अन्यतीर्थसमां गंगां यो ब्रवीति नराधमः । स याति नरकं वैश्य दारुणं रौरवं महत्
Whoever, being the lowest among men, claims that the Ganga is equal to other sacred places, O Vaiśya, goes to the dreadful and great hell called Raurava.
धर्मद्रवं ह्यपां बीजं वैकुंठचरणच्युतम् । धृतं मूर्ध्नि महेशेन यद्गांगममलं जलम्
The Ganga's pure water, held on the head by Mahesha, is the essence of righteousness among waters, the seed fallen from the feet of Vaikuntha.
तद्ब्रह्मैव न संदेहो निर्गुणं प्रकृतेः परम् । तेन किं समतां गच्छेदपि ब्रह्मांडगोचरे
That is truly Brahman itself, without doubt—formless, beyond nature; how could anything within the universe be considered its equal?
गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । नरो न नरकं याति किं तया सदृशं भवेत् । नान्येन दह्यते सद्यः क्रिया नरकदायिनी
Whoever utters 'Ganga, Ganga,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, does not go to hell; what could compare to her? No other act instantly destroys the results that lead to hell.
गंगांभसि प्रयत्नेन स्नातव्यं तेन मानवैः । प्रतिगृह निवृत्तो यः प्रतिग्रहक्षमोऽपि सन् । स द्विजो द्योतते वैश्य तारारूपश्चिरं दिवि
Therefore, people should strive to bathe in the waters of the Ganga. Even a householder who has renounced accepting gifts, though capable, shines like a star in the sky, O Vaiśya.
गामुद्धरंति ये पंकाद्ये रक्षंति च रोगिणः । म्रियंते गोगृहे ये च तेषां नभसि तारकाः । यमलोकं न पश्यंति प्राणायामपरायणाः
Those who rescue cows from mud, protect the sick, or die in a cowshed become stars in the sky; devoted to breath-control, they do not see the realm of Yama.
अपि दुष्कृतकर्माणस्तैरेव हतकिल्बिषाः । दिवसे दिवसे वैश्य प्राणायामास्तु षोडश । अपि ब्रह्महणं साक्षात्पुनंत्यहरहः कृताः
Even those who have committed evil deeds are freed from their sins by these acts. O Vaiśya, practicing breath-control sixteen times daily purifies even a brahmin-killer, if done every day.
तपांसि यानि तप्यंते व्रतानि नियमाश्च ये । गोसहस्रप्रदानं च प्राणायामस्तु तत्समः
All austerities, vows, and disciplines, as well as the gift of a thousand cows, are considered equal to the practice of breath-control.
अब्बिंदुं यः कुशाग्रेण मासेमासे नरः पिबेत् । संवत्सरशतं साग्रं प्राणायामस्तु तत्समः
Whoever drinks a drop of water with the tip of kusa grass each month for a hundred years—this is considered equal to the practice of breath-control.
पातकं तु महद्यच्च तथा क्षुद्रोपपातकम् । प्राणायामैः क्षणात्सर्वं भस्मसात्कुरुते नरः
Great sins, as well as minor ones, are all instantly reduced to ashes by a person through breath-control.
मातृवत्परदारान्ये मन्यंते वै नरोत्तमाः । न ते यांति नरश्रेष्ठ कदाचिद्यम यातनाम्
The best of men regard the wives of others as they would their own mother; such excellent men, O best of men, never experience the torments of Yama.
मनसापि परेषां यः कलत्राणि न सेवते । सह लोकद्वये नास्ति तेन वैश्य धरा धृता
He who does not even mentally desire the wives of others—by him, O Vaiśya, the earth is upheld in both worlds.
तस्माद्धर्म्मान्वितैस्त्याज्यं परदारोपसेवनम् । नयंति परदारास्तु नरकानेकविंशतिम्
Therefore, association with another's wife, O Vaiśya, must be abandoned by those devoted to righteousness; for consorting with another's wife leads to twenty-one hells.
लोभो न जायते येषां परदारेषु मानसे । ते यांति देवलोकं तु न यमं वैश्यसत्तम
Those whose minds do not give rise to greed for other men's wives, O best of Vaiśyas, go to the world of the gods and not to Yama.
शश्वत्क्रोधनिदानेषु यः क्रोधेन न जीयते । जितस्वर्गः स मंतव्यः पुरुषोऽक्रोधनो भुवि
He who is not overcome by anger, even when faced with constant causes for wrath, should be regarded as one who has conquered heaven—such a man is free from anger on earth.
