ततस्तु गत्वा नद्यादौ प्रातःस्नानं विशोधनम् । समाचरेन्मुनिश्रेष्ठ देहसंशुद्धिहेतवे
Then, going to a river or other water at dawn, one should perform the purifying morning bath, O best of sages, for the cleansing of the body.
अत्यन्तमलिनो देहो नवद्वारैर्मलं वहन् । सदाऽऽस्ते तच्छोधनाय प्रातःस्नानं विधीयते
The body, carrying impurities through its nine openings, is always impure; therefore, the morning bath is prescribed for its purification.
अगम्यागमनात्पापं यच्च पापं प्रतिग्रहात् । रहस्याचरितं पापं मुच्यते स्नानकर्मणा
Sin arising from forbidden acts, from accepting gifts, and from secret misdeeds is removed by the act of bathing.
अस्नातस्य क्रियाः सर्वा भवन्ति विफला यतः । तस्मात्प्रातश्चरेत्स्नानं नित्यमेव दिने दिने
All rituals performed without bathing become fruitless; therefore, one should bathe every day in the morning without fail.
दर्भयुक्तश्चरेत्स्नानं तथा सन्ध्याभिवन्दनम् । सप्ताहं प्रातरस्नायी सन्ध्याहीनस्त्रिभिर्दिनैः
One should bathe with darbha grass and then perform the sandhyā worship; one who bathes in the morning for seven days but neglects sandhyā for three days loses merit.
द्वादशाहमनग्निः सन्द्विजः शूद्रत्वमाप्नुयात् । अल्पत्वाद्धोमकालस्य बहुत्वात्स्नानकर्मणः
A twice-born who remains without fire for twelve days becomes like a śūdra, due to the brevity of fire rituals and the abundance of bathing rites.
प्रातर्न तु तथा स्नायाद्धोमकाले विगर्हितः । गायत्र्यास्तु परं नास्ति इह लोके परत्र च
One should not bathe at the time of the fire ritual as it is improper; there is nothing higher than the Gāyatrī, either in this world or the next.
गायन्तं त्रायते यस्माद्गायत्रीत्यभिधीयते । प्रणवेन तु संयुक्तां व्याहृतित्रयसंयुताम्
Because it protects the one who chants, it is called Gāyatrī; it is united with the syllable Om and the three vyāhṛtis.
वायुं वायौ जयेद्विप्रः प्राणसंयमनत्रयात् । ब्राह्मणः श्रुतिसम्पन्नः स्वधर्मनिरतः सदा
A brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas, always devoted to his own duty, conquers the air within air by the threefold control of breath.
स वैदिकं जपेन्मन्त्रं लौकिकं न कदाचन । गौशृङ्गे सर्षपो यावत् तावद्येषां न स स्थिरः
He should recite only the Vedic mantra, never a worldly one; as long as mustard remains on a cow’s horn, so long is his merit unstable.
न तारयन्त्युभौ पक्षौ पितॄनेकोत्तरं शतम् । सगर्भो जपसंयुक्तस्त्वगर्भो ध्यानमात्रकः
Neither wing carries the ancestors across a hundred generations; recitation with the seed (initiation) is effective, but without the seed, it is mere meditation.
स्नानाङ्गतर्पणं कृत्वा देवर्षिपितृतोषकम् । शुद्धे वस्त्रे परीधाय जलाद्बहिरुपागतः
After offering water as part of the bathing rites to please the gods, sages, and ancestors, one should put on clean garments and come out of the water.
विभूतिधारणं कार्यं रुद्राक्षाणां च धारणम् । क्रमयोगेन कर्तव्यं सर्वदा जपसाधकैः
One should wear the Rudraksha beads as a sign of spiritual power; this should always be done in proper sequence by those devoted to recitation and practice.
रुद्राक्षान्कण्ठदेशे दशनपरिमिता- न्मस्तके विंशती द्वे षट् षट् कर्णप्रदेशे करयुगलकृते द्वादश द्वादशैव । बाह्वोरिन्दोः कलाभिर्नयनयुगकृते त्वेकमेकं शिखायां वक्षस्यष्टाधिकं यः कलयति शतकं स स्वयं नीलकण्ठः
Ten Rudraksha beads should be worn at the neck, twenty on the head, six on each ear, twelve on each hand, one on each eye and on the crest, and one hundred and eight on the chest; whoever arranges them thus becomes like Nilakantha himself.
