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.
अतिदुष्कृतिकर्म्माहं कथं भोक्ष्ये कथं स्वपे । कथं तिष्ठे कथं गच्छे परलोकः कथं भवेत्
"I have committed exceedingly evil deeds—how shall I eat, how shall I sleep, how shall I stand, how shall I go, and what will become of the next world?"
इति चिंताकुलो नित्यं न नमत्यपरान्वितः । द्विजस्य सदनं गत्वा पुराणज्ञस्य राघव
Thus, always troubled by such thoughts, not bowing to others, he goes to the house of a twice-born who knows the Purāṇas, O Rāghava.
लज्जावाक्कृतवक्त्रश्च किंकरोमीत्यभाषत । न किंचिदप्युवाचासौ द्विजः पौराणिकस्तदा
Ashamed and with downcast speech, he says, "What should I do?" But that learned Brāhmaṇa said nothing at all.
पापोयमिति विज्ञाय शिष्येण निरगामयत् । गौतमोपि विनिर्गम्य द्वार्येव च बहिः स्थितः
Recognizing him as sinful, the teacher sent him away; and Gautama, too, went out and stood just outside the door.
भुव्यासीनं तु विज्ञाय पुराणार्थविचारकम् । कथं कथमपि प्राप्य पीठं दत्तं च नाभजत्
Seeing him seated on the ground, pondering the meaning of the Purāṇas, he somehow approached, but did not accept the seat that was offered.
निषण्णो भूतले राम पुराणज्ञमभाषत । प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्यामि तदत्रैव विधीयताम्
Sitting on the earth, O Rāma, he spoke to the knower of the Purāṇas: "I will perform expiation; let it be prescribed here and now."
ब्राह्मण उवाच- पापानि कीर्तयस्व त्वं सर्वथैव कृतानि तु । स चापि नाऽकृतं किंचिन्मया पापमितीरयन्
The Brāhmaṇa said: "You must recount all the sins you have committed in every way." And he replied, "There is nothing I have not done—indeed, I have committed every sin."
रुदन्पपात भूम्यां च कथं तातेति पीडितः । ब्राह्मणस्तमथ प्राह प्रायश्चित्तं न विद्यते
Weeping, he fell to the ground, tormented, saying, "How, father?" Then the Brāhmaṇa said to him, "There is no expiation for you."
महापापं त्रिरावृत्ते पुनश्च यदि चेत्कृतम् । गौतम उवाच- पौराणिक महाभाग प्राप्यापि त्वामहं कथम्
If a great sin is committed three times, and then again, O Gautama—Gautama said: "O most fortunate knower of the Purāṇas, how could I, even having approached you—"
पापयुक्तो द्विजश्रेष्ठ संगतिर्विफला भवेत् । पौराणिक उवाच- शास्त्रं प्रमाणं सर्वेषां प्रायश्चित्तविनिर्णये
"—being sinful, O best of Brāhmaṇas, any association with me would be fruitless." The Purāṇika said: "Scripture is the authority for all decisions regarding expiation."