दंडी च मेखली सूत्री कृष्णाजिनधरो मुनिः । भिक्षाहारो गुरुहितो वीक्ष्यमाणो गुरोर्मुखम्
He should carry a staff, wear a girdle, bear the sacred thread, don a black antelope skin, live as a sage, subsist on alms, act for the benefit of his teacher, and gaze upon the teacher’s face.
कार्पासमुपवीतार्थं निर्मितं ब्रह्मणा पुरा । ब्राह्मणानां त्रिवृत्सूत्रं कौशं वा वस्त्रमेव वा
For the sacred thread, cotton was fashioned by Brahmā in ancient times, a threefold thread for Brahmins, or it may be made of kusa grass or cloth.
सदोपवीती चैव स्यात्सदाबद्ध शिखो द्विजः । अन्यथा यत्कृतं कर्म्म तद्भवत्ययथाकृतम्
A twice-born should always wear the sacred thread and always keep the topknot tied. Otherwise, any action performed becomes improper.
वसेदविकृतं वासः कार्पासं वा कषायकम् । तदेव परिधानीयं शुक्लं तांतवमुत्तमम्
He should wear unaltered garments, or cotton dyed with ochre. That alone should be worn, white and made of fine thread, as the best.
उत्तरं तु समाम्नातं वासः कृष्णाजिनं शुभम् । अभावे गावयमपि रौरवं वा विधीयते
The upper garment prescribed is the auspicious black antelope skin. In its absence, one may use cowhide or sheep’s wool as prescribed.
उद्धृत्य दक्षिणं बाहुं सव्यबाहौ समर्पितम् । उपवीतं भवेन्नित्यं निवीतं कंठसज्जने
Having raised the right arm and placed it over the left, the sacred thread should always be worn as upavīta; when placed around the neck, it is nivīta.
सव्यबाहुं समुद्धृत्य दक्षिणे तु धृतं द्विजाः । प्राचीनावीतमित्युक्तं पित्र्येकर्मणि योजयेत्
By raising the left arm and holding it on the right, O twice-born, it is called prācīnāvīta and should be used for ancestral rites.
अग्न्यागारे गवां गोष्ठे होमे तप्ये तथैव च । स्वाध्याये भोजने नित्यं ब्राह्मणानां च सन्निधौ
In the fire chamber, in the cowshed, during sacrifice, austerity, study, eating, and always in the presence of Brahmins,
उपासने गुरूणां च संध्ययोः साधुसंगमे । उपवीती भवेन्नित्यं विधिरेष सनातनः
During worship, in the presence of teachers, at the time of twilight, and in the company of the virtuous, one should always wear the sacred thread; this is the eternal rule.
मौंजी त्रिवृत्समां श्लिष्टां कुर्याद्विप्रस्य मेखलाम् । मुंजाभावे कुशेनाहुर्ग्रंथिनैकेन वा त्रिभिः
He should make a girdle for the Brahmin from threefold twisted muñja grass; in the absence of muñja, it is said to be made from kusa grass or with one or three knots.
धारयेद्वैणवपालाशौ दंडौ केशांतिकौ द्विजः । यज्ञार्हवृक्षजं वाथ सौम्यमव्रणमेव च
A twice-born should carry two staffs, one of bamboo and one of palāśa wood, both reaching to the hair's end, or else a staff made from a tree fit for sacrifice, gentle and without blemish.
सायंप्रातर्द्विजः संध्यामुपासीत समाहितः । कामाल्लोभाद्भयान्मोहात्त्यक्त्वैनां पतितो भवेत्
In the evening and morning, the twice-born should devotedly perform the sandhyā ritual; abandoning it out of desire, greed, fear, or delusion, he becomes fallen.
अग्निकार्यं ततः कुर्यात्सायंप्रातः प्रसन्नधीः । स्नात्वा संतर्पयेद्देवानृषीन्पितृगणांस्तथा
After that, with a clear mind, he should perform the fire rituals in the evening and morning; having bathed, he should offer satisfaction to the gods, sages, and groups of ancestors.
देवताभ्यर्चनं कुर्यात्पुष्पैः पत्रैर्यवांबुभिः । अभिवादनशीलः स्यान्नित्यं वृद्धेषु धर्मतः
He should worship the deities with flowers, leaves, barley, and water; he should always be respectful in greeting elders, in accordance with dharma.
असावहं भो नामेति सम्यक्प्रणतिपूर्वकम् । आयुरारोग्यसिद्ध्यर्थं तंद्रादिपरिवर्जितः
With proper salutation, he should say, 'I am so-and-so, O revered one,' free from drowsiness and the like, for the sake of attaining long life and health.
