अधर्मस्य गतिर् ब्रह्मन् कथिता नस् त्वयानघ धर्मस्य च गतिं श्रोतुम् इच्छामो वदतां वर
O Brahman, you have told us the course of unrighteousness; we wish to hear the course of righteousness from you, O best of speakers.
कृत्वा पापानि कर्माणि कथं यान्त्य् अशुभां गतिम् कर्मणा च कृतेनेह केन यान्ति शुभां गतिम्
After committing sinful deeds, how do people attain an evil course? And by what action here do they attain a good course?
कृत्वा पापानि कर्माणि त्व् अधर्मवशम् आगतः मनसा विपरीतेन निरयं प्रतिपद्यते
Having committed sinful deeds, coming under the sway of unrighteousness, with a perverse mind, he attains hell.
मोहाद् अधर्मं यः कृत्वा पुनः समनुतप्यते मनःसमाधिसंयुक्तो न स सेवेत दुष्कृतम्
Whoever, out of delusion, commits unrighteousness and then repents, with a mind joined in concentration, does not engage in evil deeds.
यदि विप्राः कथयते विप्राणां धर्मवादिनाम् ततो ऽधर्मकृतात् क्षिप्रम् अपराधात् प्रमुच्यते
If the Brahmins speak, those who are followers of Brahminical dharma, then one is quickly freed from the offense of unrighteous acts.
यथा यथा नरः सम्यग् अधर्मम् अनुभाषते समाहितेन मनसा विमुञ्चति तथा तथा
As a man sincerely confesses his unrighteousness, with a concentrated mind, he is freed accordingly.
यथा यथा मनस् तस्य दुष्कृतं कर्म गर्हते तथा तथा शरीरं तु तेनाधर्मेण मुच्यते
Just as, to the extent that a person's mind reproaches their wrongful deeds, so too, by that very unrighteousness, the body is freed.
भुजंग इव निर्मोकान् पूर्वभुक्ताञ् जहाति तान् दत्त्वा विप्रस्य दानानि विविधानि समाहितः
Like a serpent sheds its old skins, so does one, having given various gifts to a learned Brahmin with a focused mind, cast off former enjoyments.
मनःसमाधिसंयुक्तः स्वर्गतिं प्रतिपद्यते दानानि तु प्रवक्ष्यामि यानि दत्त्वा द्विजोत्तमाः
Endowed with concentration of mind, one attains the path to heaven; now I will declare the gifts which, when given, O best of twice-born, yield this result.
नरः कृत्वाप्य् अकार्याणि ततो धर्मेण युज्यते सर्वेषाम् एव दानानाम् अन्नं श्रेष्ठम् उदाहृतम्
Even if a man has committed improper acts, he is joined to righteousness through giving; among all gifts, food is declared to be the highest.
सर्वम् अन्नं प्रदातव्यम् ऋजुना धर्मम् इच्छता प्राणा ह्य् अन्नं मनुष्याणां तस्माज् जन्तुः प्रजायते
All food should be given by one who desires righteousness, with straightforwardness; for food is the life of people, and from it living beings are born.
अन्ने प्रतिष्ठिता लोकास् तस्माद् अन्नं प्रशस्यते अन्नम् एव प्रशंसन्ति देवर्षिपितृमानवाः
All worlds are established upon food; therefore, food is praised. Indeed, gods, sages, ancestors, and humans all extol food.
अन्नस्य हि प्रदानेन स्वर्गम् आप्नोति मानवः न्यायलब्धं प्रदातव्यं द्विजातिभ्यो ऽन्नम् उत्तमम्
By the gift of food, a person attains heaven; the best food, obtained justly, should be given to the twice-born.
स्वाध्यायसमुपेतेभ्यः प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना यस्य त्व् अन्नम् उपाश्नन्ति ब्राह्मणाश् च सकृद् दश
To those engaged in self-study, with an inwardly joyful heart—if ten Brahmins partake even once of one’s food,
हृष्टेन मनसा दत्तं न स तिर्यग्गतिर् भवेत् ब्राह्मणानां सहस्राणि दशाभोज्य द्विजोत्तमाः
Food given with a delighted mind does not lead to a lower rebirth; O best of twice-born, feeding even a thousand Brahmins at once brings this result.
