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Language: English
Extent: 254 passages, 6,873 words
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Source: pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-06 – 2026-10-21) of in.niti.dharma.upasmrti.vyasa · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

0 Front matter — 1 part
1 — 41 parts
2 — 56 parts
3 — 71 parts
4 — 71 parts

Text

0.p1

Now begins the Vyāsasmṛti.
Homage to holy Gaṇeśa.

Now, the description of the sixteen life-cycle rites of the social classes as prescribed for the practice of socio-religious duty:
As Vedavyāsa, a treasury of ascetic power, sat comfortably in Vārāṇasī,
sages approached and asked him about the socio-religious duties established for the social classes.

1.2

He, being questioned, remembered the remembered tradition pregnant with the meaning of the Veda,
and with a serene mind spoke thus: "O sages, listen!"

1.3

Wherever the blackbuck naturally and constantly
roams, in that place the socio-religious duty spoken in the Veda is fit to exist.

1.4

Where a conflict is seen among revealed scripture, remembered tradition, and the Purāṇas,
there the revealed scripture is the authoritative source; in case of conflict between the [latter] two, remembered tradition is superior.

1.5

The brahmin, the Kṣatriya, and the Vaiśya: these three social classes are the twice-born;
they are entitled to the socio-religious duty taught in revealed scripture, remembered tradition, and the Purāṇas, but others are not.

1.6

The Śūdra, though the fourth social class, is entitled to socio-religious duty by virtue of being a social class,
except for Vedic mantras, svadhā, svāhā, the vaṣaṭ utterance, and the like.

1.7

Upon [wives] married by a brahmin, [the father] should perform birth rites like a brahmin; upon those married by a Kṣatriya, like a brahmin [or Kṣatriya];
thereafter, upon Śūdra women, like a Śūdra.

1.8

Upon Vaiśya women by a brahmin or Kṣatriya [it is performed accordingly], and thereafter upon Śūdra women, like a Śūdra.
One born from a lower [man] upon an upper [woman], however, is remembered as lower than a Śūdra.

1.9

One begotten by a Śūdra on a brahmin woman is a cāṇḍāla, excluded from socio-religious duty.
One is born of an unmarried girl; a second, of a woman of the same clan;

1.10

and one begotten by a Śūdra on a brahmin woman: [thus] the cāṇḍāla is remembered to be threefold.
The carpenter, the barber, the cowherd, the bird-catcher, the potter,

1.10.p1

Merchants, Kirātas, Kāyasthas, florists, and peasant cultivators—
these and many others are Śūdras, differentiated by their occupations.

1.11

The leather-worker, the warrior, the Bhilla, the washerman, the Puṣkara, the actor,
the Varaṭa, the Meda, the caṇḍāla, the slave, the Svapaca, and the Kolaka:

1.12

these are declared to be outcastes, as well as any others who are beef-eaters.
From conversing with them, bathing [is required]; from looking [at them], looking at the sun.

1.13

The rite of conception, the rite for quickening a male child, the parting of the hair, and the birth rite,
the name-giving rite, the first outing, the first feeding of solid food, the rite of shaving,

1.14

The ear-piercing rite, the investment with vows, the rite of commencing the Veda,
the first shaving of the beard, the ritual bath, marriage, the taking of the domestic fire,

1.15

and the establishment of the three sacred fires: these are remembered as the sixteen life-cycle rites.
For a woman, these rites up to the ear-piercing rite are nine, performed without mantras.

1.16

Her marriage is performed with mantras; for a Śūdra, ten rites are performed without mantras.
The rite of conception comes first; in the third month, the rite for quickening a male child;

1.17

the parting of the hair in the eighth month; when [the child] is born, the birth rite takes place;
on the eleventh day, the naming; looking at the sun in the fourth month;

1.18

in the sixth month he should eat food; the tonsure rite according to family custom;
and when the child has received the tonsure, the ear-piercing rite is prescribed.

1.19

For a brahmin, the rite of initiatory investiture with the vows takes place in the eighth year from conception, for a Kṣatriya in the eleventh,
and for one of Vaiśya birth in the twelfth.

