The Brahmin's Stages and Forbidden Work

Verse 1 (12.61.1)

पुनः शिवान्महोदर्कानहिंस्रांल्लोकसंमतान् । ब्रूहि धर्मान्सुखोपायान्मद्विधानां सुखावहान् ॥

punaḥ śivānmahodarkānahiṃsrāṃllokasaṃmatān | brūhi dharmānsukhopāyānmadvidhānāṃ sukhāvahān

Tell me again of the dharmas that are auspicious, that bear great fruit, that are free of harm and approved by the world, that are easy to follow and bring happiness to men like me.

Verse 2 (12.61.2)

ब्राह्मणस्य तु चत्वारस्त्वाश्रमा विहिताः प्रभो । वर्णास्तान्नानुवर्तन्ते त्रयो भारतसत्तम ॥

brāhmaṇasya tu catvārastvāśramā vihitāḥ prabho | varṇāstānnānuvartante trayo bhāratasattama

Four stages of life have been laid down for the Brahmin, O lord; the three other varnas do not follow them, O best of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Wikisource's वर्णास्तान्नानुवर्तन्ते ("the varnas do not follow them") differs from the critical edition's 12.62.2c (varṇās tān anuvartante, "follow them"); Wikisource's reading is good Sanskrit and is kept and translated as printed.

Verse 3 (12.61.3)

उक्तानि कर्माणि बहूनि राज । न्स्वर्ग्याणि राजन्यपरायणानि । शास्त्रस्य सर्वस्य विधौ स्मृतानि । क्षात्रे हि सर्वं विहितं यथावत् ॥

uktāni karmāṇi bahūni rāja | nsvargyāṇi rājanyaparāyaṇāni | śāstrasya sarvasya vidhau smṛtāni | kṣātre hi sarvaṃ vihitaṃ yathāvat

Many actions have been declared, O king, that lead to heaven and have the Kshatriya as their chief concern, recorded in the rules of the whole teaching; for in the Kshatriya's duty everything is duly provided.

Note on the text: The wording differs from the critical edition's 12.62.3 (nemāni dṛṣṭāntavidhau smṛtāni); Wikisource's reading is kept as a recension variant. The line break after राज and न्स्वर्ग्याणि is the page's own division of a word across lines.

Verse 4 (12.61.4)

क्षात्राणि वैश्यानि च सेवमानः । शौद्राणि कर्माणि च ब्राह्मणः सत् । अस्मिँल्लोके निन्दितो मन्दचेताः । परे च लोके निरयं प्रयाति ॥

kṣātrāṇi vaiśyāni ca sevamānaḥ | śaudrāṇi karmāṇi ca brāhmaṇaḥ sat | asmim̐lloke nindito mandacetāḥ | pare ca loke nirayaṃ prayāti

A Brahmin, though a good one, who takes up the works of Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras is despised in this world as dull-witted, and in the next world goes to hell.

Verse 5 (12.61.5)

या संज्ञा विहिता लोके दासे शुनि वृके पशौ । विकर्मणि स्थिते विप्रे तां संज्ञां कुरु पाण्डव ॥

yā saṃjñā vihitā loke dāse śuni vṛke paśau | vikarmaṇi sthite vipre tāṃ saṃjñāṃ kuru pāṇḍava

The name that is fixed in the world for a slave, a dog, a wolf or a beast: give that name, Pandava, to a Brahmin who stands in forbidden work.

Verse 6 (12.61.6)

षट्‌कर्मसंप्रवृत्तस्य आश्रमेषु चतुर्ष्वपि । सर्वधर्मोपपन्नस्य तद्भूतस्य कृतात्मनः ॥

ṣaṭkarmasaṃpravṛttasya āśrameṣu caturṣvapi | sarvadharmopapannasya tadbhūtasya kṛtātmanaḥ

For a Brahmin engaged in the six duties in all four stages of life, endowed with every dharma, become one with it and perfected in self,

Verse 7 (12.61.7)

ब्राह्मणस्य विशुद्धस्य तपस्यभिरतस्य च । निराशिषो वदान्यस्य लोका ह्यक्षरसंज्ञिताः ॥

brāhmaṇasya viśuddhasya tapasyabhiratasya ca | nirāśiṣo vadānyasya lokā hyakṣarasaṃjñitāḥ

pure, delighting in austerity, free of desire and generous, the worlds are called imperishable.

Verse 8 (12.61.8)

यो यस्मिन्कुरुते कर्म यादृशं येन यत्र च । तादृशं तादृशेनैव सगुणं प्रतिपद्यते ॥

yo yasminkurute karma yādṛśaṃ yena yatra ca | tādṛśaṃ tādṛśenaiva saguṇaṃ pratipadyate

Whoever performs whatever act, of whatever kind, by whatever means and in whatever place, obtains by that same means a result of just that kind.

Verse 9 (12.61.9)

वृद्ध्या कृषिवणिक्त्वेन जीवसंजीवनेन च । वेत्तुमर्हसि राजेन्द्र स्वाध्यात्मगुणितेन च ॥

vṛddhyā kṛṣivaṇiktvena jīvasaṃjīvanena ca | vettumarhasi rājendra svādhyātmaguṇitena ca

You should reckon it, O king of kings, by lending at interest, by farming and trade, by living off the lives of creatures, and by what is multiplied through one's own inner discipline.

Note on the text: Wikisource's स्वाध्यात्मगुणितेन च differs from the critical edition's 12.62.9c (svādhyāyagaṇitaṃ mahat); Wikisource's reading is kept as a recension variant.

Verse 10 (12.61.10)

कालसंचोदितः काले कालपर्यायनिश्चितः । उत्तमाधममध्यानि कर्माणि कुरुतेऽवशः ॥

kālasaṃcoditaḥ kāle kālaparyāyaniścitaḥ | uttamādhamamadhyāni karmāṇi kurute'vaśaḥ

Driven by Time, in time, settled by the turning of Time, a man helplessly performs actions — high, low and middling.

Verse 11 (12.61.11)

अन्तवन्ति प्रदानानि परं श्रेयस्कराणि च । स्वकर्मविहितो लोको ह्यक्षरः सर्वतोमुखः ॥

antavanti pradānāni paraṃ śreyaskarāṇi ca | svakarmavihito loko hyakṣaraḥ sarvatomukhaḥ

Gifts have an end, though they bring the highest good. The world ordained by one's own works is imperishable and faces every side.