Chapters 1 to 38

Translation by Saiva Siddhanta Church

By Tiruvalluvar

Section One: On Virtue

Chapter 1 Praising God 

1

“A” is the first and source of all the letters. Even so is

God Primordial the first and source of all the world.

2

 What has learning profited a man, if it has not led him

to worship the Good Feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?

3

The Supreme dwells within the lotus of the heart. Those who reach

His Splendid Feet dwell enduringly within unearthly realms.

4

Draw near the Feet of Him who is free of desire

and aversion, and live forever free of suffering.

5

 Good and bad, delusion’s dual deeds, do not cling to those

who delight in praising the Immutable, Worshipful One.

6

A long and joyous life rewards those who remain firmly

on the faultless path of Him who controls the five senses.

7

They alone dispel the mind’s distress

who take refuge at the Feet of the Incomparable One.

8

They alone can cross life’s other oceans who take refuge

at the Feet of the Gracious One, Himself an Ocean of Virtue.

9

The head which cannot bow before the Feet of the Possessor of

eight infinite powers is like the senses lacking the power to perceive.

10

The boundless ocean of births can be crossed, indeed,

but not without intimate union with Infinity’s Holy Feet.

Chapter 2 on The Importance of Rain 

11

It is the unfailing fall of rain that sustains the world.

Therefore, look upon rain as the nectar of life.

12

Rain produces man’s wholesome food;

and rain itself forms part of his food besides.

13

Though oceanic waters surround it, the world will be deluged

by hunger’s hardships if the billowing clouds betray us.

14

When clouds withhold their watery wealth,

farmers cease to ply their plows.

15

It is rain that ruins, and it is rain again

that raises up those it has ruined.

16

Unless raindrops fall from the sky,

not a blade of green grass will rise from the earth.

17

The very nature of oceans, though vast, would diminish

if clouds ceased to take up water and replenish rain’s gifts.

18

Should the heavens dry up, worship here of the heavenly ones

in festivals and daily rites would wither.

19

Unless the heavens grant their gifts, neither the giver’s generosity

nor the ascetic’s detachment will grace this wide world.

20

No life on Earth can exist without water,

and water’s ceaseless flow cannot exist without rain.

Chapter 3 on The Greatness of Renunciates 

21

The Scriptures exalt above every other good

the greatness of virtuous renunciates.

22

 Attempting to speak of the renunciate’s magnitude is like

numbering all the human multitudes who have ever died.

23

Behold those who have weighed the dual nature of things and

followed the renunciate’s way. Their greatness illumines the world.

24

He whose firm will, wisdom’s goading hook, controls his five senses

is a seed that will flourish in the fields of Heaven.

25

Such is the power of those who subdue the five senses, that even Indra,

sovereign of spacious Heaven’s celestials, suffered their curse.

26

The magnificent ones are they who can dispatch the most

difficult tasks; the insignificant ones are they who cannot.

27

Touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing are the senses—

he who controls these five magically controls the world.

28

Their own subtle sayings reveal to the world

the greatness of men whose words prove prophetic.

29

It is impossible to endure, even for a second, the wrath of those

who have scaled and stand upon the mountain called virtue.

30

Pious men are called the priestly ones,

for they are clothed in robes of compassion for all life.

Chapter 4 on Asserting Virtue’s Power 

31

Virtue yields Heaven’s honor and Earth’s wealth.

What is there then that is more fruitful for a man?

32

There is nothing more rewarding than virtue,

nor anything more ruinous than its neglect.

33

Be unremitting in the doing of good deeds;

do them with all your might and by every possible means.

34

Keep the mind free of impurity. That alone is

the practice of virtue. All else is nothing but empty display.

35

Virtue is living in such a way that one does not fall

into these four: envy, anger, greed and unsavory speech.

36

Don’t tell yourself you’ll be wise enough to practice virtue tomorrow.

Do it now, for it will be your deathless companion when you die.

37

It is utterly superfluous to inquire about virtue’s benefits, so

evident in the difference between the palanquin’s rider and bearer.

38

Not allowing a day to pass without doing some good

is a boulder that will block your passage on the path to rebirth.

39

Only virtuous deeds abound in true joy.

All other deeds are empty and devoid of distinction.

40

Virtue is merely that which should be done in life,

and vice is merely that which should be avoided.

Section II: The Way of The Householder

Chapter 5 on Family Life 

41

He alone may be called a householder who supports

students, elders and renunciates pursuing well their good paths.

