बलिकर्मणा भूतानि वाक्सत्येनाखिलं जगत् प्राप्नोति लोकान् पुरुषो निजकर्मसमार्जितान्
By offering to spirits and truthfulness in speech, he attains all worlds; a person obtains realms earned by his own actions.
भिक्षाभुजश् च ये केचित् परिव्राड् ब्रह्मचारिणः ते ऽप्य् अत्र प्रतितिष्ठन्ति गार्हस्थ्यं तेन वै परम्
Those who subsist on alms, whether wandering ascetics or students, also establish themselves here in household life, for that is the highest.
वेदाहरणकार्येण तीर्थस्नानाय च द्विजाः अटन्ति वसुधां विप्राः पृथिवीदर्शनाय च
For the sake of reciting the Vedas and bathing at sacred places, O Brahmins, the Brahmins wander the earth, also to see the land.
अनिकेता ह्य् अनाहारा ये तु सायंगृहास् तु ते तेषां गृहस्थः सततं प्रतिष्ठा योनिर् उच्यते
Those who are homeless and without food, but those who have evening homes—among them, the householder is always considered the established source.
तेषां स्वागतदानानि वक्तव्यं मधुरं सदा गृहागतानां दद्याच् च शयनासनभोजनम्
One should always speak sweet words of welcome and offer gifts to those who come to the house, and provide them with a bed, seat, and food.
अतिथिर् यस्य भग्नाशो गृहात् प्रतिनिवर्तते स दत्त्वा दुष्कृतं तस्मै पुण्यम् आदाय गच्छति
If a guest, whose hopes are disappointed, returns from a house, the householder gives him his own virtue and takes upon himself the guest’s sin.
अवज्ञानम् अहंकारो दम्भश् चापि गृहे सतः परिवादोपघातौ च पारुष्यं च न शस्यते
Disrespect, pride, hypocrisy, slander, causing harm, and harshness are not to be practiced by a householder.
यश् च सम्यक् करोत्य् एवं गृहस्थः परमं विधिम् सर्वबन्धविनिर्मुक्तो लोकान् आप्नोति चोत्तमान्
A householder who acts in this way, following the supreme rule, becomes free from all bonds and attains the highest worlds.
वयःपरिणतौ विप्राः कृतकृत्यो गृहाश्रमी पुत्रेषु भार्यां निक्षिप्य वनं गच्छेत् सहैव वा
When the twice-born have reached old age and fulfilled their duties as householders, they should entrust their wife to their sons and go to the forest, either alone or together.
पर्णमूलफलाहारः केशश्मश्रुजटाधरः भूमिशायी भवेत् तत्र मुनिः सर्वातिथिर् द्विजाः
There, the sage should live on leaves, roots, and fruits, wear matted hair and beard, and sleep on the ground, receiving all guests, especially the twice-born.
चर्मकाशकुशैः कुर्यात् परिधानोत्तरीयके तद्वत् त्रिषवणं स्नानं शस्तम् अस्य द्विजोत्तमाः
He should use garments made of skin, bark, or kusa grass as upper and lower coverings, and, O best of twice-born, thrice-daily bathing is proper for him.
देवताभ्यर्चनं होमः सर्वाभ्यागतपूजनम् भिक्षा बलिप्रदानं तु शस्तम् अस्य प्रशस्यते
Worship of the deities, fire offerings, honoring all who come, alms, and the giving of offerings are praised as proper for him.
वन्यस्नेहेन गात्राणाम् अभ्यङ्गश् चापि शस्यते तपस्या तस्य विप्रेन्द्राः शीतोष्णादिसहिष्णुता
O best of Brahmins, anointing the body with forest oils is also proper for him, as is enduring heat and cold in his austerity.
यस् त्व् एता नियतश् चर्या वानप्रस्थश् चरेन् मुनिः स दहत्य् अग्निवद् दोषाञ् जयेल् लोकांश् च शाश्वतान्
A forest-dwelling sage who practices these disciplines with steadiness burns away faults like fire and conquers the eternal worlds.
चतुर्थश् चाश्रमो भिक्षोः प्रोच्यते यो मनीषिभिः तस्य स्वरूपं गदतो बुध्यध्वं मम सत्तमाः
The fourth stage, that of the renunciant, is declared by the wise; listen, O best of the good, as I describe its true nature.
पुत्रद्रव्यकलत्रेषु त्यजेत् स्नेहं द्विजोत्तमाः चतुर्थम् आश्रमस्थानं गच्छेन् निर्धूतमत्सरः
O best of twice-born, one should abandon attachment to sons, wealth, and wife, and, free from envy, enter the fourth stage of life.