1.20

For one who has reached [the time for] the vow, this period may extend to twice that length;
one who has lapsed from the Vedic vow is a fallen twice-born; he is eligible for the rite for reclaiming the vrātya.

1.21

The twice-born have two births: the first of these is from the mother;
the second is from receiving the mother of the metres according to rule from the preceptor.

1.22

Having thus attained the status of twice-born and being freed from the impurities of childhood,
he becomes competent for the study of the revealed scripture, the remembered tradition, and the Purāṇas.

1.23

Once initiated, he should dwell in the preceptor's house, constantly composed;
he should wear the staff, loincloth, sacred thread, blackbuck pelt, and girdle.

1.24

On an auspicious day, permitted by his preceptor, having performed the offering of mantras into the fire,
recalling the syllable Oṃ and the gāyatrī, he should begin the Veda from the start.

1.25

To ascertain purification and proper conduct, the twice-born should also study
the treatise on socio-religious duty thoroughly from his preceptor, and perform the work assigned by him.

1.26

Then, having saluted the elders, he should take refuge with his preceptor;
he should then make effort for Vedic recitation and always act for what is beneficial.

1.27

Even when rebuked he should not speak back, nor should he run away even when beaten;
he should avoid malice, slander, violence, looking at the sun,

1.28

the triple performing arts of song, dance, and instrumental music, falsehood, madness, defamation, personal ornamentation,
collyrium, massage, mirrors, garlands, ointments, women,

1.29

idle roaming, and discontent: a celibate student must avoid these.
When midday has slightly passed, permitted by his preceptor himself,

1.30

free from greed, he should wander for alms among those who observe vows and maintain pure livelihoods;
having promptly received the alms-food, he should touch water as if it were a treasure.

1.31

Having performed his midday duties, he should eat, permitted [by his preceptor] according to rule;
he should not eat food from a single house or food remnants, and having eaten, he should rinse his mouth.

1.32

Even in distress he should not accept any other begged [thing], such as money;
invited to an unblemished ancestral offering, he should eat when directed by his preceptor.

1.33

Even food from a single house may be eaten by one in the first stage of life if it does not conflict with his vows;
having eaten, he should attend upon the preceptor, having performed the kindling of the fire and other duties.

1.34

He should place fuel sticks on the fire and then serve the preceptor;
permitted by the preceptor, he should study, bowing low before the preceptor first.

1.35

Practicing thus day by day, the celibate student should observe his vow:
speaking what is beneficial, pleasant of speech, thoroughly accomplishing the preceptor's purpose.

1.36

He should honor him constantly until the completion of his acquisition of the revealed scripture;
studied according to this rule, the Vedic mantra leads the twice-born

1.37

to the power of cursing and blessing, and to the same world as the sages;
the deities are pleased as with milk, nectar, honeys, and clarified butter.

1.38

Therefore, he should recite the Veda every single day, except on non-recitation days;
on a non-recitation day, he should carry out the preceptor's instruction concerning its auxiliary limbs.

1.39

If incomplete through an irregularity, he should perform it free from egoism;
for in the next world and in this one, that Veda [protects] the twice-born even if not fully recited.
He, however, who observes this vow from his initiatory investiture until death,

1.40

is a perpetual student; he attains union with Brahman.
As for the twice-born temporary student, at twenty-six years of age,

1.41

having observed the vow as prescribed, through the rite of shaving the beard,
having completed the Vedas, or two Vedas, or one Veda with diligence, the twice-born,

1.41.p1

permitted by his preceptor, should take the bath, having offered the prescribed sacrificial fee.

1.41.p2

Thus ends the first chapter, titled 'The Authority on Student Celibacy', in the holy treatise on socio-religious duty by Vedavyāsa.

