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சாணக்ய நீதி - ஸப்தத³ஶோத்⁴யாய: புஸ்தகப்ரத்யயாதீ⁴தம் நாதீ⁴தம் கு³ருஸன்னிதௌ⁴ । 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. க்ருதே ப்ரதிக்ருதிம் குர்யாத்³தி⁴ம்ஸனே ப்ரதிஹிம்ஸனம் । 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. யத்³தூ³ரம் யத்³து³ராராத்⁴யம் யச்ச தூ³ரே வ்யவஸ்தி²தம் । 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. லோப⁴ஶ்சேத³கு³ணேன கிம் பிஶுனதா யத்³யஸ்தி கிம் பாதகை: 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 in death? பிதா ரத்னாகரோ யஸ்ய லக்ஷ்மீர்யஸ்ய ஸஹோத³ரா । 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. அஶக்தஸ்து ப⁴வேத்ஸாது⁴-ர்ப்³ரஹ்மசாரீ வா நிர்த⁴ன: । When a man has no strength left in him he becomes a ஸாது⁴ or a saint, one without wealth acts like a ப்³ரஹ்மசாரி, a sick man behaves like a devotee of the Lord, and when a woman grows old she becomes devoted to her husband. நான்னோத³கஸமம் தா³னம் ந திதி²ர்த்³வாத³ஶீ ஸமா । No gift is better than the gift of rice and water, no date is better than the த்³வாத³ஶீ (the twelfth day of the lunar calendar); no Mantra is greater than the கா³யத்ரீ-மந்த்ர and no God is greater than mother. தக்ஷகஸ்ய விஷம் த³ந்தே மக்ஷிகாயாஸ்து மஸ்தகே । For the serpent, the poison lies in the fangs, for the fly, it in the head, for the scorpion it is in the tail, but for the wicked person, there is poison in all parts of their body and full of it. பத்யுராஜ்ஞாம் வினா நாரீ ஹ்யுபோஷ்ய வ்ரதசாரிணீ । The woman who fasts and observes religious vows without the permission of her husband shortens his life, and goes to hell. ந தா³னை: ஶுத்⁴யதே நாரீ நோபவாஸஶதைரபி । A woman does not become holy by offering by charity, by observing hundreds of fasts, or by sipping sacred water, as by sipping the water used to wash her husbands feet. பாத³ஶேஷம் பீதஶேஷம் ஸந்த்⁴யாஶேஷம் ததை²வ ச । The leftover water after washing one’s feet, the leftover water after drinking, and after completing the Sandhya Worship (worship conducted in the morning and evening, during the transitional phase of night to day and vice versa) should never be consumed as if is as abhorsome as the urine of dog. If one drinks it, one must perform the fast of சாந்த்³ராயண. [The crux of the aphorism is that water ideally should be consumed directly from the source and not the one that is left over after performing some activity. சாந்த்³ராயண வ்ரத்ர means keeping fast the whole day and having food and water only after seeing the moon.] தா³னேன பாணிர்ன து கங்கணேன 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. நாபிதஸ்ய க்³ருஹே க்ஷௌரம் பாஷாணே க³ந்த⁴லேபனம் । Getting a haircut done by going to a barber's house, applying sandalwood paste to a stone will reduce the grace for even Indra, the king of Devas. ஸத்³ய: ப்ரஜ்ஞாஹரா துண்டீ³ ஸத்³ய: ப்ரஜ்ஞாகரீ வசா । The eating of துண்டீ³ fruit deprives a man of his sense, while the வசா root administered revives his reasoning immediately. A woman at once robs a man of his vigour while milk at once restores it. பரோபகரணம் யேஷாம் ஜாக³ர்தி ஹ்ருத³யே ஸதாம் । 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. யதி³ ராமா யதி³ ச ரமா யதி³ தனயோ வினயகு³ணோபேத: । What is not there to be enjoyed in the world for one whose wife is loving and virtuous, who possesses wealth, who has a well-behaved son endowed with good qualities, and who has a grandchildren born of his children? ஆஹாரனித்³ராப⁴யமைது²னானி 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. தா³னார்தி²னோ மது⁴கரா யதி³ கர்ணதாலைர்தூ³ரீக்ருதா: If the bees which 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. ராஜா வேஶ்யா யமஶ்சாக்³னிஸ்தஸ்கரோ பா³லயாசகௌ । 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. அத:⁴ பஶ்யஸி கிம் பா³லே பதிதம் தவ கிம் பு⁴வி । 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? வ்யாலாஶ்ரயாபி விகலாபி ஸகண்டகாபி O கேதகி flower (of fragrant crew Pine)! 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 a kinsmen to others. Hence, a single excellence overcomes a multitude of blemishes.
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