e, men that are procrastinating, men
that are indolent, and men that are flatterers. O sire, crowned with
prosperity and leading the life of a householder, let these four dwell
with thee, viz., old consanguineous relatives, high-born persons fallen
into adversity, poor friends, and issueless sisters. On being asked by
the chief of the celestials, Vrihaspati, O mighty king declared four
things capable of fructifying or occurring within a single day, viz., the
resolve of the gods, the comprehensions of intelligent persons, the
humility of learned men, and the destruction of the sinful. These four
that are calculated to remove fear, bring on fear when they are
improperly performed, viz., the Agni-hotra, the vow of silence, study,
and sacrifice (in general). O bull of the Bharata race, these five fires,
should be worshipped with regard by a person, viz., father, mother, fire
(proper), soul and preceptor. By serving these five, men attain great
fame in this world, viz., the gods, the Pitris, men, beggars, and guests.
These five follow thee wherever thou goest, viz., friends, foes, those
that are indifferent, dependants, and those that are entitled to
maintenance. Of the five senses beholding to man, if one springeth a
leak, then from that single hole runneth out all his intelligence, even
like water running out from a perforated leathern vessel. The six faults
should be avoided by a person who wisheth to attain prosperity, viz.,
sleep, drowsiness, fear, anger, indolence and procrastination. These six
should be renounced like a splitting vessel in the sea, viz., a preceptor
that cannot expound the scriptures, a priest that is illiterate, a king
that is unable to protect, a wife that speaketh disagreeable words, a
cow-herd that doth not wish to go to the fields, and a barber that
wisheth to renounce a village for the woods. Verily, those six qualities
should never be forsaken by men, viz., truth, charity, diligence,
benevolence, forgiveness and patience. These six are instantly destroyed,
if neglected, viz., kine, service, agriculture, a wife, learning, and the
wealth of a Sudra. These six forget those who have bestowed obligations
on them, viz., educated disciples, their preceptors; married persons,
their mothers; persons whose desires have been gratified, women; they who
have achieved success, they who had rendered aid; they who have crossed a
river, the boat (that carried them over); and patients that have been
cured, their p