good conduct is wonderful, ancient, immutable and eternal;
and wise men observing this virtue with holiness,
attain to heaven. These men who believe in the
existence of the Deity, who are free from false pride,
and versed in holy writ, and who respect regenerate
(twice-born) men, go to heaven. Among holy men,
virtue is differentiated in three ways—that
great virtue which is inculcated in the Vedas, the
other which is inculcated in the dharmashastras (the
minor scriptures), and virtuous conduct. And
virtuous conduct is indicated by acquisition of knowledge,
pilgrimage to sacred places, truthfulness, forbearance,
purity and straight-forwardness. Virtuous men
are always kind to all creatures, and well-disposed
towards regenerate men. They abstain from doing
injury to any creature, and are never rude in speech.
Those good men who know well the consequences of the
fruition of their good and evil deeds, are commended
by virtuous men. Those who are just and good-natured,
and endowed with virtue, who wish well of all creatures,
who are steadfast in the path of virtue, and have
conquered heaven, who are charitable, unselfish and
of unblemished character, who succour the afflicted,
and are learned and respected by all, who practise
austerities, and are kind to all creatures, are commended
as such by the virtuous. Those who are charitably
disposed attain prosperity in this world, as also the
regions of bliss (hereafter). The virtuous man
when solicited for assistance by good men bestow alms
on them by straining to the utmost, even to the deprivation
of the comforts of his wife and servants. Good
men having an eye to their own welfare, as also virtue
and the ways of the world, act in this way and thereby
grow in virtue through endless ages. Good persons
possessing the virtues of truthfulness, abstention
from doing injury to any one, rectitude, abstention
from evil towards any one, want of haughtiness, modesty,
resignation, self-restraint, absence of passion, wisdom,
patience, and kindness towards all creatures, and freedom
from malice and lust, are the witnesses of the world.
These three are said to constitute the perfect way
of the virtuous, viz., a man must not do wrong
to any body, he must bestow alms, and must always be
truthful. Those high-souled good men of virtuous
conduct, and settled convictions, who are kind to
all and are full of compassion, depart with contentment
from this world to the perfect way of virtue.
Freedom from malice, forbearance, peace of mind, contentment,
pleasant speech, renunciation of desire and anger,
virtuous conduct and actions regulated according to
the ordinances of holy writ, constitute the perfect
way of the virtuous. And those who are constant
in virtue follow these rules of virtuous conduct,
and having reached the pinnacle of knowledge, and discriminating
between the various phases of human conduct, which
are either very virtuous or the reverse, they escape
from the great danger. Thus, O great Brahmana,
having introduced the subject of virtuous conduct,
have I described to thee all this, according to my
own knowledge and to what I have heard on the subject.”