* Portrayal of Dharma (righteousness) which is part and parcel of Bhakti. * Common and special duties and means of livelihood of people in the four castes. * Common duties of celibates. * Common duties of householders. * Special duties of wealthy householders. * Common duties of married and widowed women. * Common duties of hermits. * Common duties of ascetics. * Provisions for individuals who are worldly detached in the age of Kali.
Shri Hari’s narration of religious duties to men belonging to various castes and stages of life .
Shri Hari said:-
‘O mother I tell you the characteristics of the religion and of other integral components devotion. They are three, and I explain them to you in detail. 1.
Dharma is Religion That which holds the three worlds including Gods; and that which ought to be allocated by gods and living beings. 2.
The man dedicated to the religion is honoured by gods and praised by Brahma and others even if he is born in a lower caste. 3.
When Brahma and other gods become staggered from virtues, even they are dishonoured by the lowest people. Hence one should follow one’s religious duties, always. 4.
This religion is verified by sacred books like Shruti, Smriti, and righteous behaviour. Different codes are mentioned to be followed by different men, belonging to various stages of life and castes. 5.
The four castes are said to be, Brahmana, Kshatriya (the soldiers), Vaishya (the merchants) and, Shudra (the people who serve or servants), and four stages of life are as follows, (a stage of Brahmcarya (celibacy), Gruhastha (house-holder) Vanaprastha (religious life of an ascetic) and Sanyasa (a stage of complete renunciation). 6.
O auspicious mother, the religious duties are of two types. I tell you those, firstly general duties that are common to all and secondly particular duties to be followed by some. 7.
The common code is that, one should observe non-violence, truth and non-stealing and conquer passionsof greed and anger.One should refrain from drinking wine, eating meat and union with other’s wife. 8.
One should not indulge in any sinful act which will cause the intermixing of the castes. One should serve noble people, and worship Lord Vishnu. These are the common religious duties of everyone. 9.
Now the natural virtues of Brahmin are mentioned. These are control on the senses (Sama) self-restraint (Dama) penance (Tapa) knowledge (Jnana), compassion (Daya) faith (Sraddha) (in God) and forgiveness (Kshama). 10.
Bravery, courage, strength, and generosity are the natural attributes of a Kshatriya (warrior) and giving protection to cows, Brahmins and noble men. Trade and commerce are the habitual professions of a Vaishya. 11.
Serving Brahmins and others is the duty of a Shudra and people born of inter-caste relations, should lead a life without slyness and violence, following their family faiths. 12.
Brahmin should earn his livelihood through ritualistic services, Kshatriya by giving protection by holding weapons, Vaishya by commerce and Shudra by service, respectively. 13.
In difficulty, Brahmin and Kshatriya can earn their livelihood by adopting the profession of a Vaishya, and Vaishya instead can take to a Shudra’s work for his nourishment. Otherwise in usualness, everyone should follow his own profession. 14.
Men belonging to three castes such as Brahmin, Ksatriya and Vaishya when sanctified through the ritual of thread wearing, entering their first stage of life (Brahmacarya) they should resort to a preceptor for their learning. 15.
A BrahmacShri Hari should have only essential clothes of cotton, to wear on the loins, and deer skin, a woolen mat and always should keep the sceptre (dand) and water-pitcher (kamandal) with him. 16.
He should have a rosary-bead, sacred-thread and keep his hair matted, and have Kusha grass. He should renounce the usages of cosmetics, perfume and other ornaments, including taking oil-bath. 17.
Noble company is the way for salvation and the company of women leads to worldly attachment. Knowing this fact, he should accept the former and leave the latter. 18.
He should stay away from eight sorts of relations with women, that too from touching her. He should salute even his preceptor’s wife from distance. 19.
A strict celibate as he is should never see to animals making union, deliberately. 20.
Except the picture of the Goddess, any other picture of a woman should not be touched by the celibate. He should serve his teacher with devotion. 21.
He should observe the ritual of Sandhya three times every day. Chanting should be done to the best of ability as well as observing silence in the mornings and evenings. 22.
He should perform Homa (offering oblations in fire) in the morning and evening, and wander to fetch alms (Bhiksa). Being serious, he should engage himself in the study of the Vedas, dwelling in preceptor’s hermitage. 23.
Following the norms of time and place, he should learn the Veda with its ancillaries and meanings. Having studied to the best of his ability, he can seek for convocation (graduation). 24.
