Vayu Purana

० बृहस्पतिरुवाच।। न ब्राह्मणान् परीक्षेत सदा देये तु मानवः। दैवे कर्मणि पित्र्ये च श्रूयते वै परीक्षणम् ।। २१.

Bṛhaspati said: A man should not always test brāhmaṇas when giving; but in divine and ancestral rites, testing is indeed prescribed.

सर्ववेदव्रतस्नाताः पङ्क्तीनां पावना द्विजाः। ये च भाष्य विदो मुख्या ये च व्याकरणे रताः ।। २१.

Those twice-born who have bathed after completing all Vedic vows, who purify the rows, who are foremost in the knowledge of commentaries, and who delight in grammar—

अधीयते पुराणं च धर्म्मशास्त्रं तथैव च। त्रिणाचिकेतपञ्चाग्निस्त्रिसुपर्णः षडङ्गवित् ।। २१.

Who study the Purāṇas and Dharmaśāstra, who know the three Nāciketa fires, the five fires, the Trisuparṇa, and the six limbs of the Veda—

ब्रह्मदेय सुतश्चैव छन्दोगो ज्येष्ठसामगः। पुण्येषु येषु तीर्थेषु अभिषेककृतव्रताः ।। २१.

Who are sons born of a brāhmaṇa wife, who are chanters of the Chāndogya, who are eldest singers of the Sāma Veda, and who have performed vows at holy places—

मुख्येषु येषु सत्रेषु भवन्त्यवभृथश्रुताः। ये च सद्योव्रता नित्यं स्वकर्मनिरताश्च ये ।। २१.

Who have heard the Avabhṛtha at the chief sacrifices, who always observe vows, and who are ever devoted to their own duties—

अक्रोधनाः शान्तिपरास्तान् वै श्राद्धे निमन्त्रयेत्। ये चापि नित्यं दशसु सुकृतेषु व्यवस्थिताः ।। २१.

Those who are free from anger, intent on peace, and those who are always established in ten kinds of good deeds—invite them to the śrāddha.

एतेषु दत्तमक्षय्यमेते वै पङ्क्तिपावनाः। श्रद्धेया ब्राह्मणा ये तु योगधर्म्ममनुव्रताः ।। २१.

Whatever is given to these is imperishable; these indeed purify the rows. The brāhmaṇas who are devoted to the discipline of yoga and dharma are to be revered.

धर्माश्रमवरिष्ठास्ते हव्यकव्येषु ते वराः। त्रयोऽपि पूजितास्तेन ब्रह्मविष्णु महेश्वराः ।। २१.

They are the foremost in dharma and āśrama; in offerings to gods and ancestors, they are excellent. By honoring them, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara are all worshipped.

पितृभिः सह लोकाश्च यो ह्येतान् पूजयेन्नरः। पवित्राणा पवित्रञ्च मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम् ।। २१.

Whoever honors these, together with the ancestors, attains the purest of the pure and the most auspicious among the auspicious worlds.

प्रथमः सर्वधर्माणां योगधर्मो निगद्यते । अपाङ्क्तेयांस्तु वक्ष्यामि गदतो मे निबोधत ।। २१.

Of all duties, the discipline of yoga is declared to be the foremost. Now I shall speak of those who are unfit; listen as I explain.

कितवो मद्यपो यक्ष्मी पशुपालो निराकृतिः। ग्रामप्रेष्यो वार्द्धुषिको गायनो वणिजस्तथा ।। २१.

A gambler, a drunkard, one afflicted with consumption, a herdsman, one of bad appearance, a village messenger, a trader in goods, a singer, and a merchant—

अगारदाही गरदः कुण्डाशी सोमविक्रयी। समुद्रयायी दुश्चर्मा तैलिकः कूटकारकः ।। २१.

One who burns houses, a poisoner, one who eats from a common vessel, a seller of soma, a sea voyager, one who deals in skins, an oil merchant, and a maker of counterfeit goods—

पित्रा विवदमानश्च यस्य चोपपतिर्गृहे। अभिशस्तस्तथा स्तेनः शिल्पैर्यश्चोपजीवति ।। २१.

One who quarrels with his father, one whose wife is unchaste at home, one who is cursed, a thief, and one who makes a living by crafts—

सूजकः पर्वकारी च यस्तु मित्रेषु द्रुह्यति। गणयाचनकश्चैव नास्तिको वेदवर्जितः ।। २१.

A matchmaker, one who performs forbidden acts on festival days, one who betrays friends, a professional beggar, an atheist, and one devoid of Vedic knowledge—

उन्मत्तः षण्डकशठौ भ्रूणहा गुरुतल्पगः । भिषक्‌जीवः प्रैषणिकः परस्त्रीं यश्च गच्छति ।। २१.

