वृत्तं यत्नेन संरक्षेद्वित्तमेति च याति च। अक्षीणो वित्ततः क्षीणो वृत्ततस्तु हतो हतः
One should protect conduct with effort; wealth comes and goes. One who is diminished in wealth is not destroyed, but one who is diminished in conduct is utterly ruined.
गोभिः पशुभिरश्वैश्च कृष्या च सुसमृद्धया। कुलानि न प्ररोहन्ति यानि हीनानि वृत्ततः
Even with cattle, livestock, horses, and abundant agriculture, families do not flourish if they are deficient in conduct.
मा नः कुले वैरकृत्कश्चिदस्तु राजा बद्धो मा परस्वापहारी । मित्रद्रोही नैकृतिकोऽनृती वा पूर्वाशी वा पितृदेवातिथिभ्यः
Let there be no one in our family who causes enmity, who is imprisoned, who steals others' property, who betrays friends, who acts wickedly or falsely, or who neglects ancestors, gods, or guests.
यश्च नो ब्राह्मणान्हन्याद्यश्च नो ब्राह्णणान् द्विषेत्। न नः स समितिं गच्छेद्यश्च नो निर्वपेत्कृषिम्
He who kills Brahmins, who hates Brahmins, who does not join our assembly, or who does not sow crops for us—let him not be among us.
तृणानि भूमिरुदकं वाक्व्रतुर्थी च सूनृता। सतामेतानि गेहेषु नोच्छिद्यन्ते कदाचन
Grass, earth, water, speech, hospitality, and truthfulness—these are never lacking in the homes of the virtuous.
श्रद्धया परया राजन्नुपनीतानि सत्कृतिम्। प्रवृत्तानि महाप्राज्ञ धर्मिणां पुण्यकर्मिणाम्
With supreme faith, O King, these are brought forth and honored; they are practiced by the wise, by the righteous, and by those who perform virtuous deeds.
सूक्ष्मोऽपि भारं नृपते स्यन्दनो वै शक्तो वोढुं न तथाऽन्ये महीजाः । एवं युक्ता भारसहा भवन्ति महाकुलीना न तथान्ये मनुष्याः
Even a chariot, O King, can bear a subtle weight, but not so others born of the earth. In this way, those of noble families are capable of bearing burdens; others are not so among men.
न तन्मित्रं यस्य कोपाद्बिभेति यद्वा मित्रं शङ्कितेनोपचर्यम्। यस्मिन्मित्रे पितरीवाश्वसीत तद्वै मित्रं सङ्गतानीतराणि
That is not a friend whose anger causes fear, nor is one a friend who is treated with suspicion. One should trust a friend as one trusts a father; such a friend is truly united, not otherwise.
यः कश्चिदप्यसंबद्धो मित्रसावेन वर्तते। स एव बन्धुस्तन्मित्रं सा गतिस्तत्परायणम्
Whoever, though unrelated, acts with the spirit of friendship, he alone is kin; that friend is the true companion and refuge.
चलचित्तस्य वै पुंसो वृद्धाननुपसेवतः। पारिप्लवमतेर्नित्यमध्रुवो मित्रसङ्ग्रहः
For a man whose mind is fickle and who does not serve elders, the gathering of friends is always unstable and uncertain.
चलचित्तमनात्मानमिन्द्रियाणां वशानुगम्। अर्थाः समभिवर्तते हंसाः शुष्कं सरो यथा
When the mind is unsteady and follows the senses, objects overwhelm it just as swans flock to a dried-up lake.
अकस्मादेव कुप्यन्ति प्रसीदन्त्यनिमित्ततः । शीलमेतदसाधूनामभ्रं पारिप्लवं यथा
The wicked become angry without cause and are pleased for no reason; their nature is as fickle as clouds tossed by the wind.
सत्कृताश्च कृतार्थाश्च मित्राणां न भवन्ति ये । तान्मृतानपि क्रव्यादाः कृतघ्नान्नोपभुञ्जते
Those who, though honored and fulfilled, do not remain friends—even when dead, flesh-eating beasts will not consume such ungrateful ones.
अर्थयेदेव मित्राणि सति वाऽसति वा धने। नानर्थयन्प्रजानाति मित्राणां सारफल्गुताम्
A person seeks out friends only in times of prosperity or adversity; one who does not seek them does not understand the true worth of friendship.
सन्तापाद्भ्रश्यते रूपं सन्तापाद्भ्रश्यते बलम्। सन्तापाद्भ्रश्यते ज्ञानं सन्तापाद्व्याधिमृच्छति
From grief, beauty fades; from grief, strength declines; from grief, wisdom is lost; from grief, disease arises.
