देवं वा पुंडरीकाक्षं केशवं क्लेशनाशनम् । संन्यासमथवा नित्यं ब्रह्मज्ञानपरो भव
Or worship the lotus-eyed Lord, Keśava, the destroyer of suffering; or always be devoted to knowledge of Brahman, embracing renunciation.
अथवा गच्छ काशीशं मुक्तौ वा मृतिमाप्नुहि । गयां वा गच्छ तत्र त्वं श्राद्धं कर्तुं प्रयत्नतः
Or go to Kāśī, the Lord of the city, and attain liberation or death; or go to Gayā and there diligently perform the śrāddha rite.
अथवा सर्ववेदानां सारं पातकनाशनम् । रुद्रं रुद्रप्रियकरं जप प्रत्यहमादरात्
Or, recite with reverence every day Rudra, the essence of all the Vedas, destroyer of sins, and dear to Rudra.
श्रीशैलमथवा गच्छ केदारमथवेच्छया । अथवा प्रतिवर्षे तु माघस्नानं प्रवर्तय
Or go to Śrīśaila or to Kedāra, as you wish; or, each year, undertake the Māgha bath.
किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन धर्मभक्तः सदा भव । नैवं नरकवासस्ते भविता तु द्विजाधम
What need is there of many words here? Always be devoted to righteousness; then, O lowest of twice-born, you will not have to dwell in hell.
गौतम उवाच- श्रुत्वा सर्वं करिष्यामि पुराणं भवतो मुखात् । शास्त्रं विश्वासहेतुं च वर्जं चापि वदस्व मे
Gautama said: 'Having heard all this, I will do as you have said from the Purāṇa; tell me also what is to be accepted as authoritative scripture and what is to be avoided.'
पौराणिक उवाच- वर्ज्यं मांसं सुराऽन्यस्त्री भोगो द्यूतं विकत्थनम् । पारुष्यमनृतं माया देवदेवविनिंदनम्
The narrator said: Meat, liquor, enjoyment with other women, gambling, boasting, harshness, falsehood, deceit, and reviling the Lord of gods are to be avoided.
गुरूणां सुरवृद्धानां पुराणस्मृतिभाषिणाम् । निंदनं श्वेतवृंताकं कृतकालाबुवर्तनम्
Reviling teachers, the venerable gods, those who speak of the Purāṇas and Smṛtis, as well as the white brinjal and acting against the proper times, are also to be avoided.
बीजपूरं कुसुंभं च लोहितं शृंगमेव च । अररुं नालिकेरं च कूष्मांडकं तथैव च
Citron, safflower, anything red, sexual intercourse, araru, coconut, and likewise gourd are to be avoided.
कोविदारफलं तैलपक्वं मानवजं पयः । वार्ध्रीणस खरी दुग्धं सूतिका क्षीरमाविकम्
Bilva fruit, oil-cooked food, human milk, camel’s milk, donkey’s milk, milk of a woman after childbirth, and sheep’s milk are to be avoided.
औष्ट्रमेकशफक्षीरं मार्गमाजं नृसंभवम् । विवत्सासंधिनीक्षीरं लवणं चैव योगि यत्
Camel’s milk, milk of one-hoofed animals, milk of wild animals, milk from a woman, milk from a cow whose calf has died, and salt, O yogin, are to be avoided.
नालिकेररसं कांस्ये ताम्रे मधु च सीसके । काचे तक्रं करंभांश्च घृताक्तान्नैव कारयेत्
Coconut water in bronze, honey in lead, buttermilk in glass, and food mixed with ghee in bronze vessels should not be prepared.
होमं तु मृण्मये पात्रे पुरोडाशं तु राजते । न सेवेत परं लोके शुभार्थी तु विचक्षणः
One should perform homa in an earthen vessel, and puroḍāśa in a silver one; the wise seeker of auspiciousness should not use anything else in this world.
पात्रांतश्चूर्णलेपोऽपि तत्र भक्षणमेव च । क्रमुकस्य तथा भक्षश्चूर्णपत्रस्य चैव हि
Applying powder inside a vessel, eating there, and likewise eating betel nut and powdered betel leaf are to be avoided.
क्रमुकस्यापि पक्वस्य भक्षणं क्रमियोगिनः । पायसे लवणं चैव केवलं च करार्पितम्
Even eating ripe betel nut, or salt in rice pudding, or anything simply placed in the hand is to be avoided by one who seeks purity.
