Svarga-khaṇḍa · Chapter 54
Sourceव्यास उवाच- वेदं वेदौ तथा वेदान्वेदांगानि तथा द्विजाः । अधीत्य चाधिगम्यार्थं ततः स्नायाद्द्विजोत्तमः १। गुरवे तु धनं दत्वा स्नायीत तदनुज्ञया । तीर्णव्रतोथ युक्तात्मा शक्तो वा स्नातुमर्हति २। वैणवीं धारयेद्यष्टिमंतर्वासस्तथोत्तरम् । यज्ञोपवीतद्वितयं सोदकं च कमंडलुम् ३। छत्रं चोष्णीषममलं पादुके चाप्युपानहौ । रौक्मे च कुंडले धार्ये कृत्तकेशनखः शुचिः ४। अन्यत्र कांचनाद्विप्रो न रक्तां बिभृयात्स्रजम् । शुक्लांबरधरो नित्यं सुगंधः प्रियदर्शनः ५। न जीर्ण मलवद्वासा भवेद्वै विभवे सति । न रक्तमुल्बणं चान्य धृतं वासो न कुंडलम् ६। नोपानहौ स्रजं चाथ पादुके च प्रयोजयेत् । उपवीतमलंकारं दर्शयन्कृष्णमाजिनम् ७। नापसव्यं परीदध्याद्वासो न विकृतं वसेत् । आहरेद्विधिवद्दारान्सदृशानात्मनः शुभान् ८। रूपलक्षणसंयुक्तान्योनिदोषविवर्जितान् । अपितृगोत्रजभवामन्यमानुषगोत्रजाम् ९। आहरेद्ब्राह्मणो भार्यां शीलशौचसमन्विताम् । ऋतुकालाभिगामी स्याद्यावत्पुत्रोभिजायते १०। वर्जयेत्प्रतिषिद्धानि प्रयत्नेन दिनानि तु । षष्ठ्यष्टमीं पंचदशीं द्वादशीं च चतुर्दशीम् ११। ब्रह्मचारी भवेन्नित्यं तद्वज्जन्मत्रयाहनि । आदधीत विवाहाग्निं जुहुयाज्जातवेदसम् १२। एतानि स्नातको नित्यं पावनानि च पावयेत् । वेदोदितं स्वकं कर्म्म नित्यं कुर्यादतंद्रितः १३। अकुर्वाणः पतत्याशु नरकानतिभीषणान् । अभ्यसेत्प्रयतो वेदं महायज्ञान्न हापयेत् १४। कुर्याद्गृह्याणि कार्याणि संध्योपासनमेव च । सख्यं समाधिकैः कुर्यादुपेयादीश्वरं सदा १५। दैवतान्यभिगच्छेत कुर्य्याद्भार्य्याभिपोषणम् । न धर्मं ख्यापयेद्विद्वान्न पापं गूहयेदपि १६। कुर्वीतात्महितं नित्यं सर्वभूतानुकंपकः । वयसः कर्म्मणोऽर्थस्य श्रुतस्याभिजनस्य च १७। देशवाग्बुद्धिसारूप्यमाचरन्विचरेत्सदा । श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितं सम्यक्साधुभिर्यश्च सेवितः १८। तमाचारं निषेवेत नेहेतान्यत्र कर्हिचित् । येनास्य पितरो याता येन याताः पितामहाः १९। तेन यायात्सतां मार्गं तेन गच्छन्न दुष्यति । नित्यं स्वाध्यायशीलः स्यान्नित्यं यज्ञोपवीतवान् २०। सत्यवादी जितक्रोधो लोभमोहविवर्जितः । सावित्रीजाप निरतः श्राद्धकृन्मुच्यते गृही २१। मातापित्रोर्हिते युक्तो ब्राह्मणस्य हिते रतः । दाता यज्वा देवभक्तो ब्रह्मलोके महीयते २२। त्रिवर्गसेवी सततं देवानां च समर्चनम् । कुर्यादहरहर्नित्यं नमस्येत्प्रयतः सुरान् २३। विभागशीलः सततं क्षमायुक्तो दयालुकः । गृहस्थस्तु समाख्यातो न गृहेण गृही भवेत् २४। क्षमा दया च विज्ञानं सत्यं चैव दमः शमः । अध्यात्मनित्यता ज्ञानमेतद्ब्राह्मणलक्षणम् २५। एतस्मान्न प्रमाद्येत विशेषेण द्विजोत्तमः । यथाशक्ति चरन्धर्म्मं निंदितानि विवर्जयेत् २६। विधूय मोहकलिलं लब्ध्वा योगमनुत्तमम् । गृहस्थो मुच्यते बंधान्नात्र कार्याविचारणा २७। विगर्हित जय क्षेप हिंसा बंधवधात्मनाम् । अन्यमन्यु समुत्थानां दोषाणां मर्षणं क्षमा २८। स्वदुःखेष्वेव कारुण्यं परदुःखेषु सौहृदम् । दयेति मुनयः प्राहुः साक्षाद्धर्मस्य साधनम् २९। चतुर्दशानां विद्यानां धारणा हि परार्थतः । विज्ञानमिति तद्विद्याद्येन धर्मो विवर्धते ३०। अधीत्य विधिवद्विद्यामर्थं चैवोपलभ्यते । धर्मकार्याणि कुर्वीत ह्येतद्विज्ञानमुच्यते ३१। सत्येन लोकं जयति सत्यं तत्परमं पदम् । यथा भूता प्रमादं तु सत्यमाहुर्मनीषिणः ३२। दमः शरीरोपरतिः शमः प्रज्ञाप्रसादतः । अध्यात्ममक्षरं विद्या यत्र गत्वा न शोचति ३३। यया स देवोभगवान्विद्यया विद्यते परः । साक्षादेव हृषीकेशस्तज्ज्ञानमिति कीर्तितम् ३४। तन्निष्ठस्तत्परो विद्वान्नित्यमक्रोधनः