लवणं क्षारमम्लं च गृञ्जनं कांस्यभोजनम् । ताम्बूलं च द्विभुक्तं च दुष्टवासः प्रमत्तनम्
Salt, alkaline substances, sour things, pungent foods, eating from bronze vessels, betel, eating twice a day, wearing soiled clothes, and carelessness—
श्रुतिस्मृतिविरोधं च जपं रात्रौ विवर्जयेत् । वृथा न कालं गमयेद्द्यूतस्त्रीस्वापवादतः
Recitation at night, and anything opposed to scripture and tradition, should be avoided; one should not waste time in gambling, women, sleep, or idle talk.
गमयेद्देवतापूजास्तोत्रागमविलोकनैः । भूशय्या ब्रह्मचारित्वं मौनचर्या तथैव च
Time should be spent in worship of deities, recitation of hymns, and study of sacred texts; sleeping on the ground, practicing celibacy, and observing silence likewise.
नित्यं त्रिषवणस्नानं शूद्रकर्मविवर्जनम् । नित्यपूजा नित्यदानमानन्दस्तुतिकीर्तनम्
Daily bathing three times, avoidance of Shudra duties, daily worship, daily giving, delight, praise, and singing of hymns—
नैमित्तिकार्चनं चैव विश्वासो गुरुदेवयोः । जपनिष्ठस्य धर्मा ये द्वादशैते सुसिद्धिदाः
Occasional worship, faith in the teacher and deity—these twelve duties of one devoted to recitation grant excellent success.
नित्यं सूर्यमुपस्थाय तस्य चाभिमुखो जपेत् । देवताप्रतिमादौ वा वह्नौ वाभ्यर्च्य तन्मुखः
One should always recite facing the sun, or after worshipping the deity's image or fire, facing them.
स्नानपूजाजपध्यानहोमतर्पणतत्परः । निष्कामो देवतायां च सर्वकर्मनिवेदकः
He is devoted to bathing, worship, recitation, meditation, fire offerings, and oblations; without desire, he dedicates all actions to the deity.
एवमादींश्च नियमान्पुरश्चरणकृच्चरेत् । तस्माद्द्विजः प्रसन्नात्मा जपहोमपरायणः
He should observe such disciplines as prescribed for preparatory rites; therefore, the twice-born, with a serene mind, should be devoted to recitation and fire offerings.
तपस्यध्ययने युक्तो भवेद्भूतानुकम्पकः । तपसा स्वर्गमाप्नोति तपसा विन्दते महत्
Engaged in austerity and study, he should be compassionate toward all beings; by austerity, he attains heaven, and by austerity, he obtains greatness.
तपोयुक्तस्य सिध्यन्ति कर्माणि नियतात्मनः । विद्वेषणं संहरणं मारणं रोगनाशनम्
For one endowed with austerity and self-control, actions succeed: causing discord, destruction, killing, and the removal of diseases.
येन येनाथ ऋषिणा यदर्थं देवताः स्तुताः । स स कामः समृद्ध्येत तेषां तेषां तथा तथा
Whatever purpose the sages praised the deities for, that desire is fulfilled for each accordingly.
तानि कर्माणि वक्ष्यामि विधानानि च कर्मणाम् । पुरश्चरणमादौ च कर्मणां सिद्धिकारकम्
I will explain those actions and the procedures for them, and the preparatory rites that bring success to actions.
स्वाध्यायाभ्यसनस्यादौ प्राजापत्यं चरेद्द्विजः । केशश्मश्रुलोमनखान् वापयित्वा ततः शुचिः
At the beginning of study and recitation, the twice-born should perform the Prājāpatya rite, becoming pure after shaving hair, beard, body hair, and nails.
तिष्ठेदहनि रात्रौ तु शुचिरासीत वाग्यतः । सत्यवादी पवित्राणि जपेद्व्याहृतयस्तथा
He should stand during the day, and at night sit in purity, restraining speech; speaking truth, reciting purifying formulas and the sacred utterances.
ज्येकाराद्यास्तु ता जप्त्वा सावित्रीं च तदित्यृचम् । आपो हि ष्ठेति सूक्तं च पवित्रं पापनाशनम्
Reciting those beginning with 'jyekāra', the Sāvitrī, and the relevant ṛc, as well as the 'āpo hi ṣṭha' hymn, which is purifying and destroys sin.
पुनन्त्यः स्वस्तिमत्यश्च पावमान्यस्तथैव च । सर्वत्रैतत्प्रयोक्तव्यमादावन्ते च कर्मणाम्
The purifying, auspicious, and Pavamāna hymns likewise; these should be used everywhere, at the beginning and end of actions.
