विष्णुपुराणम् — तृतीयांशे दशमोऽध्यायः

सगर उवाच ।

कथितं चातुराश्रम्यं चातुर्वर्ण्यक्रियास्तथा ।
पुंसः क्रियामहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि द्विजसत्तम ॥

Summary AI The duties of the four orders and the four castes have been described. O best of the twice-born, I wish to hear about the specific actions and religious rites of man.

३.१०.२

नित्यनैमित्तिकाः काम्याः क्रियाः पुंसामशेषतः ।
समाख्याहि भृगुश्रेष्ठ सर्वज्ञो ह्यसि मे मतः ॥

Summary AI O best of the Bhṛgu lineage, describe fully the obligatory (nitya), occasional (naimittika), and optional (kāmya) actions of men, for I consider you to be omniscient.

और्व उवाच ।

३.१०.३

यदेतदुक्तं भवता नित्यनैमित्तिकाश्रयम् ।
तदहं कथयिष्यांमि शृणुष्वैकमना मम ॥

Summary AI I shall relate to you what has been mentioned regarding the obligatory and occasional duties; listen to me with a concentrated mind.

३.१०.४

जातस्य जातकर्मादिक्रियाकाण्डमशेषतः ।
पुत्रस्य कुर्वीत पिता श्राद्धं चाभ्युदयात्मकम् ॥

Summary AI After a son is born, the father should perform the entire sequence of ceremonies starting with Jātakarma and the Śrāddha related to prosperity (Abhyudaya).

३.१०.५

युग्मांस्तु प्राड्मुखान्विप्रान्भोजयेन्मनुभेश्वर ।
यथा तृप्तिस्तथा कुर्याद्दैवं पित्र्यं द्विजन्मनाम् ॥

Summary AI He should feed an even number of Brāhmaṇas facing the east, O Lord of men. He should perform the rites for the gods and the manes as per the satisfaction of the twice-born.

३.१०.६

दध्ना युक्तैः सबदरैर्मिश्रान्पिडान्मुदा युतः ।
नान्दीमुखेभ्यस्तीर्थेन दद्याद्दैवेन पार्थिव ॥

Summary AI O King, with joy, he should offer balls of rice mixed with curd and jujubes to the Nāndīmukha ancestors using the divine (daiva) part of the hand.

३.१०.७

प्राजापत्येन वा सर्वमुपचारं प्रदक्षिणम् ।
कुर्वीत तत्तथाशेषवृद्धिकालेषु भूपते ॥

Summary AI Or he should perform every rite clockwise (pradakṣiṇa) using the Prājāpatya method. O King, this should be done similarly during all auspicious occasions of prosperity.

३.१०.८

ततश्च नाम कुर्वीत पितैव दशमेहनि ।
देवपूर्वं नराख्यं हि शर्मवर्मादिसंयुतम् ॥

Summary AI On the tenth day, the father himself should name the child. The name should start with a deity's name, refer to a human, and be combined with suffixes like Śarman or Varman.

३.१०.९

शर्मेति ब्राह्यणस्योक्तं वर्मेति क्षत्रसंश्रयम् ।
गुप्तदासात्मकं नाम प्रशस्तं वैश्यशुद्रयोः ॥

Summary AI The name 'Śarman' is prescribed for a Brāhmaṇa, and 'Varman' for a Kṣatriya. Names ending in 'Gupta' and 'Dāsa' are recommended for a Vaiśya and a Śūdra, respectively.

३.१०.१०

नार्थहीनं न चाशस्तं नापशब्दयुतं तथा ।
नामङ्गल्यं जुगुप्साकं नाम कुर्यात्समाक्षरम् ॥

Summary AI One should not give a name that is meaningless, forbidden, ungrammatical, inauspicious, or offensive. The name should consist of an even number of syllables.

३.१०.११

नातिदीर्घंनातिह्रस्वं नातिगुर्वक्षरान्वितम् ।
सुखोच्चार्यं तु तन्नाम कुर्याद्यत्प्रणवाक्षरम् ॥

Summary AI The name should not be excessively long or short, nor should it contain too many heavy syllables. It must be easy to pronounce and should ideally terminate with a vowel or the Praṇava.

३.१०.१२

ततो ऽनन्तरसंस्कारसंस्कृतो गुरुवेश्मनि ।
यथोक्तविधिमाश्रित्य कुर्याद्विद्यापरिग्रहम् ॥

Summary AI Afterward, being consecrated by successive sacraments, he should acquire knowledge in the teacher's house, following the prescribed rules.

३.१०.१३

गृहीतविद्यो गुरवे दत्त्वा च गुरुदक्षिणाम् ।
गार्हस्थ्यमिच्छन्भूपाल कुर्याद्दारपरिग्रहम् ॥

Summary AI Having acquired knowledge and given the fee (dakṣiṇā) to the teacher, O King, if he desires to lead the life of a householder, he should take a wife.

