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.
मुक्त्वा समुद्रयोर्देशं नान्यत्र निवसेद्द्विजः । कृष्णो वा यत्र चरति मृगो नित्यं स्वभावतः
Except for the land between the two oceans, a twice-born should not dwell elsewhere; where the black antelope naturally roams—
पुण्या वा विश्रुता नद्यस्तत्र वा निवसेद्द्विजः । अर्धक्रोशं नदीकूलं वर्जयित्वा द्विजोत्तमः
Or where there are holy or renowned rivers, there a twice-born should reside, O best of the twice-born, avoiding half a krosha from the riverbank.
नान्यत्र निवसेत्पुण्यं नांत्यजग्रामसन्निधौ । न संवसेच्च पतितैर्न चांडालैर्न पुल्कसैः
One should not reside anywhere else for merit, nor near the outskirts of a deserted village; nor should one associate with the fallen, nor with outcastes, nor with those of mixed origin.
न मूर्खैर्नावलिप्तैश्च नान्यैर्जायावसायिभिः । एकशय्यासने पंक्तिर्भांडे पक्वान्नमिश्रणम्
Nor with fools, nor with the arrogant, nor with others who live with another’s wife; sharing a bed, seat, row, or vessel, or mixing cooked food with them.
यजनाध्यापने योनिस्तथैव सहभोजनम् । सहाध्यायस्तु दशमः सहयाजनमेव च
In sacrifice, teaching, lineage, likewise eating together, studying together is the tenth, and performing sacrifice together is the eleventh.
एकादश समुद्दिष्टा दोषाः सांकर्यसंस्थिताः । समीपे चाप्यवस्थानात्पापं संक्रमते नृणाम्
Eleven faults are thus enumerated, arising from mingling; by proximity, sin is transmitted among people.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सांकर्य्यं परिवर्जयेत् । एकपंक्त्युपविष्टा ये न स्पृशंति परस्परम्
Therefore, one should avoid mingling with all effort; those who sit in a single row but do not touch each other.
भस्मना कृतमर्य्यादा न तेषां संकरो भवेत् । अग्निना भस्मना चैव सलिलेन विलेखतः
If a boundary is made with ashes, there is no mingling among them; by fire, by ashes, or by water, when marking out.
द्वारेण स्तंभमार्गेण षड्भिः पंक्तिर्विभिद्यते । न कुर्याच्छुष्कवैराणि विवादं न च पैशुनम्
A row is divided by six means: by a door, by a pillar, by a path; one should not create dry enmities, disputes, nor slander.
परक्षेत्रे गां चरंतीं न चाचक्षीत कर्हिचित् । न संवसेत्सूचकेन न कं वै मर्मणि स्पृशेत्
One should never point out a cow grazing in another’s field; one should not live with a tale-bearer, nor touch anyone at a vital spot.