संक्लिष्टकर्माणमतिप्रमादं नित्यानृतं चादृढभक्तिकं च। विसृष्टरागं पटुमानिनं चा- प्येतान्न सेवेत नराधमान्षट्
One should not serve six kinds of wretched men: those with troubled deeds, excessive negligence, habitual lying, weak devotion, uncontrolled passions, and clever arrogance.
सहायबन्धना ह्यर्थाः सहायाश्चार्थबन्धनाः। अन्योन्यबन्धनावेतौ विनान्योन्यं न सिद्ध्यतः
Wealth is bound by companions, and companions are bound by wealth; these two are mutually dependent, and without each other, neither prospers.
उत्पाद्य पुत्राननृणांश्च कृत्वा वृत्तिं च तेभ्योऽनुविधाय कांचित्। स्थाने कुमारीः प्रतिपाद्य सर्वा अरण्यसंस्थोऽथ मुनिर्बुभूषेत्
After begetting sons and freeing oneself from debts, providing them with some means of livelihood, and suitably giving all daughters in marriage, then, dwelling in the forest, the sage should desire to subsist.
हितं यत्सर्वभूतानामात्मनश्च सुखावहम्। तत्कुर्यादीश्वरो ह्येतन्मूलं सर्वार्थसिद्धये
One should do what is beneficial for all beings and brings happiness to oneself; for the lord, this is the root of accomplishing all aims.
वृद्धिः प्रभावस्तेजश्च सत्वमुत्थानमेव च। व्यवसायश्च यस्य स्यात्तस्यावृत्तिभयं कुतः
Growth, power, brilliance, courage, advancement, and resolve—where these exist, how could there be any fear of want?
पश्य दोषान्पाण्डवैर्विग्रहे त्वं यत्र व्यथेयुरपि देवाः सशक्रा। पुत्रैर्वैरं नित्यमुद्विग्नवासो यशःप्रणाशो द्विषतश्च हर्षः
See, O son of Pandu, the faults in conflict, where even the gods with Indra would be troubled; constant enmity among sons, perpetual anxiety, loss of fame, and joy for the enemy.
भीष्मस्य कोपस्तव चैवेन्द्रकल्प द्रोणस्य राज्ञश्च युधिष्ठिरस्य। उत्सादयेल्लोकमिमं प्रवृद्धः श्वेतो ग्रहस्तिर्यगिवापतन्खे
If the wrath of Bhishma, yours—equal to Indra's—and Drona's, and King Yudhishthira's, were to swell, it would destroy this world, like a blazing comet falling across the sky.
तव पुत्रशतं चैव कर्णः पञ्च च पाण्डवाः । पृथिवीमनुशासेयुरखिलां सागराम्बराम्
Your hundred sons, Karna, and the five Pandavas could rule the whole earth, with its oceans and skies.
धार्तराष्ट्रा वनं राजन्व्याघ्राः पाण्डुसुता मताः। मा वनं छिन्धि सव्याघ्रं मा व्याघ्रा नीनशन्वनात्
O king, the sons of Dhritarashtra are like the forest, and the sons of Pandu are considered tigers; do not destroy the forest with its tigers, nor let the tigers perish without the forest.
न स्याद्वनमृते व्याघ्रान्व्याघ्रा न स्युर्ऋते वनम्। वनं हि रक्ष्यते व्याघ्रैर्व्याघ्रान्रक्षति काननम्
Without tigers, there would be no forest; without the forest, no tigers. For the forest is protected by tigers, and tigers are sustained by the forest.
न तथेच्छन्ति कल्याणान्परेषां वेदितुं गुणान्। यथेषां ज्ञातुमिच्छन्ति नैर्गुण्यं पापचेतसः
People do not so much wish to know the virtues of others as they desire to discover their faults—such is the way of those with evil minds.
अर्थसिद्धिं परामिच्छन्धर्ममेवादितश्चरेत्। नहि धर्मादपैत्यर्थः स्वर्गलोकादिवामृतम्
Desiring the highest success in aims, one should always act with righteousness; for wealth never departs from righteousness, nor immortality from the world of heaven.
यस्यात्मा विरतः पापात्कल्याणे च निवेशितः। तेन सर्वमिदं बुद्धं प्रकृतिर्विकृतिश्च या
He whose self has turned away from evil and is established in virtue—by him, all this is understood: both nature and its transformations.
यो धर्ममर्थं कामं च यथाकालं निषेवते । धर्मार्थकामसंयोगं सोऽमुत्रेह च विन्दति
He who pursues righteousness, wealth, and desire at the proper time, attains the union of righteousness, wealth, and desire both here and hereafter.
सन्नियच्छति यो वेगमुत्थितं क्रोधहर्षयोः। स श्रियो भाजनं राजन्यश्चापत्सु न मुह्यति
He who restrains the surge of anger and delight when they arise becomes a vessel of prosperity and, as a ruler, does not falter in adversity.