नरो ऽधर्मात् प्रमुच्येत पापेष्व् अभिरतः सदा भैक्षेणान्नं समाहृत्य विप्रो वेदपुरस्कृतः
A man always attached to sin is freed from unrighteousness by gathering food through alms, when a Brahmin, devoted to the Veda, receives it.
स्वाध्यायनिरते विप्रे दत्त्वेह सुखम् एधते अहिंसन् ब्राह्मणस्वानि न्यायेन परिपाल्य च
When food is given to a Brahmin devoted to self-study, happiness increases here; not harming, and protecting Brahmin property justly.
क्षत्रियस् तरसा प्राप्तम् अन्नं यो वै प्रयच्छति द्विजेभ्यो वेदमुख्येभ्यः प्रयतः सुसमाहितः
A Kshatriya who, with effort and full attention, gives food obtained by strength to the foremost twice-born, especially those learned in the Veda,
तेनापोहति धर्मात्मा दुष्कृतं कर्म भो द्विजाः षड्भागपरिशुद्धं च कृषेर् भागम् उपार्जितम्
By this, O twice-born, the righteous soul removes sinful deeds, and the portion of the field thus earned is purified by six parts.
वैश्यो ददद् द्विजातिभ्यः पापेभ्यः परिमुच्यते अवाप्य प्राणसंदेहं कार्कश्येन समार्जितम्
A Vaishya, by giving food to the twice-born, is freed from sins, even if he has acquired it with difficulty and risk to life through hard labor.
अन्नं दत्त्वा द्विजातिभ्यः शूद्रः पापात् प्रमुच्यते औरसेन बलेनान्नम् अर्जयित्वा विहिंसकः
A Shudra, by giving food to the twice-born, is freed from sin, even if he has earned it by his own strength and through injurious means.
यः प्रयच्छति विप्रेभ्यो न स दुर्गाणि सेवते न्यायेनावाप्तम् अन्नं तु नरो हर्षसमन्वितः
Whoever gives food to Brahmins does not encounter hardships; a man who, with joy, gives food obtained justly.
द्विजेभ्यो वेदवृद्धेभ्यो दत्त्वा पापात् प्रमुच्यते अन्नम् ऊर्जस्करं लोके दत्त्वोर्जस्वी भवेन् नरः
By giving food to the twice-born, especially those advanced in the Veda, one is freed from sin; food that gives strength in this world makes the giver strong.
सतां पन्थानम् आवृत्य सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते दानविद्भिः कृतः पन्था येन यान्ति मनीषिणः
Having followed the path of the virtuous, one is freed from all sins; the path made by the knowers of giving is that which the wise follow.
तेष्व् अप्य् अन्नस्य दातारस् तेभ्यो धर्मः सनातनः सर्वावस्थं मनुष्येण न्यायेनान्नम् उपार्जितम्
Even among them, those who give food possess the eternal dharma; food acquired justly, in any circumstance, should be given by a person.
कार्यान् न्यायागतं नित्यम् अन्नं हि परमा गतिः अन्नस्य हि प्रदानेन नरो याति परां गतिम्
One should always give food obtained by rightful means, for food is the highest path; by giving food, a person attains the supreme destination.
सर्वकामसमायुक्तः प्रेत्य चाप्य् अश्नुते सुखम् एवं पुण्यसमायुक्तो नरः पापैः प्रमुच्यते
Endowed with all desires, he enjoys happiness after death; thus, a person joined with merit is freed from sins.
तस्माद् अन्नं प्रदातव्यम् अन्यायपरिवर्जितम् यस् तु प्राणाहुतीपूर्वम् अन्नं भुङ्क्ते गृही सदा
Therefore, food should be given, avoiding injustice; the householder who eats food after offering it as a sacrifice to life-forces, always acts rightly.
अवन्ध्यं दिवसं कुर्याद् अन्नदानेन मानवः भोजयित्वा शतं नित्यं नरो वेदविदां वरम्
A person should make each day fruitful by giving food; one who always feeds a hundred, especially the best among those learned in the Vedas.
न्यायविद्धर्मविदुषाम् इतिहासविदां तथा न याति नरकं घोरं संसारं न च सेवते
To those who know justice, dharma, and history, such a person does not go to terrible hell nor does he engage in worldly suffering.