Anushasanika Parva — Why a man becomes long:, or short lived

Yudhishthira said Man, it is said, is gifted with a period of life extending for a hundred years, and with great energy and power. Why then, O grandfather, do human beings die even in their youth?

By what does a man become longlived, and by what is his life shortened? Through what does a man acquire the fame that depends upon great deeds? Through what does one acquire wealth and prosperity?

Is it by penances, or celibacy or silent recitation of sacred Mantras, or drugs? Is it by his deeds, or mind, or speech? Do you explain to me this, O grandfather.

Bhishma said I shall tell you what you ask me. In fact, I shall tell you what the reason is for which one becomes short lived, and what the reason is for which one becomes longlived.

I shall also explain to you the reason for which one succeeds in winning the fame that depends on great deeds, and the reason for which one succeeds in acquiring riches and prosperity. Indeed, I shall enlighten you about the manner in which one must live in order to be possessed of what is good for him. one own

It is by conduct that one acquires a long life, and it is by conduct that one acquires riches and prosperity. Indeed, it is by conduct that one acquires the fame that depends upon great deeds both in this world and in the next.

The man whose conduct is improper or wicked never acquires a long life. All creatures fear such a man and are oppressed by him.

If, therefore, wishes his advancement and prosperity, one should, in this world, follow the path of rightcousness and conduct himself properly. Good conduct succeeds in removing the inauspiciousness and misery of even one that is sinful.

Virtue is singled out by conduct. The good and virtuous are so on account of the conduct they follow. The marks, again, of good conduct are afforded by the deeds of those that are good Or righteous.

People regard that who righteously and who does good acts even if they only hear of him without actually seeing him.

The atheists they who are destitute of all acts, they who are disobedient to preceptors and violate the injunctions of the scriptures, they who are unacquainted with and, therefore, unobservant of duties, and they who are wicked of conduct, become shortlived. man acts

They who are of improper conduct, they who violate all restraints, they who are unscrupulous about sexual congress, become shortlived here and have to go to Hell hereafter.

Even those men live for a hundred years who, though destitute of all accomplishments, follow propriety and righteousness of conduct and become endued with faith and freed from malice.

He who is free from anger, who is truthful in speech, who never does any injury to any creature in the universe, who is shorn of malice and crookedness and insincerity, succeeds in living for a hundred years.

He who always breaks little clods of carth, or tears up the grass that grows under his feet, or cuts off his nails with his teeth, or is always impure, or very restless, never succeeds in living long.

One should wake up from sleep at the hour known as the Brahma Muhurta and then think of both religion and worldly profit. Getting up from bed, one should then wash his face and mouth, and joining his hands in an attitude of respect, then say the morning prayers.

In this way, one should when evening sets in say his evening prayers also, controlling speech the while. One should never look at the rising sun, nor at the setting sun.

Nor should one look at the sun when he is in eclipse; nor at his image in the water, nor at midday when he is at the meridian. The Rishis, on account of their worshipping the two twilight's, with great regularity succeeded in acquiring longevity.

Hence one should controlling speech, say his prayers regularly at the two twilight's. As regards those Brahmanas who do not say their prayers at the two twilight's, a righteous king should set them to perform such deeds as are ordained for the Shudras. Persons of every caste should never have sexual congress with other people's wives.

There is nothing that shortens life so: cffcctually as sexual union with other people's wives.

The adulterer shall have to live in Hell for as many thousand years as the number of pores on the bodies of the women with whom he may cominit the offence.

One should dress one's hair, apply collyrium to one's eyes, and wash one's teeth, as also worship the celestials in the forenoon.

One should not gaze at urine or faeces, or tread on it or touch it with one's feet. One should not see out on a journey at early dawn, or at midday, or in the evening twilight, or with a companion that is unknown, or with a Shudra, or alone. While passing along a road, one should standing aside, always give way to a Brahmana, to kine, to kings, to an old man, to one that is loaded with a burthen, to a woman big with child, or to one that is weak. When one meets a large tree that is known, one should walk round it. One should also, when coming upon the crossing of four roads, walk round it before pursuing his journey. At midday, or at midnight, or at night in general, or at the two twilight's, one should not proceed the crossings of the four roads. One should never wear sandals or clothes that have been worn by another.