बलं पञ्चविधं नित्यं पुरुषाणां निबोध मे। यत्तु बाहुबलं नाम प्रथमं वलमुच्यते
Hear from me, the fivefold strength of men: first, what is called the strength of arms is regarded as the foremost strength.
अमात्यलाभो भद्रं ते द्वितीयं बलमुच्यते। तृतीयं धनलाभं तु बलमाहुर्मनीषिणः
The acquisition of ministers, O blessed one, is said to be the second strength; the wise declare the acquisition of wealth to be the third strength.
यत्त्वस्य सहजं राजन्पितृपैतामहं बलम् । अभिजातबलं नाम तच्चतुर्थं बलं स्मृतम्
That which is one's own by birth, O king, inherited from father and grandfather, is called noble birth strength and is considered the fourth strength.
येन त्वेतानि सर्वाणि सङ्गृहीतानि भारत । यद्बलानां बलं श्रेष्ठं तत्प्रज्ञाबलमुच्यते
But that by which all these are brought together, O Bharata, the best of all strengths, is called the strength of wisdom.
महते योऽपकाराय नरस्य प्रभवेन्नरः । तेन वैरं समासज्य दूरस्थोऽस्मीति नाश्वसेत्
If a man is capable of doing great harm to another, let him not feel secure by thinking, 'I am far away,' after making enmity with such a one.
स्त्रीषु राजसु सर्पेषु स्वाध्यायप्रभुशत्रुषु । भोगेष्वायुषि विश्वासं कः प्राज्ञः कर्तुमर्हति
Who, being wise, would place trust in women, kings, serpents, those learned in recitation, masters, enemies, pleasures, or life itself?
प्रज्ञाशरेणाभिहतस्य जन्तो- श्चिकित्सकाः सन्ति न चौषधानि । न होममन्त्रा न च मङ्गलानि नाथर्वणा नाप्यगदाः सुसिद्धाः
For a person struck by the arrow of wisdom, there are healers but no medicines; neither sacrificial mantras, nor auspicious rites, nor Atharvan spells, nor even well-prepared antidotes are effective.
सर्पश्चाग्निश्च सिंहश्च कुलपुत्रश्च भारत। नावज्ञेया मनुष्येण सर्वे ह्येतेऽतितेजसः
O descendant of Bharata, a serpent, fire, lion, and a noble son—none of these should be underestimated by a person, for all of them possess immense power.
अग्निस्तेजो महल्लोके गूढस्तिष्ठति दारुषु। न चोपयुङ्क्ते तद्दारु यावन्नोद्दीप्यते परैः
The brilliance of fire, though great in the world, remains hidden within wood; that wood does not manifest fire until it is kindled by others.
स एव खलु दारुभ्यो यदा निर्मथ्य दीप्यते। तद्दारु च वनं चान्यन्निर्दहत्याशु तेजसा
But when that very fire is produced by friction from the wood, it quickly burns that wood and the entire forest with its energy.
एवमेव कुले जाताः पावकोपमतेजसः। क्षमावन्तो निराकाराः काष्ठेऽग्निरिव शेरते
In the same way, those born in noble families, possessing fire-like energy, remain patient and unassuming, lying dormant like fire in wood.
लताधर्मा त्वं सपुत्रः सालः पाण्डुसुता मताः। न लता वर्धते जातु महाद्रुममनाश्रिता
You and your sons, O son of Pāṇḍu, are considered like a creeper, while the Sāla tree is your support; a creeper never grows without clinging to a great tree.
वनं राजंस्तव पुत्रोऽम्बिकेय सिंहान्वने पाण्डवांस्तात विद्धि। सिंहैर्विहीनं हि वनं विनश्येत् सिंहा विनश्येयुर्ऋते वनेन
O King, your son is the forest, and the sons of Ambikā are the lions in that forest; know, father, that if the lions leave, the forest perishes, and without the forest, the lions too would be destroyed.
ऊर्ध्वं प्राणा ह्युत्क्रामन्ति यूनः स्थविर आयति। प्रत्युत्थानाभिवादाभ्यां पुनस्तान्प्रतिपद्यते
The life-breaths depart upwards from a young man when an elder approaches; by rising and offering respect, he regains them once more.
पीठं दत्त्वा साधवेऽभ्यागताय आनीयापः परिनिर्णिज्य पादौ। सुखं पृष्ट्वा प्रतिवेद्यात्मसंस्थां ततो दद्यादन्नमवेक्ष्य धीरः
Having offered a seat to a worthy guest who has arrived, bringing water and washing his feet, after inquiring about his comfort and reporting one's own well-being, the wise man should then offer food, having considered carefully.