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.
यस्याश्च रोमशे जङ्घे गुल्फौ यस्यास्तथोन्नतौ । गण्डयोः कूपरौ यस्या हसंत्यास्तां न चोद्वहेत् ॥ ३,१०.
He should not marry a woman whose shins are hairy, whose ankles are too prominent, whose cheeks are hollow, or who laughs excessively.
नातिरूक्षच्छविं पाडुकरजामरुणेक्षणाम् । आपीन हस्तपादां च नकन्यामुद्वहेद्बुधः ॥ ३,१०.
A wise man should not marry a girl with excessively rough skin, reddish eyes like those of a pigeon, or with thick hands and feet.
न वामनां नातिदीर्घां नोद्वहेत्संहतभ्रुवम् । न चाति च्छिद्रदशनां न करालमुखीं नरः ॥ ३,१०.
He should not marry a woman who is too short or too tall, whose eyebrows are joined, whose teeth are too widely spaced, or whose mouth is misshapen.
पञ्चमीं मातृपक्षाच्च पितृपक्षाच्च सप्तमीम् । गृहस्थश्चोद्वहेत्कन्यां न्यायेन विधिना नृप ॥ ३,१०.
A householder should marry a maiden from the fifth generation on the mother's side and the seventh on the father's side, according to proper rule and law, O king.
ब्राह्मो दैवस्तथैवार्षः प्राजापत्यस्तथासुरः । गान्धर्वराक्षयौ चान्यौ पैशाचश्चाष्टमो मतः ॥ ३,१०.
The Brāhma, Daiva, Ārṣa, Prājāpatya, Āsura, Gāndharva, Rākṣasa, and Paiśāca are the eight recognized forms of marriage.
एतेषां यस्य यो धर्मो वर्मस्योक्तो महर्षिभिः । कुर्वीत दारग्रहणं तेनान्यं परिवर्जयेत् ॥ ३,१०.
Of these, whichever form of marriage is prescribed for his own class by the great sages, that alone should a man perform for taking a wife, avoiding the others.
सधर्मचारिणीं प्राप्य गार्हस्थ्यं सहितस्तया । समुद्वहेद्ददात्येतत्सम्यगूढं महाफलम् ॥ ३,१०.
Having obtained a wife who follows the same dharma, one should enter household life together with her; this union, properly concealed, yields great fruit.
पराशार उवाच । इत्याह भगवानौर्वः सगराय महात्मने । सदाचारीन् पुरा सम्याङ् मैत्रेय! परिपृच्छते
Parāśara said: Thus did the venerable Aurva speak to the great-souled Sagara, when he inquired properly about those of good conduct, O Maitreya.
मयाप्येतदशेषेणा कथितं भवते द्रिज । समुल्लङू ध्य सदाचारं कश्विन्नाप्रोति शोभनम्
I too have told you all this in full, O twice-born, about the supreme good conduct; who does not attain excellence by following it?
मैत्रेय उवाच । षणढापबिद्धप्रमुखा विदिता भगवन । मया । उदक्याद्याश्व ये सर्वे नग्रामिच्छामि वेदितु म्
Maitreya said: O venerable one, I have understood about the six heretical sects and others, as well as those like the Udākyas; but I wish to know about the Nagras.