One should always observe the vow of celibacy, and should never cross his legs. One should observe the vow of celibacy on the day of the new moon, as also, on that of the full moon, as also on the eighth lunar day of both fortnights. One should never cat the flesh of animals not killed in sacrifices. One should never eat the flesh of the back of an animal. One should avoid censuring and calumniating others, as also all kinds of deceitful conduct.

One should never cut others with wordy arrows. Indeed, one should never utter any cruel speech. One should never accept anything in gift from a person who is low and vulgar. One should never utter such words as pain other people or as are inauspicious or as are sinful.

Wordy arrows fall from the mouth. Pierced therewith, the victim grieves day and night. The wise man should never shoot them for cutting the vitals of other people.

A forest, pierced with arrows or cut down with the axe, grows again. The man, however, who is pierced with words unwisely spoken, becomes the victim of wounds that fester and bring on death.

Barbed arrows and Nalikas and broadheaded arrows are capable of being extracted from the body. Wordy arrows, however, are incapable of being extracted, for they lie einbedded in the very heart.

One should not taunt a person who is defective of a limb or who has a limb in excess. or one who is shorn of learning, or one who is niserable, or one who is ugly or poor, or one who is shorn of strength.

One should avoid atheism, vilifying the Vedas, censuring the celestials, malice, pride, arrogance, and harshness.

One should not angrily, take up the rod of punishment for laying it upon another. Only the son or the pupil, it has been said, can be mildly reprimanded for purposes of instruction.

One should not vilify Brahmanas; nor should point at the stars with one's fingers. If asked, one should not say what the lunation is on a particular day. By telling it, his life becomes shortened.

Having answered calls of nature or having walked over a road, one should wash his feet. One should also wash his feet before sitting to recite the Vedas or to eat any food.

These are the three things which are considered as pure and sacred by the celestials and as such fit for the Brahmana's use, viz., that whose impurity is unknown, that which has been washed in water, and that which has been well spoken of.

Samayava, Krishana, meat, Shashakuli, and Payasa should never be cooked for one's ownself. Whenever cooked, these should be offered to the celestials.

One should attend every day to his sacred fire. One should every day give alms. One should, controlling speech the while, clean his teeth with the tooth-stick.

One should never be in bed when the sun is up. If one fails any day to be up with the sun, he should then perform an expiation. Rising from bed, one should first salute his parents, and preceptors, or other elders worthy of respect. By so doing one acquires a long life. The toothstick should be thrown off when done with, and a new one should be used every day.

One should eat food which is not forbidden in the scriptures, abstaining from food of every kind on days of the new moon and the full moon. One should, with senses controlled, answer calls of nature, facing the north.

One should not adore the celestials without having first washed his teeth. Without also adoring the celestials first, one should never repair to any person except his preceptor or one who is old in years or one who is righteous or one who is wise. Wise men should never see themselves in an unnolished or dirty mirror.

One should never know a woman that is unknown or with one that is big with child.

One should never sleep with head turned towards the north or the west. One should not lie down upon a broken bedstead.

One should not sleep on a bed without having examined it first with the help of a light. Nor should one sleep on a bed with another by his side. One should never sleep in a transverse direction. One should never make agreement with atheists or do anything in conjunction with them. an one

One should never drag a seat with the foot and sit on it. One should never bathe in a nude state nor at night.

An intelligent person should never allow his limbs to be rubbed or pressed after bathing. One should never smear unguents upon his body without having first gone through bath. Having bathed, one should never wave his cloth in the air.

One should not wear wet clothes every day. One should never take off his body the garlands of flowers one may wear, Nor should wear such garlands over his outer garments.

