ददानो रोगरहितः सुखी दीर्घायुरेव च । असिपत्रवनं मार्गं क्षुरधारासमन्वितम्
He who gives these becomes free from disease, happy, and long-lived; he crosses the path of the sword-leaf forest, filled with razor-sharp blades.
तीक्ष्णतापं च तरति छत्रोपानत्प्रदो नरः । यद्यदिष्टतमं लोके यच्चास्यापेक्षितं गृहे
He who gives umbrellas and footwear crosses intense heat; whatever is most desired in the world and whatever is needed in one's home—
तत्तद्गुणवते देयं तदेवाक्षयमिच्छता । अयने विषुवे चैव ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः
—that should be given to those who are worthy, for one who desires inexhaustible merit; at the solstices, equinoxes, and during lunar and solar eclipses—
संक्रांत्यादिषु कालेषु दत्तं भवति चाक्षयम् । प्रयागादिषु तीर्थेषु पुण्येष्वायतनेषु च
—and at times of planetary transitions and similar occasions, what is given becomes inexhaustible; at holy places like Prayaga and other sacred shrines—
दत्वा चाक्षयमाप्नोति नदीप्रस्रवणेषु च । दानधर्मात्परो धर्मो भूतानां नेह विद्यते
—and at river confluences, what is given becomes inexhaustible; there is no greater dharma among beings than the dharma of giving.
तस्माद्विप्राय दातव्यं श्रोत्रियाय द्विजातिभिः । स्वर्गाय भूतिकामेन तथा पापोपशांतये
Therefore, gifts should be given by twice-borns to Brahmins who are learned in the Vedas, for the sake of heaven, prosperity, and the removal of sin.
मुमुक्षुणा तु दातव्यं ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तथान्वहम् । दीयमानं तु यो मोहाद्गोविप्राग्निसुरेषु च
One who seeks liberation should give daily to Brahmins; but one who, out of delusion, prevents gifts to cows, Brahmins, fire, or gods—
निवारयत्यधर्मात्मा तिर्यग्योनिं व्रजेत सः । यस्तु द्रव्यार्जनं कृत्वा नार्चयेद्ब्राह्मणान्सुरान्
—that unrighteous person goes to a non-human birth; and he who, having acquired wealth, does not honor Brahmins or gods—
सर्वस्वमपहृत्यैनं राजा राष्ट्रात्प्रवासयेत् । यस्तु दुर्भिक्षवेलायामन्नाद्यं न प्रयच्छति
—the king should confiscate all his property and banish him from the kingdom; and he who, during a famine, does not give food to Brahmins—
म्रियमाणेषु विप्रेषु ब्राह्मणः स तु गर्हितः । न तस्मात्प्रतिगृह्णीयुः न वसेयुश्च तेन हि
—when Brahmins are dying, that Brahmin is to be condemned; others should not accept anything from him nor live with him.
आज्ञायित्वा स्वकाद्राष्ट्राद्राजा तं विप्रवासयेत् । पश्चात्सद्भ्यो ददातीह स्वद्रव्यं धर्मसाधनम्
The king, having learned this, should banish him from his own kingdom; but one who later gives his own wealth to the worthy as a means of dharma—
सपूर्वाभ्यधिकः पापी नरके पच्यते नरः । स्वाध्यायवंतो ये विप्रा विद्यावंतो जितेंद्रियाः
—is more sinful than before and is cooked in hell; those Brahmins who are devoted to self-study, learned, and self-controlled—
सत्यसंयमसंयुक्तास्तेभ्यो दद्याद्द्विजोत्तमाः । प्रभुक्तमपि विद्वांसं धार्मिकं भोजयेद्द्विजम्
Those endowed with truthfulness and self-restraint—one should give to them, O best of twice-born; even if already eaten, a learned and righteous Brahmin should be fed.
न च मूर्खमवृत्तस्थं दशरात्रमुपोषितम् । सन्निकृष्टमतिक्रम्य श्रोत्रियं यः प्रयच्छति
But not to a fool, not to one of bad conduct, nor to one who has fasted for ten nights; whoever, bypassing a worthy scholar, gives to such a person—
स तेन कर्मणा पापी दहत्यासप्तमं कुलम् । यदि स्यादधिको विप्रः शीलविद्यादिभिः स्वयम्
By that act, he becomes sinful and burns up to the seventh generation of his family; if, however, a Brahmin excels in character, knowledge, and the like—
तस्मै यत्नेन दातव्यमतिक्रम्य च सन्निधिम् । योर्चितं प्रतिगृह्णीयाद्दद्यादर्चितमेव च
To him, one should give with effort, even bypassing those present; if one receives what is offered with respect, one should also give with respect.
