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.
नार्थहीनं न चाशस्तं नापशब्दयुतं तथा । नामङ्गल्यं जुगुप्साकं नाम कुर्यात्समाक्षरम् ॥ ३,१०.
The name should not be meaningless, inauspicious, harsh-sounding, or unwholesome; it should be complete and free from reproach.
नातिदीर्घंनातिह्रस्वं नातिगुर्वक्षरान्वितम् । सुखोच्चार्यं तु तन्नाम कुर्याद्यत्प्रणवाक्षरम् ॥ ३,१०.
The name should be neither too long nor too short, nor composed of excessively heavy syllables; it should be easy to pronounce and include a syllable from the sacred syllable 'praṇava'.
ततोऽनन्तरसंस्कारसंस्कृतो गुरुवेश्मनि । यथोक्तविधिमाश्रित्य कुर्याद्विद्यापरिग्रहम् ॥ ३,१०.
After that, having undergone the subsequent sacraments, he should, following the prescribed rule, undertake the acquisition of knowledge in the teacher’s house.
गृहीतविद्यो गुरवे दत्त्वा च गुरुदक्षिणाम् । गार्हस्थ्यमिच्छन्भूपाल कुर्याद्दारपरिग्रहम् ॥ ३,१०.
Having acquired knowledge and given the teacher his due fee, if he desires householdership, O king, he should take a wife.
ब्रह्मचर्येण वा कालं कुर्यात्संकल्पपूर्वकम् । गुगोः शुश्रुषणं कुर्यात्तत्पुत्रादेरथापि वा ॥ ३,१०.
Or, with a prior resolve, he may remain a celibate for a time, serving his teacher, or do so for the teacher’s son and others.
वैखानसो वापि भवेत्परिव्राडथ वेच्छया । पूर्वसंकल्पितं यादृक्तादृक्कुर्यान्नराधिप ॥ ३,१०.
Or, by his own wish, he may become a forest-dweller or a renunciant; whatever was previously resolved, O king, that he should do.
वर्षैरेकगुणां भार्यामुद्वहेत्त्रिगुमःस्वयम् । नाति केशामकेशां वा नातिकृष्णां न पिङ्गलाम् ॥ ३,१०.
A man should marry a wife who is younger by one third of his own age; she should not have hair that is too scanty or too abundant, nor should she be too dark or tawny in complexion.
निसर्गतोधिकाङ्गां वा न्यूनाङ्गामपि नोद्वहेत् । नाविशुद्धां सरोमां वाकुलजां वापि रोगिणीम् ॥ ३,१०.
He should not marry a woman whose limbs are naturally excessive or deficient, nor one who is impure, excessively hairy, born from a mixed caste, or afflicted with disease.
न दुष्टां दुष्टवाक्यां वा व्यङ्गिनीं पुतृमातृतः । न श्मश्रुव्यञ्जनवतीं न चैव पुरुषाकृतिम् ॥ ३,१०.
He should not marry a wicked woman, one who speaks harshly, one who is deformed from birth, one who is the mother of a son, one with a beard or masculine features, nor one with a manly appearance.
न घर्वरस्वरां क्षामां तथा काकस्वरां न च । नानिबन्धेक्षणां तद्वद्वृत्ताक्षीं नोद्वहेद्बुधः ॥ ३,१०.
He should not marry a woman with a harsh or hoarse voice, nor one with a thin or crow-like voice; likewise, he should not marry one with eyes set too close or too round.