Skandapurana 3.2.5

Vyāsa said:

Hereafter I shall proclaim what is to be done by a dweller of Dharmāraṇya,

by a man here who observes the duties of a householder. 1

Those brahmins born in Dharmāraṇya, sprung from pure lineage,

and eighteen thousand were created by the lords of Kāñcī,

of good conduct and pure, brahmins best among knowers of the ultimate.

Merely by the darśana of them, one is liberated from great sins. // 3

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

O son of Parāśara, lord, tell me also of good conduct;

from [good] conduct one obtains dharma, from [good] conduct one gains the fruit,

from [good] conduct one obtains prosperity; tell me that [good] conduct! // 4

Vyāsa said:

Immobile things, worms, water-born creatures, birds, beasts, [and] human beings—

these are righteous in order, and more righteous than these are the gods. // 5

By a thousandth part the first [are surpassed], and likewise in succession the second;

all these fortunate ones have liberation from sin as their resort. // 6

Even among the four kinds of beings, living creatures are exceedingly superior;

and superior even to living creatures, O best of sages, are all those who live by intelligence. // 7

Human beings are superior to the intelligent, and brahmins are superior to them;

the learned are superior even to brahmins, and those with formed intellects are superior to the learned; // 8

doers are superior even to those with formed intellects, and those intent upon the ultimate are superior to doers;

there is no one superior to them in the three worlds, O descendant of Bharata. // 9

They indeed worship one another, especially through austerity and knowledge,

since the brahmin was created by Brahmā as the lord of all beings. // 10

Therefore, the brahmin is entitled to everything in the world, and no one else;

for one of good conduct is entitled to all, but not one fallen away from [good] conduct. // 11

Therefore, a brahmin should always be possessed of [good] conduct;

that which [virtuous men] practice, devoid of hostility and passion, O sage,

the conduct of the virtuous—the wise know that as good conduct, the root of dharma. // 12–13a

Even if devoid of auspicious marks, a man who is devoted to proper conduct,

faithful, and free from malice, may live a hundred years. // 13b–14a

Taught by revelation and tradition, in each of his own duties,

he should practice good conduct, the root of dharma, without slackness. // 14b–15a

A man devoted to bad conduct becomes blameworthy in the world,

and is overcome by diseases, always short-lived and sharing in great sorrow. // 15b–16a

Work that depends on another should be abandoned; work under one's own control should always be done; // 16b

for one dependent on another is unhappy, while one under his own control is always happy.

The action by the doing of which the inner self is pleased— // 17

that action alone should be done, and never its opposite.

The sum of dharma declared first is this: the restraints and observances. // 18

Therefore, exertion should indeed be made in them by one desiring dharma:

truthfulness, forbearance, straightforwardness, meditation, non-cruelty, non-violence, // 19

self-control, serenity, sweetness, and gentleness—these are the ten restraints.

Purity, ritual ablution, austerity, generosity, silence, sacrifice, study, vow, // 20

fasting, and control of the sexual organ—these are remembered as the ten observances.

Desire, anger, pride, delusion, malice, and greed— // 21

having conquered these six enemies, one becomes victorious everywhere.

One should slowly amass dharma, as [ants build] an anthill with a peak, // 22

causing no injury to others, [accumulating it as] a helper in the other world.

Only dharma, preserved, becomes a helper in the hereafter, // 23

more than father, mother, son, brother, wife, or kinsmen.

A living being is born alone, and dies alone; // 24

alone he enjoys good deeds, and alone he experiences evil deeds.

When the body has met its dissolution, leaving him alone like a piece of wood or a clod of earth, // 25

his kinsmen turn their faces away and depart; dharma follows him as he goes.

Therefore, one should amass dharma, one's helper here and in the hereafter; // 26

having obtained dharma as a helper, one crosses over the darkness difficult to cross.

The wise person should always form relationships with the highest and best; // 27

avoiding the lowest of the low, he elevates his family to excellence.

One should go only to the highest of the high, and avoid the inferior;

a brahmin attains superiority [thereby], [or] through transgression becomes a śūdra. // 28

A brahmin who does not study, who transgresses good conduct,

who is lazy, and who eats bad food, is tormented by the End-Maker. // 29

Therefore, the twice-born should always practice good conduct with effort.

Even the sacred fords long for union with one who observes good conduct.

The half-watch at the end of the night is called the hour of Brahmā.

A wise man should always rise at that time and contemplate his own highest good.

