तत्र स्थितं महादेवं त्रिपुरघ्नं त्रिलोचनम् शैलराजसुता देवी प्रणिपत्य सुरेश्वरम्
There stood the great god, destroyer of Tripura, the three-eyed one; the daughter of the mountain king, the goddess, bowed to the lord of the gods.
इमं प्रश्नं पुरा विप्रा अपृच्छच् चारुलोचना तद् अहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वं मम सत्तमाः
Long ago, O brahmins, the beautiful-eyed goddess asked this question; I will now explain it—listen to me, O best of beings.
भगवन् भगनेत्रघ्न पूष्णो दन्तविनाशन दक्षक्रतुहर त्र्यक्ष संशयो मे महान् अयम्
O Lord, destroyer of Bhaga's eye, breaker of Pūṣan's teeth, destroyer of Dakṣa's sacrifice, three-eyed one, I have this great doubt.
चातुर्वर्ण्यं भगवता पूर्वं सृष्टं स्वयंभुवा केन कर्मविपाकेन वैश्यो गच्छति शूद्रताम्
The fourfold class system was formerly created by the self-born Lord; by what result of action does a Vaiśya become a Śūdra?
वैश्यो वा क्षत्रियः केन द्विजो वा क्षत्रियो भवेत् प्रतिलोमे कथं देव शक्यो धर्मो निवर्तितुम्
Or by what does a Vaiśya or Kṣatriya become a twice-born Kṣatriya? In the case of reversed order, O god, how can dharma be reversed?
केन वा कर्मणा विप्रः शूद्रयोनौ प्रजायते क्षत्रियः शूद्रताम् एति केन वा कर्मणा विभो
By what action, O Lord, does a brahmin take birth in a Śūdra womb? By what action does a Kṣatriya become a Śūdra, O mighty one?
एतं मे संशयं देव वद भूतपते ऽनघ त्रयो वर्णाः प्रकृत्येह कथं ब्राह्मण्यम् आप्नुयुः
Tell me this doubt of mine, O sinless Lord of beings: how do the three classes here attain brahminhood by nature?
ब्राह्मण्यं देवि दुष्प्रापं निसर्गाद् ब्राह्मणः शुभे क्षत्रियो वैश्यशूद्रौ वा निसर्गाद् इति मे मतिः
O auspicious one, brahminhood is difficult to attain; by nature one is a brahmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or śūdra—this is my view.
कर्मणा दुष्कृतेनेह स्थानाद् भ्रश्यति स द्विजः श्रेष्ठं वर्णम् अनुप्राप्य तस्माद् आक्षिप्यते पुनः
By evil action here, a twice-born falls from his position; having attained the highest class, he is cast down again.
स्थितो ब्राह्मणधर्मेण ब्राह्मण्यम् उपजीवति क्षत्रियो वाथ वैश्यो वा ब्रह्मभूयं स गच्छति
Established in the conduct of a brahmin, one lives as a brahmin; whether kṣatriya or vaiśya, he attains brahminhood.
यश् च विप्रत्वम् उत्सृज्य क्षत्रधर्मान् निषेवते ब्राह्मण्यात् स परिभ्रष्टः क्षत्रयोनौ प्रजायते
And he who, abandoning the status of a Brahmin, takes up the duties of a Kshatriya—having fallen from Brahminhood, he is born in a Kshatriya womb.
वैश्यकर्म च यो विप्रो लोभमोहव्यपाश्रयः ब्राह्मण्यं दुर्लभं प्राप्य करोत्य् अल्पमतिः सदा
A Brahmin who, out of greed and delusion, performs the work of a Vaishya—having attained the rare state of Brahminhood, he always acts foolishly.
स द्विजो वैश्यताम् एति वैश्यो वा शूद्रताम् इयात् स्वधर्मात् प्रच्युतो विप्रस् ततः शूद्रत्वम् आप्नुयात्
Such a twice-born becomes a Vaishya, and a Vaishya may become a Shudra; a Brahmin who deviates from his own duty thus attains the state of a Shudra.
तत्रासौ निरयं प्राप्तो वर्णभ्रष्टो बहिष्कृतः ब्रह्मलोकात् परिभ्रष्टः शूद्रयोनौ प्रजायते
There, having fallen, he reaches hell, cast out for abandoning his class; fallen from the world of Brahma, he is born in a Shudra womb.
क्षत्रियो वा महाभागे वैश्यो वा धर्मचारिणि स्वानि कर्माण्य् अपाकृत्य शूद्रकर्म निषेवते
And if a Kshatriya, O noble one, or a Vaishya, forsaking his own duties, takes up the work of a Shudra—
स्वस्थानात् स परिभ्रष्टो वर्णसंकरतां गतः ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वैश्यः शूद्रत्वं याति तादृशः
He, fallen from his own place, enters the state of mixed classes; such a Brahmin, Kshatriya, or Vaishya attains the condition of a Shudra.
