Madalasa's Words on the Duties of Caste and the Stages of Life

Verse 1 (markandeya.28.1)

जड उवाच । तन्मातुर्वचनं श्रुत्वा सोऽलर्को मातरं पुनः । पप्रच्छ वर्णधर्मांश्च धर्मा ये चाश्रमेषु च॥ २८.१ ॥

jaḍa uvāca tanmāturvacanaṃ śrutvā so 'larko mātaraṃ punaḥ papraccha varṇadharmāṃśca dharmā ye cāśrameṣu ca

Jada said: Having heard his mother's words, Alarka again asked his mother about the duties proper to the castes and about the duties belonging to the stages of life.

Verse 2 (markandeya.28.2)

अलर्क उवाच । कथितोऽयं महाभागे ! राज्यतन्त्राश्रितस्त्वया । धर्मं तमहमिच्छामि श्रोतुं वर्णाश्रमात्मकम्॥ २८.२ ॥

alarka uvāca kathito 'yaṃ mahābhāge ! rājyatantrāśritastvayā dharmaṃ tamahamicchāmi śrotuṃ varṇāśramātmakam

Alarka said, "O most blessed one, you have told me this dharma that rests on statecraft. Now I wish to hear the dharma that belongs to caste and to the stages of life."

Verse 3 (markandeya.28.3)

मदालसोवाच । दानमध्ययनं यज्ञो ब्राह्मणस्य त्रिधा मतः । नान्यश्चतुर्थो धर्मोऽस्ति धर्मस्तस्यापदं विना॥ २८.३ ॥

madālasovāca dānamadhyayanaṃ yajño brāhmaṇasya tridhā mataḥ nānyaścaturtho dharmo 'sti dharmastasyāpadaṃ vinā

Madalasa said, "Giving, study, and sacrifice — these three are held to be the dharma of the brahmana; apart from times of distress, he has no fourth dharma."

Verse 4 (markandeya.28.4)

याजनाध्यापने शुद्धे तथा पूतप्रतिग्रहः । एषा सम्यक् समाख्यता त्रिविधा चास्य जीविका॥ २८.४ ॥

yājanādhyāpane śuddhe tathā pūtapratigrahaḥ eṣā samyak samākhyatā trividhā cāsya jīvikā

"Officiating at others' sacrifices and teaching, when done purely, and accepting pure gifts — this threefold livelihood has been properly assigned to him."

Verse 5 (markandeya.28.5)

दानमध्ययनं यज्ञः क्षत्रियस्याप्ययं त्रिधा । धर्मः प्रोक्तः क्षिते रक्षा शस्त्राजीवञ्च जीविका॥ २८.५ ॥

dānamadhyayanaṃ yajñaḥ kṣatriyasyāpyayaṃ tridhā dharmaḥ proktaḥ kṣite rakṣā śastrājīvañca jīvikā

"Giving, study, and sacrifice — this same threefold dharma is declared for the kshatriya too; and the protection of the earth, with livelihood gained through arms, is his means of subsistence."

Verse 6 (markandeya.28.6)

दानमध्ययनं यज्ञो वैश्यस्यापि त्रिधैव सः । वाणिज्यं पाशुपाल्यञ्च कृषिश्चैवास्य जीविका॥ २८.६ ॥

dānamadhyayanaṃ yajño vaiśyasyāpi tridhaiva saḥ vāṇijyaṃ pāśupālyañca kṛṣiścaivāsya jīvikā

"Giving, study, and sacrifice — this same threefold dharma belongs to the vaishya too; and trade, the rearing of cattle, and agriculture are his livelihood."

Verse 7 (markandeya.28.7)

दानं यज्ञोऽथ शुश्रूषा द्विजातीनां त्रिधा मया । व्याख्यातः शूद्रधर्मोऽपि जीविका कारुकर्म च॥ २८.७ ॥

dānaṃ yajño 'tha śuśrūṣā dvijātīnāṃ tridhā mayā vyākhyātaḥ śūdradharmo 'pi jīvikā kārukarma ca

"Giving, sacrifice, and service to the twice-born — this threefold dharma of the shudra I have likewise explained; his livelihood is craft and skilled labor."

