Adhyaya 28

Verse 1

इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे सप्तविशो ऽध्याय व्यास उवाच एवं वनाश्रमे स्थित्वा तृतीयं भागमायुषः / चतुर्थमायुषो भागं संन्यासेन नयेत् क्रमात्

Vyāsa said: Thus, having dwelt in the forest-dweller’s discipline (vānaprastha) for the third portion of one’s lifespan, one should thereafter, in due order, pass the fourth portion of life in renunciation (saṃnyāsa).

Verse 2

अग्नीनात्मनी संस्थाप्य द्विजः प्रव्रजितो भवेत् / योगाभ्यासरतः शान्तो ब्रह्मविद्यापरायणः

Having inwardly established the sacred fires within his own Self, a twice-born man should become a renunciant (pravrajita)—devoted to the practice of Yoga, tranquil in mind, and wholly committed to the knowledge of Brahman (brahma-vidyā).

Verse 3

यदा मनसि संजातं वैतृष्ण्यं सर्ववस्तुषु / तदा संन्यासमिच्छेच्च पतितः स्याद् विपर्यये

When complete dispassion toward all objects has truly arisen in the mind, then one should desire saṃnyāsa, renunciation. But if it is otherwise—if renunciation is sought without inner detachment—one becomes fallen.

Verse 4

प्राजापत्यां निरूप्येष्टिमाग्नेयीमथवा पुनः / दान्तः पक्वकषायो ऽसौ ब्रह्माश्रममुपाश्रयेत्

Having duly arranged the Prajāpatya sacrifice—or again the Agneya rite—let that self-controlled person, whose impurities have been ‘cooked away’ and whose passions have ripened into restraint, take refuge in the Brahma-āśrama, the discipline of brahmacarya.

Verse 5

ज्ञानसंन्यासिनः केचिद् वेदसंन्यासिनः परे / कर्मसंन्यासिनस्त्वन्ये त्रिविधाः परिकीर्तिताः

Some are renunciants devoted to Knowledge (jñāna); others are renunciants of the Vedic rites; and still others are renunciants of action (karma), both ritual and worldly. Thus renunciation is declared to be of three kinds.

Verse 6

यः सर्वसङ्गनिर्मुक्तो निर्द्वन्द्वश्चैव निर्भयः / प्रोच्यते ज्ञानसंन्यासी स्वात्मन्येव व्यवस्थितः

One who is freed from all attachments, beyond the pairs of opposites and truly fearless—such a person is declared a renunciant through Knowledge (jñāna-saṃnyāsin), firmly established in the Self alone.

Verse 7

वेदमेवाभ्यसेन्नित्यं निराशी निष्परिग्रहः / प्रोच्यते वेदसंन्यासी मुमुक्षुर्विजितेन्द्रियः

He should constantly study the Veda alone, free from craving and without possessiveness. Such a seeker, longing for liberation (mokṣa) and having conquered the senses, is declared to be a “Veda-renunciant” (veda-saṃnyāsī).

Verse 8

यस्त्वग्नीनात्मसात्कृत्वा ब्रह्मार्पणपरो द्विजः / ज्ञेयः स कर्मसंन्यासी महायज्ञपरायणः

That dvija who has drawn the sacred fires into his own Self and is devoted to offering all things to Brahman—know him as a renouncer of action (karmasaṃnyāsin), wholly intent on the Great Sacrifice (mahāyajña).

Verse 9

त्रयाणामपि चैतेषां ज्ञानी त्वभ्यधिको मतः / न तस्य विद्यते कार्यं न लिङ्गं वा विपश्चितः

Among these three as well, the knower of Truth (jñānin) is regarded as the highest. For that wise one there remains no obligatory duty to be done, nor any outward mark by which he must be known.

