Hear now the wisdom spoken by the ancients, O seeker, as Sūta recounted to Śaunaka and the gathered sages. He began by reflecting on the nature of sons: “Even a single good son, endowed with knowledge and intelligence, uplifts the entire family, much like the radiant moon brightens the night sky. Just as one blossoming, fragrant tree fills the whole forest with its scent, so does a virtuous son bring honor to his lineage. What use is there in having a hundred sons without virtue? One virtuous son dispels darkness, as the moon does, not a thousand stars. In raising children, indulge them for five years, discipline them for ten; but when your son reaches sixteen, treat him as a friend. Yet, consider this: at birth, a son takes away his father’s wife; as he grows, he takes his wealth; and at death, he takes his life—there is no enemy like a son. Just as some tigers have the faces of deer, and some deer have the faces of tigers, when their true nature is unknown, caution is needed at every step. Among those who are patient, there is but one fault—others may mistake their patience for weakness. Accept that pleasures are fleeting; and among the affectionate, the thoughts of the clever remain undisturbed. O Śaunaka, when the father has passed away, the eldest brother becomes as a father, protector and guide to all. He should behave equally toward all the younger ones, those who share equally in enjoyment and livelihood, and likewise toward the sons. The union of many, even if individually weak, is formidable; a rope made from blades of grass can bind an elephant. He who gives gifts after taking another’s wealth goes to hell as a giver; the merit belongs to the one whose wealth it was. By the destruction of divine property, by seizing Brahmins’ wealth, and by transgressing against Brahmins, families lose their nobility. For a slayer of a Brahmin, a drinker of liquor, a thief, or one who breaks vows, atonement is prescribed by the virtuous; but for an ungrateful person, there is no atonement. The ancestors and gods do not accept offerings from a lowly person, from one defeated by his wife, or from one in whose house there is an adulterer. Know these four as outcastes: one who is ungrateful, unrefined, long in anger, and dishonest; the fifth is born from them. An enemy of wicked intent, even if weak, should not be disregarded; even a small fire, if uncontrolled, can reduce the world to ashes. He who is tranquil in youth is truly tranquil, for when the bodily elements decline, who does not become calm? O best of Brahmins, wealth is common to all, like roads; thinking ‘it is mine’ does not bring joy. The body is governed by humors and dependent on the mind; when the mind is lost, the humors perish. Therefore, always protect the mind; when the mind is healthy, the humors thrive. Sūta continued: One should avoid from afar a bad friend among maidens, a wicked king, a bad son, a bad daughter, and a bad country. Righteousness has departed, asceticism is unstable, truth has gone far away, the earth is barren, people are deceitful, Brahmins are consumed by greed, mortals are under the sway of women, women are fickle, and the lowly are exalted—alas, how wretched is life in the Kali age! Blessed are those who are dead. Blessed, too, are those who do not witness the ruin of their country, the destruction of their family, wives devoted to others, or a son fallen into vice. There is no happiness in a bad son, nor pleasure in a bad wife; there is no trust in a false friend, nor life in a wicked kingdom. Another’s food, another’s wealth, another’s bed, another’s wife, and dwelling in another’s house—these take away prosperity even from Indra. Through conversation, bodily contact, association, eating together, sitting, lying down, or traveling together, sin is transmitted among men. Women lose their beauty, asceticism is lost through anger, cows by wandering at the gate, and Brahmins by eating food from Shudras. By sitting together, sharing the same bed, eating together, and mixing in the same row, sin is transmitted just as water flows from one pot to another. There are many faults in indulgence, and many virtues in discipline; therefore, one should discipline, not indulge, a student or a son. The journey is the aging of those with bodies, water is the aging of mountains, lack of union is the aging of women, and sunlight is the aging of clothes. The lowest seek quarrel, the middling seek agreement, and the best seek honor; for honor is the wealth of the great. Honor is truly the root of wealth; if there is honor, what use is wealth? For one who has lost honor and pride, what use is wealth or even life? The lowest seek wealth, the middling seek both wealth and honor, and the best seek honor; for honor is the wealth of the great. Even in the forest, lions do not bow to anyone, nor do they eat what is offered or gaze at others’ meat; those born in noble families, even if lacking wealth, do not undertake base deeds. There is no anointing or consecration performed for a lion in the forest; by the strength of its own nature, it becomes king of the beasts. A careless merchant, a barber, a proud beggar, a poor man who is lustful, a beautiful woman, and one who speaks unpleasantly—none of these undertake their proper duties. A generous but poor man, a miser who possesses wealth, a disobedient son, service to a wicked person, and death in the midst of good deeds—these are five evil acts for a person. Separation from a beloved, disgrace from one’s own people, remaining debt, service to a wicked person, and friends who turn away due to poverty—these five burn intensely, even without fire. Among thousands of worries, four are as sharp as a razor’s edge: insult from the lowly, hunger, a wife who is indifferent, and obstruction from one’s own kin. Yet, O wise ones, there are five roots that remove sorrow: an obedient son, wealth, learning, good health, association with the virtuous, and a beloved wife who is compliant. Thus, Sūta shared the teachings of the ancients, guiding all toward wisdom, virtue, and the removal of suffering.