चतुष्पथं चैत्यतरुं श्मशानोपवनानि च । दुष्टस्त्रीसन्निकर्षं च वर्जयेन्निशि सर्वदा
One should always avoid crossroads, sacred trees, cremation grounds, groves, and the company of wicked women at night.
पूज्यदेवद्विजज्योतिश्छायां नातिक्रमेद्बुधः । नैकश्शून्याटवीं गच्छेत् तथा शून्यगृहे वसेत्
A wise person should not step over the shadow of a revered deity, a Brahmin, or a lamp; nor should he go alone into a deserted forest or dwell in an empty house.
केशास्थिकण्टकामेध्यबलिभस्मतुषांस्तथा । स्नानार्द्रधरणीं चैव दूरतः परिवर्जयेत्
One should avoid from a distance hair, bones, thorns, impure things, sacrificial remains, ashes, husks, and wet ground after bathing.
नानार्यानाश्रयेत् कांश्चिन्न जिह्मं रोचयेद्बुधः । उपसर्पेन्न वै व्यालं चिरं तिष्ठेन्न वोत्थितः
A wise person should not associate with non-Aryans, nor desire crookedness; he should not approach a snake, nor stand or sit for a long time.
अतीव जागरस्वप्ने तद्वत्स्नानासने बुधः । न सेवेत तथा शय्यां व्यायामं च नरेश्वर
A wise person should not engage excessively in staying awake or sleeping, nor in bathing or sitting; likewise, he should not overindulge in lying down or exercise, O king.
दंष्ट्रिणः शृङ्गिणश्चैव प्राज्ञो दूरेण वर्जयेत् । अवश्यायं च राजेन्द्र पुरोवातातपौ तथा
A wise person should avoid, from a distance, those with fangs or horns, as well as mist, headwinds, and sunlight, O king.
न स्नायान्न स्वपेन्नग्नो न चैवोपस्पृशेद्बुधः । मुक्तकेशश्च नाचामेद्देवाद्यर्चां च वर्जयेत्
One should not bathe, sleep, or perform purification rituals while naked; nor should one eat with loose hair, or worship the gods in such a state.
होमदेवार्चनाद्यासु क्रियास्वाचमने तथा । नैकवस्त्रः प्रवर्तेत द्विजवाचनिके जपे
In acts such as sacrifice, worship of the gods, or sipping water for purification, one should not proceed with only one garment, nor when reciting sacred texts.
नासमञ्जसशीलैस्तु सहासीत कथञ्चन । सद्वृत्तसन्निकर्षो हि क्षणार्द्धमपि शस्यते
One should never associate with those of bad conduct; even a moment's association with the virtuous is praised.
विरोधं नोत्तमैर्गच्छेन्नाधमैश्च सदा बुधः । विवाहश्च विवादश्च तुल्यशीलैर्नृपेष्यते
A wise person should not engage in conflict with those superior or inferior; marriage and disputes should be with those of equal character, O king.
नारभेत कलिं प्राज्ञः शुष्कवैरञ्च वर्जयेत् । अप्यल्पहानिः सोढव्या वैरेणार्थागमं त्यजेत्
A wise person should not initiate quarrels, nor maintain dry enmity; even if there is slight loss, one should endure it and abandon gain obtained through enmity.
स्नातो नाङ्गानि सम्मार्जेत् स्नानशाट्या न पाणिना । न च निर्धूनयेत् केशान् नाचामेच्चैव चोत्थितः
After bathing, one should not wipe the limbs with the bathing cloth or with the hand; nor should one shake out the hair or eat immediately after rising.
पादेन नाक्रमेत् पादं न पूज्याभिमुखं नयेत् । नोच्चासनं गुरोरग्रे भजेताविनयान्वितः
One should not step on another's foot, nor direct one's foot toward what is to be revered; nor should one, lacking humility, sit on a higher seat in the presence of a teacher.
अपसव्यं न गच्छेच्च देवागारचतुष्पथान् । माङ्गल्यपूज्यांश्च तथा विपरीतान्न दक्षिणम्
One should not walk to the left of temples, crossroads, or auspicious and venerable things; nor should one go around them in the reverse (inauspicious) direction, but always to the right.
सोमार्काग्न्यम्बुवायूनां पूज्यानाञ्च न सम्मुखम् । कुर्यान्निष्ठीवविण्मूत्रसमुत्सर्गञ्च पण्डितः
A wise person should never spit, urinate, or defecate facing the moon, sun, fire, water, wind, or anything worthy of reverence.
