83 - The duties of all the four Varnas and Others

Nanda said- О son, you are the cause of the Vedas and Brahma. Therefore, you tell us everything. You will meet with welfare. To whom shall I asked except you? 

What is the dharma of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas? Vaishyas, Shudras, mendicants, yogis, Brahmacaris, learned persons, widows, the noble people and those of the chaste woman? You kindly tell me in detail everything. 

О lord, you tell me in detail the duties of the householder, the wives of the house-holder, the pupils and the duties of the sons towards them parents and the duties of the daughters. You kindly speak them out in detail. О lord, what is the number of castes of the women, the number of the types of devotees, the number of the globes? You kindly tell me in detail everything. 

Sri Krishna said- A Brahmana gets himself purified after performing sandhya, always serves me. He always takes food with my left-over and he does not take food without offering me the same first. 

The one who does not offer to Vishnu the food, it becomes like refuse and the water like urine. Therefore, a Brahmana who consumes the left-over of Vishnu is relieved of the cycle of birth and death.

The one who remains engrossed in tapas, pure, peaceful, well-versed in the scriptures, the one who performs vrata and visits holy places, the one who engages himself in the study of many subjects and an extremely religious Brahmana getting sanctified with the Vishnu mantra serves his teacher. Thereafter, accepting his command he becomes a house-holder. Such a Brahmana always adores his teacher daily and offers dakshina to him. He should always maintain his teachers daily. There is no doubt about it. 

Of all the adorable persons, the guru happens to be the best. Indeed, he is to be treated like Narayana the lord of Lakshmi. For that purpose alone, everything is offered to the gods. This has been prescribed in the Vedas, one's own teacher is the consumer and has to be treated like Janardana. 

The teacher is Brahma, the teacher is Vishnu, the teacher is Shiva himself. All the gods reside in the teacher delight-fully. Therefore, the lord becomes happy, all the gods always reside in the body of the teacher. Therefore, when the teacher is pleased, the lord himself is pleased and with his pleasure all the gods feel pleased. In case the teacher does not love his pupil like his own sons and does, not bless them when they adore him then he also earns the sin of Brahmahatya. There is no doubt about it. The one who is devoted to his dharma and the one who serves Vishnu always, is considered to be quite an auspicious one. The rest are considered to be impure. Such of the Brahmana as make his livelihood by driving bullocks, cooking food for the Shudras, serves as a temple priest or does not perform sandhya, the one who sleeps during the day time or the one who consumes the food of shraddha of the Shudras and bums the dead bodies of the Shudras, such a Brahmana could be equated with a Shudra. The Brahmana, who, adoring Salagrama, sips the water of washing the same, takes food after offering him and also consumes the caranodaka of the same, he is relieved of all the sins and achieves Vishnuloka because by consuming the caranodaka of lord Hari, one earns the merit of having a bath in the holy places. The one who has the Salagrama stone, should take it for granted that such a person has earned the merit of taking a bath in the holy places besides earning the merit of performing the yajna. О lord of Vraja, the water with which Salagrama is washed, is considered to be ten times more auspicious than the sacred water of the Ganga. Therefore, the Brahmana always consumes the same. Such a Brahmana is relieved of the cycle of birth and death and becomes like gods. Therefore, it is incumbent on the Brahmanas that they should consume food only after offering naivedya to Vishnu. 

They adore Vishnu with devotion and consume his caranodaka as a part of daily routine. О father the one who performs sandhya thrice a day and adores me with devotion performing vratas on Ekadashi, Janmashtami, Shivaratri and Ramanavami day and does not take food, such a Brahmana is freed from the cycle of birth and death. All the holy places on earth reside on his feet. 

By consuming the water, washing the feet of a Brahmana, one earns the merit of having a bath in a holy place. Till such time the earth remains wet with the caranodaka of Brahmana, his ancestors consume the water in the lotus leaves. The one who consumes the left-over of Vishnu, such a Brahmana is purifies the earth, the holy places and all the people. And thereafter he is relieved of the cycle of birth and death, he achieves the merit of having bath in all the sacred places and for performing all the vratas 

He achieves the merit of performing Ashvamedha sacrifice at every step, he becomes purified like fire and the air, besides being illustrious like the sun. He does not witness Yama or his messengers even in dream and ultimately, he becomes the courtier of the lord and move on to Vaikuntha enjoying all the pleasures there. 

A Brahmana who serves the lord, never meets with a fall, the one who adores the lord, never meets with a fall, the one who adores the lord reciting the Vishnu-mantra is known as Vaishnava.

