is immortal, should be regarded as both a father and a mother.  The disciple, in grateful recognition of what the instructor has done, should never do anything that would injure the latter.  They that do not reverence their preceptors after receiving instruction from them by obeying them dutifully in thought and deed, incur the sin of killing a foetus.  There is no sinner in this world like them.[333] Preceptors always show great affection for their disciples.  The latter should, therefore, show their preceptors commensurate reverence.  He, therefore, that wishes to earn that high merit which has existed from ancient days, should worship and adore his preceptors and cheerfully share with them every object of enjoyment.  With him who pleases his father is pleased Prajapati himself.  He who pleases his mother gratifies the earth herself.  He who pleases his preceptor gratifies Brahma by his act.  For this reason, the preceptor is worthy of greater reverence than either the father or the mother.  If preceptors are worshipped, the very Rishis, and the gods, together with the Pitris, are all pleased.  Therefore, the preceptor is worthy of the highest reverence.  The preceptor should never be disregarded in any manner by the disciple.  Neither the mother nor the father deserves such regard as the preceptor.  The father, the mother, and the preceptor, should never be insulted.  No act of theirs should be found fault with.  The gods and the great Rishis are pleased with him that behaves with reverence towards his preceptors.  They that injure in thought and deed their preceptors, or fathers, or mothers, incur the sin of killing a foetus.  There is no sinner in the world equal to them.  That son of the sire’s loins and the mother’s womb, who, being brought up by them and when he comes to age, does not support them in his turn, incurs the sin of killing a foetus.  There is no sinner in the world like unto him.  We have never heard that these four, viz., he who injures a friend, he who is ungrateful, he who slays a woman, and he who slays a preceptor, ever succeed in cleansing themselves.  I have now told thee generally all that a person should do in this world.  Besides those duties that I have indicated, there is nothing productive of greater felicity.  Thinking of all duties, I have told thee their essence.’”

SECTION CIX

“Yudhishthira said, ’How, O Bharata, should a person act who desires to adhere to virtue?  O bull of Bharata’s race, possessed as thou art of learning, tell me this, questioned by me.  Truth and falsehood exist, covering all the worlds.  Which of these two, O king, should a person adopt that is firm in virtue?  What again is truth?  What is falsehood?  What, again, is eternal virtue?  On what occasions should a person tell the truth, and on what occasions should he tell an untruth?’