account of an animal, casteth down from heaven five of his sires of the ascending order.  He that speaketh a lie on account of a cow casteth down from heaven ten of his ancestors.  A lie on account of a horse causeth the downfall of a hundred; and a lie on account of a human being, the downfall of a thousand of one’s sires of the ascending order.  An untruth on account of gold ruineth the members of one’s race both born and unborn, while an untruth for the sake of land ruineth everything.  Therefore, never speak an untruth for the sake of land.’  Prahlada said, ’Angiras is superior to myself, and Sudhanwan is superior to thee, O Virochana.  Mother also of Sudhanwan is superior to thy mother; therefore, thou, O Virochana, hath been defeated by Sudhanwan.  This Sudhanwan is now the master of thy life.  But, O Sudhanwan, I wish that thou shouldst grant Virochana his life.’  Sudhanwan said, ’Since, O Prahlada, thou hast preferred virtue and hast not, from temptation, said an untruth, I grant thy son his life that is dear to thee.  So here is thy son Virochana, O Prahlada, restored by me to thee.  He shall, however, have to wash my feet in the presence of the maiden Kesini.’

“Vidura continued, ’For these reasons, O king of kings, it behoveth thee not to say an untruth for the sake of land.  Saying an untruth from affection for thy son, O king, hasten not to destruction, with all thy children and counsellors.  The gods do not protect men, taking up clubs in their hands after the manner of herdsmen; unto those, however, they wish to protect, they grant intelligence.  There is no doubt that one’s objects meet with success in proportion to the attention he directs to righteousness and morality.  The Vedas never rescue from sin a deceitful person living by falsehood.  On the other hand, they forsake him while he is on his death-bed, like newly fledged birds forsaking their nests.  Drinking, quarrels, enmity with large numbers of men, all connections with connubial disputes, and severance of relationship between husband and wife, internal dissensions, disloyalty to the king,—­these and all paths that are sinful, should, it is said, be avoided.  A palmist, a thief turned into a merchant, a fowler, a physician, an enemy, a friend, and a minstrel, these seven are incompetent as witness.  An Agnihotra performed from motives of pride, abstention from speech, practised from similar motives, study and sacrifice from the same motives,—­these four, of themselves innocent, become harmful when practised unduly.  One that setteth fire to a dwelling house, an administerer of poison, a pander, a vendor of the Soma-juice, a maker of arrows, an astrologer, one that injureth friends, an adulterer, one that causeth abortion, a violater of his preceptor’s bed, a Brahmana addicted to drink, one that is sharp-speeched, a raker of old sores, an atheist, a reviler of the Vedas, and taker of bribes, one whose investiture with the sacred thread has been delayed beyond the