व्यास उवाच द्वितीयमायुषो भागं गृहमेधी गृहे वसेत्। धर्मलब्धैर्युतो दारैरग्नीनाहृत्य सुव्रतः॥
Vayasa said Performing meritorious vows, ihe house holder, for the second period of his life, should live in his house, having married according to the ordinance and having established a fire.
गृहस्थवृत्तयश्चैव चतस्रः कविभि: स्मृताः। कुसूलधान्यः प्रथमः कुम्भधान्यस्त्वनन्तरम्॥
Four kinds of conduct have been enunciated by the learned for the domestic mode of life. The first consists of keeping grain in store sufficient to last for three years. The second is of keeping a store to last for one year.
अश्वस्तनोऽथ कापोतीमाश्रितो वृत्तिमाहरेत्। तेषां पर: परो ज्यायान् धर्मतो धर्मजित्तमः॥
The thirds is of providing for the day without thinking of the borrow. The fourth consists of collecting grain like a pegion. Of these cach one is superior in merit to its predecessor as has been laid down by the scriptures.
षट्कर्मा वर्तयत्येकस्त्रिभिरन्यः प्रवर्तते। द्वाभ्यामेकश्चतुर्थस्तु ब्रह्मसत्रे व्यवस्थितः॥
Observing the first kind of conduct a householder may practise all the six well as known duties. He who observes the second kind of conduct should perform three only of these duties, namely learning, giving and taking. He who follows the third kind of conduct should practise only two of the duties (viz., learning, and giving and taking. He who follows the third kind of conduct should practise only two of duties (viz., learning, and giving). The householder practising the fourth mode of life should observe only one duty (viz., reading the scriptures).
गृहमेधिव्रतान्यत्र महान्तीह प्रचक्षते। नात्मार्थे पाचयेदनं न वृथा घातयेत् पशून्॥
The duties of the householder are all considered highly meritorious. The householder should never cook any food only for his own use; nor should lie kill animals (for food) except in sacrifices.
प्राणी वा यदि वाप्राणी संस्कारं यजुषार्हति। न दिवा प्रस्वपेज्जातु न पूर्वापररात्रिषु॥
If a householder wishes to slay (for food), or to cut down a tree (for fuel), he should do both the acts according to the ritual laid down in the Yajur for that much is due to both animate and inanimate creation. The householder should never sleep during the day, or in the first or the last part of the night.
न भुञ्जीतान्तरा काले नानृतावाह्वयेत् स्त्रियम्। नास्यानश्नन् गृह विप्रे वसेत् कश्चिदपूजितः॥
He should never take two meals between morning and evening, and should never call his wife to bed except in her season. In his house no Brahmana should be allowed to remain unfed or unadorned.
तथास्यातिथयः पूज्या हव्यकव्यवहाः सदा। वेदविद्याव्रतस्नाताः श्रोत्रिया वेदपारगाः॥ स्वधर्मजीविनो दान्ताः क्रियावन्तस्तपस्विनः। तेषां हव्यं च कव्यं चाप्यहणार्थं विधीयते॥
He should always adore such guests who present sacrificial offerings, who are cleansed by Vedic learning, who observe excellent vows, who are high-born and conversant with the scriptures, who are self-controlled, mindful of all religious acts, and devoted to penances. The scriptures hold that what is offered to the gods and the departed manes in sacrifices and religious rites, is meant for the service of guests like these.
नखरैः सम्प्रयातस्य स्वधर्मज्ञापकस्य च। अपविद्धाग्निहोत्रस्य गुरोर्वालीककारिणः॥ संविभागोऽत्र भूतानां सर्वेषामेव शिष्यते। तथैवापचमानेभ्यः प्रदेयं गृहमेधिना॥
In this mode of life. the scriptures hold that a portion of food, should be given to every creature, to one, who for the sake of show, keeps his nails and beard, to one who from pride shows what his own (religious) practises are, to one who has unduly abandoned his sacred fire, and even to one who has injured his preceptor. A house holder should give (food) to Brahmacharins and Sanyasins.
विघसाशी भवेन्नित्यं नित्यं चामृतभोजनः। अमृतं यज्ञशेषं स्याद् भोजनं हविषा समम्॥ भृत्यशेषं तु योऽश्नाति तमाहुर्विघसाशिनम्।
The house-holder, should every day eat Vighasa and ambrosia. Mixed with clarified butter, the remains of the food, which is offered in sacrifices, make ambrosia. That householder who eats after having fed his servants, is said to eat Vighasa. The food, which remains after the servants have been fed, is called Vighasa, and that which is left after the presentation of sacrificial offerings, is called Amrita.
विघसं भृत्यशेषं तु यज्ञशेषमथामृतम्॥ स्वदारनिरतो दान्तो ह्यनसूयुर्जितेन्द्रियः।
A householder should be content with his own married wife. He should be selfcontrolled. He should avoid malice and control his senses.
