Vayu Purana

माषा मुद्गा मसूराश्च निष्पावाः सकुलत्थकाः। आढक्यश्वणकाश्चैव सप्तसप्तदशाः स्मृताः

Māṣa beans, mudga beans, lentils, niṣpāva beans, and kulattha beans; āḍhakya and aśvaṇaka—these are remembered as the seven and seventeen.

इत्येता ओषधीनां तु ग्राम्याणां जातयः स्मृताः। ओषध्यो यज्ञियाश्चैव ग्राम्यारण्या श्चतुर्द्दश

These are remembered as the kinds of cultivated plants; and the plants fit for sacrifice, both cultivated and wild, are fourteen.

व्रीहयः सयवा माषा गोधूमा अणवस्तिलाः। प्रियङुसप्तमा ह्येते अष्टमी तु कुलत्थिका

Rice with barley, māṣa beans, wheat, millet, sesame; priyangu is the seventh, and kulattha is the eighth.

श्यामाका स्त्वथ नीवारा जर्त्तिलाः सगवेधुकाः। कुरुविन्दा वेणुयवास्तथा मर्कटकाश्च ये

Śyāmāka, nīvāra, jarttila with gavedhukā, kuruvinda, veṇuyava, and those called markaṭaka.

ग्राम्यारण्याः स्मृता ह्येता ओषध्यस्तु चतुर्द्दश। उत्पन्नाः प्रथमा ह्येता आदौ त्रेतायुगस्य तु

These are remembered as the fourteen cultivated and wild plants; these first arose at the beginning of the Tretā age.

अफालकृष्टा ओषध्यो ग्राम्यारण्यास्तु सर्वशः। वृक्षा गुल्मलतावल्लीवीरुधस्तृणजातयः

All these cultivated and wild plants were not yet bearing fruit; trees, shrubs, creepers, vines, herbs, and grasses.

मूलैः फलैश्च रोहिण्यो गृह्णन् पुष्पैश्च जायते। पृथ्वी दुग्धा तु बीजानि यानि पूर्वं स्वयम्भुवा

With roots and fruits, the Rohiṇī plants are gathered, and with flowers they are produced; the seeds which the self-born one had formerly milked from the earth.

ऋतुपुष्पफलास्ता वै ओषध्यो जज्ञिरे त्विह। यदा प्रसृष्टा ओषध्यो न प्ररेहन्ति ताः पुनः

Those plants here were born with seasonal flowers and fruits; when the plants were released, they did not move again.

ततः स तासां वृत्त्यर्थं वार्त्तोपायं चकार ह। ब्रह्मा स्वयंभूर्भगवान् दृष्ट्वा सिद्धिं तु कर्मजाम्

Then, for their sustenance, Brahmā, the self-born Lord, devised a means of livelihood, having seen the success that comes from action.

ततः प्रभृत्यथौषध्यः कृष्टपच्यास्तु जज्ञिरे। संसिद्धायान्तु वार्त्तायान्ततस्तासां स्वयंभुवः। मर्यादाः स्थापयामास यथारब्धाः परस्परम्

From that time onward, cultivated medicinal plants began to be produced. When agriculture was perfected, the self-born one established their boundaries as they were initiated, each in relation to the other.

ये वै परिगृहीतारस्तासामासन्विधात्मकाः। इतरेषां कृतत्राणाः स्थापयामास क्षत्रियान्

Those who took possession of them became their administrators; for the others, protectors were appointed, and the Kshatriyas were established.

उपतिष्ठन्ति ये तान्वै यावन्तो निर्भयास्तथा। सत्यं ब्रह्म यथा भूतं यथा भूतं ब्रुवन्तो ब्राह्मणाश्च ते

Those who serve them, as many as are fearless, and those Brahmins who speak truth and reality as it is, are also included.

ये चान्येप्यबलास्तेषां वैश्यसंकर्मसंस्थिताः। कीनाशा नाशयन्ति स्म पृथिव्यां प्रागतन्द्रिताः। वैश्यानेव तु तानाहुः की नाशान् वृत्तिसाधकान्

And others, lacking strength, engaged in the tasks of the Vaishyas; the laborers destroyed things on earth, previously diligent. These laborers are called Vaishyas, those who earn their livelihood by such work.

शोचन्तश्च द्रवन्तश्च परिचर्यासु ये रताः। निस्तेजसोऽल्पवीर्याश्च शूद्रास्तानब्रवीत्तु सः

Those who grieve and flee, who delight in service, lacking energy and possessing little strength, are called Shudras by him.

