न कुर्वीत ततः स्वप्नं शस्तं च पूर्वदक्षिणम्। आयुष्यं प्राङ्मुखो भुंक्तेऽयशस्यं दक्षिणामुखः
Therefore, one should not sleep thus; sleeping in the east or south is proper; facing east while eating grants long life, facing south brings infamy.
श्रियं प्रत्यङ्मुखो भुंक्ते यशो भुङ्क्त उदङ्मुखः। प्राच्यां नरो लभेदायुर्याम्यां प्रेतत्वमश्नुते
Facing west while eating brings wealth, facing north brings fame; in the east, a man gains longevity, in the south, he attains the state of the departed.
वारुणे च भवेद्रोगी आयुर्वित्तं तथोत्तरे। देवानामेकभुक्तं तु द्विभुक्तं स्यान्नरस्य च
In the west, one becomes diseased; in the north, lifespan and wealth; for the gods, eating once; for humans, eating twice.
त्रिभुक्तं प्रेतदैत्यस्य चतुर्थं कौणपस्य तु। निरामिषं हविर्देवा मत्स्यमांसादि मानुषाः
Three times for the departed and demons; four times for the corpse-eaters; the gods consume offerings without meat, humans eat fish and meat.
पूतिपर्युषितं दुष्टमन्ये भुंजंत्यनावृताः। स्वर्गस्थितानामिह जीवलोके चत्वारि तेषां हृदये च संति
Others eat putrid, stale, and spoiled food uncovered; among those dwelling in heaven, in this world of the living, four reside in their hearts.
दानं प्रशस्तं मधुरा च वाणी देवार्चनं ब्राह्मणतर्पणं च। कार्पण्यवृत्तिस्वजनेषु निंदा कुचेलता नीचजनेषु भक्तिः
Excellent charity, sweet speech, worship of the gods, and satisfying Brahmins; miserliness, criticism among one's own, poverty, devotion among the lowly.
अतीव रोषः कटुका च वाणी नरस्य चिह्नं नरकागतस्य। नवनीतोपमा वाणी करुणा कोमलं मनः
Excessive anger and harsh speech are marks of one destined for hell; speech like fresh butter, compassion, and a gentle mind.
धर्मबीजप्रसूतानामेतत्प्रत्यक्ष लक्षणम्। दयादरिद्रहृदयं वचः क्रकच कर्कशम्
This is the visible sign of those born from the seed of dharma; a heart lacking compassion, and speech rough as a saw.
पापबीजप्रसूतानामेतत्प्रत्यक्ष लक्षणम्। श्रावयेच्छृणुयाद्वापि सदाचारादिकं नरः
This is the evident mark of those born from the seed of sin: whether one recites or hears about righteous conduct and the like.
आचारादेः फलं लब्ध्वा पापात्पूतोऽच्युतो दिवि
Having attained the fruit of good conduct, one becomes purified from sin and reaches the imperishable in heaven.
भीष्म उवाच-। यत्पुण्यमधिकं लोके सर्वदा सर्वसंमतम्। तद्वदस्वेच्छया विप्र यत्कृतं पूर्वपूर्वकैः
Bhīṣma said: Tell me what is the greatest merit in the world, always esteemed by all, and what was performed by the ancients according to their own will, O brāhmaṇa.
पुलस्त्य उवाच-। एकदा तु द्विजाः सर्वे व्यासशिष्यास्सहादरात्। व्यासं प्रणम्य पप्रच्छु धर्मं मां च यथा भवान्
Pulastya said: Once, all the twice-born, disciples of Vyāsa, with reverence, bowed to Vyāsa and asked him about dharma, and also questioned me as you do.
द्विजा ऊचुः-। पुण्यात्पुण्यतमं लोके सर्वधर्मेषु चोत्तमम्। किं कृत्वा मानवा स्वर्गं भुंजते चाक्षयं वद
The twice-born said: Among all virtues, what is the most excellent and supremely meritorious in the world? Tell us what, when performed, enables humans to enjoy heaven and inexhaustible rewards.
लभ्यं चाकष्टकं शुद्धं वर्णानां मर्त्यवासिनाम्। गुरूणां च लघूनां च साध्यमेकं क्रतुं वद
Tell us of one pure and attainable rite for all castes dwelling among mortals, for both elders and juniors, which can be accomplished.