Verse 8 (markandeya.28.8)

तद्वद् द्विजातिशुश्रूषा पोषणं क्रयविक्रयौ । वर्णधर्मास्त्विमे प्रोक्ताः श्रूयन्तां चाश्रमाश्रयाः॥ २८.८ ॥

tadvad dvijātiśuśrūṣā poṣaṇaṃ krayavikrayau varṇadharmāstvime proktāḥ śrūyantāṃ cāśramāśrayāḥ

"In the same way, service to the twice-born, the support of dependents, and buying and selling — these have been declared as the duties belonging to the varnas. Now hear also the duties belonging to the ashramas."

Verse 9 (markandeya.28.9)

स्ववर्णधर्मात् संसिद्धिं नरः प्राप्नोति न च्युतः । प्रयाति नरकं प्रेत्य प्रतिषिद्धनिषेवणात्॥ २८.९ ॥

svavarṇadharmāt saṃsiddhiṃ naraḥ prāpnoti na cyutaḥ prayāti narakaṃ pretya pratiṣiddhaniṣevaṇāt

"A man who does not fall away from the dharma of his own caste attains fulfillment; but one who engages in what is forbidden goes, after death, to hell."

Verse 10 (markandeya.28.10)

यावत्तु नोपनयनं क्रियते वै द्विजन्मनः । कामचेष्टोक्तिभक्ष्यश्च तावद् भवति पुत्रक॥ २८.१० ॥

yāvattu nopanayanaṃ kriyate vai dvijanmanaḥ kāmaceṣṭoktibhakṣyaśca tāvad bhavati putraka

"Until the sacred-thread ceremony is performed for the twice-born, my son, he may act, speak, and eat as he pleases."

Verse 11 (markandeya.28.11)

कृतोपनयनः सम्यग् ब्रह्मचारी गुरुर्गृहे । वसेत्तत्र च धर्मोऽस्य कथ्यते तं निबोध मे॥ २८.११ ॥

kṛtopanayanaḥ samyag brahmacārī gururgṛhe vasettatra ca dharmo 'sya kathyate taṃ nibodha me

"Once the sacred-thread ceremony has been properly performed, he becomes a celibate student and should dwell in his teacher's house. His duty in that stage is now told — understand it from me."

Verse 12 (markandeya.28.12)

स्वाध्यायोऽथाग्रिशुश्रूषा स्नानं भिक्षाटनं तथा । गुरोर्निवेद्य तच्चान्नमनुज्ञातेन सर्वदा॥ २८.१२ ॥

svādhyāyo 'thāgriśuśrūṣā snānaṃ bhikṣāṭanaṃ tathā gurornivedya taccānnamanujñātena sarvadā

"Vedic study, tending the sacred fire, bathing, and going out for alms; and always eating that alms-food only after reporting it to the teacher and receiving his permission."

Verse 13 (markandeya.28.13)

गुरोः कर्मणि सोद्योगः सम्यक् प्रीत्युपपादनम् । तेनाहूतः पठेच्चैव तत्परो नान्यमानसः॥ २८.१३ ॥

guroḥ karmaṇi sodyogaḥ samyak prītyupapādanam tenāhūtaḥ paṭheccaiva tatparo nānyamānasaḥ

"Being diligent in the teacher's tasks, rightly earning his affection, studying only when called by him, devoted wholly to that, with the mind fixed on nothing else."

Verse 14 (markandeya.28.14)

एकं द्वौ सकलान् वापि वेदान् प्राप्य गुरोर्मुखात् । अनुज्ञातोऽथ वन्दित्वा दक्षिणां गुरवे ततः॥ २८.१४ ॥

ekaṃ dvau sakalān vāpi vedān prāpya gurormukhāt anujñāto 'tha vanditvā dakṣiṇāṃ gurave tataḥ

"Having received one, two, or all of the Vedas from his teacher's own mouth, and having received leave and paid him homage, he should then offer his teacher the customary fee."

