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294
SÚTRAKRITÂNGA.
Men die as embryos, or as babies who do not yet talk, or who do so already; other men, as boys wearing five tufts of hair 1, or as youths, or in middle age: at the expiration of their life all leave the body and die. (10)
Wake up, men! If we look at the dangers (to which he is exposed) a fool has not much chance to obtain human birth; always suffering like men in fever, people will go to utter misery. (11)
Some say that perfection is reached by abstaining from the seasoner of food (viz. salt) ?, others by the use of cold water (i.e. by ablutions) , others again by (tending) a fire 4. (12)
Perfection is not reached by bathing in the morning, nor by abstention from acids and salt; but by drinking liquor or eating meat or garlic men obtain another state of existence (than perfection). (13)
Those who, touching water in the morning and evening, contend that perfection is obtained through water (are easily refuted). For if perfection could be obtained by contact with water, many beings living in water must have reached perfection : (14)
Fishes, tortoises, aquatic snakes, cormorants,
1 Pañka sikha. It usually denotes certain ascetics : but Silanka here renders it ku mâra 'boy.
? Silânka notices two different readings: (1) â hârasappañkagavagganenam, by abstaining from food seasoned with one of the five kinds of salt (viz. saindhava, sauvarkala, vida, rauma, sâmudra); (2) â hâraô pañkagao, by abstaining from five kinds of food : garlic, onion, young camels' milk, beef, liquor.
s Silânka mentions the Vâribhadrakas, a subdivision of the Bhâgavatas, as belonging to this category. He states elsewhere that they eat saivala (Vallisneria Octandra) and frequently bathe, wash themselves, and drink water
4 Viz. Tâpasas and Brâhmanas.
