That man who by the study of these maxims from the satras 
acquires a knowledge of the most celebrated principles of 
duty, and understands what ought and what ought not to be 
followed, and what is good and what is bad, is most 
excellent.
%
Therefore with an eye to the public good, I shall speak 
that which, when understood, will lead to an understanding 
of things in their proper perspective.
%
Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction to a 
foolish disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by 
excessive familiarity with the miserable.
%
A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living 
in a house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.
%
One should save his money against hard times, save his 
wife at the sacrifice of his riches, but invariably one 
should save his soul even at the sacrifice of his wife and 
riches.
%
Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say, 
"What fear has a rich man, of calamity?" When riches begin 
to forsake one even the accumulated stock dwindles away.
%
Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, 
cannot earn your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot 
acquire knowledge.
%
Do not stay for a single day where there are not these 
five persons: a wealthy man, a brahmin well versed in Vedic 
lore, a king, a river and a physician
%
Wise men should never go into a country where there are no 
means of earning one's livelihood, where the people have no 
dread of anybody, have no sense of shame, no intelligence, 
or a charitable disposition.
%
Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a 
relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife 
in misfortun.
%
He is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of 
need, misfortune, famine, or war, in a king's court, or at 
the crematorium (smasana).
%
He who gives up what is imperishable for that which is 
perishable, loses that which is imperishable; and 
doubtlessly loses that which is perishable also.
%
A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family 
even if she is deformed. He should not marry one of a 
low-class family, through beauty. Marriage in a family of 
equal status is preferable.
%
Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, 
beasts with claws or horns, women, and members of a royal 
family
%
Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold 
if it has fallen in filth, receive the highest knowledge 
(Krsna consciousness) from a low born person; so also a 
girl possessing virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she 
were born in a disreputable family.
%
Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring 
six-fold, and lust eight-fold as compared to men
%
Untruthfulness, rashness, guile, stupidity, avarice, 
uncleanliness and cruelty are a woman's seven natural flaws
%
To have ability for eating when dishes are ready at hand, 
to be robust and virile in the company of one's religiously 
wedded wife, and to have a mind for making charity when one 
is prosperous are the fruits of no ordinary austerities.
%
He whose son is obedient to him, whose wife's conduct is 
in accordance with his wishes, and who is content with his 
riches, has his heaven here on earth.
%
They alone are sons who are devoted to their father. He is 
a father who supports his sons. He is a friend in whom we 
can confide, and she only is a wife in whose company the 
husband feels contented and peaceful.
%
Avoid him who talks sweetly before you but tries to ruin 
you behind your back, for he is like a pitcher of poison 
with milk on top.
%
Do not put your trust in a bad companion nor even trust an 
ordinary friend, for if he should get angry with you, he 
may bring all your secrets to light.
%
Do not reveal what you have thought upon doing, but by 
wise counsel keep it secret, being determined to carry it 
into execution.
%
Foolishness is indeed painful, and verily so is youth, but 
more painful by far than either is being obliged in another 
person's house.
%
There does not exist a pearl in every mountain, nor a 
pearl in the head of every elephant; neither are the sadhus 
to be found everywhere, nor sandal trees in every forest.
[Note: Only elephants in royal palaces are seen decorated 
with pearls (precious stones) on their heads].
%
Wise men should always bring up their sons in various 
moral ways, for children who have knowledge of niti-sastra 
and are well behaved become a glory to their family.
%
Those parents who do not educate their sons are their 
enemies; for as is a crane among swans, so are ignorant 
sons in a public assembly>
%
Many a bad habit is developed through over indulgence, and 
many a good one by chastisement, therefore beat your son as 
well as your pupil; never indulge them. ("Spare the rod and 
spoil the child."
%
Let not a single day pass without your learning a verse, 
half a verse, or a fourth of it, or even one letter of it; 
nor without attending to charity, study and other pious 
activity.
%
Separation from the wife, disgrace from one's own people, 
an enemy saved in battle, service to a wicked king, 
poverty, and a mismanaged assembly: these six kinds of 
evils, if afflicting a person, burn him even without fire
%
Trees on a riverbank, a woman in another man's house, and 
kings without counsellors go without doubt to swift 
destruction.
%
A brahmin's strength is in his learning, a king's strength 
is in his army, a vaishya's strength is in his wealth and a 
shudra's strength is in his attitude of service
%
The prostitute has to forsake a man who has no money, the 
subject a king that cannot defend him, the birds a tree 
that bears no fruit, and the guests a house after they have 
finished their meals.
%
Brahmins quit their patrons after receiving alms from 
them, scholars leave their teachers after receiving 
education from them, and animals desert a forest that has 
been burnt down.
%
He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose 
vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly 
ruined.
%
Friendship between equals flourishes, service under a king 
is respectable, it is good to be business-minded in public 
dealings, and a handsome lady is safe in her own home.
%
In this world, whose family is there without blemish? Who 
is free from sickness and grief? Who is forever happy?
%
A man's descent may be discerned by his conduct, his 
country by his pronunciation of language, his friendship by 
his warmth and glow, and his capacity to eat by his body.
%
Give your daughter in marriage to a good family, engage 
your son in learning, see that your enemy comes to grief, 
and engage your friends in dharma. (Krsna consciousness).
%
Of a rascal and a serpent, the serpent is the better of 
the two, for he strikes only at the time he is destined to 
kill, while the former at every step.
%
Therefore kings gather round themselves men of good 
families, for they never forsake them either at the 
beginning, the middle or the end.
%
At the time of the pralaya (universal destruction) the 
oceans are to exceed their limits and seek to change, but a 
saintly man never changes.
%
Do not keep company with a fool for as we can see he is a 
two-legged beast. Like an unseen thorn he pierces the heart 
with his sharp words.
%
Though men be endowed with beauty and youth and born in 
noble families, yet without education they are like the 
palasa flower, which is void of sweet fragrance.
%
The beauty of a cuckoo is in its notes, that of a woman in 
her unalloyed devotion to her husband, that of an ugly 
person in his scholarship, and that of an ascetic in his 
forgiveness.
%
Give up a member to save a family, a family to save a 
village, a village to save a country, and the country to 
save yourself.
%
There is no poverty for the industrious. Sin does not 
attach itself to the person practicing japa (chanting of 
the holy names of the Lord). Those who are absorbed in 
maunam (silent contemplation of the Lord) have no quarrel 
with others. They are fearless who remain always alert.
%
-.
%
What is too heavy for the strong and what place is too 
distant for those who put forth effort? What country is 
foreign to a man of true learning? Who can be inimical to 
one who speaks pleasingly?
%
As a whole forest becomes fragrant by the existence of a 
single tree with sweet-smelling blossoms in it, so a family 
becomes famous by the birth of a virtuous son.
