The wise, it is said, should begin their sacred duties by offering oblations to the divine sages and the ancestors, using handfuls of pure water. For these ancestral rites, O Bhārata, one must assume the prācīnāvītī posture, facing south, and employ that sanctified water with reverence. Turning then to the gods, one should worship them with heartfelt mantras, offering flowers, leaves, and water, each chosen with care. With devotion, one should also honor other desired deities, and especially Hara, the great Lord who is beyond anger. All waters themselves are considered deities, and so deserve proper worship in their own right. When making these offerings, one should place the flowers separately for each deity, accompanied by respectful salutations. Throughout this entire process—at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end—one should hold Hari, Lord Viṣṇu, firmly in the mind, dedicating oneself to His pure and radiant presence. After completing the rites for the ancestors and the gods, and having worshipped Hari with flowers, one must also perform the human and Brahma sacrifices, thus fulfilling the five great daily sacrifices prescribed by tradition. But remember, if water is not offered for the ancestors, the Brahma sacrifice cannot be truly accomplished. The Vaiśvadeva rite, too, must be performed, for this is the sacrifice dedicated to the gods. Compassion extends further: to dogs, to those who eat dogs, and to others considered fallen, one should offer food. The noble ones should feed at least one Brahmin, dedicating that act to the ancestors. If one’s means are limited, whatever food can be spared should be offered with a concentrated mind, according to one’s ability. Always, the guest must be honored and the twice-born respectfully worshipped. The portion called alms should be four times the size of a mouthful of food. One must wait for a guest as long as it takes to milk a cow, and then give alms as prescribed, especially to a mendicant devoted to the path of Brahmacharya. When it is time to eat, one should do so together with one’s family and not speak ill of the food. If a person eats alone, that deluded soul is said to be reborn among animals. By properly worshipping the gods, sins are quickly destroyed; but if one eats improperly, one falls to hell and is born among pigs. Purity and impurity, too, are governed by contact and avoidance: impurity arises from contact, purity from abstaining from it. O best of the twice-born, whether among the dead or the newborn, for Brahmins after their investiture with the sacred thread, impurity lasts three nights; otherwise, it lasts ten nights. For a Śūdra, purification takes a month, but for ascetics, there is no sin in such matters. Now, let me explain the supreme duty of giving. Giving, as declared by the wise, bestows both enjoyment in this world and ultimate liberation. Four principal acts are spoken of: teaching, officiating at sacrifices, earning one’s livelihood, and receiving gifts. True charity is that which is given to worthy recipients. Whatever is given each day to one who offers nothing in return, and whatever is given into the hands of the learned for the removal of sin—these are acts of merit. Gifts made for the sake of offspring, victory, wealth, or heaven, and those given to knowers of Brahman to please the Lord, all carry great fruit. Among gifts, land sown with sugarcane, barley, wheat, or rice is most highly praised—indeed, there has never been, nor will there ever be, a gift greater than the gift of land. One should give daily, with one’s own hands and with faith, to a celibate student. On the full moon of Vaiśākha, one should invite seven or five brāhmaṇas, and after worshipping them with incense and other offerings, have them recite sacred texts, or recite oneself. By such acts, whatever sin has been accumulated throughout life is instantly destroyed.