संन्याची याति सायाह्ने क्षुधितो गृहिणां गृहम् । सदन्नं वा कदन्नं वा तद्दत्तं नैव वर्जयेत्
A renunciant, hungry in the evening, goes to the house of a householder; whether the food is good or bad, whatever is given should not be rejected.
न याचते च मिष्टान्नं न कुर्यात्कोपमेव च । न धनग्रहणं कुर्यादेकवासा निरीहतः
He should not ask for sweet food, nor should he become angry; he should not accept wealth, and should wear a single garment, free from desires.
शीतग्रीष्मसमानश्च लोभमोहविवर्जितः । तत्र स्थित्वैकरात्रं च प्रातरन्यत्स्थलं व्रजेत्
He should be the same in cold and heat, free from greed and delusion; staying in one place for a single night, he should go elsewhere in the morning.
यानमानोहणं कृत्वा गृहीत्वा गृहिणो धनम् । गृहं कृत्वा गृही रम्यात्स्वधर्मात्पतितो भवेत्
If, after accepting a ride or carrying goods, or taking a householder's wealth, he builds a house and lives comfortably, he falls from his own duty.
कृत्वा चकृषिवाणिज्यं कुवृत्तिं कुरुते च यः । स संन्यासी हृताचारः स्वधर्मात्वतितो भवेत्
He who, having taken up the life of a renunciant, engages in agriculture, trade, or improper livelihood, becomes a renunciant devoid of proper conduct and strays beyond his own duty.
अशुभं च शुभं वाऽपि स्वकर्म कुरुते यदि । बहिष्कृतः स्वधर्मो वाऽप्युपहास्यश्च वै भवेत्
If one performs either unwholesome or wholesome acts that are not his own prescribed duty, he is cast out from his own dharma and becomes an object of ridicule.
ब्राह्मणी पतिहीना या भवेन्निष्कामिनी सदा । एकभुक्ता दिनान्ते सा हविष्यान्नरता सदा
A Brahmin woman who is widowed and always free from desire, who eats only once at the end of the day, should always subsist on sacrificial food.
न धत्ते दिव्यवस्त्रं च गन्धद्रव्यं सुतैलकम् । स्रजं च चन्दनं चैव शङ्खसिन्दूरभूषणम्
She does not wear fine garments, fragrant substances, or perfumed oils, nor does she adorn herself with garlands, sandalwood, conch, vermilion, or ornaments.
त्यक्त्वा मलिनवस्त्रा स्यान्नित्यं नारायणं स्मरेत् । नारायणस्य सेवां च कुरुते नित्यमेव च
Having abandoned such things, she should wear simple clothes and always remember Nārāyaṇa, and she should serve Nārāyaṇa at all times.
तन्नामोच्चारणं शश्वत्कुरुते नान्यभक्तितः । पुत्रतुल्यं च पुरुषं सदा पश्यति धर्मतः
She should constantly utter His name, not out of devotion to any other; and she should always regard men as she would a son, in accordance with dharma.
मिष्टान्नं न च भुङ्क्ते सा न कुर्याद्विभवं व्रज । एकादश्यां न भोक्तव्यं कृष्णजन्माष्टमीदिने
She does not partake of sweet foods, nor should she display wealth; on the eleventh day (Ekādaśī) and on Kṛṣṇa's birth day (Janmāṣṭamī), she must not eat.
श्रीरामस्य नवम्यां तु शिवरात्रौ पवित्रया । अघोरायां च प्रेतायां चन्द्रसूर्योपरागयोः
On Rāma's Navamī, on the sacred night of Śiva, on Aghorā, on Pretā, and during lunar or solar eclipses,
भृष्टं द्रव्यं परित्यज्य भुज्यते परमेव च । ताम्बूलं विधवास्त्रीणां यतीनां ब्रह्मचानिणाम्
She should avoid roasted foods and eat only the purest fare; betel leaf is forbidden for widows, ascetics, and celibates.
संन्यासिनां च सौमांससुरातुल्यं श्रुतौ श्रुतम् । रक्तशाकं मसूरं च जम्बीरं पर्णमेव च
For renunciants, betel leaf is declared in the scriptures to be like meat or liquor; red leafy vegetables, lentils, lemons, and certain leaves are also to be avoided.