%
As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole 
forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.
%
As night looks delightful when the moon shines, so is a 
family gladdened by even one learned and virtuous son.
%
What is the use of having many sons if they cause grief 
and vexation? It is better to have only one son from whom 
the whole family can derive support and peacefulness.
%
Fondle a son until he is five years of age, and use the 
stick for another ten years, but when he has attained his 
sixteenth year treat him as a friend.
%
He who runs away from a fearful calamity, a foreign 
invasion, a terrible famine, and the companionship of 
wicked men is safe.
%
He who has not acquired one of the following: religious 
merit (dharma), wealth (artha), satisfaction of desires 
(kama), or liberation (moksa) is repeatedly born to die
%
Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, comes of Her own accord 
where fools are not respected, grain is well stored up, and 
the husband and wife do not quarrel.
%
These five: the life span, the type of work, wealth, 
learning and the time of one's death are determined while 
one is in the womb.
%
Offspring, friends and relatives flee from a devotee of 
the Lord: yet those who follow him bring merit to their 
families through their devotion.
%
Fish, tortoises, and birds bring up their young by means 
of sight, attention and touch; so do saintly men afford 
protection to their associates by the same means.
%
As long as your body is healthy and under control and 
death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is 
imminent what can you do?
%
Learning is like a cow of desire. It, like her, yields in 
all seasons. Like a mother, it feeds you on your journey. 
Therefore learning is a hidden treasure.
%
A single son endowed with good qualities is far better 
than a hundred devoid of them. For the moon, though one, 
dispels the darkness, which the stars, though numerous, 
cannot.
%
A stillborn son is superior to a foolish son endowed with 
a long life. The first causes grief for but a moment while 
the latter like a blazing fire consumes his parents in 
grief for life.
%
Residing in a small village devoid of proper living 
facilities, serving a person born of a low family, 
unwholesome food, a frowning wife, a foolish son, and a 
widowed daughter burn the body without fire.
%
What good is a cow that neither gives milk nor conceives? 
Similarly, what is the value of the birth of a son if he 
becomes neither learned nor a pure devotee of the Lord?
%
When one is consumed by the sorrows of life, three things 
give him relief: offspring, a wife, and the company of the 
Lord's devotees.
%
Kings speak for once, men of learning once, and the 
daughter is given in marriage once. All these things happen 
once and only once.
%
Religious austerities should be practiced alone, study by 
two, and singing by three. A journey should be undertaken 
by four, agriculture by five, and war by many together.
%
She is a true wife who is clean (suci), expert, chaste, 
pleasing to the husband, and truthful.
%
The house of a childless person is a void, all directions 
are void to one who has no relatives, the heart of a fool 
is also void, but to a poverty-stricken man all is void.
%
Scriptural lessons not put into practice are poison; a 
meal is poison to him who suffers from indigestion; a 
social gathering is poison to a poverty-stricken person; 
and a young wife is poison to an aged man.
%
That man who is without religion and mercy should be 
rejected. A guru without spiritual knowledge should be 
rejected. The wife with an offensive face should be given 
up, and so should relatives who are without affection.
%
Constant travel brings old age upon a man; a horse becomes 
old by being constantly tied up; lack of sexual contact 
with her husband brings old age upon a woman; and garments 
become old through being left in the sun.
%
Consider again and again the following: the right time, 
the right friends, the right place, the right means of 
income, the right ways of spending, and from whom you 
derive your power.
%
For the twice born the fire (Agni) is a representative of 
God. The Supreme Lord resides in the heart of His devotees. 
Those of average intelligence (alpa-buddhi or 
kanista-adhikari) see God only in His sri-murti, but those 
of broad vision see the Supreme Lord everywhere.
%
Agni is the worshipable person for the twice born; the 
brahmana for the other castes; the husband for the wife; 
and the guest who comes for food at the midday meal for all.
%
As gold is tested in four ways by rubbing, cutting, 
heating and beating -- so a man should be tested by these 
four things: his renunciation, his conduct, his qualities 
and his actions.
%
A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not overtaken 
you, but once it has come upon you, try to get rid of it 
without hesitation.
%
Though persons be born from the same womb and under the 
same stars, they do not become alike in disposition as the 
thousand fruits of the badari tree.
%
He whose hands are clean does not like to hold an office; 
he who desires nothing cares not for bodily decorations; he 
who is only partially educated cannot speak agreeably; and 
he who speaks out plainly cannot be a deceiver.
%
The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the 
poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by 
ugly ones
%
Indolent application ruins study; money is lost when 
entrusted to others; a farmer who sows his seed sparsely is 
ruined; and an army is lost for want of a commander.
%
Learning is retained through putting into practice; family 
prestige is maintained through good behaviour; a 
respectable person is recognised by his excellent 
qualities; and anger is seen in the eyes.
%
Religion is preserved by wealth; knowledge by diligent 
practice; a king by conciliatory words; and a home by a 
dutiful housewife.
%
Those who blaspheme Vedic wisdom, who ridicule the life 
style recommended in the satras, and who deride men of 
peaceful temperament, come to grief unnecessarily.
%
Charity puts and end to poverty; righteous conduct to 
misery; discretion to ignorance; and scrutiny to fear.
%
There is no disease (so destructive) as lust; no enemy 
like infatuation; no fire like wrath; and no happiness like 
spiritual knowledge.
%
A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the 
good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes 
alone to hell or the Supreme abode.
%
Heaven is but a straw to him who knows spiritual life 
(Krsna consciousness); so is life to a valiant man; a woman 
to him who has subdued his senses; and the universe to him 
who is without attachment for the world.
%
Learning is a friend on the journey; a wife in the house; 
medicine in sickness; and religious merit is the only 
friend after death.
%
Rain which falls upon the sea is useless; so is food for 
one who is satiated; in vain is a gift for one who is 
wealthy; and a burning lamp during the daytime is useless.
%
There is no water like rainwater; no strength like one's 
own; no light like that of the eyes; and no wealth more 
dear than food grain.
%
The poor wish for wealth; animals for the faculty of 
speech; men wish for heaven; and godly persons for 
liberation.
%
The earth is supported by the power of truth; it is the 
power of truth that makes the sunshine and the winds blow; 
indeed all things rest upon truth.
%
The Goddess of wealth is unsteady (chanchala), and so is 
the life breath. The duration of life is uncertain, and the 
place of habitation is uncertain; but in all this 
inconsistent world religious merit alone is immovable.
%
Among men the barber is cunning; among birds the crow; 
among beasts the jackal; and among women, the malin (flower 
girl).
%
These five are your fathers; he who gave you birth, 
girdled you with sacred thread, teaches you, provides you 
with food, and protects you from fearful situations.
%
These five should be considered as mothers; the king's 
wife, the preceptor's wife, the friend's wife, your wife's 
mother, and your own mother.