यद्यत्कृत्वा च देवानां पूज्यो नाके भवेन्नरः। तत्तद्वद च नो ब्रह्मन्प्रसादी भव धर्मतः
Whatever, when performed, makes a man worthy of worship among the gods in heaven, tell us each of those, O brāhmaṇa, and kindly instruct us in righteousness.
व्यास उवाच-। पंचाख्यानं वदिष्यामि शृणुध्वं तत्र पूर्वतः। पंचानामेककं कृत्वा विंदेन्मोक्षं दिवं यशः
Vyāsa said: I will declare the fivefold account; listen to it from the beginning. By performing any one of these five, one attains liberation, heaven, and fame.
पित्रोरर्चाऽथ पत्युश्च साम्यं सर्वजनेषु च। मित्राद्रोहो विष्णुभक्तिरेते पंच महामखाः
Worship of parents, worship of one's husband, equality towards all people, refraining from betrayal of friends, and devotion to Viṣṇu—these are the five great sacrifices.
प्राक्पित्रोरर्चया विप्रा यद्धर्मं साधयेन्नरः। न तत्क्रतुशतैरेव तीर्थयात्रादिभिर्भुवि
By fulfilling the dharma through worship of parents, a person achieves what cannot be attained even by hundreds of sacrifices or pilgrimages and the like on earth.
पिता धर्मः पिता स्वर्गः पिता हि परमं तपः। पितरि प्रीतिमापन्ने प्रीयंते सर्वदेवताः
The father is righteousness, the father is heaven, the father is the highest austerity; when the father is pleased, all the deities are pleased.
पितरो यस्य तृप्यंति सेवया च गुणेन च। तस्य भागीरथी स्नानमहन्यहनि वर्तते
For one whose parents are satisfied by service and virtue, bathing in the Ganges occurs for him every day.
सर्वतीर्थमयी माता सर्वदेवमयः पिता। मातरं पितरं चैव यस्तु कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम्
The mother embodies all sacred places, the father embodies all deities; whoever circumambulates mother and father.
प्रदक्षिणीकृता तेन सप्तद्वीपा वसुंधरा। जानुनी च करौ यस्य पित्रोः प्रणमतः शिरः
By that act, the earth with its seven continents is circumambulated; for one who bows with knees and hands to his parents, his head touches the ground.
निपतंति पृथिव्यां च सोक्षयं लभते दिवं। तयोश्चरणयोर्यावद्रजश्चिह्नानि मस्तके
He falls to the earth and attains heaven without decay; as long as the marks of dust from their feet remain on his head.
प्रतीके च विलग्नानि तावत्पूतः सुतस्तयोः। पादारविंदसलिलं यः पित्रोः पिबते सुतः
As long as those marks remain attached to his body, the son is purified; whoever drinks the water from his parents’ lotus feet.
तस्य पापक्षयं याति जन्मकोटिशतार्जितं। धन्योसौ मानवो लोके पूतोसौ सर्वकल्मषात्
His sins, accumulated over hundreds of millions of births, are destroyed; that man is blessed in the world and purified from all faults.
विनायकत्वमाप्नोति जन्मनैकेन मानवः। पितरौ लंघयेद्यस्तु वचोभिः पुरुषाधमः
A man attains the state of Vināyaka in a single birth; but the lowest of men who transgresses his parents with words.
निरये च वसेत्तावद्यावदाभूतसंप्लवं। पित्रोरनर्चनं कृत्वा भुंक्ते यस्तु सुताधमः
He dwells in hell until the dissolution of the world, who, being a wicked son, fails to honor his parents.
क्रिमिकूपेथ नरके कल्पांतमुपतिष्ठति। रोगिणं चापि वृद्धं च पितरं वृत्तिकर्शितम्
He remains in the pit of worms in hell for a kalpa, who causes his father to suffer from illness, old age, or deprivation.
विकलं नेत्रकर्णाभ्यां त्यक्त्वा गच्छेच्च रौरवम्। अंत्यजातिषु म्लेच्छेषु चांडालेष्वपि जायते
Abandoning his father who is impaired in eyes or ears, he goes to the Raurava hell, and is born among outcastes, foreigners, and even among the lowest.
पित्रोरपोषणं कृत्वा सर्वपुण्यक्षयो भवेत्। नाराध्य पितरौ पुत्रस्तीर्थदेवान्भजन्नपि
By neglecting the care of his parents, all merit is destroyed; even if the son worships holy places and gods, without honoring his parents, it is fruitless.