A Vaishnava-Brahmana is always well-read and no one could be compared with him. A mantra prescribed in the Vedas, Puranas or the tantras is considered to be quite auspicious,

The one who receives the mantra after fully thinking about it, such a person is known as Shaiva, Shakta or Vaishnava. The Vishnu mantra getting out of the mouth of the teacher, enters the ear of a devotee and such a person is considered to be an auspicious Vaishnava. By receiving the mantra alone, one is relieved of the cycle of birth and death. 

He pierces through the globe and moves on to the abode of the lord. A true devotee of Vishnu redeems the seven past and seven future generations including his brothers, parents and the mother of the mother. О lord of Vraja, one receives this reward soon after getting the mantra.

A person who performs the recitation of the mantra with Purashcharana, he redeems his hundred past and hundred future generations. Those of the Vaishnavas who are immensely devoted to the lord are beyond the Samkalpa but all the details are performed within Vishnupada. They redeem a lakh of their ancestors. The Brahmanas and the gods are my witnesses but my devotees are the dearest among all.

Of all the people in all the lokas my devotees are the dearest to me and there is none else equal to them. The one who receives the mantra from a teacher, who is illustrious and can protect at every step, he is bestowed with all the wisdom. The one who is younger in age, having little knowledge or learnings and belongs to a lower caste, the mantra should not be received from such a teacher. 

The mantra which is against the meaning of the scriptures and is incomplete should not be received by anyone. Similarly, one should not receive the mantra from a foolish person, the one having no ashrama, the father, the recluse, the ailing person and the person having no progeny or a wife. The one who is devoid of devotion to Vishnu, Shiva or Shakti, the Vishnu-mantra should not be received from him. The Vishnu-mantra should be received from a Vaishnava Brahmana alone. 

The one who receives the mantra from a person who is a physician his life span in shortened. The one who receives the mantra from a person without intelligence, he becomes a foolish fellow. The one who receives the mantra from a person without learnings, a fool or the one who belongs to a degraded caste, one meets with the fall of his position. By receiving mantra from a foolish fellow, one becomes a fool, the one who receives from a mendicant, having no ashrama, meets with grief the one who receives the mantra from his father, has to face losses. The one who receives the mantra from a recluse, has to meet with death and in case of receiving the same from a person with disease, he invites ailment and when receiving the same from a person having no sons, his progeny is destroyed. In case the mantra is received from a person having no wife, the receiver has to lose his wife. In case one receives a mantra, who forgets the same, the person who receives it also becomes forgetful. 

The one who receives the mantra from a person undevoted to Vishnu, such a person is deprived of the devotion and in case the mantra is received from a Shaiva or a Shakta, the devotion towards the lord never increases.

Only a pure Vaishnava Brahmana can serve the fried food and none else. Because in case any other person except the Brahmana recites Omkara or performs the homa adoring Salagrama and offers fried food to the lord, such a person is surely degraded. 

The intellectuals should not receive the mantra from a sad or a wicked person. In case it so happens accidentally, such a person is relieved of all his fortunes. 

The Brahmanas should always take the havishya and vegetarian food. Discarding meat, a Brahmana shines like the sun. The intellectual Brahmanas should use new ways for cooking daily or otherwise the food should be cooked for fifteen days and thereafter, the same should be discarded. My devotees should cook the food in a neat and clean place and should offer the same to me with devotion. 

After offering me and to the Brahmanas, he should himself consume the food. Without offering the food to me if any Brahmana consumes the food, he becomes impure like the wine. After the solar or lunar eclipse, after the removal of the impurity of birth and death or after the touch of a vase by an unclean person, the vase for cooking should me immediately changed. 

The fried cereals and the food should be taken getting clad in two garments, washing the feet at a neat and clean place. The people of high castes should not take food twice during the day because by doing so all the actions becomes infructuous and the consumer is driven to hell. 

The one who consumes havishya food, controlling his senses, is prohibited from starting on a journey during the day of shraddha, for a war, crossing a river, eating again and cohabiting. The intelligent people and the Vaishnava should be given the vases, the one who is the husband of a Shudra woman, the one who performs yajnas with the Shudras, the one who is deprived of sandhya, the wicked person, those earning a living by driving bullocks, the sellers of parrots, the temple priest, should never be offered the charities, because by offering these to such persons, the donor surely reaches hell. In case someone, after performing shraddha and eating food, cohabits with his wife, he surely falls in to hell. О father, the one who sells away the daughter is considered to be the biggest sinner. The one who sells away the daughter after accepting a price, such a sinner has to fall into the terrible hell. 

Then he has to fall in to the Kumbhipaka hell together with his ancestors, sons and the priest up to the number of hairs on the body of the girl.

Therefore, an intelligent person should give away the daughter to a competent person. Such of the Brahmanas as behaves like Shudras, the daughter should not the married in his family. 

О lord of Vraja, I have thus highlighted to you the duties of the Brahmanas and the Vaishnavas as prescribed in the Vedas and the Puranas. 

