एवं विप्रो न जानाति स एव ब्राह्मणाधमः। न तस्य क्षीयते पाप्मा भवेद्भूरिप्रतिग्रहः
A Brahmin who does not know this is the lowest among Brahmins; his sin does not diminish, and he becomes one who accepts many gifts.
इमां यो वेत्ति गायत्रीं सर्वबीजसमन्विताम्। स वेत्ति चतुरो वेदान्योगज्ञानं जपत्रयम्
He who knows this Gayatri, endowed with all seeds, knows the four Vedas, the knowledge of yoga, and the threefold recitation.
य एनां नैव जानाति स शूद्रात्परतः स्मृतः। तस्यापूतस्य विप्रस्य न देयं पितृपार्वणम्
He who does not know it is considered lower than a Shudra; for such an impure Brahmin, offerings for ancestors should not be given.
न स्नानफलदः कश्चित्सर्वं च निष्फलं भवेत्। विद्या वित्तं तथा जन्म द्विजत्वं कारणं यतः
No one obtains the fruit of bathing; everything becomes fruitless. Learning, wealth, and birth—these are the causes of twice-born status.
निष्फलं सकलं तस्य मेध्यं पुष्पं यथाऽशुचौ। चतुर्वेदाश्च गायत्री पुरा वै तुलिता मया
For him, everything is fruitless, like pure flowers placed in impurity; the four Vedas and Gayatri were once weighed by me.
चतुर्वेदात्परा गुर्वी गायत्री मोक्षदा स्मृता। दशभिर्जन्मजनितं शतेन च पुरा कृतम्
Gayatri is considered superior and weightier than the four Vedas, and is remembered as bestowing liberation; it was performed in ten births and a hundred times in the past.
त्रियुगं तु सहस्रेण गायत्री हंति किल्बिषम्। गायत्रीमक्षमालायां सायं प्रातश्च यो जपेत्
Gayatri destroys sin accumulated over three yugas and a thousand years; whoever recites Gayatri on a rosary in the evening and morning.
चतुर्णामपि वेदानां फलं प्राप्नोत्यसंशयम्। त्रिसंध्यं यो जपेन्नित्यं गायत्रीं हायनं द्विजः
A twice-born who recites Gayatri daily at the three junctions of the day for a year undoubtedly attains the fruit of all four Vedas.
तस्य पापं क्षयं याति जन्मकोटिसमुद्भवम्। गायत्र्युच्चारमात्रेण पापकूटात्पुनाति च
His sin, arising from millions of births, is destroyed; by merely uttering Gayatri, he purifies even the heap of sin.
स्वर्गापवर्गमाप्नोति जप्त्वा नित्यं द्विजोत्तमः। वासुदेवस्य मंत्राणि जपेद्यस्तु दिनेदिने
The best among twice-born attains heaven and liberation by daily recitation; whoever recites the mantras of Vasudeva day by day.
प्रणमेच्च हरेः पादौ स गच्छेदपवर्गिताम्। वासुदेवस्य स्तोत्राणि मुखे चापि कथोत्तमा
By bowing to the feet of Hari, he attains liberation; the best hymns to Vasudeva are also spoken by mouth.
पंकस्य लवमात्रं तु तस्य देहे न तिष्ठति। वेदशास्त्रावगाहेन त्रिस्रोतः स्नानजं फलम्1.46.
Not even a particle of mud remains on his body; by immersion in Vedic scriptures, one obtains the fruit of bathing in the three streams.
धर्मपाठकृतां लोके यज्ञकोटिफलं लभेत्। एवं विप्रगुणान्वक्तुं न शक्नोमि द्विजोत्तम
In the world, one obtains the fruit of a crore of sacrifices by reciting dharma texts; thus, O best of twice-born, I am unable to describe all the virtues of Brahmins.
विश्वरूपश्च को देही समूर्तो हरिरेव च। यस्य शापाद्विनाशः स्यादायुर्विद्या यशो धनम्
Who in the world possesses the universal form, and who is embodied? Only Hari; by whose curse there is destruction of life, learning, fame, and wealth.
वरदानात्समायांति सर्वाः संपत्तयस्तथा। विष्णुर्ब्रह्मण्यतामेति सदा विप्र प्रसादतः
All forms of prosperity arise from granting boons; likewise, O Brahmin, by your favor, Viṣṇu attains the state of being devoted to Brahmins.
नमो ब्रह्मण्यदेवाय गोब्राह्मणहिताय च। जगद्धिताय कृष्णाय गोविंदाय नमो नमः
Salutations to the god who cherishes Brahmins, who brings welfare to cows and Brahmins, who brings welfare to the world, to Kṛṣṇa, to Govinda—repeated salutations.
