seated with their faces to the east and according to his means must offer sacrifices to the celestials and the progenitors, O lord of earth. He must delightedly offer to the manes, balls of meat, mixed with curds, barley and jujubes with the four part of his finger. On every occasion of prosperity, he must perform this with all offerings and go through circumambulalations.

"Upon the tenth day after birth the father should give a name to the child, the first term of which shall be the name of a god and the second of a man as Sarman or Varman. The former is the proper designation of a Brāhmin, and the second of a Kshatriya. And the Vaiçyas and Sudras should have the designation of Gupta and Dāsha, A name should not be devoid of any meaning, should not be indecent, absurd, inauspicious nor dreadful. It should contain an even number of syllables; it should not be too long nor too short, nor too full of long vowels, but contain a due proportion of short vowels and be easily articulated.

"After going through these initiatory ceremonies and being purified the youth should acquire knowledge from his preceptor. And having acquired knowledge from the preceptor and given him presents, O king, he should, desirous of entering the order of householders, marry. If he desires to continue his life as a student, he should, taking that vow, engage in the service of his preceptor and his descendant or he may, according to his premeditated inclination, Q king, at once become a hermit or adopt the order of the religious mendicant.

"He must marry a maiden, who is of a third of his age, one who has not too much of hair, but is not without any, one who is not very black nor yellow complexioned and is nor from birth a cripple or deformed. He must not marry a girl, who is vicious or unhealthy, born of a low family, or suffering from any disease; one who may have been badly trained, one who talks improperly, one who inherited some disease from father or mother; one who has a beard and has got a masculine appearance; one who speaks thick or thin or croaks like a craven, who has got eyes without eye lashes, or sufficiently covered with them; one who has got legs covered with hairs, thick ankles; one who has dimples in her cheeks when laughing. The learned should not marry a girl who has not got a tender countenance, who has got white nails, and who has got red eyes. The wise and prudent should not marry one whose hands and legs are heavy, who is a dwarf, or who is very tall or one whose eyebrows meet, or whose teeth are far apart and resemble tusks. O king, a householder should marry a girl who is at least five degrees distant in descent from his mother and seven degrees from his father.

"There are eight forms of marriage—namely, Brāhma, Daiva, the Arsha, Prajāpatyā, Asura, Gāndharba, Rākshasa and Paisācha and the last is the worst. And every one should marry according to the mode enjoined to his caste by the sages and should never marry according to the Paisācha mode. Thus entering the order of householders, if a man takes a wife observing the same religious and civil obligations and perform all the ceremonies of his orders in her company, he derives great benefit from such a wife".

SECTION XI.

Sagara said—"O Muni, I wish to hear from you of such religious observances, performing which a householder does not meet with the wane of piety either in this world or in the next".

Aurva said—"Hear, O lord of earth, an account of all those religious observances celebrating which a man conquers both this and the next world. The term sat means Sādhu; and they are called Sādhus or saints who are freed from all blemishes. And their practices are called Sāddhachāras. O lord of earth, the seven Rishis, the Manus and the Patriarchs are those who have laid down and observed those practices. Let the wise, O king, get up at Brahmā Muhartta,[244] when the mind is at rest, meditate upon virtue and wealth not incompatible with the former. He should also meditate upon desire not conflicting with the other two. And he must equally meditate upon the three ends of life for the purpose of counteracting the unseen consequences of good or best acts. He should renounce, O king, such wealth and desire as stand in the way of virtue, and he should abstain from such religious acts as give uneasiness, and as are not compatible with the rules of society. O lord of men, having got up from bed early in the morning, he must offer adoration to the sun and then proceeding to the South-East quarter at a distance of a bow-shot or more, or somewhere remote from the village he must void the impurities of nature. A man should not void the impurities of nature either in the court yard of his house or in any place where is the print of a man's foot. The wise should not pass urine either on his own shadow, nor on the shadow of a tree, nor on a cow, nor against the sun nor on fire, nor against the wind, nor on spiritual preceptor, nor men of the first three castes. Nor he should pass excrement in a ploughed field, or a pasturage, or in the company of men, or on a high road, or in rivers and the like which are holy, or on the bank of a river or in a cremation ground. O king, the wise should pass urine with his face towards the north during the day and towards the south during the night. While passing excrement he should spread grass on the earth and cover his head with cloth and should not wait there long, and should not speak during that time. To clean his hand he should not take earth from an ant-hill, not a rat-hole, nor from water, nor from what has been left after being used for that purpose, nor from what has been used to plaster a cottage, nor that which has been thrown up by insects, or turned over by the plough. He must avoid all these kinds of earth for the purpose of cleanliness; he should use one handful after passing urine, three handfuls after passing excrement, ten handfuls are to be rubbed over the left hand and seven on both hands. He should then rinse his mouth with pure water which is neither fetid, nor frothy nor full of bubbles. After that, he should, being composed, use earth to cleanse his feet, washing them well with water.

"He must then drink water thrice and wash his face twice with it and then touch with his head, the cavities of the eyes, ears and nostrils, the forehead, navel and the heart. Having finally washed his mouth he must clean and arrange his hairs and must decorate his body, before a looking glass with unguents, garlands and perfumes. He, then according to the practice of his caste, should earn money for maintenance and should worship the deities with firm faith. Sacrifices with acid juice, those with clarified butter and those with offerings of food, may be performed with wealth; therefore men should endeavour much to acquire wealth.

"For performing daily devotional rites a man should bathe in the water of a river, a natural channel, or a mountain torrent or he should bathe on a dry ground with the water drawn from well or he should bring that water to his house if he had any objection to bathing on the spot. Bathed and clad in clean clothes, he should, with concentrated mind offer oblations to the manes and Rishis with that water. He should offer water thrice for the satisfaction of the celestials, thrice for the satisfaction of the Rishis and once for the patriarchs. He should make three libations for the satisfaction of the manes. He should, with the part of the hand sacred to the manes, offer wafer to his paternal grand father, great grand father, maternal grand father, great grand father and his father, and according to his pleasure to his own mother and his mother's mother and grand mother, to the wife of his preceptor, to his preceptor, his maternal uncle, and other relations, to a dear friend and to the king. He should then, O king, offer water to the celestials for the benefit of all animals, reciting the prayer. 'May the celestials, demons, Yakshas, Serpents, Rākshasas, Gandharvas, Pisāchas, Guhyakas, Siddas, Kushmandas, trees, birds, fish, all that inhabit the waters or the earth, or the air, be propitiated by the water I have offered to them. This water is presented by me for the mitigation of the sufferings of all those who have been put to hell. Let them be propitiated with this water who are my friends, who are not my friends, who were my friends in my former birth and all those who expect water from me. May this water and sesamum offered by me remove the hunger and thirst of all those who are suffering therefrom wherever they may live'. The offerings, of water, O king, in the manner I have described, give satisfaction to all the world. Having offered water duly and reverentially to all the sinless man obtains the piety that comes from satisfying the world.

