s. Those men who,
impelled by desire in their hearts, cast their eyes on naked women, those
men of wicked deeds take birth in this world to pass their whole lives in
one continuous disease. Those men of foolish and wicked deeds who indulge
in sexual congress with women of orders different from their own,--those
men of little wisdom,--have to take birth in their next lives as persons
destitute of virility. Those men who cause animals to be slain, and those
who violate the beds of their preceptors, and those who indulge
promiscuously in sexual congress, have to take birth in their next lives
as persons destitute of the virile power."

"'"'Uma said, "What acts, O foremost of the deities, are faulty, and what
acts are faultless? What, indeed, are those acts by doing which a man
succeeds in attaining to what is for your highest good?"

"'"'Maheswara said, "That man who is desirous of ascertaining what is
righteousness, and who wishes to acquire prominent virtues and
accomplishments, and who always puts questions to the Brahmanas with a
view to find out the path that leads to his highest good, succeed in
ascending to Heaven. If (after exhaustion of his merit) he takes birth in
the order of humanity, he becomes endued with intelligence and memory and
great wisdom. This, O goddess, is the line of conduct that the righteous
are to follow and that is fraught with great benefit. I have told thee of
it for the good of human beings."

"'"'Uma said, "There are men who hate righteousness and who are possessed
of little understanding. They never wish to approach Brahmanas conversant
with the Vedas. There are others who are observant of vows and who are
devoted to the duty of performing Sraddhas. Others, again, are destitute
of all vows. They are unmindful of observance and are like Rakshasas in
conduct. Some there are who are devoted to the performance of sacrifices
and some who are unmindful of the Homa. Through the consequences of what
acts do men become possessed of These different natures?"

"'"'Maheswara said, "Through the Vedas, the limits have been assigned of
all the acts of human beings. Those men that conduct themselves according
to the authority of the Vedas, are seen (in their next lives) to become
devoted to the observance of vows. Those men, however, who having become
subject to the sway of folly accept unrighteousness for its reverse,
become destitute of vows, transgress all restraints, and come to be
regarded as Brah