225. 'A TEACHER of the Véda is the image ⚫ of God; a natural father, the image of BRAH'MA'; a mother, the image of the earth; an ' elder whole brother, the image of the foul: 6 226. Therefore, a fpiritual and a natural father, a mother, and an elder brother, are not to be treated with difrefpect, especially by a Brahmen, though the ftudent be grievously ' provoked. 227. That pain and care, which a mother ' and father undergo in producing and rearing children, cannot be compenfated in an hundred years. 228. Let every man conftantly do what may please his parents, and on all occasions what may please his preceptor: when those three are fatisfied, his whole course of devotion is 'accomplished. 229. 'Due reverence to those three is confidered as the higheft devotion; and without ⚫ their approbation he must perform no other duty. 230. Since they alone are held equal to 'the three worlds; they alone, to the principal orders; they alone, to the three Védas; they ' alone, to the three fires: 231. • The natural father is confidered as the •gárhapatya, or nuptial fire; the mother, as the 6 dacfbina, or ceremonial; the fpiritual guide, as • the ábavaniya, or facrificial: this triad of fires is moft venerable. 232. 'He, who neglects not thofe three, when he becomes a housekeeper will ultimately ob'tain dominion over the three worlds; and, his "body being irradiated like a God, he will enjoy fupreme bliss in heaven. 233. By honouring his mother he gains this ' terreftrial world; by honouring his father, the intermediate, or etherial; and, by affiduous at'tention to his preceptor, even the celestial world ' of BRAHMA': 234. • All duties are completely performed by that man, by whom those three are completely 'honoured; but to him, by whom they are dif 'honoured, all other acts of duty are fruit'lefs. 235. 'As long as thofe three live, fo long he must perform no other duty for his own fake; but, delighting in what may conciliate their af'fections and gratify their wishes, he must from day to day affiduously wait on them: 236. Whatever duty he may perform in thought, word, or deed, with a view to the * next world, without derogation from his respect to them, he muft declare to them his en⚫tire performance of it. 237. By honouring those three, without more, a man effectually does whatever ought to be done: this is the highest duty, appearing ⚫ before us like DHERMA himself, and every ' other act is an Upadherma, or subordinate duty. 238. A believer in fcripture may receive pure knowledge even from a Súdra; a leffon of the highest virtue, even from a Chándala; ' and a woman bright as a gem, even from the • basest family: 239. Even from poison may nectar be taken; ' even from a child, gentleness of speech; even 'from a foe, prudent conduct; and even from an impure fubftance, gold. 240. From every quarter, therefore, must ⚫ be selected women bright as gems, knowledge, virtue, purity, gentle speech, and various liberal arts. 241. IN cafe of neceffity, a ftudent is required to learn the Véda from one who is not a Bráhmen, and, as long as that inftruction con'tinues, to honour his inftructor with obfequious affiduity; 242. But a pupil, who feeks the incompa'rable path to heaven, fhould not live to the end of his days in the dwelling of a preceptor, ' who is no Brahmen, or who has not read all the • Védas with their Angas. 243. 'If he anxiously desire to pass his whole life in the house of a facerdotal teacher, he 'must serve him with affiduous care, till he be ' releafed from his mortal frame: 244.That Brahmen, who has dutifully at'tended his preceptor till the diffolution of his 'body, paffes directly to the eternal mansion of • God. 6 245. LET not a ftudent, who knows his duty, present any gift to his preceptor before his return home; but when, by his tutor's permiffion, he is going to perform the ceremony on his return, let him give the venerable man ' fome valuable thing to the best of his power; 246. A field, or gold, a jewel, a cow, or a horse, an umbrella, a pair of sandals, a stool, corn, cloths, or even any very excellent vege'table: thus will he gain the affectionate re'membrance of his inftructor. 6 247. 'The student for life muft, if his teacher die, attend on his virtuous fon, or his widow, ' or on one of his paternal kinfmen, with the 'fame respect, which he showed to the liv'ing: 248. Should none of those be alive, he must Occupy the station of his preceptor, the feat, and the place of religious exercises; must continually pay due attention to the fires, which he |