मत्वा पृथक्त्वमात्मानं सर्वस्मादेव केवलम् । आनंदमक्षरं ज्ञानं ध्यायेत च ततः परम्
Considering the self as distinct, alone from all, one should then meditate upon the supreme—blissful, imperishable, and knowledge itself.
यस्माद्भवंति भूतानि यज्ज्ञात्वा नेह जायते । स तस्मादीश्वरो देवः परस्ताद्योधितिष्ठति
From whom beings arise, and knowing whom, one is not born here again—he is that Lord, the God, who stands beyond all.
यदंतरे तद्गमनं शाश्वतं शिवमव्ययम् । य इदं स्वपरोक्षस्तु स देवः स्यान्महेश्वरः
That eternal, auspicious, unchanging presence within, to which one goes—he who directly perceives this is the great Lord, Maheśvara.
व्रतानि यानि भिक्षूणां तथैवायं व्रतानि च । एकैकातिक्रमेणैव प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयते
The vows prescribed for mendicants, and likewise these vows here, for each transgression, expiation is prescribed accordingly.
उपेत्य च स्त्रियं कामात्प्रायश्चित्तं समाहितः । प्राणायामसमायुक्तं कुर्य्यात्सांतपनं शुचिः
If, driven by desire, one approaches a woman, he should undertake expiation with a concentrated mind, performing the Sāṃtapana penance in purity, accompanied by breath-control.
ततश्चरेत नियमात्कृच्छ्रं संयतमानसः । पुनराश्रममागम्य चरेद्भिक्षुरतंद्रितः
Then, with self-restraint, he should practice the difficult penance, and, returning again to his order, the mendicant should live untiringly.
न धर्मयुक्तमनृतं हिनस्तीति मनीषिणः । तथापि च न कर्तव्यः प्रसंगो ह्येष दारुणः
The wise say that a falsehood spoken for righteousness does not destroy virtue; yet even so, it should not be done, for such conduct is indeed dreadful.
एकरात्रोपवासश्च प्राणायामशतं तथा । उक्त्वानृतं प्रकर्तव्यं यतिना धर्मलिप्सुना
Fasting for one night and performing a hundred breath-controls—this is the prescribed expiation for an ascetic who, desiring righteousness, has spoken a falsehood.
परमापद्गतेनापि न कार्यं स्तेयमन्यतः । स्तेयादभ्यधिकः कश्चिन्नास्त्यधर्म इति स्मृतिः
Even in the greatest distress, one should never commit theft; for, according to tradition, there is no unrighteousness greater than stealing.
हिंसा चैवापरा तृष्णा याच्ञात्मज्ञाननाशिका । यदेतद्द्रविणं नाम प्राणा ह्येते बहिश्चराः २७ द्रविण। स तस्य हरते प्राणान्यो यस्य हरते धनम् । एवं कृत्वा स दुष्टात्मा भिन्नवृत्तो व्रतच्युतः
Violence and excessive desire, as well as begging, destroy self-knowledge; what is called wealth—these are outwardly moving vital forces. He who takes another's wealth takes his very life; having done so, that wicked soul, deviating from his vows, is fallen.
भूयो निर्वेदमापन्नश्चरेद्भिक्षुरतंद्रितः । अकस्मादेव हिंसां तु यदि भिक्षुः समाचरेत्
Again, having attained remorse, the mendicant should live untiringly; but if a mendicant commits violence suddenly—
कुर्यात्कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रं तु चांद्रायणमथापि वा । स्कंदेतेंद्रियदौर्बल्यात्स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वा यतिर्यदि
He should perform the most severe penance, or the Cāndrāyaṇa vow; if, due to weakness of the senses, an ascetic is aroused upon seeing a woman—
तेन धारयितव्या वै प्राणायामास्तु षोडश । दिवास्कंदे त्रिरात्रं स्यात्प्राणायामशतं बुधाः
He should then practice sixteen breath-controls; if it occurs during the day, he should fast for three nights, and the wise prescribe a hundred breath-controls.
एकान्ने मधुमांसे च नवश्राद्धे तथैव च । प्रत्यक्षलवणे चोक्तं प्राजापत्यं विशोधनम्
For eating food from a single source, honey, meat, or at a new śrāddha, and for taking salt directly, the Prājāpatya expiation is prescribed for purification.
