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**Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 1: ****Ourva uvaacha - ****Baalah kruta upanayanah vedaaharana tatparah | **Gurugehe vaset bhoopa brahmachaaree samaahitah || *Oorva *- A boy who has undergone upanayana, has to be engaged and established in learning the Vedaas. He has to live in the Guru’s house, aashrama. Or Guru will do upanayana and teach him the Vedaas. A Brahmachaari has to be engaged in studying the Vedaas with a proper mind, in a focussed way. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 2: ****Shouchaachaaravataa tatra kaaryam shushrooshanam guroh | ****Vrataani charataa graahyo vedah cha krutabuddhinaa || **A Brahmachaari when he is living with a Guru, learning the Vedaas, has to do all kinds of service to the Guru. He has to follow all the aachaaraas as told by his varna dharma, and aashrama dharma for a Brahmachaari. He has to be established in pure aachaara. He has to do seva of Guru. Performing all the vrataas, he has to learn the Vedaas. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Shouchaachaaravataa iti | Vrataani prajaapati aadeeni madhu maamsa aadi ****varjana aadeeni cha | Kruta buddhinaa avahita buddhinaa | **He has to follow Praajaapatya and other vrataas; he should not take *madhu, *maamsa, and others which are not allowed. He has to totally concentrate on learning only. And on serving the Guru with all sincerity. And maintaining all the shoucha told in the shaastraas. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 3: ****Ubhe sandhye ravim bhoopa tathaa evaa agnim samaahitah | **Upatishthet tathaa kuryaat guroh api abhivaadanam || Both the sandhyaa kaalaas, and also maadhyaahnika, he has to do sandhyaavandana. He also has to do agni kaarya with proper shraddhe. He has to do abhivaadana to Guru. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 4: ****Sthite tishthet vrajet yaate neechaih aaseeta chaasati | ****Shishyo guroon nrupa shreshtha pratikoolam na sancharet || **He has to follow his Guru in every way and serve him. If Guru stands, he has to stand. He has to follow the Guru. If Guru is sitting, he has to sit; he should not sit in a seat which is higher than the Guru. Shishya should never do anything wrong to a Guru. ****www.sadagopan.org [[99]] of 219

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**Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: **Sthita iti | Aasati - aaseene gurou | When Guru is sitting, is aasati. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 5: ****Tena eva uktah pathet vedam na anyachittah purasthitah | **Anujnyaatah cha bhikshaannam ashniyaat gurunaa tatah || Sitting in front of the Guru, he has to listen to the Guru, do *aachaarya *anuucchaarana. Aachaarya ucchaarana anu ucchaarana poorvaka. Whatever Guru says, he has to repeat that. Sitting in front of him, and completely being focussed, he has to learn the Vedaas, not thinking of anything else. Taking the permission of Guru only, he has to get food and take that.; with Guru’s permission only, he has to eat the food got through bhikshaa. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 6: ****Avagaahet apah poorvam aachaaryena avagaahitaah | ****Samit jala aadikam cha asya kaalyam kaalyam upaanayet || **After the Aachaarya takes bath, in that same waters, he has to take bath. Samit, water, darbha, pushpa and others, he has to go everyday morning and collect these, and bring and give to his Aachaarya. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: **Avagaahet iti | Kaalyam praatah | **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 7: ****Gruheeta graahya vedah cha tato anujyaam avaapya cha | ****Gaarhastyam aavishet praajnyo nishpanna guru nishkrutih || **Whatever is to be learnt, after having learnt it, the Vedaas which are ordained to be learnt, and having taken the permission of the Aachaarya, he has to enter into gruhasta aashrama. After having completed the Guru Dakshinaa. Having studied the Vedaas as prescribed, he should take the permission of the aachaarya. Having given the guru dakshinaa, he should enter into *gruhasta *aashrama. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Gruheeta iti | Gruheeta graahya vedah - artha jnyaana paryantam gruheeta sva ****shaakhah, * Svaadhyaayo adhyetavyah * iti, * Sthaanuh ayam bhaaravahah kila ****abhoot adheetya vedam na vijaanaati yo artham, yo arthajnya iha sakalam ****bhadram ashnute naakameti jnyaana vidhoota paapmaa * iti shruteh | Guroh ****nishkrutih atra dakshinaa | **He has to learn the Vedaas including the meanings also; because without meanings, it will not be of any use. With meanings, it has more value. He has to learn with respect to his shaakhaa, this is svaadhyaaya. There is a vidhi in Taittiriya. If he simply learnt the Vedaas without knowing the meaning, then he is only carrying a big burden on his head just like a weight kept on a pillar. One who has learnt with the meanings, he will get all good. He will go to svarga, having got rid of all the sins. Nishkruti is guru dakshinaa.