"Having rinsed his mouth he must offer water to the sun touching his forehead with folded hands and reciting the following player—'Salutation to the radiant Vaivaswat—the effulgence of Vishnu; to the pure illuminator of the universe; to Sāvitri, the giver of fruits for all actions'. He must then go through the family worship, offering water, flowers, and incense to the tutelary deity. He must then offer oblations to fire, first invoking Brahmā then Prajāpati. He must then offer water to Guhya, Kāshyapa and Anumati in succession and then offer the remainder to the earth, to water and to rain in a pitcher at hand. O foremost of men, he must offer water to Dhātri Vidhātri at the doors of his house and to Brahmā in the middle of it. Hear from me how he should then worship the deities presiding over the various quarters.

"He should offer the Bali containing the remaining portions of the oblations to Indra, Yama, Varuna and Soma on the four sides of his house. And in the north-east quarter the wise should offer it to Dhanwantari; then he should offer the remaining portion to Viswadevas, then in the north-east to wind then in all directions to the cardinal points, to Brahmā, to the atmosphere, and to the sun, to all the celestials, to all beings, to the lords of beings, to the manes, and to Yakshas. Thereupon taking other rice the learned should cast it on a clean spot of ground as an offering to all beings and with a collected mind should repeat the following prayer—'May celestials, men, animals, birds, saints. Yakshas, serpents, demons, ghosts, goblins, trees and all those who desire food from me; may ants, worms, moths and other insects who are hungry and chained in acts, obtain satisfaction from food offered by me and enjoy bliss. I offer this food on the ground for them who have got no mother, no father, no friends, no food, nor the means for preparing it. May they be satisfied with the food offered for their satisfaction. All these animals, this food and myself are at one with Vishnu—for there exists nothing but Vishnu; I am not different from all beings, and therefore for their sustenance I offer this food. May all beings, that belong to the fourteen orders of existent things, be satisfied and delighted with the food offered by me'.

"Having repeated this prayer the householder should devoutly throw the food on the ground for the benefit of all beings; for the householder is thence the supporter of them all. He should also disperse food on the ground for dogs, outcasts, birds and all mean and degraded persons.

"Thereupon to receive guests the householder should wait in the courtyard of his house as long as it takes to milch a cow or for a longer period if he pleases. If a guest comes he must be received with all hospitality; he must be offered a seat, his feet are to be washed, food should be respectfully given to him, he must be spoken to with all kindness and civility and when he goes away, the friendly wishes of the host must accompany him. The householder should pay attention to that guest who comes from another place and whose lineage is not known. He should not make him a guest who is an inhabitant of the same village. He who feeds himself, neglecting a guest, who is poor, who is not his relation, who comes from another place and is desirous of eating, goes to hell. The householder should receive his guest regarding him as the golden embryo[245] without inquiring his studies, his schools, his practices or his race.

"A householder, O king, at the Srādha ceremony of his father, should feed another Brāhmin, who is of the same village, whose pedigree and practices are known and who performs the five sacramental rites. He should also present to a Brāhmin, who is well versed in the Vedas, four handfuls of food, set apart, with the exclamation Hanta. If he has got means left after making these three sorts of gifts, the learned should, according to his pleasure, make gifts to a mendicant and a religious student. These three, with the addition of the mendicant described before, are to be considered as guests; and he, who treats these four sorts of persons with hospitality, is freed of the debt due to his fellow beings. The guest, who goes elsewhere disappointed from any house, transfers his own sins to the owner of the house and takes away the house-holder's merits. Brahmā, Prajāpati, Indra, fire, the Vasus, the sun are present in the person of a guest and share the food that is offered to him. Therefore a man should assiduously satisfy the duties of hospitality; for a man, who eats his food without giving any to his guest, feeds only upon his own sin. Thereupon the householder must satisfy with well-seasoned food the damsel living in her father's house, those who are ill, the pregnant woman, the aged and the infants of the house and then he should eat himself. The householder, who eats his food without feeding these, feeds upon his own iniquity and after his death is condemned in hell to feed upon phlegm. He, who eats, without performing ablutions, feeds upon filth; he, who eats without repeating his prayers, feeds upon matter and blood; he, who eats unconsecrated food, drinks urine; and he, who eats before the infants and the aged are fed, is doomed in hell to live upon ordure. O foremost of kings, I shall now describe, do you hear, how a householder should eat and for which he would not be sullied with iniquity, his perpetual health and increased vigour would be secured and all evils and hostilities would be averted. Having bathed and offered duly libations to the celestials, Rishis, and manes and adorned his hand with precious jewels, having recited introductory prayers, offered oblations with fire, food to guests, to Brāhmans, to his elders and to his family, the householder should take his meal, wearing unsullied cloth, excellent garlands and sprinkled with perfumes. He must not eat, O lord, of men, with a single garment on, nor with wet hands and feet.

"He must not eat with his face directed to my intermediate point of horizon, but facing the east or the north; and with a smiling countenance, happy and attentive, let him take good and wholesome food boiled with clean water, procured from no mean person, nor by improper means nor improperly cooked. Having given a part to his hungry companions he should take food without reproach from a clean, handsome vessels which must not be placed upon a low stool or bed. He must not take his food in an unbecoming place or out of season or in an unsuitable mood, giving the first morsel to fire. His food, O king, must be consecrated with suitable texts, must be good and must not be stale except in the case of fruit or meat. Nor it should be made of dry vegetable substances other than jujubes or preparation of molasses. And a man should never eat that of which the juices have been extracted. Nor a man should so eat as nothing will be left of his meal except in the case of flour, cakes, honey, water, curds and butter. He should with a devoted mind first taste that which has good flavour; in the middle he should take salt and sour things and in the end he should take those which are pungent and bitter. The person, who begins his food with fluid things, takes solid food in the middle and finishes with fluid things, will ever be strong and healthy. In this wise he should take such food as is not prohibited, should be silent at the time of eating and should take five handfuls for the nutriment of the vital principle. After he has taken his food, he should, facing the east or the north, rinse his mouth, and having washed his hands up to the wrist he should again sip water. Then with a satisfied and calm mind he should take his seat, meditate upon his tutelary deity and pray 'May fire excited by air cause this food to digest in the space afforded by the etherial atmosphere, convert this into the earthly elements of this body and give me satisfaction. May this food, when assimilated, contribute to the vigour of the earth, water, fire, and air of my body and afford unmixed satisfaction. May Agasti, Agni and submarine fire bring about the digestion of the food I have taken and may I enjoy happiness consequent thereupon and may my body be freed from all ills. May Vishnu, who is the chief principle of all senses, of all bodies and souls, be propitiated with my faith and may cause such assimilation the food I have eaten as may invigorate my health. Verily Vishnu is the eater, the food and the nourishment, may the food I have taken, through this faith, be digested'.

"Having recited this prayer he should rub his stomach with his hand, and renouncing idleness should engage in such action as can easily he performed. He should spend the day in the reading of sacred writings and in such amusements as are authorized by the righteous and when the Sandhya sets in he must engage in devotion. O king, he must perform the morning rites before the stars have disappeared and perform the evening rites before the sun has quite set. The morning and evening rites should never be neglected except at seasons of impurity, anxiety, sickness or alarm. He, who but for illness lies on bed at the hours of sunrise and sunset, is guilty of iniquity. Therefore a man should rise before the sun in the morning and sleep not until after he has set. Those, who sinfully neglect the performance of both the morning and evening rites, go to the hell of darkness after death. And having prepared food in the evening, the wife, of the householder with a view to obtain the fruit of the Viçwadeva rite, should give food, without offering any prayers, to outcasts or unclean persons. The householder, as his means allow, should again show hospitality to any guest who may come receiving him with the salutation of evening and offering him water to wash his feet, a seat, a supper and a bed. The sin, consequent upon not receiving hospitably a guest who comes after sunset, is eight times greater than that of turning away one who comes during the day. A person should therefore particularly show respect to him who seeks refuge after sunset, for the respect, given to his satisfaction, will afford pleasure to all the celestials. The householder should, therefore, as his means permit him, give a guest food, potherbs, water, a bed, a mat, or if he cannot give any thing more, ground only on which to lie.