त्रैवर्णिकांस् त्यजेत् सर्वान् आरम्भान् द्विजसत्तमाः मित्रादिषु समो मैत्रः समस्तेष्व् एव जन्तुषु
O best of twice-born, he should renounce all undertakings of the three castes, be equal to friend and foe, and maintain friendliness toward all beings.
जरायुजाण्डजादीनां वाङ्मनःकर्मभिः क्वचित् युक्तः कुर्वीत न द्रोहं सर्वसङ्गांश् च वर्जयेत्
He should never harm by word, thought, or deed any creatures born from womb, egg, or otherwise, and should avoid all attachments.
एकरात्रस्थितिर् ग्रामे पञ्चरात्रस्थितिः पुरे तथा प्रीतिर् न तिर्यक्षु द्वेषो वा नास्य जायते
He should stay one night in a village, five nights in a city, and should neither develop affection nor hatred toward animals.
प्राणयात्रानिमित्तं च व्यङ्गारे ऽभुक्तवज्जने काले प्रशस्तवर्णानां भिक्षार्थी पर्यटेद् गृहान्
For the sake of sustaining life, at the proper time, he should go to the houses of those of good conduct to seek alms, as if he had not eaten.
अलाभे न विषादी स्याल् लाभे नैव च हर्षयेत् प्राणयात्रिकमात्रः स्यान् मात्रासङ्गाद् विनिर्गतः
If he does not obtain alms, he should not be dejected; if he does, he should not rejoice. He should be content with what sustains life, free from attachment to measure.
अतिपूजितलाभांस् तु जुगुप्सं चैव सर्वतः अतिपूजितलाभैस् तु यतिर् मुक्तो ऽपि बध्यते
But if he receives excessive honor or gains, he should avoid them in every way; for even a renunciant is bound by excessive honored gains.
कामः क्रोधस् तथा दर्पो लोभमोहादयश् च ये तांस् तु दोषान् परित्यज्य परिव्राण् निर्ममो भवेत्
Having abandoned faults such as desire, anger, pride, greed, delusion, and the like, the renunciant becomes free from possessiveness.
अभयं सर्वसत्त्वेभ्यो दत्त्वा यश् चरते महीम् तस्य देहाद् विमुक्तस्य भयं नोत्पद्यते क्वचित्
Having given fearlessness to all beings, whoever moves upon the earth—when that one is freed from the body, fear does not arise for him anywhere.
कृत्वाग्निहोत्रं स्वशरीरसंस्थं शारीरम् अग्निं स्वमुखे जुहोति विप्रस् तु भिक्षोपगतैर् हविर्भिश् चिताग्निना स व्रजति स्म लोकान्
Having performed the fire-offering with his own body as the altar, the brahmin offers into the bodily fire with food obtained by alms; with the fire of the funeral pyre, he indeed attains the worlds.
मोक्षाश्रमं यश् चरते यथोक्तं शुचिश् च संकल्पितबुद्धियुक्तः अनिन्धनं ज्योतिर् इव प्रशान्तं स ब्रह्मलोकं व्रजति द्विजातिः
Whoever lives in the stage of liberation as prescribed, pure and endowed with a resolved mind, that twice-born one attains the world of Brahma, calm like a light without fuel.
सर्वज्ञस् त्वं महाभाग सर्वभूतहिते रतः भूतं भव्यं भविष्यं च न ते ऽस्त्य् अविदितं मुने
You are all-knowing, O greatly fortunate one, devoted to the welfare of all beings; past, present, and future—nothing is unknown to you, O sage.
कर्मणा केन वर्णानाम् अधमा जायते गतिः उत्तमा च भवेत् केन ब्रूहि तेषां महामते
By what action does a member of the classes attain a lower state, and by what does one attain the highest? Tell me this, O wise one.
शूद्रस् तु कर्मणा केन ब्राह्मणत्वं च गच्छति श्रोतुम् इच्छामहे केन ब्राह्मणः शूद्रताम् इयात्
By what action does a Śūdra attain the state of a Brahmin? We wish to hear by what action a Brahmin becomes a Śūdra.
हिमवच्छिखरे रम्ये नानाधातुविभूषिते नानाद्रुमलताकीर्णे नानाश्चर्यसमन्विते
On the beautiful peak of the Himalaya, adorned with various minerals, covered with many trees and vines, and filled with many wonders,