गवां शतसहस्राणि हंता तत्तस्यदुःष्कृतम् । स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा यो हरेत्तु वसुंधराम्
The killer of a hundred thousand cows, his evil deed is equal to one who seizes land, whether given by himself or by another.
स च विष्ठाकृमिर्भूत्वा पितृभिः सह पच्यते । षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गे तिष्ठति भूमिदः
He becomes a worm in excrement and is cooked together with his ancestors; but the giver of land dwells in heaven for sixty thousand years.
प्रहर्ता चानुमंता च तावद्वै नरकं व्रजेत् । भूमिदाद्भूमिहर्तुश्च नापरः पुण्यपापवान्
Both the one who strikes and the one who consents will go to hell for that long; apart from the giver and the taker of land, none else bears merit or sin.
उर्द्ध्वाधस्तौ च तिष्ठेते यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
They remain above and below until the dissolution of creation.
अग्नेरपत्यं प्रथमं सुवर्णं भूर्वैष्णवी सूर्यसुतास्तु गावः । तेषांमनंतं फलमश्नुवीत यः कांचनं गां च महीं च दद्यात्
Gold is the first offspring of Agni, the earth is of Viṣṇu, and cows are the daughters of the Sun; whoever gives gold, a cow, or land attains endless reward.
भूमिं यः प्रतिगृह्णाति यश्च भूमिं प्रयच्छति । उभौ तौ पुण्यकर्माणौ नियतौ स्वर्गगामिनौ
Whoever receives land and whoever gives land, both are doers of virtuous deeds and are destined to go to heaven.
अन्यायेन हृता भूमिर्यैर्नरैरपहारिता । हरंतो हारयंतश्च हन्युस्ते सप्तमं कुलम्
By whomsoever land is unjustly taken or carried off, those who take and those who cause to be taken destroy the seventh generation of their family.
हरेद्धारयते यस्तु मंदबुद्धिस्तमोवृतः । स बद्धो वारुणैः पाशैस्तिर्यग्योनिषु जायते
He who, with dull intellect and covered by darkness, seizes and holds land is bound by Varuṇa’s nooses and is born among animals.
अश्रुभिः पतितैस्तेषां दानानामवकीर्त्तनम् । ब्राह्मणस्य हृते क्षेत्रे हतं त्रिपुरुषं कुलम्
With their tears falling, the gifts of such people are scattered; when a Brāhmaṇa’s field is taken, three generations of the family are destroyed.
वापीकूपसहस्रेण अश्वमेधशतेन च । गवांकोटिप्रदानेन भूमिहर्ता न शुद्ध्यति
Not even by a thousand wells or ponds, a hundred horse sacrifices, or the gift of ten million cows is the taker of land purified.
कृतं दत्तं तपोऽधीतं यत्किंचिद्धर्मसंस्थितम् । अर्द्धांगुलस्य सीमाया हरणेन प्रणश्यति
Whatever is done, given, penance performed, or study of dharma—by seizing even half a finger’s breadth of boundary, all is destroyed.
गोतीर्थं ग्रामरथ्यां च श्मशानग्राममेव च । संपीड्य नरकं याति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
Whoever oppresses a cow’s ford, a village road, a cremation ground, or a village, goes to hell until the dissolution of creation.
पंचकन्यानृते हंति दश हंति गवानृते । शतमश्वानृते हंति सहस्रं पुरुषानृते
By falsehood for five maidens, he kills ten; by falsehood for cows, a hundred; by falsehood for horses, a thousand; by falsehood for a man, he kills a thousand.
हंति जातानजातांश्च हिरण्यार्थेऽनृतं वदन् । सर्वं भूम्यनृते हंति मास्म भूम्यनृतं वद
By speaking falsehood for the sake of gold, he kills both born and unborn; by falsehood regarding land, he kills all—never speak falsehood regarding land.
ब्रह्मस्वे नो रतिं कुर्यात्प्राणैः कंठगतैरपि । अग्निदग्धाः प्ररोहंति ब्रह्मदग्धो न रोहति
One should not desire brahminical wealth, even when life is at the throat; things burned by fire grow back, but what is destroyed by a brahmin's curse does not recover.
