Vayu Purana

परिवादो न कर्त्तव्यो योगिनां च विशेषतः। परिवादात् कृमिर्भूत्वा तत्रैव परिवर्त्तते ।। २१.

One should not slander, especially not the yogins; by slander, one becomes a worm and revolves there itself.

योगं परिवदेद्यस्तु ध्यानिनां मोक्षकारणम्। स गच्छेन्नरकं घोरं श्रोता यश्च न संशयः ।। २१.

Whoever slanders yoga, which is the cause of liberation for those who meditate, goes to terrible hell, and so does the listener—of this there is no doubt.

आवृतं तमसा सर्वं नरकं घोरदर्शनम्। योगीश्वरपरी वादान्निश्चयं याति मानवः ।। २१.

All of hell, dreadful to behold, is covered in darkness; by slandering the lords of yoga, a person certainly reaches that state.

योगेश्वराणामाक्रोशं श्रृणुयाद्यो यतात्मनाम्। स हि कालं चिरं मज्जेत् कुम्भीपाके न संशयः ।। २१.

He who hears the reproach of the lords of yoga, those of restrained self, surely sinks for a long time in the Kumbhīpāka hell—of this there is no doubt.

मनसा कर्मणा वाचा द्वेषं योगिषु वर्ज्जयेत्। प्रेत्यान्यं तत्फलं भुङ्क्ते इह चैव न संशयः ।। २१.

By mind, action, or speech, one should avoid hatred toward yogins; after death, one experiences the result elsewhere, and here as well—of this there is no doubt.

न पारगो विन्दति पारमात्मनस्त्रिलोकमध्ये चरति स्वकर्मभिः। ऋचो यजुःसामतदङ्गपारगो विकारमेव ह्यनवाप्य सीदति ।। २१.

One who has not reached the far shore does not attain the Supreme Self; he wanders in the three worlds according to his own actions. Even if he masters the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas with all their limbs, without attaining transformation, he merely remains stuck.

विकारपारः प्रकृतेश्च पारगस्त्रयी गुणानां त्रिगुणान्तपारगा। तत्त्वञ्चतुर्विंशतियो गपारगं स पारगो यस्त्वयनान्तपारगः ।। २१.

He who has crossed beyond change, who has crossed beyond nature, who has crossed beyond the three qualities and their limits, who has crossed beyond the twenty-four principles, he alone is called one who has truly crossed beyond, who has reached the end of the journey.

कृत्स्नं यथा तत्त्वविसर्गमात्मनस्तथैव भूयः प्रलयं सदात्मनः। प्रत्याहरेद्योगबलेन योगवित् स सर्वपारक्रमयानगोचरः ।। २१.

Just as one withdraws the entirety of the elements back into the Self, so too, the knower of yoga, by the power of yoga, always withdraws everything into the true Self at dissolution; he moves by the path of all-pervading power, beyond the reach of others.

वेदस्य वेदिता यो वै वेद्यं विन्दति योगवित्। तं वै वेदविदं प्राहुस्तं प्राहुर्वेदपारगम् ।। २१.

He who is the knower of yoga, who truly knows the Veda and attains what is to be known, him the knowers of the Veda call a true knower of the Veda, him they call one who has crossed to the end of the Veda.

वेद्यं च वेदितव्यं च विदित्वा वै यथाविधि। एवं वेदविदं प्राहुस्ततोऽन्ये वेदचिन्तकाः ।। २१.

Having known both what is to be known and what is to be understood, according to the proper method, such a person is called a knower of the Veda by others who contemplate the Veda.

यज्ञान् वेदांस्तथा कामाञ्ज्ञानानि विविधानि च। प्राप्नोत्यायुः प्रजाश्चैव पितृभक्तो धनानि च ।। २१.

He attains sacrifices, the Vedas, desires, and various kinds of knowledge; he also attains long life, offspring, devotion to ancestors, and wealth.

श्राद्धे यः श्राद्धकल्पं वै पश्चिमं नियतं पठेत्। सर्वाप्येतान्यवाप्नोति तीर्थे दानफलानि च ।। २१.

Whoever recites, with discipline, the final prescribed section of the Śrāddha ritual, attains all these results and also the fruits of giving at holy places.

स पङ्क्तिपावनश्चैव द्विजानामग्रभुग् भवेत्। अध्याप्य वा द्विजान् सर्वान् सर्वान् कामानवाप्नुयात् ।। २१.

He becomes a purifier of the line and the foremost recipient among twice-born; and by teaching all the twice-born, he attains all desires.

यश्चैव श्रृणुयान्नित्यमानन्त्यं स्वर्गमश्नुते। अनसूयो जितक्रोधो लोभमोहविवर्जितः ।। २१.

And whoever always listens to this endless (account), attains heaven—if he is free from envy, has conquered anger, and is devoid of greed and delusion.

