नवरात्रे पठेदेतद्देव्यग्रे तु समाहितः । परितुष्टा जगद्धात्री भवत्येव हि निश्चितम्
If, during Navaratri, one recites this in front of the goddess with concentration, the world-nourishing Mother is certainly pleased.
नित्यमेकैकमध्यायं पठेद्यः प्रत्यहं नरः । तस्य वश्या भवेद्देवी देवीप्रियकरो हि सः
If a man recites each chapter daily, the goddess becomes subject to him; indeed, he becomes dear to the goddess.
शकुनांश्च परीक्षेत नित्यमस्मिन्यथाविधि । कुमारीदिव्यहस्तेन यद्वा बटुकराम्बुजात्
One should examine omens daily in this, as prescribed; either with the divine hand of a maiden or from the lotus-hand of the boy deity.
मनोरथं तु सङ्कल्प्य पुस्तकं पूजयेत्ततः । देवीं च जगदीशानीं प्रणमेच्च पुनः पुनः
Having resolved one's wish, one should worship the book; then repeatedly bow to the goddess, the ruler of the universe.
सुस्नातां कन्यकां तत्रानीयाभ्यर्च्य यथाविधि । शलाकां रोपयेन्मध्ये तथा स्वर्णेन निर्मिताम्
There, a well-bathed maiden should be brought and worshipped according to the proper rite; a rod made of gold should be placed in the center.
शुभं वाप्यशुभं तत्र यदायाति च तद्भवेत् । उदासीनेऽप्युदासीनं कार्यं भवति निश्चितम्
Whatever auspicious or inauspicious sign appears there, that will come to pass; even if nothing appears, that very absence is to be regarded as certain.
मनुकृतं देवीस्तवनम् नारद उवाच भगवन् भूतभव्येश नारायण सनातन । आख्यातं परमाश्चर्यं देवीचारित्रमुत्तमम्
The Hymn to the Goddess composed by Manu. Nārada said: O Lord, Master of past and future, eternal Nārāyaṇa, you have described the supreme and wondrous deeds of the Goddess.
प्रादुर्भावः परो मातुः कार्यार्थमसुरद्रुहाम् । अधिकाराप्तिरुक्तात्र देवीपूर्णकृपावशात्
The highest manifestation of the Mother for the purpose of subduing the demons has been told here; her attainment of authority is due to the Goddess's full compassion.
अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि येन प्रीणाति सर्वदा । स्वभक्तान्परिपुष्णाति तमाचारं वद प्रभो
Now I wish to hear, O Lord, the conduct by which she is always pleased and by which she nourishes her devotees—please speak of that practice.
श्रीनारायण उवाच शृणु नारद तत्त्वज्ञ सदाचारविधिक्रमम् । यदनुष्ठानमात्रेण देवी प्रीणाति सर्वदा
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Listen, O Nārada, knower of truth, to the proper sequence of right conduct; by merely performing this, the Goddess is always pleased.
प्रातरुत्थाय कर्तव्यं यद् द्विजेन दिने दिने । तदहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि द्विजानामुपकारकम्
I shall now explain what a twice-born should do each day upon rising in the morning, for it is beneficial to the twice-born.
उदयास्तमयं यावद् द्विजः सत्कर्मकृद्भवेत् । नित्यनैमित्तिकैर्युक्तः काम्यैश्चान्यैरगर्हितैः
From sunrise to sunset, a twice-born should engage in virtuous acts, performing both regular and occasional duties, as well as other blameless, desired acts.
आत्मनश्च सहायार्थं पिता माता न तिष्ठति । न पुत्रदारा न ज्ञातिर्धर्मस्तिष्ठति केवलम्
For one's own sake, neither father nor mother remains, nor sons, wives, or relatives; only dharma remains as a companion.
तस्माद्धर्मं सहायार्थं नित्यं सञ्चिनु साधनैः । धर्मेणैव सहायात्तु तमस्तरति दुस्तरम्
Therefore, always accumulate dharma as your companion through proper means; with dharma alone as companion, one crosses the difficult darkness.
आचारः प्रथमो धर्मः श्रुत्युक्तः स्मार्त एव च । तस्मादस्मिन्समायुक्तो नित्यं स्यादात्मनो द्विजः
Conduct is the foremost dharma, declared in both the revealed and traditional texts; therefore, a twice-born should always be devoted to this.
