सुखार्थी पुरुषस्तस्मात्संतुष्टः संततं भवेत्। विश्वामित्र उवाच। कामं कामयमानस्य यदि कामः समृद्ध्यति
Therefore, a person who seeks happiness should always remain content. Viśvāmitra said: If a desire is fulfilled for one who longs for pleasure—
अथैनमपरः कामो भूयो विध्यति बाणवत्। न जातुकामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति
Then another desire strikes him again like an arrow; never does desire become satisfied by enjoyment.
हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्द्धते। कामानभिलषन्मोहान्न नरः सुखमेधते
Like a fire fed with ghee, it only grows stronger; a man, deluded by longing for desires, does not attain happiness.
श्येनालयतरुच्छायां व्रजन्निव कपिंजलः। चतुस्सागरपर्यन्तां यो भुंक्ते पृथिवीमिमाम्
Like a partridge entering the shade of a tree where a hawk dwells, so too is the one who enjoys this earth, even up to the four oceans.
तुल्याश्मकाञ्चनोयश्च सकृतार्थो न पार्थिवः। जमदग्निरुवाच। प्रतिग्रहसमर्थोपि नादत्ते यः प्रतिग्रहम्
He who has achieved his purpose even once is equal to one for whom stone and gold are the same—not a king. Jamadagni said:
ये लोका दानशीलानां स तानाप्नोति शाश्वतान्। योर्थानिच्छेन्नृपाद्विप्रः शोचितव्यो महर्षिभिः
Even if capable of accepting gifts, he who does not accept them attains those eternal worlds reserved for the charitable; but a Brahmin who desires wealth from a king is to be pitied by the great sages.
न स पश्यति मूढात्मा नरके यातनाभयम्। प्रतिग्रहसमर्थोपि न प्रसज्येत्प्रतिग्रहे
Such a deluded soul does not see the fear of torment in hell; even if capable of accepting gifts, one should not become attached to receiving them.
प्रतिग्रहेण विप्राणां ब्राह्मं तेजः प्रशाम्यति। प्रतिग्रहसमर्थानां निवृत्तानां प्रतिग्रहात्
By accepting gifts, the Brahmin's spiritual power is diminished; but for those capable of accepting who refrain from gifts, the worlds attained by givers are also attained by non-receivers.
य एव ददतां लोकास्त एवाप्रतिगृह्णताम्। अरुन्धत्युवाच। बिसतंतुर्यथानित्यमंभस्थस्सततं विशेत्
The very worlds attained by those who give are also attained by those who do not accept gifts. Arundhati said: Just as a lotus fiber always remains in water—
तृष्णा चैवमनाद्यंता तथा देहगता सदा। या दुस्त्यजा दुर्मतिभिर्या न जीर्यति जीर्यतः
So too is craving, endless and ever-present in the body; it is hard to abandon for the foolish, and does not decay even as the body decays.
योसौ प्राणांतिको रोगस्तां तृष्णां त्यजतः सुखं। चांडाल उवाच। उग्रादितो भयाद्यस्माद्बिभ्यती मे महेश्वराः
That craving is like a terminal disease; happiness comes to the one who abandons it. The Caṇḍāla said:
बलीयसो दुर्बलवत्तस्माच्चैव बिभेम्यहम्। पशुसख उवाच। यदाचरंति विद्वांसः सदा धर्मपरायणाः
Because I fear those who are stronger than myself, O great gods, I am afraid of those more powerful and also of the weak. The Friend of Animals said:
तदेव विदुषा कार्यमात्मनो हितमिच्छता। इत्युक्त्वा हेमगर्भाणि त्यक्त्वा तानि फलानि वै
That alone should be done by the wise, who desire their own welfare. Having said this, they indeed abandoned those golden embryos, relinquishing those fruits.
ऋषयो जग्मुरन्यत्र सर्व एव दृढव्रताः। ततस्ते विचरंतो वै मध्यमं पुष्करं गताः
All the sages, steadfast in their vows, went elsewhere; and while wandering, they reached the middle Puṣkara.
ददृशुः सहसा प्राप्तं परिव्राजं शुनःसखं। तेनेह सहितास्तत्र गत्वा किंचिद्वनांतरं
There they suddenly saw the wandering ascetic Śunaḥsakha who had arrived; together with him, they went a little further into the forest.
