ne who has not
studied the elements of Geometry or Algebra, cannot, however intelligent,
hope to understand at once a Proposition of the Principia or the theorem
of De Moivre. Failing to give the actual sense, I have contented myself
with giving a verbal translation.

894. Jatakarma is the ceremony that is performed with certain Vedic
mantras immediately after a child's birth. There are many such ceremonies
to be performed till Samavartana or return from the preceptor's home
after completion of the period of pupilage. These ceremonies are
necessarily such that they must be performed by the child's father or
somebody else whom the latter might call in.

895. In this country, no fees are charged for tuition. The pupil,
however, after completing his studies, may give his preceptor a final fee
which is determined by the choice of the preceptor himself and which
varies according to the means of the pupil leaving the preceptor's home
for his own.

896. By begetting children, one pays off one's debt to ancestors; by
studying the Vedas, one pays off one's debt to the Rishis; and by
performing sacrifices one pays off one's debt to the deities.

897. It is a deadly sin to take anything from the father-in-law or other
relatives (by marriage) of a daughter. What is got from such sources is,
to this day, spent freely. Those persons that sell their daughters in
marriage are universally reckoned as fallen.

898. The fact is, the duty of the householder obliges him to worship the
deities and the Pitris, and to become hospitable to the others named. The
Brahmana, however, has no ostensible means for discharging this duty. The
only means open to him is acceptance of gifts. In this case, acceptance,
therefore, for such ends is not productive of demerit.

899. Kritadapi is explained by the commentator as pakvannadapi.

900. The sense is that there is no gift which is too valuable for such
persons.

901. The first and the fourth verses are triplets in the Bengal texts.

902. These are, of course, religious acts.

903. In the Bengal texts verse 12 consists of one line. This, I think, is
correct. Verses 13, 14, 15, and 16 form one sentence. Verse 12 is
complete by itself. The udaka in kalodaka should be taken as meaning
stream or river otherwise ahoratrajalena would be pleonastic. Again
arthakamajalena, to avoid redundancy, should be taken as implying the
springs that supply the water. Vihinsa-taruvahina is, 'having benevolence
fo