The Four Stages of Life

Verse 1 (12.60.1)

आश्रमाणां महाबाहो शृणु सत्यपराक्रम । चतुर्णामपि नामानि कर्माणि च युधिष्ठिर ॥

āśramāṇāṃ mahābāho śṛṇu satyaparākrama | caturṇāmapi nāmāni karmāṇi ca yudhiṣṭhira

Hear, O mighty-armed one of true valour, of the four stages of life — their names and their duties, Yudhishthira.

Verse 2 (12.60.2)

वानप्रस्थं भैक्षचर्यं गार्हस्थ्यं च महाश्रमम् । ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमं प्राहुश्चतुर्थं ब्रह्मणेरितम् ॥

vānaprasthaṃ bhaikṣacaryaṃ gārhasthyaṃ ca mahāśramam | brahmacaryāśramaṃ prāhuścaturthaṃ brahmaṇeritam

They are the life of the forest-dweller, the life of the mendicant, and the householder's life, the great stage; the stage of the student is called the fourth, as proclaimed by Brahma.

Verse 3 (12.60.3)

चूडाकरणसंस्कारं द्विजातित्वमवाप्य च । आधानादीनि कर्माणि प्राप्य वेदानधीत्य च ॥

cūḍākaraṇasaṃskāraṃ dvijātitvamavāpya ca | ādhānādīni karmāṇi prāpya vedānadhītya ca

Having received twice-born status through the rite of tonsure and the rest, having performed the rites that begin with the setting up of the sacred fires, and having studied the Vedas,

Verse 4 (12.60.4)

सदारो वाऽप्यदारो वा विनीतः संयतेन्द्रियः । वानप्रस्थाश्रमं गच्छेत्कृतकृत्यो गृहाश्रमात् ॥

sadāro vā'pyadāro vā vinītaḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ | vānaprasthāśramaṃ gacchetkṛtakṛtyo gṛhāśramāt

whether with a wife or without, humble and with his senses controlled, he may go from the householder's stage to the forest-dweller's stage, his duties done.

Verse 5 (12.60.5)

तत्रारण्यकशास्त्राणि समधीत्य स धर्मवित् । ऊर्ध्वरेताः प्रजा हित्वा गच्छत्यक्षरसात्मताम् ॥

tatrāraṇyakaśāstrāṇi samadhītya sa dharmavit | ūrdhvaretāḥ prajā hitvā gacchatyakṣarasātmatām

There, having studied the forest books, that knower of dharma, holding his seed upward and leaving his offspring behind, goes to oneness with the Imperishable.

Verse 6 (12.60.6)

एतान्येव निमित्तानि मुनीनामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् । कर्तव्यानीह विप्रेण राजन्नादौ विपश्चिता ॥

etānyeva nimittāni munīnāmūrdhvaretasām | kartavyānīha vipreṇa rājannādau vipaścitā

These very observances of the sages who hold their seed upward are to be carried out here, O king, at the start, by the wise Brahmin.

Verse 7 (12.60.7)

चरितब्रह्मचर्यस्य ब्राह्मणस्य विशांपते । भैक्षचर्यास्वधीकारः प्रशस्तो देहमोक्षणे ॥

caritabrahmacaryasya brāhmaṇasya viśāṃpate | bhaikṣacaryāsvadhīkāraḥ praśasto dehamokṣaṇe

For a Brahmin who has practised celibacy, O lord of the people, entry upon the life of begging is praised as the way to be freed from the body.

Verse 8 (12.60.8)

यत्रास्तमितशायी स्यान्निरग्निरनिकेतनः । यथोपलब्धजीवी स्यान्मुनिर्दान्तो जितेन्द्रियः ॥

yatrāstamitaśāyī syānniragniraniketanaḥ | yathopalabdhajīvī syānmunirdānto jitendriyaḥ

Let him sleep wherever sunset finds him, without fire and without a home, living on whatever he obtains — a sage, self-controlled, with his senses conquered.

