पित्रोः स्वसा शिष्यपत्नी भृत्यपली च मातुली । पितृपत्नी भ्रातृपत्नी श्वश्रूश्च भगिनी सुता
A father's sister, a disciple's wife, a servant's wife, a maternal aunt, a father's wife, a brother's wife, a mother-in-law, a sister, a daughter—
गर्भधात्रीष्टदेवी च पुंसः षोडश मातरः । त्वं नरो देवभार्याऽहं माता ते देवसंमता
The one who gives birth, the chosen deity—all these are sixteen mothers for a man; you are a man, I am the wife of a god, and, approved by the gods, your mother.
गच्छ वत्सादितिं रन्तुं यदि चेच्छसि मातरम् । सर्वेषां निष्कृतिश्चास्तिन वत्स मातृगामिनाम्
Go, child, if you wish to approach your mother; there is no atonement, my child, for those who go to their mothers.
कुम्भीपाके ने पचन्ति यावद्वै ब्रह्मणो वयः । ततो भवन्ति कृमयः कल्पाः स्पत भवन्ति ते
In Kumbhipaka they are not cooked until the lifetime of Brahma is complete; then they become worms for many aeons, and that is their fate.
ततश्च कुष्ठिनो म्लेच्छा भवन्ति सप्तजन्मसु । नास्तयेव निष्कृतिस्तेषामित्याह कमलोद्भवः
After that, they are born as lepers and outcastes for seven births; there is truly no atonement for them, so says the lotus-born one.
एवं विट्क्षत्त्रशूद्राणां ब्रह्मणीगमने नृप । वैदेषु निष्कृतिर्नास्ति चेत्याङ्गिरसभाषितम्
Thus, for Shudras and outcastes who approach a Brahmin woman, there is no atonement in the Vedas, so declares Angiras.
स्वर्गसंपत्तिभोगश्च सुखं संसारिणां ध्रुवम् । मुमुक्षूणां च मोक्षण्च तपश्चैव तवस्विनाम्
The enjoyment of heavenly pleasures is certain for those bound to the world; for those seeking liberation, there is release, and for the ascetics, there is austerity.
ब्राह्मणानां च ब्रह्मण्यं मुनीनां मौनमेव च । वेदाभ्यासो वैदिकानां कवीनां काव्यवर्णनम्
For Brahmins, it is devotion to Brahman; for sages, it is silence; for Vedic scholars, study of the Vedas; for poets, the composition of poetry.
विष्णुदास्यं वैष्णवानां विष्णुभक्तिरसं परम् । विष्णुभक्तिं विना नैव मुक्तिं वाञ्छन्ति वैष्णवाः
For Vaishnavas, it is service to Vishnu, the supreme essence of devotion to Vishnu; without devotion to Vishnu, Vaishnavas do not desire liberation.
मलाढचेषु च क्लेदेषु दुर्गन्धिनिलयेषु च । साधूनां किं सुकं साधो स्त्रीणां योनिषु मां वद
What happiness is there for the virtuous in filthy, wet, foul-smelling places? Tell me, O holy one, what happiness is there for women in the wombs?
कुलप्रदीब राजेन्द्र राज्ञं मण्डलवर्तिनाम् । लब्धं च भारते जन्म पुण्येन बहुजन्मनाम्
O king, lamp of the lineage, among the circle of kings, birth in Bharata is attained by the merit of many lives.
पद्मानां चन्द्रवंश्यानां नृपाणां दीप्तिहेतवे । त्वमाविरासीस्तेजस्वी ग्रूष्ममध्याह्नभास्करः
Among the lotus-born, the lunar dynasty, and the kings, you appeared as a radiant one, like the midday summer sun.
सर्वेषामश्रमाणां च स्वधर्मश्च यशः परम् । स्वधर्महीना नरके पतन्ति मूढयेतसः
For all the orders of life, their own duty is the highest glory; those who are devoid of their own duty, bewildered in mind, fall into hell.
ब्राह्मणस्या स्वधर्मश्च त्रिसंध्यमर्चनं हरेः । तत्पादोदकनैवेद्यभक्षणं च सुधाधिकम्
For a brāhmaṇa, his own duty is the worship of Hari at the three junctions of the day, and the consumption of the water that has washed His feet and His offerings, which surpass nectar.
अन्नं विष्ठा जलं मूत्रमनिवेद्य हरेर्नृप । भवन्ति सूकराःसर्वे ब्राह्मणा यदिभुञ्जते
O king, food, excrement, water, and urine not offered to Hari—if brāhmaṇas eat these, they all become pigs.
