Vayu Purana

मन्वादयश्च ये शिष्टा ये मया प्रागुदीरिताः। तैः शिष्टैश्चरितो धर्मः सम्यगेव युगे युगे ।। ५९.

The worthy ones, such as Manu and others previously mentioned by me, have always practiced dharma properly in every age.

त्रयी वार्ता दण्डनीतिरिज्या वर्णाश्रमास्तथा। शिष्टैराचर्यते यस्मान्मनुना च पुनः पुनः। पूर्वैः पूर्वगतत्वाच्च शिष्टाचारः स शाश्वतः ।। ५९.

Because the threefold Veda, livelihood, the rule of law, sacrifice, and the varṇas and āśramas are practiced by the worthy and repeatedly by Manu, and because they were followed by the ancients, that conduct of the worthy is eternal.

दानं सत्यन्तपोऽलोभो विद्येज्याप्रजनी दया। अष्टौ तानि चरित्राणि शिष्टाचारस्य लक्षणम् ।। ५९.

Giving, truthfulness, austerity, non-greed, learning, sacrifice, non-procreation, and compassion—these eight are the characteristics of the conduct of the worthy.

शिष्टा यस्माच्चरन्त्येनं मनुः सप्तर्षयश्च वै। मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु शिष्टाचारस्ततः स्मृतः ।। ५९.

Because Manu and the seven sages practice it in every manvantara, the conduct of the worthy is therefore remembered.

विज्ञेयः श्रवणात् श्रौतः स्मरणात् स्मार्त्त उच्यते। इज्या वेदात्मकः श्रौतः स्मार्तो वर्णाश्रमात्मकः। प्रत्यङ्गानि च वक्ष्यामि धर्मस्येह तु लक्षणम् ।। ५९.

The Vedic dharma is to be known from hearing, and the traditional dharma from remembering; Vedic dharma is based on sacrifice and the Veda, while traditional dharma is based on varṇa and āśrama. I will now speak of the particular features and marks of dharma here.

दृष्ट्वा प्रभूतमर्थं यः पृष्टो वै न निगूहति। यथा भूतप्रवादस्तु इत्येतत्सत्यलक्षणम् ।। ५९.

One who, when asked, does not conceal what he has seen or the wealth he possesses, but speaks as it truly is—this is the mark of truthfulness.

ब्रह्मचर्यं जपो मौनं निराहारत्वमेव च। इत्येतत् तपसो मूलं सुघोरं तद्दुरासदम् ।। ५९.

Celibacy, recitation, silence, and fasting—these are the roots of austerity, which is very severe and difficult to attain.

पशूनां द्रव्यहविषामृक्सामयजुषां तथा। ऋत्विजां दक्षिणानाञ्च संयोगो योग उच्यते ।। ५९.

The bringing together of animals, offerings, clarified butter, and the three Vedas—Ṛk, Sāma, and Yajus—as well as the priests and the gifts for them, is called 'yoga' (union) in sacrifice.

आत्मवत्सर्वभूतेषु यो हितायाहिताय च। समा प्रवर्त्तते दृष्टिः कृत्स्ना ह्येषा दया स्मृता ।। ५९.

He who regards all beings as himself and acts equally for their benefit or harm—such impartial vision is called compassion.

आक्रुष्टोऽभिहतो वापि नाक्रोशेद्यो न हन्ति वा। वाङ्‌मनःकर्मभिः क्षान्तिस्तितिक्षैषा क्षमा स्मृता ।। ५९.

He who, though abused or struck, does not retaliate or harm in word, thought, or deed—this forbearance is known as forgiveness.

स्वामिनारक्ष्यमाणानामुत्सृष्टानाञ्च मृत्सु च। परस्वानामनादानमलोभ इह कीर्त्यते ।। ५९.

Not taking the wealth of others, whether unguarded, abandoned, or lying in the dust—this is called non-covetousness here.

मैथुनस्यासमाचारो ह्यचिन्तनमकल्पनम्। निवृत्तिर्ब्रह्मचर्यं तदच्छिद्रं दम उच्यते ।। ५९.

Abstaining from sexual conduct, not thinking or imagining it, and complete withdrawal—this uninterrupted restraint is called self-control.

आत्मार्थं वा परार्थं वा इन्द्रियाणीह यस्य वै। न मिथ्या सम्प्रवर्तन्ते शमस्यै तत्तु लक्षणम् ।। ५९.

When, for one's own sake or for others, the senses do not act falsely—this is the mark of tranquility.

दशात्मके यो विषये कारणे चाष्टलक्षणे। न क्रुध्येत्तु प्रतिहतः स जितात्मा विभाव्यते ।। ५९.

He who, in the tenfold sphere of sense and the eightfold causes, does not become angry even when obstructed—he is recognized as self-conquered.

यद्यदिष्टतमं द्रव्यं न्यायेनोपागतञ्च यत्। तत्तद्गुणवते देयमित्येतद्दानलक्षणम् ।। ५९.

Whatever most desired object is obtained lawfully, that should be given to the worthy—this is the mark of giving.