One should never even talk with a woman during the period of her menses. One should not answer a call of nature on a field or at place too near an inhabited village.

One should never answer a call of nature on a piece of water. One should first wash his mouth, thrice with water before eating any food.

Having finished his meals, one should wash his mouth thrice with water and twice again. One should eat, with face turned east wards, his food, controlling speech the while and without censuring the food that is caten.

One should always leave a residue of the food that is placed before one for eating. Having finished his meals, one should mentally touch fire. If one eats with face turned eastwards, he becomes longlived. By eating with face turned south wards, one acquires great fame.

By eating with face turned westwards, one acquires great riches. By eating with face turned northwards, one becomes truthful in specch. Having finished his meals, one should wash all the upper holes of one's body with water.

Likewise, all the limbs, the navel, and the palms of the hands should be washed with water. One should never sit upon husk of corn or upon hair, or upon ashes, or upon bones.

One should, never use the water that has been used by another for bathing. One should always perform the Homa for propitiating the celestials, and recite the Savitri Mantras.

One should always eat in a seated posture. One should never eat while walking. One should never answer a call of nature standing. One should never answer a call of nature on ashes or in a cowpen.

One should wash his feet before sitting to one's meals. One should never sit or lie down for slecp with wet feet. One who sits to his meals after having washed his feet, lives for a century.

One should never touch these three things, while one is in an impure state, viz., fire, a cow and a Brahmana. By observing this rule one lives long.

One should not, while he is in an impure state, cast one's eyes on these three things, viz., the sun, the moon and the stars.

The lifebreaths of a young man go up wards, when an old and venerable person comes to his house. He gets them back by standing up and properly saluting the guest.

Old men should always be saluted. One should, upon seeing them, offer seats with his own hand. After the old man has taken his seat, a person should sit and remain with hands joined in respect. When an old man goes along the road, one should always follow him instead of walking ahead.

One should never sit on a torn or broken seat. One should, without using it any longer, throw away a broken vessel of white brass. One should, never eat without a piece of upper garinent covering his body. One should never bathe in a nude state.

One should never sleep in a naked state. One should never even touch the remnants of other people's dishes and plates. One should never, while he is in an impure state, touch another's head, for it is said in the scriptures that the vital airs are all concentrated in the head.

One should never strike another on the heads or seize another by the hair. One should prol join his hand together for scratching his head.

One should not, while bathing, repeatedly dip his head in water. By so doing one shortens one's life. One who has bathed by dipping the head in water should not, afterwards put oil to any part of his body.

One should never take his mcals without cating some sesame. One should never teach (the Vedas or any scriptures) at a time when he is impure. Nor should onc study while is impure.

When a storm rises or a bad smell spreads itself in the atmosphere, he should never think of the Vedas. Persons knowing ancient history recite a Gatha sung by Yama in days of yore. He who runs while impure or studies the Veda under similar circumstances, indeed, that twice born Brahman who studies the Veda at forbidden times loses his Veda and shortens his life.

Hence, one should never study the Veda with rapt altention at forbidden times. They who answer a call of nature, with face towards the sun or towards a burning fire, or towards a cow, or towards a twice born person, or on the road, become shortlived. At day time both calls of nature should be answered with face turned towards the north.

At night, those calls should be answered facing the south. By so doing one does not shorten his life. One who wishes to live long should never disregard or insult any of these three, however weak or emaciated they may appear to be, viz., the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the snake. All three are gifted with dreadful poison. The snake, of angry, burns the victim with only a look of its eye.

The Kshatriya also, if angry, burns the object of his anger, as soon as he sees him, with his energy. The Brahmana, stronger than any of these two, destroys, not only the object of his anger but his entire family as well, not by looks alone but by thought also.

A wise man should, therefore, tend these three carefully. One should never engage in any disputation with his preceptor.

O Yudhishthira, if the preceptor becomes angry, he should always be pacified with due honors. If the preceptor is entirely in the wrong, still one should follow and honour him.

