Chapter 89 - Characteristics of good conduct (sadācāra)

Sūta said:

1. Henceforth, I shall mention the characteristics of purity and good conduct [śaucācāra / sadācāra]. On acting according to it the pure soul will attain the highest goal after death.

2. This has been formerly mentioned by Brahmā for the welfare of living beings. This is the summary of the implication of the Vedas. It is a collection, of things expounding the Brahman.

3. It is conducive to the rise of cleanliness. It is the excellent position of the sages. The sage who does not err in this does not come to grief.

4. Honour and dishonour are two things which they call poison and nectar. Dishonour is nectar and honour is poison.

5. He, the disciple, shall live with the preceptor for a year engaged in the welfare of the preceptor. He shall always be unerring in the holy observances and restraints.

6. After obtaining his permission along with the excellent path of knowledge he shall walk over the earth [i.e., fulfil the duties of the mundane existence] without repugnance to Dharma.

7. One shall traverse the path sanctified by the eyes; one shall drink the water rendered pure by a cloth (i. e. well-filtered); one shall speak out words sanctified by truth; one shall practise those things that are purified by the mind.^[1]

8. If one drinks impure water for a day one incurs that sin which a fisherman incurs in the course of six months.

9. On drinking impure water one shall as expiation perform five hundred japas of Aghora mantra and then attain purity.

10. Or he shall worship Śiva with elaborate details, such as ablution with ghee, etc. Then he shall circumambulate the deity three times, when he shall undoubtedly be purified.

11. The knower of yoga shall not go anywhere to receive hospitality as a guest or to partake of Śrāddhas and Yajñas. It is thought that the yogin will be non-violent only in this manner.

12. The intelligent mendicant shall go in for alms to a house where all people have taken food but still there is plenty of fire without smoke. But he shall not go to the same house every day.

13. In that case people will insult him and the enemies will disgrace and humiliate him. So one shall beg for alms in the proper manner. He shall not defile the Dharma of good men.

14. One shall beg for alms in the houses of vagrant mendicants and in the houses situated in the forests. The latter shall be the better mode of sustenance.

15. O brahmins, thereafter he shall go in for alms at the places of humble householders who have faith, who have control over the sense-organs and who are noble-souled scholars of the Vedas.

16. Thereafter, he shall go in for alms in the houses of the non-defiled and not-fallen. The practice of begging for alms from people of other castes is considered the meanest of all modes.

17. Any of the following things can be received in the form of alms, viz. gruel, butter milk, milk, barley water, ripe fruits and roots, bits of grains, oil-cakes and powdered fried grains.

18. The items of food mentioned by me are those that increase the accomplishments of the yogins. If they are realised the alms are said to be excellent.

19. Of these two persons, viz. one who begs for alms by means that are justifiable and the other who, (by way of penance) drinks a drop of water by means of the tip of the darbha grass once in a month, the former excels the latter.

20. Bhaikṣya is so called because it removes the sins of one who is afraid of old age, death, rebirth, residence in hells, etc.

21. Those who are addicted to the regular use of curds or milk or those who cause wastage in the individual souls all these do not merit even a sixteenth part of one who partakes of the alms.

22. One shall always lie down on Bhasman; with control over the sense-organs he shall beg for alms. He who wishes for the greatest abode shall perform the Pāśupata vrata.

23. The rite of Cāndrāyaṇa shall be most excellent for all yogins. According to his capacity, the devotee shall perform it once, twice, thrice or four times.

24. Bhikṣus (mendicants) have five vratas, viz:—Asteya (non-stealing); Brahmacarya (celibacy); Alobha (noncovetousness); Tyāga (renunciation) and Ahiṃsā (non-violence) which is the greatest.

25. The niyamas (observances and restraints) are the following:—akrodha (abstention from anger), guruśuśrūṣā (service to the preceptor), śauca (cleanliness), āhāralāghava (lightness of food) and study of the Vedas regularly.

26. The qualities of the seed, the vagina and bondage with the objects—are due to karmans(?). Just as in the case of the elephant in the forest so also in regard to men it is laid down.

27. All the sacrificial rites are equal to Devas. But japa is superior to sacrificial rites; perfect knowledge is superior to meditation; and meditation, devoid of attachment, is still superior to that. When that is acquired, the eternal goal is obtained.

28. Those persons whose intellects have been purified by perfect knowledge say that the following are auspicious qualities, viz:—control of the mind, suppression of the senseorgans, truthfulness, state of being free from sins, silence, straightforwardness in regard to all living beings and the knowledge of those objects beyond the scope of the sense-organs.

