189.  The Brahmana conversant with the Vedas is himself a god.  The Sudra, though incompetent to read the Vedas and utter Vedic mantras, has Prajapati for his god whom he can worship with rites other than those laid down in the Vedas.  The Brahmanas have Agni for their god, and the Kshatriyas, Indra.  Upadravah means a servant or attendant, hence, a Sudra.

190.  Sacrifices are performed by the body, by words, and by the mind.  The Brahmana can perform sacrifices by all the three.  The Kshatriya and the Vaisya cannot perform sacrifices by means of their bodies.  They must employ Brahmanas in their sacrifices.  These two orders, however, can utter mantras and perform mental sacrifices.  The Sudra alone cannot employ his body or utter mantras in sacrifices.  The holy sacrifice in his case is the mental sacrifice.  A mental sacrifice is a resolve to give away in honour of the gods or unto the gods without the aid of the Vedic ritual.  The resolve must be followed by actual gifts.

191. i.e.. for the Sudras also.

192.  All sacrificial fires, as a rule, are procured front the houses of Vaisyas.  The sacrificial fire of the Sudra is called Vitana.

193.  Though originally one, the Vedas have become diverse.  Similarly, from the Brahmana, who created first, all the rest have sprung.

194.  Literally, ‘with eyes, head, and face on all sides.’

195.  The sense seems to be that influenced by past acts everyone acts in subsequent lives.  If he is a hunter in this life, it is because the influence of many cruel acts of a past life pursues him even in this.

196.  Men, therefore, have not always balances of good acts to their credit.  These are, however, free agents; the new acts they do determine the character of their next lives.

197. i.e., Their services as priests should not be taken.

198.  Although I adopt Nilakantha’s explanation of Susrushu here, yet I think that word may be taken here, as elsewhere, to have been used in the sense of one doing (menial) service.

199.  The king is entitled to a sixth of the merits acquired by his subjects.  The total merit, therefore, of the king, arising from renunciation, is very great.  Besides, the merit of every kind of renunciation belongs to him in that way.

200. i.e., for ascertaining whether kingly duties are superior to those laid down for the several modes of life.

201.  Probably, in the sense of there being exceptions and limitations in respect to them.

202. i.e., ‘spread confusion on earth.’

203.  The sense seems to be that having failed, after such comparison, to resolve their doubts, they waited upon Vishnu.

204.  The Bengal reading satwatah seems to be an error.  The Bombay text has saswatah.

205.  Yama is explained by Nilakantha to mean Kshatriya dharmena.

206.  Nilakantha thinks that Lingantargatam means omniscient.  He is for taking this verse to mean—­’Listen now to those duties about which thou askest my omniscient self.’  Bhishma having acquired omniscience through Krishna’s boon, refers to it here.  The interpretation seems to be very far-fetched.