121. He who habitually salutes
and constantly pays reverence to the aged obtains an increase of four (things), (viz.) length of life, knowledge,
fame, (and) strength.
122. After the (word of) salutation, a Brahmana who greets an elder must pronounce
his name, saying, 'I am N. N.'
123. To those (persons)
who, when a name is pronounced, do not understand
(the meaning of) the salutation, a wise man should say,
'It is I;' and (he should address) in the same manner all women.
124. In saluting he should pronounce after his
name the word bhoh; for the sages have declared that
the nature of bhoh is the same as that of (all proper)
names.
125. A Brahmana should thus be saluted in
re
turn, 'May'st thou be long-lived, O gentle one!' and the
vowel 'a' must be added at the end of the name (of the
person addressed), the syllable preceding it being drawn
out to the length of three moras.
126. A Brahmana who
does not know the form of returning a salutation, must
not be saluted by a learned man; as a Sudra, even so is
he.
127. Let him ask a Brahmana, on meeting him, after (his health, with the word) kusala, a Kshatriya (with
the word) anamaya, a Vaisya (with the word) kshema,
and a Sudra (with the word) anarogya.
128. He who has
been initiated (to perform a Srauta sacrifice) must not
be addressed by his name, even though he be a younger
man; he who knows the sacred law must use in speaking
to such (a man the particle) bhoh and (the pronoun)
bhavat (your worship).
129. But to a female who is the
wife of another man, and not a blood-relation, he must
say, 'Lady' (bhavati) or 'Beloved sister!'
130. To his
maternal and paternal uncles, fathers-in-law, officiating
priests, (and other) venerable persons, he must say, 'I
am N. N.,' and rise (to meet them), even though they
be younger (than himself).
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