"Having taken his evening meal and washed his feet a householder should take rest. His bed must be complete and made of wood, it must have ample space, must not be cracked nor uneven, nor dirty nor infested by insects and must have a bedding. The householder must sleep with his head either to the east or to the south; any other position is unhealthy. In proper time, under the influence of an auspicious planet and in an auspicious moment he should go to his wife if she is not unbathed, sick, unwell, unwilling, angry, pregnant, hungry or over-fed. He should also be free from all these imperfections and should be neatly dressed and adorned and excited by tenderness and affection. Having bathed, wearing garlands, using perfumes, delighted and animated by desire he should go to his wife—not being hungry and excited with anxiety. There are certain days on which the use of unguents, flesh and women is prohibited as the eighth and fourteenth lunar days, new-moon and full-moon and the entrance of the sun into a new sign. On these occasions the wise should control their appetites and engage in the worship of the celestials as laid down in scripture, in meditation and prayer. And he, who acts otherwise, will be doomed to a hell where he will be constrained to live upon ordure. A man should not excite his desires by medicines nor satisfy them with unnatural objects or in public or holy places. A man should not go to a woman under a huge tree, in the courtyard, in a place of pilgrimage, in pasturage, where four streets meet, in a cremation ground, in a garden or in the waters. On all these occasions mentioned before in the morning or in the evening or being unclean the wise should not cohabit with women. If a man goes to a woman during the Parva he loses wealth, if during the day he is visited with sin, if he cohabits with a woman on ground he loses his fame. A man should not think voluptuously of another's wife, nor should, he speak to her for that purpose; for such a wight will be born in his next life as a creeping insect. The cohabitation with another's wife is a source of fear to him both in this life and in the next—for in this he loses his longevity and in the next he is doomed to hell. Considering all these things a man should approach his own wife in proper season or even at other times".

SECTION XII.

Alurva said:—"The householder should venerate gods, king, Brāhmanas, saints, aged persons and holy preceptors. He should also observe duly the two Sandhyas and offer oblations to fire. He should use untorn garments, delicate herbs and flowers, wear emeralds and other precious stones, keep his hair neat and clean, perfume his body with delicious unguents and should always go out handsomely dressed and decorated with garlands and white flowers. He should not misappropriate another's property nor should treat him unkindly. He should always speak amiably and the truth and should not speak out publicly another's faults. O foremost of men, he should not envy another's prosperity—nor should he create enmity with another; he should not use a broken conveyance, nor should he sit under the shadow of a tree on the banks of a river. The wise should not make friends with, nor should they wend the same way with, one who is hated, who is a sinner or a drunkard, who has many enemies, or who is lousy, with a harlot or her gallant, with a pauper or a with a prodigal, a slanderer or a knave. A man should not bathe in river when it is ebb-tide, should not enter a house when it is on fire nor climb to the top of a tree; nor (when in the company of others) clean his teeth, nor blow his nose nor grape without covering his mouth, nor clean his throat, nor cough, nor laugh loudly, nor emit wind with noise, nor bite his nails, nor cut grass, nor scratch ground, nor put his beard into his mouth, nor crumble a clod of clay, nor look upon the planets when he is unclean. He should not see another's wife when she is naked nor see the sun at the time of its rising or setting. He should not express disgust at a dead body for the odour of it is the produce of the moon. He should avoid, during the night, the place where four roads meet, the village tree, the forest adjacent to a cremation ground and a loose woman. The wise should not pass across the shadow of a venerable person, of an image of a deity, of a flag and of a heavenly luminary. He should not travel alone in a forest nor sleep alone in an empty house. He should live at a distance from hair, bones, thorn, filth, remnants of offerings, ashes, chaff and earth wet with water in which another has bathed. He should not seek the shelter of a degraded wight and should renounce the company of wily persons. He should not approach voracious animals and should not lie down on bed long after sleep is broken. He should not, for a too long time, lie down on bed, sleep, keep up nights, sit and take exercise. The wise should avoid, even at a distance, animals with tusks and horns and exposure to frost, wind and sunshine. A man should neither bathe, nor sleep nor rinse his mouth when he is naked; he should not wash his mouth nor perform any sacred rite with his waistband loosened. Nor he should, with one piece of cloth on, offer oblations to fire, sacrifice to the celestials, wash his mouth, salute a Brāhman or utter a prayer. He should not associate with evil companions—the intercourse for half an instant, the pious is desirable. The wise should not quarrel men inferior or superior to them; dispute and marriage with equals are always desirable. The wise should never enter into dispute and should always avoid useless enmity. It is better to suffer a trifling loss but he should not acquire wealth by hostility.

"When bathed he should not wipe his limbs with the cloth he has put on nor with his hands; he should not shake his hair nor rinse his mouth before he has risen. He should not put one foot upon another nor spread out his foot before his elders but should modestly sit in a posture called Verāsana i.e., on his knees. He should not go round a temple upon his left hand nor circumambulate any venerable object in the reverse direction. The wise should not spit nor void impurities before the moon, fire, the sun, water, wind, or any respectable person. Nor should he pass urine standing or upon a public way; he should not pass over phlegm, ordure, urine or blood; nor should he spit forth the mucus of the throat at the time of eating, offering sacrifices or oblations or reciting prayers or before a respectable person.

"A man should not treat women disrespectfully nor should he place too much confidence in them. He should not deal with them impatiently nor should he give them supremacy in important matters. O king, wise persons, ever treading the path of morality, should not issue out of his house without saluting the chaplets, flowers, jewels, clarified butter and venerable persons. He should salute the places where four roads meet, perform sacrifices at proper seasons, relieve the poor and venerate the learned and good-natured. He who worships the celestials and saints, gives cakes and water to the manes, and performs hospitality, attains to exalted stations after death. He who speaks wisely, moderately and compassionately proceeds to the regions which are the perpetual sources of bliss. He who is intelligent, bashful, forgiving, god-fearing and humble, proceeds to the region which is attainable by the learned and those born in a pious race.

"The wise should not read the Vedas on the Parva days, on impure seasons, upon untimetely thunder and the occurrence of eclipses. The attainment of heaven is a trifling thing to him who allays the anger of the angry, who is friend to all and freed from malice, and who removes the fear of the pious. A man should use an umbrella to protect him against the sun and rain; he should carry a rod when he goes by night or through a forest and he should use shoes if he wishes to save his body from being hurt. As he proceeds he should not look up nor about him, nor afar off but keep his eyes upon the ground to the extent of a couple of yards.