First he should remember the elephant-faced one, then the Lord together with the Mother,

and Śrīraṅga along with Śrī, and Brahmā born from the lotus,

all the gods beginning with Indra, and the sages beginning with Vasiṣṭha,

all the rivers beginning with the Gaṅgā, and all the mountains beginning with Śrīśaila,

the oceans beginning with the ocean of milk, the lakes beginning with Mānasa,

the celestial groves beginning with Nandana, the cows beginning with the wish-granting cow,

the trees beginning with the wish-granting tree, the minerals beginning with gold,

the celestial women beginning with Urvaśī, and Hari's beloved devotees beginning with Prahrāda.

Remembering the mother's feet, which are proclaimed superior to all sacred fords,

and meditating in his heart upon his father and gurus with a serene mind,

he should then go to the south-west direction to relieve himself.

He should go one hundred bow-lengths from a village, and four times that from a town.

Having covered the ground with grass and covered his head with a cloth,

with his sacred thread placed on his ear, facing north during the day and at both twilights,

he should silently discharge feces and urine, facing south at night.

Not standing, not hastily, O brahmin, nor facing cattle, fire, or the wind,

not on ground ploughed with a ploughshare, not on ground traversed by public roads,

he should not look at the quarters, the celestial sphere, or impurities in the sky.

Holding his penis with his left hand, he should carefully rise.

Then he should take earth that is free from worms and pebbles,

avoiding [earth] dug up by mice, impure leftover [earth], and [earth] mixed with hair.

He should apply one lump of earth to the private part and wash it with water; then,

again using the left hand in this way, he should wash the anus five times.

He should apply one [lump of earth] to each foot, and likewise three to both hands.

In this manner a householder should perform purification until the smell and smearing are gone.

In the three [stages of life] beginning with studentship, he should perform progressively double [the amount].

At night he should perform half of the purification prescribed for the daytime;

in another village half of that, and on the road half of that indeed;

half of that for the sick, but when healthy he must not reduce it.

Even with the waters of all rivers and with mounds of earth resembling mountains,

if he merely performs external purification while corrupted in mind, he attains no purity.

The portions of earth for purification are prescribed to be the size of a fresh āmalaka fruit.

All oblations are likewise of this size, as are the mouthfuls in the cāndrāyaṇa penance.

Facing east or facing north, seated well on clean ground,

he should sip [water] that is free from chaff, charcoal, bones, and ashes,

and with very clear water, in such quantity that it reaches the heart, without haste.

A brahmin should sip [water] purified by sight with the brahmatīrtha.

A king is purified by water reaching the throat, and a vaiśya likewise by water reaching the palate;

a woman and a śūdra are purified even by mere contact.

With his head covered, making sound with his throat, standing in water, or with his topknot untied,

or having both feet unwashed, even though he has sipped water he is considered impure.

Having drunk water three times for complete purity, he should then cleanse the cavities [of the face].

With the base of the thumb he should wipe both lips.

Having touched the chest with water, he should touch the head with all fingers;

likewise with the tips of the fingers both shoulders, touching every part with water.

Though he has sipped water, he should sip water again after walking on a road,

after bathing, after eating, after drinking milk, at the beginning of auspicious rites,

after sleeping, after putting on a garment, or after seeing something inauspicious.

If through carelessness he remembers an impure thing, by sipping water twice he becomes pure.

He should clean his teeth according to what is stated in the dharmaśāstra,

for even if he has sipped water, he is impure without having cleaned his teeth.

On the first day of the lunar fortnight, the new moon, the sixth, the ninth, and on Sunday,

the contact of a wooden stick with the teeth will burn the family up to the seventh generation.

In the absence of tooth-sticks, or on a forbidden day,

twelve mouthfuls [of water] should be taken for the complete purification of the mouth.

Measuring the thickness of the tip of the little finger, having bark, free from wounds and decay,

twelve finger-breadths in length, and fresh: such should be the tooth-cleansing stick.

One should chew that tooth-stick inch by inch

and perform morning ritual ablution for purification, especially at a sacred ford. // 3.2.5.60

Because through morning ritual ablution this body, which is always impure, is purified—

its filth verily flows continuously through the nine openings day and night. // 61

It promotes energy, intellect, good fortune, beauty, and prosperity;

they say it equals the Prājāpatya penance, destroying great sins. // 62

Morning ritual ablution removes sin, misfortune, and weariness,

as well as impurity and bad dreams, and bestows satisfaction and vigor. // 63

Wicked beings never approach a person who bathes in the morning;

therefore one should perform morning ritual ablution, since its fruit is both seen and unseen. // 64

In this context I shall explain the rule of ritual ablution, O best of kings,

for they declare that an ablution done according to rule is a hundred times superior to an ordinary bath. // 65

