The same subject

Vayasa said Performing meritorious vows, ihe house holder, for the second period of his life, should live in his house, having married according to the ordinance and having established a fire.

Four kinds of conduct have been enunciated by the learned for the domestic mode of life. The first consists of keeping grain in store sufficient to last for three years. The second is of keeping a store to last for one year.

The thirds is of providing for the day without thinking of the borrow. The fourth consists of collecting grain like a pegion. Of these cach one is superior in merit to its predecessor as has been laid down by the scriptures.

Observing the first kind of conduct a householder may practise all the six well as known duties. He who observes the second kind of conduct should perform three only of these duties, namely learning, giving and taking. He who follows the third kind of conduct should practise only two of the duties (viz., learning, and giving and taking. He who follows the third kind of conduct should practise only two of duties (viz., learning, and giving). The householder practising the fourth mode of life should observe only one duty (viz., reading the scriptures).

The duties of the householder are all considered highly meritorious. The householder should never cook any food only for his own use; nor should lie kill animals (for food) except in sacrifices.

If a householder wishes to slay (for food), or to cut down a tree (for fuel), he should do both the acts according to the ritual laid down in the Yajur for that much is due to both animate and inanimate creation. The householder should never sleep during the day, or in the first or the last part of the night.

He should never take two meals between morning and evening, and should never call his wife to bed except in her season. In his house no Brahmana should be allowed to remain unfed or unadorned.

He should always adore such guests who present sacrificial offerings, who are cleansed by Vedic learning, who observe excellent vows, who are high-born and conversant with the scriptures, who are self-controlled, mindful of all religious acts, and devoted to penances. The scriptures hold that what is offered to the gods and the departed manes in sacrifices and religious rites, is meant for the service of guests like these.

In this mode of life. the scriptures hold that a portion of food, should be given to every creature, to one, who for the sake of show, keeps his nails and beard, to one who from pride shows what his own (religious) practises are, to one who has unduly abandoned his sacred fire, and even to one who has injured his preceptor. A house holder should give (food) to Brahmacharins and Sanyasins.

The house-holder, should every day eat Vighasa and ambrosia. Mixed with clarified butter, the remains of the food, which is offered in sacrifices, make ambrosia. That householder who eats after having fed his servants, is said to eat Vighasa. The food, which remains after the servants have been fed, is called Vighasa, and that which is left after the presentation of sacrificial offerings, is called Amrita.

A householder should be content with his own married wife. He should be selfcontrolled. He should avoid malice and control his senses.

He should never fall out with his sacrificial priest, ordinary, and preceptor, with his maternal uncle and guests and dependants, with the aged and the young, with those who suffer from diseases, with those who practise as physicians, with kinsmen, relatives, and friends, with his parents, with women who belong to his own paternal family, with his brother and son and wife, with his daughter, and with his servants.

By avoiding quarrels with these, the householder becomes purged of all sins. By conquering such disputes, he succeeds in conquering all the blessed regions. There is no doubt in this.

The preceptor is able to take one to the regions of Brahman. The father can take to the regions of Prajapati. The guest is powerful enough to lead to the region of Indra. The priest has the power to take to the regions of the celestials. Female relatives on the father's side have power over the regions of the Apsaras, and blood relatives over the regions of the Vishvedevas.

Relation by marriage and collateral kinsmen have power over the several quarters of the horizon (viz., north, etc.) and the mother and the maternal uncle have power over the Earth. The old, the young, the afflicted, the worn out have power over the firmament.

The eldest brother is like a father to all his younger brother). The wife and the son are one's own body. One's menial servants are his shadow. The daughter is an object of great love.

Therefore a householder, gifted with learning, observant of duties and endued with endurance, should hear without excitement or anxiety every sort of annoyance and even censure from the last-named relatives.

No pious householder should do any act, out of consideration for money. There are three courses of duly attached to the domestic mode of a life. Of these every succeeding one is more meritorious than the preceding one.

The same rule of merit holds good regarding the four modes of life also viz., every succeeding one is superior to the one preceding it.

That kingdom becomes prosperous where these highly deserving persons dwell viz., those who live like householders according to the Kumbhadhanya method, they who live according to the Uncha method, and they who live according to the Kapoti method.

That man, who cheerfully lives like a householder, observing those duties, succeeds in sanctifying ten generations of his ancestors above and ten generations below.

A householder, duly observing the duties of domestic life, acquires what gives in the end happiness, equal to what takes place in the regions attained by great kings and emperors. Even such is the end of those who have controlled their senses.

Heaven has been ordained for all great householders. That heaven is filled with charming cars for each. Even that is the charming heaven described in the Vedas.

The regions of heaven form the high mead for all householders of controlled minds. The Self-born Brahma ordained that the domestic life, should secure heaven, and since it has been so ordained, a person, by gradually following the second mode of life, obtains happiness in heaven.

After this comes that high and superior mode of life, called the third, for those that are desirous of renouncing their bodies. Superior to that of householders is the life of hermits,-who reduce their bodies into skeletons overlaid with dried skins. Listen as I describe to this subject to you further more.