Forsooth, calumnious sayings against the preceptor always consume the lives of those who utter them. One should always answer a call of nature at a spot far distant from his dwelling place. One should wash his feet at a distance from his dwelling place.

One should always throw the remnants of his dishes and plates at a spot distant from his dwelling place. Indeed, he who wishes for his own behoof should do all this. One should not wear garlands of red flowers. Indeed, the wise should wear garlands of white flowers.

Rejecting the lotus and the lily, O you of great might, one may bear on his head, however, a flower that is red, even if it be an aquatic one.

A garland of gold can never become impure. After one has bathed, O king, he should use perfumes mixed with water.

One should never wear his upper garment for covering the lower limbs or the lower garments for covering the upper ones. Nor should one wear clothes used by another. One should not, again, wear a piece of cloth that has not its fringes.

When one goes to bed, O king, he should wear a different piece of cloth. When passing along a road, one should wear a different piece of cloth. So also, when adoring the celestials, one should wear a different piece of cloth.

The intelligent man should smear his limbs with unguents made of Priyangu, sandal wood, Bilva, Tagara, and Keshara.

In observing a fast, one should purify himself by a bath, and adorn his body with ornaments and unguents. One should always abstain from sexual union on days of the full moon and the new moon.

One should never, O king, eat off the same plate with another even if he be of his own or equal rank. Nor should one ever eat any food that has been prepared by a woman in her menses.

One should never eat any food or drink any liquid whose essence has been taken off. Nor should one eat anything without giving a part thereof to persons who wistfully gaze at the food that one happens to take. The intelligent man should never sit near an impure person. Nor should one sit near persons who are foremost in virtue.

All food that is forbidden in religious rites should never be taken even on other occasions. The fruits of the Ficus religiosa and the Ficus Bengalensis as also the leaves of the Crotolaria Juncea, and the fruits of the Ficus glomerata, should never be eaten by one who seeks his own good. The flesh of goats, of kine, and the peacock, should never be eaten. One should also abstain from dried flesh and all flesh that is stale. The intelligent man should never eat any salt, taking it up with his hand.

Nor should he eat curds and flour of fried barley at night. One should abstain also from flesh of animals not killed in sacrifices. One should, with rapt attention, eat once on the morning and once in the evening, abstaining entirely from all food in the interval.

One should never eat any food in which he may find out a hair. Nor should one eat at the Shraddha of an enemy. One should eat silently; one should never eat without covering his body with an upper garment, and without sitting down.

One should never eat any food placing it on the naked ground. One should never eat except in a sitting posture. One should never make any noise while eating. The intelligent man should first offer water and then food to one who has become his guest, and after liaving served the guest thus, should then take his meals himself. He who sits down to dinner in a line with friends and himself eats any food without giving thereof to his friends, is said to eat dreadful poison. As regards water and Payasa and flour of fried barley and curds and clarified butter and honey, one should never, after drinking or eating these, offer the residue thereof to others. One should never, O King, eat any foot hesitatingly.

One seeking one's own good, should never drink curds finishing his meal. After the meal is finished, one should wash his mouth and face with the (right) hand only, and taking a little water should then dip the toe of the right food in it.

After washing, one should touch the crown of his head with the (right) hand. With rapt attention, one should next touch fire.

The man who knows how to observe all these ordinances carefully carefully succeeds in acquiring the foremost place among kinsmen. One should, after finishing his meals, wash his nose and eyes and ears and navel and both hands with water.

One should not, however, keep his hands wet. Between the tip and the root of the thumb is situate the sacred Tirtha known by the name of Brahma.

On the back of the little finger, it is said, is situate the Devatirtha. The intervening space between the thumb and the forefinger, Bharata, should be used for performing the Pitri rites, after touching water according to the ordinance. One should never vilify other people. Nor should one ever utter anything that is disagreeable.

The man who desires his own good, should never seek to bring on himself the wrath of others. One should never seek to talk with an outcaste. The very sight of such a personi should be shunned.

