he syllable Om. In
the case of a Kshatriya, such declaration should be without the utterance
of syllable Om. In the rites performed by a Vaisya, the words that should
be uttered, instead of being the syllable Om, are,--Let the deities be
gratified.[223]--Listen now to me as I tell thee the rites that should be
performed, one after another, conformably to the ordinances, (in respect
of all the orders). All the rites that go by the name of Jatakarma, O
Bharata, are indispensable in the case of all the three orders (that are
regenerate). All these rites, O Yudhishthira, in the case of both
Brahmanas and Kshatriyas as also in that of Vaisyas are to be performed
with the aid of mantras. The girdle of a Brahmana should be made of Munja
grass. That for one belonging to the royal order should be a bowstring.
The Vaisya's girdle should be made of the Valwaji grass. Even this is
what has been laid down in the scriptures. Listen now to me as I expound
to thee what constitutes the merits and faults of both givers and
recipients of gifts. A Brahmana becomes guilty of a dereliction of duty
by uttering a falsehood. Such an act on his part is sinful. A Kshatriya
incurs four times and a Vaisya eight times the sin that a Brahmana incurs
by uttering a falsehood. A Brahmana should not eat elsewhere, having been
previously invited by a Brahmana. By eating at the house of the person
whose invitation has been posterior in point of time, he becomes inferior
and even incurs the sin that attaches to the slaughter of an animal on
occasions other than those of sacrifices.[224] So also, if he eats
elsewhere after having been invited by a person of the royal order or a
Vaisya, he falls away from his position and incurs half the sin that
attaches to the slaughter of an animal on occasions other than those of
sacrifices. That Brahmana, O king, who eats on occasions of such rites as
are performed in honour of the deities or the Pitris by Brahmanas and
Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, without having performed his ablutions, incurs
the sin of uttering an untruth for a cow. That Brahmana, O king, who eats
on occasions of similar rites performed by persons belonging to the three
higher orders, at a time when he is impure in consequence either of a
birth or a death among his cognates, through temptation, knowing well
that he is impure incurs the same sin.[225] He who lives upon wealth
obtained under false pretences like that of sojourns to sacred places or
who solicit