Vayu Purana

आतिथ्यं श्राद्धयज्ञेषु न गच्छेद्योगवित् व्कचित्। एवं ह्यहिंसको योगी भवेदिति विचारणा ।। १६.

One who knows yoga should not attend hospitality or śrāddha sacrifices. Thus, by such conduct, the yogi becomes nonviolent.

वह्नौ विधूमे व्यङ्गारे सर्वृस्मिन् भुक्तवज्जने। विचरेन्मतिमान् योगी न तु तेष्वेव नित्यशः ।। १६.

The wise yogi should move about among people as one who has eaten, just as fire without smoke or embers remains in all fuel, but he should not remain constantly among them.

यथैवमवमन्यन्ते यथा परिभवन्ति च। युक्तस्तथा चरेद्भैक्षं सतां धर्ममदूषयन् ।। १६.

However he is disregarded or insulted, he should seek alms in that same way, without violating the dharma of the virtuous.

भैक्षं चरेद्गृहस्थेषु यथाचारगृहेषु च। श्रेष्ठा तु परमा चेयं वृत्तिरस्योपदिश्यते ।। १६.

He should seek alms from householders and from those who conduct themselves properly in their homes; but this way of life is taught as the highest and most excellent for him.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं गृहस्थेषु शालीनेषु चरेद्‌द्विजः। श्रद्दधानेषु दान्तेषु श्रोत्रियेषु महात्मसु ।। १६.

After this, the twice-born should seek alms from householders who are pure, faithful, self-controlled, learned in the Vedas, and of great soul.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं पुनश्चापि अदुष्टपतितेषु च। भैक्षचर्या विवर्णेषु जघन्या वृत्तिरुच्यते ।। १६.

After this, again, seeking alms from those who are not fallen or wicked, but in houses of lesser virtue, is said to be the lowest way of life.

भैक्षं यवागूं तक्रं वा पयो यावकमेव च। फळमूलं विपव्कं वा पिण्याकं शक्तितोपि वा ।। १६.

He may take as alms barley gruel, buttermilk, milk, barley, fruit, roots, dried cakes, or even flour, according to his ability.

इत्येते वै मया प्रोक्ता योगिनां सिद्धिवर्द्धनाः। आहारास्तेषु सिद्धेषु श्रेष्ठं भैक्षमिति स्मृतम् ।। १६.

Thus, I have described those foods which increase the attainments of yogis; among these, alms are remembered as the best when they are pure.

अब्बिन्दुं यः कुशाग्रेण मासे मासे समश्नुते। न्यायतो यस्तु भिक्षेत स पूर्वोक्ताद्विशिष्यते ।। १६.

He who eats, once a month, a drop of water placed on the tip of a blade of grass, or who begs for alms in the proper way, surpasses what was previously described.

योगिनां चैव सर्वेषां श्रेष्ठं चान्द्रायणं स्मृतम् । एकं द्वे त्रीणि चत्वारि शक्तितो वा समाचरेत् ।। १६.

Among all yogis, the observance of the Cāndrāyaṇa vow is considered the best; one may perform one, two, three, or four cycles, according to his capacity.

अस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यञ्च अलोभस्त्याग एव च। व्रतानि चैव भिक्षूणामहिंसा परमार्थिता ।। १६.

Non-stealing, celibacy, absence of greed, renunciation, vows, non-violence, and supreme sincerity are the disciplines of mendicants.

अक्रोधो गुरुशुश्रूषा शौचमाहारलाघवम्। नित्यंस्वाध्याय इत्येते नियमाः परिकीर्तिताः ।। १६.

Absence of anger, service to the teacher, purity, moderation in food, and constant self-study—these are declared to be the observances.

बीचयोनिर्गुणवपुर्बद्धः कर्मभिरेव च। यथा द्विप इवारण्ये मनुष्याणां विधीयते ।। १६.

Bound by actions, with the seed as his origin and qualities as his form, a man is established in the world like an elephant in the forest.

प्राप्यते वाचिरादेवाङ्कुशेनेव निवारितः। एवं ज्ञानेन शुद्धेन दग्धबीचो ह्यकल्मषः। विमुक्तबन्धः शान्तोऽसौ मुक्त इत्यभिधीयते ।। १६.

He may be restrained quickly, like an elephant with a goad; but when his seed is burned by pure knowledge, he is freed from impurity and bondage, becomes peaceful, and is called liberated.

वेदैस्तुत्या सर्वयज्ञक्रियास्तु यज्ञे जप्यं ज्ञानिनामाहुरग्रयम्। ज्ञानाद्धयानं सङ्गरागव्यपेतं तस्मिन् प्राप्ते शाश्वतस्योपलब्धिः ।। १६.

The Vedas praise all sacrificial acts, but among sacrifices, recitation is said to be foremost for the wise; through knowledge, meditation free from attachment arises, and in that, the eternal is attained.

