दमः शरीरोपरतिः शमः प्रज्ञाप्रसादतः । अध्यात्ममक्षरं विद्या यत्र गत्वा न शोचति
Self-control is the restraint of the body; tranquility arises from clarity of wisdom. The imperishable knowledge of the self is that by which, having attained it, one does not grieve.
यया स देवोभगवान्विद्यया विद्यते परः । साक्षादेव हृषीकेशस्तज्ज्ञानमिति कीर्तितम्
By that knowledge, indeed, the blessed Lord exists as supreme; Hṛṣīkeśa himself is directly called that knowledge.
तन्निष्ठस्तत्परो विद्वान्नित्यमक्रोधनः शुचिः । महायज्ञपरो विप्रो लभते तदनुत्तमम्
Established in that, devoted to that, learned, ever free from anger, pure, devoted to great sacrifices—the brāhmaṇa attains that unsurpassed state.
धर्मस्यायतनं यत्नाच्छरीरं परिपालयेत् । नहि देहं विना विष्णुः पुरुषैर्विद्यतेपरः
One should carefully protect the body, the abode of righteousness; for without the body, the supreme Viṣṇu is not realized by people.
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 mentally contemplate 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 the actions or property of others; 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 this chapter on righteousness, or teaches or has it recited, 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 Purāṇa.
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 what is harmful or unpleasant, nor ever commit theft.
तृणं वा यदि वा शाकं मृदं वा जलमेव च । परस्यापहरञ्जंतुर्नरकं प्रतिपद्यते
Whether it be grass, or a leaf, or even clay or water—whoever takes these from another being 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 the blameworthy.
नित्यं याचनको न स्यात्पुनस्तं नैव याचयेत् । प्राणानपहरत्येवं याचकस्तस्य दुर्मतेः
One should never be constantly begging, nor should one beg again from the same person; for the beggar, by such conduct, takes away the life of that person.
न देवद्रव्यहारी स्याद्विशेषेण द्विजोत्तमः । ब्रह्मस्वं वा नापहरेदापत्स्वपि कदाचन
One should not take what belongs to the gods, especially if one is a foremost twice-born; nor should one ever seize Brahmanical wealth, even in distress.
न विषं विषमित्याहुर्ब्रह्मस्वं विषमुच्यते । देवस्वं चापि यत्नेन सदा परिहरेत्ततः
They do not call poison 'poison'; rather, the wealth of Brahmins is called 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
Flowers, vegetables, water, wood, likewise roots, fruits, and grass—if not given, these are not to be stolen; so declares Manu, the lord of creatures.
गृहीतव्यानि पुष्पाणि देवार्चनविधौ द्विजः । नैकस्मादेव नियतमननुज्ञाय केवलम्
A twice-born should take flowers for the worship of the gods, but not always from the same place, nor without permission, nor exclusively.
तृणं काष्ठं फलं पुष्पं प्रकाशं वै हरेद्बुधः । धर्मार्थं केवलं प्राहुरन्यथा पतितो भवेत्
One who is wise may openly take grass, wood, fruit, or flowers only for the sake of righteousness; otherwise, it is said, he falls from virtue.
तिलमुद्गयवादीनां मुष्टिर्ग्राह्या पथिस्थितैः । क्षुधितैर्नान्यथा विप्रा धर्मादिभिरिति स्थितिः
A handful of sesame, mung beans, or similar grains may be taken by the hungry who are traveling, but not otherwise, O Brahmins; this is the established 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 Shudras.
प्रेत्येह चेदृशो विप्रो गर्ह्यते ब्रह्मवादिभिः । छद्मनाचरितं यच्च व्रतं रक्षांसि गच्छति
A Brahmin who acts thus, both here and after death, is condemned by those who know Brahman; and any vow performed by deceit goes to the demons.
अलिंगी लिंगिवेषेण यो वृत्तिमुपतिष्ठति । सलिगिंनो हरेदेनस्तिर्यग्योनौ च जायते
One who, without the proper marks, adopts the appearance of a marked person for livelihood, and takes what belongs to the marked, is born in the womb of animals.
याचनं योनिसंबंधं सहवासं च भाषणम् । कुर्वाणः पतते नित्यं तस्माद्यत्नेन वर्जयेत्
One who begs, forms intimate relations, lives together, or converses with such people falls perpetually; therefore, one should carefully avoid this.
देवद्रोहं न कुर्वीत गुरुद्रोहं तथैव च । देवद्रोहाद्गुरुद्रोहः कोटिकोटिगुणाधिकः
One should not commit hostility against the gods, nor against the teacher; and the sin of hostility against the teacher is a hundred million times greater than that against the gods.
जनापवादो नास्तिक्यं तस्मात्कोटिगुणाधिकम् । गोभिश्च दैवतैर्विप्रैः कृष्या राजोपसेवया
Slandering people and atheism are therefore a hundred million times worse; by association with cows, deities, Brahmins, agriculture, and service to the king—
कुलान्यकुलतां यांति यानि हीनानि धर्म्मतः । कुविचारैः क्रियालोपैर्वेदानध्ययनेन च
Families become degraded from their lineage when they are deficient in righteousness, through wrong conduct, neglect of duties, and failure to study the Vedas.
कुलान्यकुलतां यांति ब्राह्मणाऽतिक्रमेण च । अनृतात्पारदार्याच्च तथाऽभक्ष्यस्य भक्षणात्
Families fall from their lineage also through the transgressions of Brahmins, through falsehood, adultery, and eating what is forbidden.
अगोत्रधर्म्माचरणात्क्षिप्रं नश्यति वै कुलम् । अश्रोत्रियेषु दानाच्चा वृषलेषु तथैव च
A family quickly perishes from abandoning its proper lineage duties, and also from giving gifts to those who do not know the scriptures, or to outcastes.
विहिताचारहीनेषु क्षिप्रं नश्यति वै कुलम् । अधार्मिकैर्वृते ग्रामे न व्याधिबहुले वसेत्
A family quickly perishes among those who lack proper conduct; one should not dwell in a village filled with unrighteous people or plagued by many diseases.
शूद्रराज्ये च न वसेन्न पाखंडजनैर्वृते । हिमवद्विंध्ययोर्मध्यं पूर्वपश्चिमयोः शुभम्
One should not live in a kingdom ruled by Shudras, nor among heretics; the region between the Himalayas and Vindhyas, from east to west, is auspicious.