Uddalaka, when he heard these words thought to himself, "The king was pleased with the ascetics, be they what you will; but this man comes a clap over the snout of the ox when he goes too fast, drops dirt in the dish all ready to eat: I must talk to him." So he addressed to him the third stanza:

"A thousand Vedas will not safety bring
Failing just works, or save from evil plight:
The Vedas then, must be a useless thing:
True doctrine is--control yourself, do right."

[301] At this the chaplain recited the fourth stanza:

"Not so: the Vedas are no useless thing:
Though works with self-control, true doctrine is.
To study well the Vedas fame will bring,
But by right conduct we attain to bliss."

Now thought Uddalaka, "It will never do to be on ill terms with this man. If I tell him I am his son, he needs must love me; I will tell him I am his son." Then he recited the fifth stanza:

"Parents and kinsmen claim one's care;
A second self our parents are:
I'm Uddalaka, a shoot,
Noble brahmin, from thy root."

"Are you indeed Uddalaka?" he asked. "Yes," said the other. Then he said, "I gave your mother a token, where is it?" He said, "Here it is, brahmin," and handed him the ring. The brahmin knew the ring again, and said, "Without doubt you are a brahmin; but do you know the duties of a brahmin?" He enquired concerning these duties in the words of the sixth stanza:

[302]"What makes the brahmin? how can he be perfect? tell me this:
What is a righteous man, and how wins he Nirvana's bliss?"

Uddalaka explained it in the seventh stanza:

"The world renounced, with fire, he worship pays,
Pours water, lifts the sacrificial pole:
As one who does his duty men him praise,
And such a brahmin wins him peace of soul."

The chaplain listened to his account of the brahmin's duties, but found fault with it, reciting the eighth stanza as follows:

"Not sprinkling makes the brahmin pure, perfection is not this,
Nor peace nor kindness thus he wins nor yet Nirvana's bliss."

Hereupon Uddalaka asked, "If this does not make the brahmin, then what does?" reciting the ninth stanza:

"What makes the brahmin? how can he be perfect? tell me this:
What is a righteous man? and how wins he Nirvana's bliss?"

[303] The chaplain answered by reciting another stanza:

"He has no field, no goods, no wish, no kin,
Careless of life, no lusts, no evil ways:
Even such a brahmin peace of soul shall win,
So as one true to duty men him praise."

After this Uddalaka recited a stanza: