पराशर उवाच प्रतिग्रहागता विप्रे क्षत्रिये युधि निर्जिताः। वैश्य न्यायार्जिताश्चैव शूद्रे शुश्रूषयार्जिताः॥ स्वल्पाप्यर्थाः प्रशस्यन्ते धर्मस्यार्थे महाफलाः। नित्यं त्रयाणां वर्णानां शुश्रूषुः शूद्र उच्यते॥
Parashara said In the Brahmana, wealth gained by acceptance of gifts, in the Kshatriya that acquired by victory in battle, in the Vaishya that acquired by performing the duties laid down for his order, and in the Shudra that acquired by serving the three other orders, however small it may be, is worthy of praise, and when spent for the acquisition of virtue yields great benefits. The Shudra is said to be the constant servitor of the three other orders.
क्षत्रधर्मा वैश्यधर्मा नावृत्तिः पतते द्विजः। शूद्रधर्मा यदा तु स्यात् तदा पतति वै द्विजः॥
If the Brahmana, when hard-pressed for a living, performs the duties of either the Kshatriya or the Vaishya, he does not fall off from virtue. When, however, the Brahmana performs the duties of the lowest order, then does he certainly fall off.
वाणिज्यं पाशुपाल्यं च तथा शिल्पोपजीवनम्। शूद्रस्यापि विधीयन्ते यदा वृत्तिर्न जायते॥
When the Shudra is unable to secure his living by service of the three other orders, then it is lawful for him to follow trade, tending of cattle, and the practice of the mechanical arts.
रङ्गावतरणं चैव तथा रूपोपजीवनम्। मद्यमांसोपजीव्यं च विक्रयं लोहचर्मणोः॥ अपूर्विणा न कर्तव्यं कर्म लोके विगर्हितम्। त्यजतो धर्म इति श्रुतिः॥
Appearance on the stage and disguising oneself in various forms, exhibition of puppets, the sale of spirits and meat, and trading in iron and leather, should never be adopted for purposes of a living by one who had never before been engaged in those callings every one of which is regarded as censurable in the world. We have heard that if one engaged in them can renounce them, he acquires great merit.
संसिद्धः पुरुषो लोके यदाचरति पापकम्। मदेनाभिप्लुतमनास्तच्च न ग्राह्यमुच्यते॥
When one who has become successful in life acts sinfully on account of his mind being filled with pride, his acts under such circumstances can never pass for authority.
कृतपूर्वं तु महान् श्रूयन्ते हि पुराणेषु प्रजा धिग्दण्डशासनाः। दान्ता धर्मप्रधानाश्च न्यायधर्मानुवृत्तिकाः॥
It is heard in the Puranas that formerly mankind were self-controlled, that they valued virtue greatly, that the practices they followed for livelihood were all agreeable to propriety and the injunctions laid down in the scriptures; and that the only punishment that was necessary for chastising them when they did wrong was merely the deprecation of their deeds.
धर्म एव सदा नृणामिह राजन् प्रशस्यते। धर्मवृद्धा गुणानेव सेवन्ते हि नरा भुवि॥
At the time of which we speak, O king, Virtue, and nothing else, was much praised among men. Having achieved great progress in virtue, men in those days adored only all good qualities that they saw.
तं धर्ममसुरास्तात नामृष्यन्त जनाधिप। विवर्धमानाः क्रमशस्तत्र तेऽन्वाविशन् प्रजाः॥
The Asuras, however, O child, could not bear that virtue, which prevailed in the world. Multiplying the Asuras entered the bodies of inen.
तासां दर्पः समभवत् प्रजानां धर्मनाशनः। दर्पात्मनां ततः पश्चात् क्रोधस्तासामजायत।॥
Then was pride generated in men which is so destructive of virtue. From pride originated arrogance, and from arrogance originated anger.
ततः क्रोधाभिभूतानां वृत्तं लज्जासमन्वितम्। ह्रीश्चैवाप्यनशद् राजंस्ततो मोहो व्यजायत॥
When men thus became overwhelmed with anger, modesty and shame disappeared from them, and then they were possessed by carelessness.
ततो मोहपरीतास्ता नापश्यन्त यथा पुरा। परस्परावमर्दैन वर्धयन्त्यो यथासुखम्॥
Afflicted by carelessness, they could no longer see as before, and as the consequence thereof they began to assail one another and thereby gain riches without any compunction.
ताः प्राप्य तु स धिग्दण्डो न कारणमतोऽभवत्। ततोऽभ्यगच्छन् देवांश्च ब्राह्मणांश्चावमन्य ह॥
When men became such, the punishment of mere depreciation on transgressors could produce no effect. Men, showing no respect of either the gods or Brahmanas, began to indulge their senses to their fill.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु देवा देववरं शिवम्। अगच्छन् शरणं धीरं बहुरूपं गुणाधिकम्॥
At that time the gods repaired to that foremost of god, viz., Shiva, possessed of patience of multiform aspect and endued with the foremost of qualities and sought his protection.
