Vayu Purana

य इन्द्रियात्मका देवा यज्ञभाजस्तथा तु ये। तान् यजन्ते तदा देवाः कल्पादिषु भवन्ति ये ।। ५७.

Those gods who are of the nature of the senses, and those who are entitled to a share of the sacrifice—those gods are worshipped then, and they exist at the beginning of each cycle.

अध्वर्यवः प्रैषकाले व्युत्थिता ये महर्षयः। महर्षयस्तु तान् दृष्ट्वा दीनान् पशुगणान् स्थितान् । पप्रच्छुरिन्द्रं सम्भूय कोऽयं यज्ञविधिस्तव ।। ५७.

The great sages, who are Adhvaryus, having risen at the time of the injunction, saw the herd of animals standing there, dejected, and, gathering together, they questioned Indra: 'What is this method of sacrifice of yours?'

अधर्मो बलवानेष हिंसाधर्मेप्सया तव। नेष्टः पशुवधस्त्वेष तव यज्ञे सुरोत्तम ।। ५७.

'This unrighteousness is powerful, for you desire the unrighteous act of violence; the killing of animals in your sacrifice is not desirable, O best of gods.'

अधर्मो धर्मगाताय प्रारब्धः पशुभिस्त्वया। नायं धर्मो ह्यधर्मोऽयं न हिंसा धर्म उच्यते ।। ५७.

'You have begun this unrighteousness, thinking it to be righteousness, by means of animals; this is not righteousness, but unrighteousness—violence is not called righteousness.'

आगमेन भवान् यज्ञं करोतु यदिहेच्छसि। विधिदृष्टेन यज्ञेन धर्ममव्ययहेतुना। यज्ञबीजैः सुरश्रेष्ठ येषु हिंसा न विद्यते ।। ५७.

'If you wish, perform the sacrifice according to scripture, with the sacrifice prescribed by rule, whose cause is imperishable righteousness, O best of gods, with sacrificial seeds in which there is no violence.'

त्रिवर्षपरमं कालमुषितैरप्ररोहिभिः। एष धर्मो महानिन्द्र स्वयम्भुविङितः पुरा ।। ५७.

'The highest period is three years, with seeds that do not sprout, having been kept; this great righteousness, O Indra, was established by the self-born in ancient times.'

एवं विश्वभुगिन्द्रस्तु मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः। जङ्गमैः स्थावरैर्वेति कैर्यष्टव्यमिहोच्यते ।। ५७.

Thus, O Indra, consumer of the universe, the sages who see the truth ask: 'With moving or non-moving beings, with what should sacrifice be performed here?'

ते तु खिन्ना विवादेन तत्त्वयुक्ता महर्षयः। सन्धाय वाक्यमिन्द्रेण प्रपच्छुश्चेश्वरं वसुम् ।। ५७.

Those great sages, endowed with truth, wearied by the dispute, having composed their words with Indra, then questioned the Lord of wealth.

महाप्राज्ञ कथं दृष्टस्त्वया यज्ञविधिर्नृप। उत्तानपादे प्रब्रूहि संशयं छिन्धि नः प्रभो ।। ५७.

'O great and wise one, how did you see the method of sacrifice, O king? Tell us regarding Uttānapāda; resolve our doubt, O Lord.'

श्रुत्वा वाक्यं ततस्तेषामविचार्य बलाबलम्। वेदशास्त्रमनुस्मृत्य यज्ञतत्त्वमुवाच ह। यथोपदिष्टैर्यष्टव्यमिति होवाच पार्थिवः ।। ५७.

Having heard their words, without considering strength or weakness, recalling the Vedic scriptures, he spoke the truth of sacrifice, saying: 'Sacrifice should be performed as instructed.'

यष्टव्यं पशुभिर्मेध्यैरथ बीजैः फलैस्तथा। हिंसास्वभावो यज्ञस्य इति मे दर्शयत्यसौ ।। ५७.

'Sacrifice may be performed with pure animals, or with seeds and fruits; this shows me that violence is inherent in sacrifice.'

यथेह संहितामन्त्रा हिंसालिङ्गा महर्षिभिः। दीर्घेण तपसा युक्तैर्दर्शनैस्तारकादिभिः। तत्प्रामाण्यान्मया चोक्तं तस्मान्मा मन्तुमर्हथ ।। ५७.

'Just as, in the collections of mantras, the signs of violence are found by the great sages, endowed with long austerity and vision like the stars, so, on the authority of that, I have spoken; therefore, you should not think otherwise.'

यदि प्रमाणं तान्येव मन्त्रवाक्यानि वै द्विजाः । तदा प्रावर्त्तता यज्ञो ह्यन्यथा नोऽनृतं वचः। एवं हृतोत्तरास्ते वै युक्तात्मानस्तपोधनाः ।। ५७.

'If those very mantra statements are the authority, O twice-born, then the sacrifice proceeded; otherwise, the statement is untrue.' Thus, those ascetics, with disciplined minds, were silenced.

अधस्व भवनं दृष्ट्वा तमर्थं वाग्यतो भव। मिथ्यावादी नृपो यस्मात् प्रविवेश रसातलम् ।। ५७.