Verse 9 (12.60.9)

निराशीर्निर्नमस्कारो निर्भोगो निर्विकारवान् । विप्रः क्षेमाश्रमं प्राप्तो गच्छत्यक्षरसात्मताम् ॥

nirāśīrnirnamaskāro nirbhogo nirvikāravān | vipraḥ kṣemāśramaṃ prāpto gacchatyakṣarasātmatām

Without wishes, without salutations, without enjoyments, free of change, a Brahmin who has reached the stage of safety goes to oneness with the Imperishable.

Verse 10 (12.60.10)

अधीत्य वेदान्कृतसर्वकृत्यः । संतानमुत्पाद्य सुखानि भुक्त्वा । समाहितः प्रचरेद्दुश्चरं तं । गार्हस्थ्यधर्मं मुनिधर्मजुष्टम् ॥

adhītya vedānkṛtasarvakṛtyaḥ | saṃtānamutpādya sukhāni bhuktvā | samāhitaḥ pracaredduścaraṃ taṃ | gārhasthyadharmaṃ munidharmajuṣṭam

Having studied the Vedas and done all that was to be done, having begotten offspring and enjoyed pleasures, let him with a collected mind practise the hard-to-follow householder's dharma, which the way of the sages also favours.

Verse 11 (12.60.11)

स्वदारतुष्टस्त्वृतुकालगामी । नियोगसेवी न शठो न जिह्नः । मिताशनो देवरतः कृतज्ञः । सत्यो मृदुश्चानृशंसः क्षमावान् ॥

svadāratuṣṭastvṛtukālagāmī | niyogasevī na śaṭho na jihnaḥ | mitāśano devarataḥ kṛtajñaḥ | satyo mṛduścānṛśaṃsaḥ kṣamāvān

Content with his own wife and going to her only in her season; following his duties, neither deceitful nor crooked; moderate in eating, devoted to the gods, grateful, truthful, gentle, kind and forbearing —

Verse 12 (12.60.12)

दान्तो विधेयो हव्यकव्याप्रमत्तो । ह्यन्नस्य दाता सततं द्विजेभ्यः । अमत्सरी सर्वलिङ्गप्रदाता । वैताननित्यश्च गृहाश्रमी स्यात् ॥

dānto vidheyo havyakavyāpramatto | hyannasya dātā satataṃ dvijebhyaḥ | amatsarī sarvaliṅgapradātā | vaitānanityaśca gṛhāśramī syāt

self-controlled, obedient, careful in offerings to the gods and the ancestors, ever a giver of food to the twice-born, free of envy, a giver to those who bear the marks of any order, and constant in the Vedic fire rites: such should a householder be.

Verse 13 (12.60.13)

अथात्र नारायणगीतमाहु । र्महर्षयस्तात महानुभावाः । महार्थमत्यन्ततपः प्रयुक्तं । तदुच्यमानं हि मया निबोध ॥

athātra nārāyaṇagītamāhu | rmaharṣayastāta mahānubhāvāḥ | mahārthamatyantatapaḥ prayuktaṃ | taducyamānaṃ hi mayā nibodha

Now, dear one, the great and glorious sages speak here of a song of Narayana, of great meaning and joined with intense austerity; as I recite it, listen.

Verse 14 (12.60.14)

सत्यार्जवं चातिथिपूजनं च । धर्मस्तथार्थश्च रतिः स्वदारैः । निषेवितव्यानि सुखानि लोके । ह्यस्मिन्परे चैव मतं ममैतत् ॥

satyārjavaṃ cātithipūjanaṃ ca | dharmastathārthaśca ratiḥ svadāraiḥ | niṣevitavyāni sukhāni loke | hyasminpare caiva mataṃ mamaitat

Truthfulness and uprightness, honouring of guests, dharma and wealth, and delight in one's own wives: these joys are to be cultivated in the world, both in this life and in the next. This is my view.

Verse 15 (12.60.15)

भरणं पुत्रदाराणां वेदानां चानुपालनम् । सेवतामाश्रमं श्रेष्ठं वदन्ति परमर्षयः ॥

bharaṇaṃ putradārāṇāṃ vedānāṃ cānupālanam | sevatāmāśramaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ vadanti paramarṣayaḥ

The support of one's sons and wives and the guarding of the Vedas: for those who follow it, the great sages call this the best stage.