तावुभौ गच्छतः स्वर्गं नरकं तु विपर्यये । न वार्यपि प्रयच्छेत नास्तिके हैतुकेपि च
Both of them attain heaven; in the reverse case, they go to hell. One should not give even water to an atheist or to one who argues against the Veda.
न पाखंडेषु सर्वेषु नावेदविदिधर्मवित् । रूप्यं चैव हिरण्यं च गामश्वं पृथिवीं तिलान्
One should not give to heretics, nor to those ignorant of the Veda or Dharma; whether it be silver, gold, cows, horses, land, or sesame seeds.
अविद्वान्प्रतिगृह्णीयाद्भस्मी भवति काष्ठवत् । द्विजातिभ्यो धनं लिप्सेत्प्रशस्तेभ्यो द्विजोतमः
If an unlearned man accepts, he becomes like wood turned to ashes; a Brahmin should seek wealth only from worthy twice-born men.
अपि राजन्यवैश्याभ्यां न तु शूद्रात्कथंचन । वृत्तिसंकोचमन्विच्छेन्नेहेत धनविस्तरम्
Even from Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, but never from a Shudra in any way; one should seek only a modest livelihood here, not the accumulation of wealth.
धनलोभे प्रसक्तस्तु ब्राह्मण्यादेव हीयते । वेदानधीत्य सकलान्यज्ञांश्चावाप्य सर्वशः
One attached to greed for wealth falls away from Brahminhood; even after studying all the Vedas and performing all sacrifices—
न तां गतिमवाप्नोति संतोषाद्यामवाप्नुयात् । प्रतिग्रहरुचिर्न स्याच्छूद्रान्न तु समाहरेत्
He does not attain that state which comes from contentment; one should not desire gifts from Shudras, nor accept from them.
स्थित्यर्थादधिकं गृह्णन्ब्राह्मणो यात्यधोगतिम् । यस्तु याति न संतोषं न स स्वर्गस्य भाजनम्
A Brahmin who accepts more than needed for subsistence goes to a lower state; he who is never content is not fit for heaven.
उद्वेजयति भूतानि यथा चौरस्तथैव सः । गुरुं भृत्यांश्चोज्जिहीर्षुस्तर्पयन्देवतातिथीन्
He disturbs beings just like a thief; one who seeks to deprive his teacher or servants, even while satisfying gods and guests—
सर्वतः प्रतिगृह्णीयान्न तु तृप्येत्स्वयं ततः । एवं गृहस्थो युक्तात्मा देवतातिथिपूजकः
May accept from all sides, but should not himself become satisfied thereby; thus a householder, self-controlled and devoted to honoring gods and guests—
वर्तमानः संयतात्मा याति तत्परमं पदम् । पुत्रेषु भार्यां निक्षिप्य गत्वारण्यं तु तत्त्ववित्
Living with a restrained mind, attains that supreme state; having entrusted his wife to his sons, and gone to the forest, the knower of truth—
एकाकी विचरेन्नित्यमुदासीनः समाहितः । एष वः कथितो धर्म्मो गृहस्थानां द्विजोत्तमाः । ज्ञात्वा तु तिष्ठेन्नियतं तथानुष्ठापयेद्द्विजान्
Should always wander alone, detached and concentrated; thus, O best of twice-born, the dharma of householders has been explained to you. Knowing this, one should remain disciplined and instruct the twice-born accordingly.
इति देवमनादिमेकमीशं गृहधर्मेण समर्चयेदजस्रम् । समतीत्य स सर्वभूतयोनिं प्रकृतिं याति परं न याति जन्म
Thus, one should ceaselessly worship the one, beginningless Lord through the duties of a householder; transcending all beings and nature, he attains the supreme and is not born again.
व्यास उवाच- एवं गृहाश्रमे स्थित्वा द्वितीयं भागमायुषः । वानप्रस्थाश्रमं गच्छेत्सदारः साग्निरेव च
Vyasa said: Thus, having lived in the householder stage for the second part of life, one should go to the forest-dweller stage, taking along his wife and sacred fire.
निक्षिप्य भार्यां पुत्रेषु गच्छेद्वनमथापि वा । दृष्ट्वापत्यस्य वापत्यं जर्जरीकृतविग्रहः
Entrusting his wife to his sons, he should go to the forest, or else, seeing his children’s children and his body grown old and worn out—