The anchorite is to beg food, but only once a day; if it is not given to him, he must not be sorrowful, and if he receives it he must not be glad; he is to meditate on the “subtle indivisible essence of the Supreme Being,” he is to be careful not to destroy the life of the smallest insect, and he must make atonement for the death of those which he has ignorantly destroyed by making six suppressions of his breath, repeating at the same time the triliteral syllable A U M. He will thus at last become united with the Eternal Spirit, and his good deeds will be inherited by those who love him, and his evil deeds by those who hate him.

The Seventh Book relates to the duties of rulers.  One of these is to reward the good and punish the wicked.  The genius of punishment is a son of Brahma, and has a body of pure light.  Punishment is an active ruler, governs all mankind, dispenses laws, preserves the race, and is the perfection of justice.  Without it all classes would become corrupt, all barriers would fall, and there would be total confusion.  Kings are to respect the Brahmans, must shun vices, must select good counsellors and brave soldiers.  A King must be a father to his people.  When he goes to war he must observe the rules of honorable warfare, must not use poisoned arrows, strike a fallen enemy, nor one who sues for life, nor one without arms, nor one who surrenders.  He is not to take too little revenue, and so “cut up his own root”; nor too much, and so “cut up the root of others”; he is to be severe when it is necessary, and mild when it is necessary.

The Eighth Book relates to civil and criminal law.  The Raja is to hold his court every day, assisted by his Brahmans, and decide causes concerning debts and loans, sales, wages, contracts, boundaries, slander, assaults, larceny, robbery, and other crimes.  The Raja, “understanding what is expedient or inexpedient, but considering only what is law or not law,” should examine all disputes.  He must protect unprotected women, restore property to its rightful owner, not encourage litigation, and decide according to the rules of law.  These rules correspond very nearly to our law of evidence.  Witnesses are warned to speak the truth in all cases by the consideration that, though they may think that none see them, the gods distinctly see them and also the spirit in their own breasts.

   “The soul itself is its own witness, the soul itself is its own refuge;
   offend not thy conscious soul, the supreme internal witness of men.”

   “The fruit of every virtuous act which thou hast done, O good man,
   since thy birth, shall depart from thee to the dogs, if thou deviate
   from the truth.”

   “O friend to virtue, the Supreme Spirit, which is the same with
   thyself, resides in thy bosom perpetually, and is an all-knowing
   inspector of thy goodness or wickedness.”