यद्यदिष्टतमं द्रव्यं न्यायेनैवागतं च यत् तत्तद्गुणवते देयम् इत्येतद्दानलक्षणम्
Whatever most desired possession is obtained rightfully, that should be given to the worthy—this is the mark of generosity.
श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्यां विहितो धर्मो वर्णाश्रमात्मकः शिष्टाचारप्रवृद्धश्च धर्मो ऽयं साधुसंमतः
The dharma prescribed by the Veda and Smṛti, consisting of the duties of caste and stage of life, and established by the conduct of the virtuous, is approved by the good.
अप्रद्वेषो ह्यनिष्टेषु इष्टं वै नाभिनन्दति प्रीतितापविषादानां विनिवृत्तिर् विरक्तता
Not harboring enmity toward the undesirable, nor delighting in the desirable, and withdrawing from pleasure, pain, and sorrow—this is detachment.
संन्यासः कर्मणां न्यासः कृतानामकृतैः सह कुशलाकुशलाभ्यां तु प्रहाणं न्यास उच्यते
Renunciation is the abandonment of actions, both performed and unperformed, and the giving up of both good and bad deeds is called renunciation.
अव्यक्तादिविशेषान्तव् इकारे ऽस्मिन्निवर्तते चेतनाचेतनं ज्ञात्वा ज्ञाने ज्ञानी स उच्यते
He who, knowing the distinction from the unmanifest to the particular, and the conscious and unconscious, withdraws from change—he is called wise in knowledge.
प्रत्यङ्गानि तु धर्मस्य चेत्येतल्लक्षणं स्मृतम् ऋषिभिर्धर्मतत्त्वज्ञैः पूर्वैः स्वायम्भुवे ऽन्तरे
These are remembered as the characteristics of dharma's limbs, as taught by the ancient seers who knew the essence of dharma in the age of Svāyambhuva.
अत्र वो वर्णयिष्यामि विधिं मन्वन्तरस्य तु तथैव चातुर्होत्रस्य चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य चैव हि
Now I shall describe to you the rule for the age of Manu, as well as for the fourfold sacrifice and the fourfold caste.
प्रतिमन्वन्तरं चैव श्रुतिरन्या विधीयते ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि यथावत्प्रतिदैवतम्
In every age of Manu, a different Veda is established: the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma, each according to its deity.
विधिस्तोत्रं तथा हौत्रं पूर्ववत्सम्प्रवर्तते द्रव्यस्तोत्रं गुणस्तोत्रं कर्मस्तोत्रं तथैव च
The prescribed hymns, the sacrificial formulas, proceed as before: the hymns to substances, qualities, and actions likewise.
तथैवाभिजनस्तोत्रं स्तोत्रमेवं चतुर्विधम् मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु यथा भेदा भवन्ति हि
So too the hymns to lineage; thus, there are four kinds of hymns, which vary in each age of Manu according to distinctions.
प्रवर्तयन्ति तेषां वै ब्रह्मस्तोत्रं पुनः पुनः एवं मन्त्रगुणानां तु समुत्पत्तिश्चतुर्विधा
They repeatedly establish the Brahma-hymn among them; thus, the origin of the qualities of mantras is fourfold.
अथर्वऋग्यजुःसाम्नां वेदेष्विह पृथक्पृथक् ऋषीणां तप्यतां तेषां तपः परमदुश्चरम्
In the Atharva, Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas here, separately, the austerity of the sages—most difficult to perform—takes place.
मन्त्राः प्रादुर्भवन्त्यादौ पूर्वमन्वन्तरस्य ह असंतोषाद्भयाद्दुःखान् मोहाच्छोकाच्च पञ्चधा
At the beginning of each age of Manu, mantras arise in five ways: from dissatisfaction, fear, sorrow, delusion, and grief.
ऋषीणां तारका येन लक्षणेन यदृच्छया ऋषीणां यादृशत्वं हि तद्वक्ष्यामीह लक्षणम्
I shall now describe the mark by which the stars of the sages, and the nature of the sages themselves, are determined by chance.
अतीतानागतानां च पञ्चधा ह्यार्षकं स्मृतम् तथा ऋषीणां वक्ष्यामि आर्षस्येह समुद्भवम्
The fivefold ṛṣi tradition is remembered for past and future times; thus, I will explain to you the origin of the ṛṣi tradition here.
