Yayati on the Stages of Life and the True Sage

Verse 1 (1.85.1)

चरन्गृहस्थः कथमेति धर्मान् । कथं भिक्षुः कथमाचार्यकर्मा । वानप्रस्थः सत्पथे सन्निविष्टो । बहून्यस्मिन्संप्रति वेदयन्ति ॥

carangṛhasthaḥ kathameti dharmān | kathaṃ bhikṣuḥ kathamācāryakarmā | vānaprasthaḥ satpathe sanniviṣṭo | bahūnyasminsaṃprati vedayanti

How does a householder, living out his life, attain the dharmas? How does the mendicant, how the student who serves his teacher, and how the forest-dweller settled on the good path? Many things are taught about this nowadays.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints the first two quarter-lines as one line; split them and added the danda.

Verse 2 (1.85.2)

आहूताध्यायी गुरुकर्मस्वचोद्यः । पूर्वोत्थायी चरमं चोपशायी । मृदुर्दान्तो धृतिमानप्रमत्तः । स्वाध्यायशीलः सिध्यति ब्रह्मचारी ॥

āhūtādhyāyī gurukarmasvacodyaḥ | pūrvotthāyī caramaṃ copaśāyī | mṛdurdānto dhṛtimānapramattaḥ | svādhyāyaśīlaḥ sidhyati brahmacārī

He studies when called, needs no urging in his teacher's tasks, rises before him and lies down after him; gentle, restrained, steady, vigilant and devoted to study, such a student attains success.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वाध्याशीलः → स्वाध्यायशीलः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, as in the critical edition).

Verse 3 (1.85.3)

धर्मागतं प्राप्य धनं यजेत । दद्यात्सदैवातिथीन्भोजयेच्च । अनाददानश्च परैरदत्तं । सैषा गृहस्थोपनिषत्पुराणी ॥

dharmāgataṃ prāpya dhanaṃ yajeta | dadyātsadaivātithīnbhojayecca | anādadānaśca parairadattaṃ | saiṣā gṛhasthopaniṣatpurāṇī

Having gained wealth by righteous means, a man should sacrifice, give constantly and feed his guests, and never take what others have not given. This is the ancient secret teaching for the householder.

Verse 4 (1.85.4)

स्ववीर्यजीवी वृजिनान्निवृत्तो । दाता परेभ्यो न परोपतापी । तादृङ्मुनिः सिद्धिमुपैति मुख्यां । वसन्नरण्ये नियताहारचेष्टः ॥

svavīryajīvī vṛjinānnivṛtto | dātā parebhyo na paropatāpī | tādṛṅmuniḥ siddhimupaiti mukhyāṃ | vasannaraṇye niyatāhāraceṣṭaḥ

Living by his own strength, turned away from wrongdoing, giving to others and causing pain to none, such a muni, dwelling in the forest with his food and conduct restrained, reaches the highest perfection.

Verse 5 (1.85.5)

अशिल्पजीवी गुणवांश्चैव नित्यं । जितेन्द्रियः सर्वतो विप्रयुक्तः । अनोकशायी लघुरल्पप्रसार- । श्चरन्देशानेकचरः स भिक्षुः ॥

aśilpajīvī guṇavāṃścaiva nityaṃ | jitendriyaḥ sarvato viprayuktaḥ | anokaśāyī laghuralpaprasāra- | ścarandeśānekacaraḥ sa bhikṣuḥ

Not living by any craft, ever virtuous, master of his senses, detached from everything, not sleeping under a roof, light, with few belongings, wandering from land to land alone: he is a mendicant.

Verse 6 (1.85.6)

रात्र्या यया वाऽभिजिताश्च लोका । भवन्ति कामाभिजिताः सुखाश्च । तामेव रात्रिं प्रयतेत विद्वा- । नरण्यसंस्थो भवितुं यतात्मा ॥

rātryā yayā vā'bhijitāśca lokā | bhavanti kāmābhijitāḥ sukhāśca | tāmeva rātriṃ prayateta vidvā- | naraṇyasaṃstho bhavituṃ yatātmā

The night through which worlds are won and desires mastered, and happiness gained: on that very night the wise man of controlled self should strive to take up his dwelling in the forest.

Verse 7 (1.85.7)

दशैव पूर्वान्दश चापरांश्च । ज्ञातीनथात्मानमथैकविंशम् । अरण्यवासी सुकृते दधाति । विमुच्यारण्ये स्वशरीरधातून् ॥

daśaiva pūrvāndaśa cāparāṃśca | jñātīnathātmānamathaikaviṃśam | araṇyavāsī sukṛte dadhāti | vimucyāraṇye svaśarīradhātūn

Ten generations of kin before him, ten after, and himself as the twenty-first: the forest-dweller sets them all in merit when he gives up the elements of his body in the forest.

Verse 8 (1.85.8)

कतिस्विदेव मुनयः कति मौनानि चाप्युत । भवन्तीति तदाचक्ष्व श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम् ॥

katisvideva munayaḥ kati maunāni cāpyuta | bhavantīti tadācakṣva śrotumicchāmahe vayam

How many kinds of munis are there, and how many kinds of silence? Tell us this; we wish to hear it.

Verse 9 (1.85.9)

अरण्ये वसतो यस्य ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः । ग्रामे वा वसतोऽरण्यं स मुनिः स्याज्जनाधिप ॥

araṇye vasato yasya grāmo bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ | grāme vā vasato'raṇyaṃ sa muniḥ syājjanādhipa

He for whom, while he lives in the forest, the village lies behind, or, while he lives in the village, the forest lies behind, is a muni, lord of men.

Verse 10 (1.85.10)

कथंस्विद्वसतोऽरण्ये ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः । ग्रामे वा वसतोऽरण्यं कथं भवति पृष्ठतः ॥

kathaṃsvidvasato'raṇye grāmo bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ | grāme vā vasato'raṇyaṃ kathaṃ bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ

How does the village lie behind one who lives in the forest, and how does the forest lie behind one who lives in the village?

Verse 11 (1.85.11)

न ग्राम्यमुपयुञ्जीत य आरण्यो मुनिर्भवेत् । तथास्य वसतोऽरण्ये ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः ॥

na grāmyamupayuñjīta ya āraṇyo munirbhavet | tathāsya vasato'raṇye grāmo bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ

The muni who lives in the forest should make no use of the things of the village. In this way, as he dwells in the forest, the village lies behind him.

Verse 12 (1.85.12)

अनग्निरनिकेतश्चाप्यगोत्रचरणो मुनिः । कौपीनाच्छादनं यावत्तावदिच्छेच्च चीवरम् ॥

anagniraniketaścāpyagotracaraṇo muniḥ | kaupīnācchādanaṃ yāvattāvadicchecca cīvaram

The muni keeps no sacred fire and no home, and claims no clan or Vedic school; he should want clothing only so far as a loincloth and a covering.

Verse 13 (1.85.13)

यावत्प्राणाभिसन्धानं तावदिच्छेच्च भोजनम् । तथाऽस्य वसतो ग्रामेऽरण्यं भवति पृष्ठतः ॥

yāvatprāṇābhisandhānaṃ tāvadicchecca bhojanam | tathā'sya vasato grāme'raṇyaṃ bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ

And he should want food only so far as it keeps life going. In this way, as he dwells in the village, the forest lies behind him.

Verse 14 (1.85.14)

यस्तु कामान्परित्यज्य त्यक्तकर्मा जितेन्द्रियः । आतिष्ठेच्च मुनिर्मौनं स लोके सिद्धिमाप्नुयात् ॥

yastu kāmānparityajya tyaktakarmā jitendriyaḥ | ātiṣṭhecca munirmaunaṃ sa loke siddhimāpnuyāt

The muni who gives up desires, abandons works, masters his senses and keeps to silence attains perfection in the world.

Verse 15 (1.85.15)

धौतदन्तं कृत्तनखं सदा स्नातमलङ्कृतम् । असितं सितकर्माणं कस्तमर्हति नार्चितुम् ॥

dhautadantaṃ kṛttanakhaṃ sadā snātamalaṅkṛtam | asitaṃ sitakarmāṇaṃ kastamarhati nārcitum

His teeth cleaned, his nails pared, always bathed and adorned, dark of body yet bright in his deeds: who would not honour such a one?

