Adhyaya 68: Dharma Across the Four Yugas, the Disruption of Social Conduct, and Ritual Purification from Varṇa-Mixing Transgressions

Verse 1

भद्राश्व उवाच । योऽसौ परापरो देवो विष्णुः सर्वगतो मुने । चतुर्युगे त्वसौ कीदृग् विज्ञेयः परमेश्वरः ॥ ६८.१ ॥

Bhadrāśva said: “O sage, that Viṣṇu—both transcendent and immanent, all-pervading—how is that Supreme Lord to be understood in the cycle of the four yugas?”

Verse 2

युगे युगे क आचारो वर्णानां भविता मुने । कथं च शुद्धिर्विप्राणामन्यस्त्रीसङ्करैर्मुने ॥ ६८.२ ॥

“O sage, in each yuga, what will be the proper ācāra (right conduct) of the varṇas? And, O sage, how is the śuddhi (purity) of the Brahmins to be understood in relation to intermixture arising from unions with other women?”

Verse 3

अगस्त्य उवाच । कृते युगे मही देवैर्भुज्यते वेदकर्मणा । यजद्भिरसुरैस्त्रेतां तद्वद् देवैश्च सत्तम ॥ ६८.३ ॥

Agastya said: “In the Kṛta Yuga, the Earth is sustained and made prosperous by the gods through Vedic rites. In the Tretā Yuga, by the sacrificing asuras—and likewise by the gods as well, O best of the good.”

Verse 4

द्वापरे सत्त्वराजसी बहुले नृपसत्तम । यावद् धर्मसुतो राजा भविष्यति महामते ॥ ६८.४ ॥

“In the Dvāpara age, O best of kings, the qualities of sattva and rajas become prevalent, until a king—born of Dharma—will arise, O wise one.”

Verse 5

ततस्तमः प्रभविता कलिरूपो नरेश्वर । तस्मिन्कलौ वर्तमानॆ स्वमार्गाच्छ्यवते द्विजः ॥ ६८.५ ॥

Then, O lord of men, darkness becomes predominant, taking the form of Kali; and when that Kali age prevails, the twice-born (dvija) deviates from his own proper path—discipline and duty.

Verse 6

rAjAno vaishyashUdrAshcha prAyasho hInajAtayaH | bhaviShyanti nRRipashreShTha satyashauchavivarjitAH || 68.6 ||

O best of kings, kings as well as vaiśyas and śūdras will, for the most part, be of low birth, bereft of truth (satya) and purity (śauca).

Verse 7

अगम्यागमनं तत्र करिष्यन्ति द्विजातयः । अनृतं च वदिष्यन्ति वेदमर्गबहिष्कृताः । विवाहांश्च करिष्यन्ति सगोत्रानसमांस्तथा ॥ ६८.७ ॥

There, the twice-born (dvija) will engage in forbidden unions; cast out from the path of the Veda, they will also speak falsehood. They will further contract marriages within the same lineage (sagotra) and with partners deemed improper (anasamā) as well.

Verse 8

राजानो ब्राह्मणान् हिंस्युर्वित्तलोभान्विताः शठाः । अन्त्यजा अपि वैश्यत्वं करिष्यन्ति पणॆ रताः । अभिमानिनो भविष्यन्ति शूद्रजातिषु गर्विताः ॥ ६८.८ ॥

Kings—deceitful and driven by greed for wealth—will commit violence against brāhmaṇas. Even those of marginalized communities will take up the role of vaiśyas, devoted to trade and bargaining. Among the śūdra communities, people will become proud and ego-driven.

Verse 9

सर्वाशिनो भविष्यन्ति ब्राह्मणाः शौचवर्जिताः । सुरा पेयमिति प्राहुः सत्यशौचविवर्जिताः ॥ ६८.९ ॥

Brāhmaṇas will become indiscriminate eaters, devoid of purity (śauca). They will declare, “Liquor is a drink,” being bereft of truthfulness and purity.

Verse 10

ततो विनश्यते लोको वर्णधर्मश्च नश्यते ॥ ६८.१० ॥

Thereafter, the world falls into ruin, and the system of varṇa-based dharma (varṇa-dharma) also perishes.

Verse 11

भद्राश्व उवाच । अगम्यागमनं कृत्वा ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियोऽपि वा । शूद्रोऽपि शुद्ध्यते केन किं वा अगम्यं तु शंस मे ॥ ६८.११ ॥

Bhadrāśva said: “Having committed agamyāgamana—intercourse with one who is forbidden—by what means does a Brāhmaṇa, or even a Kṣatriya, or even a Śūdra become purified? And what, indeed, is ‘forbidden’? Tell me.”