"He, who, having controlled himself, puts a stop to the sources of all these imperfections, meets with no obstacle in the acquisition of piety, wealth and desire. Final emancipation is in his grasp, who is sinless towards them who commit mischief by him, who speaks amicably to them who use harsh words and whose soul melts with the benevolence. The earth is upheld by the truthfulness of those who have controlled their passions, and who, always following pious observances, are not sullied by desire, covetousness and anger. A man should therefore speak truth when it is agreeable and he should be silent when that truth would give pain. He should avoid agreeable words when they are detrimental and unreasonable, for it is always better to speak those disagreeable words which would produce salutary effect, although it would give offence. A prudent man should always cultivate that, in act, thought and speech, which conduces to the well-being of all living creatures both in this world and the next".

SECTION XIII.

Alurva said:—"A father, without changing his cloth, should bathe when a son is born; he should then go through the ceremonies consequent upon the birth and perform the Srāddha which should always be celebrated upon occasions of prosperity. With a composed mind and thinking on nothing else, he should worship both the celestials and the manes and reverentially go round keeping Brāhmans on his left hand and offer them food. And standing with his face directed to the east, he should, with the portions of the hand sacred to the celestials and Prajāpati, offer balls of food with curds, unbruised grain and jujubes. He should perform on every accession of prosperity the Srāddha ceremony, by which the manes called Nāndimukhas are propitiated. On the occasion of the marriage of a son or daughter, on entering a new house, on giving a name to a child on performing his tonsure and other purificatory rites, at the binding of the mother's hair during gestation, on first seeing the face of a son and on similar other occasions a householder should diligently worship the manes so named. I have described to you, O king, the mode of worshipping the manes, as laid down by ancient sages; hear, I shall now describe the rules for the performance of obsequial rites.

"Having washed the dead body with sacred water, adorned it with garlands and reduced it to ashes outside the village, the relatives having bathed with their clothes on, should stand with their faces to the south and offer libations to the dead, addressing him by name and saying, 'Whatever thou mayst be.' (And if it is burnt during the day,) they should return to the village along with the cattle coming from pasture, and when stars appear, should go to rest, sleeping on mats spread upon the earth. (And as long as the mourning lasts) every day a ball of food should be placed on the ground as an offering to the dead and they should take rice without flesh. And as long as the mourner wishes he should feed the Brāhmans for the soul of the dead derives pleasure in as much as his kinsmen are satisfied with their entertainment. (After the death of a person) on the first day, or the third, or seventh or ninth, his relatives should change their clothes and bathe out of doors and offer a libation of water with sesamum-seeds. On the fourth day the bones and ashes should be collected; after which the body, of one connected with the dead by offerings of funeral cakes, should be touched without thereby incurring impurity. And those who are related by presentation of water are qualified for any business. The former class of kinsmen are allowed to use beds but still they are prohibited from using arguments and flowers and must observe continence after ashes and bones have been collected. When a child is dead, or one who is abroad, or one who is degraded, or one who is a spiritual guide, or when one commits suicide, or when one destroys himself by water, fire or by hanging, the period of uncleanliness is over as soon as the news is received. The food of a family, in which a relation is dead, should not be taken for ten days. During the period of uncleanliness, gifts, acceptance, sacrifice and the study of sacred writings should be suspended. The term of uncleanliness for a Brāhmin is ten days; for a Kshatriya twelve days; for a Vaiçya fifteen days and for a Sudra a whole month. On the first day after the period of impurity is over, the nearest relative of the dead should feed Brāhmins at his pleasure, but in uneven number and should offer to the dead a ball of rice upon holy grass placed near the remaining portion of the food that has been consumed. After the Brāhmans have been fed, the mourner, according to his caste, should touch water, a weapon of goad or a staff—for he is purified by such contact. He should then resume the duties assigned to his caste and maintain his livelihood by the acquisition of wealth.

"He should then perform the Srāddha of his deceased relative on the day of his death in each month (for a year). And then feeding the Brāhmins in an uneven number he should offer balls to the deceased. The Brāhmins should then be accosted by the sacrificer if they are satisfied and after they have declared their satisfaction he should relate the prayer, 'May this ever satisfy such a one.'

"The Srāddha, which is called Ekoddistha, should be performed monthly for one year after the death of a person. And at the expiry of one year the ceremony called Sapindana should be observed, Hear, O king (I shall describe) how shall that be celebrated. This ceremony should be celebrated in the same way as monthly obsequies—only four vessels should be placed with water perfumes and sesamum. O king, (of these four) one should be dedicated to the deceased and three to the manes, and the contents of the former should be transferred to the latter three. After the deceased has been included in the list of manes, O king of earth, the ancestors should be again worshipped with all the ceremonies of the Srāddha. The persons connected by the offering of cake, who are competent to celebrate the obsequial ceremonies, are the son, grandson, great grandson, a kinsman of the dead, the descendants of a brother or the prosperity of one connected by funeral offerings. And when all these relations are wanting, the ceremony may be performed by those allied by the offerings of water only or those allied by offerings of cakes or water to maternal ancestors. When males, both in the maternal and paternal families, are extinct, the funeral obsequies may be performed by women or by those who are connected with the deceased in social and religious institutions or by him who inherits his property.

"And even when friends and those who will inherit his property are wanting the king may have his obsequia rites, initiative intermediate and subsequent, celebrated. Hear, I shall now describe the difference of these three classes of rites. The first are those which are performed after the burning of the dead body until the touching of water, weapons &c. The Srāddhas, called Ekoddistha which are performed every month, are called intermediate rites; and the ceremonies, which follow Sapindakarana when the deceased becomes one of his ancestors, are called subsequent rites—from this time the ceremonies become general and ancestral. The initiative ceremonies should be performed by the relative of the father or mother whether allied by the offering of the cake or of water by the companions of the dead man or by the king who inherits his property. Both the intermediate and subsequent rites should be celebrated by sons and other relations, and by daughter's sons and their sons. In every year, O king, the obsequial ceremonies should be performed either by males or females, in the same way as the ceremonies of month by obsequies are enjoined. Hear O king, I shall now describe, at what seasons and in what manner those ceremonies are to be performed".

SECTION XIV.

Aurva said:—"When a man celebrates reverentially the Srāddha of his ancestors, Brahmā, Indra, Rudra, two Aswinis, the sun, fire, Vasus, Maruts, Viçwadevas, Rishis, birds, men, beasts, reptiles, manes and all other creatures, become propitiated. This should be performed, O king, every month, on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight, or the eighth day of the same period in some months or at particular seasons. Hear, I shall now explain them. A householder should celebrate it when he will find all requisites ready, when a learned Brāhmin has come to the house for which ancestral ceremonies are appropriate. He should voluntarily offer sacrifice upon any atmospheric portent, at the equinoctial and solstitial periods, at eclipses of the sun and moon, on the sun's entrance into a Zodiacal sign, upon unpropitious aspects of the planets and asterisms, on dreaming unlucky dreams and on eating the grain of the year's harvest. The manes obtain satisfaction for eight years from ancestral offerings upon the day of the new moon when the star of the conjunction is Anurādhā, Visakhā or Swāti and for twelve years when it is Pushya, Ardrā or Punarvasu. He, who desires to satisfy the celestials or the manes, very seldom gets an opportunity on a day of new moon when the stars are those of Dhanistha, Purvabhādrapāda or Satabhisā. Hear also the description of another class of Srāddhas which give special delight to the manes as explained by Sanatkumāra the son of Brahmā, to the noble Pururavas when brimful with faith and devotion to the manes he asked how he might please them. The third lunar day of the month of Vaisakha (April, May) and the ninth of Kārtika (October, November) in the light fortnight; the thirteenth of Nabha (July, August) and the fifteenth of Magha (January, February) in the dark fortnight are called by the sages of yore the anniversaries of the first day of Yuga and are regarded as most sacred. On these days water mixed with sesamum-seed should be duly offered to the progenitors as well as on every lunar and solar eclipse; on the eighth lunations of the dark fortnights of Agrahāyana, Māgha and Fālguna on the two days beginning the solstices when the nights and days alternately begin to diminish; on the days which are the anniversaries of the beginning of Manwantaras; when the sun is in the path of the goat and on all these occasions when meteors appear. A Srāddha, performed on these occasions, gives pleasure to the manes for a thousand years; and this is the secret which they have given. The fifteenth day, of the dark fortnight in the month of Māgha when united with the conjunction of the asterism over which Varuna rules, is also a sacred season when offerings particularly afford delight to the manes. When the asterism Dhanishthā is united with the day of new moon, food and water, offered by members of respectable families, satisfy the manes for ten thousand years. And on the day of new moon when Ardra is in the ascendant they rest satisfied by offerings for a whole age.