आयुष्मान्भव सौम्येति वचो विप्रोऽभिवादने । आकारश्चास्य नाम्नोंऽते वाच्यः पूर्वाक्षरप्लुतः
In return for the greeting, the Brahmin should say, 'Be long-lived, gentle one,' and the name should be pronounced with the final syllable elongated.
यो न वेत्त्यभिवादस्य विप्रः प्रत्यभिवादनम् । नाभिवाद्यः स विदुषा यथा शूद्रस्तथैव सः
A Brahmin who does not know how to return a greeting should not be greeted by the learned; he is just like a Śūdra.
व्यत्यस्तपाणिना कार्यं पादसंग्रहणं गुरोः । सव्येन सव्यः स्प्रष्टव्यो दक्षिणेन तु दक्षिणः
When taking hold of the teacher's feet, the left foot should be touched with the left hand, and the right foot with the right hand.
लौकिकं वैदिकं वापि तथाध्यात्मिकमेव वा । अवाप्य प्रयतो ज्ञानं तं पूर्वमभिवादयेत्
Whether the knowledge is worldly, Vedic, or spiritual, having obtained it with effort, one should first greet the teacher.
नोदकं धारयेद्भैक्ष्यं पुष्पाणि समिधस्तथा । एवंविधानि चान्यानि न देवार्थेषु कर्म्मसु
One should not carry water, alms, flowers, or sacrificial sticks, nor any such things, when engaged in acts for the deities.
ब्राह्मणं कुशलं पृच्छेत्क्षत्रबंधुमनामयम् । वैश्यं क्षेमं समागम्य शूद्रमारोग्यमेव च
One should ask a Brahmin about his welfare, a Kṣatriya about his health, a Vaiśya about his prosperity, and a Śūdra about his well-being.
उपाध्यायः पिता ज्येष्ठो भ्राता त्राता च भीतितः । मातुलः श्वशुरश्चैव मातामह पितामहौ
The teacher, father, elder brother, protector in danger, maternal uncle, father-in-law, maternal grandfather, and paternal grandfather—
वर्णश्रेष्ठः पितृव्यश्च पुंसोऽत्र गुरवः स्मृताः । माता मातामही गुर्वी पितुर्मातुश्च सोदराः
The foremost of the caste, paternal uncle, are considered gurus among men; mother, maternal grandmother, and father's and mother's sisters are also gurus.
श्वश्रूः पितामही ज्येष्ठा धात्री च गुरवः स्त्रियः । ज्ञेयस्तु गुरुवर्गोऽयं मातृतः पितृतो द्विजाः
Mother-in-law, paternal grandmother, elder nurse—these women are gurus; this group of gurus should be known, both from the mother's and father's side, O twice-born.
अनुवर्तनमेतेषां मनोवाक्कायकर्मभिः । गुरून्दृष्ट्वा समुत्तिष्ठेदभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलि
One should follow them in thought, word, and deed; upon seeing the gurus, one should rise, greet them, and stand with joined palms.
नैतैरुपविशेत्सार्द्धं विवदेन्नात्मकारणात् । जीवितार्थमपि द्वेषाद्गुरुभिर्नैव भाषणम्
One should not sit together with them, nor argue for one's own sake; even for the sake of life, one should not speak with the gurus out of hostility.
उद्रिक्तोऽपि गुणैरन्यैर्गुरुद्वेषी पतत्यधः । गुरूणामपि सर्वेषां पंच पूज्या विशेषतः
Even if endowed with other virtues, one who hates the gurus falls low; among all the gurus, five are especially worthy of honor.
तेषामाद्यास्त्रयः श्रेष्ठास्तेषां माता सुपूजिता । यो भावयति या सूते येन विद्योपदिश्यते
Of these, the first three are the greatest; among them, the mother is to be most highly honored—the one who nurtures, the one who gives birth, and the one who imparts knowledge.
ज्येष्ठो भ्राता च भर्ता च पंचैते गुरवः स्मृताः । आत्मनः सर्वयत्नेन प्राणत्यागेन वा पुनः
The elder brother and the husband—these five are regarded as teachers; one should honor them with all effort, even at the cost of one's life.
पूजनीया विशेषेण पंचैते भूतिमिच्छता । यावत्पिता च माता च द्वावेतौ निर्विकारिणौ
These five, in particular, are to be especially revered by one who desires prosperity; as long as the father and mother—these two—remain unchanged.