42

The virtuous householder supports the needs

of renunciates, ancestors and the poor.

43

The foremost duty of family life is to serve duly these five:

God, guests, kindred, ancestors and oneself.

44

The posterity of householders who gather wealth without misdeeds

and share meals without miserliness will never perish.

45

When family life possesses love and virtue,

it has found both its essence and fruition.

46

If a man masters the duties of married life,

what further merits could monkhood offer him?

47

Among those who strive for liberation, the foremost are they

who live the blessed state of family life as it should be lived.

48

The householder dedicated to duty and to aiding

ascetics on their path of penance endures more than they do.

49

Domestic life is rightly called virtue. The monastic path,

rightly lived beyond blame, is likewise good.

50

He who rightly pursues the householder’s life here on Earth

will be rightfully placed among the Gods there in Heaven.

Chapter 6 on The Good Wife 

51

She is the helpful wife who possesses the fullness of

domestic virtues and spends within her husband’s means.

52

Family life, however full, remains empty

if the wife lacks the lofty culture of the home.

53

What does a man lack if his wife is worthy?

And what does he possess if she is lacking worth?

54

What is more majestic than a woman

who preserves the prodigious strength of chastity?

55

Even the rains will fall at her command

who upon rising worships not God, but her husband.

56

A married woman is one who vigilantly guards herself,

cares for her husband and protects their unblemished reputation.

57

Why do guardians protect women by confinement

when her own resolute chastity is a woman’s best protection?

58

A woman deeply devoted to the man who wed her

will be worthy of great rewards in the world where Gods delight.

59

Unless the wife pursues praiseworthy purity,

the husband cannot stride before critics like a proud lion.

60

It is said a worthy wife is the blessing of a home,

and good children are its precious ornaments.

Chapter 7 on The Blessing of Children 

61

Of all blessings we know of none greater than

the begetting of children endowed with intelligence.

62

Those who bear children of blameless character

will be untouched by evil for seven births.

63

It is said that children are a man’s real wealth,

and that this wealth is determined by his deeds.

64

Far sweeter than divine nectar is simple boiled rice

stirred by the small hands of one’s own child.

65

The touch of one’s children is a delight to the body,

and listening to them chatter is a joy to the ear.

66

“Sweet are the sounds of the flute and the lute,” say those

who have not heard the prattle of their own children.

67

A father benefits his son best by preparing him

to sit at the forefront of learned councils.

68

What pleasure it is to human beings everywhere

when their children possess knowledge surpassing their own!

69

When a mother hears her son heralded as a good and learned man,

her joy exceeds that of his joyous birth.

70

The son’s duty to his father is to make the world ask,

“By what great austerities did he merit such a son?”

Chapter 8 on Possessing Love 

71

Can any lock keep love confined within,

when the loving heart’s tiny tears escape and confess it?

72

The unloving belong only to themselves,

but the loving belong to others to their very bones.

73

They say it is to know union with love

that the soul takes union with the body.

74

Love makes one affectionate toward all,

and affection affords the priceless treasure of friendship.

75

They say love’s greatness is this: it yields to good families

worldly happiness here and heavenly bliss hereafter.

76

The uninformed say love abides with virtuous souls,

unaware that love is also friend to those immersed in vice.

77

As the blazing sun dries up a boneless worm,

so does virtue scorch a loveless being.

78

Life without love in the heart

is like a sapless tree in a barren desert.

79

What good is a body perfect in outer ways,

if inwardly it is impaired by lack of love?

80

With love enshrined in the heart, one truly lives.

Without it, the body is but bones encased in skin.

Chapter 9 on Hospitality 

81

The whole purpose of earning wealth and maintaining

a home is to provide hospitality to guests.

82

When a guest is in the home, it is improper to hoard one’s meal,

even if it happens to be the nectar of immortality.

83

If a man cares daily for those who come to him,

his life will never suffer the grievous ruin of poverty.

84

Wealth’s Goddess dwells in the hospitable home

of those who host guests with a smiling face.

85

If a man eats only after attending to guests’ needs,

what further sowing will his fertile fields require?

86

The host who, caring for guests, watches hopefully for more,

will himself be a welcomed guest of those whose home is Heaven.

87

Charity’s merit cannot be measured by gifts given.

It is measured by measuring the receiver’s merits.

88

Those who never sacrifice to care for guests will later lament:

“We hoarded wealth, estranged ourselves, now none will care for us.”

