Ṛṣi talk to Sukeśi demon on Dharma

 ṛṣayaḥ ūcuḥ

ahiṁsā satyamasteyaṁ dānaṁ kṣāntirdamaḥ śamaḥ

akārpaṇyaṁ ca śaucaṁ ca tapaśca rajanīcara

daśāṅgo rākṣasaśreṣṭha dharmo ̍sau sārvavarṇikaḥ 

brāhmaṇasyāpi vihitā cāturāśramyakalpanā

Ṛṣis said:

O demon king! Religion consisting of 10 parts ( aṅgas ) i.e. non-violence, truthfulness, asatya ( afraid of telling lies ), donations, forgiveness, control over the senses ( dama ), śama, generosity, purity ( śauca ), penance has been prescribed for all the people. A provision of 4 āśramas has been made for Brāhmaṇas.

sukeśiruvāca 

viprāṇāṁ cāturāśrayaṁ vistarānme tapodhanā

ācakṣadhvaṁ na me tṛptiḥ śṛṇvataḥ pratipadyate

Sukeśi said:

O austere hermits! Describe in detail provision of 4 āśramas for Brāhmaṇas. My curiosity is increasing manifold and I am still unsatiated.

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ

kṛtopanayanaḥ samyagbrahmacārī gurau vaset

tatra dharmo ̍sya yastaṁ tvaṁ kathayamānaṁ niśāmaya

Ṛṣis said:

Celibate should live at the residence of Guru when thread ceremony has been duly performed. His religion prescribed there are being explained by me now. Please, listen to it carefully.

svādhyāyo ̍thāgniśuśrūṣā snānaṁ bhikṣāṭanaṁ tathā

gurornivedya taccādyamanujñātena sarvathā

guroḥ karmaṇi sodyogaḥ samyakprītyupapādanam

tenāhūtaḥ paṭheccaiva tatparo nānyamānasaḥḥ

This religion is to do perseverance, serve the fire ( i.e. participate in offering ), to bathe daily, to go out for alms, to offer food first to Guru and then he should take food when this is allowed by him. Prepared always to act on instructions given by Guru, to read with the mind in concentration when called by the Guru.

ekaṁ dvau sakalānvā ̍pi vedānprāpya gurormukhāt

anujñāto varaṁ dattvā guravo dakṣiṇāṁ tataḥ gṛhasthāśramakāmastu gārhasthyāśramamāvaset

vānprasthāśramaṁ vā ̍pi caturthaṁ svecchayā ātmanaḥ

After completion of study in one, two or all the Vedas under the guidance of the Guru, he should offer dakṣiṇā ( fee ) for teaching. Then, those desirous of household life should enter into it or resort to voluntarily Vānaprastha or reclusion with permission of the Guru.

tatraiva vā gurorgehe dvijo niṣṭhāmavāpnuyāt

gurorabhāve tatputre tacchiṣye tatsutāṁ vinā

śuśrūṣannirabhīmāno brahmacaryāśramaṁ vaset

Or he should determine to live with Guru throughout his life and observe Naiṣṭhika Brahmacarya till he breathes his last. If so desired, he should live as the son of Guru if he is dead or with any disciple for the lack of his sons.

eveṁ jayati mṛtyuṁ sa dvijaḥ sālakaṭaṁkaṭa

upāvṛttaistu taistasmādgṛhasthāśramakāmyayā

O Sālakaṭaṅkaṭa! He should live always in celibacy and give up ego forever. Dvija living under strict compliance of these rulesconquers the death itself.

asamānārṣakulajā kanyodvāhyā niśācara

svakarmaṇā dhanaṁ labdhvā pitṛdevā ̍tithīnapi

samyaksaṁprīṇayedbhaktyā sadācārarato dvijaḥ

O monster! After being liberated from there, one should solemnise marriage with a virgin born in a gotra / family other than his own. Dvija observing courtesy should earn wealth through functions executed by his own industry and satiate duly with keen devotion to Pitṛs, Gods and quests.

sukeśiruvāca

sadācāreti gaditaṁ yuṣmābhirmama suvratāḥ

lakṣaṇaṁ śrotumicchāmi kathayadhvaṁ tadadya me

Sukeśi said:

O great resolute! You have described etiquette which I have understood. I want to listen now to its characteristics from you. Please, describe those characteristics.

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ

sadācāro nigaditastava yo ̍smābhirādarāt

lakṣaṇṁ tasya vakṣyāmastacchṛṇuṣva niśācara

Ṛṣi said: O monster! Listen to the characteristics of etiquette / courtesy already described by us!

gṛhasthena sadā kāryamācāraparipālanam

na hyācāravihīnasya bhadramatra paratra ca

Household should always observe etiquette in his life. Man without courtesy cannot see the welfare in tghis material and metaphysical world after death.

yajñadānatapāṁsīha puruṣasya na bhūtaye

bhavanti yaḥ samullaṅghya sadācāraṁ pravarttate

Yajña, donations, penance observed by a man contravening etiquette never become benevolent.

durācāro hi puruṣo neha nāmutra nandate 

kāryo yatnaḥ sadācāra ācāro hantyalakṣaṇam

One without etiquette does not feel pleasure in the material and metaphisical world. One should, therefore, always endeavour towards observing etiquette. Etiquette decay evils adhered to personality. 

tasya svarūpaṁ vakṣyāmaḥ sadācārasya rākṣasa

śṛṇuṣvaikamanāstvaṁ ca yadi śreyo ̍bhivāñchasi

O monster! Now we are going to talk about the features of that etiquette. If you wish any good, then listen to the etiquette with attention.

dharmo ̍sya mūlaṁ dhanamasya śākhāḥ 

puṣpaṁ ca kāmaḥ phalamasya mokṣaḥ

asau sadācārataruḥ sukeśin

saṁsevito yena sa puṇyabhoktā 

O Sukeśi! Its root is religion, wealth is one of its branches, Kāma is its flower and emancipation is its fruit. One who has taken care of such an etiquette tree, always enjoys pleasure ( puṇya ) in his life.