Verse 10

निर्ममो निर्भयः शान्तो निर्द्वन्द्वः पर्णभोजनः / जीर्णकौपीनवासाः स्यान्नग्नो वा ध्यानतत्परः

Free from possessiveness, fearless, tranquil, and beyond the pairs of opposites, he should live on leaf-food; wearing a worn loincloth—or even unclothed—he should remain wholly devoted to meditation.

Verse 11

ब्रह्मचारी मिताहारो ग्रामादन्नं समाहरेत् / अध्यात्ममतिरासीत निरपेक्षो निरामिषः

A brahmacārin, moderate in food, should obtain his sustenance from the village. Let him remain intent on the inner Self—free from expectations and without meat or sensual indulgence.

Verse 12

आत्मनैव सहायेन सुखार्थं विचरेदिह / नाभिनन्देत मरणं नाभिनन्देत जीवितम्

Here in this world, let one move about seeking true well-being with the Self alone as one’s helper; one should neither rejoice in death nor rejoice in life.

Verse 13

कालमेव प्रतीक्षेत निदेशं भृतको यथा / नाध्येतव्यं न वक्तव्यं श्रोतव्यं न कदाचन / एवं ज्ञात्वा परो योगी ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते

Let him wait only for the proper time, as a hired servant waits for an instruction. He should neither study, nor speak, nor listen—at any time. Knowing thus, the supreme yogin becomes fit for Brahmanhood, absorption into Brahman.

Verse 14

एकवासाथवा विद्वान् कौपीनाच्छादनस्तथा / मुण्डी शिखी वाथ भवेत् त्रिदण्डी निष्परिग्रहः / काषायवासाः सततं ध्यानयोगपरायणः

A learned renunciate may wear a single garment, or be covered only by a loincloth (kaupīna). He may be shaven-headed or keep a topknot; he may bear the triple staff (tridaṇḍa) and should be without possessions. Clad always in ochre robes (kāṣāya), he should be devoted constantly to the Yoga of meditation.

Verse 15

ग्रामान्ते वृक्षमूले वा वसेद् देवालये ऽपि वा / समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः / भैक्ष्येण वर्तयेन्नित्यं नैकान्नादी भवेत् क्वचित्

He should dwell on the outskirts of a village, at the foot of a tree, or even in a temple. He should remain even-minded toward enemy and friend alike, and likewise toward honor and dishonor. Living always on alms, he should never become one who seeks many kinds of food.

Verse 16

यस्तु मोहेन वालस्यादेकान्नादी भवेद् यतिः / न तस्य निष्कृतिः काचिद् धर्मशास्त्रेषु कथ्यते

But if, through delusion, a renunciate becomes childish and idle—being a “one-meal eater” only in name—then for him no expiation is declared in the Dharmaśāstras.

Verse 17

रागद्वेषविमुक्तात्मा समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः / प्राणिहंसानिवृत्तश्च मौनी स्यात् सर्वनिस्पृहः

Free in heart from attachment and aversion, seeing a clod of earth, a stone, and gold as equal; withdrawn from harming living beings; established in silence and restraint of speech—such a one becomes wholly desireless.

Verse 18

दृष्टिपूतं न्यसेत् पादं वस्त्रपूतं जलं पिबेत् / सत्यपूतां वदेद् वाणीं मनः पूतं समाचरेत्

Let one set the foot down only after purifying it by vigilant sight; let one drink water purified through a cloth; let one speak words purified by truth; and let one act with a mind made pure.

Verse 19

नैकत्र निवसेद् देशे वर्षाभ्यो ऽन्यत्र भिक्षुकः / स्नानशौचरतो नित्यं कमण्डलुकरः शुचिः

A mendicant should not dwell in one place, except in the rainy season; at other times he should live elsewhere. Ever devoted to bathing and purity, bearing his kamaṇḍalu, he should remain clean.

Verse 20

ब्रह्मचर्यरतो नित्यं वनवासरतो भवेत् / मोक्षशास्त्रेषु निरतो ब्रह्मसूत्री जितेन्द्रियः

He should ever delight in brahmacarya and be inclined to forest-dwelling; absorbed in the scriptures of liberation, wearing the sacred thread, he should have the senses conquered.

