suppression of heedlessness, contentment, living by one’s own self,—­these are said to constitute supreme excellence.  The study of the Vedas, and of their branches, according to the well-known rules, and all enquiries and pursuits having for their sake the acquisition of knowledge,—­these, without doubt, are excellent.  One desirous of achieving what is excellent should never enjoy sound and form and taste and touch and scent, to excess and should not enjoy them for their sake alone.  Wandering in the night, sleep during the day, indulgence in idleness, roguery, arrogance, excessive indulgence and total abstention from all indulgence in objects of the senses, should be relinquished by one desirous of achieving what is excellent.[1467] One should not seek self-elevation by depreciating others.  Indeed, one should, by one’s merits alone, seek distinction over persons that are distinguished but never over those that are inferior.  Men really destitute of merit and filled with a sense of self-admiration depreciate men of real merit, by asserting their own virtues and affluence.  Swelling with a sense of their own importance, these men, when none interferes with them (for bringing them to a right sense of what they are), regard themselves to be superior to men of real distinction.  One possessed of real wisdom and endued with real merits, acquires great fame by abstaining from speaking ill of others and from indulging in self-praise.  Flowers shed their pure and sweet fragrance without trumpeting forth their own excellence.  Similarly, the effulgent Sun scatters his splendours in the firmament in perfect silence.  After the same manner those men blaze in the world with celebrity who by the aid of their intelligence, cast off these and similar other faults and who do not proclaim their own virtues.  The fool can never shine in the world by bruiting about his own praise.  The man, however, of real merit and learning obtains celebrity even if he be concealed in a pit.  Evil words, uttered with whatsoever vigour of voice die out (in no time).  Good words, uttered however softly, blaze forth in the world.  As the Sun shows his fiery form (in the gem called Suryakanta), even so the multitude of words, of little sense, that fools filled with vanity utter, display only (the meanness of) their hearts.  For these reasons, men seek the acquisition of wisdom of various kinds.  It seems to me that of all acquisitions that of wisdom is the most valuable.  One should not speak until one is asked; nor should one speak when one is asked improperly.  Even if possessed of intelligence and knowledge, one should still sit in silence like an idiot (until one is asked to speak and asked in proper form).  One should seek to dwell among honest men devoted to righteousness and liberality and the observance of the duties of their own order.  One desirous of achieving what is excellent should never dwell in a place where a confusion occurs in the duties of the several orders.[1468] A person may