Mahābhārata

M. N. Dutt: Uma said You have recited to me what are the respective duties of the four castes, auspicious and beneficial for them. Do you now tell me, O Holy One, what are the common duties of the all castes.

M. N. Dutt: Maheshvara said The foremost of all beings in the universe, viz., the Creator Brahmana, always seeking righteous accomplishinents, created the Brahinanas for rescuing all the worlds. Among all created beings they are gods on Earth.

M. N. Dutt: I shall at the beginning tell you what are the religious acts which they should do and what are the rewards which they acquire through them. The religion of the Brahmanas is the foremost of all religions.

M. N. Dutt: For the sake of the virtue, three religions were created by the self-create. Whenever the world is created, those Religions are created by the Grand-father. Do you listen.

M. N. Dutt: These are the three eternal Religions. The Religion prescribed in the Vedas is the greatest; that of the Smritis is the next in the order of importance; the Third in importance is that which is based upon the practices of the virtuous.

M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana, endued with learning, should have the three Vedas. He should never make the study of the Vedas. He should devoie himself to the three well known deeds (of making gifts, studying the Vedas, and performing sacrifices). He should be above the three (viz., lust, anger and cupidity). He should be the friend of all creatures. A person who possesses these qualities is called a Brahmana.

M. N. Dutt: The lord of the universe declared these six deeds for the observance of Brahmanas. Listen to those eternal duties.

M. N. Dutt: The celebration of sacrifices, officiating at the sacrifices of others, the making of gifts, the acceptance of gifts, teaching and study, are the six deeds by doing which a Brahmana acquires religious merit.

M. N. Dutt: Indeed, the daily study of the Vedas is a duty. Sacrifice is (another) eternal duty. The making of gifts according to his power and the ordinance, is, in his case, much praised.

M. N. Dutt: Tranquillity of mind is a great duty that is in vogue among the righteous. Householders of pure mind are capable of acquiring very great merit.

M. N. Dutt: Indeed, he who purifies his soul by the performance of the five sacrifices, who is truthful in speech, who is shorn of malice, who makes gifts, who treats with hospitality and honour all regenerate guests, who lives in wellcleaned houses, who is shorn of pride, who is always sincere in his dealings, who uses sweet and assuring words towards others, who takes a pleasure in serving guests and others arrived at his house, and who eats the food that remains after the requirements have been satisfied of all the members of his family and dependants, acquires great merit.

M. N. Dutt: That man who offers water to his guests for washing their feet and hands, who presents and Arghya for honouring him, who duly gives seats, and beds, and lamps for lightning the darkness, and shelter to those who come to his house, is considered, as highly righteous.

M. N. Dutt: That householder who rises at dawn and washes his mouth and face and gives food to his guests, and having honoured them duly dismisses them from his house and follows them for a little distance, wins eternal merit.

M. N. Dutt: Hospitality towards all, and the pursuit of the threefold objects are the duties of the householder. The duties of the Shudra consist in the pursuit of the three fold objects.

M. N. Dutt: The Religion laid down for the householder has action for its chief characteristic. Auspicious, and beneficial to all creatures, I shall explain it to you.

M. N. Dutt: The householder should always make gifts according to his power. He should also perform sacrifices frequently. Indeed, he who wishes to secure his own good, should always achieve meritorious acts.

M. N. Dutt: The householder should acquire riches by fair means, The riches thus acquired should be carefully divided into three parts, keeping the requirements of virtue in view.

M. N. Dutt: With one of those portions he should accomplish all acts of virtue. With another he should seek to satisfy his carvings for pleasure. The third portion he should lay out for increasing.

M. N. Dutt: The Religion of Renunciation is different. It exists for liberation. I shall tell you the conduct that constitutes it. Listen to me in full, O goddess.

M. N. Dutt: One of the duties inculcated by that Religion is Mercy towards all creatures. The man who follows it should not live in one place for more than a day. For acquiring Liberation, the followers of this Religion free themselves from the fetters of hope (or desire).

M. N. Dutt: They have no attachment to habitation, to the Kamandalu they bear for the keep of water, to the clothes that cover their loins, or the scat whereupon they rest, or the triple stick they bear in their hands, or the bed they sleep on, or the fire they want, or the chamber in which it lies.

M. N. Dutt: A follower of this Religion fixes his heart upon the working of his soul. His mind is devoted to Supreme Brahma. He is filled with the idea of attaining to Brahman. He is always devoted to Yoga and the Sankhya philosophy.

M. N. Dutt: He seeks for no other shelter than the foot of a tree, He lives in vacant houses of men. He sleeps on the banks of rivers. He takes a pleasure in living by such banks.

M. N. Dutt: He is freed from every attachment, and from every bond of affection. He merges the existence of his own soul into the Supreme Soul.

M. N. Dutt: Standing like a stake of wood, and abstaining from all food, he does only such deeds as point to Liberation. Or, he may wander about, devoted to Yoga. These are the eternal duties of a follower of the Religion of Renunciation

M. N. Dutt: He lives aloof from men. He is freed from all attachments. He never lives in the same place for more than a day. Freed from all fetters, he roves over the world. Freed from all ties, he never sleeps on even the same riverbank for more than a day.

M. N. Dutt: This is the Religion of persons conversant with Liberation, as declared in the Vedas. This is the righteous path that is trodden by this virtuous, He who follows in this path, leaves no vestige behind.