तेन स्म ते गगनगाः सपुराः पातिताः क्षितौ। विधाप्येकेन बाणेन देवाप्यायिततेजसा॥
The gods gave him their conjoined energy, and thereupon the great god, with a single arrow killed on the Earth those three Asuras, viz., Desire, Anger, and Cupidity, who were staying in the sky, along with their very dwellers.
तेषामधिपतिस्त्वासीद् भीमो भीमपराक्रमः। देवतानां भयकरः स हतः शूलपाणिना॥
The dreadful king those Asuras, endued with terrific prowess, who had struck the gods with terror, was also killed by Mahadeva armed with the lance.
तस्मिन् हतेऽथ स्वं भावं प्रत्यपद्यन्त मानवाः। प्रापद्यन्त च वेदान् वै शास्त्राणि च यथा पुरा॥
When this king of the Asuras was killed men once more gained their proper natures, and once more began to study the Vedas and the other scriptures as in days of yore.
ततोऽभिषिच्य राज्येन देवानां दिवि वासवम्। सप्तर्षयश्चान्वयुञ्जन् नराणां दण्डधारणे॥
Then the seven ancient Rishis came forward and installed Vasava as the king of the gods and the ruler of heaven. And they took upon themselves the task of holding the rod of punishment over mankind.
सप्तर्षीणामथोर्ध्वं च विपृथु म पार्थिवः। राजानः क्षत्रियाश्चैव मण्डलेषु पृथक् पृथक्॥
After the seven Rishis came king Viprithu and many other kings, all belonging to the Kshatriya order for separately ruling separate classes of human beings.
महाकुलेषु ये जाता वृद्धाः पूर्वतराश्च ये। तेषामप्यासुरो भावो हृदयान्नापसर्पति॥
There were, in those ancient times, certain clderly men from whose minds all wicked feelings did not disappear.
तस्मात् तेनैव भावेन सानुषङ्गेण पार्थिवाः। आसुराण्येव कर्माणि न्यसेवन भीमविक्रमाः॥
Hence, on account of that wicked state of their minds and of those incidents connected with it, there appeared many kings of dreadful prowess who began to perform only such acts as were fit for Asuras.
प्रत्यतिष्ठंश्च तेष्वेव तान्येव स्थापयन्त्यपि। भजन्ते तानि चाद्यापि ये बालिशतरा नराः॥
Those human beings, who are very foolish follow those wicked acts, establish them as authorities, and practise them to this day.
तस्मादहं ब्रवीमि त्वां राजन् संचिन्त्य शास्त्रतः। संसिद्धाधिगमं कुर्यात् कर्म हिंसात्मकं त्यजेत्॥
Therefore, O king, I say, you, have reflected properly with the help of the scriptures, that one should avoid all acts that are fraught with injury or malice and try to acquire a knowledge of the Soul.
न संकरेण द्रविणं प्रचिन्वीयाद् विचक्षणः। धर्मार्थं न्यायमुत्सृज्य न तत् कल्याणमुच्यते॥
The man endued with wisdom would not seek riches for the performance of religions rites by unfair and immoral ways. Wealth aquired by such means can never yield benefits.
स त्वमेवंविधो दान्तः क्षत्रिय: प्रियबान्धवः। प्रजा भृत्यांश्च पुत्रांश्च स्वधर्मेणानुपालय॥
Do you, then, become a Kshatriya of this kind! Do you restrain your senses, be kind to your friends, and cherish, according to the duties of your order, your subjects, servants, and children.
इष्टानिष्टसमायोगे वैरं सौहार्दमेव च। अथ जातिसहस्राणि बहूनि परिवर्तते॥
Through the union of both prosperity and adversity, there arise friendships and enmities. Thousands and thousands of existences are continually revolving, and in every mode of individual Soul's existence these must take place.
तस्माद् गुणेषु रज्येथा मा दोषेषु कथंचन। निर्गुणोऽपि हि दुर्बुद्धिरात्मन: सोऽतिरज्यते॥
Therefore, be attached to good qualities of every sort, but never to faults. Such is the nature of good qualities that if the most foolish person, shorn of every virtue, hears himself praised for any good quality, he becomes filled with joy.
मानुषेषु महाराज धर्माधर्मो प्रवर्ततः। न तथान्येषु भूतेषु मनुष्यरहितेष्विह॥
Virtue and sin exist, O king, only among men. These do not exist among other creatures.
धर्मशीलो नरो विद्वानीहकोऽनीहकोऽपि वा। आत्मभूतः सदा लोके चरेद् भूतान्यहिंसया॥
One should, therefore, whether in need of food and other necessaries of life or above such need, be of virtuous disposition, acquire knowledge, always consider all creatures as his own self, and abstain totally from inflicting any kind of injury.
यदा व्यपेतहल्लेखं मनो भवति तस्य वै। नानृतं चैव भवत तदा कल्याणपृच्छति॥
When one's mind becomes shorn of desire, and when all Darkness is removed from it, it is then that one acquires what is auspicious.