युधिष्ठिर उवाच गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममखिलं प्रब्रूहि भरतर्षभ। ऋद्धिमाप्नोति किं कृत्वा मनुष्य इह पार्थिव॥
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.
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि पृरावृत्तं जनाधिप। वासुदेवस्य संवादं पृथिव्याश्चैव भारत॥
Bhishma said O Bharata, I shall, in this connection, recite to you the old story of Vasudeva and the goddess Earth.
संस्तुत्य पृथिवीं देवीं वासुदेवः प्रतापवान्। पप्रच्छ भरतश्रेष्ठ मां त्वं यत् पृच्छसेऽद्य वै॥
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.
वासुदेव उवाच गार्हस्थ्यं धर्ममाश्रित्य मया वा मद्विधेन वा। किमवश्यं धरे कार्यं किं वा कृत्वा कृतं भवेत्॥
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
पृथ्वी उवाच ऋषयः पितरो देवा मनुष्याश्चैव माधव। इज्याश्चैवार्चनीयाश्च यथा चैव निबोध मे॥
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.
सदा यज्ञेन देवाश्च सदाऽऽतिथ्येन मानुषाः। छन्दतश्च यथा नित्यमर्हान् भुञ्जीत नित्यशः॥
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.
तेन पषिगणाः प्रीता भवन्ति मधुसूदन। नित्यमग्निं परिचरेदभुक्त्वा बलिकर्म च॥
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.
कुर्यात् तथैव देवा वै प्रीयन्ते मधुसूदन। कुर्यादहरहः श्राद्धमन्नाद्येनोदकेन च॥ पयोमूलफलैर्वापि पितॄणां प्रीतिमाहरन्। सिद्धान्नाद् वैश्वदेवं वै कुर्यादग्नौ यथाविधि॥ अग्नीषोमं वैश्वदेवं धान्वन्तर्यमनन्तरम्। प्रजानां पतये चैव पृथग्योमो विधीयते॥
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.
तथैव चानुपूर्वेण बलिकर्म प्रयोजयेत्। दक्षिणायां यमायेति प्रतीच्यां वरुणाय च॥ सोमाय चाप्युदीच्यां वै वास्तुमध्ये प्रजापतेः। धन्वन्तरे:प्रागुदीच्यां प्राच्यां शक्राय माधव॥
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.
मनुष्येभ्य इति प्राहुर्बलिं द्वारि गृहस्य वै। मरुद्भ्यो दैवतेभ्यश्च बलिमन्तर्गृहे हरेत्॥
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.
तथैव विश्वेदेवेभ्यो बलिमाकाशतो हरेत्। निशाचरेभ्यो भूतेभ्यो बलिं नक्तं तथा हरेत्॥
To the Vishvedevas it should be offered in open air, and to the Rakshasas and evil spirits the offerings should be made at night.
एवं कृत्वा बलिं सम्यग् दद्याद् भिक्षां द्विजाय वै। अलाभे ब्राह्मणस्याग्नावग्रमुद्धृत्य निक्षिपेत्॥
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.
यदा श्राद्धं पितृभ्योऽपि दातुमिच्छेत मानवः। तदा पश्चात् प्रकुर्वीत निवृत्ते श्राद्धकर्मणि॥
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.
पितॄन् संतर्पयित्वा तु बलिं कुर्याद् विधानतः। वैश्वदेवं ततः कुर्यात् पश्चाद् ब्राह्मणवाचनम्॥
He should then make offerings to the Vishwedevas. He should next invite Brahmanas, and then properly entertain guests arrived at his house, with food.
ततोऽन्नेन विशेषेण भोजयेदतिथीनपि। अर्चापूर्व महाराज ततः प्रीणाति मानवान्॥
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.
अनित्यं हि स्थितो यस्मात् तस्मादतिथिरुच्यते। आचार्यस्य पितुश्चैव सख्युराप्तस्य चातिथेः॥ इदमस्ति गृहे मह्यमिति नित्यं निवेदयेत्।
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.
ते यद् वदेयुस्तत् कुर्यादिति धर्मो विधीयते॥ गृहस्थः पुरुषः कृष्ण शिष्टाशी च सदा भवेत्।
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.
राजत्विजं स्नातकं च गुरुं श्वशुरमेव च।॥ अर्चयेन्मधुपर्केण परिसंवत्सरोषितान्।
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.
श्वभ्यश्च श्वपचेभ्यश्च वयोभ्यश्चावपेद् भुवि। वैश्वदेवं हि नामैतत् सायंप्रातर्विधीयते॥
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.
एतांस्तु धर्मान् गार्हस्थ्यान् यः कुर्यादनसूयकः। स इहर्षिवरान् प्राण्य प्रेत्य लोके महीयते॥
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.
भीष्म उवाच इति भूमेर्वचः श्रुत्वा वासुदेवः प्रतापवान्। तथा चकार सततं त्वमप्येवं सदाचर॥
Bhishma said Having heard all this from the goddess Earth, the powerful Vasudeva acted accordingly. Do you also act in the same way.
एतद् गृहस्थधर्मं त्वं चेष्टमानो जनाधिप। इहलोके यशः प्राप्य प्रेत्य स्वर्गमवाप्स्यसि॥
By performing these duties of a householder. O king, you shall acquire fame in this world and Heaven after death?