t a time when one must speak rouses
suspicion, it would be better on such an occasion to say what is untrue
than what is true. This is a settled conclusion. If one can escape from
sinful men by even a (false) oath, one may take it without incurring sin.
One should not, even if one be able, give away his wealth to sinful men.
Wealth given to sinful men afflicts even the giver. If a creditor desires
to make his debtor pay off the loan by rendering bodily service, the
witnesses would all be liars, if, summoned by the creditor for
establishing the truth of the contract, they did not say what should be
said. When life is at risk, or on occasion of marriage, one may say an
untruth. One that seeks for virtue, does not commit a sin by saying an
untruth, if that untruth be said to save the wealth and prosperity of
others or for the religious purposes. Having promised to pay, one becomes
bound to fulfil his promise. Upon failure, let the self-appropriator be
forcibly enslaved. If a person without fulfilling a righteous engagement
acts with impropriety, he should certainly be afflicted with the rod of
chastisement for having adopted such behaviour.[339] A deceitful person,
falling away from all duties and abandoning those of his own order,
always wishes to betake himself to the practices of Asuras for supporting
life. Such a sinful wretch living by deceit should be slain by every
means. Such sinful men think that there is nothing in this world higher
than wealth. Such men should never be tolerated. No one should eat with
them. They should be regarded to have fallen down in consequence of their
sins. Indeed, fallen away from the condition of humanity and shut out
from the grace of the gods, they are even like evil genii. Without
sacrifices and without penances as they are, forbear from their
companionship. If their wealth be lost, they commit even suicide which is
exceedingly pitiable. Among those sinful men there is no one to whom thou
canst say, 'This is thy duty. Let thy heart turn to it.' Their settled
convictions are that there is nothing in this world that is equal to
wealth. The person that would slay such a creature would incur no sin. He
who kills him kills one that has been already killed by his own acts. If
slain, it is the dead that is slain. He who vows to destroy those persons
of lost senses should keep his vows.[340] Such sinners are, like the crow
and the vulture, dependent on deceit for their living. After the
dissol