O regenerate one, grieve not for me owing to my adhering to
the duties that belong to me by birth. Discharging the duties ordained
for me beforehand by the Creator, I carefully serve my superiors and the
old. O thou best of Brahmanas! I always speak the truth, never envy
others; and give to the best of my power. I live upon what remaineth
after serving the gods, guests, and those that depend on me. I never
speak ill of anything, small or great. O thou best of Brahmanas, the
actions of a former life always follow the doer. In this world there are
three principal professions, viz., agriculture, rearing of cattle, and
trade. As regards the other world, the three _Vedas_, knowledge, and the
science of morals are efficacious. Service (of the other three orders)
hath been ordained to be the duty of the Sudra. Agriculture hath been
ordained for the Vaisyas, and fighting for the Kshatriyas, while the
practice of the _Brahmacharya_ vow, asceticism, recitation of _mantras_,
and truthfulness have been ordained for the Brahmanas. Over subjects
adhering to their proper duties, the king should rule virtuously; while
he should set those thereto that have fallen away from the duties of
their order. Kings should ever be feared, because they are the lords of
their subjects. They restrain those subjects of theirs that fall away
from their duties as they restrain the motions of the deer by means of
their shafts. O regenerate _Rishi_, there existeth not in the kingdom of
Janaka a single subject that followeth not the duties of his birth.
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