आचाराल्लभते चायुराचाराल्लभते प्रजाः । आचारादन्नमक्षय्यमाचारो हन्ति पातकम्
From conduct one obtains long life, from conduct one obtains offspring; from conduct, food becomes inexhaustible, and conduct destroys sin.
आचारः परमो धर्मो नृणां कल्याणकारकः । इह लोके सुखी भूत्वा परत्र लभते सुखम्
Conduct is the highest dharma, bringing welfare to people; by it, one is happy in this world and attains happiness in the next.
अज्ञानान्धजनानां तु मोहितैर्भ्रामितात्मनाम् । धर्मरूपो महादीपो मुक्तिमार्गप्रदर्शकः
For those blinded by ignorance, whose minds are deluded and confused, dharma in the form of conduct is a great lamp showing the path to liberation.
आचारात्प्राप्यते श्रैष्ठ्यमाचारात्कर्म लभ्यते । कर्मणो जायते ज्ञानमिति वाक्यं मनोः स्मृतम्
By conduct one attains excellence, by conduct one achieves action; from action arises knowledge—so it is stated in the tradition of Manu.
सर्वधर्मवरिष्ठोऽयमाचारः परमं तपः । तदेव ज्ञानमुद्दिष्टं तेन सर्वं प्रसाध्यते
Among all dharmas, this conduct is supreme, the highest austerity; it alone is called knowledge, and by it everything is accomplished.
यस्त्वाचारविहीनोऽत्र वर्तते द्विजसत्तमः । स शूद्रवद् बहिष्कार्यो यथा शूद्रस्तथैव सः
But the best of the twice-born who lives here without proper conduct is to be expelled like a Śūdra; he is just like a Śūdra.
आचारो द्विविधः प्रोक्तः शास्त्रीयो लौकिकस्तथा । उभावपि प्रकर्तव्यौ न त्याज्यौ शुभमिच्छता
Conduct is said to be of two kinds: scriptural and worldly; both should be practiced and not abandoned by one who desires auspiciousness.
ग्रामधर्मा जातिधर्मा देशधर्माः कुलोद्भवाः । परिग्राह्या नृभिः सर्वैर्नैव ताँल्लङ्घयेन्मुने
The customs of the village, the customs of caste, the customs of the land, and those arising from family—these should be observed by all people, and one should never transgress them, O sage.
दुराचारो हि पुरुषो लोके भवति निन्दितः । दुःखभागी च सततं व्याधिना व्याप्त एव च
A man of bad conduct is reviled in the world, always subject to suffering, and indeed afflicted by disease.
परित्यजेदर्थकामौ यौ स्यातां धर्मवर्जितौ । धर्ममप्यसुखोदर्कं लोकविद्विष्टमेव च
One should abandon wealth and desire if they are devoid of righteousness, and even righteousness itself if it leads to unhappiness or is hated by people.
नारद उवाच बहुत्वादिह शास्त्राणां निश्चयः स्यात्कथं मुने । कियत्प्रमाणं तद् ब्रूहि धर्ममार्गविनिर्णये
Nārada said: With so many scriptures here, how can certainty be attained, O sage? Tell me, what is the authority for determining the path of righteousness?
श्रीनारायण उवाच श्रुतिस्मृती उभे नेत्रे पुराणं हृदयं स्मृतम् । एतत्त्रयोक्त एव स्याद्धर्मो नान्यत्र कुत्रचित्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: The Veda and Smṛti are the two eyes, and the Purāṇa is said to be the heart; righteousness is declared only as stated by these three, and not anywhere else.
विरोधो यत्र तु भवेत्त्रयाणां च परस्परम् । श्रुतिस्तत्र प्रमाणं स्याद् द्वयोर्द्वैधे स्मृतिर्वरा
Where there is mutual contradiction among these three, the Veda is the authority; if there is a conflict between the other two, Smṛti is preferable.
श्रुतिद्वैधं भवेद्यत्र तत्र धर्मावुभौ स्मृतौ । स्मृतिद्वैधं तु यत्र स्याद्विषयः कल्प्यतां पृथक्
Where there is a divergence in the Veda, both forms of righteousness are found in Smṛti; but where there is divergence in Smṛti, the subject should be considered separately.
पुराणेषु क्वचिच्चैव तन्त्रदृष्टं यथातथम् । धर्मं वदन्ति तं धर्मं गृह्णीयान्न कथञ्चन
And in some places in the Purāṇas, what is seen in the Tantra is stated as it is; that righteousness, as declared, may be accepted, but not otherwise.