12.184
bharadvāja uvāca॥
Bharadvāja said.
dānasya kiṃ phalaṃ prāhur dharmasya caritasya ca। tapasaś ca sutaptasya svādhyāyasya hutasya ca ॥12-184-1॥
What, they ask, is the fruit of charity, of righteousness, of good conduct; and of austerity well-performed, of self-study, and of offerings?
bhṛguruvāca॥
Bhṛgu said.
hutena śāmyate pāpaṃ svādhyāye śāntiruttamā। dānena bhoga ityāhustapasā sarvamāpnuyāt ॥12-184-2॥
Sin is pacified by offerings; supreme peace is found in self-study. Enjoyment is said to come from giving, and all is attained through austerity.
dānaṃ tu dvividhaṃ prāhuḥ paratrārtham ihaiva ca। sadbhyo yad dīyate kiñcit tat paratro patiṣṭhati॥12-184-3॥
Gift is said to be of two kinds: for the other world and for this very world; whatever is given to the good, that attends (the giver) in the other world.
asatsu dīyate yat tu tad dānam iha bhujyate। yādṛśaṃ dīyate dānaṃ tādṛśaṃ phalam āpyate॥12-184-4॥
A gift given to the unworthy is enjoyed only in this world. The result of a gift matches the nature of the gift itself.
bharadvāja uvāca॥
Bharadvāja said.
kiṁ kasya dharmacaraṇaṁ kiṁ vā dharmasya lakṣaṇam। dharmaḥ katividho vāpi tadbhavānvaktumarhati ॥12-184-5॥
What is the practice of dharma for whom? What is the characteristic of dharma? Of how many kinds is dharma? You are worthy to speak about that.
bhṛguruvāca॥
Bhṛgu said.
svadharmacaraṇe yuktā ye bhavanti manīṣiṇaḥ। teṣāṃ dharmaphalāvāptiryo'nyathā sa vimuhyati ॥12-184-6॥
Those wise ones who are engaged in performing their own duty attain the fruit of righteousness; but whoever acts otherwise becomes deluded.
bharadvāja uvāca॥
Bharadvāja said.
yadetaccāturāśramyaṃ brahmarṣivihitaṃ purā। teṣāṃ sve sve ya ācārāstānme vaktumihārhasi ॥12-184-7॥
You are worthy to tell me here about those practices of each of the four āśramas, which were instituted by the Brahmarṣis in ancient times.
bhṛguruvāca॥
Bhṛgu said.
pūrvameva bhagavatā lokahitamanutiṣṭhatā dharmasaṃrakṣaṇārthamāśramāścatvāro'bhinirdiṣṭāḥ tatra gurukulavāsameva tāvatprathamamāśramamudāharanti samyagatra śaucasaṃskāravinayaniyamapraṇīto vinītātmā ubhe sandhye bhāskarāgnidaivatānyupasthāya vihāya tandrālasyegurorabhivādanavedābhyāsaśravaṇapavitīkṛtāntarātmā triṣavaṇamupaspṛśya brahmacaryāgniparicaraṇaguruśuśrūṣānityo bhaikṣādisarvaniveditāntarātmā guruvacananirdeśānuṣṭhānāpratikūlo guruprasādalabdhsvādhyāyatatparaḥ syāt ॥12-184-8॥
In former times, the venerable one, acting for the welfare of the world, specifically prescribed four āśramas for the protection of dharma. Of these, residence in the teacher's house is cited as the first āśrama. In this stage, one who is properly established in purity, refinement, discipline, and observance, with a disciplined mind, worships at both twilights, honors the sun, fire, and divinities, abandons drowsiness and laziness, purifies the inner self through salutation to the teacher, study and listening to the Veda, performs the three sandhyās, is always devoted to celibacy, service to the fire, and service to the teacher, offers all acts such as alms with a dedicated mind, never opposes the teacher's instructions, and is devoted to self-study obtained by the teacher's grace.
bhavati cātra ślokaḥ guruṃ yastu samārādhya dvijo vedamavāpnuyāt। tasya svargaphalāvāptiḥ sidhyate cāsya mānasam ॥12-184-9॥
Here is a verse: If a twice-born, having thoroughly worshipped his teacher, obtains the Veda, then the attainment of heavenly rewards and the fulfillment of his mind are accomplished for him.