One who is insane, a eunuch, a slanderer, a killer of a fetus, one who violates the teacher’s bed, a physician who lives by his practice, a messenger, and one who goes to another man's wife—

विक्रीणाति च यो ब्रह्म व्रतानि च तपांसि च। नष्टं स्यान्नास्तिके दत्तं कृतघ्ने चैव शंसके ।। २१.

One who sells the Veda, vows, or austerities; what is given to an atheist, an ingrate, or a slanderer is lost.

यच्च वाणिजके चैव नेह नामुत्र तद्भवेत्। निक्षेपहारिणे चैव कितवे वेदनिन्दके ।। २१.

And whatever is given to a merchant here yields no result either here or hereafter; nor to one who misappropriates deposits, a gambler, or a reviler of the Veda.

तथा वाणिजके चैव कारुके धर्म्मवर्जिते। निन्दन् क्रीणाति पण्यानि विक्रीणंश्च प्रशंसति ।। २१.

Likewise, to a merchant, an artisan devoid of righteousness, one who disparages goods when buying and praises them when selling—

अनृतस्य समावासो न वणिक् श्राद्धमर्हति। भस्म नीव हुतं हव्यं दत्तं पौनर्भवे द्विजे ।। २१.

One who dwells in falsehood, or a merchant, is not worthy of śrāddha. An offering made to a remarried twice-born is like ashes; it is fruitless.

षष्टिं काणः शतं षण्डः श्वित्री यावत् प्रपश्यति। पापरोगी सहस्रस्य दातुर्नाशयते फलम् ।। २१.

A one-eyed man destroys the fruit of sixty donors, a eunuch that of a hundred, a leper as long as he is seen; a man afflicted with evil disease destroys the fruit of a thousand donors.

भ्रश्यते सत्फलात्तस्माद्दाता यस्य तु बालिशः। यो वेष्टितशिरा भुङ्क्ते यो भुङ्क्ते दक्षिणामुखः ।। २१.

Therefore, the donor loses the good fruit if he is foolish; one who eats with his head covered, or facing south, also loses it.

सोपानत्कश्च यो भुङ्क्ते यच्च दद्यात्तिरस्कृतम् । सर्वं तदसुरेन्द्राणां ब्रह्मा भागमकल्पयत् ।। २१.

One who eats with sandals on, or gives with disrespect, all such offerings the Lord of the Asuras appropriates as his share.

श्वानश्च यातुधानाश्च नावेक्षेरन् कथञ्चन। तस्मात्परिवृतिं दद्यात्तिलैश्चान्ववकीरयन् ।। २१.

Dogs and demons must never be allowed to see (the rite) in any way; therefore, one should make a protective circle with sesame seeds scattered around.

राक्षसानां तिलाः प्रोक्ताः शुनां परिवृतिस्तथा। दर्शनात्सूकरो हन्ति पक्षपातेन कुक्कुटः ।। २१.

Sesame seeds are said to belong to the demons, and the protective circle to the dogs; by sight, a boar destroys, and by partiality, a cock does so.

रजस्वलानुस्पर्शेन क्रुद्धो यश्च प्रयच्छति। यस्य मित्रप्रदे यानि श्राद्धानि च हवींषि च। न प्रीणाति पितॄन् देवान् स्वर्गं न च स गच्छति ।। २१.

By contact with a menstruous woman, or if given in anger, or if offerings are made at the urging of a friend, neither the ancestors nor the gods are pleased, nor does one attain heaven.

नदीतीरेषु रम्येषु सरित्सु च सरस्सु च। विविक्तेषु च प्रीयन्ते दत्तेनेह पितामहाः ।। २१.

On beautiful riverbanks, in streams, and in lakes, and in secluded places, the ancestors are pleased by what is given here.

न चाश्रुं पातयेज्जातु न युक्तो वाचमीरयेत्। न च कुर्वीत भुञ्जानो ह्यन्योऽन्यं मत्सरस्तदा ।। २१.

One should never shed tears, nor utter improper words, nor, while eating, harbor jealousy toward one another at that time.

अपसव्ये कृते तेन विधिवद्दर्भपाणिना । पित्र्यमानिधनं कार्यमेवं प्रीणाति वै पितॄन् ।। २१.

When the leftward rite is performed properly with darbha grass in hand, the funeral offering to the ancestors should be made; in this way, one truly pleases the forefathers.

अनुमत्यादितो विप्रानग्नौ कुर्याद्यथाविधि। पितॄणां निर्व्वपेद्भूमौ शूर्पे वा दर्भसंस्तरे ।। २१.

Beginning with the Anumati rite, one should offer to the Brahmins in the fire according to rule; for the ancestors, one should deposit (the offerings) on the ground, or on a winnowing basket, or on a darbha grass mat.