Yajnavalkya's Teaching on Varna-Dharma

Verse 1 (garuda.1.93.1)

महेश्वर उवाच । याज्ञवल्क्येन यत्पूर्वं धर्मं प्रोक्तं कथं हरे ! । तन्मे काथय केशिघ्न ! यथा तत्त्वेन माधव !

maheśvara uvāca yājñavalkyena yatpūrvaṁ dharmaṁ proktaṁ kathaṁ hare ! tanme kāthaya keśighna ! yathā tattvena mādhava !

Maheshvara said: O Hari, O slayer of Keshi, O Madhava, tell me truly that dharma which was formerly declared by Yajnavalkya.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.93.2)

हरिरुवाच । याज्ञवल्क्यं नमस्कृत्य मिथिलायां समास्थितम् । अपृच्छन्नॄषयो गत्वा वर्णधर्माद्यशेषतः । तेभ्यः स कथयामास विष्णुं ध्यात्वा जितेन्द्रियः

hariruvāca yājñavalkyaṁ namaskṛtya mithilāyāṁ samāsthitam apṛcchannṝṣayo gatvā varṇadharmādyaśeṣataḥ tebhyaḥ sa kathayāmāsa viṣṇuṁ dhyātvā jitendriyaḥ

Hari said: The sages, having gone and bowed to Yajnavalkya, who resided in Mithila, asked him about the entire dharma of the varnas and the rest. He, having meditated on Vishnu and being of controlled senses, spoke to them —

Verse 3 (garuda.1.93.3)

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच । यस्मिन्देशे मृगः कृष्णस्तस्मिन्धर्मान्निबोधत । पुराणन्यायमीमांसाधर्मशास्त्राङ्गमिश्रिताः

yājñavalkya uvāca yasmindeśe mṛgaḥ kṛṣṇastasmindharmānnibodhata purāṇanyāyamīmāṁsādharmaśāstrāṅgamiśritāḥ

Yajnavalkya said: In the land where the black antelope roams — there, learn the dharmas, as taught in conjunction with the Puranas, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Dharmashastra, and the Vedangas —

Verse 4 (garuda.1.93.4)

वेदाः स्थानानि विद्यानां धर्मस्य च चतुर्दश । वक्तारो धर्मशास्त्राणां मनुर्विष्णुर्यमोऽङ्गिराः

vedāḥ sthānāni vidyānāṁ dharmasya ca caturdaśa vaktāro dharmaśāstrāṇāṁ manurviṣṇuryamo'ṅgirāḥ

and the Vedas — these fourteen are the sources of learning and of dharma. The declarers of the Dharmashastras are Manu, Vishnu, Yama, Angiras,

Verse 5 (garuda.1.93.5)

वसिष्ठदक्षसंवर्त्तशातातपपराशराः । आपस्तम्बोशनोव्यासाः कात्यायनबृहस्पती

vasiṣṭhadakṣasaṁvarttaśātātapaparāśarāḥ āpastambośanovyāsāḥ kātyāyanabṛhaspatī

Vasishtha, Daksha, Samvarta, Shatatapa, Parashara, Apastamba, Ushanas, Vyasa, Katyayana, Brihaspati,

Verse 6 (garuda.1.93.6)

गौतमः शङ्खलिखितो हारीतोऽत्रिरहं तथा । एते विष्णुं समाराध्य जाता धर्मोपदेशकाः

gautamaḥ śaṅkhalikhito hārīto'trirahaṁ tathā ete viṣṇuṁ samārādhya jātā dharmopadeśakāḥ

Gautama, Shankha, Likhita, Harita, Atri, and I myself — these, having duly worshipped Vishnu, became teachers of dharma.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.93.7)

देशकाल उपायेन द्रव्यं श्रद्धासमन्वितम् । पात्रे प्रदीयते यत्तत्सकलं धर्मलक्षणम्

deśakāla upāyena dravyaṁ śraddhāsamanvitam pātre pradīyate yattatsakalaṁ dharmalakṣaṇam

Whatever wealth, accompanied by faith, is given by proper means, at the right place and time, to a worthy recipient — all that is the mark of dharma.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.93.8)

इज्याचारो दमोऽहिंसा दानं स्वाध्यायकर्म च । अयं च परमो धर्मो यद्योगेनात्मदर्शनम्

ijyācāro damo'hiṁsā dānaṁ svādhyāyakarma ca ayaṁ ca paramo dharmo yadyogenātmadarśanam

Sacrifice, right conduct, self-restraint, non-violence, giving, and the practice of Vedic recitation — and this is the supreme dharma: the vision of the self through yoga.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.93.9)

चत्वारो वेदधर्मज्ञाः परास्रैविद्यमेव वा । सा ब्रूते यत्स्वधर्मः स्यादेको वाध्यात्मवित्तमः

catvāro vedadharmajñāḥ parāsraividyameva vā sā brūte yatsvadharmaḥ syādeko vādhyātmavittamaḥ

Those learned in the four Vedas, or those learned in the threefold Vedic science, are knowers of dharma; that assembly declares what one's own dharma should be — or a single person, foremost in knowledge of the self, may declare it.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.93.10)

ब्रह्मक्षात्त्रियविट्शूद्रा वर्णास्त्वाद्यास्त्रयो द्विजाः । निषेकाद्याः श्मशानान्तास्तेषां वै मन्त्रतः क्रियाः

brahmakṣāttriyaviṭśūdrā varṇāstvādyāstrayo dvijāḥ niṣekādyāḥ śmaśānāntāsteṣāṁ vai mantrataḥ kriyāḥ

The varnas are brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra; the first three are the twice-born. Their rites, performed with mantras, extend from the rite of conception to the final rite at the cremation ground —

Verse 11 (garuda.1.93.11)

गर्भाधानमृतौ पुंसः सवनं स्पन्दनात्पुरा । षष्ठेऽष्टमे वा सीमन्तः प्रसवे जातकर्म च

garbhādhānamṛtau puṁsaḥ savanaṁ spandanātpurā ṣaṣṭhe'ṣṭame vā sīmantaḥ prasave jātakarma ca

Garbhadhana at the proper season; Pumsavana before the child's first movement; Simantonnayana in the sixth or eighth month; Jatakarma at birth;

Verse 12 (garuda.1.93.12)

अहन्येकादशे नाम चतुर्थे मासि निष्क्रमः । षष्ठेऽन्नप्राशनं मासि चूडां कुर्य्याद्यथाकुलम्

ahanyekādaśe nāma caturthe māsi niṣkramaḥ ṣaṣṭhe'nnaprāśanaṁ māsi cūḍāṁ kuryyādyathākulam

the naming rite on the eleventh day; Nishkramana in the fourth month; Annaprashana in the sixth month; and the tonsure rite should be performed according to family custom —

Verse 13 (garuda.1.93.13)

एवमेनः शमं याति बीजगर्भसमुद्भवम् । तूष्णीमेताः क्रियाः स्त्रीणां विवाहश्च समन्त्रकः

evamenaḥ śamaṁ yāti bījagarbhasamudbhavam tūṣṇīmetāḥ kriyāḥ strīṇāṁ vivāhaśca samantrakaḥ

thus is the impurity arising from seed and womb pacified. For women, these rites are performed without mantras — except marriage, which is performed with mantras.