यथोपनीतैर्यष्टव्यम् इति होवाच पार्थिवः यष्टव्यं पशुभिर्मेध्यैर् अथ मूलफलैरपि
The king said: Sacrifice should be performed with those who are properly brought, with pure animals, or with roots and fruits as well.
हिंसा स्वभावो यज्ञस्य इति मे दर्शनागमः तथैते भाविता मन्त्रा हिंसालिङ्गा महर्षिभिः
The inherent nature of sacrifice is violence—this is my understanding from tradition; likewise, the mantras composed by the sages bear the mark of violence.
दीर्घेण तपसा युक्तैस् तारकादिनिदर्शिभिः तत्प्रमाणं मया चोक्तं तस्माच्छमितुम् अर्हथ
Those who observe stars and other signs, endowed with long austerity, have declared this as the standard; therefore, you ought to accept it.
यदि प्रमाणं स्वान्येव मन्त्रवाक्याणि वो द्विजाः तथा प्रवर्ततां यज्ञो ह्य् अन्यथा मानृतं वचः
If your own mantric statements are the authority, O twice-born, then let the sacrifice proceed accordingly; otherwise, the words would be untrue.
एवं कृतोत्तरास्ते तु युज्यात्मानं ततो धिया अवश्यम्भाविनं दृष्ट्वा तमधो ह्यशपंस्तदा
Having received such a reply, they prepared themselves with resolve; seeing what must inevitably occur, they then cursed him.
इत्युक्तमात्रो नृपतिः प्रविवेश रसातलम् ऊर्ध्वचारी नृपो भूत्वा रसातलचरो ऽभवत्
As soon as he was thus addressed, the king entered the netherworld; having become one who moves above, he became a dweller in the nether regions.
वसुधातलचारी तु तेन वाक्येन सो ऽभवत् धर्माणां संशयछेत्ता राजा वसुरधोगतः
He who once moved upon the earth, by that statement, became so; the king Vasum, fallen below, became the resolver of doubts concerning dharma.
तस्मान्न वाच्यो ह्येकेन बहुज्ञेनापि संशयः बहुधारस्य धर्मस्य सूक्ष्मा दुरनुगा गतिः
Therefore, a doubt should not be declared by one alone, even if highly learned; the subtle and difficult path of dharma has many streams.
तस्मान्न निश्चयाद्वक्तुं धर्मः शक्यो हि केनचित् देवानृषीनुपादाय स्वायम्भुवमृते मनुम्
Therefore, dharma cannot be definitively stated by anyone, except for Manu, who is born from Svāyambhuva, taking the gods and sages into account.
तस्मान्न हिंसा यज्ञे स्याद् यदुक्तमृषिभिः पुरा ऋषिकोटिसहस्राणि स्वैस्तपोभिर्दिवं गताः
Therefore, violence should not occur in sacrifice, as was said by the sages of old; thousands of great sages have attained heaven by their own austerities.
तस्मान्न हिंसायज्ञं च प्रशंसन्ति महर्षयः उञ्छं मूलं फलं शाकम् उदपात्रं तपोधनाः
Therefore, the great sages do not praise sacrifices involving violence; ascetics praise gleaned grains, roots, fruits, vegetables, and water in a vessel.
एतद्दत्त्वा विभवतः स्वर्गलोके प्रतिष्ठिताः अद्रोहश्चाप्यलोभश्च दमो भूतदया शमः
Having given these according to their means, they are established in the heavenly world; non-injury, non-greed, self-restraint, compassion for beings, and tranquility.
ब्रह्मचर्यं तपः शौचम् अनुक्रोशं क्षमा धृतिः सनातनस्य धर्मस्य मूलमेव दुरासदम्
Celibacy, austerity, purity, compassion, forgiveness, and steadfastness—these are the very difficult roots of eternal dharma.
द्रव्यमन्त्रात्मको यज्ञस् तपश्च समतात्मकम् यज्ञैश्च देवानाप्नोति वैराजं तपसा पुनः
Sacrifice consists of material and mantra, and austerity is of the nature of equality; by sacrifices one attains the gods, and by austerity, the realm of Virāj.
ब्रह्मणः कर्मसंन्यासाद् वैराग्यात्प्रकृतेर्लयम् ज्ञानात्प्राप्नोति कैवल्यं पञ्चैता गतयः स्मृताः
Through renunciation of action, by detachment, by dissolution into nature, and by knowledge, one attains liberation; these five are said to be the paths.
