Critical Edition
व्यास उवाच द्वितीयमायुषो भागं गृहमेधी गृहे वसेत् धर्मलब्धैर्युतो दारैरग्नीनुत्पाद्य सुव्रतः
M. N. Dutt: 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 कविभिः स्मृताः कुसूलधान्यः प्रथमः कुम्भीधान्यस्त्वनन्तरम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 परः परो ज्यायान्धर्मतो लोकजित्तमः
M. N. Dutt: 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 गृहमेधिव्रतान्यत्र महान्तीह प्रचक्षते
M. N. Dutt: 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).
नात्मार्थं पाचयेदन्नं न वृथा घातयेत्पशून् प्राणी वा यदि वाप्राणी संस्कारं यजुषार्हति
AI Translation: One should not cook food for oneself, nor should one kill animals for no reason. Whether it is an animal or not, it deserves to be purified by the Yajus.
न दिवा प्रस्वपेज्जातु न पूर्वापररात्रयोः न भुञ्जीतान्तराकाले नानृतावाह्वयेत्स्त्रियम्
AI Translation: One should not sleep during the day, nor in the early or late part of the night. One should not eat at the wrong time, nor call a woman by a false name.
नास्यानश्नन्वसेद्विप्रो गृहे कश्चिदपूजितः तथास्यातिथयः पूज्या हव्यकव्यवहाः सदा
AI Translation: A Brāhmaṇa should not live in a house where he is not honoured, without being fed. His guests should always be honoured, those who offer oblations and those who receive oblations
वेदविद्याव्रतस्नाताः श्रोत्रिया वेदपारगाः स्वधर्मजीविनो दान्ताः क्रियावन्तस्तपस्विनः तेषां हव्यं च कव्यं चाप्यर्हणार्थं विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: 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.
न खरैः संप्रयातस्य स्वधर्माज्ञानकस्य च अपविद्धाग्निहोत्रस्य गुरोर्वालीककारिणः
AI Translation: Not for one who has gone to the forest, who does not know his own duty, or for one who has abandoned the Agnihotra, or for one who has deceived his teacher,
संविभागोऽत्र भूतानां सर्वेषामेव शिष्यते तथैवापचमानेभ्यः प्रदेयं गृहमेधिना
AI Translation: The sharing of all beings is enjoined here. And to those who are in need, the householder should give.
विघसाशी भवेन्नित्यं नित्यं चामृतभोजनः अमृतं यज्ञशेषं स्याद्भोजनं हविषा समम् भृत्यशेषं तु योऽश्नाति तमाहुर्विघसाशिनम्
M. N. Dutt: 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.
Supplementary Passages:
12.235.11 After 11, K6 V1 B0.6-9 Da3.a4 Dn1.n4 Ds D2.3.5.7.8 Editions ins.: *685 विघसं भृत्यशेषं तु यज्ञशेषमथामृतम्
स्वदारनिरतो दान्तो ह्यनसूयुर्जितेन्द्रियः ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्यैर्मातुलातिथिसंश्रितैः
AI Translation: One who is devoted to one's own wife, self-controlled, free from envy, and with senses under control, One who is supported by priests, family priests, teachers, maternal uncles, guests,
वृद्धबालातुरैर्वैद्यैर्ज्ञातिसंबन्धिबान्धवैः मातापितृभ्यां जामीभिर्भ्रात्रा पुत्रेण भार्यया
AI Translation: By the aged, the young, the sick, by physicians, by relatives, friends, and kinsmen, By mother and father, by sons-in-law, by brothers, by
दुहित्रा दासवर्गेण विवादं न समाचरेत् एतान्विमुच्य संवादान्सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
AI Translation: One should not quarrel with one's daughter or with the group of servants. By avoiding these quarrels, one is freed from all sins.
एतैर्जितैस्तु जयति सर्वाँल्लोकान्न संशयः आचार्यो ब्रह्मलोकेशः प्राजापत्ये पिता प्रभुः
AI Translation: By conquering these, one conquers all worlds, there is no doubt. The teacher is the lord of the world of Brahman, the father is the lord of Prajapati,
अतिथिस्त्विन्द्रलोकेशो देवलोकस्य चर्त्विजः जामयोऽप्सरसां लोके वैश्वदेवे तु ज्ञातयः
M. N. Dutt: 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.
संबन्धिबान्धवा दिक्षु पृथिव्यां मातृमातुलौ वृद्धबालातुरकृशास्त्वाकाशे प्रभविष्णवः
M. N. Dutt: 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 दाशवर्गस्तु दुहिता कृपणं परम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 गृहधर्मरतो विद्वान्धर्मनित्यो जितक्लमः
M. N. Dutt: 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 धर्मं वा कंचिदाचरेत् गृहस्थवृत्तयस्तिस्रस्तासां निःश्रेयसं परम्
M. N. Dutt: 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.
परस्परं तथैवाहुश्चातुराश्रम्यमेव तत् ये चोक्ता नियमास्तेषां सर्वं कार्यं बुभूषता
M. N. Dutt: 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.
कुम्भीधान्यैरुञ्छशिलैः कापोतीं चास्थितैस्तथा यस्मिंश्चैते वसन्त्यर्हास्तद्राष्ट्रमभिवर्धते
M. N. Dutt: 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.
दश पूर्वान्दश परान्पुनाति च पितामहान् गृहस्थवृत्तयस्त्वेता वर्तयेद्यो गतव्यथः
M. N. Dutt: 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 चक्रचरलोकानां सदृशीं प्राप्नुयाद्गतिम् यतेन्द्रियाणामथ वा गतिरेषा विधीयते
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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.
स्वर्गलोके गृहस्थानां प्रतिष्ठा नियतात्मनाम् ब्रह्मणा विहिता श्रेणिरेषा यस्मात्प्रमुच्यते द्वितीयं क्रमशः प्राप्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते
M. N. Dutt: 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 परममुदारमाश्रमं; तृतीयमाहुस्त्यजतां कलेवरम् वनौकसां गृहपतिनामनुत्तमं; शृणुष्वैतत्क्लिष्टशरीरकारिणाम्
M. N. Dutt: 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.