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.
न सूर्यपरिवेषं वा नेंद्रचापं पराह्निकम् । परस्मै कथयेद्विद्वान्शशिनं वाथ कांचनम्
One should not describe the encirclement of the sun, nor the rainbow at midday; a wise person should not tell another about the moon or gold.
न कुर्याद्बहुभिः सार्द्धं विरोधं बंधुभिस्तथा । आत्मनः प्रतिकूलानि परेषां न समाचरेत्
One should not engage in conflict with many, nor with relatives; one should not do to others what is unfavorable to oneself.
तिथिं पक्षस्य न ब्रूयान्नक्षत्राणि न निर्दिशेत् । नोदक्यामभिभाषेत नाशुचिं वा द्विजोत्तमः
One should not state the lunar day of the fortnight, nor indicate the stars; a twice-born should not speak to a widow, nor to one who is impure.
न देवगुरुविप्राणां दीयमानं तु वारयेत् । न चात्मानं प्रशंसेद्वा परनिंदां च वर्जयेत्
One should not obstruct what is given to gods, teachers, or Brahmins; nor praise oneself, nor indulge in slandering others.
वेदनिंदां देवनिंदां प्रयत्नेन विवर्जयेत् । यस्तु देवानृषींश्चैव वेदान्वा निंदते द्विजः
One should diligently avoid slander of the Vedas and the gods; a Brahmin who slanders the gods, sages, or the Vedas.
न तस्य निष्कृतिर्दृष्टा शास्त्रेष्विह मुनीश्वराः । निंदयेद्वा गुरुं देवं वेदं वासोपबृंहणम्
There is no expiation for him found in the scriptures, O best of sages; whether he slanders teacher, god, Veda, or their adornment.
कल्पकोटिशतं साग्रं रौरवे पच्यते नरः । तूष्णीमासीत निंदायां न ब्रूयात्किंचिदुत्तरम्
He is cooked in the hell called Raurava for a hundred crore kalpas; one should remain silent in the face of slander, not utter any reply.
कर्णौ पिधाय गंतव्यं न चैनमवलोकयेत् । वर्ज्जयेद्वै रहस्यानि परेषां गर्हणं बुधः
One should go away covering the ears, and not look at the slanderer; a wise person should avoid revealing the secrets or reproaching others.
विवादं स्वजनैः सार्द्धं नकुर्य्याद्वै कदाचन । न पापं पापिनां ब्रूयादपापं वा द्विजोत्तमः
One should never engage in dispute with one’s own people; a twice-born should not declare the sin of sinners, nor the innocence of the innocent.
सत्येन तुल्यो दोषः स्यादसत्याद्दोषवान्भवेत् । नृणां मिथ्याभिशस्तानां पतंत्यश्रूणि रोदनात्
The fault is equal to truth; from untruth, one becomes faulty; tears fall from those falsely accused, from their weeping.