सिंधुसौराष्ट्रकांबोजमागधेषु च सिंहले । न दोषाय भवेत्तत्र क्षीरं च लवणान्वितम्
In Sindhu, Saurashtra, Kamboja, Magadha, and in Sinhala, milk mixed with salt is not considered faulty.
क्षीराणि च समस्तानि लवणानि च योगतः । देशेष्वन्येषु दोषाय पाने चैवेह संशयः
But in other regions, all kinds of milk and salt taken together are considered faulty, and there is doubt about their drinking here.
किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन सद्भिर्निंद्यं विवर्जयेत् । शंभुरुवाच- एवं तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणस्य महात्मनः
Why say more? The virtuous should avoid what is censured. Śaṃbhu said: Having heard these words of the great-souled brāhmaṇa,
स्वमेव भवनं गत्वा चिंतयामास दुःखितः । रात्रौ मृत्युर्दिवा चेति न जानाति महानपि
He went to his own house and, distressed, began to reflect: Even the great do not know whether death comes by night or by day.
परलोके सुखं दुःखमिह भोगविनोदनम् । क्रिमिकीटमनुष्याद्यैः सुख दुःखैः पृथक्पृथक्
In the next world there is happiness or sorrow; here, enjoyment and diversion; happiness and sorrow come separately to worms, insects, humans, and others.
प्रतिजीवंतु हेतूनां भेदोऽपि सुविनिश्चयः । एकस्यापि हि जीवस्य नास्ति चैकविधा स्थितिः
For each living being, the causes of happiness and sorrow are certainly different; even for a single being, there is no uniform state.
जन्मकाले महाऽज्ञानं शैशवेत्यल्पबोधनम् । स्खलत्पदेल्पविज्ञानं बाल्ये चाल्पं तथैव च
At birth there is great ignorance; in infancy, little understanding; in childhood, little knowledge with faltering steps.
कौमारे क्रीडनरतिर्यौवने विषयोषितम् । यौवने विनिवृत्ते तु द्रव्यसंपादनेषणा
In boyhood, delight in play; in youth, passion for sense objects and women; when youth passes, the pursuit of wealth arises.
वार्द्धके भोगलिप्सा च न भोक्तुं क्षमतेपि च । दूषिका श्लेष्मलालाभिर्वलीपलितकंपनैः
In old age, there is desire for enjoyment, but one is unable to enjoy; afflicted by phlegm, saliva, wrinkles, gray hair, and trembling.
श्वासकासानिलाक्षिप्तैर्हृषीकैर्विकलैर्युतः । किंचिद्धर्तुं न शक्नोति न च जानाति किंचन
Afflicted by breathlessness, coughing, and wind, his senses disturbed and impaired, he is unable to hold anything and does not recognize anything at all.
तिष्ठंतीषु परस्त्रीषु गुह्यस्थानं प्रदर्शयेत् । कोशकंडूयनपरः क्रूरो जीवितलक्षणैः
While standing among other men's wives, he exposes his private parts, scratches himself constantly, and is cruel, marked by the signs of life's decline.
कंडूयते स्फिचौ वस्त्रमुद्धृत्य च विचालयन् । भुंजानः श्लेष्मणा ग्रासं ग्रसितुं न च शक्नुयात्
He scratches his buttocks, lifting and shifting his garment, and while eating, though his food is mixed with phlegm, he is unable to swallow it.
यदा कासस्तदा जज्ञे पायुवायुश्च शब्दवान् । निःसृतिश्च मलस्यापि श्लेष्मनिर्गम एव च
When he coughs, then arises a noisy expulsion of wind from the anus, and there is discharge of excrement as well as the flowing out of phlegm.
स्नुषादिभर्त्सनं बाल तालहास्यनिदर्शनम् । गुरुनिर्गमनादीनि संचिंत्य च पुनः पुनः
He is rebuked by his daughter-in-law and others, mocked by children with clapping and laughter, and repeatedly reflects on things like the departure of elders.
आहूतो भोजनाद्यर्थं भोज्यान्नादि विनिंदयन् । चिरमुष्णं च निर्भर्त्स्य पुनश्चिंतामवाप सः
When called for food and the like, he criticizes the meal, scolding that it is long cold, and then again falls into worry.