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These are the dharmaas for Brahmachaari aashrama. Next the *Gruhasta aashrama *dharmaas, which we see next. We are studying Amsha 3, Chapter 9, where Ourva Rishi is teaching Sagara, and this is being told by Paraasharar to Maitreyar. After knowing about *varna *dharmaas, King Sagara asks about Aashrama dharmaas. We had seen how a Brahmachaari should lead his life. After doing upanayana, he has to stay with a Guru and learn the Vedaas, and he has to follow all the vidhis and nishedhaas which are told, as per the shaastraas. He has to do all kinds of service to his Guru. He has to study whenever he has time. He has to do his nitya karmaas, and has to follow his aachaarya in every possible way, and should not do anything negative. First the aachaarya takes bath, and in the same waters, the Brahmachaari should take bath. He has to go to the forest nearby, and get the samit, jala, kusha, etc., whatever is required by the aachaarya for his daily duties. After having completed his studies, he should take the permission of his Guru and enter gruhasta aashrama, having given the Gurudakshinaa. Now, Ourva Rishi continues to tell about the gruhasta aashrama. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 8: ****Vidhinaa avaapta daarah tu dhanam praapya sva karmanaa | ****Gruhastha kaaryam akhilam kuryaat bhoopaala shaktitah || **As per the vidhi told in the Shrutis and Smrutis, one has to accept a wife and get married. With his own vrutti dharmaas, as was told, he has to get the required money. He has to perform all the gruhasta dharmaas. As much as possible, he has to do the karmaas of a gruhasta. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Vidhinaa iti | Vidhinaa - sva gruhya ukta prakaarena | Sva karmanaa yaajanaadi ****vruttyaa | **Gruhya karmaas are told as per the dharma shaastraas. He has to perform as per those. There are three things which are told through which he earns money -yaajana, adhyaapana and *pratigraha *- these are told for a Braahmana. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 9: ****Nivaapena pitruun archan yajnyaih devaan tathaa atitheen | ****Annaih muneem cha svaadhyaayaih apatyena prajaapatim || **He has to worship pitrus with the pinda pradaana. He has to worship the devaas with yajnya yaagaas. He has to offer food to the atithis. By studying the Vedaas, maintaining them, *adhyayana, adhyaapana *- this is how one has to worship the munis. Having children, this will please Prajaapati. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Nivaapena iti | Nivaapah - pitru daanam | ****Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 10: ****Bhootaani balibhih cha eva vaatsalyena akhilam jagat | ****Praapnoti lokaan purusho nija karma samaarjitaan || **He should live in the entire world with vaatsalya. He has to give part of the food to www.sadagopan.org [[101]] of 219

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the bhoota ganaas. These are all told in the shaastraas. One who is following all of these, with his own duties which are told as per the shaastras, performing all of this regularly, he will get all good benefits, and will enjoy in all the lokaas, as the phala. Vaatsalya is dosha adarshitva, not looking at the defects in others. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Bhootaani iti | Nija karma samaarjitaan sveeya karma saadhitaan ****praajaapatyaadeen | * Sarva ete punya lokaah bhavanti * iti shrutou, * ya etaan ****avyagro yathaa upadesham kurute nitya svargah prushtah cha * iti smrutou cha **nityaanaam pratyavaaya vyatirekam phalaantarasya cha ukteh | He will take praajaapatya loka and the phalaas are told for these karmaas also. Those who do all these get punya lokaas, and enjoy there, it is told. He will get svarga. He will avoid pratyavaaya if he does nitya naimittika karmaas. He will not be punished by Bhagavaan for not doing these. Vedaas prescribe the *nitya *naimittika karmaas, which if one does not do, they will be subjected to punishment, they will have to suffer because of transgressing the shaastraas. Some of them, if done, there are some benefits also. If someone is interested in doing that, they can get those lokaas and enjoy there. This is also told. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 11: ****Bhikshaa bhujah cha ye kechit parivraat brahmachaarinah | ****Te api atra eva pratishthante gaarhastyam tena vai param || **There are some Brahmins who live only by taking alms from others, bhikshe; some of them are Brahmachaaris and they also have gruhasthaashrama as the *aashraya *(Gruhasthaas provide them all the support, as they are always depending on bhikshaa for living; they go from place to place, supported by gruhasthaas). This is why gruhasthaashrama is said to be a good aashrama, where they support the other aashramaas. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 12: ****Vedaaharana kaaryaaya teertha snaanaaya cha prabho | **Atanti vasudhaam vipraah pruthivee darshanaaya cha || These Brahmins, in order to learn the Vedaas, go from place to place, from one aachaarya to another aachaarya, to learn. To perform teertha snaana, they visit all teertha kshetraas. They go around all places on the earth. They go around to see the punya kshetraas. They don’t stay in one place. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 13: ****Aniketaa hi anaahaaraa yatra saayam gruhaah cha ye | **Teshaam gruhasthah sarveshaam pratishthaa yonireva cha || They don’t have a house, a place to live. They don’t cook and eat. Whoever gives them, they accept that., and live based on that. While going from place to place, wherever they are in the evening, they stay in that place. They are called *saayam *gruhaas. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: **www.sadagopan.org [[102]] of 219

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**Aniketaa iti | Yatra saayam syaat tatra eva gruham sthitih yeshaam te ****jnyaaninah | Pratishthaa aashrayah, yonih maataa, annaadinaa deha ****poshakatvaat | **Whenever evening comes, they stay in that place. They may move the next day, or after two days. The gruhasthaas who are in those places, they provide the food and shelter to such people. Gruhasthaas are the ones who support, they are called as pratishthaa. Because they provide food, they are said to be yoni. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 14: ****Teshaam svaagata daanaadi vaktavyam madhuram nrupa | **Gruha aagataanaam dadyaat cha shayana aasana bhojanam || Whenever a gruhastha sees such a person, a parivraat or Brahmachaari, roaming around like this, with the objective of learning the Vedaas, teertha snaanaas, when such people come, they have to be well treated and respected. They have to be looked after very well by gruhasthaas. They have to welcome the Brahmachaaris with nice words. Whoever comes, they have to be given a good place to rest, stay, and food has to be provided by the gruhasthaas. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 15: ****Atithih yasya bhagnaasho gruhaat pratinivartate | **Sa dattvaa dushkrutam tasmai punyam aadaaya gacchati || If an atithi is not happy with the service provided by a gruhastha, it will be very bad for the gruhastha. All the paapaas will come to this gruhastha, and all the punyaas which the gruhastha had accumulated will go to that atithi. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 16: ****Avajnyaanam ahamkaaro dambhah cha eva gruhe satah | ****Paritaapa upaghaatou cha paarushyam cha na shasyate || **Disrespecting them, being too proud with respect to them, showing off that they are doing something great, having given something and then repenting, hurting them, telling harsh words towards them - all these things if they do in front of an atithi, these are all not shaasana, not vidhi. One has to avoid all these things. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Atithim prati avajnyaanam na kaaryam iti aaha avajnyaanam ityaadi | ****Paritaapah daanaanushayah, upaghaatah taadanaadih | **One should not disrespect an atithi. They have to be treated with a lot of respect and care. Paritaapa is giving something and then repenting. Upaghaata is hurting them. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 17: ****Yah tu samyak karoti evam gruhasthah paramam vidhim | **Sarva bandha vimukto asou lokaan aapnoti anuttamaan || One who does all these things properly, as prescribed in the shaastraas, as per the vidhi, he will get all the uttama lokaas. He will get the punya lokaas. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Yah tu iti | Tat tat varna ukta nitya akaranaja pratyavaaya roopaat tat tat loka **praapti pratibandhaat muktah | www.sadagopan.org [[103]] of 219

