शक्त्याऽन्नदानं सततं तितिक्षा धर्मनित्यता। यथार्हं प्रतिपूजा च सर्वभूतेषु वै दया
Constant giving of food according to one's ability, endurance, devotion to righteousness, proper honor, and compassion toward all beings.
त्यागान्नान्यत्र मर्त्यानां गुणास्तिष्ठान्ति पूरुषे। मृषावादं परिहरेत्कुर्यात्प्रियमयाचितः
Except for renunciation, virtues do not remain in mortals; one should avoid false speech and act kindly when asked.
न च कामान्न संरम्भान्न द्वेषाद्धर्ममुत्सृजेत्। प्रिये नातिभृशं हृष्येदप्रिये न च संज्वरेत्
One should not abandon righteousness for desire, anger, or hatred; in pleasant things, do not rejoice excessively, nor grieve in unpleasant things.
न मुह्येदर्थकृच्छ्रेषु न च धऱ्मं परित्यजेत्। कर्म चेत्किंचिदन्यत्स्यादितरन्न तदाचरेत्
One should not be confused in difficulties, nor abandon righteousness; if there is any other action, one should not perform it.
यत्कल्याणमभिध्यायेत्तत्रात्मानं नियोजयेत्। न पापं प्रति पापः स्यात्साधुरेव सदा भवेत्
One should direct oneself toward what is good; one should never be evil toward evil, but always remain virtuous.
आत्मनैव हतः पापो यः पापं कर्तुमिच्छति। कर्म चैतदसाधूनां वृजिनानामसाधुकम्
He who desires to commit evil is destroyed by his own self; such actions are unworthy of the unrighteous and wicked.
न धर्मोस्तीति मन्वानाः शुचीनवहसन्ति ये। अश्रद्दधाना धर्मस् ते नश्यन्ति न संशयः
Those who believe there is no righteousness and mock the pure, lacking faith—such people are destroyed by unrighteousness; of this there is no doubt.
महादृतिरिवाध्मातः पापो भवति नित्यदा। `साधुः सन्नतिमानेव सर्वत्रद्विजसत्तम
Sinful is he who is always inflated with pride, like a great mountain swelled up; but the virtuous, O best of twice-born, are humble everywhere.
मूढानामवलिप्तानामसारं भाषितं भवेत्। दर्शयन्त्यन्तरात्मानं दिवा रूपमिवांशुमान्
The speech of the foolish and arrogant is empty; their inner self is revealed, like the sun showing its form by day.
न लोके राजते मूर्खः केवलात्मप्रशंसया। अपिचेह मृजाहीनः कृतविद्यः प्रकाशते
A fool does not shine in the world by merely praising himself; even a learned man lacking purity does not become illustrious here.
अब्रुवन्कस्यचिन्निन्दामात्मपूजामवर्णयन्। न कश्चिद्गुणसंपन्नः प्रकाशो भुवि दृश्यते
One who speaks ill of others and praises himself—no one endowed with virtue and brilliance is seen on earth behaving thus.
विकर्मणा तप्यमानः पापाद्विपरिमुच्यते। न तत्कुर्यां पुनरिति द्वितीयात्परिमुच्यते
One who is tormented by his own misdeeds is freed from sin; by resolving, 'I will not do this again,' he is released a second time.
कर्मणा येन केनापि पापात्मा द्विजसत्तम। एवं श्रुतिरियं ब्रह्मन्धर्मेषु प्रतिदृश्यते
By any act whatsoever, O best of twice-born, a sinful person—so it is heard in the scriptures—can be seen to be freed from sin in the teachings on righteousness.
पापनि बुद्ध्वेह पुरा कृतानि स्वधर्मशीलो विनिहन्ति पश्चात्। धर्मो ब्रह्मन्नुदते ब्राह्मणानां यत्कुर्वते पापमिह प्रमादात्
Having recognized the sins committed before, one devoted to his own duty destroys them afterwards; O Brahman, righteousness rises up for Brahmins when they, through negligence, commit sin here.
पापं कृत्वा हि मन्येत नाहमस्मीति पूरुषः। [तं तु देवाः प्रपश्यन्ति स्वस्यैवान्तरपूरुषः]
After committing sin, a person may think, 'I am not that'; but the gods, and his own inner self, truly see him.