शुचिः । महायज्ञपरो विप्रो लभते तदनुत्तमम् ३५। धर्मस्यायतनं यत्नाच्छरीरं परिपालयेत् । नहि देहं विना विष्णुः पुरुषैर्विद्यतेपरः ३६। नित्यं धर्मार्थकामेषु युज्येत नियतो द्विजः । न धर्मवर्जितं काममर्थं वा मनसा स्मरेत् ३७। सीदन्नपि हि धर्मेण न त्वधर्मं समाचरेत् । धर्मो हि भगवान्देवो गतिः सर्वेषु जंतुषु ३८। भूतानांप्रियकारीस्यान्नपरद्रो हकर्मधीः । न वेददेवतानिंदां कुर्य्यात्तैश्च न संवसेत् ३९। यस्त्विमं नियतो मर्त्यो धर्माध्यायं पठेच्छुचिः । अध्यापयेच्छ्रावयेद्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते ४०। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे चतुःपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः ५४।
vyāsa uvāca- vedaṃ vedau tathā vedānvedāṃgāni tathā dvijāḥ | adhītya cādhigamyārthaṃ tataḥ snāyāddvijottamaḥ 1| gurave tu dhanaṃ datvā snāyīta tadanujñayā | tīrṇavratotha yuktātmā śakto vā snātumarhati 2| vaiṇavīṃ dhārayedyaṣṭimaṃtarvāsastathottaram | yajñopavītadvitayaṃ sodakaṃ ca kamaṃḍalum 3| chatraṃ coṣṇīṣamamalaṃ pāduke cāpyupānahau | raukme ca kuṃḍale dhārye kṛttakeśanakhaḥ śuciḥ 4| anyatra kāṃcanādvipro na raktāṃ bibhṛyātsrajam | śuklāṃbaradharo nityaṃ sugaṃdhaḥ priyadarśanaḥ 5| na jīrṇa malavadvāsā bhavedvai vibhave sati | na raktamulbaṇaṃ cānya dhṛtaṃ vāso na kuṃḍalam 6| nopānahau srajaṃ cātha pāduke ca prayojayet | upavītamalaṃkāraṃ darśayankṛṣṇamājinam 7| nāpasavyaṃ parīdadhyādvāso na vikṛtaṃ vaset | āharedvidhivaddārānsadṛśānātmanaḥ śubhān 8| rūpalakṣaṇasaṃyuktānyonidoṣavivarjitān | apitṛgotrajabhavāmanyamānuṣagotrajām 9| āharedbrāhmaṇo bhāryāṃ śīlaśaucasamanvitām | ṛtukālābhigāmī syādyāvatputrobhijāyate 10| varjayetpratiṣiddhāni prayatnena dināni tu | ṣaṣṭhyaṣṭamīṃ paṃcadaśīṃ dvādaśīṃ ca caturdaśīm 11| brahmacārī bhavennityaṃ tadvajjanmatrayāhani | ādadhīta vivāhāgniṃ juhuyājjātavedasam 12| etāni snātako nityaṃ pāvanāni ca pāvayet | vedoditaṃ svakaṃ karmma nityaṃ kuryādataṃdritaḥ 13| akurvāṇaḥ patatyāśu narakānatibhīṣaṇān | abhyasetprayato vedaṃ mahāyajñānna hāpayet 14| kuryādgṛhyāṇi kāryāṇi saṃdhyopāsanameva ca | sakhyaṃ samādhikaiḥ kuryādupeyādīśvaraṃ sadā 15| daivatānyabhigaccheta kuryyādbhāryyābhipoṣaṇam | na dharmaṃ khyāpayedvidvānna pāpaṃ gūhayedapi 16| kurvītātmahitaṃ nityaṃ sarvabhūtānukaṃpakaḥ | vayasaḥ karmmaṇo'rthasya śrutasyābhijanasya ca 17| deśavāgbuddhisārūpyamācaranvicaretsadā | śrutismṛtyuditaṃ samyaksādhubhiryaśca sevitaḥ 18| tamācāraṃ niṣeveta nehetānyatra karhicit | yenāsya pitaro yātā yena yātāḥ pitāmahāḥ 19| tena yāyātsatāṃ mārgaṃ tena gacchanna duṣyati | nityaṃ svādhyāyaśīlaḥ syānnityaṃ yajñopavītavān 20| satyavādī jitakrodho lobhamohavivarjitaḥ | sāvitrījāpa nirataḥ śrāddhakṛnmucyate gṛhī 21| mātāpitrorhite yukto brāhmaṇasya hite rataḥ | dātā yajvā devabhakto brahmaloke mahīyate 22| trivargasevī satataṃ devānāṃ ca samarcanam | kuryādaharaharnityaṃ namasyetprayataḥ surān 23| vibhāgaśīlaḥ satataṃ kṣamāyukto dayālukaḥ | gṛhasthastu samākhyāto na gṛheṇa gṛhī bhavet 24| kṣamā dayā ca vijñānaṃ satyaṃ caiva damaḥ śamaḥ | adhyātmanityatā jñānametadbrāhmaṇalakṣaṇam 25| etasmānna pramādyeta viśeṣeṇa