gārhasthyaṃ khalu dvitīyamāśramaṃ vadanti tasya samudācāralakṣaṇaṃ sarvamanuvyākhyāsyāmaḥ samāvṛttānāṃ sadārāṇāṃ sahadharmacaryāphalārthināṃ gṛhāśramo vidhīyate dharmārthakāmāvāptirhyatra trivargasādhanamavekṣyāgarhitena karmaṇā dhanānyādāya svādhyāyaprakarṣopalabdhena brahmarṣinirmitena vā adrisāragatena vā havyaniyamābhyāsadaivataprasādopalabdhena vā dhanena gṛhastho gārhasthyaṃ pravartayet taddhi sarvāśramāṇāṃ mūlamudāharanti gurukulavāsinaḥ parivrājakā ye cānye saṅkalpitavrataniyamadharmānuṣṭhāyinasteṣāmapyata eva bhikṣābalisaṃvibhāgāḥ pravartante ॥॥12-184-10॥
The householder's stage is indeed regarded as the second āśrama. We shall explain in detail all the characteristics of its general conduct. For those who have completed their studentship, are married, and seek the fruits of joint performance of duty, the householder's āśrama is prescribed. Here, the attainment of dharma, artha, and kāma is considered, and by blameless actions, having acquired wealth—whether through excellence in self-study, by means created by brahmarṣis, by resources from the mountains, or by the favor of deities through the practice of offerings and regulations—the householder should maintain the householder's state. This is indeed declared as the root of all āśramas. Those living in the teacher's house, wandering ascetics, and others who perform vowed and regulated duties—for all of them, therefore, the distribution of alms and offerings is practiced.
vānaprasthānāṃ dravyopaskāra iti prāyaśaḥ khalvete sādhavaḥ sādhupathyadarśanāḥ svādhyāyaprasaṅginastīrthābhigamanadeśadarśanārthaṃ pṛthivīṃ paryaṭanti teṣāṃ pratyutthānābhivādanānasūyāvākpradānasaumukhyaśaktyāsanaśayanābhyavahārasatkriyāśceti ॥12-184-11॥
Generally, the material equipment of those who have entered the forest is indeed these good men, who see the path of virtue and are engaged in self-study, wander the earth for the purpose of visiting holy places and seeing lands. To them, rising in respect, greeting, freedom from envy, offering words, friendliness, ability, providing a seat, bed, food, and respectful acts are to be offered.
bhavati cātra ślokaḥ atithiryasya bhagnāśo gṛhātpratinivartate। sa dattvā duṣkṛtaṃ tasmai puṇyamādāya gacchati ॥12-184-12॥
Here is a verse: If a guest, whose expectations are disappointed, returns from a house, he gives his sin to the householder and takes away the householder's merit.
api cātra yajñakriyābhir devatāḥ prīyante nivāpena pitaro vedābhyāsaśravaṇadhāraṇena ṛṣayaḥ apatyotpādanena prajāpati riti ॥12-184-13॥
Indeed, here, the deities are pleased by sacrificial acts; the ancestors by the offering of oblations; the sages by study, hearing, and retention of the Veda; and Prajāpati by the production of offspring—thus it is said.
ślokau cātra bhavataḥ vatsalāḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ vācyāḥ śrotrasukhā giraḥ। parivādopaghātau ca pāruṣyaṃ cātra garhitam ॥12-184-14॥
Here, the verses you compose should be affectionate to all beings, spoken words that are pleasing to the ear; slander, injury, and harshness are condemned here.
avajñānamahaṅkāro dambhaścaiva vigarhitaḥ। ahiṃsā satyamakrodhaḥ sarvāśramagataṃ tapaḥ ॥12-184-15॥
Ignorance, arrogance, and hypocrisy are condemned. Non-violence, truthfulness, absence of anger, and austerity practiced in all stages of life are praised.
api cātra mālyābharaṇavastrābhyaṅgagandhopabhoganṛttagītavāditraśrutisukha-nayanābhirāmasaṃdarśanānāṃ prāptirbhakṣyabhojyapeyalehyacoṣyāṇāmabhyavahāryāṇāṃ vividhānāmupabhogaḥ svadāravihārasaṃtoṣaḥ kāmasukhāvāptiriti ॥12-184-16॥
Here, there is also the attainment of garlands, ornaments, clothes, anointing, fragrances, enjoyments, dances, songs, musical instruments, pleasures of hearing, pleasing sights for the eyes, the enjoyment of various foods to be eaten, enjoyed, drunk, licked, sucked, and consumed, contentment in recreation with one's own wife, and the attainment of pleasures of desire—thus.
trivargaguṇanirvṛttiryasya nityaṃ gṛhāśrame। sa sukhānyanubhūyeha śiṣṭānāṃ gatimāpnuyāt ॥12-184-17॥
He whose life as a householder is always marked by the fulfillment of the qualities of the three aims (dharma, artha, kāma), after enjoying happiness here, may attain the path of the virtuous.
uñchavṛttirgṛhastho yaḥ svadharmacaraṇe rataḥ। tyaktakāmasukhārambhastasya svargo na durlabhaḥ ॥12-184-18॥
A householder who lives by gleaning, devoted to his own duty and free from the pursuit of pleasure and desire, does not find heaven difficult to attain.
