Second
edition, loaded June 11 2009
Previous
Aadhar edition and
Vedabase links:
Text
1
The Supreme
Lord said: 'If one in the third phase of life wants to retreat
into the forest, one should proceed in peace. For the sake of
that peace one must take one's wife along or else entrust her
to the sons.
The
Supreme Lord said: 'In the third part of one's life desiring
to enter the forest should one, by entrusting the wife to
the sons or else being together with her in the forest, thus
proceed in peace. (Vedabase)
Text
2
One should
arrange for the pure [*]
sustenance of the bulbs, roots and fruits of the forest, and
dress oneself with tree bark, grass, leaves or animal
skins.
One
should arrange for the pure [*] sustenance of the
bulbs, roots and fruits of the forest, putting on tree bark,
grass, leaves or animal skins as clothes.
(Vedabase)
Text
3
With the hair
on one's head and body, the facial hair and the nails carrying
dirt and the teeth not cleaned [at other times], one
should three times a day bathe and [at night] sleep on
the ground.
With
the hair on the head and body, the facial hair and the nails
to carry the dirt, and the teeth not to be cleansed [at
other times], should one three times a day get into the
water and [at night] sleep on the ground.
(Vedabase)
Text
4
Ascetically
tolerating the five fires during the summer [the
sacrificial fires in four directions and the sun above],
the torrents of rain during the rainy season and the cold of
dipping up to one's neck one's body in water during the winter,
one should, as before mentioned engaged, execute one's penance
[see also 4.23:
6].
Ascetically
tolerating the five fires during the summer, the torrents of
rain during the rainy season and in the cold of winter up to
one's neck being submerged in the water, should one thus
engaged progress with the penance [see also 4.23:
6]. (Vedabase)
Text
5
Eating
at the right time one should consume what's either prepared on
a fire or what's grinded with a mortar, pulverized with a stone
or grinded with one's teeth.
At
the right time to eat one should eat what's either prepared
on a fire or what's grinded with a mortar, pulverized with a
stone or grinded with one's teeth.
(Vedabase)
Text
6
With a
practical approach depending the place, the time and what he is
capable of, he personally must collect whatever is needed for
his sustenance, and not store anything for another time
[see also 7.12:
19].
He
himself should, practically minded to the place and time and
his strength, gather whatever is needed for his sustenance,
and not store anything for another time [see also 7.12:
19].
(Vedabase)
Text
7
A
vânaprastha may worship Me with oblations [of
rice, barley and dâl],
may offer rice cakes or offer fruits according to the season,
but never, even though it's scripturally defended, be of
worship with sacrificing animals.
A
vânaprastha may worship Me with oblations [of
rice, barley and dâl], may offer rice cakes or
offer fruits to the season, but never, even though it's
scriptural, be of worship with sacrificing animals.
(Vedabase)
Text
8
As before
[while he was a grihastha] he performs the fire
sacrifice, the sacrifice for a new moon and a full moon and he
also keeps to what was enjoined for the wise by the vedic
experts concerning the four months' sacrifice [of
câturmâsya].
As
before [when he was a grihastha] he performs the
fire sacrifice, the new moon and the full-moon sacrifice as
also the for the wise by the vedic experts enjoined vows of
the four months' sacrifice [of
câturmâsya].
(Vedabase)
Text
9
Being of that
practice the sage will, because of the penance, be as emaciated
that one sees his veins. Thus worshiping Me, the Goal of All
Penance, reaches he Me in the world of the seers [see also
maharloka].
Thus
practicing will the sage, of the penance as emaciated that
one sees his veins, worshiping Me, the Goal of All Penance,
reach Me in the world of the seers [see also
maharloka]. (Vedabase)
Text
10
Is there then a
greater fool, than someone who for a long time is of this
difficult but glorious penance which awards liberation, but
practices it for the purpose of trivial sense gratification
[see also vântâs'î]?
One
then who for long is of this difficult but glorious penance
which awards liberation, but practices it for trivial sense
gratification - what greater fool would there be but him?
[see also
vântâs'î].