अग्निदग्धाः प्ररोहंति सूर्यदग्धास्तथैव च । राजदंडहताश्चैव ब्रह्मशापहता हताः
Things burned by fire regrow, and so too those scorched by the sun; those killed by royal punishment may revive, but those struck down by a brahmin's curse are truly destroyed.
ब्रह्मस्वेन च पुष्टानि अंगानि च मुहुर्महुः । कार्यकालेविशीर्यंते सिकताभि तपो यथा
The limbs nourished by brahminical wealth repeatedly decay at the proper time, just as sand is scattered by heat.
ब्रह्मस्वहरणं कुर्वन्नरो यातीह रौरवम् । न विषं विषमित्याहुर्ब्रह्मस्वं विषमुच्यते
A man who takes brahminical wealth goes to Raurava here; they say poison is poison, but brahminical wealth is called the real poison.
विषमेकाकिनं हंति ब्रह्मस्वं पुत्रपौत्रिकम् । लोहचूर्णं चाश्मचूर्णं विषं संजरयेन्नरः
Poison kills only one person, but brahminical wealth destroys sons and grandsons; a man can neutralize iron or stone powder, but not this poison.
ब्रह्मस्वं त्रिषु लोकेषु कः पुमान्जरयिष्यति । ब्रह्मस्वेन तु यत्सौख्यं देवस्वेन तु या रतिः
Who in the three worlds can neutralize brahminical wealth? The happiness from brahminical wealth, and the pleasure from divine wealth—
तद्धनं कुलनाशाय भवत्यात्मविनाशनम् । ब्रह्मस्वं ब्रह्महत्या च दरिद्रस्य तु यद्धनम्
That wealth leads to the destruction of the family and the ruin of oneself; brahminical wealth, the killing of a brahmin, and the wealth of the poor—
गुरुमित्रहिरण्यं च स्वर्गस्थमपि पीडयेत् । श्रोत्रियाय कुलीनाय दरिद्राय च वासव
Gold belonging to a teacher or friend, even if in heaven, causes harm; O Indra, to a learned, noble, or poor person—
संतुष्टाय विनीताय सर्वस्वसहिताय च । वेदाभ्यास तपो ज्ञानेंद्रियसंयमशालिने 6.32.
To one who is content, humble, and possesses all his wealth; who is devoted to Vedic study, austerity, knowledge, and self-control—
ईदृशाय सुरश्रेष्ठ यद्दत्तं हि तदक्षयम् । आमपात्रे यथा न्यस्तं क्षीरं दधि घृतं मधु
O best of gods, what is given to such a person is imperishable, just as milk, curds, ghee, or honey placed in a clean vessel—
भिनत्ति पात्रं दौर्बल्यान्न च पात्रं विनश्यति । एवं गां च हिरण्यं च वस्त्रमन्नं मही तिलान्
Breaks the vessel if it is weak, but the vessel itself is not destroyed; in the same way, land, gold, cloth, food, earth, and sesame—
अविद्वान्प्रतिगृह्णाति भस्मीभवति काष्ठवत् । यस्तडागं नवं कुर्यात्पुराणं वापि खानयेत्
If received by an unlearned person, become ashes like wood; but one who builds a new pond or digs an old one—
सर्वं कुलं समुद्धृत्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते । वापीकूपतडागानि उद्यानप्रभवानि च
Raises up his entire lineage and is honored in heaven; ponds, wells, tanks, and gardens—
पुनर्नीतानि संस्कारं ददते मौक्तिकं फलम्। निदाघकाले पानीय यस्य तिष्ठति वासव
When restored and maintained, yield a pearl-like fruit; O Indra, water available in the hot season—
स दुर्गं विषमं कृच्छ्रं न कदाचिदवाप्नुयात् । एकाहं तु स्थितं तोयं पृथिव्यां देवसत्तम
Such a person never faces hardship, danger, or difficulty; O best of gods, even water that remains for a single day on earth—
कुलानि तारयेत्तस्य सप्तसप्त परानपि । दीपालोकप्रदानेन वपुष्मान्स भवेन्नरः
Saves seven generations of his family and seven others as well; by giving the gift of a lamp, a man becomes radiant.