Bhikshuka

Verse 1

ॐ अथ भिक्षूणां मोक्षार्थिनां कुटीचकबहूदकहंसपरमहंसाश्चेति चत्वारः॥१॥

Om. Now, among mendicants who seek mokṣa (liberation), there are four kinds: the Kuṭīcaka, the Bahūdaka, the Haṁsa, and the Paramahaṁsa.

Verse 2

कुटीचका नाम गौतमभरद्वाजयाज्ञवल्क्यवसिष्ठप्रभृतयोऽष्टौ ग्रासान् श्वरन्तो योगमार्गे मोक्षमेव प्रार्थयन्ते॥२॥

Those called Kuṭīcakas—such as Gautama, Bharadvāja, Yājñavalkya, Vasiṣṭha, and others—taking only eight mouthfuls of food, seek liberation alone on the path of yoga.

Verse 3

अथ बहूदका नाम त्रिदण्डकमण्डलुशिखायज्ञोपवीतकाषायवस्त्रधारिणो ब्रह्मर्षिगृहे मधुमांसं वर्जयित्वाष्टौ ग्रासान् भैक्षाचरणं कृत्वा योगमार्गे मोक्षमेव प्रार्थयन्ते॥३॥

Now, those called Bahūdakas—bearing the triple staff, the kamaṇḍalu (water-pot), topknot, sacred thread, and ochre cloth—having avoided honey and meat in the house of a brahmarṣi, and having practiced the alms-round taking eight mouthfuls, seek liberation alone on the path of yoga.

Verse 4

अथ हंसा नाम ग्रामे एकरात्रं नगरे पञ्चरात्रं क्षेत्रे सप्तरात्रं तदुपरि न वसेयुः । गोमूत्रगोमयाहारिणो नित्यं चान्द्रायणपरायणा योगमार्गे मोक्षमेव प्रार्थयन्ते॥४॥

Now, those called Haṁsas: in a village they stay one night, in a city five nights, in a sacred place seven nights; beyond that they should not dwell. Living on cow’s urine and cow-dung, and ever devoted to the Cāndrāyaṇa observance, they seek liberation alone on the path of yoga.

Verse 5

अथ परमहंसा नाम संवर्तकारुणिश्वेतकेतुजडभरतदत्तात्रेयशुकवामदेवहारीतकप्रभृतयोऽष्टौ ग्रासान् श्वरन्तो योगमार्गे मोक्षमेव प्रार्थयन्ते । वृक्षमूले शून्यगृहे श्मशानवासिनो वा साम्बरा वा दिगम्बरा वा । न तेषां...

Now, those called Paramahaṁsas—such as Saṁvarta, Kāruṇi, Śvetaketu, Jaḍabharata, Dattātreya, Śuka, Vāmadeva, Hārītaka, and others—taking eight mouthfuls of food, seek liberation alone on the path of yoga. They dwell at the root of a tree, in an empty house, or in a cremation-ground; they may be clothed or sky-clad. For them there are no notions of merit and demerit, gain and loss, purity and impurity; free from duality, they regard clod, stone, and gold alike. Having practiced the alms-round among all social classes, they see the Self alone everywhere. Then, wearing what comes as if by chance, free from pairs of opposites, without possessions, devoted to pure meditation, established in the Self, they take alms at the stated time only for sustaining the life-breath. Moving among deserted houses, temples, haystacks, anthills, at tree-roots, potters’ sheds, sacrificial halls, riverbanks, mountain caves, hollows and clefts, waterfalls, and bare ground—there, fully accomplished on the path of Brahman, pure-minded, by the conduct of the Paramahaṁsa and by saṁnyāsa (renunciation), they abandon the body. Such are called Paramahaṁsas—thus teaches the Upaniṣad.