Vayu Purana

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.

दण्डी च मेखली चैव ह्यधः शायी तथा जटी। गुरुशुश्रूषणं भैक्षं विद्याद्वै ब्रह्मचारिणः

Carrying a staff, wearing a girdle, sleeping on the ground, and having matted hair—service to the teacher and alms-begging are to be known as the marks of a student.

चीरपत्राजिनानि स्युर्द्धान्यमूलफलौषधम्। उभे सन्ध्येऽवगाहश्च होमश्वारण्य वासिनाम्

Bark garments, leaves, deer skin, grains, roots, fruits, and medicinal herbs, bathing at both twilights, and offering oblations—these are for those dwelling in the forest.

आसन्नमुसले भैक्षमस्तेयं शौचमेव च। अप्रमादोऽव्यवायश्च दया भूतेषु च क्षमा

Alms obtained near the threshing floor, non-stealing, purity, vigilance, celibacy, compassion towards beings, and forgiveness—these are prescribed.

अक्रोधो गुरुशुश्रूषा सत्यञ्च दशमं स्मृतम्। दशलक्षणिको ह्येष धर्मः प्रोक्तः स्वयम्भुवा

Absence of anger, service to the teacher, truthfulness—these are remembered as the tenth; thus, this tenfold characteristic of dharma has been declared by the Self-born.

भिक्षोर्व्रतानि पञ्चात्र पञ्चैवोपव्रतानि च। आचारशुद्धिर्नियमः शौचञ्च प्रतिकर्म च। सम्यग्दर्शनमित्येवं पञ्चैवोपव्रतान्यपि

For the mendicant, there are five vows and five subsidiary vows: purity of conduct, discipline, cleanliness, performance of duties, and right vision—these are the five subsidiary vows as well.

ध्यानं समाधिर्मनसेन्द्रियाणां ससागरैर्भैक्षमथोपगम्य। मौनं पवित्रोपचितैर्विमुक्तिः परिव्रजो धर्ममिमं वदन्ति

Meditation, concentration, control of mind and senses, alms obtained from the ocean of people, silence, purity accumulated—these are said to be the path of liberation for the wandering ascetic.

सर्वे ते श्रेयसे प्रोक्तो आश्रमा ब्रहमणा स्वयम्। सत्यार्ज्जवन्तपः क्षान्तिर्योगेज्या दमपूर्विका

All these stages of life have been declared by Brahmā himself for the highest good: truthfulness, uprightness, austerity, forbearance, yoga, sacrifice, and self-control as their foundation.

वेदाः साङ्गाश्च यज्ञाश्च व्रतानि नियमाश्च ये। न सिद्ध्यन्ति प्रदुष्टस्य भावदोष उपागते

The Vedas with their auxiliaries, sacrifices, vows, and disciplines—none of these succeed for one whose mind is corrupted by faults.

बहिः कर्माणि सर्वाणि प्रसिद्धयन्ति कदाचन। अन्तर्भावप्रदुष्टस्य कुर्वतोऽपि पराक्रमान्

All external actions may sometimes become renowned, but for one whose inner disposition is corrupted, even great efforts do not succeed.

सर्वस्वमपि योदद्यात् कलुषेणान्तरात्मना। न तेन धर्मभाक् स स्याद्भाव एवात्र कारणम्

Even if one were to give away all his possessions with an impure heart, he would not become a partaker of dharma; for the inner disposition alone is the cause here.

एवं देवाः सपितर ऋषयो मनवस्तथा। तेषां स्थानममुष्मिस्तु संस्थितानां प्रचक्षते

Thus, the gods, ancestors, sages, and Manus—their abodes are declared to be in that world for those who are established there.

अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि ऋषीणामूर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्। स्मृतं तु तेषां तत्स्थानं तदेव गुरुवासिनाम्

Eighty-eight thousand sages of pure celibacy are remembered; their abode is indeed that, as is the place of those who dwell with their teacher.

सप्तर्षीणान्तु यत्श्थानं स्मृतन्तद्वै दिवौकसाम्। प्राजापत्यं गृहस्थानां न्यासिनां ब्रह्मणः क्षयः। योगिनाममृतं स्थानं नानाधीनां न विद्यते

The abode of the Seven Sages is remembered as that of the dwellers in heaven; the householder's is that of the progenitors; for renouncers, it is the realm of Brahmā; for yogins, the immortal state—there is no fixed abode for those of various disciplines.

स्थानान्याश्रमिणां तानि ये स्वधर्मे व्यवस्थिताः। चत्वार एते पन्थानो देवयाना विनिर्मिताः

These are the abodes of those in the stages of life who are established in their own dharma; these four paths have been created as the way to the gods.

ब्रह्मणा लोकतन्त्रेण आद्ये मन्वन्तरे भुवि। पन्थानो देवयानाय तेषां द्वारं रविः स्मृतः

By Brahmā, with the system of the worlds, in the first age of Manu on earth, these paths were established for the way to the gods; their gate is said to be the sun.

तथैव पितृयाणानां चन्द्रमाद्वारमुच्यते। एवं वर्णाश्रमाणां वै प्रविभागे कृते तदा। यदास्य न व्यवर्त्तन्त प्रजा वर्णाश्रमात्मिकाः

Likewise, for the paths of the ancestors, the moon is said to be the gate. Thus, when the division of classes and stages of life was made, the people did not deviate from their respective duties.

ततोऽन्या मानसीः सोऽथ त्रेतामगध्येऽसृजत् प्रजाः। आत्मनः स्वशरीराच्च तुल्याश्वैवात्मना तु वै

Then, he created other mind-born beings in the Treta age in Magadha, from his own self and from his own body, equal to himself in essence.

तस्मिस्त्रेतायुगे त्वाद्ये मध्यं प्राप्ते क्रमेण तु। ततोऽन्या मानसीस्तत्र प्रजाः स्रष्टुं प्रचक्रमे

In that first Treta Yuga, when the middle period arrived in due course, he again began to create other mind-born beings there.

ततः सत्त्वरजोद्रिक्ताः प्रजाः सोऽथासृजत् प्रभुः। धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां वार्त्तायाश्चैव साधिकाः

Then the Lord created beings dominated by sattva and rajas, endowed with the pursuits of dharma, artha, kama, moksha, and also with means of livelihood.

देवाश्च पितरश्चैव ऋषयो मनवस्तथा। युगानुरूपा धर्मेण यैरिमा विचिताः प्रजाः

The gods, the ancestors, the sages, and the Manus as well—these diverse beings were created according to the yuga, by those who uphold dharma.