चिकीर्षेदेव कल्यायणं श्रद्दधानोऽनसूयकः
One should act only for the good, with faith and without envy.
वसनस्येव च्छिद्राणइ साधूनां विवृणोति यः। `अपश्यन्नात्मनो दोषान्स पापः प्रेत्य नश्यति
Just as the holes in a garment reveal what is within, so too, one who does not see his own faults—such a sinner perishes after death.
पापं चेत्पुरुषः कृत्वा कल्याणमभिपद्यते। मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो महाभ्रेणेव चन्द्रमाः
If a person, having committed sin, turns toward the good, he is freed from all sins, like the moon emerging from a great cloud.
यथाऽऽदित्यः समुद्यन्वै तमः सर्वं व्यपोहति। एवं कल्याणमातिष्ठन्सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Just as the rising sun dispels all darkness, so too, by practicing virtue, one is freed from all sins.
पापानां विद्ध्यधिष्ठानं लोभमोहौ द्विजोत्तम। `तस्मात्तौ विदुषा विप्र वर्जनीयौ विशेषतः
Know that the seat of sins is greed and delusion, O best of twice-born; therefore, a wise Brahmin should especially avoid these two.
लुबधाः पापं व्यवस्यन्ति नरा नातिबहुश्रुताः। अधर्म्या धर्मरूपेण तृणैः कूपा इवावृताः
Men who are greedy and not very learned resolve to commit sin; unrighteous, though appearing righteous, like wells covered with grass.
येषां पञ् पवित्राणि प्रलापा धर्मसंश्रितः। सर्वं हि विद्यते तेषु शिष्टाचारः सुदुर्लभः
Those whose words are always pure and rooted in righteousness—among them, all good conduct is found, though true cultured behavior is very rare.
स तु विप्रो महाप्राज्ञ धर्मव्याधमपृच्छत। शिष्टाचारं कथमहं विद्यामिति नरोत्तम
Then that wise Brahmin asked the righteous hunter: 'How may I know the conduct of the virtuous, O best of men?'
पञ्च कानि पवित्राणि शिष्टाचारेषु नित्यदा'। एतदिच्छामि भद्रं ते श्रोतुं धर्मभृतांवर। त्वत्तो महामते व्याध तद्ब्रवीहि यथातथम्
'What are the five purities always found in the conduct of the virtuous? I wish to hear this from you, O best among upholders of righteousness. O wise hunter, tell me this truly as it is.'
यज्ञो दानं तपो वेदाः सत्यं च द्विजसत्तम। पञ्चैतानि पवित्राणि शिष्टाचारेषु नित्यदा
Sacrifice, charity, austerity, the Vedas, and truth—these five are always pure among those of noble conduct, O best of twice-born.
कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा दम्भं लोभमनार्जवम्। धर्ममित्येवं संतुष्टास्ते शिष्टाः शिष्टसंमताः
Having subdued desire and anger, and abandoning hypocrisy, greed, and dishonesty, those who are content in righteousness are the noble ones, esteemed by the noble.
न तेषां भिद्यते वृत्तं यज्ञस्वाध्यायशीलिनाम्। आचारपालनं चैव द्वितीयं शिष्टलक्षणम्
Their conduct does not deviate—those devoted to sacrifice and study; and the observance of proper conduct is indeed the second mark of the noble.
गुरुशुश्रूषणं सत्यमक्रोधो दानमेव च। एतच्चतुष्टयं ब्रह्मञ्शिष्टाचारेषु नित्यदा
Service to the teacher, truthfulness, absence of anger, and charity—these four, O Brahman, are always found among those of noble conduct.
शिष्टाचारे मनः कृत्वा प्रतिष्ठाप्य च सर्वशः। यामयं लभते तुष्टिं सा न शक्या ह्यतोऽन्यथा
Having fixed the mind on noble conduct and established it completely, the satisfaction one attains thereby cannot be gained otherwise.
वेदस्योपनिषत्सत्यं सत्यस्योपनिषद्दमः। दमस्योपनिषत्त्यागः शिष्टाचारेषु नित्यदा
Truth is the essence of the Veda; self-restraint is the essence of truth; renunciation is the essence of self-restraint—these are always among those of noble conduct.