2.1

Now begins the description of the rules of marriage.
Having thus attained the status of a graduated householder, desiring the second stage of life,
he should await, for the sake of marriage, a maiden born of an irreproachable family,

2.2

free from disease, born of an uncorrupted lineage, untainted by the taking of a bride-price,
of the same social class, not having the same lineage of sages, not born of the maternal or paternal gotra,

2.3

not previously married to another, younger than himself, endowed with auspicious marks,
wearing a lower garment, youthful, renowned for ten generations,

2.4

from a father of illustrious name, possessing sons, of good conduct, and virtuous;
having obtained the daughter of one who wishes to give her, he should marry her according to socio-religious duty,

2.5

by the ordinance of the Brāhma marriage; in its absence, by another rite.
She should be given to an equal in age, learning, lineage, and other qualities.

2.6

Among the father, the paternal grandfather, brothers, paternal uncles, kin, and mother,
in the absence of the preceding, the next should give her; in the absence of all, she may go on her own.

2.7

If that maiden should see her menses through the failure of the givers,
the one who fails to give her becomes a fallen man, incurring as many sins as the killing of an embryo.

2.8

Of the two, if one says 'I will give to you' and the other 'I will take',
and having made an agreement with each other, one does not honor it, he incurs a fine.

2.9

One who abandons an unblemished maiden should be fined, as also one who defames an unblemished one;
he who does not declare a flaw to be flawed, or who alters that for his own purposes [should be fined].
Once a woman of the same social class has been married, he may at will marry another.

2.10

A son begotten upon her is not inferior to one born of a woman of the same class.

2.11

A brahmin may marry a Kṣatriya woman; a Kṣatriya woman may be married by a Vaiśya, [and a Vaiśya woman by a Vaiśya];
no twice-born man may ever marry a Śūdra woman, nor may a man of lower class marry a woman born of a higher class.

2.12

Among wives of various social classes, the one of the same class is his companion in rites,
conforming to socio-religious duty in duties, the most devoted to duty, and senior among those of her own class.

2.13

Twice-born ones! Formerly, this single body was divided by the Self-born:
by half they became husbands, and by half they became wives—thus says revealed scripture.

2.14

As long as a man does not obtain a wife, so long he remains half;
a half does not reproduce; he should become whole to reproduce—so says revealed scripture.

2.15

Heavy is this foundation of the three aims of life, unable to be borne by any other;
therefore, becoming master of himself day by day, he should maintain her.

2.16

Having taken a wife, with the fire and the wife, having established a household, he should reside in the home;
having acquired property suited to his duty, he should not neglect the Vedic sacred fire.

2.17

He should perform the rite prescribed by remembered tradition in the marital fire, and that prescribed by revealed scripture in the Vedic fires
day after day according to rule, preceded by devotion.

2.18

In socio-religious duty, wealth, and pleasure, the husband and wife
should day and night have a single mind, through observing the same vows and conduct.

2.19

There is no separate means of accomplishing the three aims of life for women,
either through inward disposition or through transfer [of merit]: such is the supreme rule of the scripture.

2.20

Rising before her husband and performing the purification of her body, / she should lift up the bedding and other things, and thoroughly clean the house.

2.21

Clearing the courtyard and the fire chamber with sweeping and smearing [with cow dung], / she should wash with warm water the oily implements used for the fire rites.

2.22

And likewise with the sprinkling water, she should arrange them in their proper places. / She must never separate any of the pairs of vessels.

2.23

Having cleaned the vessels, she should keep them filled. / Washing the cooking pots thoroughly outside,

2.24

and cleaning the hearth with earth, she should then place the fire there. / Remembering the vessels designated for use, the ingredients, and the household goods,

2.25

and having completed the morning duties, she should pay homage to her elders. / She should wear only the garments, ornaments, and gems

2.26

given by them, or by her husband, his parents, brothers, maternal uncles, and kinsmen. / Pure in mind, speech, and action, conforming to the direction of her husband,

2.27

following him like a shadow, pure, like a friend in helpful deeds, / and like a maidservant in assigned tasks, a wife should always be devoted to her husband.

2.28

Then, having prepared the food and presented it to her husband, / she should feed those who are to be fed with the foods prepared for the vaiśvadeva sacrifice.

2.29

Permitted by her husband, she should herself consume the remaining food; / and she should spend the remainder of the day calculating income and expenses.