%
By means of hearing one understands dharma, malignity 
vanishes, knowledge is acquired, and liberation from 
material bondage is gained.
%
Among birds the crow is vile; among beasts the dog; the 
ascetic whose sins is abominable, but he who blasphemes 
others is the worst chandala.
%
>. Brass is polished by ashes; copper is cleaned by 
tamarind; a woman, by her menses; and a river by its flow.
%
The king, the brahmana, and the ascetic yogi who go abroad 
are respected; but the woman who wanders is utterly ruined.
%
He who has wealth has friends. He who is wealthy has 
relatives. The rich one alone is called a man, and the 
affluent alone are respected as pandits
%
As is the desire of Providence, so functions one's 
intellect; one's activities are also controlled by 
Providence; and by the will of Providence one is surrounded 
by helpers.
%
Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it 
alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is 
insurmountable.
%
Those born blind cannot see; similarly blind are those in 
the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil; and 
those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions.
%
The spirit soul goes through his own course of karma and 
he himself suffers the good and bad results thereby 
accrued. By his own actions he entangles himself in 
samsara, and by his own efforts he extricates himself.
%
The king is obliged to accept the sins of his subjects; 
the purohit (priest) suffers for those of the king; a 
husband suffers for those of his wife; and the guru suffers 
for those of his pupils.
%
A father who is a chronic debtor, an adulterous mother, a 
beautiful wife, and an unlearned son are enemies ( in one's 
own home).
%
Conciliate a covetous man by means of a gift, an obstinate 
man with folded hands in salutation, a fool by humouring 
him, and a learned man by truthful words.
%
It is better to be without a kingdom than to rule over a 
petty one; better to be without a friend than to befriend a 
rascal; better to be without a disciple than to have a 
stupid one; and better to be without a wife than to have a 
bad one.
%
How can people be made happy in a petty kingdom? What 
peace can we expect from a rascal friend? What happiness 
can we have at home in the company of a bad wife? How can 
renown be gained by instructing an unworthy disciple?
%
Learn one thing from a lion; one from a crane; four a 
cock; five from a crow; six from a dog; and three from an 
ass.
%
The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is 
that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him 
with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.
%
The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and 
accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, 
time and ability.
%
To wake at the proper time; to take a bold stand and 
fight; to make a fair division (of property) among 
relations; and to earn one's own bread by personal exertion 
are the four excellent things to be learned from a cock.
%
Union in privacy (with one's wife); boldness; storing away 
useful items; watchfulness; and not easily trusting others; 
these five things are to be learned from a crow.
%
Contentment with little or nothing to eat although one may 
have a great appetite; to awaken instantly although one may 
be in a deep slumber; unflinching devotion to the master; 
and bravery; these six qualities should be learned from the 
dog.
%
Although an ass is tired, he continues to carry his 
burden; he is unmindful of cold and heat; and he is always 
contented; these three things should be learned from the 
ass.
%
He who shall practice these twenty virtues shall become 
invincible in all his undertakings.
%
A wise man should not reveal his loss of wealth, the 
vexation of his mind, the misconduct of his own wife, base 
words spoken by others, and disgrace that has befallen him.
%
He who gives up shyness in monetary dealings, in acquiring 
knowledge, in eating and in business, becomes happy.
%
The happiness and peace attained by those satisfied by the 
nectar of spiritual tranquillity is not attained by greedy 
persons restlessly moving here and there.
%
One should feel satisfied with the following three things; 
his own wife, food given by Providence and wealth acquired 
by honest effort; but one should never feel satisfied with 
the following three; study, chanting the holy names of the 
Lord (japa) and charity.
%
Do not pass between two brahmanas, between a brahmana and 
his sacrificial fire, between a wife and her husband, a 
master and his servant, and a plough and an ox.
%
Do not let your foot touch fire, the spiritual master or a 
brahmana; it must never touch a cow, a virgin, an old 
person or a child.
%
Keep one thousand cubits away from an elephant, a hundred 
from a horse, ten from a horned beast, but keep away from 
the wicked by leaving the country.
%
An elephant is controlled by a goad (ankusha), a horse by 
a slap of the hand, a horned animal with the show of a 
stick, and a rascal with a sword.
%
Brahmanas find satisfaction in a good meal, peacocks in 
the peal of thunder, a sadhu in seeing the prosperity of 
others, and the wicked in the misery of others.
%
Conciliate a strong man by submission, a wicked man by 
opposition, and the one whose power is equal to yours by 
politeness or force.>
%
The power of a king lies in his mighty arms; that of a 
brahmana in his spiritual knowledge; and that of a woman in 
her beauty youth and sweet words.
%
Do not be very upright in your dealings for you would see 
by going to the forest that straight trees are cut down 
while crooked ones are left standing.
%
Swans live wherever there is water, and leave the place 
where water dries up; let not a man act so -- and comes and 
goes as he pleases.
%
Accumulated wealth is saved by spending just as incoming 
fresh water is saved by letting out stagnant water.
%
He who has wealth has friends and relations; he alone 
survives and is respected as a man.
%
The following four characteristics of the denizens of 
heaven may be seen in the residents of this earth planet; 
charity, sweet words, worship of the Supreme Personality of 
Godhead, and satisfying the needs of brahmanas.
%
The following qualities of the denizens of hell may 
characterise men on earth; extreme wrath, harsh speech, 
enmity with one's relations, the company with the base, and 
service to men of low extraction.
%
By going to the den of a lion pearls from the head of an 
elephant may be obtained; but by visiting the hole of a 
jackal nothing but the tail of a calf or a bit of the hide 
of an ass may be found.
%
The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of 
a dog, which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it 
from the bites of insects.
%
Purity of speech, of the mind, of the senses, and a 
compassionate heart are needed by one who desires to rise 
to the divine platform.
%
As you seek fragrance in a flower, oil in the sesamum 
seed, fire in wood, ghee (butter) in milk, and jaggery 
(guda) in sugarcane; so seek the spirit that is in the body 
by means of discrimination.>
%
Low class men desire wealth; middle class men both wealth 
and respect; but the noble, honour only; hence honour is 
the noble man's true wealth.
%
The lamp eats up the darkness and therefore it produces 
blackened lamp; in the same way according to the nature of 
our diet (sattva, rajas, or tamas) we produce offspring in 
similar quality.
%
O wise man! Give your wealth only to the worthy and never 
to others. The water of the sea received by the clouds is 
always sweet. The rainwater enlivens all living beings of 
the earth both movable (insects, animals, humans, etc.) and 
immovable (plants, trees, etc.), and then returns to the 
ocean where its value is multiplied a million fold.
%
The wise who discern the essence of things have declared 
that the yavana (meat eater) is equal in baseness to a 
thousand candalas (the lowest class), and hence a yavana is 
the basest of men; indeed there is no one more base.