Verse 15 (markandeya.28.15)

गार्हस्थ्याश्रमकामस्तु गृहस्थाश्रममावसेत् । वानप्रस्थाश्रमं वापि चतुर्थं चेच्छयात्मनः॥ २८.१५ ॥

gārhasthyāśramakāmastu gṛhasthāśramamāvaset vānaprasthāśramaṃ vāpi caturthaṃ cecchayātmanaḥ

"If he desires the householder's life, let him enter the householder's stage; or, according to his own wish, he may take up the forest-dwelling stage, or the fourth stage of renunciation."

Verse 16 (markandeya.28.16)

तत्रैव वा गुरोर्गेहे द्विजो निष्ठामवाप्नुयात् । गुरोरभावे तत्पुत्रे तच्छिष्ये तत्सुतं विना॥ २८.१६ ॥

tatraiva vā gurorgehe dvijo niṣṭhāmavāpnuyāt gurorabhāve tatputre tacchiṣye tatsutaṃ vinā

"Or the twice-born may remain settled there in his teacher's own house; in the teacher's absence, with his son; and, failing the son, with his senior disciple."

Verse 17 (markandeya.28.17)

शुश्रूषुर्निरभिमानो ब्रह्मचार्याश्रमं वसेत् । उपावृत्तस्ततस्तस्मात् गृहस्थाश्रमकाम्यया॥ २८.१७ ॥

śuśrūṣurnirabhimāno brahmacāryāśramaṃ vaset upāvṛttastatastasmāt gṛhasthāśramakāmyayā

"Serving without pride, he should dwell in the student's stage of life; then, having withdrawn from it, he may proceed, out of his own desire, into the householder's stage."

Verse 18 (markandeya.28.18)

ततोऽसमानर्षिकुलां तुल्यां भार्यामरोगिणीम् । उद्वहेन्न्यायतोऽव्यङ्गां गृहस्थाश्रमकारणात्॥ २८.१८ ॥

tato 'samānarṣikulāṃ tulyāṃ bhāryāmarogiṇīm udvahennyāyato 'vyaṅgāṃ gṛhasthāśramakāraṇāt

"Then, for the sake of the householder's life, he should rightfully marry a wife of equal standing but not of his own sage-lineage, one who is healthy and free from bodily defect."

Verse 19 (markandeya.28.19)

स्वकर्मणा धनं लब्ध्वा पितृदेवातिथींस्तथा । सम्यक् सम्प्रीणयन् भक्त्या पोषयेच्चाश्रितांस्तथा॥ २८.१९ ॥

svakarmaṇā dhanaṃ labdhvā pitṛdevātithīṃstathā samyak samprīṇayan bhaktyā poṣayeccāśritāṃstathā

"Having earned wealth through his proper work, and duly and devotedly satisfying the ancestors, the gods, and guests, he should likewise support those who depend on him."

Verse 20 (markandeya.28.20)

भृत्यात्मजान् जामयोऽथ दीनान्धपतितानपि । यथाशक्त्यान्नदानेन वयांसि पशवस्तथा॥ २८.२० ॥

bhṛtyātmajān jāmayo 'tha dīnāndhapatitānapi yathāśaktyānnadānena vayāṃsi paśavastathā

"Servants, one's own children, sisters, and also the destitute, the blind, and the fallen, as well as birds and beasts, should be given food according to one's means."

Verse 21 (markandeya.28.21)

एष धर्मो गृहस्थस्य ऋतावभिगमस्तथा । पञ्चयज्ञविधानन्तु यथाशक्त्या न हापयेत्॥ २८.२१ ॥

eṣa dharmo gṛhasthasya ṛtāvabhigamastathā pañcayajñavidhānantu yathāśaktyā na hāpayet

"This is the dharma of the householder — along with approaching his wife only during her fertile season; and, according to his ability, he must not neglect the performance of the five great daily sacrifices."

Verse 22 (markandeya.28.22)

पितृदेवातिथिज्ञातिभुक्तशेषं स्वयं नरः । भुञ्जीत च समं भृत्यैर्यथाविभवमादृतः॥ २८.२२ ॥

pitṛdevātithijñātibhuktaśeṣaṃ svayaṃ naraḥ bhuñjīta ca samaṃ bhṛtyairyathāvibhavamādṛtaḥ

"A man should himself eat only what remains after the ancestors, gods, guests, and kinsmen have been fed, and should share it respectfully with his servants, according to his means."