M. N. Dutt: Bhikshus (mendicants) are of four kinds. They are Kutichakas, Bahudakas, Hansas, and Paramahansas. The second is superior to the first, the third to the second, and the fourth to the third.

M. N. Dutt: There is nothing superior to the Paramahansa; nor is there anything inferior to it or equal to it or superior to it. It is a condition shorn sorrow and happiness; auspicious and freed from decrepitude and death, and without any change.

M. N. Dutt: Uma said You have described the Religion of the householders, that of Liberation, and that which is based upon the observances of the pious. These paths are noble and highly beneficial to the world of living creatures.

M. N. Dutt: you who are conversant with every religion, I wish to hear what the high Religion is of the Rishis. I always have a liking for those who live in hermitage.

M. N. Dutt: The perfume that comes out of the smoke of the libations of clarified butter poured on the sacred fire, seems to pervade all the hermitages and make them delightful. Seeing this, O great god, my heart becomes always filled with joy.

M. N. Dutt: O powerful god, I have doubts about the Religion of the Ascetics. You are conversant with the details of all religions. Do you enlighten me, O god of gods, in detail about this subject truly about which I have asked you, O great god.

M. N. Dutt: The Blessed and Holy One said Yes, I shall recite to you the high and excellent Religion of the Ascetic. By following the dictates of that Religion, O auspicious lady, the Ascetics acquire success through the severe penances they practise.

M. N. Dutt: O highly blessed one, do you hear, from the beginning, what are the duties of those pious Rishis who know every duty and who are known by the name of Phenapas.

M. N. Dutt: The Grandfather Brahman drank some nectar. That water had flowed in the celestial। region from a great sacrifice.

M. N. Dutt: The froth of that water is highly sacred and it partook of His own nature. Those Rishis who live upon the measure of froth that thus came out are called. Phenapas (Frotheaters). This is the conduct of those pure Rishis, O lady having penances for wealth! Listen now to me as I explain to you who the Valakhilyas arc.

M. N. Dutt: The Valakhilyas are ascetics who have acquired success by their penances. They live in the solar disc. Living like birds, those Rishis, conversant with every duty of righteousness, live according to the Uncha mode.

M. N. Dutt: Their dress consists of deerskins or barks of trees. Freed from pairs of opposites, the Valakhilyas, having penances for wealth, walk in this track of virtue. They are as big as a digit of the thumb. Divided into classes, each class lives in the practice of its duties. They wish only to practise penances. The merits they acquire by their righteous conduct are very great.

M. N. Dutt: They are considered as having acquired an equality with the gods and exist for the fulfilment of the purposes of the gods. Having dissipated all their sins by severe penances, they shine in effulgence, lighting up all the points of the compass.

M. N. Dutt: Others, called Chakracharas, are gifted with cleansed souls and devoted to the practice of mercy, Righteous in their conduct and possessed of great purity, they live in the region of Soma.

M. N. Dutt: Thus living near enough to the region of the departed manes, they duly live by drinking the rays of Soma. There are others called Samprakshalas and Ashmakuttas and Dantolukhalas.

M. N. Dutt: These live near the Somadrinking celestials and others that drink flames of fire. With their wedded wives and with passions under complete restraint, they too live upon the rays of Soma.

M. N. Dutt: They pour libations of clarified butter on the sacred fire, and worship the departed Manes under proper forms. They also celebrate the wellknown sacrifices. This is said to form their religion.

M. N. Dutt: This religion of the Rishis, O goddess, is always observed by those who are houseless and who are free to go through every region including that of the celestials. There are, again, other classes about whom, I shall speak now. Do you listen.

M. N. Dutt: It is necessary that they who observe the different religions of the Rishis, should control their passions and know the Soul. Indeed, in my opinion, lust and anger should be completely controlled.

M. N. Dutt: With corn (wealth) acquired by the Uncha mode, they should perform the following duties, viz., the pouring of libations on the sacred fire, occupying a fixed seat employing oneself during the time in the sacrifice called Dharmaratri, performance of the SomaSacrifice, acquisition of especial knowledge, the giving of sacrificial presents, which forms the fifth, the daily performance of sacrifices, devotion to the worship of the ancestors and the deities, hospitality towards all.

M. N. Dutt: Abstention from all luxurious dishes prepared from cow's milk, taking a pleasure in tranquility of heart, lying on naked rocks or the earth, devotion to Yoga, eating potherbs and leaves of trees, and living upon fruits and roots, and wind and water and moss, are some of practices of the Rishis by which they acquire the end that belongs to persons unsubjugated.

M. N. Dutt: When the smoke has ceased to curl upwards from a house, when the husking machine has ceased to play, when the hearthfire has been put out, when all the inmates have taken their food, when dishes are no longer carried from room to room when mendicants have ceased to walk the streets, it is then that the man who is devoted to the Religion of Truth and tranquillity of soul, wishing to have a guest, should eat what remnant of food may still remain in the house. By acting thus, one becomes a practiser of the Religion of the Munis.

M. N. Dutt: One should not be arrogant; nor proud; nor cheerless and discontented; nor wonder at anything. Indeed, one should treat his friends and enemies alike. Indeed, one who is the foremost of all persons conversant with duties should treat all creatures like friends.