नित्यं धर्मार्थकामेषु युज्येत नियतो द्विजः । न धर्मवर्जितं काममर्थं वा मनसा स्मरेत्
A twice-born should always engage, as prescribed, in righteousness, wealth, and desire; he should not even think of desire or wealth devoid of righteousness.
सीदन्नपि हि धर्मेण न त्वधर्मं समाचरेत् । धर्मो हि भगवान्देवो गतिः सर्वेषु जंतुषु
Even when in distress, one should act according to righteousness, never unrighteousness; for righteousness is the blessed Lord, the refuge of all beings.
भूतानांप्रियकारीस्यान्नपरद्रो हकर्मधीः । न वेददेवतानिंदां कुर्य्यात्तैश्च न संवसेत्
One should act kindly toward all beings, never coveting another's wealth or actions; one should not revile the Vedas or the deities, nor associate with those who do.
यस्त्विमं नियतो मर्त्यो धर्माध्यायं पठेच्छुचिः । अध्यापयेच्छ्रावयेद्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते
But the mortal who, with discipline, recites or teaches or causes to be heard this chapter on righteousness is honored in the world of Brahmā.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे चतुःपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-fourth chapter in the Svarga-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa.
व्यास उवाच- न हिंस्यात्सर्वभूतानि नानृतं वावदेत्क्वचित् । नाहितं नाप्रिंयं वाच्यं न स्तेनः स्यात्कदाचन
Vyāsa said: One should not harm any living being, nor ever speak falsehood; one should not utter words that are harmful or unpleasant, nor should one ever be a thief.
तृणं वा यदि वा शाकं मृदं वा जलमेव च । परस्यापहरञ्जंतुर्नरकं प्रतिपद्यते
Whether it is grass, or a leaf, or even earth or water—whoever takes these from another, that thief attains hell.
न राज्ञः प्रतिगृह्णीयान्न शूद्रात्पतितादपि । न चान्यस्मादशक्तश्चेन्निंदितान्वर्जयेद्बुधः
One should not accept gifts from a king, nor from a Śūdra or a fallen person; and if unable to obtain from others, the wise should avoid those who are censured.
नित्यं याचनको न स्यात्पुनस्तं नैव याचयेत् । प्राणानपहरत्येवं याचकस्तस्य दुर्मतेः
One should not be a constant beggar, nor should one beg again from the same person; by such begging, the beggar takes away the life of that person with a wicked mind.
न देवद्रव्यहारी स्याद्विशेषेण द्विजोत्तमः । ब्रह्मस्वं वा नापहरेदापत्स्वपि कदाचन
One should not take the property of the gods, especially a foremost twice-born; nor should one ever take Brahmanical wealth, even in distress.
न विषं विषमित्याहुर्ब्रह्मस्वं विषमुच्यते । देवस्वं चापि यत्नेन सदा परिहरेत्ततः
They say poison is poison, but Brahmanical wealth is called the true poison; therefore, one should always carefully avoid the wealth of the gods as well.
पुष्पं शाकोदकं काष्ठं तथा मूलं फलं तृणम् । अदत्तानि च न स्तेयं मनुः प्राह प्रजापतिः
Manu, the lord of creatures, has declared: one should not steal flowers, vegetables, water, wood, roots, fruits, or grass that have not been given.
गृहीतव्यानि पुष्पाणि देवार्चनविधौ द्विजः । नैकस्मादेव नियतमननुज्ञाय केवलम्
A twice-born should take flowers for the purpose of worshipping the gods, but not always from the same place, and not without permission.
तृणं काष्ठं फलं पुष्पं प्रकाशं वै हरेद्बुधः । धर्मार्थं केवलं प्राहुरन्यथा पतितो भवेत्
The wise may openly take grass, wood, fruit, or flowers solely for the sake of righteousness; otherwise, one becomes fallen.
तिलमुद्गयवादीनां मुष्टिर्ग्राह्या पथिस्थितैः । क्षुधितैर्नान्यथा विप्रा धर्मादिभिरिति स्थितिः
A handful of sesame, mung beans, and the like may be taken by the hungry who are on the road, O Brāhmaṇas, but not otherwise—this is the rule regarding righteousness and the like.
न धर्मस्यापदेशेन पापं कृत्वा व्रतं चरेत् । व्रतेन पापं व्यागुह्य कुर्वन्स्त्रीशूद्र दंभनम्
One should not perform a vow after committing sin under the pretext of righteousness; by concealing sin with a vow, one deceives women and Śūdras.