यस् तु शूद्रः स्वधर्मेण ज्ञानविज्ञानवाञ् शुचिः धर्मज्ञो धर्मनिरतः स धर्मफलम् अश्नुते
But a Shudra who, by his own duty, is endowed with knowledge and understanding, is pure, knows righteousness, and is devoted to righteousness—he enjoys the fruit of righteousness.
इदं चैवापरं देवि ब्रह्मणा समुदाहृतम् अध्यात्मं नैष्ठिकी सिद्धिर् धर्मकामैर् निषेव्यते
And this, O goddess, is further declared by Brahma: the supreme spiritual accomplishment is pursued by those who desire righteousness.
उग्रान्नं गर्हितं देवि गणान्नं श्राद्धसूतकम् घुष्टान्नं नैव भोक्तव्यं शूद्रान्नं नैव वा क्वचित्
Food that is harsh, censured, or communal, food from a funeral or birth ceremony, or food that is proclaimed unclean—such food, or food from a Shudra, must never be eaten anywhere, O goddess.
शूद्रान्नं गर्हितं देवि सदा देवैर् महात्मभिः पितामहमुखोत्सृष्टं प्रमाणम् इति मे मतिः
Food from a Shudra is always condemned, O goddess, by the gods and the great souls; this is the authority established by the ancestors, in my view.
शूद्रान्नेनावशेषेण जठरे म्रियते द्विजः आहिताग्निस् तथा यज्वा स शूद्रगतिभाग् भवेत्
If a twice-born, or one who maintains sacred fires, or a sacrificer, dies with food from a Shudra remaining in his stomach, he attains the state of a Shudra.
तेन शूद्रान्नशेषेण ब्रह्मस्थानाद् अपाकृतः ब्राह्मणः शूद्रताम् एति नास्ति तत्र विचारणा
Therefore, by the remaining food of a Shudra, a Brahmin is cast out from the state of Brahminhood and becomes a Shudra; there is no doubt about this.
यस्यान्नेनावशेषेण जठरे म्रियते द्विजः तां तां योनिं व्रजेद् विप्रो यस्यान्नम् उपजीवति
By whose food, if any remains in the stomach when a twice-born dies, the Brahmin enters whatever womb belongs to the one whose food he has lived upon.
ब्राह्मणत्वं सुखं प्राप्य दुर्लभं यो ऽवमन्यते अभोज्यान्नानि वाश्नाति स द्विजत्वात् पतेत वै
He who, having easily attained the rare state of Brahminhood, disregards it or eats forbidden food, surely falls from the status of a twice-born.
सुरापो ब्रह्महा स्तेयी चौरो भग्नव्रतो ऽशुचिः स्वाध्यायवर्जितः पापो लुब्धो नैकृतिकः शठः
A drinker of liquor, a Brahmin-killer, a thief, a robber, one who breaks vows, impure, neglectful of study, sinful, greedy, deceitful, or wicked—
अव्रती वृषलीभर्ता कुण्डाशी सोमविक्रयी विहीनसेवी विप्रो हि पतते ब्रह्मयोनितः
One without vows, who keeps company with outcast women, who eats from a common vessel, who sells Soma, or who serves the unworthy—a Brahmin thus falls from the Brahmin lineage.
गुरुतल्पी गुरुद्वेषी गुरुकुत्सारतिश् च यः ब्रह्मद्विड् वापि पतति ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मयोनितः
He who violates his teacher's bed, hates his teacher, delights in mocking the teacher, or hates Brahman—such a Brahmin falls from the Brahmin lineage.
एभिस् तु कर्मभिर् देवि शुभैर् आचरितैस् तथा शूद्रो ब्राह्मणतां गच्छेद् वैश्यः क्षत्रियतां व्रजेत्
But, O goddess, by performing these good deeds, a Shudra may attain Brahminhood, and a Vaishya may become a Kshatriya.
शूद्रः कर्माणि सर्वाणि यथान्यायं यथाविधि सर्वातिथ्यम् उपातिष्ठञ् शेषान्नकृतभोजनः
A Shudra, performing all duties according to justice and prescribed rules, serves all guests and eats only the remnants of food left over.
शुश्रूषां परिचर्यां यो ज्येष्ठवर्णे प्रयत्नतः कुर्याद् अविमनाः श्रेष्ठः सततं सत्पथे स्थितः
He who diligently and without resentment attends to service and care for the elder caste, is excellent and always established on the path of virtue.