Chapter 13 - Duties of Brahmin house holder

Duties of Brahmin house holder: fruit thereby. 

Shri Narayan Muni said:- 

Hereafter, I shall narrate the special characteristics of Brahmin householder. A Brahmin should always be pious and always be engaged in the six activities. 1. 

He should be calm and quiet, restrained, enduring and always think of the meanings of the Vedas. He should never give up his own duties and should not make friendship with bad people. 2. 

He should wear white clothes, should not bear long hair and beard, should be fond of penance, should not wear too thin clothes, should not be idle, and should have modest sleep. 3. 

The householder, who is the performer of punctual bathing and twilight worship, who is always devoted to Brahmanic sacrifice (learning and teaching Vedas), engaged in muttering Gayatri mantra, performer of ancestral right is liberated. Such a householder is freed from all earthly connections. 4. 

A man does not become a householder only because he possesses a house. But he who shares his food with others, who always forgives others and who is compassionate is said to be a true householder. 5. 

A householder should perform five Yajnas, everyday. They are: 1. Ahuta, 2. Huta, 3. Prahuta, 4. Prashita and the fifth is Brahmahuta. 6. 

Ahuta involves muttering chants, Huta means homa i.e. offering oblation to sacred fire, Prahuta means offerings made to creatures, Prashita means satiation of ancestors and Brahmahuta means serving Brahmins. 7. 

The Brahmin, who performs these five Yajnas overcomes death. By non-performance of these sacrifices, he incurs the fivefold sin (of domestic violence-Panchasuna). 8. 

He who cooks only for himself, whose sexual union is only for self- satisfaction, whose knowledge is only for livelihood - his life is fruitless. 9. 

He, who is interested only in the verbal sciences (linguistics), interested only in a beautiful house, interested only in food and clothes and interested in entertaining the people around does not obtain emancipation. 10. 

He who always loves solitude (for meditation), is not interested in the things attracting the senses, whose mind is engrossed in studies and is keen on non-violence is sure to obtain Moksha. 11. 

Therefore, a Brahmin should always observe vows, be engaged in service to Agni (oblation service), be keen on penance and should control his senses. 12. 

He should not commit sin under the pretext of Dharma and then observe a vow. This type of Brahmin, when leaving this world, is blamed by the expounders of Vedas (Brahmavadins). 13. 

He should avoid the company of bad people engaged in antireligious (left hand rituals) acts, God haters, people engaging in anti-social behaviour and men censuring the Vedas. 14. 

Reasons for destruction of Brahmanatva. 

His whole family perishes because of falsehood, adultery with another person’s wife, eating prohibited food items, and abandoning Vedic religion (Shrauta-dharma). 15. 

Because of prohibited marriages, non-performance of prescribed activities, non-study of Vedas and insulting Brahmins, the family-lineages go to a low status. 16. 

One should not censure others, should not praise himself and should never declare any innocent person as sinful even at the risk of life. 17. 

Real purpose of the body of Brahmin. 

After bathing and offering oblations to fire, he should adorn the sacred mark (Pundra) on his forehead either with clay or with ash, from saecred fire after worshipping the Gods with sandal paste and water. 18. 

Bath, Sandhya, Tarpana, muttering of mantras, offering oblations to Agni and worshipping Gods should be done before taking meals. The evening Sandhya rite should be performed without fire-oblations. 19. 

The body of Brahmin is not meant for the attainment of low aim. It is meant for torturous penance and for the sake of obtaining permanent happiness after death (in thither world). 20. 

Prohibitions and sins by Brahmins: respective atonements. 

Pulling a bow-string and destruction of enemy, agriculture, trade-business, cattle-rearing or service to others for earning money is totally prohibited. 21. 

A Brahmin should not accept any donation from a king following unrighteous path. But he is not to be blamed, if he accepts donations from a king, who is keen on performing his duties. 22. 

Purity of food leads to purity of mind, purity of mind leads to stable memory. Thereby, untying of all karmic- knots take place. 23. 

A Brahmin should not Parkate food offered by a low caste person, food offered by a team of actors and dancers or a group meal served by courtesans and other low caste people. 24. 

It is recommended that a house-holder should always eat common food cooked for all, i.e. guests, servants, family members etc. 25. 

From among the Shudras, half sharer-tiller (Ardhika), family friend, personal cow-herd (Gopal) and barber are the exceptions. A Brahmin can eat food given by them, who say, ‘we are yours’, and also a person who surrenders himself to him as a family member. 26.

Before eating food, three offerings for creatures should done to the earth. Then, saying a kind of prayer, the first mouthful should be offered to the internal Agni (i.e. Pranagni-hotra). Then a Brahmin must eat his food, exercising control over his speech during consumption. 27. 

Silence is recommended at the time of bathing, performing sacrifice and eating food. If silence is not observed while bathing, then God Varuna takes away his strength; while offering oblation into sacred fire, Agni would take away his wealth and while eating food, then God of death (Antaka) (i.e. Yama) reduces his life. Hence silence is recommended at the time of bathing, sacrifice and eating food (i.e. meals). 28. 

In the plate, rice should be in the mid-portion, Payasa and ghee to its right, vegetable etc., should be in its front and Bhakshya and Bhojya to its left. 29. 

If any one member in the row of people, sitting for meals is sinful, then all the members, in that row become equally sinful if no differentiation in rows is made. 30. 

The row of people sitting for meal can be differentiated in six ways: by fire, by ash, by column, by water-line, by door or by path. 31. 

That householder Brahmin who eats food after giving it to ancestors, Gods and men gets to drink nectar. The householder Brahmin eats sin who cooks only for himself to fill his stomach. 32. 