Verse 21

दम्भाहङ्कारनिर्मुक्तो निन्दापैशुन्यवर्जितः / आत्मज्ञानगुणोपेतो यतिर्मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्

A yati free from hypocrisy and ego, devoid of blame and malicious backbiting, and endowed with the virtue of Self-knowledge—such a one attains mokṣa.

Verse 22

अभ्यसेत् सततं वेदं प्रणवाख्यं सनातनम् / स्नात्वाचम्य विधानेन शुचिर्देवालयादिषु

One should constantly practice the eternal Veda known as the Praṇava, Oṃ. Having bathed and performed ācamana according to rule, one should remain pure—especially in temples and other sacred places.

Verse 23

यज्ञोपवीती शान्तात्मा कुशपाणिः समाहितः / धौतकाषायवसनो भस्मच्छन्नतनूरहः

Wearing the sacred thread (yajñopavīta), serene in spirit, holding kuśa grass in his hand and gathered in concentration, he is clad in washed ochre robes, with body and hair covered in sacred ash (bhasma).

Verse 24

अधियज्ञं ब्रह्म जपेदाधिदैविकमेव च / आध्यात्मिकं च सततं वेदान्ताभिहितं च यत्

One should continually perform japa of Brahman: as the Lord present in sacrifice (adhiyajña), as the divine principle governing the gods and cosmic powers (adhidaiva), and as the indwelling Self (adhyātma)—that Reality taught in Vedānta.

Verse 25

पुत्रेषु वाथ निवसन् ब्रह्मचारी यतिर्मुनिः / वेदमेवाभ्यसेन्नित्यं स याति परमां गतिम्

Whether dwelling among one’s sons as a householder, or living as a brahmacārin, a yati (renunciant), or a sage—one should constantly study the Veda alone; by that one attains the supreme destination.

Verse 26

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यं तपः परम् / क्षमा दया च सतोषो व्रतान्यस्य विशेषतः

Non-violence (ahiṃsā), truthfulness, non-stealing, brahmacarya—celibate self-restraint—and supreme austerity; forgiveness, compassion, and contentment: these, in particular, are declared to be his chief sacred vows (vrata).

Verse 27

वेदान्तज्ञाननिष्ठो वा पञ्च यज्ञान् समाहितः / कुर्यादहरहः स्नात्वा भिक्षान्नेनैव तेन हि

Or, firmly established in Vedānta-knowledge and collected in mind, he should perform the five daily sacrifices (pañca-yajña); and after bathing each day, he should carry them out using only the food obtained by alms.

Verse 28

होममन्त्राञ्जपेन्नित्यं काले काले समाहितः / स्वाध्यायं चान्वहं कुर्यात् सावित्रीं संध्ययोर्जपेत्

At the proper times, composed and attentive, one should daily repeat the mantras of the sacred homa offering. One should also perform svādhyāya (scriptural self-study) each day, and recite the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) at the two sandhyā junctions—morning and evening.

Verse 29

ध्यायीत सततं देवमेकान्ते परमेश्वरम् / एकान्नं वर्जयेन्नित्यं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम्

One should constantly meditate, in solitude, upon the Divine Supreme Lord, Parameśvara; and one should always avoid subsisting on only a single kind of food, renouncing desire (kāma), anger (krodha), and possessiveness (parigraha).

Verse 30

एकवासा द्विवासा वा शिखी यज्ञोपवीतवान् / कमण्डलुकरो विद्वान् त्रिदण्डी याति तत्परम्

Wearing one garment or two, keeping the śikhā tuft and bearing the yajñopavīta sacred thread, with a kamaṇḍalu water-pot in hand—learned, and holding the tridaṇḍa triple staff—he proceeds with single-minded dedication toward that Supreme Goal.