मंत्रेणैवं हरिं यस्तु पूजयेत्सततं नरः। प्रसादी च हरिस्तस्य विष्णुसायुज्यतां व्रजेत्
Whoever worships Hari constantly with this mantra, that person receives Hari’s grace and attains union with Viṣṇu.
य इदं शृणुयात्पुण्यमाख्यानं धर्मविग्रहम्। तस्य पापं क्षयं याति जन्मजन्मकृतं च यत्
Whoever hears this sacred narrative, which embodies righteousness, all their sins are destroyed, including those accumulated over many births.
यः पठेत्पाठयेद्वापि उपदेष्टा जनस्य च। न तस्य पुनरावृत्तिः स्वर्गमक्षयमश्नुते
Whoever recites or causes others to recite this, or instructs people in it, does not return to birth again and attains imperishable heaven.
धनं धान्यं लभेदत्र राज्यभोगानरोगिताम्। सत्सुतं च शुभां कीर्तिं देववद्रमते दिवि
Here one obtains wealth and grain, enjoyment of sovereignty, freedom from disease, virtuous children, auspicious fame, and delights in heaven like a god.
नारद उवाच-। तव प्रसादतो ज्ञातो विप्रः पुण्यतमश्च यः। यथा जानामि देवेश क्रियया ब्राह्मणाधमम्
Nārada said: By your grace, O Lord of the gods, I have come to know who is the most virtuous Brahmin; now tell me, how do I recognize the lowest Brahmin by his actions?
ब्रूहि शीघ्रं सुरश्रेष्ठ यदि प्रीतिं मयीच्छसि। ब्रह्मोवाच-। स्नानैर्दशविधैर्मुक्तस्तथैव तर्पणादिभिः
Speak quickly, O best of the gods, if you desire my affection. Brahmā said: One is freed by ten kinds of bathing and likewise by offerings of water and the like.
संध्यासंयमहीनश्च स एव ब्राह्मणाधमः। देवपूजाव्रतैर्मुक्तो वेदविद्यादिभिस्तथा
But the one who neglects the observances of twilight worship is indeed the lowest Brahmin, even if freed by worship of the gods, vows, Vedic study, and other practices.
सत्यशौचादिभिश्चैव योगज्ञानाग्नितर्पणैः। पंचस्नानानानि विप्राणां कीर्तितानि महर्षिभिः
Also by truthfulness, purity, and the like, by offerings into the fire of knowledge and yoga, the five kinds of bathing for Brahmins have been described by the great sages.
आग्नेयं वारुणं ब्राह्मं वायव्यं दिव्यमेव च। आग्नेयं भस्मना स्नानमद्भिर्वारुणमुच्यते
The five are: the fire-bath, the water-bath, the Brahma-bath, the wind-bath, and the divine bath. Bathing with ashes is called the fire-bath; with water, it is called the water-bath.
आपोहिष्ठेति वै ब्राह्मं वायव्यं गोरजः स्मृतम्। अद्भिरातपवर्षाभिर्दिव्यं स्नानमुदाहृतम्
Reciting 'āpohiṣṭha' is the Brahma-bath; dust from cows is known as the wind-bath; bathing with water from sun, rain, or the like is called the divine bath.
एतैस्तु मंत्रतः स्नानात्तीर्थानां फलमाप्नुयात्। तुलसीपत्रसंलग्नं सालग्रामशिलांबु च
By performing these baths with mantras, one obtains the merit of bathing at sacred fords; water touched by tulasī leaves, the śālagrāma stone, and
गवां शृंगोदकं चैव विप्रपादोदकं च यत्। गुरूणामेव मुख्यानां पूतात्पूतमिति स्मृतिः
water from the horns of cows, and water from the feet of Brahmins—especially eminent teachers—is considered purer than pure, according to tradition.
त्याग तीर्थादिभिर्यज्ञैर्व्रतहोमादिभिस्तथा। यत्फलं लभते धीरः स्नानैरेतैस्तु तत्फलम्
The result gained by renunciation, by sacred fords, sacrifices, vows, and offerings into the fire, that same result is obtained by these baths.
तर्पणैश्च विनिर्मुक्तः पितॄणामेव नित्यशः। पितृहा नरकं याति संध्याहीनस्तु विप्रहा
By offerings of water, one is always freed from debts to the ancestors; the slayer of ancestors goes to hell, and the neglecter of twilight worship is the slayer of Brahmins.