ध्याननिष्ठस्य सततं नश्यते सर्वपातकम् । तस्मान्नारायणं ध्यात्वा तस्य ध्यानपरो भवेत्
For one always established in meditation, all sins are destroyed; therefore, having meditated on Nārāyaṇa, one should be devoted to meditation upon him.
यद्ब्रह्मणः परं ज्योतिः प्रविष्टाक्षरमव्ययम् । योंतरात्मा परं ब्रह्म स विज्ञेयो महेश्वरः
That supreme light of Brahman, which has entered the imperishable and unchanging, the inner self, the supreme Brahman—he is to be known as Maheśvara.
एष देवो महादेवः केवलः परमं शिवः । तदेवाक्षरमद्वैतं तदा नित्यं परं पदम्
This God, the great God, is the one, the supreme, the auspicious; that alone is the imperishable nondual, that is the eternal, supreme state.
तस्मान्महीयते देवे स्वधाम्नि ज्ञानसंज्ञिते । आत्मयोगात्परे तत्वे महादेवस्ततः स्मृतः
Therefore, the God is revered in his own abode, called knowledge; through union with the self in the highest reality, he is thus remembered as Mahādeva.
नान्यं देवं महादेवाद्व्यतिरिक्तं प्रपश्यति । तमेवात्मानमन्वेति यः स याति परं पदम्
He perceives no other god apart from the great Lord; whoever follows Him alone as the self attains the supreme state.
मन्यंते ये स्वमात्मानं विभिन्नं परमेश्वरात् । न ते पश्यंति तं देवं वृथा तेषां परिश्रमः
Those who consider their own self as separate from the Supreme Lord do not see that God; their effort is in vain.
एकमेव परं ब्रह्म विज्ञेयं तत्त्वमव्ययम् । स देवस्तु महादेवो नैतद्विज्ञाय बध्यते
The one supreme, imperishable Brahman alone is to be known as the truth; that God is the great Lord—one who knows this is not bound.
तस्माद्यतेत नियतं यतिः संयतमानसः । ज्ञानयोगरतः शांतो महादेवपरायणः
Therefore, the ascetic with controlled mind should constantly strive, delighting in the yoga of knowledge, peaceful, and devoted to the great Lord.
एष वः कथितो विप्रा यतीनामाश्रमः शुभः । पितामहेन मुनिना विभुना पूर्वमीरितः
O Brahmins, this auspicious order of ascetics has been described to you, as formerly spoken by the sage Pitāmaha, the lord.
नापुत्रशिष्ययोगिभ्यो दद्यादेवमनुत्तमम् । ज्ञानं स्वयंभुवा प्रोक्तं यतिधर्म्माश्रयं शिवम्
This supreme knowledge concerning the dharma of ascetics, declared by the self-born, should not be given to sons, disciples, or yogis.
इति यतिनियमानामेतदुक्तं विधानं सुरवरपरितोषे यद्भवेदेकहेतुः । न भवति पुनरेषामुद्भवो वा विनाशः प्रतिहितमनसो ये नित्यमेवाचरंति
Thus the rule for ascetics has been stated, which alone brings satisfaction to the best of gods; for those who always practice with restrained minds, there is neither birth nor destruction.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे षष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixtieth chapter in the section on heaven of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa.
सूत उवाच- एवमुक्ता पुरा विप्रा व्यासेनामिततेजसा । एतावदुक्त्वा भगवान्व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः
Sūta said: Thus, long ago, the Brahmins were addressed by Vyāsa of immeasurable brilliance; having said this much, the blessed Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī—
समाश्वास्य मुनीन्सर्वान्जगाम च यथागतम् । भवद्भ्यस्तु मया प्रोक्तं वर्णाश्रमविधानकम्
Having reassured all the sages, departed as he had come; and to you I have explained the rules of varṇa and āśrama.
एवं कृत्वा प्रियो विष्णोर्भवत्येव न चान्यथा । रहस्यं तत्र वक्ष्यामि शृणुत द्विजसत्तमाः
By acting thus, one surely becomes dear to Viṣṇu, and not otherwise; I will tell you a secret about this—listen, O best of twice-born.
ये चात्र कथिता धर्मा वर्णाश्रमनिबंधनाः । हरिभक्तिकलांशांश समाना न हि ते द्विजाः
The dharmas mentioned here, bound to varṇa and āśrama, are not equal to even a fraction of devotion to Hari, O Brahmins.