न कुर्यान्मानसं विप्रो गुरोस्त्यागे कथंचन । मोहाद्वा यदि वा लोभात्त्यक्त्वा तु पतितो भवेत्
A Brahmin should never even think of abandoning his teacher; whether out of delusion or greed, abandoning him leads to downfall.
लौकिकं वैदिकं वापि तथाध्यात्मिकमेव वा । आददीत यतो ज्ञानं तं न द्रुह्येत्कदाचन
Whether secular, Vedic, or spiritual knowledge—one should never harm the source from which knowledge is gained.
गुरोरप्यवलिप्तस्य कार्याकार्यमजानतः । उत्पथप्रतिपन्नस्य न मनुस्त्यागमब्रवीत्
Even if the teacher is arrogant, ignorant of right and wrong, or has strayed from the path, Manu did not prescribe abandonment.
गुरोर्गुरौ सन्निहिते गुरुवद्वृत्तिमाचरेत् । नत्वाभिसृष्टो गुरुणा स्वान्गुरूनभिवादयेत्
In the presence of the teacher's teacher, one should behave as with one's own teacher; having bowed and been permitted by the teacher, one should greet his teachers.
विद्यागुरुष्वेतदेवं नित्यावृत्तिषु योगिषु । प्रतिषेधत्सु चाधर्माद्धितं चोपदिशत्सु च
This same conduct applies toward teachers of knowledge, those engaged in constant practice, yogis, those who prohibit unrighteousness, and those who give beneficial instruction.
श्रेयः स्वगुरुवद्वृत्तिं नित्यमेव समाचरेत् । गुरुपुत्रेषु दारेषु गुरोश्चैव स्वबंधुषु
One should always behave toward the teacher's sons, wives, and relatives just as toward one's own teacher.
बालः संमानयेन्मान्याञ्छिष्टो वा यदि कर्म्मणि । अध्यापयन्गुरोः सूनुं गुरुवन्मानमर्हति
A child should honor those worthy of respect, even if he is left over in the task; when teaching the guru’s son, he deserves respect as one would give to the guru.
उत्सादनं च गात्राणां स्नापनोच्छिष्टभोजनः । न कुर्याद्गुरुपुत्रस्य पादयोः शौचमेव च
One should not perform the cleansing of limbs, bathing, or eating leftovers for the guru’s son, nor should one wash his feet.
गुरुवत्प्रतिपूज्याश्च सवर्णा गुरुयोषितः । असवर्णाश्च संपूज्याः प्रत्युत्थानाभिवादनैः
Women of the same caste as the guru should be honored as one honors the guru; those of other castes should be honored with rising and salutations.
अभ्यंजनं स्नापनं च गात्रोत्सादनमेव च । गुरुपत्न्या न कार्याणि केशानां च प्रसाधनम्
Oiling, bathing, and cleansing of limbs, as well as arranging the hair, should not be done for the guru’s wife.
गुरुपत्नी तु युवती नाभिवाद्या तु पादयोः । कुर्वीत वंदनं भूम्यामसावहमिति ब्रुवन्
If the guru’s wife is young, one should not salute her by touching her feet; instead, one should offer respect by touching the ground and saying, 'I am yours.'
विप्रोष्य पादग्रहणपूर्वकं चाभिवादनम् । गुरुदारेषु कुर्वीत सतां धर्म्ममनुस्मरन्
After returning from a journey, one should greet the wives of the guru by first grasping their feet, remembering the dharma of the virtuous.
मातृष्वसा मातुलानी श्वश्रूश्चाथ पितृष्वसा । संपूज्या गुरुपत्नीवत्समास्ता गुरुभार्यया
The maternal aunt, uncle’s wife, mother-in-law, and paternal aunt should all be honored like the guru’s wife, equal to the guru’s spouse.
भ्रातृभार्याश्च संग्राह्या सवर्णा हन्यहन्यपि । विप्रोष्य तूपसंग्राह्या ज्ञातिसंबंधियोषितः
The wives of brothers of the same caste should be greeted daily; after returning from a journey, the women relatives should be greeted.
पितुर्भगिन्या मातुश्च जायस्यां च स्वसर्यपि । मातृवद्वृत्तिमातिष्ठेन्माता ताभ्यो गरीयसी
One should behave toward the father’s sister, mother’s sister, and wife’s sister as toward a mother, for the mother is superior to them.