He can take to a house-holder’s life if he is inclined to it, after paying gratitude with essential remuneration to his preceptor or if he is disinterested in worldly affairs he can take to the third stage of life of a Vanaprastha, or he can resort to Sanyasa (complete renunciation), else he can continue as a lifelong celibate. 25.
One who is desirous of becoming a house-holder should marry a blameless girl from his race and caste, younger to him, and earn his livelihood in proper ways. 26.
Taking bath, observing rituals of Sandhya thrice a day, performing sacrifice in fire, giving libations to ancestors and gods, worshipping lord Vishnu, doing self-study to one’s ability, offering oblations to all deities - all these procedures are to be followed every day, by a house-holder. 27.
In difficulty he may observe the noon’s ritual with morning ritual. Sometimes he may observe morning ritual in the noon, and of the evening, in the night. 28.
A Brahmin, though well versed in four Vedas, if he does not chant Gayatri hymn, observe rites of Sandhya, and worship Vishnu, then he would be regarded as Shudra, undoubtedly. 29.
After taking bath, he should not touch the unwashed cotton clothes and without taking bath, being impure, he should not touch the washed clothes. 30.
At the time of marriage or at the time of partition of father’s property, one may take Agnihotra (Sacred fire) vow as these are proper occasions to do it. Anybody desirous of taking Agnihotra needs to possess enough revenue such as wealth grains and cows. 31.
A house-holder should take care of his kith and kin at right time and should not harm them. He should always satisfy the guests with food, water, clothes and other things. 32.
He should be in noble company and worship Shri Hari with devotion in nine ways. He never should be in wicked company and not to have too much attachment in the house-hold, like the ignorant ones. 33.
Among all the living beings, those with intent devotion to Shri Hari, should be regarded highly and they deserve honour and protection. 34.
Here, lifeless stones are better than conscious living beings as those give shelter, grass is even better as it is the food for living beings. Herbs and creepers are better than grass as they are used in preparations of food and medicine. 35.
This way mango trees are versatile as Devadrumas, (celestial trees) as these give fruit and shelter. Hence immovables are better; now I tell you about movables. 36.
The grass-hoppers and others are superior to the ants and others. The large black bee or honey-bee and others are superior to the grass hopper and so on. Sparrow and others are superior to the honey - bee and so forth. 37.
Hares or rabbits etc. are superior to the sparrows etc. and goat etc; (are superior) to hare etc. Cows are superior to goats etc. Human beings are superior to the cattle and four castes to the human beings. The Brahmin is superior in the four castes. The Brahmin immersed in his self-religious duty is superior to other Brahmins. The learned Brahmins are superior to the Brahmins immersed in their self-religious duties, and among all of them the devoted worshipers of Lord Shri Hari; are superior. Nobody is superior to the worshiper of Lord Shri Hari, because Lord Shri Hari always resides in the worshiper’s heart. Knowing this superiority of the worshipers of Lord Shri Hari, they should be respected by all. 38 - 40.
One who cannot distinguish between noble and ignoble, would be committing a great mistake; hence with wisdom, he should differentiate between good and bad. 41.
A Vaishnava house-holder, having offered sandal-paste, flower garlands, ornaments, clothes and food, with devotion to Shri Hari first, should accept these things as prasada for himself. 42.
He should worship with the above stated things, the gods and ancestors with mind fixed in Vasudeva. He should observe rituals regarding ancestors at right times in accordance with code of belief. 43.
Oh Sati, the food grains not grown by the farmer (i.e. self grown) and the food suitable for sages pure and well cooked one should be used for the ritual performed for dead relatives. If it is not possible to grow the grains by oneself the pure rice etc, grown by the farmer should be used. 44.
Even in difficulty or in the rituals of past ancestors, meat should never be used as ancestors were Vaishnavas whose highest virtue is non-violence. 45.
The god or goddess who is satisfied by offerings of meat and wine, and in front of whom, cruelty is acted upon living beings, should not be worshipped or honoured. 46.
According to the time and place, one should do pilgrimage and observe vows, in conformity with scriptures and one’s own status. 47.
The virtuous act which is done in holy place, on holy time and for holy person, though a little, becomes everlasting. 48.
If he is rich, he should build a beautiful and well founded temple for Lord Shri Vishnu, and should donate generously for the maintenance of the temple and for continuation of devotional services. 49.