दमः शमः सत्यमकल्मषत्वं मौनं च भूतेष्वखिलेष्वथार्ज्जवम्। अतीन्द्रियज्ञानमिदं तथार्ज्जवं प्राहुस्तथा ज्ञानविशुद्धसत्त्वाः ।। १६.

Self-control, tranquility, truthfulness, purity, silence, straightforwardness toward all beings, and knowledge beyond the senses—these are declared by those of pure understanding to be the virtues.

समाहितो ब्रह्मपरोऽप्रमादी शुचिस्तथैवात्मरतिर्जीतेन्द्रियः। समाप्नुयुर्योगमिमं महाधियो महर्षयश्चैवमनिन्दितामलाः ।। १६.

Those of great intellect, the spotless and blameless sages, who are concentrated, devoted to Brahman, vigilant, pure, delighting in the self, and self-controlled, attain this yoga.

आश्रमत्रयमुत्सृज्य प्राप्तस्तु परमाश्रमम्। अतः संवत्सरस्यान्ते प्राप्य ज्ञानमनुत्तमम् ।। १७.

Having abandoned the three earlier stages of life and reached the highest stage, at the end of the year, he attains unsurpassed knowledge.

अनुज्ञाप्य गुरूंचैव विचरेत् पृथिवीमिमाम्। सारभूतमुपासीत ज्ञानं यज्ज्ञेय साधकम् ।। १७.

Having taken leave of his teachers, he should wander this earth, seeking the essence, and worship the knowledge that leads to what must be known.

इदं ज्ञानमिदं ज्ञेयमिति यस्तुषितश्चरेत् । अपि कल्पसहस्रायुर्न्नैव ज्ञेयमवाप्नुयात् ।। १७.

He who, content, dwells thinking, 'This is knowledge, this is the object to be known,' even if he lives for a thousand aeons, does not attain the true object of knowledge.

त्यक्तसङ्गो जितकोधो लघ्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः। पिधाय बुद्ध्या द्वाराणि ध्याने ह्येवं मनो दधेत् ।। १७.

Having abandoned attachment, conquered anger, eating lightly, with controlled senses, closing the doors with the intellect, one should fix the mind in meditation in this way.

शून्येष्वेवावकाशेषु गुहासु चवने तथा। नदीनां पुलिने चैव नित्यं युक्तः सदा भवेत् ।। १७.

One should always remain engaged, whether in empty places, open spaces, caves, forests, or on the banks of rivers.

वाग्दण्डः कर्मदण्डश्च मनोदण्डश्च ते त्रयः। यस्यैते नियता दण्डाः स त्रिदण्डी व्यवस्थितः ।। १७.

Speech, action, and mind—these three are the restraints; he in whom these restraints are established is known as a tridaṇḍin.

अवस्थितो ध्यानरतिर्जितेन्द्रियः शुभाशुभे हित्य च कर्मणी उभे । इदं शरीरं प्रविमुच्य शास्त्रतो न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचित् ।। १७.

Established in meditation, with senses subdued, having abandoned both auspicious and inauspicious actions, when one relinquishes this body according to the scriptures, one is never born nor dies again.

इति श्रीमहापुराणे वायुप्रोक्ते परमाश्रमप्राप्तिकथनं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the seventeenth chapter, named 'The Attainment of the Supreme Āśrama,' spoken by Vāyu in the glorious Mahāpurāṇa.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि यतीनामिह निश्चयम्। प्रायश्चित्तानि तत्त्वेन यान्यकामकृतानि तु। अथ कामकृतेप्याहुः सूक्ष्मधर्मविदो जनाः ।। १८.

Now I shall declare, in truth, the determinations regarding expiations for ascetics here, for those acts done unintentionally, and also, say the knowers of subtle dharma, for those done intentionally.

पापञ्च त्रिविधं प्रोक्तं वाङ्मनःकायसम्भवम्। सततं हिदिवा रात्रौ येनेदं बध्यते जगत् ।। १८.

Sin is said to be threefold, arising from speech, mind, and body; by which, day and night, this world is bound.

न कर्माणि न चाप्येष तिष्ठ तीतिपरा श्रुतिः। क्षणमेव प्रयोज्यन्तु आयुषस्तु विधारणात् ।। १८.

Neither actions nor even this (body) remains, so says the highest scripture; only for a moment should it be employed, for the maintenance of life.

भवेद्धीरोऽप्रमत्तस्तु योगो हि परमं बलम्। न हि योगात्परं किञ्चिन्नराणामिह दृश्यते। तस्माद्योगं प्रशंसन्ति धर्मयुक्ता मनीषिणः ।। १८.

One should be steadfast and vigilant, for yoga is the highest strength; indeed, nothing is seen here among men higher than yoga; therefore, the wise who are devoted to dharma praise yoga.