ऋत्विक पुरोहिताचार्यैर्मातुलातिथिसंश्रितैः॥ वृद्धवालातुरैर्वेद्यैातिसम्बन्धिबान्धवैः मातापितृभ्यां जामीभिर्धात्रा पुत्रेण भार्यया॥ दुहित्रा दासवर्गेण विवादं न समाचरेत्।
He should never fall out with his sacrificial priest, ordinary, and preceptor, with his maternal uncle and guests and dependants, with the aged and the young, with those who suffer from diseases, with those who practise as physicians, with kinsmen, relatives, and friends, with his parents, with women who belong to his own paternal family, with his brother and son and wife, with his daughter, and with his servants.
एतान् विमुच्य संवादान् सर्वपापैर्विमुच्यते॥ एतैर्जितस्तु जयति सर्वाल्लोकान् न संशयः।
By avoiding quarrels with these, the householder becomes purged of all sins. By conquering such disputes, he succeeds in conquering all the blessed regions. There is no doubt in this.
आचार्यो ब्रह्मलोकेशः प्राजापत्ये पिता प्रभुः॥ अतिथिस्त्विन्द्रलोकस्य देवलोकस्य चर्विजः। जामयोऽप्सरसां लोके वैश्वदेवे तु ज्ञातयः॥
The preceptor is able to take one to the regions of Brahman. The father can take to the regions of Prajapati. The guest is powerful enough to lead to the region of Indra. The priest has the power to take to the regions of the celestials. Female relatives on the father's side have power over the regions of the Apsaras, and blood relatives over the regions of the Vishvedevas.
सम्बन्धिबान्धवा दिक्षु पृथिव्यां मातृमातुलौ। वृद्धवालातुरकृशास्त्वाकाशे प्रभविष्णवः॥
Relation by marriage and collateral kinsmen have power over the several quarters of the horizon (viz., north, etc.) and the mother and the maternal uncle have power over the Earth. The old, the young, the afflicted, the worn out have power over the firmament.
भ्राता ज्येष्ठः समः पित्रा भार्या पुत्रः स्वका तनुः। छाया स्वा दासवर्गश्च दुहिता कृपणं परम्॥
The eldest brother is like a father to all his younger brother). The wife and the son are one's own body. One's menial servants are his shadow. The daughter is an object of great love.
तस्मादेतैरधिक्षिप्तः सहेन्नित्यमसंज्वरः। गृहधर्मपरो विद्वान् धर्मशीलो जितक्लमः॥
Therefore a householder, gifted with learning, observant of duties and endued with endurance, should hear without excitement or anxiety every sort of annoyance and even censure from the last-named relatives.
न चार्थबद्धः कर्माणि धर्मवान् कश्चिदाचरेत्। गृहस्थवृत्तयस्तिस्रस्तासां निःश्रेयसं परम्॥
No pious householder should do any act, out of consideration for money. There are three courses of duly attached to the domestic mode of a life. Of these every succeeding one is more meritorious than the preceding one.
परं परं तथैवाहुश्चातुराश्रम्यमेव तत्। यथोक्ता नियमास्तेषां सर्वं कार्यं बुभूषता॥
The same rule of merit holds good regarding the four modes of life also viz., every succeeding one is superior to the one preceding it.
कुम्भधान्यैरुञ्छशिलैः कापोतीं चास्थितास्तथा। यस्मिश्चैते वसन्त्यहीस्तद् राष्ट्रमभिवर्धते॥
That kingdom becomes prosperous where these highly deserving persons dwell viz., those who live like householders according to the Kumbhadhanya method, they who live according to the Uncha method, and they who live according to the Kapoti method.
पूर्वान् दश दश परान् पुनाति च पितामहान्। गृहस्थवृत्तीश्चाप्येता वर्तयेद् यो गतव्यथः॥
That man, who cheerfully lives like a householder, observing those duties, succeeds in sanctifying ten generations of his ancestors above and ten generations below.
स चक्रधरलोकानां सदृशीमाप्नुयाद् गतिम्। जितेन्द्रियाणामथवा गतिरेषा विधीयते॥
A householder, duly observing the duties of domestic life, acquires what gives in the end happiness, equal to what takes place in the regions attained by great kings and emperors. Even such is the end of those who have controlled their senses.
स्वर्गलोको गृहस्थानामुदारमनसां हितः। स्वर्गो विमानसंयुक्तो वेददृष्टः सुपुष्पितः॥
Heaven has been ordained for all great householders. That heaven is filled with charming cars for each. Even that is the charming heaven described in the Vedas.
स्वर्गलोको गृहस्थानां प्रतिष्ठा नियतात्मनाम्। ब्रह्मणा विहिता योनिरेषा यस्माद् विधीयते। द्वितीयं क्रमशः प्राप्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते॥
The regions of heaven form the high mead for all householders of controlled minds. The Self-born Brahma ordained that the domestic life, should secure heaven, and since it has been so ordained, a person, by gradually following the second mode of life, obtains happiness in heaven.
अतः परं परममुदारमाश्रम तृतीयमाहुस्त्यजतां कलेवरम्। वनौकसां गृहपतिनामनुत्तमं शृणुष्व संश्लिष्टशरीरकारिणाम्॥
After this comes that high and superior mode of life, called the third, for those that are desirous of renouncing their bodies. Superior to that of householders is the life of hermits,-who reduce their bodies into skeletons overlaid with dried skins. Listen as I describe to this subject to you further more.