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.
यो जितः पञ्चवर्गेण सहजेनात्मकर्षिणा । आपदस्तस्य वर्धन्ते शुक्लपक्ष इवोडुराट्
He who is conquered by the fivefold group, which is naturally tormenting the self, finds his calamities waxing like the moon in the bright fortnight.
अविजित्य य आत्मानममात्यान्विजिगीषते । अमित्रान्वा जितामात्यः सोऽवशः परिहीयते
One who, without conquering himself, seeks to conquer his ministers, or who, having conquered his ministers, seeks to conquer his enemies, is helpless and declines.
आत्मानमेव प्रथमं द्वेष्यरूपेण योजयेत् । ततोऽमात्यानमित्रांश्च न मोघं विजिगीषते
Let a man first treat himself as an object of aversion; then, having done so, he may seek to conquer his ministers and enemies, and his endeavor will not be in vain.
वश्येन्द्रियं जितामात्यं धृतदण्डं विकारिषु । परीक्ष्यकारिणं धीरमत्यन्तं श्रीर्निषेवते
Prosperity always attends one who has mastered his senses, conquered his ministers, wields discipline over the unruly, acts after examination, and is steadfast.
रथः शरीरं पुरुषस्य राज- न्नात्मा नियन्तेन्द्रियाण्यस्य चाश्वाः। तैरप्रमत्तः कुशली सदश्वै- र्दान्तैः सुखं याति रथीव धीरः
O King, the body of a person is like a chariot, the self is the driver, and the senses are its horses; with alertness and skill, one who controls these well-trained horses travels happily, like a wise charioteer.
एतान्यनिगृहीतानि व्यापादयितुमप्यलम्। अविधेया इवादान्ताः सरथं सारथिं हयम्
If these senses are not restrained, they are fully capable of destroying the chariot, the charioteer, and the horses, just like untrained and unruly steeds.
अनर्थमर्थतः पश्यन्नर्थं चैवाप्यनर्थतः। इन्द्रियैरजितैर्बालः सुदुःखं मन्यते सुखम्
A foolish person, with unmastered senses, perceives misfortune as fortune and fortune as misfortune, suffering greatly while thinking he is happy.
धर्मार्थौ यः परित्यज्य स्यादिन्द्रियवशानुगः । श्रीप्राणधनदारेभ्यः क्षिप्रं स परिहीयते
He who, abandoning righteousness and profit, follows the sway of the senses, quickly loses his prosperity, life, wealth, and wife.
अर्थानामीश्वरो यः स्यादिन्द्रियाणामनीश्वरः। इन्द्रियाणामनैश्वर्यादैश्वार्याद्भूश्यते हि सः
One who is lord over wealth but not master of his senses is, due to lack of control over the senses, deprived of his sovereignty.
आत्मनात्मानमन्विच्छेन्मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियैर्यतैः । आत्मा ह्येवात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः
Let a man seek to master himself by means of his mind, intellect, and restrained senses; for the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.