एवं विवादः सुमहान् यज्ञस्यासीत्प्रवर्तने ऋषीणां देवतानां च पूर्वे स्वायम्भुवे ऽन्तरे
Thus, a great dispute arose among the sages and the gods regarding the performance of sacrifice in the former age of Svāyambhuva.
ततस्ते ऋषयो दृष्ट्वा हृतं धर्मं बलेन तु वसोर्वाक्यमनादृत्य जग्मुस्ते वै यथागतम्
Then the sages, seeing that righteousness had been forcibly taken away and disregarding Vasu's words, departed as they had come.
गतेषु ऋषिसंघेषु देवा यज्ञमवाप्नुयुः श्रूयन्ते हि तपःसिद्धा ब्रह्मक्षत्रादयो नृपाः
When the assembly of sages had gone, the gods obtained the sacrifice; it is heard that kings such as Brahmins and Kshatriyas, accomplished in austerity, did so.
प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ ध्रुवो मेधातिथिर्वसुः सुधामा विरजाश्चैव शङ्खपाद्राजसस्तथा
Priyavrata, Uttānapāda, Dhruva, Medhātithi, Vasu, Sudhāmā, Virajā, Śaṅkhapād, and other kings likewise.
प्राचीनबर्हिः पर्जन्यो हविर्धानादयो नृपाः एते चान्ये च बहवस् ते तपोभिर्दिवं गताः
Prācīnabarhi, Parjanya, Havirdhāna, and other kings—these and many others attained heaven through their austerities.
राजर्षयो महात्मानो येषां कीर्तिः प्रतिष्ठिता तस्माद्विशिष्यते यज्ञात् तपः सर्वैस्तु कारणैः
The royal sages of great soul, whose fame is established—therefore, austerity surpasses sacrifice in every respect.
ब्रह्मणा तपसा सृष्टं जगद्विश्वमिदं पुरा तस्मान्नाप्नोति तद्यज्ञात् तपोमूलमिदं स्मृतम्
This entire universe was formerly created by Brahmā through austerity; therefore, it is not attained by sacrifice, for austerity is said to be the root of all.
यज्ञप्रवर्तनं ह्येवम् आसीत्स्वायम्भुवे ऽन्तरे तदाप्रभृति यज्ञो ऽयं युगैः सार्धं प्रवर्तितः
Thus, the initiation of sacrifice took place in the age of Svāyambhuva; from that time onward, this sacrifice has continued along with the ages.
अत ऊर्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि द्वापरस्य विधिं पुनः तत्र त्रेतायुगे क्षीणे द्वापरं प्रतिपद्यते
Now I shall again describe the order of the Dvāpara age; when the Tretā age wanes, the Dvāpara is entered.
द्वापरादौ प्रजानां तु सिद्धिस्त्रेतायुगे तु या परिवृत्ते युगे तस्मिंस् ततः सा वै प्रणश्यति
At the beginning of Dvāpara, the success among people is that which existed in Tretā; when that age passes, that success is lost.
ततः प्रवर्तिते तासां प्रजानां द्वापरे पुनः लोभो धृतिर्वणिग्युद्धं तत्त्वानाम् अविनिश्चयः
Then, when those people again enter Dvāpara, greed, perseverance, trade, war, and uncertainty about principles arise.
प्रध्वंसश्चैव वर्णानां कर्मणां तु विपर्ययः यात्रा वधः परो दण्डो मानो दर्पो ऽक्षमा बलम्
There is also the destruction of castes, reversal of duties, journeys, killing, severe punishment, pride, arrogance, impatience, and force.
तथा रजस्तमो भूयः प्रवृत्ते द्वापरे पुनः आद्ये कृते नाधर्मो ऽस्ति स त्रेतायां प्रवर्तितः
Thus, in Dvāpara, passion and darkness increase again; in the first Kṛta age there was no unrighteousness, but it began in Tretā.
द्वापरे व्याकुलो भूत्वा प्रणश्यति कलौ पुनः वर्णानां द्वापरे धर्माः संकीर्यन्ते तथाश्रमाः
In Dvāpara, confusion arises and is destroyed again in Kali; in Dvāpara, the duties of castes and stages of life become mixed.
द्वैधमुत्पद्यते चैव युगे तस्मिञ्श्रुतिस्मृतौ द्विधा श्रुतिः स्मृतिश्चैव निश्चयो नाधिगम्यते
In that age, a duality arises in the revealed and remembered texts; the Veda and tradition become divided, and certainty is not attained.