३.१०.१४

ब्रह्मचर्येण वा कालं कुर्यात्संकल्पपूर्वकम् ।
गुगोः शुश्रुषणं कुर्यात्तत्पुत्रादेरथापि वा ॥

Summary AI Alternatively, he may spend his time in life-long celibacy (Brahmacarya) after taking a vow, serving his teacher, or the teacher's son and others.

३.१०.१५

वैखानसो वापि भवेत्परिव्राडथ वेच्छया ।
पूर्वसंकल्पितं यादृक्तादृक्कुर्यान्नराधिप ॥

Summary AI He may also become a forest-dweller (Vaikhānasa) or a wandering ascetic (Parivrājaka) as he wishes. O King, he should act according to his prior resolution.

३.१०.१६

वर्षैरेकगुणां भार्यामुद्वहेत्त्रिगुमःस्वयम् ।
नाति केशामकेशां वा नातिकृष्णां न पिङ्गलाम् ॥

Summary AI A man should marry a wife who is one-third of his age in years. He should not marry a woman with too much hair, no hair, an extremely dark complexion, or a yellowish hue.

३.१०.१७

निसर्गतोधिकाङ्गां वा न्यूनाङ्गामपि नोद्वहेत् ।
नाविशुद्धां सरोमां वाकुलजां वापि रोगिणीम् ॥

Summary AI One should not marry a woman with extra or missing limbs from birth, nor one who is impure, hairy, of low birth, or sickly.

३.१०.१८

न दुष्टां दुष्टवाक्यां वा व्यङ्गिनीं पुतृमातृतः ।
न श्मश्रुव्यञ्जनवतीं न चैव पुरुषाकृतिम् ॥

Summary AI One should not marry a wicked woman, one who speaks harsh words, one with physical defects from her parents' side, one with facial hair, or one who has a masculine appearance.

३.१०.१९

न घर्वरस्वरां क्षामां तथा काकस्वरां न च ।
नानिबन्धेक्षणां तद्वद्वृत्ताक्षीं नोद्वहेद्बुधः ॥

Summary AI A wise man should not marry a woman with a hoarse, thin, or crow-like voice, nor one with unstable eyes or round eyes.

३.१०.२०

यस्याश्च रोमशे जङ्घे गुल्फौ यस्यास्तथोन्नतौ ।
गण्डयोः कूपरौ यस्या हसंत्यास्तां न चोद्वहेत् ॥

Summary AI One should not marry a woman who has hairy shanks, overly prominent ankles, or one who develops dimples in her cheeks while laughing.

३.१०.२१

नातिरूक्षच्छविं पाडुकरजामरुणेक्षणाम् ।
आपीन हस्तपादां च नकन्यामुद्वहेद्बुधः ॥

Summary AI A wise man should not marry a girl who possesses an excessively rough complexion, pale nails, reddish eyes, or fleshy hands and feet.

३.१०.२२

न वामनां नातिदीर्घां नोद्वहेत्संहतभ्रुवम् ।
न चाति च्छिद्रदशनां न करालमुखीं नरः ॥

Summary AI A man should not marry a woman who is a dwarf, excessively tall, possesses joined eyebrows, has gaps between her teeth, or has a frightening face.

३.१०.२३

पञ्चमीं मातृपक्षाच्च पितृपक्षाच्च सप्तमीम् ।
गृहस्थश्चोद्वहेत्कन्यां न्यायेन विधिना नृप ॥

Summary AI O King! A householder should marry a girl who is fifth in descent from the mother's side and seventh from the father's side, according to the prescribed righteous procedure.

३.१०.२४

ब्राह्मो दैवस्तथैवार्षः प्राजापत्यस्तथासुरः ।
गान्धर्वराक्षयौ चान्यौ पैशाचश्चाष्टमो मतः ॥

Summary AI The eight types of marriage are recognized as Brāhma, Daiva, Ārṣa, Prājāpatya, Āsura, Gāndharva, Rākṣasa, and the eighth, Paiśāca.

३.१०.२५

एतेषां यस्य यो धर्मो वर्मस्योक्तो महर्षिभिः ।
कुर्वीत दारग्रहणं तेनान्यं परिवर्जयेत् ॥

Summary AI A man should perform the ceremony of marriage according to the specific form prescribed for his varṇa by the great sages, and should avoid any other form.

३.१०.२६

सधर्मचारिणीं प्राप्य गार्हस्थ्यं सहितस्तया ।
समुद्वहेद्ददात्येतत्सम्यगूढं महाफलम् ॥

Summary AI Having obtained a wife who follows the same path of righteousness, one should fulfill the duties of a householder with her; such a marriage, properly performed, yields great results.

इति श्रीविष्णुमहापुराणे तृतीयांशे दशमो ऽध्यायः ।

Other texts to read

श्रीमद्भागवतम्

नीलकण्ठविजयचम्पूः नीलकण्ठदीक्षितः

About

Resources

Connect