अनिकेता ह्यनाहारा यत्र सायंगृहाश्च ये । तेषां गृहस्थः सर्वेषां प्रतिष्ठा योनिरेव च
Those who have no fixed abode, who do not eat regularly, and who dwell wherever evening finds them—the householder is the support and origin for all of them.
तेषां स्वागतदानादिवक्तव्यं मधुरं नृप । गृहागतानां दद्याच्च शयनासनभोजनम्
To such guests, O King, one should speak sweetly, welcoming them and offering gifts; and to those who come to the house, one should provide a bed, a seat, and food.
अतिथिर्यस्य भग्नाशो गृहात्प्रतिनिवर्त्तते । स दत्त्वा दुष्कृतं तस्मै पुण्यमादाय गच्छति
If a guest, whose hopes are disappointed, leaves a house, the householder gives him his sin and takes away his merit.
अवज्ञानमहंकारो दंभश्चैव गृह सतः । परितापोपघातौ च पारुष्यं च न शस्यते
For a householder, disrespect, pride, hypocrisy, distress, harm, and harshness are not to be approved.
यस्तु सम्यक्करोत्येवं गृहस्थः परमं विधिम् । सर्वबंधविनिर्मुक्तो लोकानाप्नोत्यनुत्तमान्
But the householder who properly follows this supreme rule becomes free from all bonds and attains the highest worlds.
वयःपरिणतो राजन्कृतकृत्यो गृहाश्रमी । पुत्रेषु भार्यां निक्षिप्य वनं गच्छेत्सहैव वा
When old age comes, O King, and the householder has fulfilled his duties, he should entrust his wife to his sons and go to the forest, either alone or with her.
पर्णमूलफलाहारः केशश्मश्रुजटाधरः । भूमिशायी भवेत्तत्र मुनिस्सर्वातिथिर्नृप
There, living on leaves, roots, and fruits, wearing matted hair and beard, and lying on the ground, he should become a sage, receiving all guests, O King.
चर्मकाशकुशैः कुर्य्यात्परिधानोत्तरीयके । तद्वत्त्रिषवणं स्नानं शस्तमस्य नरेश्वर
He should make his upper and lower garments from skin, bark, or grass; likewise, bathing three times a day is proper for him, O lord of men.
देवताभ्यर्चनं होमस्सर्वाभ्यागतपूजनम् । भिक्षाबलिप्रदानं च शस्तमस्य नरेश्वर
Worship of the deities, offering oblations, honoring all who come, and giving alms and offerings are proper for him, O lord of men.
वन्यस्नेहेन गात्राणामभ्यंगश्चास्य शस्यते । तपश्च तस्य राजेंद्र शीतोष्णादिसहिष्णुता
Anointing his body with forest oils is recommended for him, and, O king of kings, so too is asceticism and endurance of heat, cold, and the like.
यस्त्वेतां नियतश्चर्यां वानप्रस्थश्चरेन्मुनिः । स दहत्यग्निवद्दोषाञ्जयेल्लोकांश्च शाश्वतान्
The forest-dweller who practices this regulated conduct burns away faults like fire and attains eternal worlds.
चतुर्थश्चाश्रमो भिक्षोः प्रोच्यते यो मनीषिभिः । तस्य स्वरूपं गदतो मम श्रोतुं नृपार्हसि
The fourth stage, that of the renunciant, is declared by the wise; you should hear from me, O king, the nature of that state.
पुत्रद्र व्यकलत्रेषु त्यक्तस्नेहो नराधिप । चतुर्थमाश्रमस्थानं गच्छेन्निर्धूतमत्सरः
Having abandoned affection for sons, relatives, and wife, and free from envy, one should enter the fourth stage, O ruler of men.
त्रैवर्गिकांस्त्यजेत्सर्वानारंभानवनीपते । मित्रादिषु समो मैत्रस्समस्तेष्वेव जंतुषु
He should renounce all undertakings related to the three aims of life, O lord of the earth, and be equal toward friends and others, maintaining friendliness toward all beings.
जरायुजांडजादीनां वाड्मनःकायकर्मभिः । युक्तः कुर्वीत न द्रो हं सर्वसंगांश्च वर्जयेत्
Engaged in right action by speech, mind, and body toward all creatures—whether born from womb, egg, or otherwise—he should not harm anyone and should avoid all attachments.
एकारात्रस्थितिर्ग्रामे पंचरात्रस्थितिः पुरे । तथा तिष्ठेद्यथाप्रीतिर्द्वेषो वा नास्य जायते
He should stay in a village for one night, in a city for five nights, and remain in such a way that neither attachment nor aversion arises in him.
