अनुगीता पर्व — संसार-चक्र

Brahman said The wheel of life moves on. It has the understanding for its strength; the mind for the pole; the group of senses for its fetters, the (five) great elements for its have, and home for its circumference.

It is possessed by decrepitude and sorrow and it has diseases and calamities for its progeny. That wheel relates in time and place. It has toil and exercise for its noise.

Day and Night are the rotations of that wheel. It is encircled by heat and cold. Pleasure and pain are its joints, are hunger and thirst are the nails fixed into it.

Sun-shine and shade are the ruts. It is capable of being moved during even such a short space of time as is taken up by the opening and the closing of the eyelid. It is covered with the dreadful waters of delusion. It is ever revolving and void of consciousness.

It is measured by months and half-months. It is not uniform (being ever changing), and moves through all the worlds. Penance and vows are its mud, Passions' force is its mover.

It is lighted up by the great egoism, and is sustained by the qualities. Vexations are the fastenings that bind it around. It revolves in the midst of grief and destruction.

It has actions and the instruments of action. It is large and is extended by attachments. It is rendered unsteady by cupidity and desire. It is produced by varicgated Ignorance.

It is full of fear and delusion, and is the cause of the delusion of all beings. It moves towards joy and pleasure, and has desire and anger for its possession.

It is made up of principles beginning with greatness and ending with the gross elements. It is marked by production and destruction going on ceaselessly. Its speed is like that of the mind, and it has the mind for its limit.

This wheel of life which is connected with pairs of opposites and devoid of consciousness, the universe with the very immortals should cast away, abridge, and chcek.

That man who ever understands correctly the motion and stoppage of this whcel of life, is never seen to be deluded, among all creatures.

Freed from all impressions, divested of all Pairs of opposites, freed froin all sins, he। attains to the highest goal.

The householder, the Brahmacharin the hermit and the mendicant, these are modes of life have all been said to the householder's mode for their root.

The observance of every system of rules is prescribed in this world. Such observance has always been highly spoken of.

He who has been first purified by ceremonies, who has duly observed vows, who belongs by birth to a family of high qualifications, and who understands the Vedas, should return (from his preceptor's house).

Always devoted to his married wife, acting like a good man, with his senses under control, and full of faith, one should in this world perform the five sacrifice.

He who cats the residue after fecding celestials and guests, who is given to the observance of Vedic rites, who duly celebrates, according to his means, sacrifices and gifts, who is unduly active with his hands and feet, who is unduly active with his eye, who is devoted to penances, who is not unduly active with his words and limits, comes under the category of Shishta or the good.

One should always bear the sacred thread, wear white (clean) cloths, observe pure vows, and should always mix with good men, making gifts and practising self-control.

One should govern his lust and stomach, practise universal compassion, and be characterised by good conduct. One should bear a bamboo-stick, and a water-pot filled with water.

Having studied, one should teach likewise should celebrate sacrifices himself and officiate at the sacrifices of others. One should also make gifts made to oneself. Indeed, one's conduct should be marked by these six deeds.

Know that three of these acts should form the livelihood of the Brahmanas, viz., teaching (pupils), officiating at the sacrifices of others, and the acceptance of gifts from a person who is pure.

As to the other duties which remain, numberir:g three viz., making of gifts, study, and sacrifice, these are accompanied by merit.

Observant of penances, self-controlled, practising universal mercy and forgiveness, and loO king upon all creatures impartially, the man who is conversant with duties should never be careless about those three acts.

The learned Brahmana of pure hear, who leads the domestic mode of life and practise rigid vows, thus devoted and thus performing all duties to the best of his power, succeeds in conquering the celestial region.