(Vedabase)
Text
11
When he in his
regulated activities due to old age with his body trembling is
no longer able to carry on [before he reaches
sannyâsa],
he should, fixed on Me, place the fires within his heart and
enter the fire [see also 7.12:
23].
When
he in his regulated activities due to old age with his body
trembling is no longer able to carry on [before he
reaches sannyâsa], should he, fixed on Me, place
the fires within his heart and enter the fire [see also
7.12: 23].
(Vedabase)
Text
12
When all that
is obtained from the karma, including a higher world, is
nothing but hell to him and complete detachment has developed,
may he at that point give up the fire of sacrifice and take to
the renounced order [see also B.G. 18:
2 and
**].
When
all that is obtained from the karma, including a higher
world, is nothing but hell to him and full detachment has
developed, may he at that point give up the fire of
sacrifice and take to the renounced order [see also B.G.
18: 2 and **]. (Vedabase)
Text
13
Having
worshiped to the injunctions and having given all he has to the
leader of the ceremony, should he, placing the sacrificial fire
within his life breath, free from expectations take up
sannyâsa
[see also 9.6*].
Having
worshiped to the injunctions and having given all he has to
the leader of the ceremony, should he, placing the
sacrificial fire within his life breath, free from
expectations take up sannyâsa [see also 9.6*].
(Vedabase)
Text
14
To the learned
one who out of respect for the truth takes up
sannyâsa
appear the demigods in the form of his original wife [and
other allurements] forming stumbling blocks; surpassing
them the sannyâsî
should go for the beyond [see also B.G.
6:
25,
1.19:
2-3,
5.6:
4,
11.4:
7].
To
the learned one truly taking up sannyâsa do the
demigods appear in the form of his original wife [and
other allurements] forming stumbling blocks; surpassing
them should the sannyâsî go for the beyond
[see also B.G. 6.25, 1.19: 2-3, 5.6: 4, 11.4: 7].
(Vedabase)
Text
15
As far as a
sage wishes to wear clothes, he covers himself with a loincloth
[or kaupîna]. Carrying with him nothing
but the bare necessities of a waterpot and a staff he forsakes
everything else.
If
the sage would wear any clothes he'd cover his loin cloth
[or kaupîna]; with nothing really needed
besides his staff and water pot, has everything else to be
given up. (Vedabase)
Text
16
He should place
his foot where his eyes are telling him it is safe [not to
step on living beings], he should drink water filtered with
his cloth, he should speak truthful words of purity and he
should do what his mind says is pure.
He
should place his foot where his eyes tell purity [viz.
the absence of living beings], he should drink water
filtered by his cloth, he should speak words true of purity;
he should do what his mind says is
pure.
(Vedabase)
Text
17
Taciturnity,
disinclination and the arrest of breath constitute the strict
disciplines for the voice, the body and the mind. Of him with
whom there is no question of these My dearest, one can, despite
of his bamboo rods, never say that he is a real
sannyâsî
[see also tridanda].
Taciturnity,
disinclination and the arrest of breath are the strict
disciplines of the voice, of the body and of the mind; he
indeed of whom these do not exist, my dearest, is with his
bamboo rods never a real sannyâsî [see also
tridanda]. (Vedabase)
Text
18
When he goes
begging with the four varnas
he should avoid the impure [sinful, polluted]
households, when he at random approaches seven different houses
where he must be satisfied with whatever he acquires [see
also cakra,
compare 1.4:
8].
Begging
with the four varnas one should reject the impure
[sinful households] while at random approaching
seven different houses and be satisfied with the amount that
is obtained [see also cakra, compare 1.4:
8].
(Vedabase)
Text
19
Somewhere
outside going to a reservoir of water he should, cleansed by
it, in silence duly distribute what was collected and next
after cleaning it eat all that remained.
Somewhere
outside going to a reservoir of water should one, cleansed
by it, in silence duly distribute what was collected and
next eat the purified remnants in full.
(Vedabase)
Text
20
Moving about
alone on this earth free from attachment, with his senses fully
under control and satisfied within in his realization of the
True Self, he is, steady on the spiritual platform, of an equal
vision [B.G. 5:
18, see
bhajan].
