न हि त्वां प्रस्थितं कश्चित्पृष्ठतोऽनुगमिष्यति । सुकृतं दुष्कृतं च त्वां यास्यंतमनुयास्यति
No one at all will follow you when you depart; only your good and bad deeds will accompany you as you go.
श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितं कर्म कुलदेशोचितं हितम् । धर्ममूलं निषेवस्व सदाचारमतंद्रितः
Diligently practice the actions prescribed in the scriptures and tradition, suited to your family and country, rooted in dharma, and grounded in good conduct.
परित्यजेदर्थकामौ स्यातां चेद्धर्मवर्जितौ । धर्मेण प्राप्यते सर्वमर्थकामादिकं सुखम्
If wealth and pleasure are devoid of righteousness, they should be abandoned; for by righteousness alone is all happiness—wealth, pleasure, and the rest—attained.
इंद्रियाणां जयं योगं समातिष्ठेद्दिवानिशम् । जितेंद्रियो हि शक्नोति पथि स्थापयितुं प्रजाः
Day and night, you should practice mastery and discipline over the senses; for one who has conquered the senses is able to guide others along the path.
अतिप्रगल्भ ललना कटाक्ष चपलाश्रियः । विनये प्रणिधानेन चिरं तिष्ठंति भूभुजाम्
The glances of overly bold women and fickle fortune remain long with kings only through discipline and attentive care.
कामदर्पादिशीलानामविचारित कारिणाम् । आयुषा सह नश्यंति संपदो मूढचेतसाम्
The prosperity of those whose conduct is driven by desire, pride, and thoughtless actions perishes along with their lifespan, for such people are deluded in mind.
भूतिभिर्नष्टदृष्टाभिर्नृत्यंते न महाशयाः । नागताभिर्न याताभिर्नदीभिश्चीयतेंबुधिः
The great do not rejoice in lost or vanished wealth; just as the ocean is not filled by rivers that have not yet arrived or have already departed.
व्यसनस्य च मृत्योश्च व्यसनं कष्टमुच्यते । व्यसन्यधोधो व्रजति स्वर्गाम्यव्यसनी नृपः
Of misfortune and death, misfortune is said to be worse; for a king who is addicted to vice falls downward, while one free from vice attains heaven.
व्यसनानि दुरंतानि कामजानि विशेषतः । त्यज तस्मान्महाराज कामं धर्मविरोधिनम्
Vices are difficult to overcome, especially those born of desire; therefore, O great king, abandon desire, for it is opposed to righteousness.
जडानामविवेकानामसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् । भाग्यभोग्यानि राज्यानि संत्यनीतिमतामपि
Kingdoms are the objects of fortune for the dull-witted, the undiscerning, the demonic, and the wicked, and even for those who lack good conduct.
नैव स्थिराणि तानीह दुरितैरनुसेवितैः । विलीयंते यथा वह्निसंसर्गेणेंधनानि च
But these do not remain stable here when pursued through evil deeds; they are destroyed just as fuel is consumed by contact with fire.
गच्छतस्तिष्ठतो वापि जाग्रतः स्वपतोऽपि वा । न विचारपरं चेतो यस्यासौ मृत एव सः
Whether going, standing, awake, or asleep—he whose mind is not engaged in reflection is as good as dead.
उपदेष्टा श्रुतवतां गुरुरित्युच्यते यतः । किंतु त्वासन्नविपदामुपदेशाः शिरोरुहाः
The teacher is called 'guru' because he instructs those who listen; but for those facing imminent danger, advice is as fleeting as the hairs on the head.
विषयज्वरमुत्सृज्य समया स्वस्थया धिया । युक्त्या च व्यवहारिण्या स्वार्थः प्राज्ञेन साध्यते
Abandoning the fever of sense-objects, with a mind steady in self-control and acting with practical wisdom, the wise person achieves his own purpose.
अशुभाच्चलितं याति शुभं तस्मादपीतरम् । जंतोश्चित्तं च शिशुवत्तस्मात्तच्चालयेद्बलात्
From inauspiciousness, the mind moves toward auspiciousness; thus, even against its will, one should forcibly direct the mind, which is like that of a child.