सरः परमपश्यंत वृतं पद्मैर्जलाशयम्। निविष्टाः सरसस्तीरे चिंतयंतो गतिं शुभाम्
They beheld a great lake, covered with lotuses, a reservoir of water; settling on the shore of the lake, they contemplated an auspicious course of action.
शुनःसखो मुनीन्सर्वानुवाच क्षुधितांस्तदा। सर्वे वदंतु सहिताः कीदृशी क्षुत्प्रवेदना
Then Śunaḥsakha addressed all the sages, who were hungry: 'Let everyone together describe what the sensation of hunger is like.'
तमूचुः सहितास्ते तु परिव्राजं शुनःसखं। ऋषय ऊचुः। शक्तिखड्गगदाभिश्च चक्रतोमरसायकैः
The sages then replied together to the wandering ascetic Śunaḥsakha: 'With spears, swords, maces, discs, axes, and arrows—'
बाधिते वेदना या तु क्षुधया सापि निर्जिता। श्वासकुष्ठक्षयाष्ठीली ज्वरापस्मार शूलकैः
'The pain caused by them, even that is overcome by hunger; with asthma, leprosy, consumption, paralysis, fever, epilepsy, and colic—'
व्याधिभिर्जनिता सापि क्षुधाया नाधिका भवेत्। हिरण्यांगदकेयूरमकुटोज्ज्वलकुंडलाः
'The suffering caused by diseases, even that does not exceed hunger. Golden armlets, bracelets, crowns, and shining earrings—'
क्षुधायां न विराजंते तत्र ये संस्थिता नराः। यथा भूमिगतं तोयं रविरश्मिर्विकर्षति
'Do not shine on those afflicted by hunger. Just as the sun's rays draw up water lying on the ground—'
तद्वच्छरीरजा नाड्यः शोष्यंते जठराग्निना। न शृणोति न चाघ्राति चक्षुषा नैव पश्यति
'So too, the bodily channels are dried up by the fire of the stomach. One does not hear, nor smell, nor see with the eyes—'
दह्यते क्षीयते मूढः शुष्यते क्षुधयार्दितः। न पूर्वां दक्षिणां चापि पश्चिमां नोत्तरामपि
'He is burned, wasted, bewildered, dried up—afflicted by hunger. He cannot discern east, south, west, nor even north—'
न चाधो नैव चोर्द्ध्वं च क्षुधाविष्टो हि विंदति। मूकत्वं बधिरत्वं च जडत्वमथ पंगुता
'Nor below, nor above does one perceive, when seized by hunger. Dumbness, deafness, dullness, and even lameness—'
भैरवत्वममर्यादं क्षुधायां संप्रवर्द्धते। जनकं जननीं पुत्रान्भार्यां दुहितरं तथा
'Fierceness and lack of restraint arise in hunger. One abandons father, mother, sons, wife, and daughter—'
भ्रातरं स्वजनं वापि त्यजति क्षुधयार्दितः। न पितॄन्पूजयेत्सम्यक्देवं चापि गुरुं तथा
'Or brother, or even one's own kin, when afflicted by hunger. He does not properly honor ancestors, nor gods, nor even the teacher—'
ऋषीनुपगतांश्चापि क्षुधाविष्टो न विंदति। एवमन्नविहीनस्य भवंत्येतानि देहिनां
'Nor does he recognize the sages who have come, when seized by hunger. Such are the conditions that befall embodied beings deprived of food.'
तदेवं संप्रयच्छेत अन्नं श्रद्धासमन्वितः। ब्रह्मभूतस्ततः सोथ ब्रह्मणा सह मोदते
Therefore, one should give food with faith; thus becoming one with Brahman, he rejoices together with Brahman.
सुसंस्कृतं च योप्यन्नं दद्यादहरहर्द्विजे। यः पठेदन्नदानं तु श्राद्धे चैव विशेषतः
And whoever gives well-prepared food daily to a Brāhmaṇa, or recites the gift of food, especially at a śrāddha—
एकाग्रमानसो भूत्वा अमावस्येंदुसंक्षये। भूतोपघातसंपूर्णे श्राद्धे श्रावयते सदा
With mind concentrated, on the new moon at the waning of the moon, when the śrāddha is performed in the presence of spirits, he always causes it to be heard.