20. I read 'tesham pari&uyaY with the majority of the MSS., instead of Krz'shwapaWita's ' tesha#z £a pari&irja.'
21. In illustration of this Sutra Kr/'sh«apa#£?ita quotes a verse of Laugakshi, which states that Brahmawas belonging to the Vasish/^a family wore the top-lock on the right side of the head, and the members of the Atri family allowed it to hang down on
12 VASISHTHA. 11,22.
22. Those who are unable to live by their own
lawful occupation may adopt (that of) the next in-
ferior (caste),
23. But never (that of a) higher (caste).
24. (A Brahmawa and a Kshatriya) who have re-
sorted to a Vai^ya's mode of living and maintain
themselves by trade (shall not sell) stones, salt,
hempen (cloth), silk, linen (cloth), and skins,
25. Nor any kind of dyed cloth,
26. Nor prepared food, flowers, fruit, roots, per-
fumes, substances (used for) flavouring (food) ; nor
water, the juice extracted from plants ; nor Soma,
weapons, poison ; nor flesh, nor milk, nor prepara-
tions from it, iron, tin, lac, and lead,
27. Now they quote also (the following verse):
' By (selling) flesh, lac, and salt a Brahmawa at once
becomes an outcast; by selling milk he becomes
(equal to) a ^udra after three days.'
28. Among tame animals those with uncloven
hoofs, and those that have an abundance of hair,
(must not be sold), nor any wild animals, (nor) birds,
nor beasts that have tusks (or fangs).
29. Among the various kinds of grain they men- tion sesamum (as forbidden).
both sides, while the Bhrzgus shaved their heads, and the Arigi- rasas wore five locks (ttid&) on the crown of the head. Cf. Max Miiller, Hist. Anc. Sansk. Lit, p. 53.
22. Vishnu II, 15.
24. For this and the following four Sutras, see Gautama VII, 8-21.
26. Rasd/fc, 'substances used for flavouring,' i.e. 'molasses, sugar-cane, sugar, and the like.' — Kr/hh»apa«</ila. See also note on Gautama VII, 9.
27. Identical with Manu X, 92.
29. Vishmi LIV, 18; Apastamba I, 7, 20, 13. Knshaapaarfta wrongly connects this Sutra with the preceding one.
Ii, 36. the Four Castes; Lawful Occupations. 13
30. Now they quote also (the following verse) :
' If he applies sesamum to any other purpose, but
food, anointing, and charitable gifts, he will be born
again as a worm and, together with his ancestors,
be plunged into his own ordure.'
31. Or, at pleasure, they may sell (sesamum), if they themselves have produced it by tillage.
32. For that purpose he shall plough before
breakfast with two bulls whose noses have not
been pierced.
33. (If he ploughs) in the hot season, he shall water (his beasts even in the morning).
34. The plough is attended by strong males, pro-
vided with a useful share and with a handle (to be
held) by the drinker of Soma ; that raises (for him)
a cow, a sheep, a stout damsel, and a swift horse for
the chariot.
35. The plough is attended by strong males, i.e.
is attended by strong men and bullocks, provided
with a useful share — for its share is useful (because)
with the share it raises, i. e. pierces deep — and pro-
vided with a handle for the drinker of Soma, — for
Soma reaches him, — possessing a handle for him.
That raises a cow, a sheep, goats, horses, mules,
donkeys and camels, and a stout damsel, i. e. a beau-
tiful, useful maiden in the flower of her youth.
36. For how could the plough raise (anything for him) if he did not sell grain ?
30. Manu X, 91. 31. Manu X, 90.
34. Va^asaneyi-sa/whita XII, 71. The translation follows the explanation given in the next Sutra as closely as possible, though the latter is without doubt erroneous. The purpose for which Vasish/Aa introduces it, is to show that a Vedic text permits agri- culture to a Br&hmawa who offers Soma-sacrifices.
14 Vasish3tha. 11,37-
37- Substances used for flavouring may be bar-
tered for (other) substances of the same kind, be it
for one more valuable or for one worth less.
38. But salt must never (be exchanged) for (other) substances used for flavouring (food).
39. It is permitted to barter sesamum, rice, cooked
food, learning, and slaves (each for its own kind and
the one for the other).