उपधार्य मतिं राजन्वृद्धानां धर्मदर्शिनाम् । नियच्छेत्परया बुद्ध्या चित्तमुत्पथगामि यत्
Having considered the wisdom of elders who see dharma, O King, one should restrain the mind that tends toward the wrong path, with superior discernment.
न धनान्युपकुर्वंति न मित्राणि न बांधवाः । न हस्तपादचलनं न देशांतरसंगतम्
Neither wealth, nor friends, nor relatives, nor movement of hands and feet, nor traveling to other places—
न कायक्लेशवैधुर्यं न तीर्थायतनाश्रयः । केवलं तन्मनस्कस्य जपेनासाद्यते पदम्
Neither bodily suffering, nor weakness, nor resorting to holy places and shrines—only through the recitation by one whose mind is focused is the supreme state attained.
विषये वर्तमानस्य तस्माच्चित्तस्य संयमे । यत्नं कुर्याद्बुधो राजन्ध्रुवं यंतेव वाजिनाम्
Therefore, while the mind is engaged in sense objects, one who is wise should make effort to restrain it, O King, just as one would control horses.
तत्तत्कुर्याद्यतो राजन्भवता येन वंचितः । मुनिभिश्च फलैस्तैस्तैरतोप्याकर्णयाधुना
One should do whatever, O King, by which you have been deceived, and also listen now to the fruits gained by sages from those actions.
मुह्यतापि मनुष्येण प्रष्टव्याः सुहृदो बुधाः । ते च पृष्टा यथा ब्रूयुस्तत्कर्त्तव्यं यथोचितम्
Even when confused, a person should ask wise friends; and when asked, they should speak as is appropriate, and one should act accordingly.
सर्वोपायेन कर्त्तव्यो निग्रहः कामकोपयोः । श्रेयोऽर्थिना यतस्तौ हि श्रेयोघातार्थमुद्यतौ
By every means, one seeking welfare should restrain desire and anger, for those two are ever intent on destroying welfare.
कामो हि बलवान्राजञ्छरीरस्थो रिपुर्महान् । न तस्य वशगो भूयाज्जनः श्रेयोभिलाषुकः
Desire is indeed powerful, O King, a great enemy residing in the body; one who seeks welfare should not become subject to it.
यः कामो देवदेवेन पुरा तेनैव शूलिना । ललाटवह्निना दग्धः कृतोनंग इति स्थितिः
That very desire, which was formerly burned by the god of gods, the wielder of the trident, with the fire from his forehead, is known as Ananga.
यदा वांछत्यसौ नारीं निहंतुं समनोभवः । पुंसां कायं समाश्रित्य स्वरूपं दर्शयत्यसौ
Whenever he wishes to destroy a woman, the mind-born god, taking the form of men, reveals his own nature.
चिंत्यमानस्य वै पुंसो नार्या रूपं पुनःपुनः । तमदृष्टं समाश्रित्य नरमुन्मादयत्यसौ
When a man repeatedly contemplates the form of a woman, desire, relying on that unseen image, maddens him.
तथैवोन्मादयत्येष योषिदंगं न संशयः । स्मरः संस्मरणान्नाम जातं तस्य ततो नृप
In the same way, he certainly maddens women through their own bodies; there is no doubt. Because he is remembered, O King, he is called Smara.
यादृशस्तादृशो रंगो वस्त्रं वीरसमाश्रयेत् । आत्मतेजः प्रकाशात्सोऽश्रुधारा पेयतां व्रजेत्
As is the play, so is the garment; the hero should rely on his own brilliance. From its manifestation, he may proceed to a stream of tears.
नार्यारूपं समारुह्य धीरं तमपि मोहयेत् । पुरुषं तु समाश्रित्य द्रावयत्येष योषितम्
Ascending the form of a woman, he even deludes the steadfast; but relying on a man, he drives away women.
स एव सहजो राजन्नशरीरी शरीरगः । शरीरकस्यापि विभो कथं पापं विधीयते
He is indeed innate, O King, bodiless yet present in the body; how then, O Lord, is sin assigned to the embodied one?