ull of faith;
they kept their wrath under control; they practised the virtue of
charity; they never envied others; they used to maintain their friends
and advisers, and their spouses; they were never jealous. Formerly, they
never assailed one another, filled with wrath. They were all contented
and never felt pain at the sight of other people's affluence and
prosperity. They were all charitable and economical; of respectable
conduct, and endued with compassion. They were excessively inclined to
grace, possessed of simplicity of conduct, steadfast in faith, and had
their passions under complete control. They used to keep their servants
and counsellors contented, and were grateful and endued with sweet
speech. They used to serve every one as each deserved in consequence of
his position and honour. They were endued with shame. They were of rigid
vows. They used to perform their ablutions on every sacred day. They used
to smear themselves properly with perfumes and auspicious unguents. They
were also to adorn their persons duly. They were observant of fasts and
penances, were trustful, and utterers of Vedic hymns. The Sun never rose
upon them while they lay asleep. They never outslept the moon. They
always abstained from curds and pounded barley. They used every morning
to look at clarified butter and other auspicious articles, and with
senses withdrawn they used to recite the Vedas and worship Brahmanas with
gifts. Their discourse was always virtuous, and they never accepted
gifts. They always went to sleep at midnight and never slept during the
day. They always used to take pleasure in showing compassion for the
distressed, the helpless, the aged, the weak, the sick, and women, and
enjoyed all their possessions by sharing these with them. They always
used to assume and comfort the agitated, the cheerless, the anxious, the
terrified, the diseased, the weak and emaciated, the robbed, and the
afflicted. They followed the dictates of virtue and never injured one
another. They were ready and well-disposed for action of every kind (that
deserved to be accomplished). They used to serve and wait with reverence
upon seniors and aged individuals. They duly worshipped Pitris, deities,
and guests, and ate every day what was left after gratifying these. They
were firmly devoted to truth and penances. None amongst them ate singly
any food that was good, and none had congress with other people's wives.
As regards compassion, they behaved t