Matsya Purana — Chapter 40
MtP 40.1
चरन्गृहस्थः कथमेति देवान् कथं भिक्षुः कथम् आचार्यकर्मा वानप्रस्थः सत्पथे संनिविष्टो बहून्यस्मिन् सम्प्रति वेदयन्ति
carangṛhasthaḥ kathameti devān kathaṃ bhikṣuḥ katham ācāryakarmā vānaprasthaḥ satpathe saṃniviṣṭo bahūnyasmin samprati vedayanti
How does a householder, practising (his duty), reach the gods? How the mendicant, how one whose work is teaching? How the forest-dweller established on the path of the good? For they now teach many (paths) in this matter.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
MtP 40.2
आहूताध्यायी गुरुकर्मसु चोद्यतः पूर्वोत्थायी चरमं चोपशायी मृदुर्दान्तो धृतिमानप्रमत्तः स्वाध्यायशीलः सिध्यति ब्रह्मचारी
āhūtādhyāyī gurukarmasu codyataḥ pūrvotthāyī caramaṃ copaśāyī mṛdurdānto dhṛtimānapramattaḥ svādhyāyaśīlaḥ sidhyati brahmacārī
Reciting when called upon, diligent in the tasks of his teacher, rising first and lying down last, gentle, self-controlled, steadfast, not heedless, given to the study of his own recitation — such a student of sacred learning attains success.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.3
धर्मागतं प्राप्य धनं यजेत दद्यात्सदैवातिथीन्भोजयेच्च अनाददानश्च परैरदत्तं सैषा गृहस्थोपनिषत्पुराणी
dharmāgataṃ prāpya dhanaṃ yajeta dadyātsadaivātithīnbhojayecca anādadānaśca parairadattaṃ saiṣā gṛhasthopaniṣatpurāṇī
Having obtained wealth that comes by lawful means, let him sacrifice, let him give, and let him always feed guests; and let him not take what is not given by others — this is the ancient secret teaching for the householder.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.4
स्ववीर्यजीवी वृजिनान्निवृत्तो दाता परेभ्यो न परोपतापी तादृङ्मुनिः सिद्धिमुपैति मुख्यां वसन्न् अरण्ये नियताहारचेष्टः
svavīryajīvī vṛjinānnivṛtto dātā parebhyo na paropatāpī tādṛṅmuniḥ siddhimupaiti mukhyāṃ vasann araṇye niyatāhāraceṣṭaḥ
Living by his own strength, turned away from wrong, a giver to others, one who does not torment others — such a sage, dwelling in the forest with food and activity restrained, attains the foremost success.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.5
अशिल्पजीवी विगृहश्च नित्यं जितेन्द्रियः सर्वतो विप्रमुक्तः अनोकशायी लघु लिप्समानश् चरन् देशानेकचरः स भिक्षुः
aśilpajīvī vigṛhaśca nityaṃ jitendriyaḥ sarvato vipramuktaḥ anokaśāyī laghu lipsamānaś caran deśānekacaraḥ sa bhikṣuḥ
Not living by a craft, always houseless, his senses conquered, wholly released, not sleeping under a roof, seeking little, wandering through countries alone — he is a mendicant.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.6
रात्र्या यया चाभिरताश्च लोका भवन्ति कामाभिजिताः सुखेन च तामेव रात्रिं प्रयतेत विद्वान् अरण्यसंस्थो भवितुं यतात्मा
rātryā yayā cābhiratāśca lokā bhavanti kāmābhijitāḥ sukhena ca tāmeva rātriṃ prayateta vidvān araṇyasaṃstho bhavituṃ yatātmā
On that very night on which people become delighted, conquered by desires, and (dwell) in comfort — on that same night let the wise man, self-restrained, strive to become one settled in the forest.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
MtP 40.7
दशैव पूर्वान्दश चापरांस्तु ज्ञातींस्तथात्मानमथैकविंशम् अरण्यवासी सुकृतं दधाति मुक्त्वा त्व् अरण्ये स्वशरीरधातून्
daśaiva pūrvāndaśa cāparāṃstu jñātīṃstathātmānamathaikaviṃśam araṇyavāsī sukṛtaṃ dadhāti muktvā tv araṇye svaśarīradhātūn
Ten forebears and ten descendants, his kinsmen, and himself as the twenty-first — the forest-dweller establishes (them all) in merit, once he has given up in the forest the elements of his own body.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.8
कतिस्विद् देवमुनयो मौनानि कति चाप्युत भवन्तीति तदाचक्ष्व श्रोतुम् इच्छामहे वयम्
katisvid devamunayo maunāni kati cāpyuta bhavantīti tadācakṣva śrotum icchāmahe vayam
How many are the divine sages, and how many the (kinds of) silence? Tell us that; we wish to hear it.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.9
