व्यास उवाच त्रयीं विद्यामवेक्षेत वेदेषूक्तामथाङ्गतः। ऋक्सामवर्णाक्षरतो यजुषोऽथर्वणस्तथा॥ तिष्ठत्येतेषु भगवान् षट्सु कर्मसु संस्थितः।
Vyasa said The three-fold knowledge which occurs in the Vedas and their branches should be required. That knowledge is to be got from the Richs, the Samans, and the sciences called Varna and Akshara. There are besides, the Yajushas and the Atharvans. The Divine Being lives in the six sorts of acts indicated in these.
वेदवादेषु कुशला ह्यध्यात्मकुशलाश्च ये॥ सत्त्ववन्तो महाभागाः पश्यन्ति प्रभवाप्ययौ।
They who are well-read in the injunctions of the Vedas, who have knowledge of the Soul, who are attached to the quality of Goodness, and who are highly blessed, succeed in understanding the origin and the end of all things.
एवं धर्मेण वर्तेत क्रियां शिष्टवदाचरेत्॥ असंरोधेन भूतानां वृत्तिं लिप्सेत वै द्विजः।
A Brahmana should follow the duties laid down in the Vedas. He should do all his works like a good man of controlled soul. He should acquire his livelihood without injuring any creature.
सद्भय आगतविज्ञान: शिष्टः शास्त्रविचक्षणः॥ स्वधर्मेण क्रिया लोके कुर्वाणः सत्यसंगरः। तिष्ठते तेषु गृहवान् घट्सु कर्मसु स द्विजः॥
Having derived knowledge from the good and wise, he should govern his passions and desires. Well-versed in the scriptures, he should follow those duties which have been laid down for him, and do all works in this world guided by the qualities of goodness. Living even like a house-holder, the Brahmana should perform the six acts already spoken of.
पञ्चभि सततं यज्ञैः श्रद्दधानो यजेत च। धृतिमानप्रमत्तश्च दान्तो धर्मविदात्मवान्॥ वीतहर्षमदक्रोधो ब्राह्मणो नावसीदति।
With his heart full of faith, he should adore the deities in the five well-known sacrifices. Possessed of patience, ever vigilant, having self-control, conversant with duties, with a purified soul, divested of joy, pride, and anger, the Brahmana should never sink in langour.
दानमध्ययनं यज्ञस्तपो हीरार्जवं दमः॥ एतैर्वर्धयते तेजः पाप्मानं चापकर्षति।
Gifts, study of the Vedas, sacrifices, penances, modesty, guilelessness and selfcontrol,-these increase one's energy and dissipate one's sins.
धूतपाप्मा च मेधावी लघ्वाहारो जितेन्द्रियः॥ कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा निनीषेद् ब्रह्मण: पदम्।
One gifted with intelligence should be abstemious in diet and should conquer his senses. Indeed, having subdued both lust and anger and having dissipated all his sins, he should try to attain Brahina.
अग्नींश्च ब्राह्मणांश्चार्चेद् देवताः प्रणमेत च॥ वर्जयेदुशती वाचं हिंसां चाधर्मसंहिताम्।
He should adore the Fire and Brahmanas, and bow to the gods. He should avoid all sorts of inauspicious talk, and all acts of unrighteous talk, and all acts of unrighteous injury.
एषा पूर्वगता वृत्तिाह्मणस्य विधीयते॥ ज्ञानागमेन कर्माणि कुर्वन् कर्मसु सिध्यति।
This preliminary course of conduct is first sanctioned for a Brahmana. Subsequently, when knowledge comes, he should begin work, for success lies in works.
पञ्चेन्द्रियजलां घोरां लोभकूला सुदुस्तराम्॥ मन्युपङ्कामनाधृष्यां नदी तरति बुद्धिमान्।
The Brahmana who is gifted with intelligence succeeds in crossing over the river of life that is so difficult to cross and so furious a and terrible, having the five senses for its waters, cupidity for its origin, and anger for its mire.
कालमभ्युद्यतं पश्येन्नित्यमत्यन्तमोहनम्॥ महता विधिदृष्टेन बलेनाप्रतिघातिना।
He should never overlook the fact that Time stands behind him in threatening mien,-Time who is the great stupefier of all things, and who is armed with a very great and irresistible force issuing from the great Creator himself.
स्वभावस्रोतसा वृत्तमुह्यते सततं जगत्॥
Formed by the current of Nature, the universe is being ceaselessly carried along.
कालोदके महता वर्षावर्तेन संततम्। मासोमिंणर्तुवगेन पक्षोलपतृणेन च॥ निमेषोन्मेषफेनेन अहोरात्रजलेन च। कामग्राहेण घोरेण वेदयज्ञप्लवेन च॥ धर्मद्वीपेन भूतानां चार्थकामजलेन च। ऋतवाङ्मोक्षतीरेण विहिसातरुवाहिना॥ युगह्रदौघमध्येन ब्रह्मप्रायभवेन च। धात्रा सृष्टानि भूतानि कृष्यन्ते यमसादनम्॥
The powerful river of Time, overspread with eddies formed by the years, having the months for its waves and the seasons for its current, the fortnights for its floating straw and grass, and the rise and fall of the eyelids for its froth, the days and the nights for its water, and desire and lust for its dreadful crocodiles, the Vedas and sacrifices for its rafts, and the righteousness of creatures for its islands, and Profit and Pleasure for its springs, Truthfulness of Speech and Liberation for its shores, benevolence for the trees floating along it, and the Yugas for the lakes along its course.-the powerful river of Time-which has an origin as inconceivable as that of Brahma itself, is ceaselessly carrying away all beings created by the great Ordainer towards the adobe of Yaina.