dvijottamaḥ | yathāśakti carandharmmaṃ niṃditāni vivarjayet 26| vidhūya mohakalilaṃ labdhvā yogamanuttamam | gṛhastho mucyate baṃdhānnātra kāryāvicāraṇā 27| vigarhita jaya kṣepa hiṃsā baṃdhavadhātmanām | anyamanyu samutthānāṃ doṣāṇāṃ marṣaṇaṃ kṣamā 28| svaduḥkheṣveva kāruṇyaṃ paraduḥkheṣu sauhṛdam | dayeti munayaḥ prāhuḥ sākṣāddharmasya sādhanam 29| caturdaśānāṃ vidyānāṃ dhāraṇā hi parārthataḥ | vijñānamiti tadvidyādyena dharmo vivardhate 30| adhītya vidhivadvidyāmarthaṃ caivopalabhyate | dharmakāryāṇi kurvīta hyetadvijñānamucyate 31| satyena lokaṃ jayati satyaṃ tatparamaṃ padam | yathā bhūtā pramādaṃ tu satyamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ 32| damaḥ śarīroparatiḥ śamaḥ prajñāprasādataḥ | adhyātmamakṣaraṃ vidyā yatra gatvā na śocati 33| yayā sa devobhagavānvidyayā vidyate paraḥ | sākṣādeva hṛṣīkeśastajjñānamiti kīrtitam 34| tanniṣṭhastatparo vidvānnityamakrodhanaḥ śuciḥ | mahāyajñaparo vipro labhate tadanuttamam 35| dharmasyāyatanaṃ yatnāccharīraṃ paripālayet | nahi dehaṃ vinā viṣṇuḥ puruṣairvidyateparaḥ 36| nityaṃ dharmārthakāmeṣu yujyeta niyato dvijaḥ | na dharmavarjitaṃ kāmamarthaṃ vā manasā smaret 37| sīdannapi hi dharmeṇa na tvadharmaṃ samācaret | dharmo hi bhagavāndevo gatiḥ sarveṣu jaṃtuṣu 38| bhūtānāṃpriyakārīsyānnaparadro hakarmadhīḥ | na vedadevatāniṃdāṃ kuryyāttaiśca na saṃvaset 39| yastvimaṃ niyato martyo dharmādhyāyaṃ paṭhecchuciḥ | adhyāpayecchrāvayedvā brahmaloke mahīyate 40| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe catuḥpaṃcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ 54|
English translation
Vyāsa said :
1-8a. O brāhmaṇas , having studied one Veda , two Vedas or (the four) Vedas, along with the Vedāṅgas , and having understood their meaning, the best twice-born should perform the ceremony of bathing at the time of leaving his spiritual teacher. Having given money to his teacher, he should perform the ceremony of bathing at the time of leaving his teacher with the teacher’s permission. Or if he has completed a vow, or has set his mind on the Supreme Soul or is capable, he deserves to perform the ceremony of bathing at the time of leaving his teacher (i.e. should stop his studies). He should hold a staff of bamboo, wear an inner garment, so also an upper one, a sacred thread of two strands, and carry a pot with water, an umbrella, a clean turban, wooden sandals and shoes. He should also put on golden earrings and should not wear a red chaplet except of gold. He should always wear a white garment, should always use perfumes, and should be of a pleasing appearance. When he is affluent, he should not wear old garments. He should not wear a red or a thick garment, so also a garment and ear-rings worn by others. So also he should not use shoes, chaplets or (wooden) sandals (used by others); so also the sacred thread, ornament, darbhas , the skin of a black antelope (worn by others). He should not wear the sacred thread allowing it to hang down from the right shoulder, nor he should wear a garment untidily.