अरण्ये वसतो यस्य ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः ग्रामे वा वसतो ऽरण्यं स मुनिः स्याज्जनाधिप
araṇye vasato yasya grāmo bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ grāme vā vasato 'raṇyaṃ sa muniḥ syājjanādhipa
He for whom, while he dwells in the forest, the village lies behind him, or, while he dwells in the village, the forest (lies behind him) — he would be a muni, O ruler of men.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.10
कथंस्विद्वसतो ऽरण्ये ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः ग्रामे वा वसतो ऽरण्यं कथं भवति पृष्ठतः
kathaṃsvidvasato 'raṇye grāmo bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ grāme vā vasato 'raṇyaṃ kathaṃ bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ
How is it that, for one dwelling in the forest, the village lies behind (him); or how, for one dwelling in a village, does the forest lie behind (him)?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.11
न ग्राम्यमुपयुञ्जीत य आरण्यो मुनिर्भवेत् तथास्य वसतो ऽरण्ये ग्रामो भवति पृष्ठतः
na grāmyamupayuñjīta ya āraṇyo munirbhavet tathāsya vasato 'raṇye grāmo bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ
One who would be a forest-dwelling sage should not make use of what belongs to the village; thus, for him dwelling in the forest, the village lies behind (him).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.12
अनग्निरनिकेतश् चाप्य् अगोत्रचरणो मुनिः कौपीनाच्छादनं यावत् तावदिच्छेच्च चीवरम्
anagniraniketaś cāpy agotracaraṇo muniḥ kaupīnācchādanaṃ yāvat tāvadicchecca cīvaram
Without (sacred) fire, without a dwelling, and not frequenting his kinsmen, the sage should want only so much cloth as will serve for a loincloth's covering.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.13
यावत्प्राणाभिसंधानं तावदिच्छेच्च भोजनम् तदास्य वसतो ग्रामे ऽरण्यं भवति पृष्ठतः
yāvatprāṇābhisaṃdhānaṃ tāvadicchecca bhojanam tadāsya vasato grāme 'raṇyaṃ bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ
He should want only so much food as will hold his life together; then, though he lives in a village, the forest is behind him.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.14
यस्तु कामान्परित्यज्य त्यक्तकर्मा जितेन्द्रियः आतिष्ठेत मुनिर् मौनं स लोके सिद्धिमाप्नुयात्
yastu kāmānparityajya tyaktakarmā jitendriyaḥ ātiṣṭheta munir maunaṃ sa loke siddhimāpnuyāt
But the sage who, having wholly renounced desires, abandoned (ritual) acts and subdued his senses, would abide in silence — he would attain perfection in this world.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.15
धौतदन्तं कृत्तनखं सदा स्नातमलंकृतम् असितं सितकर्मस्थं कस्तं नार्चितुमर्हति
dhautadantaṃ kṛttanakhaṃ sadā snātamalaṃkṛtam asitaṃ sitakarmasthaṃ kastaṃ nārcitumarhati
With teeth cleaned, nails trimmed, always bathed and well-groomed, dark (of hue) yet established in bright deeds — who does not deserve to honor such a one?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
MtP 40.16
तपसा कर्शितः क्षामः क्षीणमांसास्थिशोणितः यदा भवति निर्द्वंद्वो मुनिर्मौनं समास्थितः
tapasā karśitaḥ kṣāmaḥ kṣīṇamāṃsāsthiśoṇitaḥ yadā bhavati nirdvaṃdvo munirmaunaṃ samāsthitaḥ
Wasted by austerity, gaunt, his flesh, bones and blood diminished — when the sage becomes free of the pairs of opposites, settled firmly in silence,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
MtP 40.17
अथ लोकमिमं जित्वा लोकं चापि जयेत्परम् आस्येन तु यदाहारं गोवन्मृगयते मुनिः अथास्य लोकैः सर्वो यः सो ऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते
atha lokamimaṃ jitvā lokaṃ cāpi jayetparam āsyena tu yadāhāraṃ govanmṛgayate muniḥ athāsya lokaiḥ sarvo yaḥ so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate
Then, having conquered this world, he would conquer the higher world as well. When the sage seeks his food with his mouth alone, like a cow, then he, (being) wholly (at one) with the worlds, becomes fit for immortality.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain