vedasya ca vikarṣaṇam

rūpa-śīla-svabhāvataḥ

ṛṣīṇāṁ janma-karmāṇi

vedasya ca vikarṣaṇam

Please describe the divisions of varṇa and āśrama according to features, behavior, and nature, as well as the birth and activities of the sages and the divisions of the Vedas.

Rūpa means their features, śīla mans conduct and svabhāva means qualities like sense control and mind control.

|| 3.7.30 ||

yajñasya ca vitānāni

yogasya ca pathaḥ prabho

naiṣkarmyasya ca sāṅkhyasya

tantraṁ vā bhagavat-smṛtam

O master! Please give a detailed description of sacrifice, and the path of yoga, jñāna, and sāṅkhya as well as Nārada-pañcarātra.

Vitānāni means “detailed descriptions.” Yoga refers to aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Naiṣkarmyasya refers to the path of jñāna, which is the method of destroying karma. Describe the paths of yoga, jñāna and sāṅkhya and (vā) Nārada-pañcarātra (bhagavat-smṛtam tantram-- the tantra taught by the Lord).

|| 3.7.31 ||

pāṣaṇḍa-patha-vaiṣamyaṁ

pratiloma-niveśanam

jīvasya gatayo yāś ca

yāvatīr guṇa-karmajāḥ

Please describe the trouble caused by the path of the pāṣaṇḍas, the situation of pratiloma progeny, and the destinations of the jīvas according to qualities and actions.

Pāṣaṇḍa-patha-vaiṣamyam means the disturbance caused by path of the pāsaṇḍas. Pratiloma refers to products of mixed caste where the mother’s caste is higher than the father’s, such as the sūtas (brāhmaṇa mother, kṣatriya father).

 

|| 3.7.32 ||

dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣāṇāṁ

nimittāny avirodhataḥ

vārtāyā daṇḍa-nīteś ca

śrutasya ca vidhiṁ pṛthak

Please describe the methods of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa which do not conflict with each other, and the rules in the scriptures for professions, in artha-śāstra and in the Vedas.

 

Describe the processes (nimittāni), which are mutually not conflicting (avirdhataḥ). Please describe the rules for professions like merchants according to the scriptures for professions, the rules for punishment according to artha-śāstra and the rules according to Vedic scriptures.

|| 3.7.33 ||