अनवाप्यं च शोकेन शरीरं चोपतप्यते। अमित्राश्च प्रहृष्यन्ति मा स्म शोके मनः कृथाः
Unattainable desires burn the body with sorrow; enemies rejoice—do not let your mind dwell in grief.
पुनर्नरो म्रियते जायते च पुनर्नरो हीयते वर्धते च। पुनर्नरो याचति याच्यते च पुनर्नरः शोचति शोच्यते च
A person dies and is born again; a person declines and grows; a person begs and is begged from; a person grieves and is grieved for.
सुखं च दुःखं च भवाभवौ च लाभालाभौ मरणं जीवितं च। पर्यायशः सर्वमेते स्पृशन्ति तस्माद्धीरो न च हृष्येन्न सोचेत्
Happiness and sorrow, existence and non-existence, gain and loss, death and life—all these touch everyone in turn; therefore, the wise should neither exult nor despair.
चलानि हीमानि षडिन्द्रियाणि तेषां यद्यद्वर्धते यत्रयत्र। ततस्ततः स्रवते बुद्धिरस्य च्छिद्रोदकुम्भादिव नित्यमम्भः
Indeed, the six senses are unstable; as each one grows stronger in its domain, so too does the mind flow after it, just as water constantly leaks from a pot with holes.
तनुरुद्धः शिखी राजा मिथ्योपचरितो मया। मन्दानां मम पुत्राणां युद्धेनान्तं करिष्यति
The king, restrained and fiery, has been falsely honored by me; through battle, he will bring an end to my foolish sons.
नित्योद्विग्नमिदं सर्वं नित्योद्विग्रमिदं मनः। यत्तत्पदमनुद्विग्नं तन्मे वद महामते
All this is ever troubled, and the mind is ever restless; tell me, O wise one, of that state which is free from agitation.
नान्यत्र विद्यातपसो नान्यत्रेन्द्रियनिग्रहात्। नान्यत्र लोभसन्त्यागाच्छान्तिं पश्यामि तेऽनघ
I see no peace except through knowledge and austerity, through control of the senses, and through the abandonment of greed, O sinless one.
बुद्ध्या भयं प्रणुदति तपसा विन्दते महत्। गुरुशुश्रूषया ज्ञानं शान्तिं भोगेन विन्दति
By wisdom, one dispels fear; by austerity, one attains greatness; by serving the teacher, one gains knowledge; by enjoyment, one attains peace.
अनाश्रिता दानपुण्यं वेदपुण्यमनाश्रिताः। रागद्वेषविनिर्मुक्ता विचरन्तीह मोक्षिणः
Liberated ones here wander free from attachment to the merit of charity or Vedic study, and released from passion and hatred.
स्वधीतस्य सुयुद्धस्य सुकृतस्य च कर्मणः । तपसश्च सुतप्तस्य तस्यान्ते सुखमेधते
At the end, happiness comes to one who has studied well, fought bravely, acted virtuously, and practiced true austerity.
स्वास्तीर्णानि शयनानि प्रपन्ना न वै भिन्ना जातु निद्रां लभन्ते। न स्त्रीषु राजन्रतिमाप्नुवन्ति न मागधैः स्तूयमाना न सूतैः
Those who are divided never find sleep, even on well-spread beds; they do not find pleasure with women, nor delight in being praised by bards or minstrels, O King.
न वै भिन्ना जातु चरन्ति धर्मं न वै सुखं प्राप्नुवन्तीह भिन्नाः । न वै भिन्ना गौरवं प्राप्नुवन्ति न वै भिन्नाः प्रशमं रोचयन्ति
Those who are divided never follow righteousness, nor do they find happiness here; they do not attain honor, nor do they desire tranquility.
न वै तेषां स्वदते पथ्यमुक्तं योगक्षेमं कल्पते नैव तेषाम्। भिन्नानां वै मनुजेन्द्र परायणं न विद्यते किञ्चिदन्यद्विनाशात्
For them, wholesome advice is not pleasing, nor does security arise; O king of men, for the divided, there is no refuge except destruction.
संपन्नं गोषु संभाव्यं संभाव्यं ब्राह्मणे तपः। संभाव्यं चापलं स्त्रीषु संभाव्यं ज्ञातितो भयं
Cows are to be honored when prosperous; asceticism is to be honored in a Brahmin; restlessness is to be expected in women; fear is to be expected from relatives.
धूमायन्ते व्यपेतानि ज्वलन्ति सहितानि च। धृतराष्ट्रोल्मुकानीव ज्ञातयो भरतर्षभ
When separated, embers smoke; when together, they blaze—just as the relatives of Dhritarashtra, O bull among Bharatas.