Verse 23 (markandeya.28.23)

एष तूद्देशतः प्रोक्तो गृहस्थस्याश्रमो मया । वानप्रस्थस्य धर्मं ते कथयाम्यवधार्यताम्॥ २८.२३ ॥

eṣa tūddeśataḥ prokto gṛhasthasyāśramo mayā vānaprasthasya dharmaṃ te kathayāmyavadhāryatām

"This is the householder's stage as I have described it in brief. Now I shall tell you the dharma of the forest-dweller; grasp it well."

Verse 24 (markandeya.28.24)

अपत्यसन्ततिं दृष्ट्वा प्राज्ञो चानतिम् । वानप्रस्थाश्रमं गच्छेदात्मनः शुद्धिकारणात्॥ २८.२४ ॥

apatyasantatiṃ dṛṣṭvā prājño cānatim vānaprasthāśramaṃ gacchedātmanaḥ śuddhikāraṇāt

"Having seen his line of offspring continued, the wise man should, for the purification of his own self, proceed to the forest-dwelling stage." [Note: the first half-line of this verse is textually irregular/unclear in both consulted sources (Wikisource and GRETIL agree verbatim on the irregularity); rendered here by evident sense, flagged as an unresolved textual variant.]

Verse 25 (markandeya.28.25)

तत्रारण्योपभोगश्च तपोभिश्चानुकर्षणम् । भूमौ शय्या ब्रह्मचर्यं पितृदेवातिथिक्रिया॥ २८.२५ ॥

tatrāraṇyopabhogaśca tapobhiścānukarṣaṇam bhūmau śayyā brahmacaryaṃ pitṛdevātithikriyā

"There: living on the forest's produce, wasting the body through austerities, sleeping upon the bare earth, keeping celibacy, and performing the due rites for ancestors, gods, and guests —"

Verse 26 (markandeya.28.26)

होमस्त्रिषवणस्त्रानं जटावल्कलधारणम् । योगाभ्यासः सदा चैव वन्यस्नेहनिषेवणम्॥ २८.२६ ॥

homastriṣavaṇastrānaṃ jaṭāvalkaladhāraṇam yogābhyāsaḥ sadā caiva vanyasnehaniṣevaṇam

"— offering the fire-sacrifice, bathing three times a day, wearing matted hair and bark garments, constantly practicing yoga, and using only oils obtained from the forest."

Verse 27 (markandeya.28.27)

इत्येष पापशुद्ध्यर्थमात्मनश्चोपकारकः । वानप्रस्थाश्रमस्तस्माद् भिक्षोस्तु चरमोऽपरः॥ २८.२७ ॥

ityeṣa pāpaśuddhyarthamātmanaścopakārakaḥ vānaprasthāśramastasmād bhikṣostu caramo 'paraḥ

"Thus this forest-dwelling stage serves for the purification of sin and is beneficial to the self. Beyond it comes the final, other stage — that of the mendicant renunciant."

Verse 28 (markandeya.28.28)

चतुर्थस्य स्वरूपं तु श्रुयतामाश्रमस्य मे । यः स्वधर्मोऽस्य धर्मज्ञैः प्रोक्तस्तात ! महात्मभिः॥ २८.२८ ॥

caturthasya svarūpaṃ tu śruyatāmāśramasya me yaḥ svadharmo 'sya dharmajñaiḥ proktastāta ! mahātmabhiḥ

"Now hear from me the nature of this fourth stage, whose proper duty has been declared, my child, by great souls versed in dharma."

Verse 29 (markandeya.28.29)

सर्वसङ्गपरित्यागो ब्रह्मचर्यमकोपिता । यतेन्द्रियत्वमावासे नैकस्मिन् वसतिश्चिरम्॥ २८.२९ ॥

sarvasaṅgaparityāgo brahmacaryamakopitā yatendriyatvamāvāse naikasmin vasatiściram

"The complete renunciation of attachment, celibacy, freedom from anger, control over the senses, and not remaining long in any one place."

