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322
LAWS OF MANU.
VIII, 391.
concerning the duty of the orders, a king who desires his own welfare should not (hastily) decide (what is) the law.
391. Having shown them due honour, he should, with (the assistance of) Brâhmanas, first soothe them by gentle (speech) and afterwards teach them their duty.
392. A Brâhmana who does not invite his next neighbour and his neighbour next but one, (though) both (be) worthy (of the honour), to a festival at which twenty Brâhmanas are entertained, is liable to a fine of one mâsha.
393. A Srotriya who does not entertain a virtuous Srotriya at auspicious festive rites, shall be made to pay him twice (the value of) the meal and a mâsha of gold (as a fine to the king).
394. A blind man, an idiot, (a cripple) who moves with the help of a board, a man full seventy years old, and he who confers benefits on Srotriyas, shall not be compelled by any (king) to pay a tax. not in the sense of order,' but of hermitage,' and 'lwice-born men' in the sense of hermits.' Når. explains na vibrûyat, shall not (hastily) decide,' by shall not wrongly decide by himself.'
392. Vi. V, 94; Yâgî. II, 263. 'A festival,' i.e. a wedding and so forth' (Medh.), or at which a dinner is given' (Nand.). Anuvesya, his next neighbour but one' (Kull., Nâr., Râgh.), means according to Medh., Gov., and Nand. he who lives at the back of his house,' while the neighbour living opposite is the prâtivesya. 'Twenty,'i.e. twenty or more other Brâhmanas' (Gov.). 'A masha,' i.e. of silver' (Gov., Kull., Râgh.), or of gold' (Medh., Nár.).
303. 'A virtuous Srotriva,'i.e. a neighbour' (Gov., Kull., Râgh.), or ' living in the same village' (Når.). Medh. says, one who is not a neighbour.'
394. Âp. II, 26, 10–15; Vas. XIX, 23–24. '(A cripple) who moves with the help of a board' is not an uncommon sight in the streets of Indian towns. 'By any (king),' i.e. even by one whose treasury is empty.'
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