Skandapurana 2.9.22

Glorious Nārāyaṇa said:

Wishing to become a householder, he should give a fee (dakṣiṇā) to the teacher according to his means,

and only by his permission perform the rite of return from studentship (samāvartana).

Then, according to rule, he should marry a woman suitable to his family, younger in age, free from disease,

devoid of masculine characteristics, and free from sin.

According to his qualification, every day for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa,

he should then worship the gods, seers, ancestors, and living beings according to rule.

Bathing, the twilight devotions, recitation (japa), burnt offering (homa), self-study of the Veda (svādhyāya), the worship of Viṣṇu,

water libation (tarpaṇa), the offering to all gods (vaiśvadeva), and hospitality to guests he should perform daily.

He should perform virtuous deeds according to his ability with wealth acquired by righteous means.

Unattached, he should support those dependent upon him for maintenance, but never torment [them].

Because of the body or bodily relations, he should not, like a beast,

bear enmity toward others; he should abandon the notion of 'I' and 'mine' with regard to the body and so forth.

Unwearied, he should keep company with the good, the devotees of the Lord (Bhāgavatas);

he should not keep company with womanisers, the dissolute, or the greedy.

He should never look upon another man's wife with lustful intent;

nor should he approach his own wife on days of ancestral rites (śrāddha), sacred junctions (parvan), vows, and the like.

Even a man who has attained perfection in Sāṃkhya and Yoga

is bewildered in a secluded place by contact even with his own daughter.

Therefore, a wise man should not sit together with his mother, sister, or daughter

in a solitary place, [if she is] a young woman—how much less with any other woman?

Of all inauspicious things, a widow is indeed the most inauspicious;

therefore, looking upon her and touching her robs men of their merit.

If, at the time of departure on a journey, the sight of a widow occurs right in front,

then one must not go; otherwise, death is certain.

The blessings of widowed women are equal to the hissing of the serpent of death;

hence, a householder should fear them as he would demonesses (rākṣasīs).

He should shun liquor, meat, intoxicants, and gambling from afar;

he should never cause injury to any living being, even by speech.

He should daily listen to the deeds of the incarnations of Hari;

faithful, he should perform all actions for the sake of Vāsudeva.

In the months of Ūrja (Kārttika), Māgha, and Vaiśākha, during the Cāturmāsya, and in an intercalary month (malimluca),

as well as on other meritorious occasions, he should observe special observances.

In a sacred place, at an auspicious time, to a worthy recipient according to rule, a householder

should give gifts according to his capacity, and show compassion toward living creatures.

O sinless one, I shall describe to you specifically the sacred places, auspicious times,

and worthy recipients that increase righteousness (dharma).

The best of all regions on earth is that which is inhabited by Me,

where hosts of great sages of noble vows perform austerities.

The sanctity of places arises from the greatness of Hari and His devotees:

Gaṅgādvāra, Madhupurī (Mathurā), and Naimiṣāraṇya;

Kurukṣetra, Ayodhyā, Prayāga, and Gayāśiras;

the city of Vārāṇasī, and the sacred Pulahāśrama;

Kapilāśrama, Śrīraṅga, Prabhāsa, and Kuśasthalī (Dvārakā);

the sacred field named Siddhaprada, and the great lake Pauṣkara (Puṣkara);

Mount Raivata, the sporting ground of the Blessed Lord with Śrī;

likewise Mount Govardhana, and the sacred forest Vṛndāvana;

the seven principal mountain ranges, beginning with Mahendra and Malaya;

the most holy Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā), the Yamunā, and the Sarasvatī;

the holy major rivers and streams celebrated in the Purāṇas,

headed by the Godāvarī, Sarayū, Kāverī, and Gomatī;

wherever the worship of the image of the Blessed Lord takes place with great festivals;

and wherever there are unswerving devotees of the Lord;

and wherever there are excellent brahmins who are non-violent and devoted to their own duty—

and where animals such as deer roam fearlessly. (27)

Wherever are the descents of Hari, or wherever is his abode,

these regions in particular are the most meritorious on earth. (28)

Even a little virtue performed in these yields a thousandfold to men.

Now listen, O Nārada: I shall tell the times that increase merit. (29)

The two solstices, the equinox, an eclipse of the sun and moon,

the loss of a lunar day, a Vyatīpāta, and the Śravaṇa asterisms in all respects, (30)

the twelfth lunar days, the eleventh lunar days, the beginnings of the manvantaras, the beginnings of the yugas,

all these are meritorious lunar days, as well as the new moon and Vaidhṛti, (31)

the full moons conjoined with the month’s asterism, the four Aṣṭakās likewise,

the asterisms of one’s own birth, and the festival days of Hari’s appearance, (32)

the life-cycle rites and celebrations of oneself, of [one’s] wife, and of [one’s] children,

and whenever a worthy recipient is found: these are the most meritorious times. (33)

The worship of the gods, ancestors, twice-born, and virtuous according to one’s capacity,

and ritual ablution, gifts, recitation, and so forth, indeed yield endless fruit. (34)

The worthy recipient in person, however, is the Blessed Lord Himself, O Nārada,

just as water given to the root satisfies all the branches. (35)

By non-violence, Vedic knowledge, contentment, right conduct, and devotion,

those twice-born who hold Viṣṇu in their hearts are indeed worthy recipients. (36)