29. Only a noble soul who has concentration, who is devoted to the Brahman, who does not err, who is pure, who likes seclusion, and who has conquered the sense-organs shall attain this yoga. Thus, say the sages who are devoid of impurities and are above censure.

30. The devotee who has destroyed even the seeds of sins by means of this pure path, restrained by the same goad (of pure path) attains the desired places.

31. Quiescent persons engaged in good conduct [sadācāra] and maintaining their own Dharma conquer all the worlds and attain the world of Brahman.

32. The eternal Dharma has been imparted by Brahmā himself for the utility of the people. Listen now when I recount it to you.

33. One shall duly perform his duties such as obeisance and standing up by way of welcome towards elderly persons who have acquired instructions from preceptors and who strictly adhere to their routine (i.e., the rules relating to their Āśrama).

34. O sages of good holy rites, the brahmin and the preceptor are to be honoured by obeisance with eight limbs touching the ground with the following three set aside viz:—headdress, upper garment and footwear and with three circumambulations.

35. All elderly persons should be respected. If one wishes for excellent Siddhi one shall never break their behests.

36. One shall avoid all these things:—Taking up iron and other metals for sustenance, living in a deserter unproductive soil^[2] and using worthless mantras as means of support, snakecharming^[3] and backbiting, flattery^[4] or scandal.

37-40. One shall scrupulously avoid deception, stinginess in spending money, censure of others. In the presence of preceptors and elders one shall avoid laughter, haughtiness, sportive dalliance and wilfulness. One shall never contradict the preceptor; one shall never speak unbecoming words against him. One shall scrupulously avoid mentioning things disliked by the preceptor and shall not think evil of him. One shall never touch these things with one’s foot—the clothes, staff, etc., of ascetics, their sandals, garlands, places of sleep [i.e., bed-mattress etc.], vessel, shadow and the requisite things of use in sacrifices.

41. O brahmins, one shall scrupulously avoid treachery to the deities and preceptors. If one unwillingly commits it, one shall perform ten thousand japas of the Praṇava.

42-43. If he repeats the japas a crore of times he is purified from the sins of treachery to the preceptor and the deities. For the expiation of great sins, one shall repeat Śiva’s mantra in accordance with the injunction. If the sinner is, otherwise, of good conduct he is purified by half the number of japas. O sages of good holy rites, all the Upapātakins (those who commit subsidiary sins) get purified by half the number of japas.

44. A brahmin guilty of the omission of Sandhyā prayers becomes pure by repeating it thrice. If the daily routine is violated, it shall be repeated hundred and one times.

45. In the following circumstances, one is purified by repeating the mantra for thousand times. The instances are:—violating agreements, eating forbidden food and speaking what should not be spoken.

46. There is no doubt in this that if one kills birds like crows, owls and doves, etc., he is liberated from the sin by repeating the mantra hundred and eight times.

47. The excellent brahmin who knows the truth and has realised Brahman becomes pure merely by remembering the deity. No doubt need be entertained in this respect.

48. There are no expiatory rites nor injunctions regarding them in the case of the knowers of the Ātman. People who are conversant with the learning of the brahman are pure themselves (because they are engaged) in the welfare of the universe.

49. Those who adhere to yoga and dhyāna are stainless like gold. They become pure by resorting to Brahmavidyā and there is no further purification for persons already pure.

50. One shall avoid turbid water. He shall perform all rites by means of waters that have been purified by filtering through the pores of a cloth and that do not contain cold foams.

51-52. One shall avoid waters of these types:—that which has defective smell, colour and taste; that which stagnates in impure places; that which is defiled by mud and pebbles, the sea water, the water from puddles, the water mingled with moss and water that is otherwise defiled. O brahmins, one shall perform all rites equipped with the cleanliness of clothes.

53. One shall perform the rites of obeisance as well as service to the preceptors with pure and clean clothes. One devoid of cleanliness and purity in clothes is undoubtedly impure.

54. It is desired that the clothes used in divine rites should be washed every day. Other clothes should be washed when they- become dirty.

55- 57. O brahmins, one shall scrupulously eschew the clothes worn by others.

Woollen garments and silken clothes shall be washed by means of hard coarse substances. Woven-silk garments should be washed with white mustard seeds. Silk garments called aṃśupaṭṭas shall be washed with bilva fruits. The peculiar type of blankets called Kutapas should be washed with soap-berry nuts. The cleansing of leather, wickerwork baskets and caneboxes is in the same way as that of clothes. Leading sages who know the brahman have mentioned that the cleansing of bark garments of all varieties, of the umbrella and of the chowrie is like that of clothes.