One should never come in contact with degraded person. By avoiding such contact one succeeds in acquiring a long life. One should never indulge in sexual intercourse at day time. Nor should one know a maiden, or a harlot nor a barren woman.

One should never know a woman who has not bathed after the expiry of her menses. By avoiding such acts one succeeds in acquiring a long life. After washing the several limbs directed, in view of religious acts, one should wash his lips thrice, and once more twice. By doing this, one becomes purified and fit for religious rites. The several organs of sense should each be washed once, and water should also be sprinkled over the entire body.

Having done this, one should perforin the adoration of the departed Manes and celestials, according to the ordinances of Vedas. Listen to me, O you of Kuru's race, as I tell you what purification is cleansing and beneficial for a Brahmana. Before beginning to eat and after finishing the meal, and in all deeds requiring purification, the Brahmana should rinse his mouth with water placed on the limb called the Brahmatirtha.

After ejecting any matter from the throat or spitting, one should wash his mouth before he can become pure. A kinsman who happens to be old, or a friend who happens to be poor, should be accommodated in one's house and his comforts looked after as if he were a member of the family. By doing this, one succeeds in winning both fame and longevity. To keep pigeons as also parrots both male and female, in one's house is highly blessed.

If these live in one's house, they succeed in removing calamity. The same is the case with cockroaches. If fireflies and vultures and woodpigeons and bees enter a house and live in it, acts of propitiating the celestials should be performed. These are creatures of evil omen, as also ospreys. One should never give out the secrets of great men; one should never have sexual union with a forbidden woman. Nor should one ever have such union with the consort of a king or with women who are the friends of qucens.

One should never make friends with physicians, or with children, or with persons who are old, or with one's servants, O Yudhishthira. One should always provide for friends, for Brahmanas and for such as seek his protection. By doing this, O king, one acquires a long life. A wise man should live in such a house as has been constructed with the help of a Brahmana and an engineer skilled in his calling, if, indeed, O king, he seeks for his own behoof. One should not, O king, sleep at the evening twilight. Nor should one study at such hour for acquiring any any branch of knowledge.

An intelligent man should never eat also at such an hour. By acting thus, one acquires a long life. One should never perform any act in honour of the departed Manes at night time. One should not adorn his body after finishing his meals.

One should not bathe at night, if he seeks his own aggrandisement. One should also, O Bharata, always abstain from the flour of fried barley at night.

The residue of food and drink, as also the flowers with which one has adored the celestials, should never be used. Inviting a guest at night, one should never, with excessive courtesy, compel him to eat to his fill. Nor should one cat to his fill, at night.

One should not kill a bird (for eating it), especially after having fed it, A wise man should espouse a maiden born in a high family, gifted with auspicious marks, and of full age. Begetting children upon her and thus perpetuating his race by that means, one should make over his sons to a good preceptor for being educated generally, O Bharata, as also in the especial customs of the family, O monarch. The daughters that one may beget should be married to youths of respectable families, who are again possessed of intelligence.

Sons should also be settled and a portion of the family inheritance given to them, O Bharata, as their provision. One should bathe by dipping his head in water before he sits down to perform any act in honour of the departed Manes or the deities.

One should never perform a Shraddha under the constellation of his nativity. No Shraddha should be performed under any of the Bhadrapadas (prior or later), nor under the constellation Krittika, O Bharata.

The Shraddha should never be performed under any of those constellations that are considered as dreadful (such as Ashlesha, etc.,) and any of those that upon calculation, seem to be hostile. Indeed, in this matter, all these constellations should be avoided which are forbidden in astrology.

One should sit facing either the east or the north while being shaved by a barber. By so doing, O great king, one succeeds in living long.

One should neither 'vilify others reproach himself for, O chief of the Bharatas, it is said that calumny is sinful whether of others or of oneself.