%
After having rubbed oil on the body, after encountering 
the smoke from a funeral pyre, after sexual intercourse, 
and after being shaved, one remains a chandala until he 
bathes.
%
Water is the medicine for indigestion; it is invigorating 
when the food that is eaten is well digested; it is like 
nectar when drunk in the middle of a dinner; and it is like 
poison when taken at the end of a meal.
%
Knowledge is lost without putting it into practice; a man 
is lost due to ignorance; an army is lost without a 
commander; and a woman is lost without a husband.
%
A man who encounters the following three is unfortunate; 
the death of his wife in his old age, the entrusting of 
money into the hands of relatives, and depending upon 
others for food.
%
Chanting of the Vedas without making ritualistic 
sacrifices to the Supreme Lord through the medium of Agni, 
and sacrifices not followed by bountiful gifts are futile. 
Perfection can be achieved only through devotion (to the 
Supreme Lord) for devotion is the basis of all success.
%
There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there 
is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease 
like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy.
%
Anger is a personification of Yama (the demigod of death); 
thirst is like the hellish river Vaitarani; knowledge is 
like a kamadhenu (the cow of plenty); and contentment is 
like Nandanavana (the garden of Indra).
%
Moral excellence is an ornament for personal beauty; 
righteous conduct, for high birth; success for learning; 
and proper spending for wealth.
%
Beauty is spoiled by an immoral nature; noble birth by bad 
conduct; learning, without being perfected; and wealth by 
not being properly utilised.
%
Water seeping into the earth is pure; and a devoted wife 
is pure; the king who is the benefactor of his people is 
pure; and pure is the brahmana who is contented.
%
Discontented brahmanas, contented kings, shy prostitutes, 
and immodest housewives are ruined.
%
Of what avail is a high birth if a person is destitute of 
scholarship? A man who is of low extraction is honoured 
even by the demigods if he is learned.
%
A learned man is honoured by the people. A learned man 
commands respect everywhere for his learning. Indeed, 
learning is honoured everywhere.
%
Those who are endowed with beauty and youth and who are 
born of noble families are worthless if they have no 
learning. They are just like the kimshuka blossoms ( 
flowers of the palasa tree) which, though beautiful, have 
no fragrance.
%
The earth is encumbered with the weight of the 
flesh-eaters, wine-bibblers, dolts (dull and stupid) and 
blockheads, who are beasts in the form of men.
%
There is no enemy like a yajna (sacrifice) which consumes 
the kingdom when not attended by feeding on a large scale; 
consumes the priest when the chanting is not done properly; 
and consumes the yajaman (the responsible person) when the 
gifts are not made.
%
My dear child, if you desire to be free from the cycle of 
birth and death, then abandon the objects of sense 
gratification as poison. Drink instead the nectar of 
forbearance, upright conduct, mercy, cleanliness and truth.
%
Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others 
destroy themselves like serpents that stray onto anthills.>
%
Perhaps nobody has advised Lord Brahma, the creator, to 
impart perfume to gold; fruit to the sugarcane; flowers to 
the sandalwood tree; wealth to the learned; and long life 
to the king
%
Nectar (amrita) is the best among medicines; eating good 
food is the best of all types of material happiness; the 
eye is the chief among all organs; and the head occupies 
the chief position among all parts of the body.
%
No messenger can travel about in the sky and no tidings 
come from there. The voice of its inhabitants is never 
heard, nor can any contact be established with them. 
Therefore the brahmana who predicts the eclipse of the sun 
and moon, which occur in the sky, must be considered as a 
vidwan (man of great learning).
%
The student, the servant, the traveller, the hungry 
person, the frightened man, the treasury guard, and the 
steward: these seven ought to be awakened if they fall 
asleep.
%
The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the 
small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: 
these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.
%
Of those who have studied the Vedas for material rewards, 
and those who accept foodstuffs offered by shudras, what 
potency have they? They are just like serpents without 
fangs.
%
He who neither rouses fear by his anger, nor confers a 
favour when he is pleased can neither control nor protect. 
What can he do?
%
The serpent may, without being poisonous, raise high its 
hood, but the show of terror is enough to frighten people 
-- whether he be venomous or not.
%
Wise men spend their mornings in discussing gambling, the 
afternoon discussing the activities of women, and the night 
hearing about the activities of theft. (The first item 
above refers to the gambling of King Yudhisthira, the great 
devotee of Krsna. The second item refers to the glorious 
deeds of mother Sita, the consort of Lord Ramachandra. The 
third item hints at the adorable childhood pastimes of Sri 
Krsna who stole butter from the elderly cowherd ladies of 
Gokula. Hence Chanakya Pandita advises wise persons to 
spend the morning absorbed in Mahabharata, the afternoon 
studying Ramayana, and the evening devotedly hearing the 
Srimad-Bhagvatam.)
%
By preparing a garland for a Deity with one's own hand; by 
grinding sandal paste for the Lord with one's own hand; and 
by writing sacred texts with one's own hand -- one becomes 
blessed with opulence equal to that of Indra.
%
Poverty is set off by fortitude; shabby garments by 
keeping them clean; bad food by warming it; and ugliness by 
good behaviour.
%
One destitute of wealth is not destitute, he is indeed 
rich (if he is learned); but the man devoid of learning is 
destitute in every way.
%
We should carefully scrutinise that place upon which we 
step (having it ascertained to be free from filth and 
living creatures like insects, etc.); we should drink 
water, which has been filtered (through a clean cloth); we 
should speak only those words, which have the sanction of 
the satras; and do that act which we have carefully 
considered.
%
He who desires sense gratification must give up all 
thoughts of acquiring knowledge; and he who seeks knowledge 
must not hope for sense gratification. How can he who seeks 
sense gratification acquire knowledge, and he who possesses 
knowledge enjoy mundane sense pleasure?
%
What is it that escapes the observation of poets? What is 
that act women are incapable of doing? What will drunken 
people not prate? What will not a crow eat?
%
Fate makes a beggar a king and a king a beggar. He makes a 
rich man poor and a poor man rich
%
The beggar is a miser's enemy; the wise counsellor is the 
fool's enemy; her husband is an adulterous wife's enemy; 
and the moon is the enemy of the thief.
%
Those who are destitute of learning, penance, knowledge, 
good disposition, virtue and benevolence are brutes 
wandering the earth in the form of men. They are burdensome 
to the earth.
%
Those that are empty-minded cannot be benefited by 
instruction. Bamboo does not acquire the quality of 
sandalwood by being associated with the Malaya Mountain.
%
What good can the scriptures do to a man who has no sense 
of his own? Of what use is as mirror to a blind man?
%
Nothing can reform a bad man, just as the posteriors 
cannot become a superior part of the body though washed one 
hundred times.