गुणसाम्येन वर्तन्ते सर्वसंप्रलये तदा अविभागेन देवानाम् अनिर्देश्ये तमोमये
At the time of the dissolution, all exist in equality of qualities; then, in indistinction among the gods, in that which is indefinable and filled with darkness.
अबुद्धिपूर्वकं तद्वै चेतनार्थं प्रवर्तते तेनार्षं बुद्धिपूर्वं तु चेतनेनाप्यधिष्ठितम्
That proceeds without prior intellect, for the sake of consciousness; thus, the ṛṣi tradition is established with intellect and also governed by consciousness.
प्रवर्तते तथा ते तु यथा मत्स्योदकावुभौ चेतनाधिकृतं सर्वं प्रावर्तत गुणात्मकम् कार्यकारणभावेन तथा तस्य प्रवर्तते
They proceed just as both fish and water do; all, governed by consciousness, unfold as qualities, in the relation of cause and effect, and thus it proceeds.
विषयो विषयित्वं च तदा ह्यर्थपदात्मकौ कालेन प्रापणीयेन भेदाश्च कारणात्मकाः
Object and subject, then, are based on meaning and word; through time, which brings attainment, distinctions arise from the nature of cause.
सांसिद्धिकास्तदा वृत्ताः क्रमेण महदादयः महतो ऽसावहंकारस् तस्माद्भूतेन्द्रियाणि च
Then, the natural evolutes, beginning with the great principle, arise in sequence; from the great principle comes ego, and from that, the elements and senses.
भूतभेदाश्च भूतेभ्यो जज्ञिरे तु परस्परम् संसिद्धिकारणं कार्यं सद्य एव विवर्तते
The distinctions of elements arise from the elements themselves, mutually; the natural cause and effect manifest instantly.
यथोल्मुकात्तु विटपा एककालाद्भवन्ति हि तथा प्रवृत्ताः क्षेत्रज्ञाः कालेनैकेन कारणात्
Just as branches arise from a firebrand all at once, so do the field-knowers proceed, through one time, from the cause.
यथान्धकारे खद्योतः सहसा सम्प्रदृश्यते तथा निवृत्तो ह्यव्यक्तः खद्योत इव संज्वलन्
Just as a firefly is suddenly seen in darkness, so the unmanifest, when withdrawn, shines forth like a firefly.
स महात्मा शरीरस्थस् तत्रैवेह प्रवर्तते महतस्तमसः पारे वैलक्षण्याद्विभाव्यते
That great soul, abiding in the body, acts there; beyond the darkness of the great principle, it is distinguished by its difference.
तत्रैव संस्थितो विद्वांस् तपसो ऽन्त इति श्रुतम् बुद्धिर्विवर्धतस्तस्य प्रादुर्भूता चतुर्विधा
There, established, the wise one is said to reach the end of austerity; as his intellect increases, fourfold arises.
ज्ञानं वैराग्यमैश्वर्यं धर्मश्चेति चतुष्टयम् सांसिद्धिकान्यथैतानि अप्रतीतानि तस्य वै
Knowledge, detachment, sovereignty, and righteousness—these four; these are natural, but otherwise unrecognized by him.
महात्मनः शरीरस्य चैतन्यात्सिद्धिरुच्यते पुरि शेते यतः पूर्वं क्षेत्रज्ञानं तथापि च
From the consciousness of the great soul's body, attainment is declared; he lies in the city, for previously the field-knower, and so too.
पुरे शयनात्पुरुषो ज्ञानात्क्षेत्रज्ञ उच्यते यस्माद्धर्मात्प्रसूते हि तस्माद्वै धार्मिकस्तु सः
Because the person lies in the city, he is called the field-knower through knowledge; since righteousness is produced from him, therefore he is righteous.
सांसिद्धिके शरीरे च बुद्ध्याव्यक्तस्तु चेतनः एवं विवृत्तः क्षेत्रज्ञः क्षेत्रं ह्यनभिसंधितः
In the natural body, the unmanifest is conscious through intellect; thus, the field-knower unfolds, the field being without intention.
निवृत्तिसमकाले तु पुराणं तदचेतनम् क्षेत्रज्ञेन परिज्ञातं भोग्यो ऽयं विषयो मम
At the time of withdrawal, the ancient one is unconscious; recognized by the field-knower, this object is for my enjoyment.