दानं त्रिविधमित्येतत् कनिष्ठज्येष्ठमधयमम् । तत्र नैःश्रेयसं ज्येष्ठं कनिष्ठं स्वार्थसिद्धये। कारुण्यात्सर्वभूतेभ्यः सुविभागस्तु बन्धुषु ।। ५९.

Giving is of three kinds: inferior, superior, and middling. Of these, the superior leads to the highest good, the inferior is for personal gain; giving out of compassion is for all beings, and proper distribution is among relatives.

श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्यां विहितो धर्मो वर्णाश्रमात्मकः। शिष्टाचाराविरुद्धश्च धर्मः सत्साधुसङ्गतः ।। ५९.

The dharma prescribed by the Vedas and Smṛtis is based on the system of varṇa and āśrama; and dharma, in company with the good and noble, is not opposed to the conduct of the virtuous.

अप्रद्वेषो ह्यनिष्टेषु तथेष्टानभिनन्दनम्। प्रीतितापविषादेभ्यो विनिवृत्तिर्विरक्तता ।। ५९.

Not harboring enmity toward the undesirable, nor delighting in the desirable, and withdrawal from joy, sorrow, and grief—this is called detachment.

संन्यासः कर्मणो न्यासः कृतानामकृतैः सह। कुशलाकुशलानाञ्च प्रहाणं त्याग उच्यते ।। ५९.

Renunciation is the abandonment of actions, both performed and unperformed, and the giving up of both skillful and unskillful acts.

अव्यक्ताद्योऽविशेषाच्च विकारोऽस्मिन्नचेतने। चेतनाचेतान्यत्वविज्ञानं ज्ञानमुच्यते ।। ५९.

Knowledge is the discernment of the difference between the unmanifest and the manifest, the transformation in the insentient, and the distinction between the sentient and the non-sentient.

प्रत्यङ्गानां तु धर्मस्य इत्येतल्लक्षणं स्मृतम् । ऋषिभिर्धर्मतत्त्वज्ञैः पूर्वे स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे ।। ५९.

This is remembered as the characteristic of the limbs of dharma, as taught by the ancient sages who knew the essence of dharma in the previous Svāyambhuva Manvantara.

अत्र वो वर्त्तयिष्यामि विधिर्मन्वन्तरस्य यः । इतरेतरवर्णस्य चातुर्वर्णस्य चैव हि। प्रतिमन्वन्तरञ्चैव श्रुतिरन्या विधीयते ।। ५९.

Here I will explain to you the rule of the Manvantara, for each varṇa and for the fourfold varṇa system; and in each Manvantara, a different revelation is prescribed.

ऋचो यजूषिं सामानि यथावत् प्रतिदैवतम्। आभूतसंप्लवस्यापि वर्ज्यैकं शतरुद्रियम् ।। ५९.

The Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman hymns are to be recited as appropriate for each deity; but even at the time of the great dissolution, only the Śatarudriya is to be omitted.

विधिर्होत्रं तथा स्तोत्रं पूर्ववत्सम्प्रवर्तते। द्रव्यस्तोत्रं गुणस्तोत्रं कर्म स्तोत्रं तथैव च। चतुर्थमाभिजनिकं स्तोत्रमेतच्चतुर्विधम् ।। ५९.

The invocation, the hymn, proceed as before; the hymn of substances, the hymn of qualities, the hymn of actions, and the fourth, the hymn of lineage—these are the four kinds of hymns.

मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु यथा देवा भवन्ति ये। प्रवर्त्तयति तेषां वै ब्रह्मस्तोत्रं चतुर्विधम्। एवं मन्त्रगुणानाञ्च समुत्पत्तिश्चतुर्विधा ।। ५९.

In all the Manus’ ages, as there are gods, for them Brahma initiates the fourfold hymn; thus, the emergence of mantras and their qualities is also fourfold.

अथर्वयजुषां साम्नां वेदेष्विह पृथक् पृथक् । ऋषीणान्तप्यतामुग्रन्तपः परमदुश्चरम् ।। ५९.

In the Vedas—Atharva, Yajus, and Sāman—separately, the sages practiced severe austerity, the highest and most difficult to perform.

मन्त्राः प्रादुर्बभूवुर्हि पूर्वमन्वन्तरेष्विह। परितोषाद्भयाद्दुःखात्सुखाच्छोकाच्च पञ्चधा ।। ५९.

Mantras appeared here in earlier Manvantaras, arising in five ways: from satisfaction, from fear, from sorrow, from happiness, and from grief.

ऋषीणां तपःकार्त्स्न्येन दर्शनेन यदृच्छया। ऋषीणां यदृषित्वं हि तद्वक्ष्यामीह लक्षणैः ।। ५९.

By the completeness of the sages’ austerity, and by their vision, spontaneously, the state of being a seer among the sages—I shall now explain its characteristics here.

अतीतानागतानान्तु पञ्चधा ऋषिरुच्यते। अतस्त्वृषीणां वक्ष्यामि ह्यार्षस्य च समुद्भवम् ।। ५९.

A seer is said to be fivefold: of the past and the future; therefore, I shall explain the sages and the origin of their seerhood.