04-01
आयुः कर्म च वित्तं च विद्या निधनमेव च ।
पञ्चैतानि हि सृज्यन्ते गर्भस्थस्यैव देहिनः ॥ ०४-०१ ॥
Lifespan, action, wealth, learning, and death — these five are indeed ordained for the embodied soul even while it is still in the womb.
04-02
साधुभ्यस्ते निवर्तन्ते पुत्रमित्राणि बान्धवाः ।
ये च तैः सह गन्तारस्तद्धर्मात्सुकृतं कुलम् ॥ ०४-०२ ॥
Virtuous men turn away from those with whom their sons, friends, and kinsmen consort; only those who follow those good men and their righteous conduct belong to a family of good deeds.
04-03
दर्शनध्यानसंस्पर्शैर्मत्सी कूर्मी च पक्षिणी ।
शिशुं पालयते नित्यं तथा सज्जनसङ्गतिः ॥ ०४-०३ ॥
Just as a fish, a turtle, and a bird constantly nurture their young through sight, meditation, and touch, so does the company of the righteous nurture a person.
04-04
यावत्स्वस्थो ह्ययं देहो यावन्मृत्युश्च दूरतः ।
तावदात्महितं कुर्यात्प्राणान्ते किं करिष्यति ॥ ०४-०४ ॥
As long as this body remains healthy and death is far away, one should act for the welfare of the self; what can one do when the final breath has come?
04-05
कामधेनुगुणा विद्या ह्यकाले फलदायिनी ।
प्रवासे मातृसदृशी विद्या गुप्तं धनं स्मृतम् ॥ ०४-०५ ॥
Learning possesses the qualities of the wish-fulfilling cow, yielding its fruit even at an unseasonable time. When one is abroad, learning is like a mother; it is remembered as wealth that is guarded in secrecy.
04-06
एकोऽपि गुणवान्पुत्रो निर्गुणेन शतेन किम् ।
एकश्चन्द्रस्तमो हन्ति न च ताराः सहस्रशः ॥ ०४-०६ ॥
Even a single son endowed with virtue is enough; what is the use of a hundred who are without merit? A single moon dispels the darkness; a thousand stars do not.
04-07
मूर्खश्चिरायुर्जातोऽपि तस्माज्जातमृतो वरः ।
मृतः स चाल्पदुःखाय यावज्जीवं जडो दहेत् ॥ ०४-०७ ॥
Even if a fool should live long, a child who is born dead is better; that dead child causes grief for but a short while, but the fool burns his family as long as he lives.
04-08
कुग्रामवासः कुलहीनसेवा
कुभोजनं क्रोधमुखी च भार्या ।
पुत्रश्च मूर्खो विधवा च कन्या
विनाग्निना षट्प्रदहन्ति कायम् ॥ ०४-०८ ॥
Dwelling in a wretched village, serving a man of low family, eating bad food, a wife with an angry face, a foolish son, and a widowed daughter — these six burn the body even without fire.
04-09
किं तया क्रियते धेन्वा या न दोग्ध्री न गर्भिणी ।
कोऽर्थः पुत्रेण जातेन यो न विद्वान् न भक्तिमान् ॥ ०४-०९ ॥
What is the use of that cow which neither gives milk nor bears calves? What is the use of a son who is born neither learned nor devoted?
04-10
संसारतापदग्धानां त्रयो विश्रान्तिहेतवः ।
अपत्यं च कलत्रं च सतां सङ्गतिरेव च ॥ ०४-१० ॥
For those scorched by the heat of worldly existence, there are three sources of solace: offspring, a devoted wife, and the company of the virtuous.
04-11
सकृज्जल्पन्ति राजानः सकृज्जल्पन्ति पण्डिताः ।
सकृत्कन्याः प्रदीयन्ते त्रीण्येतानि सकृत्सकृत् ॥ ०४-११ ॥
Kings speak but once; the wise utter their pronouncement but once; a maiden is given in marriage but once — these three things are done once and for all.
04-12
एकाकिना तपो द्वाभ्यां पठनं गायनं त्रिभिः ।
चतुर्भिर्गमनं क्षेत्रं पञ्चभिर्बहुभी रणः ॥ ०४-१२ ॥
Austerity is to be practiced alone; study in pairs; singing in a group of three; travel to the fields in a group of four; agriculture by five; and warfare by many.
04-13
सा भार्या या शुचिर्दक्षा सा भार्या या पतिव्रता ।
सा भार्या या पतिप्रीता सा भार्या सत्यवादिनी ॥ ०४-१३ ॥
She alone is a wife who is pure and capable; she alone is a wife who is devoted to her husband; she alone is a wife who delights her husband; she alone is a wife who speaks the truth.
04-14
अपुत्रस्य गृहं शून्यं दिशः शून्यास्त्वबान्धवाः ।
मूर्खस्य हृदयं शून्यं सर्वशून्या दरिद्रता ॥ ०४-१४ ॥
The house of a sonless man is empty; the directions are empty for one without kinsmen; the heart of a fool is empty; and poverty makes everything empty.
04-15
अनभ्यासे विषं शास्त्रमजीर्णे भोजनं विषम् ।
दरिद्रस्य विषं गोष्ठी वृद्धस्य तरुणी विषम् ॥ ०४-१५ ॥
For one who has not practiced it, scripture is poison; for one suffering from indigestion, even food is poison; for a poor man, social gatherings are poison; and for an old man, a young woman is poison.
04-16
त्यजेद्धर्मं दयाहीनं विद्याहीनं गुरुं त्यजेत् ।
त्यजेत्क्रोधमुखीं भार्यां निःस्नेहान्बान्धवांस्त्यजेत् ॥ ०४-१६ ॥
Abandon a righteousness that is devoid of compassion; abandon a teacher who is devoid of learning; abandon a wife whose face is ever full of anger; abandon kinsmen who are devoid of affection.
04-17
अध्वा जरा देहवतां पर्वतानां जलं जरा ।
अमैथुनं जरा स्त्रीणां वस्त्राणामातपो जरा ॥ ०४-१७ ॥
Travel is the decay of embodied beings; water is the decay of mountains; lack of intimate union is the decay of women; and sunlight is the decay of garments.
04-18
इन्द्रियाणि च संयम्य बकवत्पण्डितो नरः ।
देशकालबलं ज्ञात्वा सर्वकार्याणि साधयेत् ॥ ०४-१८ ॥
Having restrained his senses like a heron, a wise man, after understanding the place, the time, and his own strength, accomplishes all his undertakings.
04-19
कः कालः कानि मित्राणि को देशः कौ व्ययागमौ ।
कश्चाहं का च मे शक्तिरिति चिन्त्यं मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ ०४-१९ ॥
What is the time? Who are the friends? What is the place? What are the income and expenditure? Who am I? And what is my strength? These things must be contemplated constantly.
04-20
अग्निर्देवो द्विजातीनां मुनीनां हृदि दैवतम् ।
प्रतिमा स्वल्पबुद्धीनां सर्वत्र समदर्शिनः ॥ ०४-२० ॥
Fire is the deity of the twice-born; the deity resides in the heart of the sages; an image is the deity of those of little understanding; but for those of equal vision, the divine is everywhere.