for a month the text főmáraudra or the three texts áryamna, while he bathes in a facred • ftream.

256. A grievous offender muft repeat the feven verfes, beginning with INDRA, for half 'a year; and he, who has defiled water with any impurity, must fit a whole year subsisting by alms.

257. 'A twiceborn man, who fhall offer • clarified butter for a year, with eight texts ap'propriated to eight feveral oblations, or with the text na mé, fhall efface a fin even of an 'extremely high degree.

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258. He, who had committed a crime of 'the first degree, fhall be abfolved, if he attend

a herd of kine for a year, mortify his organs, and continually repeat the texts beginning • with pávamání, living folely on food given in charity:

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259. Or, if he thrice repeat a Sanhitá of 'the Védas, or a large portion of them with all the mantras and brahmanas, dwelling in a foreft with fubdued organs, and purified by three parácas, he fhall be fet free from all fins how 'heinous foever.

260. Or he fhall be releafed from all deadly fins, if he faft three days, with his members mortified, and twice a day plunge into water, thrice repeating the text aghamarshana:

261. As the facrifice of a horse, the king of facrifices, removes all fins, thus the text aghamarshana deftroys all offences.

mory

262. A priest who should retain in his methe whole Rigvéda, would be absolved 'from guilt, even if he had flain the inhabitants of the three worlds, and had eaten food from the fouleft hands.

263.

By thrice repeating the mantras and • brahmanas of the Rich, or those of the Yajush, or thofe of the Sáman, with the upanishads, he • fhall perfectly be cleanfed from every poffible

• taint :

264. As a clod of earth, caft into a great lake, finks in it, thus is every finful act fubmerged in the triple Véda.

265. The divifions of the Rich, the feveral branches of the Yajush, and the manifold ftrains of the Sáman must be confidered as forming the triple Véda: he knows the Véda, • who knows them collectively.

266. The primary triliteral fyllable, in which the three Védas themselves are comprised, must be kept fecret, as another triple • Véda: he knows the Veda, who diftinelly knows the myftick fenfe of that word.'

CHAPTER THE TWELFTH.

On Tranfmigration and final Beatitude.

I.

O THOU, who art free from fin, said the devout fages, thou haft declared the whole 'fyftem of duties ordained for the four claffes of men: explain to us now, from the first principles, the ultimate retribution for their ' deeds.'

2. BHRIGU, whofe heart was the pure effence of virtue, who proceeded from MENU himself, thus addreffed the great fages: Hear the in'fallible rules for the fruit of deeds in this 'universe.

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3. ACTION, either mental, verbal, or cor

poreal, bears good or evil fruit, as itself is good

or evil; and from the actions of men proceed 'their various tranfmigrations in the higheft, • the mean, and the lowest degree:

4. Of that threefold action, connected with bodily functions, difpofed in three claffes, and confifting of ten orders, be it known in this ' world, that the heart is the inftigator.

5. Devifing means to appropriate the wealth of other men, refolving on any forbidden deed, and conceiving notions of atheism or materialifin, are the three bad acts of the ' mind:

6. Scurrilous language, falsehood, indifcri'minate backbiting, and ufelefs tattle, are the ' four bad acts of the tongue:

7. Taking effects not given, hurting fentient creatures without the fanction of law, and 'criminal intercourfe with the wife of another, are the three bad acts of the body; and all the ten have their oppofites, which are good in an equal degree.

8. A rational creature has a reward or

a punishment for mental acts, in his mind; • for verbal acts, in his organs of speech; for 'corporeal acts, in his bodily frame.

9. For finful acts mostly corporeal, a man fhall affume after death a vegetable or mi'neral form; for fuch acts moftly verbal, the form of a bird or a beaft; for acts mostly 'mental, the loweft of human conditions:

10. He, whofe firm understanding obtains ' a command over his words, a command over his thoughts, and a command over his whole • body, may justly be called a tridandì, or triple commander; not a mere anchoret, who bears three visible ftaves.

11. The man, who exerts this triple felfcommand with respect to all animated creatures, wholly fubduing both luft and wrath, 'fhall by thofe means attain beatitude.

12. THAT fubftance, which gives a power

of motion to the body, the wife call cfhétrajnya, or jívátman, the vital fpirit; and that • body, which thence derives active functions, they name bhutȧtman, or compofed of elements: 13. Another internal fpirit, called mabat, ' or the great foul, attends the birth of all crea'tures imbodied, and thence in all mortal 'forms is conveyed a perception either pleafing ' or painful.

14. Those two, the vital fpirit and reason'able foul, are clofely united with five elements, but connected with the fupreme fpirit, 'or divine effence, which pervades all beings 'high and low:

15. From the fubftance of that fupreme 'Spirit are diffused, like Sparks from fire, innu'merable vital fpirits, which perpetually give

'motion to creatures exalted and bafe.

16. By the vital fouls of thofe men, who 'have committed fins in the body reduced to afbes, another body, compofed of nerves with 'five fenfations, in order to be fufceptible of 'torment, fhall certainly be affumed after ' death;