2.30

Again in the evening, and again in the morning, having performed the cleaning of the house,

2.31

having cooked the meal, the virtuous woman should feed her husband abundantly; / eating [herself] without overindulgence, and managing the domestic affairs,

2.32

she should spread a good bed and then attend upon her husband. / When her husband is asleep, she should sleep near him with her mind fixed on him, / not naked, not heedless, free from desire, and with senses restrained.

2.33

She should not speak loudly or harshly, nor say much that is unpleasant to her husband; / she must not dispute with anyone, nor utter meaningless lamentations.

2.34

She should not be prone to overspending, nor act against socio-religious duty and material welfare; / heedlessness, delirium, anger, jealousy, deceit, excessive pride,

2.35

backbiting, violence, malice, excessive egoism, crookedness, / disbelief in the Vedas, rashness, theft, and ostentation—the virtuous woman must avoid these.

2.36

Serving her husband thus as her supreme deity, / she attains fame and peace in this world, and his world in the hereafter.

2.37

The regular duty of a woman has been stated; now the occasional duty is declared: / Because of the impurity arising from the appearance of the menses, she should cast aside everything.

2.38

Unseen by all, bashful, she should quickly dwell inside the house, / wrapped in a single garment, humbled, without bathing or ornaments,

2.39

silent, downcast, steady in eyes, hands, and feet; / she should eat only boiled grain at night in an earthen bowl.

2.40

She should sleep attentively on the ground; she should pass three days in this manner. / At the end of the three nights, she should bathe along with her clothes when the sun has risen.

2.41

Having looked upon the face of her husband, she becomes purified according to socio-religious duty; / having performed her purification, she should again perform her duties as before.

2.42

The sixteen nights from the appearance of the menses are the fertile period. / Then the male seed, unimpaired, grows in the clean field.

2.43

He should avoid the first four nights, as well as the nodal days; / he should approach [her] on the even nights, [avoiding] the asterisms of Puṣan, the ancestors, and the rākṣasas.

2.44

When the path of the sun is veiled, the man should approach his wife; / adorned with desire, he obtains a son endowed with auspicious marks.

2.45

Approaching her thus during the fertile period, established in student celibacy, / even approaching at will, he does not incur fault, being devoted to none other.

2.46

A husband who turns away from his wife during the fertile period incurs the sin of killing an embryo. / But a wife who receives a fetus from another is a sinful woman who must be abandoned.

2.47

She is corrupted by a grave sin, the destroyer of her husband's fetus; / [yet a husband] who abandons a wife of virtuous conduct falls from socio-religious duty.

2.48

Even if tainted by a grave sin, the husband is not to be disregarded by her; / but when she remains impure, [he may reside] apart with reflective concern.

2.49

For those women corrupted by infidelity, without sight of their husbands, / reprimanded and unaddressed, the husband should make them dwell elsewhere.

2.50

When she has bathed after her menstrual period, he should treat her as before. / But a deceitful woman, one who ruins socio-religious duty and pleasure, a barren woman, one with chronic illness,

2.51

one who is extremely wicked, addicted to vices, or harmful—he may supersede [her with another wife]. / Even toward a superseded wife, the master should show equal treatment.

2.52

Pale, with a dejected face, devoid of bodily ornamentation, / the wife devoted to her husband should emaciate herself without food when her husband has traveled abroad.

2.53

Taking her dead husband, a brahmin woman may enter the fire; / if living, having cut off her hair, she should purify her body through austerity.

2.54

Under no circumstances is lack of protection appropriate for women; / that [protection] must be provided in succession by father, husband, sons, and the rest.

2.55

The sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons born of a well-guarded woman / worship the ancestors through sacrifices, resulting in the attainment of liberation.

2.56

One should cremate those who have died with the agnihotra fire according to the prescribed rules; / he should cremate [her] without delay, and the wife should follow him there.

2.56.p1

Thus ends the second chapter, entitled 'The Qualification of Women', in the treatise on socio-religious duty composed by Śrī Vedavyāsa.

