अनुशासनिक पर्व — गृहस्थाश्रम के धर्म

Yudhishthira said O foremost one of Bharata's race, do you describe to me all the deities of the household mode and tell me all that a man should do in order to acquire prosperity in this world.

Bhishma said O Bharata, I shall, in this connection, recite to you the old story of Vasudeva and the goddess Earth.

The powerful Vasudeva, O excellent prince of Bharata's race, after singing the praises of the goddess Earth, accosted her about this very subject that you have required about.

Vasudeva said Having adopted the domestic mode of life, what acts should I, or one like me, do and how are such acts to yield success. man

The Goddess Earth said O Madhava, the Rishis, the celestials the departed Manes, and men should be adored, and sacrifices should be performed by a householder.

Do you also learn this from me that the celestials are always pleased with sacrifices, and are pleased with hospitality. Therefore, the householder should please them with such objects as they desire.

By such acts, O destroyer of Madhu Rishis also are pleased. The householders, abstaining from food, should daily attend to his sacred fire and to his sacrificial offerings.

The celestials, O destroyer of Madhu, are pleased with such deeds. The householder should daily offer oblations of food and water, or of fruits, roots and water, for the satisfaction of the departed Manes, and give boiled food to the Vishvedevas, and oblations of clarified butter to Agni, Soma, and Dhanvantari.

He should offer separate and distinct oblations of Prajapati. He should make sacrificial offerings duly; to Yama in the South, to Varuna in the West, to Soma in the North, to Prajapati within the homestead, to Dhanvantari in the North East, and to Indra in the East.

He should offer food to men at the entrance of his house. These, O Madhava, are known as the Bali offerings. The Bali should be offered to the Maruts and the deities in the interior of one's house.

To the Vishvedevas it should be offered in open air, and to the Rakshasas and evil spirits the offerings should be made at night.

After making these offerings, the householder should make offerings to Brahmanas, and if no Brahmana be present, the first portion of the food should be thrown into the fire.

When a man wishes to offers Shraddha to his ancestors, he should, when the Shraddha ceremony is donc, please his ancestors and then make the Bali offerings duly.

He should then make offerings to the Vishwedevas. He should next invite Brahmanas, and then properly entertain guests arrived at his house, with food.

By this act, O prince, are guests pleased. He who does not live in the house long, or, having come, goes away after a short time, is called guest.

To his preceptor, to his father, to his friend and to a guest, a householder should say, I have got this in my house to offer you today! And he should offer it accordingly every day.

The house holder should do whatever they would order him to do. This is the established custom. The householder, O Krishna should take his food the last of all, after having offered food to all of them.

The householder should adore with offerings of honey, etc., his king his priest, his preceptor, and his fatherinlaw, as also Snataka Brahmanas even if they were to live in his house for whole year.

In the morning as well as in the evening, food should be offered on the ground to dogs, the cooks for dogs and birds. This is called the Vaishvedeva offerings.

The householder, who performs these ceremonies with mind shorn of passion, obtains the blessings of the Rishis in this world, and after death acquires the heavenly regions.

Bhishma said Having heard all this from the goddess Earth, the powerful Vasudeva acted accordingly. Do you also act in the same way.

By performing these duties of a householder. O king, you shall acquire fame in this world and Heaven after death?