चक्षुषा मनसा वाचा कर्मणा च चतुर्विधम्। प्रसादयति यो लोकं तं लोकोऽनुप्रसीदति
He who pleases the world in four ways—by his eyes, mind, speech, and actions—the world, in turn, is pleased with him.
यस्मात्रस्यन्ति भूतानि मृगव्याधान्मृगा इव। सागरान्तामपि महीं लब्ध्वा स परिहीयते
From whom creatures flee, as deer from a hunter—even if he gains the whole earth up to the ocean, he is diminished.
पितृपैतामहं राज्यं प्राप्यापि स्वेन कर्मणा। वायुरभ्रमिवासाद्य भ्रंशयत्यनये स्थितः
One who attains the kingdom of his fathers and grandfathers by his own actions, if he stands in unrighteousness, is cast down like the wind dispersing a cloud.
धर्ममाचरतो राज्ञः सद्भिश्चरितमादितः। वसुधा वसुसंपूर्णा वर्धते भूतिवर्धनी
When a king follows dharma, as practiced by the virtuous from the beginning, the earth, filled with wealth, prospers and brings forth abundance.
अथ संत्यजतो धर्ममधर्मं चानुतिष्ठतः। प्रतिसंवेष्टते भूमिरग्नौ चर्माहितं यथा
But when he abandons dharma and follows adharma, the earth recoils from him, as leather shrinks away from fire.
य एव यत्नः क्रियते परराष्ट्रविमर्दने। स एव यत्नः कर्तव्यः स्वराष्ट्रपरिपालने
The same effort that is made in attacking another's kingdom should be made in protecting one's own.
धर्मेण राज्यं विन्देत धर्मेण परिपालयेत्। धर्ममूलां श्रियं प्राप्य न जहाति न हीयते
One should obtain a kingdom by dharma, and protect it by dharma; having gained prosperity rooted in dharma, he neither abandons nor loses it.
अप्युन्मत्तात्प्रलपतो बालाच्च परिजल्पतः। सर्वतः सारमादद्यादश्मभ्य इव काञ्चनम्
Even from a madman babbling, or a child prattling, one should take what is valuable from everywhere, as gold from stones.
सुव्याहृतानि महतां सुकृतानि ततस्ततः। सञ्चिन्वन्धीर आसीत शिलाहारी शिलं यथा
Let the wise man gather the well-spoken and virtuous deeds of the great from here and there, as a stone-cutter gathers stones.
गन्धेन गावः पश्यन्ति वेदैः पश्यन्ति ब्राह्मणाः । चारैः पश्यन्ति राजानश्चक्षुर्भ्यामितरे जनाः
Cows perceive by scent, Brahmins perceive by the Vedas, kings perceive by spies, and other people by their eyes.
भूयांसं लभते क्लेशं या गौर्भवति दुर्दुहा । अथ या सुदुघा राजन्नैव तां वितुदन्त्यपि
A cow that is hard to milk suffers much distress; but, O King, a cow that is easy to milk is not harmed even if struck.
यदतप्तं प्रणमति न तत्सन्तापमर्हति। यच्च स्वयं नतं दारु न तत्संनामयेद्बुधः
That which bends without being heated does not deserve to be burned; and a piece of wood that bends on its own should not be bent further by the wise.
एतयोपमया धीरः सन्नमेत बलीयसे। इन्द्राय स प्रणमते नमते यो बलीयसे
By this analogy, the wise man should bow before the stronger; for he bows to Indra, and one bows to him who is more powerful.
पर्जन्यनाथाः पशवो राजानो मन्त्रिबान्धवाः। पतयो बान्धवाः स्त्रीणां ब्राह्मणा वेदबान्धवाः
Cattle depend on the rain, kings on ministers and relatives, women on husbands and kin, and Brahmins on the Vedas and their companions.
सत्येन रक्ष्यते धर्मो विद्या योगेन रक्ष्यते । मृजया रक्ष्यते रूपं कुलं वृत्तेन रक्ष्यते
Righteousness is protected by truth, knowledge by discipline, beauty by cleanliness, and lineage by good conduct.
मानेन रक्ष्यते धान्यमश्वान्रक्षेदनुक्रमात्। अभीक्ष्णदर्शनाद्गावः स्त्रियो रक्ष्याः कुचेलतः
Wealth is preserved by respect, horses by proper care, cows and women by frequent attention, and garments by being kept clean.
न कुलं वृत्तहीनस्य प्रमाणमिति मे मतिः। अन्तेष्वपि हि जातानां वृत्तमेव विशिष्यते
In my view, family is not the measure of one who lacks good conduct; for even among those born in low families, conduct alone stands out.
य ईर्षुः परवित्तेषु रूपे वीर्ये कुलान्वये । सुखसौभाग्यसत्कारे तस्य व्याधिरनन्तकः
He who envies others' wealth, beauty, strength, lineage, happiness, fortune, or honor, is afflicted by an endless disease.
अकार्यकरणाद्भीतः कार्याणां च विवर्जनात्। अकाले मन्त्रभेदाच्च येन माद्येन्न तत्पिबेत्
One should not drink that which causes madness—out of fear of doing wrong, neglecting duty, or revealing secrets at the wrong time.
विद्यामदो धनमदस्तृतीयोऽभिजनो मदः। मदा एतेऽवलिप्तानामेत एव सतां दमाः
There are three kinds of pride: pride of learning, pride of wealth, and pride of noble birth; these are the intoxications of the arrogant, but for the virtuous, they are causes for self-restraint.
असन्तोऽभ्यर्थिताः सद्भिः क्वचित्कार्ये कदाचन। मन्यन्ते सन्तमात्मानमसन्तमपि विश्रुतम्
When the wicked are asked by the good to help in some matter, they consider themselves virtuous and renowned, though they are not truly so.
गतिरात्मवतां सन्तः सन्त एव सतां गतिः । असतां च गतिः सन्तो न त्वसन्तः सतां गतिः
The good are the refuge of those who possess self-control; the good are indeed the refuge of the virtuous; the good are also the refuge of the wicked, but the wicked are not the refuge of the good.
जिता सभा वस्त्रवता मिष्टाशा गोमता जिता। अध्वा जितो यानवता सर्वं शीलवता जितम्
A man with clothes conquers the assembly, one with cows conquers the desire for food, one with a vehicle conquers the road, but one with good character conquers all.
शीलं प्रधानं पुरुषे तद्यस्येह प्रणश्यति। न तस्य जीवितेनार्थो न धनेन न बन्धुभिः
Character is the foremost quality in a person; if that is lost here, then life, wealth, and relatives are of no value to him.
आढ्यानां मांसपरमं मध्यानां गोरसोत्तरम्। तैलोत्तरं दरिद्राणां भोजनं भरतर्षभ
For the wealthy, meat is the best food; for those in the middle, milk products are superior; for the poor, oil is the chief food, O bull of the Bharatas.
संपन्नतरमेवान्नं दरिद्रा भुञ्जते सदा। श्रुत्स्वादुतां जनयति सा चाढ्येषु सुदुर्लभा
The poor always eat the tastiest food; hunger gives rise to deliciousness, and that is very rare among the rich.
प्रायेण श्रीमतां लोके भोक्तुं शक्तिर्न विद्यते। जीर्यन्त्यपि हि काष्ठानि दरिद्राणां महीपते
Generally, the wealthy in this world lack the ability to enjoy food; even wood decays in the houses of the poor, O king.
अवृत्तिर्भयमन्त्यानां मध्यानां मरणाद्भयम् । उत्तमानां तु मर्त्यानामवमानात्परं भयम्
The lowest fear loss of livelihood, the middle fear death, but the highest among mortals fear dishonor above all.
ऐश्वर्यमदपापिष्ठा मदाः पानमदादयः । ऐश्वर्यमदमत्तो हि नो पतित्वाऽवबुध्यते
The intoxications arising from wealth, such as pride in wealth and drunkenness, are the worst forms of arrogance; for one intoxicated by wealth does not realize his fall.
इन्द्रियौरिन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तमानैरनिग्रहैः । तैरयं ताप्यते लोको नक्षत्राणि ग्रहैरिव
When the senses, uncontrolled, pursue their objects, they torment the world just as the planets afflict the stars.