Moving
about alone on this earth free from attachment, with the
senses fully under control and satisfied within in the
realization of the True Self, is he, steady on the spiritual
platform, of an equal vision [B.G. 5: 18, see
bhajan]. (Vedabase)
Text
21
Dwelling in a
solitary and safe place and with his consciousness purified in
his love for Me, the sage should concentrate on the soul only
as being non-different from Me.
Dwelling
in a solitary and safe place and purified in his love for
Me, should the sage in his consciousness concentrate on the
soul alone as being non-different from Me.
(Vedabase)
Text
22
Meditating on
the self as being bound and liberated [see
11.10]
there is, when one steady in the knowledge has tied down the
senses that are distracted by sense-gratification, the full
control over them and the liberation.
Meditating
on the soul being bound and being liberated [see
11.10] is, when one steady in the knowledge has tied
down the senses distracted in sense-gratification, there the
full control over them and the liberation.
(Vedabase)
Text
23
With the six
divisions [the senses and the mind] fully controlled by
the consciousness of Me, the sage who has experienced the
greater happiness of the soul, should live therefore detached
from the futile matters of lust.
Therefore
should the sage, completely in control with the six
divisions [the senses and the mind], detached from
the futile matters of lust having experienced the great
happiness in the soul, live by the consciousness of Me.
(Vedabase)
Text
24
He
should travel to the pure places of refuge on earth with
rivers, mountains and forests. The cities, towns and pasturing
grounds he should only enter to beg for alms with those who
live to serve the body.
He
should travel to the places of refuge the earth has and that
are pure with rivers, mountains and forests and
[only] enter the cities, towns and pasturing grounds
to beg for alms with those working for the
body.
(Vedabase)
Text
25
The order of
life living in the forest should always take the position of
begging because by food obtained from gleaning [or living
on the dole] one quickly finds perfection, freedom from
illusion and a purified existence.
The
order of life living in the forest should always take the
position of begging as by food obtained from gleaning
[or living on the dole] one quickly finds
perfection, freedom from illusion and a purified
existence.
(Vedabase)
Text
26
One must never
consider the perishable one sees in direct experience as the
ultimate reality; with a consciousness free from attachment one
should retire from all materially motivated actions in this
world and in the next.
Never
should one consider the perishable that one sees in direct
experience as the ultimate reality; with a consciousness
free from attachment should one retire from activities to
advance materially in this world and in the
next.
(Vedabase)
Text
27
Fixed in
oneself by the power of reason one must turn away from this
universe, which in the Self is all knitted together with the
mind, the speech and the life air [see ahankâra].
One should not keep that deluding material energy in
mind.
Fixed
in oneself by the power of reason giving up this universe,
which in the Self is knitted together with the mind, the
speech and the life air [see ahankâra], should
one not keep that deluding material energy in mind.
(Vedabase)
Text
28
Whether it
concerns someone who is dedicated to the knowledge of
selfrealization and is detached from external manifestations,
or whether it is about someone who as My devotee does not
desire liberation [as a paramahamsa],
in both cases one gives up what is prescribed for rituals and
paraphernalia relating to one's phase of life [the
âs'rama]; such a one is supposed to be beyond
the range of rules and regulations [see also
10.78:
31-32,
3.29:
25 and
5.1*].
Either
as someone dedicated to spiritual knowledge being detached
from external manifestations, or as My devotee not even
desiring liberation, should one [as a paramahamsa],
giving up on the specific outer routines relating to one's
stage of life, live beyond the range of rules and
regulations [see also 10.78: 31-32, 3.29: 25 and
5.1*]. (Vedabase)
Text
29
Though
intelligent he should enjoy life like a child, though most
skilled he should act like a stunted person, though being most
learned he should speak like an absent-minded person and though
very well knowing the injunctions, he should live unrestricted
['wander as a cow'].
Though
intelligent should he enjoy life like a child, though most
skilled should he act like a stunted person, though being
most learned should he speak as if he was absent-minded and
though very well knowing the injunctions, should he live
unrestricted ['wander as a cow'].