8b-12. He should duly secure a wife befitting him and auspicious, so also endowed with beauty and auspicious marks and free from family-blemishes; a brāhmaṇa should have a wife not born in his father’s family, (but) born in the family of some other man, and endowed with good character and purity. Till a son is born, he should have intercourse with her during the period favourable for conception. He should carefully avoid (intercourse on) prohibited days: the sixth, eighth, fifteenth, twelfth, and fourteenth. He should always be controlled; similarly he should establish the marriage-fire and should offer (oblations into) fire.
13-21. One who has returned from the house of his teacher should always devise these purifying (practices). Everyday he should carefully perform his rites enjoined by the Vedas. He who does not perform them falls into very fearful hells. Being controlled, he should study the Veda and should not neglect the great sacrifices. He should perform the domestic rites, and also the sandhyā (-prayer). He should form friendship with his equals and superiors; he should always go to a powerful person. He should go to the deities, and should maintain his wife. A wise man should not extol (his) righteous deeds, and should also not conceal a sin. Always being compassionate to all beings he should always bring about his welfare. He should always move, acting like a nobly born person in respect of place, speech and intellect, age, acts, wealth and learning. He should properly resort to those practices that are enjoined by the Śrutis and Smṛtis and that are followed by the good. He should not desire anything else. He should go along that path of the good, along which his forefathers and paternal grandfather have gone. By going along that he does not get defiled. He should always be devoted to the study of the Vedas. He should always wear the sacred thread. He should speak the truth, control his anger, and should be free from greed and infatuation. The householder engaged in muttering the Gāyatrī (-hymn) and performing śrāddha is liberated.
22-24. He who is engaged in the well-being of his mother and father, who is engrossed in the good of brāhmaṇas, who is a donor, a sacrifices, a devotee of gods, is honoured in Brahmā ’s world. He should always pursue the three objects of worldly existence, should everyday worship the deities, and being controlled he should salute the gods. He should always give gifts, should be endowed with forgiveness and should be kind. Such a man is called a householder. A man is not a householder because of (his staying) in a house.
25-33a. The characteristics of a brāhmaṇa are: forgiveness, kindness, vijñāna (worldly knowledge), truthfulness, control, tranquility, knowledge about the eternality of the Supreme Spirit. An excellent brāhmaṇa should not especially err in these. Practising the code of conduct according to his capacity, he should avoid what is condemned. Shaking off the snare of delusion, securing excellent yoga , a householder is freed from bondage. No doubt should be raised here. Forgiveness is tolerating the faults of others due to anger and of the nature of ill conduct, violation (of rules), wrath, harm, bondage, killing. Not showing kindness (i.e. sympathy) in one’s griefs, (but) showing kindness of heart in the griefs of others—this the sages call kindness. It is the means of religious merit. Having the knowledge of the fourteen branches of learning for (the good of) others should be known as worldly knowledge by which righteousness develops. By studying the branches of learning methodically wealth also is obtained. He should do righteous acts. This is called worldly knowledge. He conquers the world with truth; truth is that highest position, since the wise say that not erring towards the creatures is truth. Abstaining from (the enjoyments of) the body is control. Tranquility is wisdom due to propitiousness.
33b-36. Metaphysical knowledge is (that of) the immutable one going where he does not grieve. That is declared to be knowledge by which that revered lord, god Viṣṇu is actually perceived. A learned brāhmaṇa who is devoted to Him, who looks upon Him as the highest, who is always free from anger and is pure, who is engaged in (performing the five) great sacrifices obtains that Excellent One. He should carefully protect his body which is the abode of (securing) piety. Men cannot know that highest Viṣṇu without the body.
37-40. A brāhmaṇa, being restrained, should engage (himself) in acts of piety, worldly gains, and love of sensual enjoyments. He should not mentally remember (i.e. think of) worldly gains or sensual enjoyments without (thinking of) piety. Even though he is sinking due to (acts of) righteousness, he should not practise unrighteous acts. Piety is the revered lord, and the (only) resort for all creatures. He should do what is good to (other) beings. He should never think of doing an act of deceiving others. He should not censure Veda and deities, and should not stay with them (who censure Veda and deities). That controlled and pure man who would recite this chapter on piety, or would teach or read out (to others), is honoured in Brahmā’s heaven.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43436, revision 335746 (2022-04-14T10:11:05Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365273.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.