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.
को नग्रः किं समाचारो नग्रसंज्ञां नरो लभेत् । नग्रस्वरूपमिच्छामि यथावद् गदितं त्वया । (श्रोतु धर्मभृता श्रेष्ठ! न ह्मस्त्यविदितं तव)
Who is a Nagra? What is their conduct? How does a man acquire the designation of Nagra? I wish to hear the true nature of a Nagra as explained by you, O best of the righteous; nothing is unknown to you.
पराशर उवाच । ऋगूयजुः सामरांज्ञयं त्रयो वर्णावृतिर्द्रिज । एतामुज्झति यो मोहात् स नग्रः पातकी स्मृतः
Parāśara said: Whoever, out of delusion, abandons the injunctions of the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, though belonging to the three varṇas, is called a Nagra and is considered sinful.
त्रयी समस्तवर्णानां द्रिज !संवरणं यतः । नग्रो भवत्युज्झितायामतस्तस्यां न संशयः
For the three Vedas are the protection of all the varṇas, O twice-born; when one abandons them, he becomes a Nagra—of this there is no doubt.
इदञ्च श्रूयतामन्यद भीष्माय सुमहात्मने । कथयामास धर्मज्ञो वसिष्ठोऽस्मत्पितामहः
Now hear another account, which the wise Vasiṣṭha, our ancestor, told to the great-souled Bhīṣma.
मयापि तस्य गदतः श्रुतमेतमन्हात्मनः । नग्रसम्बन्धि मैत्रेय ! यत् पृष्टोऽहमिह त्वया
I too have heard this, O Maitreya, from him as he spoke, concerning the connection of the city, just as you have now asked me here.
देवासुरमभूदू युद्ध दिव्यमव्दं पुरा द्रिज । तस्मिन् पराजिता देवा दैत्यैर्ह्रादपुरोगमैः
Once, O twice-born, there was a celestial battle between the gods and the asuras; in that conflict, the gods were defeated by the daityas led by Hṛāda.
क्षीरोदस्योत्तरं कूलं गत्वातप्यन्त वै तपः । विष्णोराराधनार्थाय जगुश्चैमं स्तवं तदा
The gods went to the northern shore of the Milk Ocean and performed austerities there, desiring to worship Viṣṇu, and at that time they recited this hymn.
आरधनाय लोकानां विष्णोरीशस्य यां गिरम् । वक्ष्यामो भगवानद्यस्तया विष्णुः प्रसीदतु
Today, the Blessed One will speak the words by which Viṣṇu, Lord of the worlds, may be propitiated; may Viṣṇu be pleased by them.
यतो भूतान्यशेषाणि प्रसूतानि महात्मनः । यस्मिश्व लयमेष्यन्ति कस्तं स्तोतुमिहेश्वरः
From whom all beings arise, in whom they all dissolve—who in this world is capable of praising that Supreme Lord?
तथाप्यारतिविद्वसध्वस्तवीर्या भवार्थिनः । त्वां स्तोष्यामस्तवोक्तीनां याथार्थ्यनैव गोचरे
Yet, though our strength is destroyed by ignorance and desire, we who seek liberation will praise you only as far as your qualities can be grasped.