In marrying, one should avoid a woman who is deficient of any limb. A maiden too, if such, should also be avoided. A woman of the same Pravars should also be avoided; as also one who is ill-formed in body; as also one who has been born in the race to which one's mother belongs. nor

A wise man should never know a woman who is old, or one who has given up the domestic mode of life for entering the forest mode, or one who is faithful to her husband or one whose organs of generation are not healthy or well-formed.

You should not marry a woman who is of a yellow colour, or one who is attacked with leprosy, or onc born in a family in which there has been epilepsy, or one that is low in birth and habits, or one that is born in a family in which the disease called leprosy has appeared, or one belonging by birth to a family in which there are early deaths. Only that maiden who is gifted with auspicious indications, and who is accomplished for all sorts of qualifications, who is agrecable and beautiful, should be married. One should marry, O Yudhishthira, in a family who is higher or at least equal to his OW1l.

One who is desirous of his own prosperity, should never marry a woman who is of an inferior caste or who has fallen away from the caste of her birth. Carefully lighting up the fire, one should perform all those acts which have been ordained and declared in the Vedas or by the Brahinanas. One should never seek to injure women. Wives should always be protected.

Malice always shortens life. Hence, one should always abstain from entertaining malice. Sleep at day time shortens life. To sleep after the sunrise shortens life.

They who sleep at any of the twilight's, or at nightfall, or who go to sleep in, a state of impurity, have their lives shortened. Adultery always shortens life. One should not remain in a state of impurity after shaving.

One should, O Bharata, carefully abstain from reading or reciting the Vedas, and eating, and bathing at eventide. When the evening twilight sets in one should collect his senses for meditation, without doing any act. One should, O king, bathe and then adore the Brahinanas.

Indeed, one should bathe before adoring the celestials and reverentially saluting the preceptor. One should never go to a sacrifice unless invited. Indeed, one may go there without an invitation, if he wishes to only see how the sacrifice is conducted. If one goes to a sacrifice without an invitation and if one does not on that account, receive proper adoration from the sacrificer, his life becomes shortened. One should never go alone on a journey to foreign parts. Nor should one ever go alone to any place at night.

Before evening sets in, one should return to his house and remain within it. One should always obey the commands of his parents and preceptor, without at all judging whether those commands are good or not. One should, O king, attend carefully of the Vedas and the military science.

Do then, O king, carefully attend to the practice of riding an elephant, a horse and a warchariot. The man who attends to these with care, succeeds in acquiring happiness.

Such a king succeeds in becoming unconquerable by enemies, and govern his servants and kinsmen without any of them being able to subjugate him. The king who attains to such a position and who carefully attends to the duty of protecting his subjects, has never to incur any loss.

You should, O king, be proficient in logic, as also the science of words, the science of music and the four and the sixty branches of knowledge known by the name of Kala.

One should every day hear the Puranas and the histories and all the other narratives that cxist, as also the biographies of all great men.

When one's wife is in her season, one should never know her, nor even summon her for conversation. A wise man may take her into his company on the fourth day after the bath of purification.

If one holds sexual union on the fifth day from the first appearance of the cataminal flow he gets a daughter. By holding it on the sixth day, he gets a son. A wise man should, in the matter of sexual intercourse attend to this rule.

Kinsmen and relatives by marriage and friends should all be treated with respect. One should, to the best of his power, worship the celestials in sacrifices, giving away various kinds of articles as sacrificial presents.

After the period laid down for the domestic mode of life, one should, O king, become a hermit. I have thus told you briefly all the characteristics of persons who succeed in living long.

What I have not told you should be heard by you from the mouths of persons well-versed in the three Vedas, O Yudhishthira. You should know that conduct is the root of prosperity. Conduct increases fame.

It is conduct which prolongs life. It is conduct which destroys all calamitics and evils. Conduct has been said to be superior 10 all the branches of knowledge.

It is conduct which begets virtue, and it is virtue which prolongs life. Conduct gives fame, long life, and Heaven. Conduct is the most efficacious rite of propitiating the celestials. The self-create Brahman himself has said that one should show mercy to all orders of men.