40. A Brihmawa and a Kshatriya shall not lend (anything at interest acting like) usurers.
41. Now they quote also (the following verses) :
' He who acquiring property cheap, gives it for a
high price, is called a usurer and blamed among
those who recite the Veda.'
42. ' (Brahman) weighed in the scales the crime
of killing a learned Brahma^a against (the crime of)
usury ; the slayer of the Brahma^a remained at the
top, the usurer sank downwards.'
43. Or, at pleasure, they may lend to a person
who entirely neglects his sacred duties, and is ex-
ceedingly wicked,
44. Gold (taking) double (its value on repayment, and) grain trebling (the original price).
37-39. Gautama VII, 16-21.
40. Manu X, 117. Kr/sh«apa«<fita reads with MS. B., vardhu- shiflz na dadyatSm, and explains it by vriddhim naiva prayo^a- yetdm, ' they shall not take interest.' I read with the other MSS. virdhushf, and translate that term by ' usurers.' Below, Sutra 42, v&rdhushi is used likewise in this its usual sense.
43. Manu X, 117.
44-47. Visrmu VI, 11-17; Colebrooke I, Dig. LXVI, where ' silver and gems ' have been added after gold, and rasa" A, 'flavour- ing substances/ been translated by ' fluids.' The translation differs also in other respects, because there the Sutras stand by them- selves, while here the nouns in Sutras 44 and 47 are governed by the preceding dadyatam, ' they may lend.' They, i. e. a Brdhmawa
11,50. the Four Castes; Lawful Occupations. 15
45. (The case of) flavouring substances has been explained by (the rule regarding) grain,
46. As well as (the case of) flowers, roots, and fruit.
47. (They may lend) what is sold by weight, (taking) eight times (the original value on repayment).
48. Now they quote also (the following verses) :
' Two in the hundred, three and four and five, as has
been declared in the Smmi, he may take as interest
by the month according to the order of the castes.'
49. ' But the king's death shall stop the interest on money (lent) ; '
50. ' And after the coronation of (a new) king the capital grows again.'
and a Kshatriya. The rule, of course, refers to other castes also, and to those cases where no periodical interest is taken, but the loan returned in kind.
47. The Ratnakara quoted by Colebrooke loc. cit. takes 'what is sold by weight ' to be ' camphor and the like.' Kr*'sh»apa#<fita thinks that ' clarified butter, honey, spirituous liquor, oil, molasses, and salt ' are meant. But most of- these substances fall under the term rasaA, 'flavouring substances.' The proper explanation of the words seems to be, ' any other substance not included among those mentioned previously, which is sold by weight.'
48. Vishmi VI, 2, and especially ManuVIII, 142. The lowest rate of interest is to be taken from the highest caste, and it becomes greater with decreasing respectability. According to Kn'shwa- pawdita and the commentators on the parallel passage of Vishmi, Manu, and other Smr/tis, this rule applies only to loans for which no security is given— a statement which is doubtlessly correct.
49-50. Both the reading and the sense of this verse, which in some MSS. is wanting, are somewhat doubtful. I read with my best MSS.,
ra^a tu mr/tabhavena dravyavrz'ddhiw vinjIUayet \ pund r%abhisheke»a dravyamulawz £a vardhate \\ and consider that it gives a rule, ordering all money transactions to be stopped during the period which intervenes between the death of a king and the coronation of his successor. I am, how- ever, unable to point out any parallel passages confirming this
51. ' Hear the interest for a money-lender declared
by the words of VasishMa, five m£shas for twenty
(kirshcipawas may be taken every month) ; thus the
law is not violated.'
CHAPTER III. i. (Brihma/zas) who neither study nor teach the
Veda nor keep sacred fires become equal to
2. And they quote a verse of Manu on this (sub-
ject), 'A twice-born man, who not having studied the
Veda applies himself to other (and worldly study),
soon falls, even while living, to the condition of a
•Sttdra, and his descendants after him.'