3.1

Now begins the description of morning duties, including the rules of bathing and so forth: / Action is held to be threefold: regular, occasional, and optional. / I shall declare that threefold action; let it be comprehended by the householder.

3.2

In the last watch of the night, having abandoned sleep, he should remember Hari. / Having looked upon an auspicious object, he should perform the obligatory morning duties.

3.3

Having purified himself, attending to the fire, and cleansing his teeth with water, / having bathed and performed the twilight worship, the twice-born should offer libations to the gods and ancestors.

3.3.p1

Some say he sacrifices before the sun rises, others say when the sun has risen; / knowing the application of the mantras, he should whisper the mantras sacred to Āditya.

3.4

He should study the Vedas, the auxiliary limbs of the Veda, the treatises, and the Itihāsas; / and the excellent twice-born should teach worthy pupils and virtuous brahmins.

3.5

What is unacquired he should acquire; having acquired it, he should finish [the task] in an instant. / For a capable person should dwell with a capable person, never remaining unrecognized anywhere.

3.6

In a river, a lake, ponds, pits, springs, and so forth, / he should bathe, having taken up five balls of clay with water.

3.7

In the absence of a sacred ford, or in case of inability, he may bathe with drawn water / standing in the courtyard of his house, up to the wringing of his clothes.

3.8

He should perform the bath with mantras addressed to the waters, and also the wiping with purifying [mantras]; / having restrained his breaths three times with mantras, he should look upon the sun with solar mantras.

3.9

Standing, he should recite the gāyatrī, and then begin his Vedic recitation / of the Ṛgveda verses, the Yajurveda formulas, the Sāmaveda chants, and the Atharvāṅgiras formulas,

3.10

and of the Itihāsas, Purāṇas, and the Vedic Upaniṣads, the twice-born / should properly read daily according to his ability, even a small portion, until completion.

3.11

He obtains the entire fruit of sacrifices, gifts, and austerities. / A brahmin who takes delight elsewhere than in the Vedas falls to the status of a Śūdra; / therefore, with restrained speech, the twice-born should study the Veda every single day.

3.12

He should read treatises on socio-religious duty, histories, and the like, according to his capacity, for everyone. / Having completed the Vedic recitation, he should then first gratify the deities:

3.13

Bending his right knee, with blades of darbha grass pointing eastwards, along with barley and sesamum, / thrown forward from the fingertips, facing east, the twice-born / with his sacred thread in the normal position, by offering single handfuls of water,

3.14

With both knees level, wearing the sacred cord around his neck, facing north, / with darbha blades placed crosswise and pointing west, with barley mixed with sesamum,

3.15

With waters thrown to the north, flowing out from the base of the little finger, / with two handfuls each, he should then gratify the humans.

3.16

Facing south, bending his left knee, with double-folded kuśa grass, / with sesamum and water flowing from the forefinger over the root of the darbha grass,

3.17

Having his sacred thread over his right shoulder, he should successively, with three handfuls, / gratify the divine ancestors, and then his own ancestors after them.

3.17.p1

Some desire the gratification to be performed in this manner without the exclamation 'svadhā'.

3.17.p2

A twice-born whose father is alive should pass over them and gratify others:

3.17.p3

He should gratify the divine ancestors, and his own ancestors preceding his father.

3.18

Likewise, he should gratify maternal grandmothers and maternal grandfathers, three [generations] each with three [handfuls]. / And maternal grandfathers and whatever other members of the lineage died without cremation,

3.19

He should gratify them each separately by offering a single handful of water. / Those who died without life-cycle rites and were deprived of funeral rites—

3.20

Their refreshment takes place through the water squeezed from one's garment. / But he who squeezes his garment before the ancestors are gratified,

3.21

His ancestors, along with gods and humans, are left hopeless. / It should be [given] with water, darbha, the utterance 'svadhā', lineage, name, and sesamum;

3.22

It is well-given to them again, but without even one of these it is in vain. / What is given with a distracted mind, what is given devoid of the prescribed rule,

3.23

Or [what is given] by one not seated on a seat—that water turns into blood. / Thus gratified, they gratify their gratifiers with desires.