58. Bell metal is purified by Bhasman, iron, is purified by acid; O brahmins, copper, tin and lead are cleaned with vinegar.

59. O excellent brahmins, the pots of gold and silver can be purified by water. The cleansing of jewels, rock, conch and pearls is similar to that of metals.

60. The purity of excessively polluted things is through contact with fire and water. The cleansing of all beverages is called Utplavana.

61. Objects made of grass, wood, etc., are purified by sprinkling them with sacred water. The purity of Sruk and Sruva (the sacrificial plate and ladle) is through hot water.

62. The cleansing of the utensils of yajñas, that of the mortar and pestle and the purification of those made of horn, bone, wood and ivory is by means of poring.

63. O highly blessed ones, sprinkling is the means of purification of compact solid bodies; if the things are disjointed they shall be severally cleansed.

64. If a portion of a heap of grains not eaten, is defiled that portion is removed and the remaining part is sprinkled with Kuśa grass-water.

65. It is desirable that vegetables, roots and fruits are purified like grains. The house is purified by sweeping and scrubbing. A mud-pot is purified by heating it over fire.

66. The floor can. be cleansed by scraping, digging, bedaubing, sweeping, sprinkling and by tethering cows over it.

67-68. The water stagnating over the surface of lands becomes pure if a cow drinks from there and quenches its thirst, but filth should not spread over it along with foul smell, taste and colour.

The calf is purified in a spring; and the bird by throwing a fruit at it. During sexual intercourse the mouth of the wife is pure for the loving householder.

69. The excellent knower of Dharmas shall sprinkle with Kuśa grass water, the cloth manually washed by a washerman duly, and then take it for use.

70. Merchandise spread in accordance with the division of castes and stages of life is pure. Things taken out of mines are naturally pure. A hound is pure when it catches hold of a deer.

71. All these are pure even when they come into contact with the body, viz.—shadow, drops of water, brahmins, flies etc., dust, ground, wind and fire, O excellent brahmins.

72. O brahmins, even when one is pure, one shall perform the ācamana rite after sleeping, taking food, sneezing, drinking and spitting. At the beginning of the study of the Vedas and on similar occasions one shall perforin the ācamana rite.

73. If the drops of water fall on the feet while others perform the ācamana rite they shall be known as earthly things. One shall not become impure thereby.

74-75. After sexual intercourse and after touching a fallen man, cocks, pig, crows, dog, camel, donkey, post, cāṇḍāla and others, one becomes pure, just by a bath. One shall not touch a woman in her monthly course, a woman after delivery and a Śūdra woman.

76. One defiled by pollution after birth or death shall not touch their dust. If he touches he shall be pure by taking bath.

77. O sages of good holy rites, the following persons are not defiled by pollution—ascetics, forest-dwellers, religious students, life-long celibates, kings and rulers of provinces.

78. Only when there are impediments in their tasks, do kings, sages and brahmins who have fallen become impure and not otherwise.

79-80. The Āśauca of the brahmins is upto the collection of bones after cremation and they are purified merely by taking bath. Similarly for those who are initiated in the sacrifice. It has been mentioned by the self-born deity that for those who had performed sacrifices the pollution is for one day. Then for those who have studied their respective branches of the Vedas it is for four days.

81. O excellent brahmins, kinsmen do not have pollution due to birth or death beyond three days (if they hear of the birth or death) after the eleventh day.

82. If one is present at the time of death one is purified merely by taking bath. If the fact of death is known after three seasons (i.e. six months)^[5] the pollution is for one day.

83-84. If the fact of death is known before seven years^[6] the pollution is for three days and beyond that for the brahmins, it is for ten days. The pollution due to birth is for the first day in the case of the father. O sages, in the case of the mother it is for ten days. If the fact is known after three years,^[7] the purity is attained by bath by the father as well as by kinsmen.

85. If the fact is known after eight years^[8] the kinsmen become pure within a day. O sages of good holy rites, if the fact is known after twelve years^[9] or beyond that, the ladies will have pollution for three days.

86. Sapiṇḍatā (the state of being kinsman by way of offering the funeral rice balls) recedes in the seventh generation. If the ten days immediately after death have elapsed, one shall be impure for three days.

87. The brahmin beyond that period or after a year has elapsed, becomes pure merely by taking bath.

88. If one touches a dead body, one becomes pure after three days. It is for the sake of Dharma that ablution is enjoined in regard to the persons who cremate the dead body. If he is not a relative he need take bath alone.