%
By offending a kinsman, life is lost; by offending others, 
wealth is lost; by offending the king, everything is lost; 
and by offending a brahmana (Brahmin) one's whole family is 
ruined.
%
It is better to live under a tree in a jungle inhabited by 
tigers and elephants, to maintain oneself in such a place 
with ripe fruits and spring water, to lie down on grass and 
to wear the ragged barks of trees than to live amongst 
one's relations when reduced to poverty.
%
The brahmana (Brahmin) is like a tree; his prayers are the 
roots, his chanting of the Vedas are the branches, and his 
religious acts are the leaves. Consequently effort should 
be made to preserve his roots for if the roots are 
destroyed there can be no branches or leaves.
%
My mother is Kamala devi (Lakshmi), my father is Lord 
Janardana (Vishnu), my kinsmen are the Vishnu-bhaktas 
(Vaisnavas) and, my homeland is all the three worlds.
%
(Through the night) a great many kinds of birds perch on a 
tree but in the morning they fly in all the ten directions. 
Why should we lament for that? (Similarly, we should not 
grieve when we must inevitably part company from our dear 
ones)
%
He who possesses intelligence is strong; how can the man 
that is unintelligent be powerful? The elephant of the 
forest having lost his senses by intoxication was tricked 
into a lake by a small rabbit. (This verse refers to a 
famous story from the niti-sastra called pancatantra 
compiled by the pandit Vishnusharma  years ago).
%
Why should I be concerned for my maintenance while 
absorbed in praising the glories of Lord Vishwambhara 
(Vishnu), the supporter of all? Without the grace of Lord 
Hari, how could milk flow from a mother's breast for a 
child's nourishment? Repeatedly thinking only in this way, 
O Lord of the Yadus, O husband of Lakshmi, all my time is 
spent in serving Your lotus feet.
%
Generosity, pleasing address, courage and propriety of 
conduct are not acquired, but are inbred qualities.
%
He who forsakes his own community and joins another 
perishes as the king who embraces an unrighteous path.
%
The elephant has a huge body but is controlled by the 
ankusha (goad): yet, is the goad as large as the elephant? 
A lighted candle banishes darkness: is the candle as vast 
as the darkness. A mountain is broken even by a 
thunderbolt: is the thunderbolt therefore as big as the 
mountain? No, he whose power prevails is really mighty; 
what is there in bulk?
%
He who is engrossed in family life will never acquire 
knowledge; there can be no mercy in the eater of flesh; the 
greedy man will not be truthful; and purity will not be 
found in a woman or a hunter.
%
The wicked man will not attain sanctity even if he is 
instructed in different ways, and the Nim tree will not 
become sweet even if it is sprinkled from the top to the 
roots with milk and ghee.
%
Mental dirt cannot be washed away even by one-hundred 
baths in the sacred waters, just as a wine pot cannot be 
purified even by evaporating all the wine by fire.
%
It is not strange if a man reviles a thing of which he has 
no knowledge, just as a wild hunter's wife throws away the 
pearl that is found in the head of an elephant, and picks 
up a gunj (a type of seed which poor tribals wear as 
ornaments).
%
He who for one year eats his meals silently (inwardly 
meditating upon the Lord's prasadam); attains to the 
heavenly planets for a thousand crore of years. ( Note: one 
crore equals ten million)
%
The student (brahmacari) should completely renounce the 
following eight things -- his lust, anger, greed, desire 
for sweets, sense of decorating the body, excessive 
curiosity, excessive sleep, and excessive endeavour for 
bodily maintenance.
%
He alone is a true brahmana (dvija or "twice-born") who is 
satisfied with one meal a day, who has the six samskaras 
(or acts of purification such as garbhadhana, etc.) 
performed for him, and who cohabits with his wife only once 
in a month on an auspicious day after her menses.
%
The brahmana who is engrossed in worldly affairs, brings 
up cows and is engaged in trade is really called a vaishya.
%
The brahmana who deals in lac-die, articles, oil, indigo, 
silken cloth, honey, clarified butter, liquor, and flesh is 
called a shudra.
%
The brahmana who thwarts the doings of others, who is 
hypocritical, selfish, and a deceitful hater, and while 
speaking mildly cherishes cruelty in his heart, is called a 
cat.
%
The brahmana who destroys a pond, a well, a tank, a garden 
and a temple is called a mleccha.
%
The brahmana who steals the property of the Deities and 
the spiritual preceptor, who cohabits with another's wife, 
and who maintains himself by eating anything and everything 
s called a chandala.
%
The meritorious should give away in charity all that they 
have in excess of their needs. By charity only Karna, Bali 
and King Vikramaditya survive even today. Just see the 
plight of the honeybees beating their legs in despair upon 
the earth. They are saying to themselves, "Alas! We neither 
enjoyed our stored-up honey nor gave it in charity, and now 
someone has taken it from us in an instant."
%
He is a blessed grhasta (householder) in whose house there 
is a blissful atmosphere, whose sons are talented, whose 
wife speaks sweetly, whose wealth is enough to satisfy his 
desires, who finds pleasure in the company of his wife, 
whose servants are obedient, in whose house hospitality is 
shown, the auspicious Supreme Lord is worshiped daily, 
delicious food and drink is partaken, and who finds joy in 
the company of devotees.
%
One who devotedly gives a little to a brahmana who is in 
distress is recompensed abundantly. Hence, O Prince, what 
is given to a good brahmana is got back not in an equal 
quantity, but in an infinitely higher degree.
%
Those men who are happy in this world, who are generous 
towards their relatives, kind to strangers, indifferent to 
the wicked, loving to the good, shrewd in their dealings 
with the base, frank with the learned, courageous with 
enemies, humble with elders and stern with the wife.
%
O jackal, leave aside the body of that man at once, whose 
hands have never given in charity, whose ears have not 
heard the voice of learning, whose eyes have not beheld a 
pure devotee of the Lord, whose feet have never traversed 
to holy places, whose belly is filled with things obtained 
by crooked practices, and whose head is held high in 
vanity. Do not eat it, O jackal, otherwise you will become 
polluted.
%
"Shame upon those who have no devotion to the lotus feet 
of Sri Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda; who have no 
attachment for the descriptions of the glories of Srimati 
Radharani; whose ears are not eager to listen to the 
stories of the Lord's lila." Such is the exclamation of the 
mrdanga sound of dhik-tam dhik-tam dhigatam at kirtana.
%
What fault of spring that the bamboo shoot has no leaves? 
What fault of the sun if the owl cannot see during the 
daytime? Is it the fault of the clouds if no raindrops fall 
into the mouth of the chatak bird? Who can erase what Lord 
Brahma has inscribed upon our foreheads at the time of 
birth?