3. '(A twice-born man) who does not know the
view. KrjshttapawdTita's text shows two important various readings, ' bhrztibhSvena ' and ' ra^abhishikena,' which I think are merely conjectures, unsupported by the authority of MSS. He explains the verse as follows : ' The king shall destroy, i.e. himself not take, the interest on money by giving [it away] as a salary. But, after thus giving away interest received, he may increase his capital by [an extra tax imposed on] the cultivators, i. e. take from them the highest rate, consisting of one-fourth of the produce.'
51. Gautama XII, 29; Colebrooke I, Dig. XXIV. The rule given in this Sutra refers, as Knsh#apa«</ita correctly states, to loans, for which security is given. The rate is i^ per cent for the month, or 1 5 per annum ; see the note to Gautama loc. cit. Manu, VIII, 140, especially mentions that this rate is prescribed by Vasish/^a.
III. i. I read Sudrasadharma'wa^, 'equal to .Sudras,' instead of judrakarma«a^, which occurs in MS. B. only. Krzsh«apa«<fita explains the latter reading by judravatkarma yeshu te judravatte- shva^arawtyamityartha^, ' shall be treated like Sudras.' But the verses quoted in the following Sutras show that the former reading is the better one.
2. Identical with Manu II, 168.
3. This and the following nine verses are, as the word 'id,1 which the best MSS. give at the end of Sutra 12, quotations.
Ill, 8. THE DUTY OF STUDYING THE VEDA. 1 7
Veda (can)not be (called) a Brahma»a, nor he who
lives by trade, nor he who (lives as) an actor, nor he
who obeys a .Sttdra's commands, nor (he who like) a
thief (takes the property of others), nor he who makes
his living by the practice of medicine.'
4. ' The king shall punish that village where
Brahma«as, unobservant of their sacred duties and
ignorant of the Veda, subsist by begging; for it
feeds robbers.'
5. ' Many thousands (of Brahmawas) cannot form
a (legal) assembly (for declaring the sacred law), if
they have not fulfilled their sacred duties, are unac-
quainted with the Veda, and subsist only by the name
of their caste.'
6. ' That sin which dunces, perplexed by ignorance
and unacquainted with the sacred law, declare (to be
duty) shall fall, increased a hundredfold, on those
who propound it.'
7. ' What four or (even) three (Brahmawas) who
have completely studied the Vedas proclaim, that
must be distinctly recognised as the sacred law, not
(the decision) of a thousand fools/
8. ' Offerings to the gods and to the manes must always be given to a .Srotriya alone. For gifts
Anrrk, ' who does not know the Veda,' means, literally, ' unac- quainted with the 7?/g-veda.'
5. This verse, which is identical with Manu XII, 114, and the next two are intended to show that a Brahma«a who neglects the study of the Veda, is unfit to decide points of the sacred law, which are not settled either by the Smmi or the .Sruti, and become a member of a parishad or ' Paw£.'
6. The verse contains a better version of Manu XII, 115.
7. Regarding the term VedapSraga, see Gautama V, 20, note. Itaresham, 'fools,' means literally, 'different from (those who have mastered the Vedas).'
CM] c
l8 VASISHTHA. Ill, 9.
bestowed on a man unacquainted with the Veda, reach neither the ancestors nor the gods.'
9. ' If a fool lives even in one's house and a (Brah-
ma»a) deeply learned in the Veda lives at a great
distance, the learned man shall receive the gift. The
sin of neglecting (a Brahma^a is not incurred) in (the
case of) a fool.'
i.o. ' The offence of neglecting a Bralimawa cannot
be committed against a twice-born man who is igno-
rant of the Veda. For (in offering sacrifices) one
does not pass by a brilliant fire and throw the obla-
tions into ashes..'
1 1. ' An elephant made of wood, an antelope made
of leather, and a Brahma^a ignorant of the Veda, those
three have nothing but the name (of their kind).'
12. 'Those kingdoms, where ignorant men eat
the food of the learned, will be visited by drought ;
or (some other) great evil will befall (them)/
13. If anybody finds treasure (the owner of) which
is not known, the king shall take it, giving one sixth
to the finder.
14. If a Brahma»a who follows the six (lawful) occupations, finds it, the king shall not take it.
9-10. Regarding the crime of 'neglecting a Brahma«a/ see
Manu VIII, 392-393, where fines are prescribed for neglecting
to invite to dinner worthy neighbours and .Srotriyas.