89. If one follows the dead body, one becomes pure by taking bath and drinking ghee. When the preceptor dies, or when a vedic-scholar passes away, pollution remains for three days.^[10]

90-92. O brahmins, if maternal uncles and their wives or brothers die, if kings and rulers die, the people become pure immediately. O excellent brahmins, the pollution of the Kṣatriyas is for twelve days. A crowned king need not observe pollution if his kinsmen die in battle. A Vaiśya becomes pure in fifteen days. A Śūdra becomes pure within a month.

Thus, the excellent mode of purification has been described to you in brief.

93. Ascetics do not have to observe pollution accruing from birth or death.

O brahmins, I shall now mention another impurity, i.e., the monthly menstrual discharge of the women.

94. Due to the nature of the yuga, in the Kṛta age, ladies gave birth but once. The blessed ones repaired to the forests along with their wives like the Kurus.^[11]

95. O sages of good holy rites, the arrangement regarding the castes and stages of life began ever since the Tretā yuga. This arrangement is observed only in the southern sub-continent of Bhārata and not in the other.

96. Dharma is observed in the following continents and sub-continents, viz. Mahāvīta,^[12] Suvīta,^[13] Jambūdvīpa^[14] and its eight other sub-continents, and Śākadvīpa,^[15] etc. and in Bhārata.^[16]

97-99. In Kṛta yuga, the sustenance of people was from taking liquids; in Tretā yuga from domestic trees. But this was discontinued during the subsequent ages. The same occurred in regard to the untimely intercourse, during the menstrual discharge, due to lust of men. O Brahmins, so barley and other plants of the village and forest as well as the fourteen types of medicinal herbs were cultivated untimely and destroyed, as in the case of sexual intercourse during the menstrual period due to the passion of men.

100. Hence, one shall assiduously avoid conversing with a woman in her monthly course. On the first day, she has to be avoided like a cāṇḍāla woman.

101-102. O brahmins, on the second day, she is to be treated like a woman who has slain a brahmin. On the third day,^[17] she has half that sinful nature. O sages of good holy rites, she shall take bath on the fourth day.^[18] She shall then be pure within half a month. From the sixteenth day onwards the women shall observe cleanliness in regard to passing of urine.

103. If the menstrual discharge continues she cannot be touched for five days.^[19] As far as twenty days she is defiled by the menstrual discharge and remains untouchable.

104-107. A woman in her monthly course shall avoid bath, toilet, singing, crying, laughing, going in vehicles, applying collyrium, playing dice, applying unguents, sleeping during the daytime, washing the teeth, sexual intercourse, worship of deities whether mental, verbal or physical as well as bowing down. A woman in her monthly course shall avoid touching another woman in her monthly course and talking to her also. She shall assiduously avoid changing her garments. A woman in her monthly course shall not touch another man after her bath.

108. She shall look at the brilliant sun and drink Brahma-kūrca or Pañcagavya or milk for self purification.

109-110. The husband shall not indulge in sexual intercourse on the fourth night after the monthly discharge has started. If he indulges thus, the child born will be short-lived. The son born of this sexual contact will be devoid of learning, depraved, deviating from the observance of holy rites, violating the chastity of other men’s wives and immersed in the ocean of penury. The woman should be approached on the fifth night if he seeks a daughter.

111. If the blood is predominant, the child will be a girl; if the semen, is predominant the child will be a boy; if both are equal the child will be an eunuch; if the sexual intercourse is on the fifth night the child will be a girl.

112. The blessed lady shall be approached on the sixth night; she will be the mother of a good son. The son will be excessively brilliant and he will remain dutiful as a son.

113. The word Pum means “hell” and they say that hell is miserable. She will give birth to a son who will save his parents from Pum (i.e. hell).^[20]

114. The husband who seeks a daughter shall approach her on the seventh night. She will give birth to a daughter.^[21] If approached on the eighth night she will give birth to a son equipped with everything.

115. He who seeks a daughter shall approach his wife on the ninth night; if approached on the tenth night a scholarly son will be born; if approached on the eleventh night she will give birth to a girl as before.^[22]

116-117. If approached on the twelfth night she will give birth to a son who is conversant with the principle of Dharma and who will observe the holy rites laid down in Śrutis and Smṛtis. If approached on the thirteenth night she will give birth to a sluggish girl who will bring about mixture of castes. Hence, one shall assiduously avoid her on that night. If he approaches her on the fourteenth night she will be the mother of a son.

118-122. If approached on the fifteenth night she will give birth to a virtuous daughter; if approached on the sixteenth night she will give birth to a son who will be a master of perfect knowledge.