आजीवं भुञ्जते विप्रा एकादश्यां न भुञ्जते । कृष्णजन्मदिने चैव शिवरात्रौ सुनिश्चेतम्
Brāhmaṇas eat throughout their lives, but do not eat on the eleventh day, on Kṛṣṇa's birthday, or on the night of Śiva, with firm resolve.
तथा रामनवभ्यां च यत्नतः पुण्यवासरे । ब्राह्मणानां स्वधर्मश्च कथितो ब्रह्मणा नृप
Likewise, on Rāma's birth days and on auspicious days, with care; thus the own duty of brāhmaṇas has been declared by Brahmā, O king.
व्रतं पतिव्रतानां च पतिसेवा परं तपः । यथा पुत्रः परपतिरेष धर्मश्च योषिताम्
For devoted wives, their vow is the service of their husband, which is the highest austerity; for women, the husband is like a son and another's husband, this is their dharma.
पालयन्ति यथा भूपाः प्रजाः पुत्रानिवौरसान् । प्रजास्त्रियं च पश्यन्ति राजानो मातरं यथा
Just as kings protect their subjects as their own sons, and see the people and women as a mother, so too should they act.
यज्ञं कुर्वन्ति विष्णोश्च सेवनं देवविप्रयोः । निवारणं च दुष्टानां शिष्टानां प्रतिपालनम्
They perform sacrifices for Viṣṇu, serve the gods and brāhmaṇas, restrain the wicked, and protect the virtuous.
इति धर्मः क्षत्रियाणां कथितो ब्रह्मणा पुरा । वाणिज्यं चैव वैश्यानां स्वधर्मो धर्मसंचयः
Thus the dharma of kṣatriyas was declared by Brahmā in ancient times; for vaiśyas, their own duty is trade, which is the accumulation of merit.
शूद्राणां विप्रसेवा च परो धर्में विधीयते । सर्वन्यासो हरौ भूव धर्मः संन्यासिनां ध्रुवम्
For śūdras, service to brāhmaṇas is established as the highest dharma; for renunciants, the abandonment of all into Hari is certainly their dharma.
रक्तैकवासा दण्डी च बिभर्ति मृत्कमण्डलुम् । सर्वत्र समदर्शो च स्मरेन्नानायणं सदा
Wearing only red, carrying a staff, and holding an earthen water pot, seeing all equally everywhere, he always remembers the many forms of the Supreme.
करोति भ्रमणं नित्यं गेहे गेहे न तिष्ठति । विद्यामन्त्रं च कस्मैचिन्न ददाति च लोभतः
He wanders constantly, does not stay in any house, and out of greed does not give knowledge or mantra to anyone.
करोति नाऽऽश्रमं भिक्षुः करोति नान्यवासनाम् । करोति नान्यसङ्गं च निर्मोह सङ्गवर्जितः
The mendicant does not establish an āśrama, does not wear other garments, does not form other attachments, being free from delusion and devoid of attachment.
न स्वादुभुङ्क्ते लोभाच्चा स्त्रीमुखं न हि पश्यति । न वाञ्छितं भक्ष्यवस्तु याचते गुहिणां व्रती
He does not eat sweet foods out of greed, does not look at a woman's face, and does not ask for desired food from householders, being steadfast in his vow.
इति संन्यासिनां धर्म इत्याह कमलोद्भवः । इति ते कथितं पुत्र गच्छ वत्स यथासुखम्
Thus the dharma of renunciants was spoken by the lotus-born; thus I have told you, my son—go, child, as you please.
इत्युक्त्वा च महेन्द्राणी विरराम च वर्त्मनि । उवाच नहुषो राजा शचीं वक्रप्रकंधरः
Having said this, the queen of Mahendra ceased her discourse; then King Nahuṣa, with a crooked neck, spoke to Śacī.
नहुष उवाच त्वया यत्कथितं देवी सर्व ततु विपर्ययम् । यथार्थधर्मं वेदोक्तं निबोध कथायामि ते
Nahuṣa said: O goddess, whatever you have said is the opposite; now listen as I tell you the true dharma as taught in the Vedas.
कर्मणां फलभोगश्च सर्वेषां सुरसुन्दरि । नैव स्वर्गे न पाताले नान्यद्वीपे श्रुतौ श्रुतम्
O beautiful one among the gods, the enjoyment of the fruits of actions for all is not heard to exist in heaven, nor in the underworld, nor on any other island, according to the scriptures.