Critical Edition
पराशर उवाच प्रतिग्रहागता विप्रे क्षत्रिये शस्त्रनिर्जिताः वैश्ये न्यायार्जिताश्चैव शूद्रे शुश्रूषयार्जिताः स्वल्पाप्यर्थाः प्रशस्यन्ते धर्मस्यार्थे महाफलाः
AI Translation: Parashara said: For a Brahmin, wealth obtained through gifts; for a Kshatriya, wealth obtained through conquest; For a Vaishya, wealth obtained through fair means; for a Shudra, wealth obtained through service. Even small wealth is praised for the sake of Dharma, which yields great fruits.
नित्यं त्रयाणां वर्णानां शूद्रः शुश्रूषुरुच्यते क्षत्रधर्मा वैश्यधर्मा नावृत्तिः पतति द्विजः शूद्रकर्मा यदा तु स्यात्तदा पतति वै द्विजः
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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 विक्रयो लोहचर्मणोः
AI Translation: and the descent into the arena, and the enjoyment of form, and the enjoyment of liquor and meat, and the sale of iron and leather,
अपूर्विणा न कर्तव्यं कर्म लोके विगर्हितम् कृतपूर्विणस्तु त्यजतो महान्धर्म इति श्रुतिः
AI Translation: One should not do an act that is condemned in the world, if it has not been done before. But if it has been done before, then there is great merit in abandoning it, so says the Veda.
संसिद्धः पुरुषो लोके यदाचरति पापकम् मदेनाभिप्लुतमनास्तच्च नग्राह्यमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: 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.
श्रूयन्ते हि पुराणे वै प्रजा धिग्दण्डशासनाः दान्ता धर्मप्रधानाश्च न्यायधर्मानुवर्तकाः
M. N. Dutt: 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 नॄणामिह राजन्प्रशस्यते धर्मवृद्धा गुणानेव सेवन्ते हि नरा भुवि
M. N. Dutt: 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 तेऽन्वाविशन्प्रजाः
M. N. Dutt: The Asuras, however, O child, could not bear that virtue, which prevailed in the world. Multiplying the Asuras entered the bodies of inen.
तेषां दर्पः समभवत्प्रजानां धर्मनाशनः दर्पात्मनां ततः क्रोधः पुनस्तेषामजायत
M. N. Dutt: 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 ह्रीश्चैवाप्यनशद्राजंस्ततो मोहो व्यजायत
M. N. Dutt: When men thus became overwhelmed with anger, modesty and shame disappeared from them, and then they were possessed by carelessness.
ततो मोहपरीतास्ते नापश्यन्त यथा पुरा परस्परावमर्देन वर्तयन्ति यथासुखम्
M. N. Dutt: 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.
तान्प्राप्य तु स धिग्दण्डो नकारणमतोऽभवत् ततोऽभ्यगच्छन्देवांश्च ब्राह्मणांश्चावमन्य ह
M. N. Dutt: 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 अगच्छञ्शरणं वीरं बहुरूपं गणाधिपम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 तिस्रोऽप्येकेन बाणेन देवाप्यायिततेजसा
M. N. Dutt: 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.
तेषामधिपतिस्त्वासीद्भीमो भीमपराक्रमः देवतानां भयकरः स हतः शूलपाणिना
M. N. Dutt: 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.
तस्मिन्हतेऽथ स्वं भावं प्रत्यपद्यन्त मानवाः प्रावर्तन्त च वेदा वै शास्त्राणि च यथा पुरा
M. N. Dutt: 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.
ततोऽभ्यषिञ्चन्राज्येन देवानां दिवि वासवम् सप्तर्षयश्चान्वयुञ्जन्नराणां दण्डधारणे
M. N. Dutt: 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 विपृथुर्नाम पार्थिवः राजानः क्षत्रियाश्चैव मण्डलेषु पृथक्पृथक्
M. N. Dutt: 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 वृत्ताः पूर्वतराश्च ये तेषामथासुरो भावो हृदयान्नापसर्पति
M. N. Dutt: There were, in those ancient times, certain clderly men from whose minds all wicked feelings did not disappear.
तस्मात्तेनैव भावेन सानुषङ्गेन पार्थिवाः आसुराण्येव कर्माणि न्यषेवन्भीमविक्रमाः
M. N. Dutt: 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 स्थापयन्ति च भजन्ते तानि चाद्यापि ये बालिशतमा नराः
M. N. Dutt: Those human beings, who are very foolish follow those wicked acts, establish them as authorities, and practise them to this day.
तस्मादहं ब्रवीमि त्वां राजन्संचिन्त्य शास्त्रतः संसिद्धाधिगमं कुर्यात्कर्म हिंसात्मकं त्यजेत्
M. N. Dutt: 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 विचिन्वीत विचक्षणः धर्मार्थं न्यायमुत्सृज्य न तत्कल्याणमुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: 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 क्षत्रियः प्रियबान्धवः प्रजा भृत्यांश्च पुत्रांश्च स्वधर्मेणानुपालय
M. N. Dutt: 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.
इष्टानिष्टसमायोगो वैरं सौहार्दमेव च अथ जातिसहस्राणि बहूनि परिवर्तते
M. N. Dutt: 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.
तस्माद्गुणेषु रज्येथा मा दोषेषु कदाचन निर्गुणो यो हि दुर्बुद्धिरात्मनः सोऽरिरुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: 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 धर्माधर्मौ प्रवर्ततः न तथान्येषु भूतेषु मनुष्यरहितेष्विह
M. N. Dutt: Virtue and sin exist, O king, only among men. These do not exist among other creatures.
धर्मशीलो नरो विद्वानीहकोऽनीहकोऽपि वा आत्मभूतः सदा लोके चरेद्भूतान्यहिंसयन्
M. N. Dutt: 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 व्यपेतहृल्लेखं मनो भवति तस्य वै नानृतं चैव भवति तदा कल्याणमृच्छति
M. N. Dutt: 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.