* Etiquette about paying respect to elders and Guru; Study of Scriptures and other conventional duties.
Etiquette about paying respect to elders and Guru; Study of Scriptures and other conventional duties.
Shri Narayan Muni said ;-
Worship of father, mother and preceptor (Guru) is highly esteemed, in my opinion. It renders happiness to the Twice-born (Brahmins), in this world, as well as, in the next world. 1.
Whatever they render, it is certainly the right code of conduct. Those three are indeed, the three Vedas, the three Gods and the three fires. 2.
The Twice-born, who does not commit any mistake in case of these three, definitely wins over the three worlds. A Brahmin should never insult them and he should always follow them. 3.
All good activities would become fruitless, because of disrespect to them (Veda, three Gods and three fires). Neither this world, nor the other world becomes auspicious, for the one who insults them. 4.
Preceptor (Acharya) is always superior to Vedic scholars (ten Shrotriyas) and a priest (Upadhyaya, who gives sacred thread and gets all religious rites executed) is superior to preceptor (ten Acharyas). 5.
Father excels ten Upadhyayas in greatness and mother is ten times superior for adoration, when compared to father. 6.
Guru (spiritual guide) is deemed by me, to be superior to father and also to mother; because, they just produce physical body, which is a means of fulfilling religious duties. 7.
However Guru, by giving knowledge releases the pupil, from the bondage of his body. Hence, he is said to be superior to parents. 8.
Even when, they have some faults in them, they are neither to be blamed nor to be hit or censored by the pupil. They are, in all respects, worthy of-worship. 9.
The wise pupil should not bear malice towards his Guru, he should remember the good done by him; because Guru, having removed ignorance by means of his advices, gives immortality. 10.
The disciple who does not worship his spiritual guide (Guru), from whom he obtains knowledge, by means of speech, mind and activity, for them all knowledge becomes fruitless. 11.
The man who, under the influence of pride, insults his Guru, certainly commits sin, which is more serious than killing an embryo. 12.
The man, who pleases father, pleases Prajapati (Brahma, the cosmic Creator); and the man who pleases mother, pleases the (mother-) Earth. 13.
The man who has worshipped Guru, has virtually worshipped Brahman itself. Therefore, Guru is the most worthy person of honour, than even father and mother. 14.
Hence, one should always follow one’s father, mother and Guru. The hater, of those three, will certainly fall into Kumbhi- paka hell. 15.
Whatever sin is attached to: a deceiver of a friend, who is ungrateful to a destroyer of plough (agricultural tool) and killer of Guru, is such that he has no atonement whatsoever. 16.
A householder should never debate with the three elders i.e. father, mother and Guru. Similarly, he should not debate with the sacrificial priests, maternal uncle, servants, guests, old men, small boys, patients, the weak, members of the same cast, relatives, kinsmen, brother, daughter, son, sister and wife. A householder should never debate with all these. In case, he is conquered by all these, he notionally conquers all the worlds, no doubt. 17- 19.
The Brahmin who wishes for his own good, should always listens to good Scriptures. If he does not understand the meaning, he should ask those scholars, who know it. 20.
He, who blames Shruti (revealed lore), or the code narrated by sages, without understanding its meaning will become a sinner, notionally killing a Brahmin. 21.
Even at the time of calamity of impending death, nobody should eat food of a Sanyasi; since it amounts to eating flesh of a cow and should not drink his water; since it is similar to drinking a drop of wine. 22.
The donor of: gold to an ascetic (Sanyasi), betel (Tambula) to celibates and protection to thieves, would go to hell. 23.
One should give food –alms with devotion, filled with all flavours to mendicant (Sanyasi), enough to fill his begging bowl. The merit, he gets by this act is endless. 24.
He gains endless merit, who arranges comfortable shelter, for mendicants (Sanyasis), suffering from disease and serve them by offering medicine etc., 25.
The merit of householder does not become fruitless, who respectfully gets up, when he sees a Sanyasi, bows down, offers him water to wash his feet, gives him a seat and pays respect to him. 26.
The householder, who insults a celibate or an ascetic or a renouned Brahmin, when they come for begging, by not giving alms to them, is indeed, as good as a killer of Brahmin. 27.
A householder is supposed to nourish every day, the following nine persons: mother, father, spiritual guide, wife, own children, dependants, guest, visitor and sacred fire. 28.
He, out of desire for prosperity, should give donations, especially to the helpless and miserable people. Those, who have not given donations to such people, they themselves live on the charity of others. 29.
The wealth earned by judicious means should be utilized, in activities useful for one’s own welfare in the next world. The donation should be given to a worthy person, at the proper time, with proper procedure and with devotion. 30.
He who gives donation to an unworthy man, without proper procedure, not only that becomes futile but his remaining wealth also perishes. 31.
Sacrifice perishes because of falsehood, penance perishes because of pride, donation perishes because of publicizing, and life perishes because of insulting a worthy Brahmin. 32.
A householder should always respect properly, politely, without hatred, the people, elder by age and elder by penance and excellent by lineage. 33.
superiority of learned Brahmin comes from knowledge, that of Kshatriyas (those born from the arms of cosmic persons) from valour, of Vaishyas from wealth and grains, of others, from the time of birth (age). 34.
At the time of feeding, worshipping, and giving alms, one should not prefer someone else, omitting the Brahmin, present in front. 35.
But in the case of a foolish Brahmin, such overstepping is not blameable. It is like oblation being offered in ashes, ignoring blazing sacred fire. 36.
O great Brahmin! The householder, who respects politely the elderly people, Brahmins and saints, gets great fame, in this world and gets ample happiness, in the yonder world, after death. 37.
Thus ends the sixteenth chapter entitled, ‘Respecting the parents and other elderly people by householders’, in the fifth Prakaran of Satsangi jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra (the rules of the code of conduct). 16