तिष्ठन्न मूत्रयेत् तद्वत् पथिष्वपि न मूत्रयेत् । श्लैष्मविण्मूत्ररक्तानि सर्वदैव न लङ्घयेत्
One should not urinate while standing, nor should one do so on roads; one must never step over phlegm, feces, urine, or blood.
श्लेष्मशिङ्घाणिकोत्सर्गो नान्नकाले प्रशस्यते । बलिमङ्गलजप्यादौ न होमे न महाजने
Expelling phlegm or nasal mucus is not proper during meals, nor at the time of offerings, auspicious rites, recitation, sacrifice, or among many people.
योषितो नावमन्येत न चासां विश्वसेद् बुधः । न चैवेर्ष्या र्भवेत्तासु न धिक्कुर्यात् कदाचन
A wise man should not look down upon women, nor place trust in them; he should not be jealous of them, nor ever speak ill of them.
माङ्गल्यपुष्परत्नाज्यपूज्याननभिवाद्य च । न निष्क्रमेद्गृहात् प्राज्ञः सदाचारपरो नरः
A wise man devoted to good conduct should not leave his house without first honoring those worthy of reverence with auspicious items, flowers, gems, or clarified butter, and offering salutations.
चतुष्पथान् नमस्कुर्यात् काले होमपरो भवेत् । दीनानभ्युद्धरेत् साधूनुपासीत बहुश्रुतान्
At crossroads, one should offer salutations, and at the proper time, perform sacrifices; one should uplift the distressed, serve the virtuous, and associate with the learned.
देवर्षिपूजकः सम्यक् पितृपिण्डोदकप्रदः । सत्कर्ता चातिथीनां यः स लोकानुत्तमान् व्रजेत्
He who properly worships gods and sages, offers water and food to ancestors, and honors guests, attains the highest worlds.
हितं मितं प्रियं काले वश्यात्मा योऽभिभाषते । स याति लोकानाह्लादहेतुभूतान् नृपाक्षयान्
He who speaks what is beneficial, measured, and pleasant at the right time, who has self-control, attains the worlds that are the source of delight and never diminish.
धीमान् ह्रीमान् क्षमायुक्तो ह्यास्तिको विनयान्वितः । विद्याभिजनवृद्धानां याति लोकाननुत्तमान्
He who is wise, modest, patient, faithful, and humble, reaches the highest worlds of those who possess knowledge, noble lineage, and age.
अकालगर्जितादौ च पर्वस्वाशौचकादिषु । अनध्यायं बुधः कुर्यादुपरागादिके तथा
A wise man should suspend study during untimely thunder, on festival days, during impurity, and at eclipses or similar occasions.
शमं नयति यः क्रुद्धान् सर्वबन्धुरमत्सरी । भीताश्वासनकृत् साधुः स्वर्गस्तस्याल्पकं फलम्
He who calms the angry, is free from enmity toward all relatives, consoles the fearful, and is virtuous— for him, even heaven is a small reward.
वर्षातपादिषु च्छत्री दण्डी रात्र्यटवीषु च । शरीरत्राणकामो वै सोपानत्कः सदा व्रजेत्
In rain or sun, one should carry an umbrella; at night or in the forest, a staff; desiring to protect the body, one should always wear footwear.
नोर्ध्वं न तिर्यग्दूरं वा न पश्यन् पर्यटेद्बुधः । युगमात्रं महीपृष्ठं नरो गच्छेद्विलोकयन्
A wise man should not walk looking upward, sideways, or far off; he should walk on the earth observing only the space of a yoke's length ahead.
दोषहेतूनशेषांश्च वश्यात्मा यो निरस्यति । तस्य धर्मार्थकामानां हानिर्नाल्पापि जायते
He who, with self-control, completely avoids all causes of fault, never suffers even the slightest loss of virtue, wealth, or desire.
सदाचाररतः प्राज्ञो विद्याविनयशिक्षितः । पापेऽप्यपापः परुषे ह्यभिधत्ते प्रियाणि यः । मैत्रीद्रवान्तःकरणस्तस्य मुक्तिः करे स्थिता
A wise man devoted to good conduct, learned and disciplined, remains unstained even among the wicked; he speaks kindly even to the harsh, and with a heart full of friendship, liberation rests in his hand.
ये कामक्रोधलोभानां वीतरागा न गोचरे । सदाचारस्थितास्तेषामनुभावैर्धृता मही
Those who are free from passion, anger, and greed, and who are established in good conduct— by their influence, the earth is sustained.