%
A wicked man may develop saintly qualities in the company 
of a devotee, but a devotee does not become impious in the 
company of a wicked person. The earth is scented by a 
flower that falls upon it, but the flower does not contact 
the odour of the earth.
%
One indeed becomes blessed by having darshan of a devotee; 
for the devotee has the ability to purify immediately, 
whereas the sacred tirtha gives purity only after prolonged 
contact.
%
A stranger asked a brahmana, "Tell me, who is great in 
this city?" The brahmana replied, "The cluster of palmyra 
trees is great." Then the traveller asked, "Who is the most 
charitable person?" The brahmana answered, "The washer man 
who takes the clothes in the morning and gives them back in 
the evening is the most charitable." He then asked, "Who is 
the ablest man?" The brahmana answered, "Everyone is expert 
in robbing others of their wives and wealth." The man then 
asked the brahmana, "How do you manage to live in such a 
city?" The brahmana replied, "As a worm survives while even 
in a filthy place so do I survive here!"
%
The house in which the lotus feet of brahmanas are not 
washed, in which Vedic mantras are not loudly recited, and 
in which the holy rites of svaha (sacrificial offerings to 
the Supreme Lord) and swadha (offerings to the ancestors) 
are not performed, is like a crematorium.
%
(It is said that a sadhu, when asked about his family, 
replied thusly): truth is my mother, and my father is 
spiritual knowledge; righteous conduct is my brother, and 
mercy is my friend, inner peace is my wife, and forgiveness 
is my son: these six are my kinsmen.
%
Our bodies are perishable, wealth is not at all permanent 
and death is always nearby. Therefore we must immediately 
engage in acts of merit.
%
Arjuna says to Krsna. "Brahmanas find joy in going to 
feasts, cows find joy in eating their tender grass, wives 
find joy in the company of their husbands, and know, O 
Krsna, that in the same way I rejoice in battle.
%
He who regards another's wife as his mother, the wealth 
that does not belong to him as a lump of mud, and the 
pleasure and pain of all other living beings as his own -- 
truly sees things in the right perspective, and he is a 
true pandit.
%
O Raghava, the love of virtue, pleasing speech, and an 
ardent desire for performing acts of charity, guileless 
dealings with friends, humility in the guru's presence, 
deep tranquillity of mind, pure conduct, discernment of 
virtues, realised knowledge of the sastras, beauty of form 
and devotion to God are all found in you." (The great sage 
Vasistha Muni, the spiritual preceptor of the dynasty of 
the sun, said this to Lord Ramachandra at the time of His 
proposed coronation)
%
Kalpataru (the wish fulfilling tree) is but wood; the 
golden Mount Meru is motionless; the wish-fulfilling gem 
chintamani is just a stone; the sun is scorching; the moon 
is prone to wane; the boundless ocean is saline; the 
demigod of lust lost his body (due to Shiva's wrath); Bali 
Maharaja, the son of Diti, was born into a clan of demons; 
and Kamadhenu (the cow of heaven) is a mere beast. O Lord 
of the Raghu dynasty! I cannot compare you to any one of 
these (taking their merits into account).
%
Realised learning (vidya) is our friend while travelling, 
the wife is a friend at home, medicine is the friend of a 
sick man, and meritorious deeds are the friends at death.
%
Courtesy should be learned from princes, the art of 
conversation from pandits, lying should be learned from 
gamblers and deceitful ways should be learned from women.
%
The unthinking spender, the homeless urchin, the quarrel 
monger, the man who neglects his wife and is heedless in 
his actions -- all these will soon come to ruination.
%
The wise man should not be anxious about his food; he 
should be anxious to be engaged only in dharma (Krsna 
consciousness). The food of each man is created for him at 
his birth.
%
He who is not shy in the acquisition of wealth, grain and 
knowledge, and in taking his meals, will be happy
%
As centesimal droppings will fill a pot so also are 
knowledge, virtue and wealth gradually obtained.
%
The man who remains a fool even in advanced age is really 
a fool, just as the Indra-Varuna fruit does not become 
sweet no matter how ripe it might become.
%
A man may live but for a moment, but that moment should be 
spent in doing auspicious deeds. It is useless living even 
for a kalpa (,, * years) and bringing only distress upon 
the two worlds (this world and the next).
%
We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be 
anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with 
the present moment.
%
It certainly is nature of the demigods, men of good 
character, and parents to be easily pleased. Near and 
distant relatives are pleased when they are hospitably 
received with bathing, food, and drink; and pandits are 
pleased with an opportunity for giving spiritual discourse.
%
Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, 
these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, 
his activities, his acquisition of wealth and knowledge, 
and his time of death.
%
Oh, see what a wonder it is! The doings of the great are 
strange: they treat wealth as light as a straw, yet, when 
they obtain it, they bend under its weight
%
He who is overly attached to his family members 
experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is 
attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy.
%
He who is prepared for the future and he who deals 
cleverly with any situation that may arise are both happy; 
but the fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.
%
If the king is virtuous, then the subjects are also 
virtuous. If the king is sinful, then the subjects also 
become sinful. If he is mediocre, then the subjects are 
mediocre. The subjects follow the example of the king. In 
short, as is the king so are the subjects.
%
I consider him who does not act religiously as dead though 
living, but he who dies acting religiously unquestionably 
lives long though he is dead.
%
He who has acquired neither virtue, wealth, satisfaction 
of desires nor salvation (dharma, artha, kama, moksa), 
lives an utterly useless life, like the "nipples" hanging 
from the neck of a goat.
%
The hearts of base men burn before the fire of other's 
fame, and they slander them being themselves unable to rise 
to such a high position.
%
Excessive attachment to sense pleasures leads to bondage, 
and detachment from sense pleasures leads to liberation; 
therefore it is the mind alone that is responsible for 
bondage or liberation
%
He who sheds bodily identification by means of knowledge 
of the indwelling Supreme Self (Paramatma), will always be 
absorbed in meditative trance (samadhi) wherever his mind 
leads him.
%
Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is 
in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.
%
As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the 
(good or bad) deeds of a man follow him.
%
He whose actions are disorganised has no happiness either 
in the midst of men or in a jungle -- in the midst of men 
his heart burns by social contacts, and his helplessness 
burns him in the forest.
%
As the man who digs obtains underground water by use of a 
shovel, so the student attains the knowledge possessed by 
his preceptor through his service
%
Men reap the fruits of their deeds, and intellects bear 
the mark of deeds performed in previous lives; even so the 
wise act after due circumspection.
%
Even the man who has taught the spiritual significance of 
just one letter ought to be worshiped. He who does not give 
reverence to such a guru is born as a dog a hundred times, 
and at last takes birth as a chandala (dog-eater).
