घृतमन्ये परे सोममपरे चरुवृत्तयः । ऋषयः पक्षमश्नन्ति केचिद्भैक्ष्याशिनोऽहनि
Some subsist on clarified butter, others on soma, some on offerings of cooked food; some sages eat every fortnight, some live on alms once a day.
हविष्यमपरेऽश्नन्तः कुर्वन्त्येव परं तपः । अथ शुद्ध्यै रहस्यानां त्रिसहस्रं जपेद् द्विजः
Others eat only sacrificial food, performing intense austerity; now, for purification, a twice-born should recite the secret mantra three thousand times.
मासं शुद्धो भवेत्स्तेयात्सुवर्णस्य द्विजोत्तमः । जपेन्मासं त्रिसाहस्रं सुरापः शुद्धिमाप्नुयात्
By reciting three thousand times for a month, a twice-born who has stolen gold becomes pure; likewise, one who has drunk liquor attains purification by reciting three thousand times for a month.
मासं जपेत् त्रिसाहस्रं शुचिः स्याद् गुरुतल्पगः । त्रिसहस्रं जपेन्मासं कुटीं कृत्वा वने वसन्
By reciting three thousand times for a month, one who has approached his teacher's wife becomes pure; by reciting three thousand times for a month while dwelling in a hut in the forest, one is freed from the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa.
ब्रह्महा मुच्यते पापादिति कौशिकभाषितम् । द्वादशाहं निमज्ज्याप्सु सहस्रं प्रत्यहं जपेत्
Thus it is declared by Kauśika: by immersing in water for twelve days and reciting a thousand times each day, one is freed from all great sins.
मुच्येरन्नंहसः सर्वे महापातकिनो द्विजाः । त्रिसाहस्रं जपेन्मासं प्राणानायम्य वाग्यतः
All twice-born who are great sinners are freed from sin by this; by reciting three thousand times for a month, restraining the breath and controlling speech.
महापातकयुक्तो वा मुच्यते महतो भयात् । प्राणायामसहस्रेण ब्रह्महापि विशुध्यति
Even one afflicted with great sin is freed from great fear; by a thousand prāṇāyāmas, even a brāhmaṇa-slayer becomes purified.
षट्कृत्वस्त्वभ्यसेदूर्ध्वं प्राणापानौ समाहितः । प्राणायामो भवेदेष सर्वपापप्रणाशनः
Practicing this six times, with mind fixed on the upward and downward breaths, this prāṇāyāma destroys all sins.
सहस्रमभ्यसेन्मासं क्षितिपः शुचितामियात् । द्वादशाहं त्रिसाहस्रं जपेद्धि गोवधे द्विजः
By practicing a thousand times for a month, a king attains purity; for killing a cow, a twice-born should recite three thousand times for twelve days.
अगम्यागमनस्तेयहननाभक्ष्यभक्षणे । दशसाहस्रमभ्यस्ता गायत्री शोधयेद् द्विजम्
For approaching the forbidden, theft, killing, or eating what should not be eaten, by practicing the Gāyatrī ten thousand times, a twice-born is purified.
प्राणायामशतं कृत्वा मुच्यते सर्वकिल्विषात् । सर्वेषामेव पापानां सङ्करे सति शुद्धये
By performing a hundred prāṇāyāmas, one is freed from all faults; for the mixture of all sins, for purification,
सहस्रमभ्यसेन्मासं नित्यजापी वने वसन् । उपवाससमं जप्यं त्रिसहस्रं तदित्यृचम्
By practicing a thousand times for a month, one who recites daily while living in the forest is purified; reciting three thousand times is equal to fasting, as declared in the Ṛc.
चतुर्विंशतिसाहस्रमभ्यस्तात्कृच्छ्रसंज्ञिता । चतुःषष्टिसहस्राणि चान्द्रायणसमानि तु
By practicing the austerity known as Kṛcchra twenty-four thousand times, and by performing the Cāndrāyaṇa vow sixty-four thousand times,
शतकृत्वोऽभ्यसेन्नित्यं प्राणानायम्य सन्ध्ययोः । तदित्यृचमवाप्नोति सर्वपापक्षयं परम्
One who, having restrained the breath, recites the Taditṛc verse a hundred times daily at the two twilights, attains the result of the Ṛc and the complete destruction of all sins.
निमज्ज्याप्सु जपेन्नित्यं शतकृत्वस्तदित्यृचम् । ध्यायन्देवीं सूर्यरूपां सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
One who, having immersed in water, recites the Taditṛc verse a hundred times daily, meditating on the Goddess in the form of the Sun, is freed from all sins.