Now you listen to the dharma of Kshatriyas. All the Kshatriyas should always adore the Brahmanas, Narayana, rule the countries, should become fearless in the battle-field, give away charity to the Brahmanas, protect those who take refuge with them, protect the people who are suffering, like their own sons, should achieve mastery in archery and the scriptures and display prowess in the battle-field and should continue to perform tapas and other religious duties. 

They should always maintain a well-read Brahmana, well-versed in the scriptures and such a person should be entrusted with the court with due responsibility. The glorious Kshatriyas should always maintain the elephants, horses, chariots, foot-soldiers and the four-fold army. When challenged for a war they should not run away from it, because if a Kshatriya is killed in a battle-field, he surely enjoys heaven and its glory. 

The duty of the Vaishyas is to engage himself in business, besides adoring the Brahmanas and the gods, performing the vrata. Similarly, the adoration of Brahmanas is also prescribed for the Shudras. In case a Shudra troubles the Brahmana or steals away his riches, such a Shudra achieves Chandala-hood.

In case a Shudra steals the riches of a Brahmana, he has to become a vulture for a thousand crores of births, a pig for a hundred births and a wild animal. In case a Shudra cohabits with a Brahmana woman, he earns the sin of cohabiting with his mother. Because of this he has to fall into the Kumbhipaka hell. He is thrown into boiling oil and is bitten by snakes. The messengers of Yama further torture him. Thereafter the great sinner is born as a Chandala for seven births, a snake for seven births, leech for seven births and an insect of refuse for a hundred crores of births. Thereafter, such a sinner for seven births becomes an insect of the pelvic region of a loose woman and for seven births he has to become an insect of the boil of cows. Thus, by travelling through many births, he is never born as a human being.

Now you listen to me about the duties of a samnyasi or a recluse by holding a danda a person becomes the form of Narayana. The recluse, who always meditates upon me, he, destroying his earlier karmas, also destroys the deeds of the present birth. Ultimately, he achieves my abode. 

О lord of Vraja, as a holy place gets purified with the touch of the feet of a Vaishnava, similarly the earth also gets purified with the touch of the feet of a recluse. 

A person gets purified and is relieved of his sins with the very touch of the recluse. In case food is served to a recluse, the giver of the food achieves the merit of performing the Ashvamedha sacrifice. 

The one who offers his salutation to a recluse after suddenly meeting him, achieves the merit of performing the Rajasuya sacrifice. One gets the same type of merit by meeting a recluse, a Yati and a Brahmachari. In case a recluse suffering from hunger goes to a house-holder in the evening, whatever type of food is served to him should be taken by him. 

He should not demand for sweet dishes nor should he display his anger nor should he accept riches. He should be unattached and should remain, alike in the winter or the summer seasons, rising above greed and illusion. Thus, spending the night at one place he should move on to the other, the next day. 

In case a recluse enjoys a ride, receives riches from a house-holder or resides in a beautiful house after constructing it, such a recluse is considered to be a fallen one. 

In case a recluse ploughs the field or enters into some business, he falls from his discipline and the dharma. 

In case he performs good or bad deeds relating to his caste, then he is to be excommunicated from the ashrama and becomes a laughing stock.

Similarly, a widow Brahmana woman should always be beyond desire, she should take havishya food once a day. 

She should not be dad in divine garments or apply fragrant material, scented oil, garland, sandal-paste, vermilion and ornaments. She should be clad in unclean garments and remain devoted to Narayana. She should devote herself to Narayana and with great devotion, should always consider the other men as her own sons.  О lord of Vraja, she should not take sweet food and should not enjoy fortunes. She should not take food on the birthday of Krishna, Rama, Shivaratri, Naraka Chaturdashi, eclipse of the sun or moon. She should discard fried things and should take simple food alone. The use of betel by a widow a Yati, a Brahmachari or a recluse is like the eating of cow meat and the consuming of wine is also prohibited. This has been prescribed in the Vedas. They are prohibited from consuming red vegetables, small grained pulse, sour lime, betel and round gourd. A widow who sleeps on a comfortable bed makes her husband fall. 

In case a widow enjoys the ride of a vehicle, she has to fall into hell. Oil should not be applied to her hair and her body should not be decorated.  The hair which is turned into the form of looks of hair should be cut off only at a sacred place. She should not apply oil over the body, should not look at a mirror, should not look at the face of other men. She should not participate in a yatra, a dance and other festivities and should not look at a beautiful person clad in the best of garments.

Now you listen to the duties of the noble people as prescribed in the Samaveda. Now I narrate to you the best of the duties to be performed by a noble person. You listen to me. 

