Listen, dear one, to the wisdom of the ancients, woven with insight and care. Consider how the deer, the elephant, the moth, the bee, and the fish—each is undone by a single weakness: the deer by sound, the elephant by touch, the moth by sight, the bee by smell, and the fish by taste. If these creatures are destroyed by just one sense, how much more vulnerable is a person who gives himself to all five? Surely, ruin must follow such indulgence. Now, reflect upon the conduct befitting honor. An impatient Brahmin, one who is harsh, arrogant, poorly dressed, or self-invited—these five, even if they possess the wisdom of Brihaspati, are not to be honored. Their qualities do not inspire reverence. Know that five things are set for a person at birth: lifespan, actions, wealth, learning, and death. None can alter these decrees of destiny. Excellence, however, shines in five endeavors: climbing mountains, crossing water, tending cattle, restraining the wicked, and raising the fallen. In these, true character is revealed. Beware the instability of the world: the shadow of a cloud, the affection of a wicked person, the company of another’s wife, youth, and wealth—all these are fleeting, unreliable as the wind. Indeed, everything in this world is unstable—wealth, youth, even the bonds of children and spouse. Only righteousness, fame, and a good name endure; they alone are steadfast. Contemplate the brevity of life. Even a hundred years is little, for night steals away half, and the remainder is consumed by disease, sorrow, old age, and fatigue. What fruit, then, is there in such a life? Of a hundred years, half is lost in sleep; what remains is swallowed by childhood, separation from loved ones, suffering, death, or service to rulers. What little is left is as fickle as the waves—what pride can one take in such an existence? Day and night, old age travels the world, unseen but ever-present; and death devours all beings, as a serpent swallows the wind. Whether moving or still, awake or asleep, if one does not act for the good of all, his actions are no better than those of a beast. What difference is there between a person who, lacking discernment of right and wrong, is content merely to fill his belly, and an animal? He whose fame is not grounded in valor, austerity, charity, learning, or wealth is as insignificant as the refuse from his mother’s womb. Life, even for a moment, lived with unbroken knowledge, courage, and honor—that alone is called life by the wise. Even a crow lives long and eats offerings, but that is not true living. What use is life without wealth or honor? What use is a friend who is fearful and suspicious? Live with the resolve of a lion, and go forth without despair; even a crow lives long and eats offerings. He who shows no compassion to himself, to his teacher, to his servants, to the poor, or in the affairs of friends—what fruit does his life bear among men? Even a crow lives long and eats offerings. He whose days pass without striving for the three aims of life—dharma, artha, and kāma—though breathing, does not truly live, but is like a blacksmith’s bellows. Success comes from acting independently, not by following others. Those whose actions depend on others, though living, are as good as dead. Cowards are always full, like a mouse with a handful of grain, yet they are never satisfied and are pleased even with a little. Remember, the shadow of a cloud, fire in dry grass, water by the roadside, the passion of a courtesan, and the affection of a wicked person—these six are like bubbles, vanishing in an instant. The world is not pleased by empty words; life is rooted in honor, and when honor fades, happiness departs as well. The powerless find strength in the king, a child in his crying, a fool in his silence, and a thief in falsehood. As a person studies the scriptures more, his intellect grows, and knowledge becomes sweet to him. Just as one directs his mind toward what is good, so he becomes beloved by all people everywhere. Beware three destroyers: greed, carelessness, and misplaced trust. Therefore, be neither greedy nor careless, and do not trust unwisely. Fear danger as long as it is distant, but when it arrives, stand firm and fearless. A lingering debt, a smoldering fire, and an unfinished illness—these grow again and again. Leave nothing incomplete. Repay good and return harm for harm; there is no fault in this. The wicked should be dealt with as they deserve. Avoid the friend who hinders your work in secret but speaks pleasantly in person. Such a friend is false, an enemy in disguise. Even the virtuous are ruined by association with the wicked, just as clear water is muddied by a handful of dirt. The twice-born who partakes, partakes of all things without exception; therefore, a Brahmin should always be honored with utmost care. He who eats the remnants of a Brahmin’s food becomes wise and free from sin. True friendship is shown in secret, and righteous acts are done without deceit. That is not an assembly where there are no elders; those are not elders who do not speak of dharma; that is not dharma where there is no truth; and that is not truth which is mixed with deceit. Among men, the Brahmin is foremost; among lights, the sun is supreme; among all limbs, the head is chief; and among vows, truth is the highest. Auspiciousness dwells where the mind is serene; true life is lived without servitude; wealth is that which is enjoyed by one’s own people; and glory is that which is won over enemies in battle. Happy is he who is not intoxicated by women, who is free from craving; true friendship is built on trust; and self-control is the mark of one who has mastered his senses. That alone is praiseworthy where there is no attachment to pearls and gold, and where friendship is not lost; true praise is that which comes from one’s own heart. Do not seek the source of rivers, sacrificial fires, the Bharata lineage, or the age of time itself; for faults are not lessened at their root. Rivers end in salt water, union ends in separation, youth in old age, and wealth in threefold suffering. Royal fortune ends with a Brahmin’s curse, sin ends with Brahminical splendor, ritual ends with the sound of the conch, and a family ends with a woman. All dwellings end in decay, all heights in a fall; all unions in separation, and life itself ends in death. Thus, the wise perceive the world: fleeting, unstable, and ever-changing. Only righteousness, truth, and honor endure beyond the shifting sands of time.