"He, who after having offered food and libations to the manes bathes in the Ganges, Satlaj, Vipasa, Saraswati or the Gomati at Naimisha, is freed from all sins. The manes also sing—'After having obtained gratification for a twelve month we shall derive further satisfaction by libations offered by our descendants at some place of pilgrimage at the end of the dark fortnight of Māgha'. (The songs of Pitris) confer upon men purity of mind, prosperity, prosperous seasons, perfect rites and firm faith and all other things which they desire. Hear, O king, I shall repeat some verses as sung by the manes, hearing which, you will follow them with a controlled mind. 'That wise man who does not shrink from spending his wealth and presents us with cakes shall be born in an illustrious family. He should, if he is rich, give to Brāhmans in our honour, jewels, cloths, land, conveyances, wealth and various other eatables. If he not got so much wealth he should feed with faith and humility excellent Brāhmans according to his means. If he cannot afford to give them food even he should according his might, present them with unboiled grain or with some gifts however trifling they may be. Should he be utterly unable even to do this, O king, he must give to some excellent Brahmin, bowing before him sesamum-seeds, adhering to the tips of his fingers. Or he should sprinkle water mixed with seven or eight sesamum seeds to us upon the ground; or he should gather, as he may, fodder for a day and give it to a cow, by which he will, if firm in faith, give us satisfaction. And if it is impossible for him to go through any of these he should go to a forest raise up his arms to the sun and other planets and say aloud—'I have no money, nor property nor grain nor any thing whatever which I may give as an offering to my ancestors. So I reverentially bow unto my ancestors; may they be propitiated with my devotion only—I throw up my arms in the air.' These are the words of the progenitors. O king, he who endeavours to satisfy their desires, performs the ancestral rite called Srāddha".

SECTION XV.

Aurva said:—"Hear, O king, what description of Brahman should be fed at ancestral ceremonies. He must be Trinachiketa, Trimadhu and Trisuparna;[246] or one who is versed in the six supplementary sciences of the Vedas; one who is well acquainted with the Vedas; one who practises the duties laid down in the Vedas,[247] one who is yogi,[248] one who is Jestha Sāmaga;[249] an officiating priest, a sister's son, a daughter's son, a son-in-law, a father-in-law, a maternal uncle, an ascetic, a Brāhman who keeps up the five fires, a pupil, a kinsman; one who respects his parents. O king, a man should employ the Brāhmans first mentioned in the performance of the Srāddha ceremony of his ancestors; and in the subsidiary rites performed to please his manes he should engage the others. He should not invite at a Srāddha ceremony a false friend, one who has got ugly nails, one who is eunuch, one who has got black teeth, a ravisher, a Brāhman who neglects the service of fire and sacred duty, a vender of Soma plant, a man accused of any crime, a thief, a calumniator, a Brāhman who performs the religious ceremonies for degraded persons, one who gives instructions to his servants in sacred writings; or one who is instructed in it by his servant, the husband of a woman who has been formerly betrothed to another, a man who has neglected his parents, the protector of a Sudra, the husband of a Sudra woman, and a Brāhman who worships idols. On the first day of the Srāddha a wise man should invite eminent teachers of Vedas and other Brahmins, and according to their instructions he must settle what is to be dedicated to the celestials and what to the manes. And in the company of the Brahmins he should abstain from anger, continence and hard work. He, who having eaten himself in a Srāddha and fed Brahmans and appointed them to their sacred offices, is guilty of incontinence, thereby dooms his progenitors to shameful suffering. Therefore on the day before the Srāddha, eminent Brāhmans should be invited. If a Brāhman, who has controlled his senses, comes to the house uninvited he should also be entertained with food. The Brahmins are to be respectfully received with water for their feet and after they have rinsed their mouths and washed their hands they should be offered seats. An uneven number of Brāhmins for the manes and an even number for the gods, as many as he can, should be employed; or one only on each occasion.

"Thus the householder, with faith, should offer oblations to the maternal grand father along with the worship of Viswadevas or he should perform the Viswadevas[250] ceremony. He should feed the Brahmins, who are for the gods and maternal ancestors with their faces to the east. And there who are for the paternal ancestors and ancestors in general should be fed with their faces to the north. Some say, O king, that separate Srāddha should be performed for these two classes of ancestors and others hold that they should both be entertained with the same food. The wise should spread Kusā grass for the seats of the Brāhmans and then worship them with libations; and having received permission from them he should then invoke the deities. Then the man who is acquainted with the ritual should offer a libation to the gods with water and barley and then flowers, perfumes and incense. Then he should offer libations to the manes placed upon his left; and having first provided seats of Kusā grass, he, with the permission of the Brāhmans, should invoke with the usual prayers, the manes to the ceremony, offering libation on his left hand of water and sesamum. If any guest arrives at the time who is desirous of eating or who is passing along the road he should worship him with the permission of Brāhmans; for the saints, for the behoof of mankind, travel over the earth disguised in various shapes and forms. It is for this reason, O king, that the wise worship a person who comes at such an hour—and if a guest is neglected—the fruits of an ancestral offering are baffled.

"With the permission of the Brāhmans assisting in the ceremony the householder should offer food without salt and seasoning to fire three several times, exclaming first, 'To fire, the Conveyance of oblations; to the progenitors Swaha'. Next addressing the oblation to Soma, the lord of the progenitors and giving the third to Vaivaswat. He should then place the residue in the dishes of the ancestors. He should then offer to Brāhmanas choice viands well dressed and seasoned and profuse and request them most gently to partake of it at their pleasure. The Brāhmanas should attentively, in silence and with smiling faces eat that food. The sacrificer not hungrily, nor in haste but with devout faith should offer that food. Thereupon repeating the prayers that slay Rakshas and scattering sesamum-seeds on the ground he should regard these eminent Brāhmanas as his ancestors and address them (saying). 'May my father, grand father and great grand father enter the persons of these Brāhmans and be propitiated with (my offerings). May my father, grand father and great grand father derive satisfaction from these oblations to fire. May my father grand father, great grand father derive gratification from the balls of food placed by me upon the ground. May my father, grand father, great grand father be propitiated with what I have offered them, this day, in faith. May my maternal grand father, his father and his father derive gratification from my offerings. May all the celestials derive satisfaction and evil beings die. May the imperishable Hari the lord of sacrifice accept the oblation offered to the manes or to the celestials and may all malignant spirits and enemies of the celestials depart from the ceremony'.