Verse 16 (12.60.16)

एवं हि यो ब्राह्मणो यज्ञशीलो । गार्हस्थ्यमध्यावसते यथावत् । गृहस्थवृत्तिं प्रतिगाह्य सम्य । क्स्वर्गे विशुद्धं फलमश्नुते सः ॥

evaṃ hi yo brāhmaṇo yajñaśīlo | gārhasthyamadhyāvasate yathāvat | gṛhasthavṛttiṃ pratigāhya samya | ksvarge viśuddhaṃ phalamaśnute saḥ

The Brahmin who, devoted to sacrifice, lives the householder's life rightly in this manner, having fully taken up the householder's way of living, gains in heaven a pure fruit.

Verse 17 (12.60.17)

तस्य देहं परित्यज्य इष्टकामाक्षया मताः । आनन्त्यायोपकल्पन्ते सर्वतोक्षिशिरोमुखाः ॥

tasya dehaṃ parityajya iṣṭakāmākṣayā matāḥ | ānantyāyopakalpante sarvatokṣiśiromukhāḥ

When he has left his body, the desires he cherished are held to be imperishable; they stand ready for him for endless time, with eyes, heads and mouths on every side.

Note on the text: Wording differs from the critical edition's 12.61.17 (tasya dehaparityāgād iṣṭāḥ kāmākṣayā matāḥ / ānantyāyopatiṣṭhanti …); Wikisource's परित्यज्य is kept as a recension variant.

Verse 18 (12.60.18)

वसन्नेको जपन्नेकः सर्वान्वेदान्युधिष्ठिर । एकस्मिन्नेव चाचार्ये शुश्रूषुर्मलपङ्कवान् ॥

vasanneko japannekaḥ sarvānvedānyudhiṣṭhira | ekasminneva cācārye śuśrūṣurmalapaṅkavān

Dwelling alone and reciting all the Vedas alone, Yudhishthira, serving one teacher only, and wearing the dirt and mud of his austerity —

Verse 19 (12.60.19)

ब्रह्मचारी व्रती नित्यं नित्यं दीक्षापरो वशी । गुरुच्छायानुगो नित्यमधीयानः सुयन्त्रितः । अविचाल्यव्रतोपेतं कृत्यं कुर्वन्वसेत्सदा ॥

brahmacārī vratī nityaṃ nityaṃ dīkṣāparo vaśī | gurucchāyānugo nityamadhīyānaḥ suyantritaḥ | avicālyavratopetaṃ kṛtyaṃ kurvanvasetsadā

A student bound by his vow, ever under discipline, ever intent on initiation, self-controlled; following his teacher's shadow always, studying, well restrained: let him live always doing his appointed tasks, with his vows unshaken.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backticks and a single quote mark) around the middle line and its doubled danda, which Wikisource prints as an inset line; the three lines are kept. The critical edition has lines 1 and 3 as 12.61.19a, 19c (avicārya tathā vedaṃ kṛtyaṃ kurvan vaset sadā; Wikisource's third line reads अविचाल्यव्रतोपेतं, a recension variant) and the middle line as star passage 12.61.19b*0139_01 (guroś chāyānugo nityam adhīyānaḥ suyantritaḥ).

Verse 20 (12.60.20)

शुश्रूषां सततं कुर्वन्गुरोः संप्रणमेत च । षट्‌कर्मस्वनिवृत्तश्च न प्रवृत्तश्च सर्वशः ॥

śuśrūṣāṃ satataṃ kurvanguroḥ saṃpraṇameta ca | ṣaṭkarmasvanivṛttaśca na pravṛttaśca sarvaśaḥ

Constantly serving his teacher and bowing to him; neither wholly turned away from the six duties nor wholly engaged in them.

Verse 21 (12.60.21)

नाचरत्यधिकारेण सेवेत द्विषतो न च । एषोऽऽश्रमपदस्तात ब्रह्मचारिण इष्यते ॥

nācaratyadhikāreṇa seveta dviṣato na ca | eṣo''śramapadastāta brahmacāriṇa iṣyate

He does not carry himself as one in authority, and he does not wait on those who hate him. Such, dear one, is the footing of the student.