गृहस्थाश्रमः, भिक्षुकाश्रमःThe householder and the renunciant
Verse 9
गृहस्थस्य क्रियाः सर्वा आगमोक्ताः कलौ शिवे । नान्यमार्गैः क्रियासिद्धिः कदापि गृहमेधिनाम् ॥ ९ ॥
gṛhasthasya kriyāḥ sarvā āgamōktāḥ kalau śivē | nānyamārgaiḥ kriyāsiddhiḥ kadāpi gṛhamēdhinām || 9 ||
Translation
All the rites of the householder in the Kali age are those taught in the Āgamas, Śivā; by other paths the rites of householders never succeed.
Word by word
- gṛhasthasya
- of the householder
- kriyāḥ
- the rites
- sarvā
- (sarvāḥ) all
- āgama
- in the Āgamas
- uktāḥ
- taught
- kalau
- in the Kali age
- śivē
- O Śivā
- na
- not
- anya
- other
- mārgaiḥ
- by paths
- kriyā
- of the rites
- siddhiḥ
- success
- kadāpi
- ever
- gṛhamēdhinām
- of householders
Meaning
A strong claim, and one the Tantra repeats in several chapters: in the Kali age the householder's rites are to follow the Āgamas, the revealed Tantras, and not the Vedic ritual. The commentary draws the consequence: not only are two stages gone, all Vedic rites are gone too, for the householder. Behind this stands the doctrine, given in the first chapters, that the Vedic mantras have lost their power in this age, "like snakes without poison", and that Śiva gave the Tantras for the people of Kali. "Gṛhamedhin", the commentary says, means one bound to a household, a householder.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
Not only is there the absence of the two āśramas in the Kali age; there is also the absence of all Vedic rites: so he says, beginning "gṛhasthasya…". Gṛhamedhinām: of those who have the bond of a household, of householders, is the sense.