Verse 30 (markandeya.28.30)

अनारम्भस्तथाहारो भैक्षान्नेनैककालिना । आत्मज्ञानावबोधेच्छा तथा चात्मावलोकनम्॥ २८.३० ॥

anārambhastathāhāro bhaikṣānnenaikakālinā ātmajñānāvabodhecchā tathā cātmāvalokanam

"Undertaking no new endeavors, eating only once a day on begged food alone, longing for the awakening of knowledge of the Self, and the contemplation of the Self."

Verse 31 (markandeya.28.31)

चतुर्थे त्वाश्रमे धर्मो मयायं ते निवेदितः । सामान्यमन्यवर्णानामाश्रमाणाञ्च मे शृणु॥ २८.३१ ॥

caturthe tvāśrame dharmo mayāyaṃ te niveditaḥ sāmānyamanyavarṇānāmāśramāṇāñca me śṛṇu

"This is the dharma of the fourth stage as I have told it to you. Now hear from me what is common to all the other castes and stages of life."

Verse 32 (markandeya.28.32)

सत्यं शौचमहिंसा च अनसूया तथा क्षमा । आनृशंस्यमकार्पण्यं सन्तोषश्चाष्टमो गुणः॥ २८.३२ ॥

satyaṃ śaucamahiṃsā ca anasūyā tathā kṣamā ānṛśaṃsyamakārpaṇyaṃ santoṣaścāṣṭamo guṇaḥ

"Truthfulness, purity, non-violence, freedom from envy, forgiveness, freedom from cruelty, freedom from meanness, and contentment as the eighth virtue."

Verse 33 (markandeya.28.33)

एते संक्षेपतः प्रोक्ता धर्मा वर्णाश्रमेषु ते । एतेषु च स्वधर्मेषु स्वेषु तिष्ठेत् समन्ततः॥ २८.३३ ॥

ete saṃkṣepataḥ proktā dharmā varṇāśrameṣu te eteṣu ca svadharmeṣu sveṣu tiṣṭhet samantataḥ

"These duties, belonging to the castes and stages of life, have been declared to you in brief. One should remain, in every way, faithful to these, one's own proper duties."

Verse 34 (markandeya.28.34)

यश्चोल्लङ्घ्य स्वकं धर्मं स्ववर्णाश्रमसंज्ञितम् । नरोऽन्यथा प्रवर्तेत स दण्ड्यो भूभृतो भवेत्॥ २८.३४ ॥

yaścollaṅghya svakaṃ dharmaṃ svavarṇāśramasaṃjñitam naro 'nyathā pravarteta sa daṇḍyo bhūbhṛto bhavet

"And a man who transgresses his own duty — the duty defined by his caste and his stage of life — and acts otherwise is liable to be punished by the king."

Verse 35 (markandeya.28.35)

ये च स्वधर्मसन्त्यागात् पापं कुर्वन्ति मानवाः । उपेक्षतस्तान् नृपतेरिष्टापूर्तं प्रणश्यति॥ २८.३५ ॥

ye ca svadharmasantyāgāt pāpaṃ kurvanti mānavāḥ upekṣatastān nṛpateriṣṭāpūrtaṃ praṇaśyati

"As for men who abandon their own dharma and commit sin — if the king overlooks them, then the king's own merit earned through sacrifice and charitable works is destroyed."

Verse 36 (markandeya.28.36)

तस्माद्राज्ञा प्रयत्नेन सर्वे वर्णाः स्वधर्मतः । प्रवर्तन्तोऽन्यथा दण्ड्याः स्थाप्याश्चैव स्वकर्मसु॥ २८.३६ ॥

tasmādrājñā prayatnena sarve varṇāḥ svadharmataḥ pravartanto 'nyathā daṇḍyāḥ sthāpyāścaiva svakarmasu

"Therefore, through the king's diligent effort, all the castes should act according to their own dharma; those who act otherwise should be punished and restored to their own proper duties."