%
At the end of the yuga, Mount Meru may be shaken; at the 
end of the kalpa, the waters of the seven oceans may be 
disturbed; but a sadhu will never swerve from the spiritual 
path.
%
There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and 
pleasing words -- fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks 
as gems.
%
Poverty, disease, sorrow, imprisonment and other evils are 
the fruits borne by the tree of one's own sins.
%
Wealth, a friend, a wife, and a kingdom may be regained; 
but this body when lost may never be acquired again.
%
The enemy can be overcome by the union of large numbers, 
just as grass through its collectiveness wards off erosion 
caused by heavy rainfall.
%
Oil on water, a secret communicated to a base man, a gift 
given to a worthy receiver, and scriptural instruction 
given to an intelligent man spread out by virtue of their 
nature.
%
If men should always retain the state of mind they 
experience when hearing religious instruction, when present 
at a crematorium ground, and when in sickness -- then who 
could not attain liberation.
%
If a man should feel before, as he feels after, repentance 
-- then who would not attain perfection?
%
We should not feel pride in our charity, austerity, 
valour, scriptural knowledge, modesty and morality for the 
world is full of the rarest gems.
%
He who lives in our mind is near though he may actually be 
far away; but he who is not in our heart is far though he 
may really be nearby.
%
We should always speak what would please the man of whom 
we expect a favour, like the hunter who sings sweetly when 
he desires to shoot a deer.
%
It is ruinous to be familiar with the king, fire, the 
religious preceptor, and a woman. To be altogether 
indifferent to them is to be deprived of the opportunity to 
benefit ourselves, hence our association with them must be 
from a safe distance.
%
We should always deal cautiously with fire, water, women, 
foolish people, serpents, and members of a royal family; 
for they may, when the occasion presents itself, at once 
bring about our death.
%
He should be considered to be living who is virtuous and 
pious, but the life of a man who is destitute of religion 
and virtues is void of any blessing.
%
If you wish to gain control of the world by the 
performance of a single deed, then keep the following 
fifteen, which are prone to wander here and there, from 
getting the upper hand of you: the five sense objects 
(objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch); the 
five sense organs (ears, eyes, nose, tongue and skin) and 
organs of activity (hands, legs, mouth, genitals and anus).
%
He is a pandit (man of knowledge) who speaks what is 
suitable to the occasion, who renders loving service 
according to his ability, and who knows the limits of his 
anger.
%
One single object (a woman) appears in three different 
ways: to the man who practices austerity it appears as a 
corpse, to the sensual it appears as a woman, and to the 
dogs as a lump of flesh.
%
A wise man should not divulge the formula of a medicine 
which he has well prepared; an act of charity which he has 
performed; domestic conflicts; private affairs with his 
wife; poorly prepared food he may have been offered; or 
slang he may have heard.
%
The cuckoos remain silent for a long time (for several 
seasons) until they are able to sing sweetly (in the 
Spring) so as to give joy to all.
%
We should secure and keep the following: the blessings of 
meritorious deeds, wealth, grain, the words of the 
spiritual master, and rare medicines. Otherwise life 
becomes impossible.
%
Eschew wicked company and associate with saintly persons. 
Acquire virtue day and night, and always meditate on that 
which is eternal forgetting that which is temporary.
%
For one whose heart melts with compassion for all 
creatures; what is the necessity of knowledge, liberation, 
matted hair on the head, and smearing the body with ashes?
%
There is no treasure on earth the gift of which will 
cancel the debt a disciple owes his guru for having taught 
him even a single letter (that leads to Krsna 
consciousness).
%
There are two ways to get rid of thorns and wicked 
persons; using footwear in the first place and in the 
second shaming them so that they cannot raise their faces 
again thus keeping them at a distance.
%
He who wears unclean garments, has dirty teeth, is a 
glutton, speaks unkindly and sleeps after sunrise -- 
although he may be the greatest personality -- will lose 
the favour of Lakshmi.
%
He who loses his money is forsaken by his friends, his 
wife, his servants and his relations; yet when he regains 
his riches those who have forsaken him come back to him. 
Hence wealth is certainly the best of relations.
%
Sinfully acquired wealth may remain for ten years; in the 
eleventh year it disappears with even the original stock.
%
A bad action committed by a great man is not censured (as 
there is none that can reproach him), and a good action 
performed by a low-class man comes to be condemned (because 
none respects him). Just see: the drinking of nectar is 
excellent, but it became the cause of Rahu's demise; and 
the drinking of poison is harmful, but when Lord Shiva (who 
is exalted) drank it, it became an ornament to his neck 
(nila-kantha).
%
A true meal is that which consists of the remnants left 
after a brahmana's meal. Love, which is shown to others, is 
true love, not that which is cherished for one's own self. 
To abstain from sin is true wisdom. That is an act of 
charity, which is performed without ostentation.
%
For want of discernment the most precious jewels lie in 
the dust at the feet of men while bits of glass are worn on 
their heads. But we should not imagine that the gems have 
sunk in value, and the bits of glass have risen in 
importance. When a person of critical judgement shall 
appear, each will be given its right position.
%
Sastric (scriptural) knowledge is unlimited, and the arts 
to be learned are many; the time we have is short, and our 
opportunities to learn are beset with obstacles. Therefore 
select for learning that which is most important, just as 
the swan drinks only the milk in water.
%
He is a chandala who eats his dinner without entertaining 
the stranger who has come to his house quite accidentally, 
having travelled from a long distance and is wearied.
%
One may know the four Vedas and the Dharma-sastras, yet if 
he has no realisation of his own spiritual self, he can be 
said to be like the ladle (spoon) which stirs all kinds of 
foods but knows not the taste of any.
%
Those blessed souls are certainly elevated who, while 
crossing the ocean of life, take shelter of a genuine 
brahmana, who is likened unto a boat. They are unlike 
passengers aboard an ordinary ship that runs the risk of 
sinking.
%
The moon, who is the abode of nectar and the presiding 
deity of all medicines, although immortal like amrta and 
resplendent in form, loses the brilliance of his rays when 
he repairs to the abode of the sun (day time). Therefore, 
will not an ordinary man be made to feel inferior by going 
to live at the house of another?
%
This humble bee, which always resides among the soft 
petals of the lotus and drinks abundantly its sweet nectar, 
is now feasting on the flower of the ordinary kutaja. Being 
in a strange country where the lotuses do not exist, he is 
considering the pollen of the kutaja to be nice.
%
(Lord Visnu asked His spouse Lakshmi why She did not care 
to live in the house of a brahmana.She replied:)" O Lord a 
rishi named Agastya drank up My father (the ocean) in 
anger; Brighu Muni kicked You; brahmanas pride themselves 
on their learning having sought the favour of My competitor 
Sarasvati; and lastly they pluck each day the lotus which 
is My abode, and therewith worship Lord Shiva. Therefore, O 
Lord, I fear to dwell with a brahmana".