The single-minded devotees of the Blessed Lord, who release the bound—

know that those in whom the Blessed Lord Himself resides are worthy recipients. (37)

A wealthy man should cause firm temples of Viṣṇu to be built,

and should also provide endowments for them to secure an ongoing stream of worship. (38)

He should prepare water reservoirs and gardens for the sake of Viṣṇu,

and he should satisfy virtuous people and brahmins with wholesome, delicious food. (39)

He should perform non-violent Vaiṣṇava sacrifices according to his capacity and the rules,

and observe the observances and appearance-festivals of Viṣṇu with abundant provisions. (40)

In the dark fortnight of the month of Prauṣṭhapada, on the day of death, and on auspicious festival days at sacred fords,

he should diligently perform the śrāddha of his parents and of his relatives according to his capacity. (41)

In rituals for the gods and for the ancestors,

he should worship twice-born devotees of the Blessed Lord who abide in their own duty, and feed them regarding them as the Blessed Lord. (42)

He should feed two brahmins in a rite for the gods and three in a rite for the ancestors according to the rule,

or one in each case; he should certainly not expand [the number] in a śrāddha. (43)

Place, time, offerings, recipients, and utensils for worship—

it is certain that there would not be [success] through expansion according to the scriptures. (44)

A person should never offer meat in a śrāddha, nor should he eat it;

the ancestors are greatly pleased by ascetic food, milk, and clarified butter. (45)

By that non-violence toward every living being through mind, speech, and body,

all the ancestors, being exceedingly compassionate, are satisfied. (46)

Therefore, never through bad company nor through failing to understand the core meaning of scripture,

should a man devoted to Vāsudeva give meat in a śrāddha. (47)

He should perform the observances of Viṣṇu along with the restraints such as celibacy;

intent solely on that, he should not perform any other business on that day. (48)

He should observe the impurity of his own relatives upon birth and death according to the scripture,

and likewise at an eclipse of the sun and the moon. (49)

In a dispute over worldly matters and in deciding them,

those who have abandoned the householder's stage must not be employed, nor vile persons. (50)

Where these are present, that business would never succeed anywhere, O best of the twice-born;

the loss of all one’s property would happen there—such is the settled conclusion. (51)

These duties of householders have been declared briefly by me,

by whose practice there will be inexhaustible, desired happiness for men. (52)

Twice-born householders are celebrated as being of four kinds,

according to the distinction of means of livelihood such as gleaning, each with its name, O Nārada. (53)

Next, I shall declare the duties of women, O best of the virtuous,

remaining steadfast in which all women attain their desired happiness. (54)

By married women whose husbands are living, one’s own husband should always be served

and complied with like a god, even if he is old, diseased, or destitute. (55)

His relatives should also be complied with through appropriate service;

and the household utensils should be kept bright and clean. (56)

The house should be made clean day after day with sweeping, sprinkling, and so forth.

Pleasant and truthful words should be spoken, and one should always remain pure.

Fickleness, excessive greed, anger, theft, violence,

and the company of unrighteous people are to be avoided by women as well as by men. // 58

They should always be devoted to religious duties;

having abandoned arrogance, they should remain humble and with senses conquered. // 59

Established in the virtue of devotion to their husbands, they

should practice devotion to the Lord of Ramā; they should never act independently. // 2.9.22.60

A widow, however, should constantly serve Viṣṇu with the attitude [held toward] a husband.

She should not listen to nor speak words connected with desire. // 61

Except for close relatives, she should never,

except in an emergency, touch other men, nor look [at them] lustfully. // 62

A husbandless woman incur no fault from the touch of an infant boy or of an old man,

or from speaking with them in necessary affairs. // 63

In worldly matters, she should not engage in excessive dispute

with men; in necessary business, she may speak with them, but not in secret. // 64

She should never intentionally look upon even animals engaged in mating.

She should renounce all pleasures, eat only once [a day], and eat moderately. // 65

She should not wear metallic or fine garments, nor ornaments;

she should not sleep during the day, nor on a cot, except in times of calamity. // 66

She must not chew betel, nor use unguents or collyrium;

and she should constantly fear contact with men as if with a black serpent. // 67

A woman who does not become infatuated upon seeing a man—

such a woman does not exist anywhere, except for Lakṣmī alone. // 68

Therefore, a woman steadfast in righteousness and desiring her own highest good

should not gaze at the male form, nor intentionally touch it. // 69

She should continually perform religious observances out of devotion,

such as kṛcchra and cāndrāyaṇa penances, and always be dedicated to self-restraint. // 2.9.22.70

Even with her father or son, a young woman

should not remain in secret with a young man; she must completely avoid bad company. // 71

A woman, whether married or a widow, should never conceal the appearance of her menses;

for three nights she should not touch human beings and others. // 72

On the first day she is declared to be a caṇḍālī, on the second a slayer of a brahmin,

and on the third a washerwoman; she becomes pure on the fourth day. // 73

Thus the duties of women have been briefly related to you by me,

endowed with which women attain great happiness both here and in the hereafter. // 74

Thus ends the twenty-second chapter, titled 'Delineation of the Duties of the Householder', in the Śrīvāsudevamāhātmya of the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skandapurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. // 22