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Whatever is told for each varna, that, nitya karmaas and such things if one does not do, they will get pratyavaaya, undergo some punishment by Bhagavaan because of transgressing the vidhis of the Vedaas. By following all of these, they will avoid all such pratyavaayaas. If pratyavaaya comes, they cannot attain those *lokaas *- these pratibandhaas will not be there when one follows all these things. Vaanaprastha aashrama is going to be told now. Brahmacharya was told. Gruhastha aashrama was told where atithi satkaara was told in detail, and the nitya naimittika karmaas. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 18: ****Vayah parinatou raajan krutakrutyo gruhaashramee | ****Putreshu bhaaryaam nikshipya vanam gacchet sahaiva vaa || **One who is a gruhasta, when he becomes old, having done all the *gruhasta *dharmaas properly, he has to make his sons take care of his wife, and has to go to the forest; or he can also take his wife along with him. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 19: ****Parna moola phala aahaarah keshashmashru jataadharah | **Bhoomishaayee bhavet tatra munih sarvaartha nispruhah || Having gone to the forest, he has to live on what is available there - the leaves of the plant, the roots, fruits. This itself is the food for him in the forest. He has to grow the hair and moustache and beard. He has to sleep on the ground itself. Having given up desire in everything, he should live a life like this. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Varna iti | Atra kesha shabdo lomavachanah | ****Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 20: ****Charma kaasha kushaih kuryaat paridhaana uttareeyake | ****Tadvat trishavanam snaanam shastam asya nareshvara || **With the skin of a dead animal, deer skin, or darbhe, he has to make his clothes, and upper clothes. It is also ordained that he has to take bath three times every day praatah, maadhyaahnika, saayam. Deer skin is krushnaajina. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 21: ****Devataa abyarchanam homa sarva abhyaagata poojanam | ****Bhikshaa bali pradaanam cha shastam asya nareshvara || **He has to worship the devataas, he has to do homaas. He has to do *bhikshaa, bali *pradaana. These are all ordained for a vaanaprastha. Atithis and abhyaagataas. Abhyaagataas are those who have come upon an invitation. Atithi comes without any invitation. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Devataa iti | Na asti aagatasya tithih eka dinam api iti atithih, dharma aadi ****arthee nootano atithih ajnyaata poorvah, anye abhyaagataah | **www.sadagopan.org [[104]] of 219

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Atithi means there is no specific tithi on which he comes. He can come any time, any day, uninvited guest. One who comes for a dharma kaarya, one who is a new atithi, who has not come earlier - all others are abhyaagataas. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 22: ****Vanya snehena gaatraanaam abhyangah cha asya shasyate | ****Tapah cha tasya raajendra sheeta ushna aadi sahishnutaa || **He has to live with the material and other things available there only in the forest - his food, clothes, sleeping on the ground. In the same way, oil used for bath, is also what is grown in the forest. He has to do tapas of the form of tolerating the cold and heat. This itself becomes tapas for him. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 23: ****Yah tu etaam niyatah charyaam vaanaprasthah charet munih | ****Sa dahati agnivat doshaan jayet lokaan cha shaashvataan || **A muni who performs all these things, regularly without breaking, as described in the shaastraas, he will burn all his defects, as though the fire burns everything. He will get punya lokaas. He will go there, stay there and enjoy. He will get all *punya *phalaas. After having told about vaanaprastha aashrama, now Ourva Rishi starts to tell about sannyaasa aashrama. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 24: ****Chaturthah cha aashramo bhikshoh prochyate yo maneeshibhih | **Tasya svaroopam gadato mana shrotum nrupa arhasi || The fourth aashrama is the sannyaasi. Now, I will tell you the svaroopa of the fourth aashrama. Please do listen to me, O Sagara. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 25: ****Putra dravya kalatreshu tyakta sneho naraadhipa | **Chaturtham aashrama sthaanam gacchet nirdhoota matsarah || The one who has given up all attachment, towards children, money, any material, wife, he has to take up the fourth aashrama, the sannyaasa aashrama. Having given up matsara and all the bad qualities, and cultivating aatma gunaas, he can take up the sannyaasa aashrama. He becomes a sannyaasi. *Vittaishanaah cha, putraishanaah cha, lokaishanaah cha bhikshaacharyam charanti *| **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 26: ****Traivargikaan tyajet sarvaan aarambhaan avaneepate | ****Mitra arishu samo maitrah samah teshu eva jantushu || **Such a sannyaasi has to give up all the karmaas for the sake of *trivargaas - *dharma, artha, kaama. He has to be equally disposed towards friend or foe. With respect to all beings, he has to be equally disposed. Apavarga is moksha. A sannyaasi is only after moksha. He is not interested in trivarga - dharma, artha, kaama. ****www.sadagopan.org [[105]] of 219