(Vedabase)
Text
30
He should never
be strictly attentive to what the Vedas prescribe [viz. the
fruitive sacrifices], nor should he act against them; he
shouldn't be a skeptic nor take sides simply speaking for the
sake of the argument.
He
should never be strictly attentive to what the Veda's speak
of [viz. the fruitive sacrifices], nor should he act
against them; he shouldn't be a skeptic nor take sides
simply speaking for the sake of the argument.
(Vedabase)
Text
31
The saintly
person should never feel disturbed over what other people are
saying. Nor should he disturb others or ever like an animal
with anyone create a negative atmosphere to the interest of the
body [to be hostile about territory, food and such].
Instead he should tolerate harsh words and never belittle
anyone [see also B.G. 12:
15].
The
saintly person should never be disturbed because of other
people, nor should he disturb others or ever like an animal
with anyone create a negative sphere to the interest of the
body [to be hostile on territory, food and such];
instead he should tolerate harsh words and never belittle
anyone [see also B.G. 12: 15].
(Vedabase)
Text
32
The One Supreme
is the Soul situated within all living beings and within one's
own body. Just like the moon that is reflected in different
reservoirs of water are also all material bodies individual
sparks [or reflections] of the One [see also B.G.
6:
29 &
13:
34].
The
One Supreme for certain is the Soul situated within all
living beings and within one's own body; just as the moon is
in different reservoirs of water are also all material
bodies individual sparks of the One [see also B.G. 6.29
& 13: 34]. (Vedabase)
Text
33
Firm
in one's determination one [the
sannyâsî] should not feel dejected when
one at times has no [or not the right] food, nor should
one rejoice when there is plenty; both matters are disposed by
God.
Fixed
in one's determination should one, at times not obtaining
food, not be depressed nor with whatever one does obtain
rejoice; both are under the control of God.
(Vedabase)
Text
34
One should
endeavor in order to eat and to sustain properly one's personal
life force, because by that strength the spiritual truth is
contemplated which, being understood, gives liberation [see
B.G. 6:
16].
One
should endeavor in order to eat and to sustain properly
one's personal life force, as by that strength the spiritual
truth is contemplated which, being understood, gives
liberation [see B.G. 6: 16].
(Vedabase)
Text
35
Whatever the
food, clothing and bedding a sage finds on his way, he must
accept, irrespective its good or poor quality
Whatever
first class or low class food by chance the sage acquires he
should eat, and similarly he should accept whatever clothing
and bedding he acquires without effort [see also
7.13]. (Vedabase)
Text
36
General
cleanliness, washing the hands, taking a bath and other regular
duties are by the one of spiritual realization to be performed
without any compulsion, the same way as I, the Controller, act
according to My own will [see also 7.13].
General
cleanliness, washing the hands, taking a bath and other
regular duties should the one of spiritual realization
perform without compulsion, just as I, the Controller, do
act to My own will.
(Vedabase)
Text
37
The notion of
leading a seperate life is finished when one has realized Me.
Sometimes such a notion lingers till the body dies, but
everything will after all turn out to be fine with
Me.
Sure
is for him the perception of separateness that what is
destroyed by the realization of Me; sometimes such a vision
lingers till the body dies, but then everything will turn
out well with Me. (Vedabase)
Text
38
Unhappy about
the consequences of a lusty life the one who has not yet
seriously considered Me must, with the aversion that rose in
the desire for spiritual perfection, be of the duty to approach
a wise [bonafide] person [of proper reference],
a guru [see also B.G. 16:
23-24,
4:
34 &
17:
14].
Unhappy
about the consequences of a lusty life must the one who has
not yet seriously considered Me, with the aversion risen
desiring the spiritual perfection, be of the duty to
approach a wise [bona-fide] person [of proper
reference], a guru [see also B.G. 16: 23-24, 4.34
& 17: 14]. (Vedabase)
Text
39
The devotee
should with great faith and respect, free from envy serve the
spiritual master who embodies Me, for as long as it takes to
arrive at a clear realization of the spiritual [see also
11.17:
27].
The
devotee should with great faith and respect free from envy
that long serve the spiritual master, who indeed is Me,
until he clearly realizes the spiritual [see also 11.