A Brahmin householder should not perform a sacrifice by begging for money from here and there. Also, if he collects money by begging, he should spend it all on the sacrifice. 33. 

Caution to be exercised by Brahmins in accepting Daan. 

While accepting donations for any religious act, the Brahmin should not accept anything from the following five: 34. 

1. Suni – who kills animal, 2. Chakri – who extracts oil with the help of extractor (or wheel), 3. Dhvaji – who sells liquor, 4. Veshya – prostitute, 5. Naradhipa – non-religious king, Each of subsequent ones is ten times more wicked than the preceding ones. He who accepts hide of a deer, the bed of a dead person, a she goat or an Ubhayatomukhi cow in Kurukshetra does not get the birth of a human being in the next birth. 35. 

Acceptance of iron, sesame, she-buffalo, oil, salt, Tildhenu and jewel –these seven are severe sins. 36. 

The householder Brahmin should not accept any donation within the area of four hand-measures from a river (measured from the shore) even though he is on the verge of death. 37. 

The Brahmin who accepts the skin of a deer, who buys and sells horses, and who eats food of new obsequy (Nava-shraddha) is not reborn as a human being. 38.

The Brahmin whose behaviour is pious, who repeatedly studies Vedas, whose behaviour is non-treacherous and who is intelligent remembers his previous birth. 39. 

The Brahmin, who has not studied the three Vedas, is not a Brahmin in the real sense of the term; just like a wooden elephant or a leather-deer are not real. 40. 

If the Brahmin who does not have learning (Vidya) or penance accepts any donation, he, along with the donor, is sure to face a downfall. 41. 

If a uneducated Brahmin accepts the donation of pancake (Apoopa), gold, cow, horse or land, he immediately reduces to ashes just like wood. 42. 

He who is well-studied and has control over his senses is suitable to accept donation but if he does not accept it heaven is not difficult for him. 43. 

The wise people have said that the Brahmin, who eats the food given by a Shudra for a month or a fortnight, certainly takes his next birth in the same low caste. 44. 

If a Brahminin distress, for want of livelihood, accepts alms (Bhiksa) from a good and well behaved Shudra, he is not smeared by sin. 45. 

He is described as well-behaved Shudra, who is born in a pious family, who does not take wine and non-vegetarian food, bears devotion towards Brahmins and earns his livelihood by way of honest business. 46. 

The Brahmin, who only eats the food remaining after offering oblations, and that too during the two middle- Praharas (3x2=6hrs) at night and sleeps during those two Praharas, never perishes. 47. 

A real Brahmin, should never drink non-potable drink, should never eat non-edibles and should avoid even smell of wine and meat. 48. 

If a Brahmin, unknowingly smells wine or meat, he should take bath and remember Lord Vishnu and perform evening Sandhya-vidhi, outside the village. 49. 

A Brahmin should perform, according to proper procedure, sacraments (Sanskaras) of his own, of his wife, son and daughter. 50. 

Nobody, especially a Brahmin, should ever sell a daughter. If anybody does it, he goes to hell. 51. 

Even a penny obtained by selling a daughter when enjoyed by anyone, leads to him along with his clan going to hell. 52. 

Marriage of Brahmin householder’s of daughter. 

If the Brahmin, whose economic condition is not good, requests the bridegroom, ‘marry my daughter by buying her ornaments’, then, all the ornaments given by the bridegroom and made by himself according to his ability should be given to the daughter. There is no fault in doing this. But even, a part of it should not be kept for himself; this is our old tradition, said Bhishma. 53-55. 

A daughter of eight years should be called Gauri, of nine years- Rohini and of ten years- Kanya. After that she becomes a girl undergoing menses. 56. 

The non-cultured girl whose menses commence while she is at father’s house is called a Vrushali and her father, the killer of embryo. 57. 

To whom Kanya-Daan should be granted and not granted and his characteristics. 

If a bridegroom is from a noble family, has good behaviour, good support, good education, property and strong physique, the father should give his daughter to him at proper time. 58. 

Bridegrooms for Brahmin daughter. 

The following six types of bridegrooms are to be avoided: 59. 

1. Staying too near, 2. Staying too far away, 3. Ill-behaved, because of wealth, 4. Having no wealth at all, 5. Having no livelihood, 6. Foolish. Daughter should not be given to him, whose Guru, is in Simha’s zodiac ; and one, whose Ravi is in the zodiac of Dhanus and Min; because, such a marriage leads to (daughter’s) widowhood. 60. 

When Guru is in Simha zodiac and Ravi is in Meena zodiac, marriage in the region between the rivers: Ganga and Godavari is prohibited. It is prohibited in all regions when Ravi is in Magha constellation. 61. 

Similarly, on the north of the Ganga bank and on the south of the Godavari bank, marriage and thread-ceremonies are not prohibited when Guru is in the first Pada of Simha constellation. 62. 

Since the beginning of the seventh year and before the beginning of the tenth year, the marriage of a daughter is said to be auspicious. 63. 

The fault of Ghata-candra is not to be thought of: in case of marriage ceremony, fore-lock (Chaula) ceremony, threadceremony, sacrifice, natal (Jata-karma), coronation of a king and Simanta-yatra. 64. 

Thus, I have explained to you, the special characteristics, of a Brahmin householder. Hereafter, I shall narrate, to you, in short, about livelihood: ‘O Brahmin! Listen to that. 65. 

Thus ends the thirteenth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of special duties of Brahmin householder,’ in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra (the rules of the code of conduct). 13