e. They are Yatis and
those that are conversant with the religion of Moksha, and they that are
devoted to Yoga, and they that properly observe excellent vows and they
that, with collected mind recite (sacred) histories unto foremost of
Brahmanas. They that are conversant with Bhashyas, they also that are
devoted to grammatical studies, they that study the Puranas and they that
study the Dharmasastras and having studied them (i.e., the Puranas and
Dharmasastras) act up to the standard laid down in them, he that has
lived (for the stated period) in the abode of his preceptor, he that is
truthful in speech, he that is a giver of thousands, they that are
foremost in (their knowledge of) all the Vedas and the scriptural and
philosophical aphorisms,--these sanctify the line as far they look at it.
And because they sanctify all who sit in the line, therefore are they
called sanctifiers of lines. Utterers of Brahma say that even a single
person that happens to be the descendant of sires who were teachers of
the Veda and that is himself a Vedic teacher, sanctifies full seven miles
around him. If he that is not a Ritwik and that is not a Vedic teacher
takes the foremost seat in a Sraddha, with even the permission of the
other Ritwiks there present, he is said to take (by that act of his) the
sins of all who may be sitting in the line. If, on the other hand, he
happens to be conversant with the Vedas and freed from all those faults
that are regarded as capable of polluting the line, he shall not, O king,
be regarded as fallen (by taking the foremost seat in a Sraddha). Such a
man would then be really a sanctifier of the line. For these reasons, O
king, thou shouldst properly examine the Brahmanas before inviting them
to Sraddhas. Thou shouldst invite only such among them as are devoted to
the duties laid down for their order, and as are born in good families,
and as are possessed of great learning. He who performs Sraddhas for
feeding only his friends and whose Havi does not gratify the deities and
the Pitris, fails to ascend to Heaven. He who collects his friends and
relatives only on the occasion of the Sraddha he performs (without
keeping an eye on properly honouring deserving persons by inviting and
feeding them), fails to proceed (after death) by the path of the deities
(which is a lighted one and free from all afflictions and impediments).
The man who makes the Sraddha he performs an occasion for only gathering
his friends, ne