Verse 2.1.42

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.1.42:

तैर् वर्ण्यमानम् आचारं नित्य-नैमित्तिकादिकम् ।
अवश्यकं तथा काम्यं स्वर्गं सुश्राव तत्-फलम् ॥ ४२ ॥

tair varṇyamānam ācāraṃ nitya-naimittikādikam |
avaśyakaṃ tathā kāmyaṃ svargaṃ suśrāva tat-phalam || 42 ||

taiḥ–by them; varṇyamānam–being described; ācāram–duties; nitya–regular, daily; naimittika–occasional; ādikam–and so on; āvaśyakam–necessity; tathā–then; kāmyam–awarding sensual pleasure; svargam–heavenly pleasure; śuśrāva–heard; tat–of that; phalam–the result.

He heard from those brāhmaṇas about the necessity of daily obligatory rites and of circumstantial rituals. He also heard about ritualistic activities to fulfill material desires and how one obtains heavenly pleasures as a result of these activities.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Parīkṣit says, “Upon arriving at the bank of the river Gaṅgā, the newly-renounced brāhmaṇa heard instructions from the brāhmaṇas of that place who were devoted to executing their occupational duties. They instructed him on performance of daily obligatory rites (nitya-karma), circumstantial duties (naimittikakarma), fruitive activities (kāmya-karma), and the heavenly enjoyment (svarga-sukha) obtained by the performance of these karmas.” The term nitya-karma indicates activities such as the performance of fire sacrifices (agnihotras). Naimittika-karma indicates activities such as the offering of oblations to deceased forefathers performed either on specific festival days or on the new moon day. The word ādi indicates daily activities, like awakening during the brahma-muhūrta, a period before sunrise, as mentioned in Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa. These kinds of religious practices are considered essential duties, or nitya-karma. The term kāmya-karma indicates vows of austerity (vratas), and so on.

Śrī Parīkṣit continues, “These brāhmaṇas, who were absorbed in performing their prescribed occupational duties, instructed:

आचार-प्रबह्वो धर्मो, धर्मस्य प्रभुरच्युतः

ācāra-prabahvo dharmo, dharmasya prabhuracyutaḥ

‘Proper conduct (ācāra) alone is the father of religion (dharma) and the Lord of religion is Acyuta, the infallible Lord.’

सद्-आचारवता पुंसा, जितौ लोकाव्-उभाव्-अपि

sad-ācāravatā puṃsā, jitau lokāv-ubhāv-api

‘Thus, only persons who possess virtuous conduct (sadācāra) can conquer both this world and the next.’

“The brāhmaṇa heard many such statements of effusive praise. He also heard that heavenly pleasures are attained by executing one’s occupational duties, or sva-dharma. He heard topics about the varieties of happiness available to the residents of the heavenly planets:

यन्न दुःखेन संभिन्नं न च ग्रस्तमनन्तरम्
अभिलाषो पनीतं च सुखं तत् स्वर्गवासिनाम्

yanna duḥkhena saṃbhinnaṃ na ca grastamanantaram
abhilāṣo panītaṃ ca sukhaṃ tat svargavāsinām

‘Material enjoyment in Svarga is free from sorrow and is available according to one’s desires.’

“Observing the visiting brāhmaṇa’s level of faith in those topics, the Gaṅgā-sāgara brāhmaṇas instructed him accordingly.”