तेषां कर्माणि धर्माश्च ब्रह्मा तु व्यदधात् प्रभुः। संस्थितौ प्राकृतायां तु चातुर्वर्णस्य सर्वशः

For them, the Lord Brahma assigned duties and laws, in the original establishment of the fourfold class system, for all.

पुनः प्रजास्तु ता मोहात् तान् धर्मांस्तानपालयन्। वर्ण धर्मैरजीवन्त्यो व्यरुध्यन्त परस्परम्

Again, those people, out of delusion, neglected those duties; living by the laws of their classes, they began to obstruct one another.

ब्रह्मा तमर्थं बुद्ध्वा तु याथातथ्येन वै प्रभुः। क्षत्रियाणां बलं दण्डं युद्धमाजीवमादिशत्

Brahma, understanding that situation truthfully, the Lord, prescribed strength, punishment, and warfare as the livelihood for the Kshatriyas.

याजनाध्यापनं चैव तृतीयं च परिग्रहम्। ब्राह्मणानां विभुस्तेषां कर्माण्येतान्यथादिशत्

He assigned to the Brahmins the acts of officiating in sacrifices, teaching, and thirdly, accepting gifts; these are their prescribed duties.

पाशुपाल्यं च वाणिज्यं कृषिं चैव विशां ददौ। शिल्पाजीवं भृतिञ्चैव शूद्राणां व्यदधात् प्रभुः

He gave to the Vaishyas animal husbandry, trade, and agriculture; and to the Shudras, the Lord assigned crafts and service as their means of livelihood.

सामान्यानि तु कर्माणि ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशां पुनः। यजनाध्ययनं दानं सामान्यानि तु तेषु च

Common duties for Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas are again stated: sacrifice, study, and giving are common among them.

कर्माजीवं ततो दत्त्वा तेभ्यश्चैव परस्परम्। लोकान्तरेषु स्थानानि तेषां सिद्ध्याऽददत् प्रभुः

After assigning work and livelihood to each, the Lord granted them places in other worlds according to their success.

प्राजापत्यं ब्राह्मणानां स्मृतं स्थानं क्रियावताम्। स्थानमैन्द्रं क्षत्रियाणां संग्रामष्वेपलायिनाम्

The place of the Brahmins who perform rites is remembered as that of Prajapati; the place of the Kshatriyas who excel in battle is that of Indra.

वैश्यानां मारुतं स्थानं स्वधर्ममुपजीविनाम्। गान्धर्वं शूद्रजातीनां प्रतिचारेण तिष्ठताम्

The place of the Vaishyas who live by their own duty is that of Marut; the Gandharva realm is for Shudras who remain in service.

स्थानान्येतानि वर्णानां व्यत्याचारवतां स्वयम्। ततः स्थितेषु वर्णेषु स्थापयामास चाश्रमान्

These are the places for the classes, according to their own conduct; then, when the classes were established, he instituted the stages of life.

गृहस्थो ब्रह्मचारित्वं वानप्रस्थं सभिक्षुकम्। आश्रमांश्चतुरो ह्येतान् पूर्वमास्थापयत् प्रभुः

Householder, student, forest-dweller, and mendicant—these four stages of life were first established by the Lord.

वर्णकर्माणि ये केचित्तेषामिह न कुर्वते । कुतः कर्मा क्षितिं प्राहुराश्रमस्थानवासिनः

Those who do not perform the duties of their class here—how can there be duties for those who dwell in the places of the stages of life?

ब्रह्मा तान् स्थापयामास आश्रमान्नामनामतः। निर्द्देशार्थं ततस्तेषां ब्रह्मा धर्मान् प्रभाषत। प्रस्थानानि च तेषां वै यमांश्च नियमांश्च ह

Brahma established them by the names of the stages of life; for the sake of specification, he declared their laws, their paths, and their restraints.

चातुर्वर्णात्मकः पूर्वं गृहस्थश्चाश्रमः स्मृतः। त्रयाणामाश्रमाणाञ्च प्रतिष्ठायोनिरेव च। यथाक्रमं प्रवक्ष्यामि यमैश्च नियमैश्च ते

Formerly, the householder stage was regarded as consisting of the four social classes; and it is indeed the foundation and source of the other three stages. I will explain to you, in due order, along with their restraints and observances.

दाराऽग्नयोऽथातिथेय इज्याश्राद्धक्रियाः प्रजाः। इत्येष वै गृहस्थस्य समासाद्धर्मसंग्रहः

Wife, sacred fires, hospitality to guests, sacrifices, ancestral rites, and offspring—this, in brief, is the collection of duties for a householder.