The rich person should do the sacrifices for Lord Vishnu free from violence and with plenty of cShri Harity. He should build wells, ponds and lakes etc. useful for worship of Vishnu. 50.
He should satisfy sages, Brahmins with food rich in ghee and sugar. He should never insult them and never be deceitful (to them). 51.
One should not have excess of greed, lust, anger, jealousy, and ego. He should be compassionate to living beings. 52.
Even a house-holder knowingly should not touch non-relative widows unless it is absolutely necessary. 53.
Except in emergency situations, he should never sit with his own mother, sister or daughter in privacy. 54.
One should not kill one-self or others in holy-places for liberation. One should always be virtuous. 55.
Women should serve their husbands knowing them to be their gods. With unwavering mind they should be firmly following the duties of a virtuous wife. 56.
Widows should serve Lord Vishnu i.e. husband of Rama as their master. They should make their body weak by taking to vows. 57.
Apart from one’s relatives, a widow should not look at or touch other men, as men, of detachment do with women. 58.
A widow, except in emergency situation should never stay in privacy even with her father or son. 59.
In the third stage of life, a house-holder should retire to forest with his wife, if she is willing (Sushila-Samutka) otherwise he may go alone. 60.
In the forest, being an ascetic, he should practice penance in the summer sitting in the middle of four fires with the sun burning right over his head. In winter he should practice penance standing in water. In rainy season, he should immerse in meditation or in chanting of Vishnu, in the open. 61.
He should observe Agnihotra (Sacrifice in fire) with offerings of grains, fruits and others available in forest, and he should build a hut to protect sacrificial fire from wind and rain, himself staying outside. 62.
He should live on grains and fruits that are collected by him in the forest and not on the things grown by others. Living there in the forest to his capacity, then he may take to Sanyasa, the fourth stage of life of complete renunciation. 63.
A monk (sanyasi) should have one patched - garment and two strips of cloth to cover the loins. He should have a bamboo staff and a handy wooden pot. 64.
He should always chant eight syllabled hymn of lord Narayan and be devoted to Shri Hari alone, with knowledge and understanding. 65.
He should not dwell in one place unless there is some difficulty or rains. He should always fetch alms (Bhiksha) once in a day from the house of a holy Brahmin. 66.
Observing vows like Ekadashi and others in the name of Shri Hari accordingly, he should preserve his celibacy through conquering the self and senses. 67.
The third and fourth stage of life (Vanaprastha and sanyasa) is forbidden in Kali age. Hence a house - holder though detached, belonging to Brahmin or any other caste, should be taking to Vasudeva-initiation, and become a Vaishnava. Observing strict celibacy and remaining in his stage of life, he should worship Shri Hari. 68 - 69.
If he is fully detached, he may leave his house and move in the company of ascetics. Being noble, he should worship Krishna as Bharat in the past, who was completely unaffected to the happenings around him. 70.
Knowingly he should not see or touch a wooden feminine statue even, and for his real progression, he should abandon gold and wealth. 71.
The company of women and of people, with feminine attitude, is the only cause of bondage even for the liberated. Apart from devotion to Shri Hari, everything should be abandoned. 72.
Knowledge, devotion, penance, Yoga (meditation), renunciation, pondering over sacred scriptures - all these virtues would go in vain a woman’s company. 73.
The seekers of liberation should fear women as snakes (black-cobra). Even after accomplishing the state of Samadhi, women should be left away from distance. 74.
Lust, greed, anger, pride, ignorant-friendship, and becoming slave to tastes, as these are six doors to hell, hence should be abandoned. 75.
Eight sorts of celibacy should be maintained by a renunciate, who has conquered his senses. Shri Hari should be worshipped always with nine steps of devotion with affection. 76.
Without devotional service to Vishnu even salvation of four kinds should not be desired or oneness with the supreme reality, then what to speak of lesser heaven? 77.
He should strive to uproot all the desires except the worship of Lord Vishnu. He should not think about those inner enemies and allow them to enter himself. 78.
Abandoning the evil place, time, acts and scriptures, he should resort to noble ways and take shelter in it. 79.
Whoever disobeys in his religious duties, being in any stage of life or caste, should follow repentance in accordance with Holy Scriptures. 80.
O Mother thus it has been narrated by me about the four stages of life and castes, individually; here after I will explain you qualities of knowledge. 81.
Thus ends the thirty-third chapter entitled ‘Narration of duties to men belonging to all castes and stages of life’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 33