एतत् प्रज्ञामयैर्धीरा निस्तरन्ति मनीषिणः। प्लवैरप्लववन्तो हि किं करिष्यन्त्यचेतसः॥
Wise and patient persons always succeed in crossing over this dreadful river by engaging the rafts of knowledge and wisdom. What, however, can insensiate fools, destitute of similar rafts, do?
उपपन्नं हि यत् प्राज्ञो निस्तरेन्नेतरो जनः। दूरतो गुणदोषौ हि प्राज्ञः सर्वत्र पश्यति॥
It is reasonable that only he that is wise should succeed in crossing this river and not the man of little understanding. The former sees from a distance the merits and faults of everything.
संशयं स तु कामात्मा चलचित्तोऽल्पचेतनः। अप्राज्ञो न तरत्येनं यो ह्यास्ते न स गच्छति॥
The man, however, of weak and little understanding, and whose soul is full of desire and cupidity, is always stricken with doubt. Hence, the man shorn of wisdom never succeeds in crossing over that stream. He also who sits inactively, can never cross it over.
अप्लवो हि महादोषं मुह्यमानो नियच्छति। कामग्राहगृहीतस्य ज्ञानमप्यस्य न प्लवः॥
The man shorn of the raft of wisdom in consequence of his having to bear the heavy burden of great faults, sinks down. One that is seized by the crocodile of desire, even if endued with knowledge, can never make knowledge his raft.
तस्मादुन्मज्जनस्यार्थे प्रयतेत विचक्षणः। एतदुन्मज्जनं तस्य यदयं ब्राह्मणो भवेत्॥
For these reasons the wise and intelligent {}}en should try to float over the stream of Time. He indeed, succeeds in keeping himself afloat who knows Brahma.
अवदातेषु संजातस्त्रिसंदेहस्त्रिकर्मकृत्। तस्मादुन्पज्जने तिष्ठेत् प्रज्ञया निस्तरेद् यथा।॥
One born in a noble family, abstaining from the three duties of teaching, officiating at other's sacrifices, and accepting gifts, and doing only the three other acts, viz., studying, Sacrificing, and giving, should, for those reasons, try to float over the river. Such a man is sure to cross it over helped by the raft of wisdom.
संस्कृतस्य हि दान्तस्य नियतस्य यतात्मनः। प्राज्ञस्यानन्तरा सिद्धिरिहलोके परत्र च॥
One who is pure in conduct, who is selfcontrolled and observant of good vows, whose soul is under restraint, and who is endued with wisdom, certainly gains success in this and the other world.
वर्तेत तेषु गृहवानक्रुद्ध्यननसूयकः। पजभिः सततं यज्ञैर्विघसाशी यजेत च॥
The Brahmana living like a house-holder should conquer anger and envy, practise the virtues already named, and adoring the gods in the five sacrifices, eat after having fed the gods, Pitris, and guests.
सतां धर्मेण वर्तेत क्रियां शिष्टवदाचरेत्। असंरोधेन लोकस्य वृत्तिं लिप्सेदगर्हिताम्॥
He should perform those duties which are observed by the good; he should, do all his acts like a self-controlled person and he should without injuring any creature, earn his livelihood by following a course which is not censurable.
श्रुतिविज्ञानतत्त्वज्ञः शिष्टाचारो विचक्षणः। स्वधर्मेण क्रियावांश्च कर्मणा सोऽप्यसंकरः॥ क्रियावाश्रद्दधानो हि दान्तः प्राज्ञोऽनसूयकः। धर्माधर्मविशेषज्ञः सर्वं तरन्ति दुस्तरम्॥
One who is well-read in the truths of the Vedas and the other branches of knowledge, whose conduct is like that of a person of wellgoverned soul, who is gifted with a clear vision, who follows the duties of his order, who does not by his acts make an intermixture of duties, who follows the observances laid down in the scriptures, who is endued with wisdom, who is shorn of envy and malice, and who is well conversant with the differences between righteous and iniquity, succeeds in overcoming all his difficulties.
धृतिमानप्रमत्तश्च दान्तो धर्मविदात्मवान्। वीतहर्षमदक्रोधो ब्राह्मणो नावसीदति॥
That Brahmana who is gifted with fortitude, who is always careful, who is self-controlled who is conversant with righteousness, whose soul is under restraint, and who has gone over joy, pride, and anger, has never to languish in grief,
एषा पुरातनी वृत्तिर्ब्राह्मणस्य विधीयते। ज्ञानवत्त्वेन कर्माणि कुर्वन् सर्वत्र सिध्यति॥
This is the course of conduct laid down in days of yore for a Brahmana. He should try to acquire knowledge, and do all the scriptural acts. By living thus, he is sure to acquire Success.
अधर्मं धर्मकामो हि करोति ह्यविचक्षणः। धर्मं वाधर्मसंकाशं शोचत्रिव करोति सः॥
One who is not gifted with clear vision, does wrong even when one wishes to do right. By even exercising his judgement, such a person, does such acts of virtue as are wrong.
मधर्मकामश्च करोति धर्मम्। उभे बाल: कर्मणी न प्रजानन् स जायते म्रियते चापि देही॥
Desiring to do what is right one does what is wrong. Likewise desiring to do what is wrong, one does what is right. Such a person is a fool. Not knowing the two kinds of acts, one has to go through repeated re-births and deaths.