Dakshasmriti 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

3.32 — 1 part

3.1

Description of the householder stage of life. / I shall pronounce the nine nectars of the householder, nine indeed; / likewise nine proper actions, and nine wrongful actions;

3.2

nine other things to be concealed, likewise nine to be made public; / nine other things that bear fruit, and nine indeed that are fruitless;

3.3

nine kinds of things that are never to be given away. / Nine groups of nine have been taught, which bring about the elevation of the householder.

3.4

I shall declare the nectarous things when a distinguished guest has arrived at the house: / one should offer four gentle things—mind, eye, face, and speech;

3.5

rising to meet him, saying 'Come here', accompanied by affectionate inquiries, / waiting upon him, and accompanying him on departure—these are to be done with effort.

3.6

And other small gifts: a place to sit, water, grass [mats], / washing of the feet, also anointing with oil, shelter, and bedding;

3.7

and some food according to one's ability, so that he does not dwell fasting in the house; / earth and water are also to be given to a petitioner—these too are always in the house.

3.8

Twilight devotion, bathing, muttered recitation, fire offering, Vedic self-recitation, worship of the deity, / the Vaiśvadeva rite, hospitality to guests, and food set aside according to ability,

3.9

and distribution according to merit to ancestors, gods, humans, the poor, the helpless, ascetics, / and parents and teachers—

3.10

these are the nine actions. And next, the wrongful actions: / falsehood, adultery, and eating what is uneatable,

3.11

sexual approach to forbidden women, drinking what must not be drunk, theft, injury, / performing rites contrary to the Veda, and conduct devoid of duty to friends—

3.12

these are the nine wrongful actions; one must avoid all of them. / Lifespan, wealth, household defect, sacred mantra, sexual intercourse, medicine,

3.13

austerity, gift-giving, and humiliation—these nine must be concealed with care. / Suitability, clearance of debts, gifts, study, selling,

3.14

giving of a maiden in marriage, setting free a bull, a secret sin without reviling others— / these nine are likewise to be made public by one in the householder stage of life.

3.15

What is given to parents, a teacher, a friend, a modest person, a benefactor, / the poor, the helpless, and distinguished persons, bears fruit.

3.16

What is given to a rogue, a flatterer, a fool, a bad physician, a gambler, a deceitful person, / flatterers, minstrels, and thieves, becomes fruitless.

3.17

Common property, what is borrowed, a bailment, a pledge, a wife and her wealth, / ancestral property, a deposit, and one's entire estate when progeny exists—

3.18

these nine things are never to be given away, even in times of distress. / A foolish man who gives them away must perform expiation.

3.19

A man who knows these nine groups of nine and is devoted to their practice, / prosperity does not abandon in this world, in the other world, and while residing in heaven.

3.20

Just as oneself, so another is to be viewed by one desiring happiness; / pleasure and pain are equal in another as in oneself.

3.21

Whether pleasure or pain, whatever little is done to another, / all that subsequently rebounds upon oneself.

Wealth is not obtained without exertion; for one lacking wealth, how can there be religious action? / For one lacking religious action, there can be no dharma; for one lacking dharma, whence happiness?

3.23

All beings desire happiness, and that arises from dharma; / therefore, dharma must always be performed with effort by all social classes.

3.24

With wealth acquired by righteous means, rites pertaining to the other world must be performed, / and gifts must be given according to rule, at the proper time, to a worthy recipient endowed with virtues.

3.25

Equal, twofold, thousandfold, and infinite in progressive order / is the specific fruit in giving; and just as much in doing harm.

3.26

A gift to a non-brāhmaṇa yields equal fruit; twofold to one who is a brāhmaṇa in name only; / a thousandfold to a teacher; but infinite to one who has crossed over the Veda.

3.27

He who offers an accepted gift contrary to rule and to an unworthy recipient, / not only does that [gift] perish, but the rest of his [merit] perishes as well.

3.28

To remedy distress and for the sake of his household, he begs; / having thus investigated, it should be given, otherwise there would be no fruit.

3.30

One who establishes [a brāhmaṇa] deprived of mother and father / by means of rites of passage, marriage, and so forth, in this world there is no reckoning of his merit.

3.31

That welfare is not obtained by the agnihotra, nor is it obtained by the agniṣṭoma, / which welfare is attained by a man through a brāhmaṇa who has been established.

3.32

Whatever is most dear in the world, and whatever is cherished in the house, / all that should be given to a virtuous person by one desiring it to be imperishable.

3.32.p1

Thus ends the third chapter in the Dharmaśāstra of Dakṣa.

Linked texts (1)

Dakṣasmṛti — Dakṣa, Sanskrit