"When the Brāhmans have been entertained with food to their satisfaction he should scatter a portion of the food on the ground and present them individually with water to rinse their mouths. And then obtaining their permission he should place upon the ground, balls made up of boiled rice and condiments along with sesamum-seeds. He should then offer libation along with sesamum-seeds with the part of the hand sacred to the manes: and with the samri part of the hand he should offer cakes to his maternal ancestors. He should diligently make gifts on all these occasions in lonely places, naturally picturesque and by the side of streams. Upon Kusā grass the tips of which are directed to the south and lying near the remnants of meats the householder should present the first ball of food consecrated with flowers and incense to his father; second to his grand father and the third to his great grand father; and then wiping his hands with the roots of Kusā grass he should satisfy them who are contented with the wipings thereof. Then having satisfied the maternal ancestors with balls of food consecrated with incense and flowers he should offer water to the principal Brāhmans to rinse their mouths. And then giving presents to the Brahmans with attention and piety according to his means soliciting their benedictions accompanied with the exclamation 'Swadha' and having distributed those presents to the Brāhmans he should address the gods saying 'May the Viswadevas be propitiated' and receive the reply thereto from the Brāhmans. The Brāhmans having said ‘So be it,' and granted him blessings he should first send away his paternal ancestors and then the celestials. The same order as regards food, gift and dismissal should be observed with the maternal ancestors and the gods. Beginning with the washing of the feet and ending with the dismissal of the gods and Brāhmans all the ceremonies should be first performed for paternal ancestors and then for maternal ancestors.

"Thereupon he should dismiss the Brahmans with sweet words and reverence, follow them to the gate and then come back with their permission. The wise will then perform the invariable ceremony called the worship of Viswadevas and then with a controlled mind he should take his meals in the company of revered persons, friends and servants.

"The learned should then celebrate the ancestral ceremony—for the ancestors being propitiated all his desires are fulfilled. The things are specially considered sacred at obsequies namely a daughter's son, a Nepal blanket and sesamum-seeds; the gift or naming or seeing of silver is also auspicious. O king, the person performing a Srāddha ceremony should abstain from anger, walking about and hurry and those who take their meals at the Srāddha should also avoid them. O king Viswadevas, paternal ancestors, and maternal ancestors are pleased with him who performs these obsequial rites.

"O king, the moon is the supporter of the manes and he is sustained by acts of austere devotion. Hence one, who practises austerities, should be appointed at the performance of a Srāddha. O king, if there is one Yogi in the midst of a thousand Brāhmans, he liberates both the sacrificer and all those who take their meals there".

SECTION XVI.

Aurva said—"Ancestors are gratified for a month with Havishya,[251] fish, or the flesh of the hare, of birds, of the the goat, the antelope, the deer, the gayal, or the sheep, or with the milk of the cow[252] and various preparations thereupon, They are perpetually pleased with flesh in general and with that of the long-eared white goat in particular, The flesh of the rhinoceros, the Kālasāka, potherb and honey, give special satisfaction to those who are adored at the obsequial ceremonies. Blessed is he, and the king who performs at the due time the Srāddha ceremony of his ancestors at Gya and that affords special delight to his ancestors. Grains that spring up spontaneously, wild-rice, white and black Panic forest vegetables, barely, wheat-rice, sesamum, various kinds of pulse and mustard are considered specially fit for ancestral offerings. O king, a householder should not offer any kind of grain that is not rendered sacred by religious rites nor the pulse called Rājamāsha, nor millet, nor lentils, nor gourds, nor garlick, nor onions, nor nightshade, nor camel's thorn, nor salt, nor the efflorescence of salt deserts, nor red vegetable extracts, nor any thing that looks like salt, nor any thing that is hated by people. He should not offer that water at a Srāddha that has been brought by night, or has been left off, or is so little as cannot satisfy a cow, or smells badly or is covered with froth. He should not offer milk of animals with undivided hoof, of a camel, a ewe, a deer, or a buffalo. Neither the celestials nor the manes will partake of the food if a Srāddha is looked at by a eunuch, a foundling, an outcast, a heretic, a drunken man, or one diseased, a cock, a naked ascetic, a monkey, a village hag, by a woman in her courses or pregnant, by an unclean person, or by a carrier of corpses. The ceremony should be celebrated on a plot of ground carefully enclosed. The performer should scatter sesamum on the ground and drive away evil spirits. He should not offer food that is fetid, or spoiled by hairs or insects, or mixed with acid gruel, or stale. Whatever pure food is offered to the manes, with faith and mentioning their names and race, gives them nourishment. O king, in the days of yore, in the forest of Kalāpa the Pitris said to Ikshwaku, the son of Manu 'Those, who shall respectfully offer to us cakes at Gya, shall follow a righteous path. May he be born in our family, who shall give us on the thirteenth of Bhādrapada and Māgha milk, honey and clarified butter, who shall marry a maiden, shall liberate a black bull and shall liberate a horse sacrifice accompanied with liberal presents'".

SECTION XVII.

Parāçara said:—In the days of yore the glorious Aurva, when accosted by the illustrious king Sagara, said thus regarding the usages to be practised by mankind. I have described to you all those observances which no one should violate.

Maitreya said:—"O venerable Sir, I know all those who are called Sanda,[253] Apabidha[254] and Udakee[255] but I wish to know who is called Nagna; doing what he is called so, and what is the character of such a person to whom you have referred".

Parāçara said:—The Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas are the three-fold covering of the several castes and the sinful wight who throws off this is called naked or apostate. The three Vedas constitute the dress of all men and when people neglect them they are left bare. Hear, what my grand father the pious Vasishtha said about this to the noble Bhishma. O Maitreya I heard what my grand-father said about this.

There took place in the days of yore a battle between the gods and demons for the period of a divine year in which the gods were defeated by the demons under the command of Hrāda. The celestials, who were defeated, fled away to the northern shore of the milky ocean, where being engaged in devout practices, they thus prayed to Vishnu—"May the glorious Vishnu, who is without beginning, the lord of all beings, be propitiated with the words that we are going to address to him. Who can sing the glories of that great God from whom have originated all beings and in whom they cease to exist? Though thy true greatness is not within the reach of words still we have been engaged in glorifying thee being discomfitted by our enemies. Thou art earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, Prakriti and Purusha. O thou at one with all souls, thy form, visible or unvisible, pervades all from Brahmā to a stock diversified by time and place. Salutation to thee, who art Brahmā originated from the lotus springing from thy navel for the purpose of creation. Salutation to thee who art Indra, the sun, Rudra, the Vasus, fire, the winds and even also ourselves. Salutation to thee, O Govinda, who art at one with all demons, who are the creature of arrogance and want of discrimination uncontrolled by patience and self-control. Salutation to thee who art at one with the Yakshas, whose minds have no idea of perfect knowledge and who are accordingly of unmitigated prowess and whose nature is charmed with sounds. Salutation to thee, O foremost of Purushas, who are at one with all night-rangers, originated from the quality of darkness, fierce, fraudulent and cruel. Salutation to thee, O Janārddana, who art that virtue that gives rewards for the virtuous actions of those who live in heaven. Salutation to thee who art at one with the saints of accomplished piety, who are always contented and who traverse unobstructed all permeable elements. Salutation to thee who art at one with the serpents, double-tongued, impulsive, cruel, not satisfied with enjoyment and having immense wealth. Salutation to thee who art at one with the Rishis who are freed from sins and imperfections and at one with wisdom and tranquility.