प्राणयात्रानिमित्तं च व्यंगारे भुक्तवज्जने । काले प्रशस्तवर्णानां भिक्षार्थं पर्यटेद्गृहान्
For the sake of sustaining life, he may eat food obtained without request, and at the proper time, he should go from house to house for alms among those of good conduct.
कामः क्रोधस्तथा दर्पमोहलोभादयश्च ये । तांस्तु सर्वान्परित्यज्य परिव्राण्निर्ममो भवेत्
Desire, anger, pride, delusion, greed, and the rest—having abandoned all these, the wandering renunciant should become free from possessiveness.
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो दत्त्वा यश्चरते मुनिः । तस्यापि सर्वभूतेभ्यो न भयं विद्यते क्वचित्
A sage who, having granted fearlessness to all beings, lives accordingly—such a one has nothing to fear from any being, anywhere.
कृत्वाग्निहोत्रं स्वशरीरसंस्थं शारीरमग्निं स्वमुखे जुहोति । विप्रस्तु भैक्ष्योपहितैर्हविर्भिश्चिताग्निकानां व्रजति स्म लोकान्
Having established the sacred fire within his own body, he offers oblations into his own mouth as the bodily fire; but a Brahmin, with offerings obtained by alms, attains the worlds of those who have kindled the funeral fire.
मोक्षाश्रमं यश्चरते यथोक्तं शुचिस्सुखं कल्पितबुद्धियुक्तः । अनिंधनं ज्योतिरिव प्रशांतस्स ब्रह्मलोकं श्रयते द्विजातिः
He who practices the path to liberation as prescribed, pure, content, and endowed with a composed mind, becomes tranquil like a flame without fuel, and that twice-born one attains the world of Brahma.
सगर उवाच कथितं चातुराश्रम्यं चातुर्वर्ण्यक्रियास्तथा । पुंसः क्रियामहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि द्विजसत्तम ॥ ३,१०.
Sagara said: The duties of the four stages of life and the actions of the four classes have been described; now, O best of the twice-born, I wish to hear about the rites performed by a man.
नित्यनैमित्तिकाः काम्याः क्रियाः पुंसामशेषतः । समाख्याहि भृगुश्रेष्ठ सर्वज्ञो ह्यसि मे मतः ॥ ३,१०.
Please explain in full the obligatory, occasional, and desire-motivated rites of men, O best of Bhrigus, for I consider you to be all-knowing.
और्व उवाच यदेतदुक्तं भवता नित्यनैमित्तिकाश्रयम् । तदहं कथयिष्यामि शृणुष्वैकमना मम ॥ ३,१०.
Aurva said: That which you have asked concerning the obligatory and occasional rites, I shall explain to you; listen to me with focused mind.
जातस्य जातकर्मादिक्रियाकाण्डमशेषतः । पुत्रस्य कुर्वीत पिता श्राद्धं चाभ्युदयात्मकम् ॥ ३,१०.
For one who is born, the father should perform all the birth and related rites for his son, as well as the auspicious śrāddha ceremony.
युग्मांस्तु प्राड्मुखान्विप्रान्भोजयेन्मनुजेश्वर । यथा तृप्तिस्तथा कुर्याद्दैवं पित्र्यं द्विजन्मनाम् ॥ ३,१०.
O lord of men, he should feed Brahmins in pairs, facing east, and perform the offerings to the gods and ancestors for the twice-born according to their satisfaction.
दध्ना युक्तैः सबदरैर्मिश्रान् पिण्डान्मुदा युतः । नान्दीमुखेभ्यस्तीर्थेन दद्याद्दैवेन पार्थिव ॥ ३,१०.
With curd mixed with barley and other ingredients, he should joyfully offer balls of food, using sacred water, to those facing the Nandi direction, as a divine offering, O king.
प्राजापत्येन वा सर्वमुपचारं प्रदक्षिणम् । कुर्वीत तत्तथाशेषवृद्धिकालेषु भूपते ॥ ३,१०.
Or, with the prājāpatya rite, he should perform all the ceremonies in a clockwise manner, and likewise at all times of increase, O king.
ततश्च नाम कुर्वीत पितैव दशमेहनि । देवपूर्वं नराख्यं हि शर्मवर्मादिसंयुतम् ॥ ३,१०.
Then, on the tenth day, the father should give the name, beginning with a divine prefix and ending with a human one, joined with 'śarma', 'varma', and so on.
शर्मेति ब्राह्यणस्योक्तं वर्मेति क्षत्रसंश्रयम् । गुप्तदासात्मकं नाम प्रशस्तं वैश्यशूद्रयोः ॥ ३,१०.
'Śarma' is prescribed for a Brahmin, 'Varma' for a Kshatriya; a name indicating protection or service is proper for a Vaiśya or Śūdra.