तीर्थानां च फलं कृत्स्नं दानादीनां तथैव च। मोक्षोपायो ह्ययं श्रेष्ठः स्वर्गोपायो ह्ययं परः । इह चापि परा तुष्टिस्तस्मात्कुर्वीत यत्नतः ।। २१.

He attains the complete fruit of pilgrimages and of gifts and the like; this is the highest means to liberation, and the supreme means to heaven. Here and hereafter, the highest satisfaction is gained; therefore, one should strive diligently.

इमं विधिं यो हि पठेदतन्द्रितः समाहितः संसदि पर्वसन्धिषु । अपत्यभाग्भवति परेण तेजसा दिवौ कसां स व्रजते सलोकताम् ।। २१.

Whoever recites this procedure attentively and with concentration at assemblies and at the junctions of sacred days, becomes possessed of offspring, attains supreme brilliance, and reaches the same world as the gods.

येन प्रोक्तस्त्वयं कल्पो नमस्तस्मै स्वयम्भुवे। महायोगेश्वरेभ्यश्च सदा च प्रणतो ह्यहम् ।। २१.

To the Self-born, by whom this rite has been declared, I bow; and always, I bow to the great lords of yoga.

इत्येतेपितर स्तात देवानामपि देवताः। सप्तस्वेतेषु ते नित्यं स्थानेषु पितरोऽव्यथाः ।। २१.

Thus, O dear one, these ancestors are indeed the deities of the gods; these seven, ever untroubled, remain always in their respective places.

प्रजापतिसुता ह्येते सर्वे चैव महात्मनः। आद्यो गणस्तु योगानां स नित्यो योगवर्द्धनः ।। २१.

These are the sons of Prajapati, all of great soul; the first group is of yogis, eternal and ever-increasing in yoga.

द्वितीयो देवतानां तु तृतीयो देवताऽरिणाम्। शेषास्तु वर्णिनां ज्ञेया इति सर्वे प्रकीर्तिताः ।। २१.

The second group is of the gods, the third of the enemies of the gods; the rest are to be known as belonging to the classes of men—thus all have been described.

देवास्त्वेतान् यजन्ते वै सर्वेष्वेतेष्ववस्थिताः। आश्रमास्तु यजन्त्येतांश्चत्वारस्तु यथाक्रमम् ।। २१.

The gods worship these (ancestors), all being established in them; and the four orders of life worship these, each in their own order.

वर्णाश्चापि यजन्त्येतांश्चत्वारस्तु यथाविधि। तथा सङ्करजाताश्च म्लेच्छाश्चैव यजन्ति वै ।। २१.

The four classes also worship these, each according to the proper method; likewise, those born of mixed castes and even foreigners worship them.

पितॄंश्च यो यजेद्भक्त्या पितरः पूजयन्ति तम्। पितरः पुष्ठिकामस्य प्रजाकामस्य वा पुनः। पुष्ठिं प्रजाश्च स्वर्गं च प्रयच्छन्ति पितामहाः ।। २१.

Whoever worships the ancestors with devotion, the ancestors honor him; and for one desiring prosperity or offspring, the grandfathers grant prosperity, offspring, and heaven.

देवकार्यादपि सूनोः पितृकार्यं विशिष्यते। देवतानां हि पितरः पूर्वमाप्यायनं स्वयम् ।। २१.

The duty owed by a son to his father surpasses even the duty owed to the gods; for the ancestors are themselves the original source of nourishment for the gods.

न हि योगगतिः सूक्ष्मा पितॄणां च परा गतिः। तपसा विप्रकृष्टेन दृश्यते मांसचक्षुषा ।। २१.

Neither the subtle path of yoga nor the supreme path of the ancestors can be perceived by the physical eye, even through intense austerity.

सर्वेषां राजतं पात्रमथवा रजतान्वितम्। पावनं ह्युत्तमं प्रोक्तं देवानां पितृभिः सह ।। २१.

A vessel made entirely of silver, or one adorned with silver, is declared to be the most purifying and excellent for offerings to the gods together with the ancestors.

येषां दास्यन्ति पिण्डांस्त्रीन् बान्धवा नामगोत्रतः। भूमौ कुशोत्तरायाञ्च अपसव्यविधानतः ।। २१.

Those whose relatives, identified by name and lineage, offer them three balls of food on earth, placed upon sacred grass and in the prescribed manner, receive benefit.

सर्वत्र वर्त्तमानास्ते पिण्डाः प्रीणन्ति वै पितॄन्। यदाहारो भवेज्जन्तुराहारः सोऽस्य जायते ।। २१.

Wherever those balls of food are present, they truly satisfy the ancestors; whatever nourishment a creature receives, that becomes its sustenance.

यथा गोष्ठे प्रनष्टां वै वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् । तथा तं नयते मन्त्रो जन्तुर्यत्रावतिष्ठते ।। २१.

Just as a calf finds its lost mother in the cowshed, so the mantra guides the creature to the place where it resides.