The noble people should engage themselves in  teaching, studies, maintaining pupils, serving  teachers, Brahmanas and the gods daily, attaining  proficiency in different theories, maintaining a  high standard of intellect, self-satisfaction pure  discourses, continues study of the scriptures, to  mould the thinking of the people according to the  Vedas and act according to the scriptures. They should be well-versed in the performing of the duties of the gods, the Vedas and should consume things which are prescribed in the Vedas. They should conduct themselves in a pure and simple way. 

О lord of Vraja, now you listen to me about the duties of the chaste woman. A chaste woman remains anxious about her husband and always sips his charanodaka daily. She takes food devotedly with the permission of her husband.  Discarding the vratas, tapas and adoration of the gods, she spends her time by devoting herself at the feet of her husband and offers prayer to him satisfying him in all respects. A chaste woman should not act without the command of her husband and should not act with enmity. A chaste woman considers her husband more important than Narayana and remains always devoted to him. О lord of Vraja, a chaste woman is never attracted towards the best faces of other man, clad in beautiful garments and does not join them in journey, festivities, dance, song and other types of sports. 

Whatever is eaten by her husband daily is always acceptable to her. A chaste lady never separates herself from her husband even for a moment. 

A chaste woman never enters into controversies with her husband. Evan if she is scolded by her husband, she never gets enraged.

The chaste woman should serve food to her hungry husband and serve him water. When asleep, he should not be disturbed and she should not demand conjugal pleasure when he is asleep.  A chaste lady has to love her husband, a hundred times more than his sons because for a bride only the husband is the true relative and not the gods or others. 

She looks at her husband quite devotedly who happens to be nectar-like towards her. 

A chaste woman redeems thousands of her generations. The husband of the chaste woman is relieved of all the sins. 

Because of the performance of the chaste woman, the sins of the husband are washed away. As by getting relieved of all the desires, he together with his chaste wife enjoys her company in the abode of lord. 

All the holy places on earth dwell in the feet of a chaste lady. The glory of all the gods and the sages always remain pleasant in the chaste woman. 

О lord of Vraja, the merit a mendicant achieves by performing tapas, performing vratas, fasting by the ascetics and the giving away of charities by the donors, the same merit is always achieved by the chaste woman. 

That is why even lord Narayana, Shiva, Brahma, the creator of the universe, all the gods and the sages get afraid of the chaste woman. 

With the dust of the feet of the chaste woman, the earth gets purified and by offering salutation to the chaste woman, one is relieved of all the sins.

A chaste woman is always considered to be highly meritorious and she is competent enough to reduce the three worlds to ashes with her curse. 

The husband of the chaste women is always noble and her sons develop no doubt and she never get afraid of the gods and Yama.

Therefore, only after a person performs good deeds for a hundred births only then is a chaste woman born in that race. The mother of the chaste woman is purified and the father is relieved of the cycle of birth and death. The chaste woman should get up early in the morning, change the clothes worn by her during the night and should clad herself in new clothes.  Then she should adore her husband offering white flowers and she should make her husband take his bath with spotless clean water and offer him two clean garments and then wash her feet.  Thereafter making him sit on a pedestal, apply sandal-paste on his forehead and all the limbs, place a garland around his neck and then should adore her husband with great devotion, reciting the hymns from the Samaveda 

 By reciting the mantra she should offer the sandal-paste  and flowers, padya, arghya, incense, lamp and  the best of garments beside the naivedya, in  addition to the spotless clean water, fragrant  betel and should recite, "O my beloved husband,  the form of Chandrashekhara, I bow in reverence to  you. You are peaceful and the form of Brahmana and the life of Sati, I adore you.". 

You are adorable and are the base of my heart, I offer my salutation to you. You are the lord of my body, the star of my eyes, the base of the knowledge of the wives, you are all blissful, I offer my salutation to you. The husband is like Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara. The husband is like Brahman, I bow in reverence to you. О lord you forgive me for all the sins committed by me knowingly or unknowingly.

O lord of the wife, "you are the ocean of mercy, you forgive the sins of a slave like me.” О lord of Vraja, in earlier times at the beginning of the creation, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Pruthvi and Ganga had recited this meritorious stotra. Savitri had adored Brahma in earlier times by reciting this stotra, Parvati had adored Shiva by reciting this stotra in the ancient times. The gods and the sages were also adored by their spouses reciting this stotra which bestows welfare to all the chaste woman. In case a chaste lady recites this auspicious stotra or those of the people who listen to it, all their desires are fulfilled. The one without a son gets a son, a pauper gets riches and an ailing person is relieved of his ailment and a person is relieved of the fetters. О lord of Vraja, in case a chaste woman recites this stotra, she earns the merit of visiting a holy place, besides the merit of performing all the vratas and tapas. After adoring the husband offering the prayers, she should take food with the permission of her husband. О lord of Vraja, I have now narrated to you the duties of a chaste woman.