The Brahmana who is
full of compassion, who is observant of candour, and whose birth is pure,
has been regarded as a person deserving of gifts. A person is said to be
pure in birth when he is born of mother that has only one husband and
that belongs to the same order to which her husband belongs. Indeed, such
a Brahmana, conversant with the three Vedas, viz., Rich, Yajush, and
Saman, possessed of learning, duly observant of the six duties (of
sacrificing on his own account, officiating at the sacrifices of others,
learning, teaching, making gifts, and receiving gifts), has been regarded
as deserving of gifts. Righteousness becomes unrighteousness, and
unrighteousness becomes righteousness, according to the character of the
doer, of time, and of place.[1640] Sin is cast off like the filth on
one's body,--a little with a little exertion and a greater quantity when
the exertion is greater. A person, after purging his bowels, should take
ghee, which operates most beneficially on his system (as a healthy
tonic). After the same manner, when one has cleansed oneself of all
faults and sets oneself to the acquisition of righteousness, that
righteousness, in the next world, proves to be productive of the highest
happiness. Good and evil thoughts exist in the minds of all creatures.
Withdrawing the mind from evil thoughts, it should always be directed
towards good thoughts. One should always reverence the practices of one's
own order. Do thou strive, therefore, to act in such a way that thou
mayst have faith in the practices of thy own order.
Pages:
2383
2384
2385
2386
2387
2388
2389
2390
2391
2392
2393
2394
2395
2396
2397
2398
2399
2400
2401
2402
2403
2404
2405
2406
2407