17: 27]. (Vedabase)
Text
40-41
He then who is
not in control of the six vices [the anarthas],
he who as the charioteer is lead by the senses, he who lacking
in detachment is bereft of knowledge, he who uses the
three-stick
staff for
ulterior purposes and he who denies Me, himself and the godly
situated within himself, has, because he didn't overcome the
contamination and thus spoils the dharma, lost his way in this
world as well as in the next.
He
then who did not control the group of six [also: the
anarthas], he who as the charioteer is impetuous with
the senses, he who is bereft of knowledge and detachment, he
who utilizes the three-stick staff for making a living and
who denies Me, himself and the godly situated within
himself, is, not having dissolved the contamination thus
spoiling the dharma, unfit for this world as well as for the
next.
(Vedabase)
Text
42
The nature of a
mendicant is to be equable and nonviolent, penance and
discrimination characterizes the one living in the forest, the
householder offers shelter and performs sacrifices and a
celibate novice serves the âcârya.
The
nature of a mendicant is to be equable and nonviolent;
penance and discrimination are of the one living in the
forest; the householder offers shelter and performs
sacrifices and a celibate novice serves the
âcârya.
(Vedabase)
Text
43
The celibacy,
austerity, cleanliness, contentment and being friendly towards
all living entities that can be observed with all who worship
Me, constitutes just as well the way of the householder who at
the appropriate time approaches his wife [see also B.G.
7:
11]
The
celibacy, austerity, cleanliness, contentment and being
friendly towards all living entities of all those who
worship Me, are [the duty] even of the householder
who at the right time is [supposed to be]
approaching his wife [for procreation, see also previous
chapter and B.G. 7: 11]. (Vedabase)
Text
44
The one who
thus according his nature worships Me with no one else as the
object of devotion, will come to realize Me in all living
entities and achieves unflinching devotional service unto
Me.
The
one who thus according his nature worships Me with no other
object of devotion, will come to realize Me in all living
entities and achieves unflinching devotional service unto
Me.
(Vedabase)
Text
45
Through his
unrelenting devotional service, Uddhava, he comes to Me, the
Supreme Controller of all the Worlds, the Absolute Truth and
Ultimate Cause who gives rise to and also puts an end to
everything.
By
unrelenting devotional service, Uddhava, comes he to Me, the
Supreme Controller of all the Worlds, the Absolute Truth and
Ultimate Cause who gives rise to and puts an end to
everything. (Vedabase)
Text
46
Thus according
to his own sense of duty having purified his existence, he
will, fully understanding My supreme position and endowed with
spiritual knowledge and wisdom, very soon achieve
Me.
Thus
to his own sense of duty having purified his existence,
fully understanding My supreme position and endowed with
spiritual knowledge and wisdom, will he quite soon meet with
Me. (Vedabase)
Text
47
All followers
of the varnâs'rama-system are characterized by a
traditional code of conduct that settles the dharma. This sense
of duty combined with my bhakti awards the highest perfection
of life.
Characterized
by an established rule of conduct does this religious
principle of the followers of the varnâs'rama-system,
who so are enjoined with this devotion unto Me, award the
supreme perfection of life. (Vedabase)
Text
48
O saintly soul,
with this I have described to you, upon your request, the means
by which one as a devotee may be perfectly engaged according to
one's own nature and may come to Me, the One
Supreme.'
O
saintly soul, with this have I described to you, as you
asked, the means by which one as a devotee may be perfectly
engaged according one's own nature and may come to Me, the
One Supreme.
(Vedabase)
*:
S'rîla Bhaktisiddhânta Sarasvatî
Thhâkur quoting from the Manu-samhitâ points out
that the word medhyaih or 'pure' in this context means
that while residing in the forest a sage may not accept
honey-based liquors, animal flesh, fungus, mushrooms,
horseradish or any hallucinogenic or intoxicating herbs, not
even on the pretext of a medicinal treatment.
**:
Shastri C.L. Goswami comments here to his translation of the
book: 'the s'ruti lays down that a brâhmana
may turn out to be a recluse whenever true
vairâgya appears in him in whatever stage of
life'.