If at the time of the sexual intercourse the air passes through the left side of the woman she will give birth to a daughter; if it passes through the right side she will give birth to a boy. The time of sexual intercourse shall be free from the influence of evil planets. At the time mentioned thus the husband shall remain clean and approach the pure and smiling wife joyously.

Thus, in the context of collecting together virtuous rites of the ascetics, the good conduct [sadācāra] of all living beings has been recounted to you.

The pure man who reads this discourse on the good conduct [sadācāra] or listens to it or narrates this to the brahmins who have destroyed their sins will attain the world of lord Brahmā and rejoice along with the lord.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Cf. Manusmṛti VI. 46.

[2]:

bilakṣetra [bila-kṣetram]—ūṣarabhūmi [ūṣarabhūmiḥ] Śivatoṣiṇī. barren field.

[3]:

viṣagraha [viṣa-grahaḥ]—[viṣa-yuktasarpādinām mantrādinā grahaṇam] Śivatoṣiṇī. profession of a snake-charmer. It is hazardous as well as degrading.

[4]:

viḍamba [viḍambaḥ]—anyānukaraṇa [anyānukaraṇam] Śivatoṣiṇī. mimicry.

[5]:

ṛtu-trayād arvāk—before three seasons, i. e. before six months, if the deceased is not six months old. Editor.

[6]:

arvāk sapta-varṣāt—if the deceased is not seven years old. Editor.

[7]:

arvāk sapta-varṣāt—if the deceased is not seven years old. Editor.

[8]:

aṣṭābdāt—if the deceased is not eight years old. Editor.

[9]:

strīṣu—if the married woman who has not completed twelfth year dies (in her father’s house). Cf.—[vivāhitāpi cetkanyā mriyate pitṛveśmani | tasyāstrirātrācchuddhyanti bāndhavā nātra saṃśayaḥ ||]—Agnipurāṇa—cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.

[10]:

pakṣiṇī—a night with the two days enclosing it. Cf.—[dvāvahnāvekarātriśca pakṣiṇītyabhidhīyate]—cited by V.S. Apte: The practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 557.

[11]:

Kurava [kuravaḥ]—[kuruvarṣīyāḥ] Śivatoṣiṇī. the residents of Kuruvarṣa.

[12]:

Mahāvīta—see p. 206 note 323.

[13]:

Suvīta—not identifiable.

[14]:

Jambūdvīpa, see p. 189 note 292a.

[15]:

Śivatoṣiṇī. does not construe ‘aṣṭasu’ with ‘śāka-dvīpādiṣu’ but takes it with ‘kimpuruṣādiṣu’ which it supplies since it does not occur in the verse. It explains ‘śāka-dvīpādiṣu’ along with ‘plakṣadvīpāntikeṣu’, on the authority of Liṅga. I.46.46.

[16]:

Bhārata, see p. 186 note 289; p. 202 note 318.

[17]:

tṛtīyā'hni—on the third day of menstruation she is as impure as the washerwoman: ‘tṛtīye rajakī proktā’—cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.

[18]:

She becomes pure on the fourth day: [bhartuḥ śuddhā caturthehni]—cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.

[19]:

If her menses do not stop after three days she remains impure for five nights. But Āpastamba considers her to be impure so long as her menses continue:—[snānaṃ rajasvalāyāstu caturthe'hani śasyate | gamyā nivṛtte rajasi nānivṛtte kathañcana ||]

[20]:

Cf. Manu, IX.138.

[21]:

saiva prasūyate—[bandhyā bhavati] Śivatoṣiṇī. she becomes barren. Śivatoṣiṇī. quotes Nirṇaya-sindhu in support of his view: “saptamyām aprajā yoṣit.” But this meaning is not borne out by the text.

[22]:

Construe ‘purvāt’ with the following verse. i.e., [dvādaśyām pūrvavat (=panditavat) dharma-tattvajñam (sutam prasūte)].

Other Purana Concepts:

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Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Characteristics of good conduct (sadacara)’. Further sources in the context of Purana might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Sadhana, Brahman, Brahmavidya, Living Being, Aghoramantra, Sacrificial rite, Path of yoga, Ascetic practice, Good conduct, Noble soul, Knowledge of Brahman, Highest abode, Holy rite, Sacred water, Holy observance, Excellent food, Highest goal, Candala woman, Control of the mind, Candrayana rite, Purity and cleanliness, Highest position, Honour and dishonour, Power of Japa, Fruit of action, Vedic teaching, Excellent brahmin, Prohibited activities, Purification practices, Expiation ritual, Spiritual intercourse, Menstrual discharge, Grief and remorse, Offerings and sacrifices, Divine rite, Upholding Dharma.

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