3.24

With the names of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, Āditya, Mitra, and Varuṇa, / he should worship, with appropriate mantras, the deities mentioned in the water-mantras.

3.25

Having stood facing the sun's quarter and worshipped the deities, / [and recited the mantras for] destroying sins with the names of Brahmā, Agni, Indra, plants, the living, and Viṣṇu,

3.26

And reciting 'Whatever [form] of water...' with homages by their respective names, / touching his face, he should thus complete his bath.

3.27

Then, having entered the house, into the domestic fire / the twice-born should duly perform the four cooked sacrifices according to rule.

3.28

One who has not established the domestic fire should take food smeared with ghee / and, following the Śākala procedure, sacrifice into the ordinary fire,

3.29

With the sacred utterances separately, and thereafter together, / and with the six mantras beginning with 'Of what is done by gods...' in proper order.

3.30

Offering [the oblation] to Prajāpati and the Sviṣṭakṛt, having thus offered twelve oblations / preceded by 'Om' and ending in 'svāhā', according to the rule of the sviṣṭa offering;

3.31

Having spread darbha grass on the ground, he should perform the food-offering rite: / 'To the Viśvedevas', and 'To all beings',

3.32

And 'To the lord of beings', with an obeisance. The knower of the scriptures / should first give three food offerings, and [then]: 'To the ancestors, svadhā, homage!'

3.32.p1

He should throw out the vessel-washing water in the north-western direction. / Having scooped out food measuring sixteen mouthfuls, moistened with ghee,

3.33

Saying, 'Here is food for human beings, hanta!', he should cast it out. / And to the ancestors, with the utterance of lineage, name, and 'svadhā', according to his capacity,

3.34

He should daily give food to six [generations], according to the rule of the ancestral sacrifice. / He should recite a little of the Veda and the like to achieve the Vedic sacrifice.

3.35

Then, taking other food and going out of the house, / he should throw a morsel for the crows and the dog-cookers.

3.36

Sitting down at the door of the house, he should remain for about a muhūrta, / unremitting, desiring a guest, waiting with pure intention.

3.37

Seeing one arrived from afar, calm, desiring to eat, and destitute, / going forward to meet him, honoring him with respectful reception and worship,

3.38

Honored with washing of the feet, respect, anointing, and the like, / a guest quickly leads one to heaven; he is greater than a sacrifice.

3.39

A guest arrived at the proper time, and one who has reached the end of the Veda arrived at the house— / these two, when honored, lead to heaven; but when unhonored, to the depths below. / One who is to be married, a graduated householder, a king, a teacher, a friend, and an officiating priest—

3.40

These are worthy of the guest-offering by socio-religious duty when they come to the house each year. / Having duly honored a learned Vedic brahmin arrived at the house,

3.41

He should devoutly provide for this single distinguished man and send him off. / Following them, he should send off the well-satisfied learned Vedic brahmin guests, / and friends, maternal uncles, relatives, and kinsmen who have arrived.

3.42

He should feed them. A beggar is entitled to respectful alms from the householder. / Eating tasty food while giving tasteless food, he goes to a degraded state.

3.43

While pregnant women, sick people, servants, children, the elderly, and the afflicted / are hungry, the householder who eats, eats sin.

3.44

He should not eat greedily, nor ever eat cooked food uninvited. / Even when invited by a censurable person, a twice-born ought to refuse.

3.45

Mean persons, the accused, usurers, those of foul speech, the cruel, thieves, / the wrathful, outcasts, prisoners, fierce men, those living by killing and binding,

3.46

Actors, distillers, arrogant men, the insane, fallen twice-born, those who have broken their vows, / the naked, atheists, the shameless, slanderers, those addicted to vices,

3.47

Misers, men conquered by women, the un-Aryan, tale-bearers, / men without restraint though renowned, thieves of royal or divine property,

3.48

Those corrupted by contact in bed or seat, conduct, occupation, and the like, / the faithless, the fallen, those deviated from proper conduct, and others—

3.49

Their food is not to be eaten; he who eats someone's food becomes equal to him. / A barber, a family friend, a sharecropper, a slave, and a cowherd—

3.50

Even among Śūdras, by eating the food of these one is not corrupted. / Twice-born whose lineages are known may eat one another's food in accordance with duty.