एवमाचारसंपन्नमात्मवंतमदांभिकम् । वेदमध्यापयेद्धर्म्मं पुराणांगानि नित्यशः
One who is endowed with proper conduct, self-control, and sincerity should be taught the Veda, dharma, and the limbs of the Purāṇas daily.
संवत्सरोषिते शिष्ये गुरुर्ज्ञानमनिर्दिशन् । हरते दुष्कृतं तस्य शिष्यस्य वसतो गुरुः
When a disciple has stayed for a year, the guru, imparting knowledge, removes the disciple’s sins while the disciple resides with the guru.
आचार्यपुत्रः शुश्रूषुर्ज्ञानदो धार्मिकः शुचिः । शक्तोन्नदोंबुदः साधुरध्याप्यादश धर्मतः
The son of the teacher, attentive, giver of knowledge, righteous, and pure, capable, generous, virtuous—such a one should be taught according to dharma.
कृतकंठस्तथाऽद्रोहः मेधावी गुरुकृन्नरः । आप्तः प्रियोऽथ विधिवत्षडध्याप्या द्विजातयः
A person who wears the sacred thread, is not deceitful, intelligent, acts as the guru instructs, trustworthy, dear, and follows the proper rules—these six types of twice-born should be taught.
एतेषु ब्राह्मणे दानमन्यत्र तु यथोचितम् । आचम्य संयतो नित्यमधीयीत उदङ्मुखः
Among these Brahmins, gifts should be given; elsewhere, as appropriate. One should always study, having purified oneself, facing north.
उपसंगृह्य तत्पादौ वीक्ष्यमाणो गुरोर्मुखम् । अधीष्व भो इति ब्रूयाद्विरामोऽस्त्विति चाऽरमेत्
After greeting and touching the feet, looking at the guru’s face, one should say, 'Please teach,' and, when finished, say, 'Let there be a pause.'
प्राक्कूलान्पर्युपासीत पवित्रैश्चैव पावकः । प्राणायामैस्त्रिभिः पूतस्ततोंकारमर्हति
One should sit facing east, near pure things and fire; purified by three breaths, one is then worthy of uttering the sacred syllable.
ब्राह्मणः प्रणवं कुर्यादंतेऽपि विधिवद्द्विजाः । कुर्यादध्यापनं नित्यं सब्रह्मांजलिपूर्वतः
A Brahmin should recite the praṇava even at the end, and the twice-born should do so according to the rules; teaching should always be done preceded by the gesture of joining the hands in reverence.
सर्वेषामेव भूतानां वेदश्चक्षुः सनातनः । अधीयीताप्ययं नित्यं ब्राह्मण्याद्धीयतेऽन्यथा
The Veda is the eternal eye of all beings; it should always be studied, and it is learned from a Brahmin, not otherwise.
अधीयीत ऋचो नित्यं क्षीराहुत्या सदेवताः । प्रीणाति तर्पयन्कालं कामैर्हूताः सदैवताः
One should daily recite the Ṛg Veda hymns, offering milk with the deities; by satisfying and appeasing them at the proper time with desired offerings, the deities are always gratified.
यजूंष्यधीते नियतं दध्ना प्रीणाति देवताः । सामान्यधीते प्रीणाति घृताहुतिभिरन्वहम्
He regularly recites the Yajur Veda, offering curd to please the deities; reciting the Sāma Veda, he pleases them daily with offerings of ghee.
अथर्वांगिरसो नित्यं मध्वा प्रीणाति देवताः । धर्मांगानि पुराणानि मांसैस्तर्पयतेसुरान्
He constantly recites the Atharvaṅgiras hymns, pleasing the deities with honey; he satisfies the gods with meat offerings from the limbs of dharma and the Purāṇas.
प्रातश्च सायं प्रयतो नैत्यकं विधिमाश्रितः । गायत्रीं समधीयीत गत्वारण्यं समाहितः
Morning and evening, with discipline, following the daily prescribed rite, one should recite the Gāyatrī, having gone to the forest with focused mind.
सहस्रपरमां देवीं शतमध्यां दशावराम् । गायत्रीं वै जपेन्नित्यं जपयज्ञः प्रकीर्तितः
The Gāyatrī, the supreme goddess of a thousand verses, with a hundred in the middle and ten at the end, should be recited daily; this is called the japa-sacrifice.
गायत्रीं चैव वेदांश्च तुलया तोलयत्प्रभुः । एकतश्चतुरोवेदा गायत्रीं च तथैकतः
The Lord weighed the Gāyatrī and the Vedas on a scale; on one side, the four Vedas, and on the other, the Gāyatrī alone.