अलाबुर्वर्तुलाकारा वर्जनीया च तैरवि । पर्यङ्कशायिनी नारी विधवा पातयेत्पतिम्
Bottle gourd and round-shaped gourds are to be avoided by them; a widow who sleeps on a cot causes harm to her husband.
यानमारोहणं कृत्वा विधवा नरकं व्रजेत् । न कुर्यात्केशसंस्कारं गात्रसंस्कारमेव च
If a widow mounts a vehicle, she goes to hell; she should not arrange her hair or adorn her body.
केशवेणी जटारूपे तत्क्षौरं तीर्थकं विना । तैलाभ्यङ्गंन कुर्वीत नहि पश्यति दर्पणम्
She should not braid her hair or form matted locks, nor cut her hair except at holy places; she should not anoint herself with oil, nor look into a mirror.
मुखं च परपुंसां च यात्रां नृत्यं महोत्सवम् । नर्तनं गायनं चैव सुवेषं पुरुषं शुभम्
She should not look at the faces of other men, nor attend journeys, dances, great festivals, performances, songs, or well-dressed, handsome men.
शृणुयाच्च सतां धर्म सामवेदनिरूपितम् । परमार्थ परं चैव निबोध कथयामि ते
She should listen to the dharma of the virtuous as set forth in the Sāma Veda; now hear, as I tell you, the supreme and highest truth.
अध्यापनमध्यानं शिष्याणां परिपालनम् । गुरुणां सेवनं नित्यं द्विचदेवार्चनं तथा
Teaching, study, caring for disciples, constant service to teachers, and worship of the twice-born deities—
सिद्धान्तशास्त्रनैपुण्यं भावनं स्वात्मतोषणम् । व्याख्यानं परिशुद्धं च ग्रन्थाभ्यस्तं च संततम्
Expertise in the treatises of doctrine, contemplation, contentment of the self, pure exposition, and continuous study of scriptures—
प्यवस्थापरिशुद्ध्यर्थ विचारो वेदसंमतः । शास्त्रार्थाचरणं चैव कतध्यं स्वयमेव च
Deliberation for the sake of pure conduct, as approved by the Vedas, and the practice of the meaning of the scriptures, as well as self-study.
देवाह्निकेषु नैपुण्यं वेदाचरणमीप्सितम् । वेदोक्तभक्षणं चैव पवित्राचरणं सदा
Skill in the daily worship of the gods, the desire to practice the Vedas, eating as prescribed by the Vedas, and always conducting oneself in purity—these are sought.
पतिव्रतानां यं धर्म तं निबोध व्रजेश्वर । नित्यंतु भर्तर्यौत्सुक्यात्तत्पादोदकमीप्सितम्
O lord of Vraja, understand the duty of devoted wives: always, out of eagerness for their husband, they desire the water that has washed his feet.
भक्तिभावेन सततं भोक्तव्यं तदनुज्ञया । व्रतं तपस्यां देवार्चां परित्यज्य प्रयत्नतः
With devotion, she should always partake only with his permission; she should carefully abandon vows, austerities, and worship of gods.
कुर्याच्चरणसेवां च स्तवनं परितोषणम् । तदाज्ञारहितं कर्म न कुयद्विरैतः सती
She should serve his feet, offer praise, and strive to please him; a chaste woman must not perform any act without his command.
नारायणात्परं कान्तं ध्यायते सततं सती । परपुंसां मुखं चैव सुवेषपुरुषं परम्
A chaste woman constantly meditates on no beloved higher than Nārāyaṇa; she does not look at the faces of other men, even if they are handsomely adorned.
यात्रामहोत्सवं नृत्यं नर्तनं गायनं व्रज । परक्रीडां च सततं न हि पश्यति सुव्रता
She does not attend festivals, grand celebrations, dances, or singing, nor does she ever watch the play of others, O Vraja.
यद्भक्ष्यं स्वामिनो नित्यं तदेवमपि योषिताम् । नहि त्यजेत्तु तत्सङ्गं क्षणमेव च सुव्रता
Whatever food is for her husband, that alone is for the wife; a virtuous woman does not abandon his company, even for a moment.
उत्तरे नोत्तरं दद्यात्स्वामिनश्य पतिव्रता । न कोपं कुरुते शुद्वा ताडिता चापि कोपतः
A devoted wife does not reply to her husband with a counter-argument; she does not become angry, even if struck in anger.