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**Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Traivargikaan iti | Traivargikaan dharma artha kaama saadhana bhootaan, ****aarambhaan loukika vaidika udyogaan, tyaktvaa muktyartham brahma jnyaane ****nishthaa kaaryaa * Brahma samsthah amrutatvameti * iti shruteh, samnyaasasya ****cha moksha maargatvaat | Tat ashaktasya cha japa teertha yaatraadi cha ****anumatam | * Pranavaatmako vedah pranavam dhyaayet iti, * Pranavo brahma **bhooyaaya kalpate iti cha | *Dharma, artha, kaama *- these benefits whatever karma will get, whatever is loukika or vaidika karmaas, which lead to this *dharma, artha, kaama, trivarga **purushaartha *- for the sake of attaining liberation, he has to be established in Brahma Jnyaana. Shruti says that " *Brahma samsthah amrutatvameti". *Sannyaasa is said to be moksha maarga, leading to moksha. If one is not really capable of doing this, he can do *japa, teertha, yaatre *- this is also allowed. He can do dhyaana of pranava. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 27: ****Jaraayuja andajaadeenaam vaang manah kaaya karmabhih | **Yuktah kurveeta na droham sarva sangaan cha varjayet || He should not hate any being which is born of womb, or egg or perspiration also. He should not do droha, he should not cheat any of the beings. *Kaayaa, vaachaa, *manasaa, he should not think of, or should not do anything wrong. He should give up attachment towards everything. He should be completely detached from everything else. *Svedaja, jaraayuja, andaja *- these are all different kinds of beings. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 28: ****Eka raatrah sthitih graame pancha raatra sthitih pure | ****Tathaa tishthet yathaa preetih dvesho vaa na asya jaayate || **In a village, he has to stay only one night. In a city, he can stay for five nights. He should stay in such a way that he does not get attachment or hatred towards anyone or anything. If he gets such a feeling, attachment or hatred, he should immediately leave the place. He should not develop attachment, he should not hate, he should not do wrong. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Eka iti | * Ashtou maasaan vihaaraah tu yateh uktaa maneeshibhih | ****Vaaraanaseem pravishtasya vidyate nahi samcharah | Iti vachanaat cha | **Vaaraanasi is said to be a special place, Kaashi. For 8 months travel is suggested for a sanyasi and once he enters into Vaaraanasi there is no *sanchara *(travel). Also for four months during chaaturmaysa there is no sanchara. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 29: ****Praana yaatraa nimittam cha vyangaare bhukta vat jane | ****Kaale prashasta varnaanaam bhikshaartham paryatet gruhaan || **He has to go and accept bhikshaa, from houses. He has to be extremely careful. While the cooking is still going on, he should not ask for bhikshaa. If he comes to www.sadagopan.org [[106]] of 219

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know that people in the house have not yet eaten, he should not go. When fire is completely extinguished in the kitchen, and all of them have eaten, after that, he has to go, and whatever is left, he has to accept bhikshaa. This is only for his living. He has to go only to good places. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: **Praana yaatraa iti | Prashasta varnaah abhishasta patita varjitaah | Those who are in the proper aashrama, and who are following the *varna aashrama *dharmaas. He has to go only to such houses, only after they have all eaten, and have closed their kitchen, with no fire burning there. Agni has become shaanta. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 30: ****Kaamah krodhah tathaa darpah moha lobhaadayah cha ye | **Taan tu sarvaan parityajya parivraat nirmamo bhavet || He has to give up kaama, krodha, darpa, moha, lobha, matsara, the *ari shat *vargaas. He has to completely win over them. He should have nothing as “Mine”. He should have no attachment towards anything. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 31: ****Abhayam sarvabhootebhyo dattva yah charate munih | **Tasya api sarva bhootebhyo na bhayam vidyate kvachit || He has to give abhaya to all the beings. Such a muni who lives like this, for him also, there is no fear from any other being. He need not fear any being. No being is scared of him, and he is also not scared of any being. He has given abhaya to every being. He will also not be scared of anything else. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 32: ****Krutvaa agnihotram sva shareera samstham shaareeram agnim sva mukhe juhoti ****| **Viprah tu bhaiksha upahitaih havirbhih chita agnikaanaam vrajati sma lokaan || What is agnihotra for him is told here. He has to perform Agnihotra with his body itself. Whatever he has got by bhikshaa, that itself becomes havis. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Krutvaa iti | Praajaapattya ishti anantaram agnihotram sva shareerasamtham **krutvaa - aatmani aaropya iti arthah | Agnihotra is done in one’s body itself. Shaareeram agnim jaatharaagni bhootam praanaadi yuktam | Shaareera agni means that agni which is there in the stomach, jaatharaagni. **Tam uddishya mukhe kunda sthaaneeye agni hotra buddhyaa bhikshaanna ****roopaih havirbhih yo juhoti “Praano agnih eva idam atti cha annam na aham **bhoktaa” iti anusandhaaya, sah chita agninaam agni chitaam lokaan vrajati | He has to imagine that his mouth itself is homa kunda, he has to imagine that he is doing Agnihotra, he has to offer whatever has come through bhikshaa as the havis, into the jaatharaagni, which is inside along with the praanaas, through his mouth which is like a homa kunda. If he imagines like this, he will be www.sadagopan.org [[107]] of 219

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doing Agnihotra itself. The jaatharaagni which is there along with the praanaas, that itself is eating, I am not eating, such a feeling he should have. Whatever the lokaas Agnihotraas get, he will get all those lokaas. He has to perform Agnihotra in this way, with his body itself. **Truteeyaanta paathe chitaagninaa jnyaanaagninaa darshitaan lokaan vrajati | **Ayam avidvat vishaya shlokah uttarah tu brahmavit vishayah | There is one more paathaantara. This is avidvat vishaya, one who is not a brahmavit, one who is not established in the Brahman. He will get whatever lokaas Agnihotraas get. A brahmavit is told in the next shloka. **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 3, Chapter 9, Shloka 33: ****Mokshaashramam yah charate yathaa uktam shuchih susankalpita buddhi ****yuktah | ****Anindhanam jyotiriva prashaantah sa brahma lokam shrayate dvijaatih || **This is vidvat vishaya, about a brahmavit. Mokshaashrama is the *sannyaasa *aashrama, as it is the path for attaining moksha. Being calm, shaanta like the jyoti which is without any firewood, he is also shaanta like that. He is most peaceful and established in Brahman. He will get moksha. **Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary: ****Moksha aashramam iti | Mokshaashramam paarivraajyam, su sankalpita buddhi ****yuktah samyak sampaadita buddhi yoga yuktah | Lokyate iti lokah, brahma eva **loko brahma lokah, brahmano loka iti vaa vigrahah | Having got that kind of a b uddhi yoga. This is also explained in the *Brhuadaaranyaka Upanishad - “Brahma loka samraat iti yaajnyavalkyah”, *Brahman itself is told as Brahma loka. Or it can be Paramapada itself. Dvijaatih iti viprasya eva samnyaase adhikaara uktih | Brahmin only has adhikaara for sannyaasa. *** Gatih turya aashrame naasti baahuja oorujayoh kachit | Turyaashrame gatih **proktaa mukhajaanaam svayambhuvaa | iti dattaatreya ukteh | Sri Engal Aalwaan quotes from Dattaatreya Puraana. Turiya aashrama is the fourth aashrama, the sannyaasa aashrama. This is not there for one who is born of arms, and one born of thighs. Those who are born of mukha, only for them sannyaasa aashrama is told - only for *Brahmins. Braahmano asya mukham **aaseet, baahoo raajanyah krutah, ooro tat asya yat vaishyah, padbhyaam shoodro *ajaayata. Mukhaja is Braahmana. Baahuja is Kshatriya. Ooruja is Vaishya. Tureeya aashrama is not told for Kshatriya and Vaishya. This concludes Chapter Nine of Amsha 3. ****|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraane Truteeye Amshe Navamo Adhyaayah || ****|| Iti Sri Vishnu Chitteeye Vishnu Puraana Vyaakhyaane Truteeye Amshe ****Navamo Adhyaayah || **www.sadagopan.org [[108]] of 219

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|| Atha Dashamo Adhyaayah || **Naming of a Baby, Lakshana of Bhaaryaa Now, the Tenth Chapter.