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.
अमावास्यां न भुञ्जीत एवं चान्द्रायणे विधिः । उपस्पृश्य त्रिषवणमेतच्चान्द्रायणं स्मृतम्
On the new moon day, one should not eat; thus is the rule for the Cāndrāyaṇa vow, performed with three daily ablutions, and this is known as the Cāndrāyaṇa.
चतुरः प्रातरश्नीयाद्विप्रः पिण्डात्कृताह्निकः । चतुरोऽस्तमिते सूर्ये शिशुचान्द्रायणं स्मृतम्
A brāhmaṇa, having performed his daily rites, should eat four lumps of food in the morning and four at sunset; this is called the Śiśu Cāndrāyaṇa.
अष्टावष्टौ समश्नीयात्पिण्डान्मध्यन्दिने स्थिते । नियतात्मा हविष्यस्य यतिचान्द्रायणं व्रतम्
One should eat eight lumps of food at midday, with self-restraint, using sacrificial food; this is the Yati Cāndrāyaṇa vow.
एतद्रुद्रास्तथादित्या वसवश्च चरन्ति हि । सर्वे कुशलिनो देवा मरुतश्च भुवा सह
The Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, and all the auspicious gods, along with the Maruts and beings of earth, practice these vows.
एकैकं सप्तरात्रेण पुनाति विधिवत्कृतम् । त्वगसृक्पिशितास्थीनि मेदोमज्जावसास्तथा
Each vow, when performed according to rule for seven nights, purifies the skin, blood, flesh, bones, fat, marrow, and also the body’s oils.
एकैकं सप्तरात्रेण शुध्यत्येव न संशयः । एभिर्व्रतैर्विपूतात्मा कर्म कुर्वीत नित्यशः
Each vow, in seven nights, certainly brings purification—there is no doubt; with these vows, having purified himself, one should always perform his duties.
एवं शुद्धस्य कर्माणि सिध्यन्त्येव न संशयः । शुद्धात्मा कर्म कुर्वीत सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः
Thus, for one who is purified, actions surely succeed—there is no doubt; with a pure mind, one should act, speaking truth and mastering the senses.
इष्टान्कामांस्ततः सर्वान्सम्प्राप्नोति न संशयः । त्रिरात्रमेवोपवसेद्रहितः सर्वकर्मणा
Then, all desired wishes are attained—there is no doubt; one should fast for three nights, abstaining from all actions.
त्रीणि नक्तानि वा कुर्यात्ततः कर्म समारभेत् । एवं विधानं कथितं पुरश्चर्याफलप्रदम्
Or, one may perform three nights of fasting, eating only at night, and then begin the rites; thus, the procedure has been described which yields the fruits of preparation.
गायत्र्याश्च पुरश्चर्यां सर्वकामप्रदायिनी । कथिता तव देवर्षे महापापविनाशिनी
The procedure for the preparation of the Gāyatrī, which grants all desires and destroys great sins, has been explained to you, O divine sage.