man who, casting off all feelings of pride, humbly
waits upon and serves them that are venerable for age,
who is possessed of learning and destitute of lust,
who looketh upon all creatures with an eye of love,
who has no wealth, who is righteous in his acts, and
who is destitute of the desire of inflicting any kind
of harm (upon any one), that truly respectable man
is worshipped in this world by those that are good
and pious.’"[1521]
“Parasara said, ’The lowest order, it
is proper, should derive their sustenance from the
three other orders. Such service, rendered with
affection and reverence, makes them righteous.[1522]
If the ancestors of any Sudra were not engaged in
service, he should not still engage himself in any
other occupation (than service). Truly, he should
apply himself to service as his occupation. In
my opinion, it is proper for them to associate, under
all circumstances, with good men devoted to righteousness,
but never with those that are wicked. As in the
Eastern hills, jewels and metals blaze with greater
splendour in consequence of their adjacence to the
Sun, even so the lowest order blazes with splendour
in consequence of their association with the good.
A piece of white cloth assumes that hue with which
it is dyed. Even such is the case with Sudras.[1523]
Hence also, one should attach oneself to all good
qualities but never to qualities that are evil.
The life of human beings in this world is fleeting
and transitory. That wise man who, in happiness
as also in misery, achieves only what is good, is regarded
as a true observer of the scriptures. That man
who is endued with intelligence would never do an
act which is dissociated from virtue, however high
may the advantages be of that act. Indeed, such
an act is not regarded as truly beneficial. That
lawless king who, snatching thousands of kine from
their lawful owners, gives them away (unto deserving
persons), acquires no fruit (from that act of giving)
beyond an empty sound (expressive of the act he does).
On the other hand, he incurs the sin of theft.
The Self-born at first created the Being called Dhatri
held in universal respect. Dhatri created a son
who was engaged in upholding all the worlds.[1524]
Worshipping that deity, the Vaisya employs himself,
for the means of his support, in agriculture and the
rearing of cattle. The Kshatriyas should employ
themselves in the task of protecting all the other
classes. The Brahmanas should only enjoy.
As regards the Sudras, they should engage themselves
in the task of humbly and honestly collecting together
the articles that are to be offered in sacrifices,
and in cleaning altars and other places where sacrifices
are to be performed. If each order acts in this
way, righteousness would not suffer any diminution.
If righteousness is preserved in its entirety, all
creatures inhabiting the earth would be happy.
Beholding the happiness of all creatures on earth,
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