Verse 16 (1.85.16)

तपसा कर्शितः क्षामः क्षीणमांसास्थिशोणितः । स च लोकमिमं जित्वा लोकं विजयते परम् ॥

tapasā karśitaḥ kṣāmaḥ kṣīṇamāṃsāsthiśoṇitaḥ | sa ca lokamimaṃ jitvā lokaṃ vijayate param

Wasted by austerity, lean, his flesh, bone and blood worn away, he too conquers this world and wins the world beyond.

Note on the text: Matched by hand: the first line is the critical edition 1.86.16ab; the second line repeats 16ef with स च for अथ and is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 17 (1.85.17)

यदा भवति निर्द्वन्द्वो मुनिर्मौनं समास्थितः । अथ लोकमिमं जित्वा लोकं विजयते परम् ॥

yadā bhavati nirdvandvo munirmaunaṃ samāsthitaḥ | atha lokamimaṃ jitvā lokaṃ vijayate param

When the muni who keeps to silence becomes free of the pairs of opposites, then, having conquered this world, he wins the world beyond.

Note on the text: Matched by hand to the critical edition 1.86.16cdef (Wikisource divides the critical edition's three-line verse differently).

Verse 18 (1.85.18)

आस्येन तु यदाऽहारं गोवन्मृगयते मुनिः । अथास्य लोकः सर्वोऽयं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥

āsyena tu yadā'hāraṃ govanmṛgayate muniḥ | athāsya lokaḥ sarvo'yaṃ so'mṛtatvāya kalpate

When the muni seeks his food with his mouth alone, like a cow, then this whole world is his, and he becomes fit for immortality.

Verse 19 (1.85.19)

सामान्यधर्मः सर्वेषां क्रोधो लोभो द्रुहाऽक्षमा । विहाय मत्सरं शाठ्यं दर्पं दम्भं च पैशुनम् । क्रोधं लोभं ममत्वं च यस्य नास्ति स धर्मवित् ॥

sāmānyadharmaḥ sarveṣāṃ krodho lobho druhā'kṣamā | vihāya matsaraṃ śāṭhyaṃ darpaṃ dambhaṃ ca paiśunam | krodhaṃ lobhaṃ mamatvaṃ ca yasya nāsti sa dharmavit

This is the duty common to all: anger, greed, malice and impatience, envy, deceit, arrogance, hypocrisy and slander must be cast aside. He in whom there is no anger, no greed and no sense of "mine" is the one who knows dharma.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints these lines in its apparatus, 1.86.17*862).

Verse 20 (1.85.20)

नित्याशनो ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थो वनगो मुनिः । नाधर्ममशनात्प्राप्येत्कथं ब्रूहीह पृच्छते ॥

nityāśano brahmacārī gṛhastho vanago muniḥ | nādharmamaśanātprāpyetkathaṃ brūhīha pṛcchate

The student, the householder, the forest-dweller and the muni all eat every day. How does one avoid incurring wrong through eating? Tell me this, for I am asking.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints these lines in its apparatus, 1.86.17*862).

Verse 21 (1.85.21)

अष्टौ ग्रासा मुनेः प्रोक्ताः षोडशारण्यवासिनः । द्वात्रिंशत्तु गृहस्थस्य अमितं ब्रह्मचारिणः ॥

aṣṭau grāsā muneḥ proktāḥ ṣoḍaśāraṇyavāsinaḥ | dvātriṃśattu gṛhasthasya amitaṃ brahmacāriṇaḥ

Eight mouthfuls are prescribed for the muni, sixteen for the forest-dweller, thirty-two for the householder, and no limit for the student.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints these lines in its apparatus, 1.86.17*862).

Verse 22 (1.85.22)

इत्येवं कारणैर्ज्ञेयमष्टकैतच्छुभाशुभम् ॥

ityevaṃ kāraṇairjñeyamaṣṭakaitacchubhāśubham

In this way, Ashtaka, by these reasons one should understand what is auspicious and what is not.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition prints this line in its apparatus, 1.86.17*862).