Chapter 243

“Vyasa said, ‘Observant of meritorious vows, the householder, for thesecond period of life, should dwell in his house, having taken spousesaccording to the ways indicated in the ordinance and having establishedafire (of his own). As regards the domestic mode of life, four kinds ofconduct have been laid down by the learned. The first consists of keepinga store of grain sufficient to last for three years. The second consistsof keeping a store to last for one year. The third consists of providingfor the day without thinking of the morrow. The fourth consists ofcollecting grain after the manner of the pigeon.[998] Of these, eachsucceeding one is superior in point of merit to that which precedes it,according to what has been laid down in the scriptures.[999] Ahouseholder observing the first kind of conduct may practise all the sixwell-known duties (viz., sacrifice on his own account, sacrifice on thatof others, teaching, learning, making gifts, and accepting gifts). He whoobserves the second kind of conduct should practise three only, of theseduties (viz., learning, giving, and taking). He who observes the thirdkind of conduct should practise only two of the duties of domesticity(viz., learning and giving). The householder practising the fourth kindof domesticity should observe only one duty (viz., learning thescriptures). The duties of the householder are all said to be exceedinglymeritorious. The householder should never cook any food for only his ownuse; nor should be slaughter animals (for food) except insacrifices.[1000] If it be an animal which the householder desires tokill (for food), or if it be a tree which he wishes to cut down (forfuel), he should do either act according to the ritual laid down in theYajuses for that much is due to both animate and inanimate existences.The house-holder should never sleep during the day, or during the firstpart of the night, or during the last part thereof. He should never eattwice between morning and evening, and should never summon his wife tobed except in her season. In his house, no Brahmana should be suffered toremain unfed or unworshipped. He should always worship such guests as arepresenters of sacrificial offerings, as are cleansed by Vedic lore andobservance of excellent vows, as are high-born and conversant with thescriptures, as are observers of the duties of their own order, as areself-restrained, mindful of all religious acts, and devoted to penances.The scriptures ordain that what is offered to the deities and the Pitrisin sacrifices and religious rites is meant for the service of guests likethese. In this mode of life the scriptures ordain that a share of thefood (that is cooked) should be given unto every creature (irrespectiveof his birth or character), unto one, that is, who for the sake of showkeeps his nails and beard, unto one who from pride displays what his own(religious) practices are, unto one who has improperly abandoned hissacred fire, and even unto one who has injured his preceptor. One leadinga domestic mode of life should give (food) unto Brahmacharins andSannyasins. The householder should every day become an eater of vighasa,and should every day eat amrita. Mixed with clarified butter, the remainsof the food that is offered in sacrifices constitute amrita. Thathouseholder who eats after having fed (all relatives and) servants issaid to eat vighasa. The food that remains after the servants have beenfed is called vighasa, and that which is left after the presentation ofsacrificial offerings is called amrita. One leading a domestic mode oflife should be content with his own wedded wife. He should beself-restrained. He should avoid malice and subdue his senses. He shouldnever quarrel with his Ritwik, Purohita, and preceptor, with his maternaluncle, guests and dependants, with the aged and the young in years, withthose that are afflicted with diseases, with those that practise asphysicians, with kinsmen, relatives, and friends, with his parents, withwomen that belong to his own paternal family, with his brother and sonand wife, with his daughter, and with his servants. By avoiding disputeswith these, the householder becomes cleansed of all sins. By conqueringsuch disputes, he succeeds in conquering all the regions of felicity (inthe world hereafter). There is no doubt in this.[1001] The preceptor (ifduly reverenced) is able to lead one to the regions of Brahman. Thefather (if reverenced) can lead to the regions of Prajapati. The guest ispuissant enough to lead to the region of Indra. The Ritwik has power inrespect of the regions of the deities. Female relatives of the paternalline have lordship in respect of the regions of the Apsaras, and kinsmen(by blood), in respect of the region of the Viswedevas. Relatives bymarriage and collateral kinsmen have power in respect of the severalquarters of the horizon (viz., north, etc.), and the mother and thematernal uncle have power over the earth. The old, the young, theafflicted the wasted have power over the sky.[1002] The eldest brother islike unto the sire himself (to all his younger brothers). The wife andthe son are one’s own body. One’s menial servants are one’s own shadow.The daughter is an object of great affection. For these reason, ahouse-holder endued with learning, observant of duties, and possessed ofendurance, should bear, without warmth or anxiety of heart every kind ofannoyance and even censure from the last named relatives. No righteoushousehold should do any act, urged by considerations of wealth. There arethree courses of duty in respect of a life of domesticity. Of these, thatwhich comes next (in the order of enumeration) is more meritorious thanthe preceding one.[1003] As regards the four (principal) modes of lifealso, the same rule of merit applies, viz., the one that comes after issuperior to the one preceding it. Accordingly, domesticity is superior toBrahmacharya, forest life is superior to domesticity, and a life ofmendicancy or complete renunciation is superior to a forest life. Onedesirous of prosperity should accomplish all those duties and rites thathave been ordained in the scriptures in respect of those modes. Thatkingdom grows in prosperity where these highly deserving persons live,viz., those that lead a life of domesticity according to the Kumbhadhanyamethod, they that lead it according to the Unchha method, and they thatlead it according to the Kapoti method.[1004] That man who cheerfullyleads a life of domesticity in the observance of those duties, succeedsin sanctifying ten generations of his ancestors above and ten generationsof descendants below. A householder, duly observing the duties ofdomesticity, obtains an end that yields felicity equal to what occurs inthe regions attained by great kings and emperors. Even this is the endthat has been ordained for those who have subdued their senses. For allhigh-souled householders heaven has been ordained. That heaven isequipped with delightful cars for each (moving at the will of the rider).Even that is the delightful heaven indicated in the Vedas. For allhouseholders of restrained souls, the regions of heaven constitute thehigh reward. The Self-born Brahman ordained that the domestic mode oflife should be the productive cause of heaven. And since it has been soordained, a person, by gradually attaining to the second mode of life,obtains happiness and respect in heaven. After this comes that high andsuperior mode of life, called the third, for those that are desirous ofcasting off their bodies. Superior to that of householders, that is thelife of forest recluses,–of those, that is, who waste their bodies (bydiverse kinds of austerities) into skeletons overlaid with dried skins.Listen as I discourse to thee upon it.'”