Sacred Texts Hinduism Index Previous Next
1. In order to obtain wealth and for the sake of security he shall apply to a lord.
2. He must not travel alone; 3. Nor with wicked companions; 4. Nor withSûdras; 5. Nor with enemies; 6. Nor too early in the morning; 7. Nor too late in the evening; 8. Nor in the twilight; [9. Nor at noon; 10. Nor near water;] 11. Nor in too great a hurry; 12. Nor at night
13. Nor (let him travel) without cessation with (horses or other) beasts of draught that are quite young, diseased, or (otherwise) afflicted;
14. Nor with such as are deficient in limb; 15. Nor with weak ones; 16. Nor with young bulls; 17. Nor with untrained animals.
18. He must not appease his hunger and allay his thirst without having first given grass and water to the animals.
19. He must not stop at a place where four ways meet; 20. Nor at night at the root of a tree: 21. Nor in an empty house; 22. Nor upon a meadow; 23. Nor in a stable;
24. Nor (must he stand) on hair, on the husks of grain, on potsherds, on bones, on ashes, or coal;
25. Nor on seeds of the cotton plant.
26. When he passes by a place where four ways meet, let him turn his right side towards it.
27. And let him do the same in passing by the image of a deity;
28. And in passing by well-known large trees.
29. After having seen a fire, or a Brâhmana (with his turban on), or a public prostitute, or a jar filled (with water), or a looking-glass, or an umbrella, or a flag, or a banner[1], or a Bèl tree, or a lid (or platter), or a palace built in the shape of a certain diagram (or in the form of a quadrangle without a western gate)[2];
30. Or a fan, or a chowrie, or a horse, or an elephant, or a goat, or a cow (having a calf), or sour milk, or milk, or honey, or white mustard;
31. Or a lute, or sandal-wood, or a weapon, or fresh cow-dung, or fruit, or a flower, or a fresh pot-herb, or Gorokanâ, or blades of Dûrvâ grass;
32. Or a turban, or ornaments, or jewels, or gold, or silver, or clothes, or a seat, or a vehicle, or (raw) meat;
33. Or a golden vase, or cultivated land which is being carried away (by a stream), or a single (bull or other) piece of cattle tied with a rope, or an unmarried damsel (clad in white), or a (boiled) fish, (let him turn his right side towards them and) go on.
34. Having seen one intoxicated, or insane, deformed, he must or turn back;
35. (Also, if he has seen) one who has vomited, or one who has been purged, or one who has had his head shorn, or one who wears all his hair tied in one knot, or a dwarf;
36. Or (if he has seen) one wearing a dress (of a reddish-yellow colour) dyed with Kashâya[1], or an ascetic, or one smeared[2] (with ashes)[3];
37. Or (if he has seen) oil, or sugar, or dry cow-dung, or fire-wood, or grass (other than Kusa or Dûrvâ grass), or Palâsa (and other leaves, other than betel leaves), ashes, or coal[1];
38. Or (if he has seen) salt, or a eunuch, or (the spirituous liquor called) Âsava, or an impotent man, or cotton cloth, or a rope, or an iron chain for the feet, or a person with dishevelled hair.
39. (If he sees), while about to begin a journey, a lute, or sandal-wood, or fresh pot-herbs, or a turban, or an Ornament, or an unmarried damsel, he must praise them.
40. He must not (knowingly) step on (or step over, or stand on) the shade of the image of a deity, of a (learned) Brâhmana, of a spiritual teacher, of a brown (bull or other animal), or of one by whom the initiatory ceremony at a Soma-sacrifice has been performed.
41. Nor (must he step) on anything spat out or vomited, nor on blood, nor on fæces or urine, nor on water used for ablutions.
42. He must not step over a rope to which a calf (or a cow) is tied.
43. He must not walk quickly in the rain.
44. He must not cross a river without need;
45. Nor without having previously offered an oblation of water to the gods and to the manes;
46. Nor (swimming) with his arms;
47. Nor in a leaky vessel.
48. He must not stand on the bank (of a river).
49. He must not gaze into a pool.
50. He must not cross it (by swimming through it, or in any other way).
51. Way must be made for an aged man, for one carrying a burden, for a king, for a Snâtaka (of any of the three kinds[1]), for a woman, for a sick person, for a bridegroom, and for one riding in a carriage. Among those, should they all meet, a king must be
honoured by the rest (excepting the Snâtaka); but the king himself must show honour to a Snâtaka.