Critical Edition
अष्टक उवाच चरन्गृहस्थः कथमेति देवा;न्कथं भिक्षुः कथमाचार्यकर्मा वानप्रस्थः सत्पथे संनिविष्टो; बहून्यस्मिन्संप्रति वेदयन्ति
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said: Those that are learned in the Vedas differ in opinions as regards the respective methods which should be practised by the Grihastas, Brahmacharis, Bhikshus and Vanaprasthas, so that they may acquire religious merits.
ययातिरुवाच आहूताध्यायी गुरुकर्मस्वचोद्यः; पूर्वोत्थायी चरमं चोपशायी मृदुर्दान्तो धृतिमानप्रमत्तः; स्वाध्यायशीलः सिध्यति ब्रह्मचारी
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said: A Brahmachari must do the following. When he will live in the house of his preceptor, he must receive lessons only when his preceptor will call him to do it. He must serve his preceptor without waiting for his command. He must rise before his preceptor from his bed and go to bed after him. He must be humble, self-controlled, patient, vigilant and devoted to study.
धर्मागतं प्राप्य धनं यजेत; दद्यात्सदैवातिथीन्भोजयेच्च अनाददानश्च परैरदत्तं; सैषा गृहस्थोपनिषत्पुराणी
M. N. Dutt: It is said in the oldest Upanishad that he must perform sacrifices after acquiring wealth by honest means. He should spend it in charity; he should be hospitable to all that would come to his house; he should never use anything without giving a portion to others.
स्ववीर्यजीवी वृजिनान्निवृत्तो; दाता परेभ्यो न परोपतापी तादृङ्मुनिः सिद्धिमुपैति मुख्यां; वसन्नरण्ये नियताहारचेष्टः
M. N. Dutt: A Muni (Brahmachari) should live in the forest, depending on his own vigour and without searching for food. He should abstain from all vicious acts; he should give away in charity; he should never inflict pain upon any creatures. It is then only that he can gain success.
अशिल्पजीवी नगृहश्च नित्यं; जितेन्द्रियः सर्वतो विप्रमुक्तः अनोकसारी लघुरल्पचार;श्चरन्देशानेकचरः स भिक्षुः
M. N. Dutt: He is a true Bhikshu, who does not support himself by any manual labour, who possesses many accomplishments, who has his passions under complete control, who is thoroughly unconnected with all worldly concerns, who does not sleep under the shelter of a householder's roof, who is without wife and who travels over many countries, going some distance every day.
रात्र्या यया चाभिजिताश्च लोका; भवन्ति कामा विजिताः सुखाश्च तामेव रात्रिं प्रयतेत विद्वा;नरण्यसंस्थो भवितुं यतात्मा
AI Translation: By that night, the worlds are conquered, and desires and happiness are conquered. That very night, the wise one should strive to be in the state of the Self, with a controlled mind.
दशैव पूर्वान्दश चापरांस्तु; ज्ञातीन्सहात्मानमथैकविंशम् अरण्यवासी सुकृते दधाति; विमुच्यारण्ये स्वशरीरधातून्
AI Translation: He gives ten to the ancestors and ten to the descendants, and himself the twenty-first. The forest-dweller places himself in good deeds, having abandoned his body in the forest.
अष्टक उवाच कति स्विदेव मुनयो मौनानि कति चाप्युत भवन्तीति तदाचक्ष्व श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्
M. N. Dutt: Ashtaka said : How many kinds of Munis are there and how many kinds of Munis (observers of vows)? We desire to hear all this.
ययातिरुवाच अरण्ये वसतो यस्य ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः ग्रामे वा वसतोऽरण्यं स मुनिः स्याज्जनाधिप
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said: O king, he is a true Muni, who possesses all things pertaining to a village though living in the forest and also possesses all things pertaining to the forest though living in a village.
अष्टक उवाच कथं स्विद्वसतोऽरण्ये ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः ग्रामे वा वसतोऽरण्यं कथं भवति पृष्ठतः
AI Translation: Aṣṭaka said: How does a village become behind one while dwelling in the forest? Or how does the forest become behind one while dwelling in a village?
ययातिरुवाच न ग्राम्यमुपयुञ्जीत य आरण्यो मुनिर्भवेत् तथास्य वसतोऽरण्ये ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः
M. N. Dutt: Yayati said : A Muni lives in the forest after withdrawing himself from all worldly objects. But though he never seeks to possess things pertaining to a village, he may yet get them by his ascetic powers.
अनग्निरनिकेतश्च अगोत्रचरणो मुनिः कौपीनाच्छादनं यावत्तावदिच्छेच्च चीवरम्
AI Translation: One who is without fire, without a home, without a caste or lineage, a sage, One who is content with a single cloth garment, one who desires a robe.
यावत्प्राणाभिसंधानं तावदिच्छेच्च भोजनम् तथास्य वसतो ग्रामेऽरण्यं भवति पृष्ठतः
AI Translation: As long as one is alive, one should desire food. And while living in a village, the forest becomes behind.
यस्तु कामान्परित्यज्य त्यक्तकर्मा जितेन्द्रियः आतिष्ठेत मुनिर्मौनं स लोके सिद्धिमाप्नुयात्
AI Translation: But he who, having renounced desires, has given up all actions, and has conquered the senses, and who would observe silence as a sage, he would attain success in this world.
धौतदन्तं कृत्तनखं सदा स्नातमलंकृतम् असितं सितकर्मस्थं कस्तं नार्चितुमर्हति
M. N. Dutt: Why should you not revere the man who lives on pure food, who refrains from injuring others, whose heart is ever holy, who is effulgent in his ascetic merits, who is free from the leaden weight of desire and who abstains from injury even when it is sanctioned by the scriptures?
तपसा कर्शितः क्षामः क्षीणमांसास्थिशोणितः यदा भवति निर्द्वन्द्वो मुनिर्मौनं समास्थितः अथ लोकमिमं जित्वा लोकं विजयते परम्
M. N. Dutt: Emaciated by hard asceticism and reduced in marrow, blood and flesh, such a Muni not only conquers this world, but the highest world.
आस्येन तु यदाहारं गोवन्मृगयते मुनिः अथास्य लोकः पूर्वो यः सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते
M. N. Dutt: The Muni who eats like the kine and other animals, without providing for it beforehand and without any relish, becomes identified with the whole universe.
Supplementary Passages:
1.86.17 After 17, D4 (marg.) S ins.: *862 सामान्यधर्मः सर्वेषां क्रोधलोभौ द्रुहाक्षमे विहाय मत्सरं स्तैन्यं दर्पं दम्भं च पैशुनम् क्रोधं लोभं ममत्वं च यस्य नास्ति स धर्मवित् अष्टकः नित्यस्नायी ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थो वनगो मुनिः नाधर्ममशनात्प्राप्येत्कथं ब्रूहीह पृच्छतः ययातिः अष्टौ ग्रासा मुनेर्भक्ष्याः षोडशारण्यवासिनः द्वात्रिंशतं गृहस्थस्य अमितं ब्रह्मचारिणः इत्येवं कारणं ज्ञेयमष्टकैतच्छुभाशुभम्