इति ते सम्यगाख्याताः शान्तिशुद्ध्यादिकल्पनाः । रहस्यातिरहस्याश्च गोपनीयास्त्वया सदा
Thus, the procedures for peace, purification, and related matters have been properly explained to you, including the most secret and highly confidential ones, which you must always keep concealed.
इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तः सदाचारस्य संग्रहः । विधिनाऽऽचरणादस्य माया दुर्गा प्रसीदति
Thus, in summary, the compendium of right conduct has been stated; by practicing this according to the prescribed method, Goddess Māyā Durgā becomes pleased.
नैमित्तिकं च नित्यं च काम्यं कर्म यथाविधि । आचरेन्मनुजः सोऽयं भुक्तिमुक्तिफलाप्तिभाक्
A person should perform occasional, daily, and desire-motivated actions according to the prescribed rules; such a one attains the fruits of enjoyment and liberation.
आचारः प्रथमो धर्मो धर्मस्य प्रभुरीश्वरी । इत्युक्तं सर्वशास्त्रेषु सदाचारफलं महत्
Conduct is the foremost dharma; the Lady is the sovereign of dharma. Thus, in all scriptures, the great fruit of right conduct is declared.
आचारवान्सदा पूतः सदैवाचारवान्मसुखी । आचारवान्सदा धन्यः सत्यं सत्यं च नारद
One who possesses right conduct is always pure; one who always possesses right conduct is always happy; one who possesses right conduct is always blessed—this is true, this is true, O Nārada.
देवीप्रसादजनकं सदाचारविधानकम् । यदपि शृणुयान्मर्त्यो महासम्पत्तिसौख्यभाक्
The prescription of right conduct, which brings about the favor of the Goddess—even if a mortal merely hears it—becomes the recipient of great prosperity and happiness.
सदाचारेण सिद्धेच्च ऐहिकामुष्मिकं सुखम् । तदेव ते मया प्रोक्तं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि
When right conduct is perfected, both worldly and otherworldly happiness are attained; this alone has been told to you by me—what else do you wish to hear?
गायत्रीविचारः नारद उवाच सदाचारविधिर्देव भवता वर्णितः प्रभो । तस्याप्यतुलमाहात्म्यं सर्वपापविनाशनम्
Nārada said: O Lord, you have described the prescription of right conduct; its incomparable greatness and the destruction of all sins.
श्रुतं भवन्मुखाम्भोजच्युतं देवीकथामृतम् । व्रतानि यानि चोक्तानि चान्द्रायणमुखानि ते
I have heard from your lotus mouth the nectar of the Goddess's stories, and the vows you have spoken, beginning with Cāndrāyaṇa.
दुःखसाध्यानि जानीमः कर्तृसाध्यानि तानि च । तदस्मात्साम्प्रतं यत्तु सुखसाध्यं शरीरिणाम्
We know those are difficult to accomplish and require effort; therefore, now tell me what is easily accomplished by embodied beings.
देवीप्रसादजनकं शुभानुष्ठानसिद्धिदम् । तत्कर्म वद मे स्वामिन् कृपापूर्वं सुरेश्वर
O Lord of the gods, kindly tell me that action which brings the favor of the Goddess and leads to the accomplishment of auspicious undertakings.
सदाचारविधौ यश्च गायत्रीविधिरीरितः । तस्मिन्मुख्यतमं किं स्यात्किं वा पुण्याधिकप्रदम्
And in the prescription of right conduct, the method of Gāyatrī has been stated; among these, which is the most important, or which bestows the greatest merit?
ये गायत्रीगता वर्णास्तत्त्वसंख्यास्त्वयेरिताः । तेषां के ऋषयः प्रोक्ताः कानि छन्दांसि वै मुने
O sage, the letters contained in the Gāyatrī and their numbers have been stated; who are the seers of these, and what are their meters?
तेषां का देवताः प्रोक्ताः सर्वं कथय मे प्रभो । महत्कौतूहलं मे च मानसे परिवर्तते
Who are the deities of these? Tell me everything, O Lord; great curiosity stirs in my mind.
श्रीनारायणाय उवाच कुर्यादन्यन्न वा कुर्यादनुष्ठानादिकं तथा । गायत्रीमात्रनिष्ठस्तु कृतकृत्यो भवेद्द्विजः
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Whether one performs other observances or not, a twice-born who is devoted solely to Gāyatrī becomes one who has accomplished his purpose.