3.51

Earned by one's own livelihood, pure, free from hair, worms, and flies, / not licked by a dog, smelled by a cow beforehand, untouched by Śūdras and crows,

3.52

Not leftover, not spoiled, and not stale, / with steam not faded—he should always eat food that is well-prepared.

3.53

A rice-and-pulse dish, barley cakes, wheat cakes, milk rice, and pastries— / a brahmin should never eat meat unless enjoined [by ritual].

3.54

Whether enjoined in a sacrifice or in an ancestral offering, a twice-born who does not eat falls. / Having worshipped the ancestors and deities with meat acquired by hunting,

3.55

A Kṣatriya [may eat it], or a Vaiśya having bought that which is lacking by twelve [parts], in accordance with duty. / A twice-born, having eaten meat in vain or having killed animals unlawfully,

3.56

Attains endless dwelling in the hells for as long as the moon and stars endure. / Attaining all desires and the fruit of a horse-sacrifice,

3.57

Even a householder, the best of the twice-born, attains equality with the sages. / The milk of cows and buffaloes is fit to be consumed by the twice-born.

3.58

Milk from a cow within ten days of calving, milk from a cow in heat, and milk from a cow whose calf has died, / bottle gourd, drumstick, mushrooms, parasol-fungi, and garlic, / onions, white eggplants, and red radishes,

3.59

carrots, red tree sap, fruits containing insects, / and out-of-season flowers and the like—a twice-born who eats [any of these] should observe the Cāndrāyaṇa penance.

3.60

Food ruined by speech, food of unknown origin, and food prepared through oppressing others— / also food not offered to living beings—that food will burn the householder.

3.61

A householder should always eat from gold, silver, or bell-metal vessels; / in their absence, from sweet-scented lodhra wood or creepers.

3.62

A householder may eat from palāśa and lotus leaves; / a celibate student and an ascetic should eat from what is beneficial.

3.63

Having sprinkled the food with water, he should offer three food offerings on the ground with reverent bows: / to the Lord of the earth (bhūpati), to the Lord of the atmosphere (bhuvaspati), and likewise to the Lord of beings (bhūtapati).

3.64

Having sipped water, he should thereafter sequentially make the five offerings to the vital breaths / with the utterance of svāhā; he may then eat the remainder at his pleasure.

3.65

With an undivided mind, restrained in speech, not disparaging the food, he should eat; / he should eat food until satisfied, and leave the vessel unsoiled [by trampling].

3.66

Taking a single mouthful from the food remnant, he should cast it on the ground. / Having sipped water, [he should spend the rest of the day] in the company of good men and in studying good knowledge,

3.67

and through stories of elders distinguished by good conduct, he should pass the remainder of the day. / Accompanied by his servants, he should attend to the evening twilight devotion after offering into the fire.

3.68

Preceded by the water-sipping rite (āpośāna), a twice-born should eat daily. / In the evening too, a guest who arrives at the time of the fire offering is constantly worthy of honour.

3.69

Always according to faith and capacity [he should honour him]; unhonoured, [the guest] destroys his sacred learning. / Not excessively full, having touched water, purified, having washed his feet,

3.70

he should lie down on a proper bed, without his head toward the west or the north. / A capable man should not neglect bathing and twilight devotion at the proper time;

3.71

and having risen in the brāhma-muhūrta, he should contemplate his own welfare. / Capable and intelligent, he should daily follow this conduct.

3.71.p1

Thus ends the third chapter, named 'The Householder's Daily Practice,' in the Treatise on Socio-Religious Duty composed by Veda-Vyāsa.

4.1

Now begins the description of the socio-religious duty of sacred fords, preceded by praise of the householder stage of life: / Thus is the treatise composed by Vyāsa, a compilation of the essence of socio-religious duty, / regarding the merits in the [householder] stage of life and those based on the socio-religious duty of liberation.

English (machine translation)

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