%
There are many ways of binding by which one can be 
dominated and controlled in this world, but the bond of 
affection is the strongest. For example, take the case of 
the humble bee, which, although expert at piercing hardened 
wood, becomes caught in the embrace of its beloved flowers 
(as the petals close at dusk).
%
Although sandalwood is cut, it does not forsake its 
natural quality of fragrance; so also the elephant does not 
give up sportiveness though he should grow old. The 
sugarcane does not cease to be sweet though squeezed in a 
mill; so the man of noble extraction does not lose his 
lofty qualities, no matter how pinched he is by poverty.
%
The heart of a woman is not united; it is divided. While 
she is talking with one man, she looks lustfully at another 
and thinks fondly of a third in her heart.
%
The fool (mudha) who fancies that a charming young lady 
loves him, becomes her slave and he dances like a shakuntal 
bird tied to a string.
%
Who is there who, having become rich, has not become 
proud? What licentious man has put an end to his 
calamities? What man in this world has not been overcome by 
a woman? Who is always loved by the king? Who is there who 
has not been overcome by the ravages of time? What beggar 
has attained glory? Who has become happy by contracting the 
vices of the wicked?
%
A man attains greatness by his merits, not simply by 
occupying an exalted seat. Can we call a crow an eagle 
(garuda) simply because he sits on the top of a tall 
building.
%
The man who is praised by others as great is regarded as 
worthy though he may be really void of all merit. But the 
man who sings his own praises lowers himself in the 
estimation of others though he should be Indra (the 
possessor of all excellences).
%
If good qualities should characterise a man of 
discrimination, the brilliance of his qualities will be 
recognised just as a gem, which is essentially bright, 
really shines when fixed in an ornament of gold.
%
Even one who by his qualities appears to be all knowing 
suffers without patronage; the gem, though precious, 
requires a gold setting.
%
I do not deserve that wealth which is to be attained by 
enduring much suffering, or by transgressing the rules of 
virtue, or by flattering an enemy.
%
Those who were not satiated with the enjoyment of wealth, 
food and women have all passed away; there are others now 
passing away who have likewise remained unsatiated; and in 
the future still others will pass away feeling themselves 
unsatiated.
%
All charities and sacrifices (performed for fruitive gain) 
bring only temporary results, but gifts made to deserving 
persons and protection offered to all creatures shall never 
perish
%
A blade of grass is light, cotton is lighter, and the 
beggar is infinitely lighter still. Why then does not the 
wind carry him away? Because it fears that he may ask alms 
of him.
%
It is better to die than to preserve this life by 
incurring disgrace. The loss of life causes but a moment's 
grief, but disgrace brings grief every day of one's life.
%
All the creatures are pleased by loving words; and 
therefore we should address words that are pleasing to all, 
for there is no lack of sweet words.
%
There are two nectarine fruits hanging from the tree of 
this world: one is the hearing of sweet words (such as 
Krsna-katha) and the other, the society of saintly men.
%
The good habits of charity, learning and austerity 
practised during many past lives continue to be cultivated 
in this birth by virtue of the link (yoga) of this present 
life to the previous ones.
%
One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth 
is in the possession of others, can use neither his 
knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.
%
The scholar who has acquired knowledge by studying 
innumerable books without the blessings of a bonafide 
spiritual master does not shine in an assembly of truly 
learned men just as an illegitimate child is not honoured 
in society.
%
We should repay the favours of others by acts of kindness; 
so also should we return evil for evil in which there is no 
sin, for it is necessary to pay a wicked man in his own 
coin.
%
That thing which is distant, that thing which appears 
impossible, and that which is far beyond our reach, can be 
easily attained through tapasya (religious austerity), for 
nothing can surpass austerity.
%
What vice could be worse than covetousness? What is more 
sinful than slander? For one who is truthful, what need is 
there for austerity? For one who has a clean heart, what is 
the need for pilgrimage? If one has a good disposition, 
what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the 
value of other ornamentation? What need is there for wealth 
for the man of practical knowledge? And if a man is 
dishonoured, what could there be worse than death?
%
Though the sea, which is the reservoir of all jewels, is 
the father of the conch shell, and the Goddess of fortune 
Lakshmi is conch's sister, still the conch must go from 
door to door for alms (in the hands of a beggar). It is 
true, therefore, that one gains nothing without having 
given in the past.
%
When a man has no strength left in him he becomes a sadhu, 
one without wealth acts like a brahmacari, a sick man 
behaves like a devotee of the Lord, and when a woman grows 
old she becomes devoted to her husband.
%
There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth 
of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked 
man is saturated with it.
%
The woman who fasts and observes religious vows without 
the permission of her husband shortens his life, and goes 
to hell.
%
A woman does not become holy by offering charity, by 
observing hundreds of fasts, or by sipping sacred water, as 
by sipping the water used to wash her husbands feet.
%
The hand is not so well adorned by ornaments as by 
charitable offerings; one does not become clean by smearing 
sandalwood paste upon the body as by taking a bath; one 
does not become so much satisfied by dinner as by having 
respect shown to him; and salvation is not attained by 
self-adornment as by cultivation of spiritual knowledge.
%
The eating of tundi fruit deprives a man of his sense, 
while the vacha root administered revives his reasoning 
immediately. A woman at once robs a man of his vigour while 
milk at once restores it.
%
He who nurtures benevolence for all creatures within his 
heart overcomes all difficulties and will be the recipient 
of all types of riches at every step.
%
What is there to be enjoyed in the world of Lord Indra for 
one whose wife is loving and virtuous, who possesses 
wealth, who has a well-behaved son endowed with good 
qualities, and who has grandchildren born of his children?
%
Men have eating, sleeping, fearing and mating in common 
with the lower animals. That in which men excel the beasts 
is discretionary knowledge; hence, indiscreet men who are 
without knowledge should be regarded as beasts.
%
If the bees that seek the liquid oozing from the head of a 
lust-intoxicated elephant are driven away by the flapping 
of his ears, then the elephant has lost only the ornament 
of his head. The bees are quite happy in the lotus filled 
lake.
%
A king, a prostitute, Lord Yamaraja, fire, a thief, a 
young boy, and a beggar cannot understand the suffering of 
others. The eighth of this category is the tax collector.
%
O lady, why are you gazing downward? Has something of 
yours fallen on the ground? (She replies) O fool, can you 
not understand the pearl of my youth has slipped away?
%
O ketki flower! Serpents live in your midst, you bear no 
edible fruits, your leaves are covered with thorns, you are 
crooked in growth, you thrive in mud, and you are not 
easily accessible. Still for your exceptional fragrance you 
are as dear as kinsmen to others. Hence, a single 
excellence overcomes a multitude of blemishes.
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