'Having seen that matter, descend to the lower world and be silent, for the king, being a speaker of falsehood, entered the netherworld.'

इत्युक्तमात्रे नृपतिः प्रविवेश रसातलम्। ऊर्द्ध्वचारी वसुर्भूत्वा रसातलचरोऽभवत् ।। ५७.

As soon as this was spoken, the king entered the netherworld; becoming a spirit that moves upward, he became a dweller in the netherworld.

वसुधातलवासी तु तेन वाक्येन सोऽभवत्। धर्माणां संशयच्छेत्ता राजा वसुरथागतः ।। ५७.

Dwelling upon the earth, by that statement, he became the king Vasuratha, the remover of doubts regarding righteousness.

तस्मान्न वाच्यमेकेन बहुज्ञेनापि संशयः। बहूद्धारस्य धर्मस्य सूक्ष्माद्‌दूरमुपागतिः ।। ५७.

Therefore, even a single learned person should not declare a doubt; for the subtle and far-reaching nature of righteousness has many interpretations.

तस्मान्न निश्चयाद्वक्तुं धर्मः शक्यस्तु केनचित्। देवानृषीनुपादाय स्वायम्भुवमृते मनुम् ।। ५७.

Therefore, no one is able to speak with certainty about righteousness, except for Manu, the self-born, along with the gods and sages.

तस्मान्न हिंसाधर्मस्य द्वारमुक्तं महर्षिभिः। ऋषिकोटिसहस्राणि कर्मभिः स्वैर्दिवं ययुः ।। ५७.

Therefore, the door to unrighteous violence has not been declared by the great sages; countless thousands of sages have attained heaven by their own deeds.

तस्मान्न दानं यज्ञं वा प्रशंसन्ति महर्षयः। तुच्छं मूलं फलं शाकमुदपात्रं तपोधनाः। एवं दत्त्वा विभवतः स्वर्गलोके प्रतिष्ठिताः ।। ५७.

Therefore, the great sages do not praise giving or sacrifice; ascetics, having given even meager roots, fruits, vegetables, or a pot of water, have attained the heavenly world according to their means.

अद्रोहश्चाप्यलोभश्च दमो भूतदया तपः। ब्रह्मचर्यं तथा सत्यमनुक्रोशः क्षमा धृतिः। सनातनस्य धर्मस्य मूलमेतद्दुरासदम् ।। ५७.

Absence of malice, absence of greed, self-control, compassion for beings, austerity, celibacy, truthfulness, kindness, forgiveness, and steadfastness—these are the difficult-to-attain roots of the eternal law.

धर्ममन्त्रात्मको यज्ञस्तपश्चानशनात्मकम्। यज्ञेन देवानाप्नोति वैराग्यं तपसा पुनः ।। ५७.

Sacrifice is characterized by the essence of sacred formulas, and austerity by fasting; by sacrifice one attains the gods, and by austerity, dispassion.

ब्राह्मण्यं कर्मसंन्यासाद्वैराग्यात् प्रेक्षते लयम्। ज्ञानात् प्राप्नोति कैवल्यं पञ्चैता गतयः स्मृताः ।। ५७.

Brahminhood is achieved by renunciation of actions; by dispassion, one perceives dissolution; by knowledge, one attains liberation—these five paths are remembered.

एवं विवादः सुमहान् यज्ञस्यासीत् प्रवर्त्तने। ऋषीणां देवतानाञ्च पूर्वं स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे ।। ५७.

Thus, a great dispute arose regarding the practice of sacrifice among the sages and gods, in the interval of the Svāyambhuva era.

ततस्ते ऋषयो दृष्ट्वाद्भुतं वर्त्म बलेन तु। वसोर्वाक्यमनादृत्य जग्मुस्ते वै यथागताः ।। ५७.

Then those sages, seeing the wondrous path by force, disregarded the words of Vasu and departed as they had come.

गतेषु देवसङ्घेषु देवा यज्ञमवाप्नुयुः। श्रूयन्ते हि तपःसिद्धा ब्रह्मक्षत्रमया नृपाः ।। ५७.

When the assembly of gods had departed, the gods obtained the sacrifice; indeed, ascetic kings composed of Brahmins and Kshatriyas are heard of.

प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ ध्रुवो मेधातिथिर्वसुः। सुमेधा विरजाश्चैव शङ्खपाद्रज एव च। प्राचीनबर्हिः पर्जन्यो हविर्द्धानादयो नृपाः ।। ५७.

Priyavrata, Uttānapāda, Dhruva, Medhātithi, Vasu, Sumedhā, Virajā, Śaṅkhapādraja, Prācīnabarhi, Parjanya, Havirdhāna, and other kings.

एते चान्ये च बहवो नृपाः सिद्धा दिवं गताः। राजर्षयो महासत्त्वा येषां कीर्त्तिः प्रतिष्ठिता ।। ५७.

These and many other kings, accomplished ones, have gone to heaven—royal sages of great strength whose fame is established.

तस्माद्विशिष्यते यज्ञात्तपः सर्वेषु कारणैः। ब्रह्मणा तपसा सृष्ट जगद्विश्वमिदं पुरा ।। ५७.

Therefore, austerity surpasses sacrifice in all respects; formerly, the creator produced this entire world through austerity.