मातरं पितरं पुत्र आराधयति देववत् । अप्राप्ते वार्द्धके काले न याति च यमालयम्
He who honors his mother, father, and son as if they were gods, and does so before they reach old age, does not go to the abode of Yama.
पितुश्चाधिकभावेन येऽर्चयंति गुरुं नराः । भवंत्यतिथयो लोके ब्रह्मणस्ते विशांवर
O best of men, those who worship their guru with greater reverence than their father become honored guests in the world of Brahma.
इह चैव स्त्रियो धन्याः शीलस्य परिरक्षणात् । शीलभंगे च नारीणां यमलोकः सुदारुणः
And here, women are blessed due to their protection of virtue; but for women who violate virtue, the realm of Yama is exceedingly dreadful.
शीलं रक्ष्यं सदा स्त्रीभिर्दुष्टसंगविवर्जनात् । शीलेन हि परः स्वर्गः स्त्रीणां वैश्य न संशयः
Women must always safeguard their virtue, avoiding corrupt company; for by virtue alone, women attain the highest heaven, O Vaiśya, without doubt.
शूद्रस्य पाकयज्ञेन निषिद्धाचरणेन च । दुर्गतिर्विहिता वैश्य तस्य सा नारकी गतिः
For a Śūdra, misfortune is ordained through the performance of unauthorized rites and forbidden conduct; such a path leads surely to a hellish state.
विचारयंति ये शास्त्रं वेदाभ्यासरताश्च ये । पुराणं संहितां ये च श्रावयंति पठंति च
Those who reflect upon scripture, who are devoted to Vedic study, and those who recite or teach the Purāṇas and Saṃhitās—
व्याकुर्वंति स्मृतिर्ये च ये धर्मप्रतिबोधकाः । वेदांतेषु निषण्णा ये तैरियं जगती धृता
Those who explain the Smṛtis and awaken others to dharma, and those established in the Vedāntas—by them, indeed, this world is upheld.
तत्तदभ्यासमाहात्म्यैः सर्वे ते हतकिल्बिषाः । गच्छंति ब्रह्मणो लोकं यत्र मोहो न विद्यते
Through the greatness of such study, all these are freed from sin and proceed to the world of Brahma, where delusion does not exist.
ज्ञानमज्ञाय यो दद्याद्वेदशास्त्रसमुद्भवम् । अपि वेदास्तमर्चंति भवबंधविदारणम्
Whoever gives knowledge, born of the Vedas and śāstras, without understanding it himself—even the Vedas abandon him, which sever the bonds of worldly existence.
श्रूयतामद्भुतं ह्येतद्रहस्यं वैश्यसत्तम । सम्मतं धर्मराजस्य सर्वलोकामृतप्रदम्
Hear now, O best of Vaiśyas, this wondrous secret, approved by Dharmarāja, which bestows the nectar of immortality upon all worlds.
न यमं यमलोकं च न भूतान्घोरदर्शनान् । पश्यंति वैष्णवा नूनं सत्यं सत्यं मयोदितम्
Certainly, Vaiṣṇavas do not see Yama, his realm, or terrifying spirits; truly, truly, I have spoken this.
प्राहास्मान्यमुना भ्राता सदैव हि पुनःपुनः । भवद्भिर्वैष्णवास्त्याज्या न ते स्युर्ममगोचराः
Yama himself has always declared again and again: 'Vaiṣṇavas must be avoided by you; they are not within my domain.'
स्मरंति ये सकृद्भूताः प्रसंगेनापि केशवम् । ते विध्वस्ताखिलाघौघा यांति विष्णोः परं पदम्
Those beings who remember Keśava even once, even incidentally, are freed from all heaps of sin and attain Viṣṇu's supreme abode.
दुराचारो दुष्कृतोऽपि सदाचाररतोऽपि यः । भवद्भिः स सदा त्याज्यो विष्णुं च भजते नरः
Whether a person is wicked or virtuous, if he worships Viṣṇu, he must always be avoided by you.
वैष्णवो यद्गृहे भुंक्ते येषां वैष्णवसंगतिः । तेऽपि वः परिवार्याः स्युस्तत्संगहतकिल्बिषाः
In whose house a Vaiṣṇava eats, or with whom there is association with Vaiṣṇavas—such people must also be shunned by you, for they are freed from sin by that association.