"Salutation to thee, O thou having lotus-eyes, who art at one with time that devours, without any compunction, all created beings at the end of Kalpa. Salutation to thee who art at one with Rudra, who dances with delight after devouring all beings—gods and men. Salutation to thee, Janārddana, who art at one with men, who, actuated by the quality of foulness, engage in actions. Salutation to thee who art at one with brute animals—the spirit that leads to perversity, which proceeds from the quality of darkness and is encumbered with twenty-eight kinds of obstruction. Salutation to thee who art that chief spirit that appears diversified in the vegetable world and which are the substance of sacrifice is the agent of accomplishing the perfection of the universe. Salutation to thee who art identical with every thing and whose first form is the objects of perception and heaven and animals and men and celestials. Salutation to that form of thine, which is the cause of causes and which is distinct from and superior to the endless universe composed of intelligence, matter and the like and with which nothing can be compared. Salutation to thee, O great God, who hast neither colour nor extent nor dimensity and which is beyond all qualities and whose essence, purest of the pure, can be conceived only by sages. Salutation to the Brahma form of thine, who pervades in our bodies, who exists in all objects, who is without birth or decay and distinct from whom nothing exists. Salutation to thee, Vāsudeva, the supreme lord of all, who is unsullied, the root of all things, freed from dissolution, unborn, eternal, who in essence is the supreme condition of spirit and in substance the whole of the universe".

Having thus recited the prayer the celestials beheld Hari the supreme lord of all, seated on Garuda, armed with the shell, the discus, and the mace. And having placed themselves before him they addressed him and said "Have pity upon us, O lord, and save us, who have come to thee for help, from the Daityas. O supreme lord, transgressing the commands of Brahmā, the demons headed by Hrāda, have taken possession of the three worlds and appropriated the offerings which are our portion. Though thou art at one with the endless creation and we are a portion of thyself, we, impressed by illusions, behold all things of the universe as distinct. Our enemies are engaged in the duties of their respective orders, follow the paths laid down by sacred writings and practise religious penances so we cannot lay them. O thou of immeasurable wisdom, do thou so instruct us that we may root out the enemies of the celestials".

When the glorious Vishnu heard their prayers he emitted from his person an illusory form which he gave to the celestials and said. "This illusory form shall so deceive the Daityas, that being led astray from the path of the Vedas, they shall be slain; for all gods, demons and others, who shall transgress the authority of the Veda, shall perish by my prowess which I exercise for the preservation of the universe. Go then; be not afraid; this illusory form shall go before you. O celestials, it shall be of great service to you, this day".

SECTION XVIII.

Parāçara said:—Maitreya, having proceeded to the Daityas the illusory form beheld them engaged in austere penances on the banks of the river Nerbudā. And approaching them in the guise of a naked mendicant, with his head shaven and carrying a bunch of peacock's feathers he addressed them gently "O lords of Daitya race—why do you practice these devout penances? Do you expect rewards in this world or in the next?" The Asuras said:—"O thou of great mind, we have been engaged in these penances with a view to reap fruits in the next world. Do thou tell us if thou hast got anything to say on this". The deceptive figure said:—"If you are desirous of final emancipation hear my words, for you will obtain the revelation which is the door to final happiness. The instructions, superior to which there is nothing, I will give you, are the secret path to final emancipation. If you follow them you shall either obtain heaven or exemption from future births. O ye gifted with mighty strength, you are worthy of these instructions".

Parāçara said:—There did the illusory figure mislead the Daityas from the teachings of the Vedas by various persuations and many specious arguments, teaching that the same-thing might be for the sake of virtue and of vice; might be and might not be; might or might not lead to final emancipation; might be the supreme object and not the supreme object; might be effect and not be effect; might be manifest and not be manifest; might be the duty of those who go naked and who go richly dressed. And thus were the Daityas led astray from the path of their duties by the continued teachings of their illusory teacher, keeping up the equal truth of contradictory teachings. And those were called Arhatas from the phrase he had employed of "Ye are worthy (Arhatha) of this great teaching" that is of the false teachings which he induced them to follow. Thus did the illusory figure lead away the Asuras from the teachings of the Vedas. And being impressed by those teachings the Asuras initiated others in all those doctrines. They in their turn became teachers of the same false doctrines and converted others. And thus communicating their doctrines to each other, they were all led away from the teaching of the Vedas.

Then pulling on garments of red colour, with collyrium in his eyes, the illusory figure again addressed others of the same family in sweet and mild accents—"O ye demons, gifted with strength, if ye wish for heaven or final rest desist from the sinful massacre of animals and hear from me what you should do. The whole universe is composed of discriminative knowledge; understand my words well for they have been uttered by the wise. The world is without stay and is perpetually revolving in the straits of existence being engaged in the pursuit of erroneous knowledge and sullied by passion and others".

Parāçara said:—In this wise exclaiming to them "Know" (Budhyadwam) and they saying (Budhyate), "it is known," those Daityas were led away from their own religion. They thus renounced their respective duties being impressed by the reasonings and arguments of that illusory figure. O Maitreya, they, impressed, persuaded others to do the same and thus the heresy spread and many abandoned the practices laid down by the Vedas and Smritis. O twice-born one, with various other erroneous teachings, the illusory figure converted many other Daityas. Being thus deluded, the Asuras, in no time, abandoned the doctrines and rites laid down by the three Vedas. Some of them, O twice-born one, spoke ill of the Vedas and others villified the celestials. Some spoke against the Vedic rites and sacrifices and others calumniated the Brāhmans. "The precepts" they preached "that lead to the sacrifice of animals, are highly culpable. To lay that throwing clarified butter in fire produces rewards is simply childishness. If any one, after having obtained godhead by multiplied ceremonies, is fed along with Indra upon the wood used as fuel in holy fire, he is lower than a brute which feeds upon leaves. If a beast, being sacrificed, attains to heaven, why does not the sacrificer slay his father in a sacrifice? If a dead person is satisfied if another is fed at a Srāddha then why does not the food offered by his son reach him who resides at a distance? All these words therefore depend upon individual respect so it is better for you to neglect them and appreciate mine. The words of authority, O mighty Asuras, do not fall from heaven; reasonable words only are to be acknowledged by me and persons like yourselves". By these and similar reasonings the Daityas were led away and none of them any longer acknowledged the authority of the Vedas.

After the Daityas have thus been led astray, the gods, with careful preparations, addressed themselves for fight. And there again began a terrible encounter between the gods and demons. And the demons were now defeated and slain by the gods who had adhered to the righteous path. Formerly the Daityas were protected by the armour of their own religion and they were now slain for the desertion of that armour of religion.