आसहस्रादाशताद्वाप्यादशादथवा जपेत् । अकारं व्याहृतीस्तिस्रः सावित्रीमथवायुतम्
He should recite a thousand, a hundred, or ten times; the syllable 'a', the three sacred utterances, the Sāvitrī, or ten thousand times.
तर्पयित्वाद्भिराचार्यानृषींश्छन्दांसि देवताः । अनार्येण न भाषेत शूद्रेणापि न गर्हितैः
Having offered oblations to teachers, sages, meters, and deities, he should not speak with those who are unworthy, nor with Shudras or the censured.
नापि चोदक्यया वध्वा पतितैर्नान्त्यजैर्नृभिः । न देवब्राह्मणद्विष्टैर्नाचार्यगुरुनिन्दकैः
Nor with a woman who is not initiated, fallen men, or those of the lowest castes; nor with those who hate gods or Brahmins, nor with those who revile teachers and elders.
न मातृपितृविद्विष्टैर्नावमन्येत कञ्चन । कृच्छ्राणामेष सर्वेषां विधिरुक्तोऽनुपूर्वशः
Nor with those who hate mother or father, nor should he disrespect anyone; the procedure for all these expiations is prescribed in order.
प्राजापत्यस्य कृच्छ्रस्य तथा सान्तपनस्य च । पराकस्य च कृच्छ्रस्य विधिश्चान्द्रायणस्य च
The rules for the Prājāpatya expiation, the Sāntapana, the Parāka expiation, and the Cāndrāyana are thus given.
पञ्चभिः पातकैः सर्वैर्दुष्कृतैश्च प्रमुच्यते । तप्तकृच्छ्रेण सर्वाणि पापानि दहति क्षणात्
By the Taptakṛcchra expiation, one is freed from all five sins and misdeeds; it burns away all sins in an instant.
त्रिभिश्चान्द्रायणैः पूतो ब्रह्मलोकं समश्नुते । अष्टभिर्देवताः साक्षात्पश्येत वरदास्तदा
By three Cāndrāyana rites, one becomes purified and attains the world of Brahma; by eight, one directly sees the deities, who then grant boons.
छन्दांसि दशभिर्ज्ञात्वा सर्वान्कामान्समश्नुते । त्र्यहं प्रातस्त्र्यहं सायं त्र्यहमद्यादयाचितम्
By knowing ten meters, one enjoys all desires; three days in the morning, three days in the evening, and three days with food obtained on the day.
त्र्यहं परं च नाश्नीयात्प्राजापत्यं चरेद्द्विजः । गोमूत्रं गोमयं क्षीरं दधि सर्पिः कुशोदकम्
For three days or more, a twice-born should not eat, following the Prajapatya vow, subsisting on cow urine, cow dung, milk, curd, ghee, and water touched by kuśa grass.
एकरात्रोपवासश्च कृच्छ्रं सान्तपनं स्मृतम् । एकैकं ग्रासमश्नीयादहानि त्रीणि पूर्ववत्
A single night of fasting is called the Kṛcchra Sāntapana; for three days, as before, one should eat only a single mouthful each day.
त्र्यहं चोपवसेदित्थमतिकृच्छ्रं चरेद्द्विजः । एवमेव त्रिभिर्युक्तं महासान्तपनं स्मृतम्
In this way, fasting for three days is called Atikṛcchra; similarly, when performed three times, it is known as Mahāsāntapana.
तप्तकृच्छ्रं चरन्विप्रो जलक्षीरघृतानिलान् । प्रतित्र्यहं पिबेदुष्णान्सकृत्स्नायी समाहितः
A brāhmaṇa practicing the Taptakṛcchra should drink, each for three days, hot water, hot milk, hot ghee, and hot air, bathing once daily with concentration.
नियतस्तु पिबेदापः प्राजापत्यविधिः स्मृतः । यतात्मनोऽप्रमत्तस्य द्वादशाहमभोजनम्
With self-control, one should drink only water; this is known as the Prajapatya rite, where, with a disciplined mind and vigilance, one abstains from food for twelve days.
पराको नाम कृच्छ्रोऽयं सर्वपापप्रणोदनः । एकैकं तु ग्रसेत्पिण्डं कृष्णे शुक्ले च वर्धयेत्
This Kṛcchra is called Parāka, which dispels all sins; one should eat a single lump of food, increasing it during the dark and bright fortnights.