बद्ध्वा स्वर्णेन रुद्राक्षं रजतेनाथवा मुने । शिखायां धारयेन्नित्यं कर्णयोर्वा समाहितः
O sage, having strung the Rudraksha with gold or silver, one should always wear it on the crest or on the ears with concentration.
यज्ञोपवीते हस्ते वा कण्ठे तुन्देऽथवा नरः । श्रीमत्पञ्चाक्षरेणैव प्रणवेन तथापि वा
A person may wear it on the sacred thread, on the hand, on the neck, or on the chest, accompanied by the sacred five-syllable mantra or by Om.
निर्व्याजभक्त्या मेधावी रुद्राक्षं धारयेन्मुदा । रुद्राक्षधारणं साक्षाच्छिवज्ञानस्य साधनम्
With sincere devotion and joy, the wise should wear Rudraksha; wearing Rudraksha is directly a means to the knowledge of Shiva.
रुद्राक्षं यच्छिखायां तत्तारतत्त्वमिति स्मरेत् । कर्णयोरुभयोर्ब्रह्मन् देवं देवीं च भावयेत्
When wearing Rudraksha on the crest, one should remember the supreme principle; when wearing them on both ears, O Brahman, one should contemplate the god and the goddess.
यज्ञोपवीते वेदांश्च तथा हस्ते दिशः स्मरेत् । कण्ठे सरस्वतीं देवीं पावकं चापि भावयेत्
When wearing on the sacred thread, one should remember the Vedas; on the hand, the directions; on the neck, the goddess Sarasvati and also the fire should be contemplated.
सर्वाश्रमाणां वर्णानां रुद्राक्षाणां च धारणम् । कर्तव्यं मन्त्रतः प्रोक्तं द्विजानां नान्यवर्णिनाम्
Wearing Rudraksha is prescribed by mantra for all orders and classes, but for twice-born men only, not for those of other classes.
रुद्राक्षधारणाद्रुद्रो भवत्येव न संशयः । पश्यन्नपि निषिद्धांश्च तथा शृण्वन्नपि स्मरन्
By wearing Rudraksha, one truly becomes Rudra—there is no doubt; even while seeing, hearing, or remembering forbidden things.
जिघ्रन्नपि तथा चाश्नन् प्रलपन्नपि सन्ततम् । कुर्वन्नपि सदा गच्छन्विसृजन्नपि मानवः
Even while smelling, eating, speaking, always acting, going, or excreting, a person—
रुद्राक्षधारणादेव सर्वपापैर्न लिप्यते । अनेन भुक्तं देवेन भुक्तं यत्तु तथा भवेत्
—is not tainted by any sins merely by wearing Rudraksha; whatever is consumed by him is as if consumed by the god.
पीतं रुद्रेण तत्पीतं घ्रातं घ्रातं शिवेन तत् । रुद्राक्षधारणे लज्जा येषामस्ति महामुने
Whatever is drunk is as if drunk by Rudra; whatever is smelled is as if smelled by Shiva; O great sage, those who feel shame in wearing Rudraksha—
तेषां नास्ति विनिर्मोक्षः संसाराज्जन्मकोटिभिः । रुद्राक्षधारिणं दृष्ट्वा परिवादं करोति यः
—for them there is no liberation from the cycle of birth and death, even after millions of lifetimes; whoever criticizes the wearer of Rudraksha—
उत्पत्तौ तस्य साङ्कर्यमस्त्वेवेति विनिश्चयः । रुद्राक्षधारणादेव रुद्रो रुद्रत्वमाप्नुयात्
—it is certain that confusion arises at his birth; by wearing Rudraksha, Rudra attains Rudra-hood.
मुनयः सत्यसङ्कल्पा ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मत्वमागतः । रुद्राक्षधारणाच्छ्रेष्ठं न किञ्चिदपि विद्यते
The sages, steadfast in truth, and Brahma, having attained Brahma-hood, declare that nothing is superior to wearing Rudraksha.
रुद्राक्षधारिणे भक्त्या वस्त्रं धान्यं ददाति यः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever gives cloth or grain with devotion to a wearer of Rudraksha is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Shiva.
रुद्राक्षधारिणं श्राद्धे भोजयेत विमोदतः । पितृलोकमवाप्नोति नात्र कार्या विचारणा
One should gladly feed a Rudraksha-wearer at a funeral rite; he attains the world of the ancestors—there is no need for further consideration.
रुद्राक्षधारिणः पादौ प्रक्षाल्याद्भिः पिबेन्नरः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोके महीयते
One who drinks the water after washing the feet of a Rudraksha-wearer is freed from all sins and is honored in the world of Shiva.