For that time, O Maitreya, those, who have followed the religion preached by the illusory figure, are called naked for they following a wrong track have thrown off the garment of the Vedas. There are four orders of men, namely; the religious student, the householder, the hermit and the mendicant; there is no fifth order. The sinful man, who after relinquishing the order of the householder, does not become either a hermit or a mendicant, is said to be naked. The man, who, although able, does neglect his permanent observances for one day, commits sin for one day; and if he neglects them, not being in trouble, for a fortnight he can be purified only by arduous expiation. The virtuous must see the sun after looking upon a person who has neglected his permanent observances for a year; if they have touched they must bathe with their clothes on—but that vicious one has no individual expiation for himself. There is no sinner on earth more culpable than one in whose house the celestials, progenitors and spirits are left to sigh unworshipped. No man should associate, in residence, sitting or society with him on whose person or in whose house the gods, progenitors and spirits sigh. Conversation, exchange of civilities or association with a man is equally reprehensible who for a year has not observed pious observances. And the man who eats in the house of such a man, or sits down with him or sleep on the same couch with him, becomes instantly in the same way culpable.

He who eats himself without satisfying the gods, manes, spirits and guests feeds upon his own iniquity and there is no salvation for such a person. The Brāhmans are men of other castes who neglect their respective duties or take up a degraded profession are said to be naked. To live in a place where there is an intermixture of four castes is detrimental to the character of the righteous. Those who converse with him who eats without offering a portion to the gods, the sages, the manes, spirits and guests, are doomed to hell. A wise man should not therefore talk with or come in contact with these heretics who are rendered impure for renouncing the three Vedas. A Srāddha ceremony, although performed with great care and devotion, if looked upon by these heretics does not please the gods or progenitors.

As described, there was in the days of yore a king named Satadhanu whose wife Saivya was a woman of great piety. She was faithful to her husband, kind, sincere, pure, and gifted with every female accomplishment, humility and discretion. The king, with his wife, worshipped with great devotion Janārddana the lord of gods. He daily worshipped Him with whole-mindedness, oblations to fire, prayers, gifts and fasting. One day when they had fasted on the full moon of Kārtika and had bathed in the Bhagirathi, they saw as they came up from the river a heretic to approach them who was the friend of the king's military preceptor. The king, out of his respect for the preceptor, entered into conversation with him but his devoted wife Saivya did not utter a single word. And thinking that she was fasting she turned from him and looked towards the sun. Having arrived at home, the husband and wife as usual performed the worship of Vishnu. After a time the king, who had defeated all his enemies, died and the queen ascended the funeral pile of her husband.

On account of the sin committed by Satadhanu for speaking to a heretic while fasting he was born again as a dog. His wife was born as the daughter of the king of Kāsi having a knowledge of her former birth, versed in every science and gifted with every virtue. Her father was anxious to marry with a good husband, but she always opposed and the king was prevented from celebrating the nuptials. The daughter of the king of Kāsi, by the knowledge of her pristine birth, saw that her husband was born as a dog in the city of Visidhā. And having gone there she saw her husband in that plight. And knowing that animal to be her husband she placed upon his neck the bridal garland going through the marriage rites and prayers. And being pleased with the excellent food offered, the animal expressed his joy after the manner of his species. He thus sporting as a dog, she was greatly ashamed and bowing unto her husband, born as a dog, she said "O king, remember the civilities shown by you (towards your preceptor's friend) for which thou hast been born as a dog and art fawning upon me. Dost thou not remember, O My lord, that by conversing with a heretic after bathing in a sacred river, thou hast been born as a dog?"

Parāçara said:—Being thus reminded the king called to his memory his former condition and was wrapt in meditation and felt humiliation. With a broken heart he went away from the city and falling dead in a desert he was again born as a jackal. In the following year the princess, again by knowledge, perceived that he was born as a jackal and went to the mount Kotahala to find him out. Finding him there the beautiful daughter of the king thus spoke to her lord as a jackal—"O king, dost thou not remember thy conversation with the heretic which I called to thy memory, when thou wast a dog?" Thus accosted the king perceived what the princess had said was true. Thereupon he abstained from eating and died. He was then born as a wolf but his wife repairing to a lonely forest again called back to the recollection of her husband his former state. "O noble lord, thou art not a wolf but the king Satadhanu. Thou wast born as a dog, then as a jackal and thou hast been born as a wolf".

Parāçara said:—Upon thus recollecting his former state the king renounced his life and was born again as a vulture. His loving queen again found him in that state called back to his memory his former condition. "O king" she cried out, "remember thy true self—do thou renounce this ugly form to which thou hast been condemned by the sin consequent upon thy conversing with a heretic". The king was next born as a crow and the princess making him out by virtue of her knowledge of the pristine birth thus spoke to her lord "O lord, thou art now being born as a crow eating the tributary grain, to whom, in a previous birth, all other kings paid tribute".

Parāçara said:—Being thus reminded of his former birth the king renounced the body and was born again as a peacock. Thereupon the beautiful princess began to pet him and feed him with such food as is agreeable to the peacocks. Thereupon the king, Janaka, undertook the celebration of a mighty horse sacrifice. In the ablutions with which it ended the princess caused his peacock to be bathed, bathing also herself. She then reminded Shatadhanu how he had been successively born as various animals. One recollecting this he renounced his life. He was then born as the son of the high-souled king Janaka.

Then the princess, having a slender person, expressed her desire to her father to be wedded. Her father too announced for a Swayambara. When all had assembled at that meeting that chaste damsel found out her (former) lord and again elected him as her husband. The prince lived happily with her and on the death of her father ruled over the country of Videha. He celebrated many sacrifices and distributed many gifts and begot sons and defeated many enemies in war. Having ruled duly and cherished the earth that king renounced his life in battle as became the warrior caste. The princess again followed him in death and in agreement with sacred precepts once more mounted cheerfully his funeral pyre. Thereupon the king, with the princess, attained to the regions beyond the region of Indra, where all desires are for ever satisfied, obtaining eternal and unequalled bliss in heaven, the consummate happiness that is the reward of conjugal fidelity which is hardly attained.

I have thus described to you, O Maitreya, the sin consequent upon conversing with a heretic and effects of bathing after the solemn sacrifice of a horse. A man should therefore carefully avoid the conversation or coming in contact with a heretic especially at seasons of devotion and when engaged in the performance of the religious rites before a sacrifice. The prudent should look at the sun after seeing a person in whose house domestic ceremonies have been neglected for a month. And there is the greatest need of expiation if they meet persons who live upon other's rice and who have wholly abandoned the Vedas and who dispute the doctrines of sacred writings. A man should not even talk with heretics, those who do forbidden acts, pretended saints, scoundrels, sceptics and hypocrites; communication with such sinful wretches ever at a distance, all association with schismatics pollutes a man; a man should therefore carefully avoid them.

These are the persons, O Maitreya, called naked, the meaning of which term you wanted me to explain. If they witness a Srāddha ceremony that becomes fruitless—communication with whom spoils the piety of one day. These are the heretics with whom the wise should not converse—and speaking to whom destroys the virtue he might have obtained that day. Men fall into hell if they converse with them who uselessly assume the twisted hair and shaven head, who eat without offering food to gods, spirits and guest and those who do not offer cakes and libation of water to their manes.

THE END OF PART III.