The gods of old are accepted by the orthodox as a matter of course, although theoretically they are born of the All-god, who is without the need of ceremonial rites.  To the other castes the active and most terrible deity is represented as being the priest himself.  He not only symbolizes the fire-god, to whom is offered the sacrifice, but he actually is the divinity in person.  Hence there is no greater merit than in giving gifts to priests.  As to eschatology, opinions are not contrasted any more.  They are put side by side.  In morality truth, purity, and harmlessness are chiefly inculcated.  But the last (ascribed by some scholars to Buddhistic influence) is not permitted to interfere with animal sacrifices.

Some of the rules for the life of a householder will show in brief the moral excellence and theoretical uncertainty of Manu’s law-code.  The following extracts are from the fourth, the Ten Commandments from the sixth, and the description of the hells (twenty-two in all)[31] from the fourth and twelfth books of Manu’s code.  These rules may be accepted as a true reflexion of what was taught to the people by stringent Brahmanism as yet holding aloof from Hinduism.

A householder must live without giving any pain (to living creatures).  He must perform daily the ceremonies ordained in the Veda.  In this way he obtains heaven.  Let him never neglect the offerings to seers, gods, spirits (sprites), men, and Manes.  Some offer sacrifice only in their organs of sense (not in external offerings); some by knowledge alone.  Let him not explain law and rites to the C[=u]dra (slave) caste; if he does so, he sinks into the hell Boundless.  Let him not take presents from an avaricious king who disobeys the law-codes; if he does so, he goes to twenty-one hells (called Darkness, Dense-darkness, Frightful, Hell, Thread of Death, Great Hell, Burning, Place of Spikes, Frying-pan, River of Hell, etc., etc., etc.).  Let him never despise a warrior, a snake, or a priest.  Let him never despise himself.  Let him say what is true and what is agreeable, but not disagreeable truth or agreeable false-hood.  Let him not dispute with anybody, but let him say ‘very well.’  Let him not insult anybody.  Remembering his former births, and studying the Veda again and again, he gets endless happiness.  Let him avoid unbelief and censure of the Vedas, reviling of gods, hatred, pride, anger, and cruelty.  He that even threatens a priest will go to the hell Darkness for one hundred years; if he strikes him he will be born in twenty-one sinful rebirths (according to another passage in the eleventh book he goes to hell for a thousand years for the latter offence).  Priests rule the world of gods.  But deceitful, hypocritical priests go to hell.  Let the householder give gifts, and he will be rewarded.  One that gives a garment gets a place in the moon; a giver of grain gets eternal happiness; a giver of the Veda gets union with Brahm[=a]