Verse 12

अगस्त्य उवाच । चातुर्गामी भवेद्विप्रस् त्रिगामी क्षत्रियो भवेत् । द्विगामी तु भवेद्वैश्यः शूद्र एकगमः स्मृतः ॥ ६८.१२ ॥

Agastya said: “A brāhmaṇa is said to be ‘fourfold in movement’ (cātur-gāmī); a kṣatriya is ‘threefold in movement’ (tri-gāmī); a vaiśya is ‘twofold in movement’ (dvi-gāmī); and a śūdra is traditionally remembered as ‘of single movement’ (eka-gama).”

Verse 13

अगम्यां ब्राह्मणीं प्राहुः क्षत्रियस्य नरेश्वर । क्षत्राणीं चैव वैश्यस्य वैश्यां शूद्रस्य पार्थिव । अधमस्योत्तमा नारी अगम्या मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ ६८.१३ ॥

They declare that a Brāhmaṇa woman is ‘not to be approached’ (agamyā) by a Kṣatriya, O lord of men; likewise, a Kṣatriya woman by a Vaiśya, and a Vaiśya woman by a Śūdra, O king. Manu stated that a woman of higher status is not to be approached by one of lower status.

Verse 14

माता मातृर्‌ऋष्वसा श्वश्रूर्भातृपत्नी च पार्थिव । स्नुषा च दुहिता चैव मित्रपत्नी स्वगोत्रजा ॥ ६८.१४ ॥

“(One’s) mother, the maternal aunt, the mother-in-law, and the brother’s wife, O king; likewise the daughter-in-law and the daughter, as well as a friend’s wife and a woman belonging to one’s own lineage (gotra).”

Verse 15

राजजाया आत्मजा चैव अगम्या मुख्यतः स्त्रियः । रजकादिषु चान्याश्च स्त्रियोऽगम्याः प्रकीर्तिताः । अगम्यागमनं चैतत् कृतं पापाय जायते ॥ ६८.१५ ॥

Chiefly, the king’s wife and one’s own daughter are declared women with whom sexual approach is forbidden. Other women too—such as those connected with washerfolk and similar groups—are also described as forbidden. Intercourse with one who is forbidden, when done, gives rise to demerit (pāpa).

Verse 16

वियोनिगमनायाशु ब्राह्मणाय भवत्यलम् । शेषस्य शुद्धिरेषैव प्राणायामशतं भवेत् ॥ ६८.१६ ॥

For the brāhmaṇa, this is sufficient to quickly remove the impurity connected with semen-discharge; for the rest, this alone is the purification—namely, a hundred practices of breath-control (prāṇāyāma).

Verse 17

बहुनाऽपि हि कालेन यत् पापं समुपार्जितम् । वर्णसङ्करसङ्गत्या ब्राह्मणेन नरर्षभ ॥ ६८.१७ ॥

O best of men, whatever demerit has been accumulated over a long period—within a brāhmaṇa it arises through association connected with varṇa-mixture (varṇa-saṅkara).

Verse 18

दशप्रणवगायत्रीं प्राणायामशतैस्त्रिभिः । मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यायाः किं पुनः शेषपातकैः ॥ ६८.१८ ॥

By performing three hundred prāṇāyāmas while reciting the Gāyatrī preceded by the ten-syllabled praṇava, one is released from the sin of brahma-hatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa); how much more, then, from the remaining lesser transgressions?

Verse 19

अथवा पररूपं यो वेद ब्राह्मणपुङ्गवः । वेदाध्यायी पापशतैः कृतैरपि न लिप्यते ॥ ६८.१९ ॥

Or else, that foremost among brāhmaṇas who knows the higher form (pararūpa) and is devoted to Vedic study is not tainted—even by hundreds of sins, even if committed.

Verse 20

स्मरन् विष्णुं पठन् वेदं ददद् दानं यजन् हरिम् । ब्राह्मणः शुद्ध एवास्ते विरुद्धमपि तारयेत् ॥ ६८.२० ॥

Remembering Viṣṇu, reciting the Veda, giving gifts, and worshipping Hari—such a brāhmaṇa remains pure; he may even redeem what is contrary (transgressive).

Verse 21

एतत् ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत् पृष्टोऽहं त्वया नृप । मन्वादिर्भिर्विस्तरशः कथ्यते येन पार्थिव । समासस्तेन मया कथितं ते नृपोत्तम ॥ ६८.२१ ॥

O king, I have explained to you all that which you asked of me. O ruler of the earth, that subject which is expounded in detail beginning with the Manus has been related to you here by me in summary, O best of kings.