प्रेत्येह चेदृशो विप्रो गर्ह्यते ब्रह्मवादिभिः । छद्मनाचरितं यच्च व्रतं रक्षांसि गच्छति
A Brāhmaṇa who acts thus, here or after death, is condemned by those who speak of Brahman; and any vow performed by deception goes to the demons.
अलिंगी लिंगिवेषेण यो वृत्तिमुपतिष्ठति । सलिगिंनो हरेदेनस्तिर्यग्योनौ च जायते
He who, without the marks, assumes the appearance of one with marks and pursues a livelihood, steals the merit of those with marks and is born in the womb of animals.
याचनं योनिसंबंधं सहवासं च भाषणम् । कुर्वाणः पतते नित्यं तस्माद्यत्नेन वर्जयेत्
One who engages in begging, sexual union, cohabitation, or conversation with such persons falls perpetually; therefore, one should diligently avoid them.
देवद्रोहं न कुर्वीत गुरुद्रोहं तथैव च । देवद्रोहाद्गुरुद्रोहः कोटिकोटिगुणाधिकः
One should not commit offense against the gods, nor against the teacher; and the offense against the teacher is a hundred million times greater than offense against the gods.
जनापवादो नास्तिक्यं तस्मात्कोटिगुणाधिकम् । गोभिश्च दैवतैर्विप्रैः कृष्या राजोपसेवया
Slandering people and atheism are a hundred million times worse; by cows, deities, Brāhmaṇas, agriculture, and service to the king—
कुलान्यकुलतां यांति यानि हीनानि धर्म्मतः । कुविचारैः क्रियालोपैर्वेदानध्ययनेन च
Families that are low by dharma become unworthy of their lineage through wrong conduct, neglect of duties, and failure to study the Vedas.
कुलान्यकुलतां यांति ब्राह्मणाऽतिक्रमेण च । अनृतात्पारदार्याच्च तथाऽभक्ष्यस्य भक्षणात्
Families lose their noble status, and Brahmins fall from their station, through transgression, falsehood, adultery, and eating what is forbidden.
अगोत्रधर्म्माचरणात्क्षिप्रं नश्यति वै कुलम् । अश्रोत्रियेषु दानाच्चा वृषलेषु तथैव च
A family quickly perishes when its members abandon the duties of their lineage, or when gifts are given to those unworthy of Vedic learning, or to outcastes.
विहिताचारहीनेषु क्षिप्रं नश्यति वै कुलम् । अधार्मिकैर्वृते ग्रामे न व्याधिबहुले वसेत्
A family quickly perishes when its members lack proper conduct; one should not live in a village filled with the unrighteous or plagued by disease.
शूद्रराज्ये च न वसेन्न पाखंडजनैर्वृते । हिमवद्विंध्ययोर्मध्यं पूर्वपश्चिमयोः शुभम्
One should not dwell in a land ruled by Shudras, nor among heretics; between the Himalayas and Vindhyas, from east to west, is auspicious.
मुक्त्वा समुद्रयोर्देशं नान्यत्र निवसेद्द्विजः । कृष्णो वा यत्र चरति मृगो नित्यं स्वभावतः
Except for the region between the seas, a twice-born should not reside elsewhere; where the black antelope naturally roams, there he may dwell.
पुण्या वा विश्रुता नद्यस्तत्र वा निवसेद्द्विजः । अर्धक्रोशं नदीकूलं वर्जयित्वा द्विजोत्तमः
Where holy and renowned rivers flow, there a twice-born may reside; but the best of twice-born should avoid living within half a krosha of the riverbank.
नान्यत्र निवसेत्पुण्यं नांत्यजग्रामसन्निधौ । न संवसेच्च पतितैर्न चांडालैर्न पुल्कसैः
He should not live elsewhere that is not sacred, nor near villages of outcastes; he should not dwell with the fallen, nor with Chandalas or Pulkasas.
न मूर्खैर्नावलिप्तैश्च नान्यैर्जायावसायिभिः । एकशय्यासने पंक्तिर्भांडे पक्वान्नमिश्रणम्
He should not associate with fools, the arrogant, or those who covet another's wife; sharing a bed, seat, row, or mixing cooked food in the same vessel—