Taking pure earth, sacrificial grass, sesame seeds, and cow dung,

depositing them in a pure place, and sipping water, one should perform ritual ablution. // 66

Holding blades of grass in hand and with topknot bound, one should enter the water;

one should perform ritual ablution duly according to the rule prescribed in one's own Vedic branch. // 67

Having thus bathed and wrung out the cloth, one should take two washed garments;

and then, having sipped water, one should perform the morning twilight devotion holding kuśa grass. // 68

A brahmin performing breath-controls with firmly restrained mind

is freed instantly from the sins committed by day and night. // 69

If ten or twelve breath-controls are performed

with a restrained mind, then great austerity has been practiced by him. // 3.2.5.70

Sixteen breath-controls, however, performed with the Vyāhṛtis and the Praṇava

day after day, purify even the killer of an embryo within a month. // 71

Just as the impurities of metallic ores are burned away by smelting,

so the faults committed by the senses are consumed by restraint of breath. // 72

The single syllable is the supreme Brahman; breath-control is the supreme austerity;

and there is nothing more purifying than the Gāyatrī, O best of kings. // 73

Whatever sin one commits at night through action, mind, or speech,

standing during the morning twilight devotion, one should purify through breath-controls. // 74

Whatever sin one commits during the day through actions of mind, speech, and body,

seated during the evening twilight devotion, one dispels through breath-controls;

seated during the evening twilight devotion, he destroys the taint done during the day. // 75

He who does not stand for the morning devotion, nor worship in the evening,

is to be cast out like a śūdra from all duties of the twice-born. // 76

Having approached the water, one should perform the obligatory daily rite;

then one should perform sipping of water in proper sequence according to rule. // 77

Then one should perform sprinkling with the three verses beginning with 'āpo hi ṣṭhā',

on the ground, on the head, and in the ether; in the ether, on the earth, on the head; // 78

and on the head, likewise in the ether, and on the ground—one should sprinkle nine times.

By the word 'ground' the two feet are meant, and 'ether' is understood as the heart;

the word 'head' applies to the head itself: by these the sprinkling is explained. // 79

Higher than the Vāruṇa, the Āgneya, the Vāyavya, and the Aindra,

even higher than the mantra-bath, is this supreme Brāhma ablution;

he who has bathed with the Brāhma ablution is pure both outwardly and inwardly, // 3.2.5.80

and attains eligibility everywhere in the worship of deities and other rites.

Do fishermen become pure by plunging into the waters day and night? // 81

Likewise, even if they bathe hundreds of times, those corrupted in mind are not pure;

and sacred ash purifies those whose inner faculties are pure. // 82

Are donkeys grey with ashes celebrated as pure?

He has bathed in all sacred fords, freed from all impurities,

and by him a hundred sacrifices have been offered, whose mind here is spotless.

Hear, O sage, how that mind may become truly spotless: // 84

if the Lord of the Universe is pleased, then it happens, never otherwise.

Therefore, for the purification of the mind, one should take refuge in the Lord of Kāśī; // 85

abandoning this body, one attains the supreme Brahman.

Then, having recited up to the end of the Drupada verse and taken water with the palm,

one who knows the rules should perform the sin-expelling rite with the mantra 'ṛtaṃ ca'. // 86

The wise man who, plunging into the waters, recites the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn three times,

or who performs the sin-expelling rite either in water or on dry land,

his mass of sin is destroyed, just as darkness is destroyed at sunrise. (88)

Standing and reciting the Gāyatrī, preceded by the great Vyāhṛtis and

commencing with the praṇava, [even] without its head, he should offer three handfuls of water. (89)

By that vajra-water, the rākṣasas named Mandehas,

who attempt to destroy the brilliance of the sun, are melted away like mountains before the sun. (3.2.5.90)

And that twice-born who, to aid the sun, does not offer three handfuls

for the destruction of the Mandehas, he too shall become a Mandeha. (91)

In the morning, he should stand reciting until the sight of the sun;

seated in the evening, he should recite until the stars become visible. (92)

A twice-born desiring his own welfare must not allow the proper time to elapse;

therefore, at the moment of half-rise and half-setting, he should cast the vajra-water. (93)

Even if performed according to rule, a saṃdhyā performed past its proper time becomes fruitless;

indeed, this is the very example: just like intercourse with a barren woman. (94)

The saṃdhyā performed by twice-born with the left hand placed in water

is to be known as a śūdra woman, bringing joy only to the hordes of rākṣasas. (95)

Then, he should perform the worshipful standing according to the rule declared in his branch [of the Veda].