89

The poverty of poverties is having plenty yet shunning guests.

Such senselessness is only found in senseless fools.

90

The delicate anicham flower withers when merely smelled,

but an unwelcome look is enough to wither a guest’s heart.

Chapter 10 on Speaking Pleasant Words 

91

Pleasant words, full of tenderness and devoid of deceit,

fall from the lips of virtuous men.

92

Better than a gift given with a joyous heart

are sweet words spoken with a cheerful smile.

93

A kindly countenance and sweet words

spoken from the heart are virtue’s way.

94

Poverty-provoking sorrow will not pursue

those who speak joy-producing words to all they meet.

95

Humility and pleasant words are the jewels

that adorn a man; there are none other.

96

If a man seeks to do good while speaking sweet words,

his virtues will wax and his vices will wane.

97

Words yield spiritual rewards and moral excellence

when they do not wander far from usefulness and agreeableness.

98

Sweet speech that is a stranger to pettiness

imparts pleasure not only in this life, but in the next.

99

Why would anyone speak cruel words,

having observed the happiness that kind words confer?

100

To utter harsh words when sweet ones would serve

is like eating unripe fruits when ripe ones are at hand.

Chapter 11 on Gratitude

101

The bounty of Heaven and Earth are scant repayment

for help rendered though no help was received.

102

A kindness done in the hour of need may itself be small,

but in worth it exceeds the whole world.

103

When help is given by weighing the recipient’s need

and not the donor’s reward, its goodness is greater than the sea.

104

While aid may outwardly seem as puny as a mustard seed,

those who know will deem it as imposing as a towering palm.

105

Help rendered another cannot be measured by the extent of

assistance given. Its real measure is the recipient’s worthiness.

106

Never forget fellowship with pure souls,

nor forsake friendship with those who aided you in adversity.

107

For seven lives in seven bodies the grateful will remember

friends who relieved their anguish and affliction.

108

It is improper to ever forget a kindness,

but good to forget at once an injury received.

109

The deadliest injury is effaced the moment

the mind recalls a single kindness received from the injurer.

110

Having killed every kind of goodness, one may yet be saved,

but there is no redemption for those who let gratitude die.

Chapter 12 on Impartiality 

111

Justice may be called good when it acts impartially

toward enemies, strangers and friends.

112

The wealth of those who possess justice will not perish;

rather it will be their posterity’s soothing security.

113

However prosperous it may seem, all wealth gained

by loss of rightness must be relinquished that very day.

114

In their offspring one may doubtlessly discern

who are the just and who are the unjust.

115

Adversity and prosperity never cease to exist. The adornment

of great men’s minds is to remain unswervingly just under both.

116

When his heart forsakes fairness and his deeds turn depraved,

a man realizes deep within himself, “I am ruined.”

117

Though a man is profoundly impoverished,

if he remains just, the world will not regard him as poor.

118

To incline to neither side, like a balance scale’s level beam,

and thus weigh impartially is the wise one’s ornament.

119

Speech uttered without bias is integrity,

if no unspoken bias lurks in the heart.

120

Those businessmen will prosper whose business

protects as their own the interests of others.

Chapter 13 on Possession of Self-Control 

121

Self-control will place one among the Gods,

while lack of it will lead to deepest darkness.

122

Guard your self-control as a precious treasure,

for there is no greater wealth in life than this.

123

Comprehending and acquiring self-control

confers upon one the esteem of wise men.

124

More imposing than a mountain is the greatness of a man who,

steadfast in domestic life, has mastered self-control.

125

Humility is a precious quality in all people,

but it has a rare richness in the rich.

126

Like a tortoise withdrawing five limbs into its shell, those who

restrain the five senses in one life will find safe shelter for seven.

127

Whatever you may fail to guard, guard well your tongue,

for flawed speech unfailingly invokes anguish and affliction.

128

The goodness of all one’s virtues can be lost

by speaking even a single word of injury.

129

The wound caused by fire heals in its time;

the burn inflicted by an inflamed tongue never heals.

130

Virtue will wait in the streets to meet a man

possessed of learning and self-discipline, his anger subdued.

Chapter 14 on Possession of Virtuous Conduct 

131

Virtuous conduct leads a man to eminent greatness.

Therefore, it should be guarded as more precious than life itself.

132

In your striving, be mindful to preserve good conduct.

In your deliberations, discover it is your staunchest ally.

133

Morality is the birthright of high families,

while immoral conduct’s legacy is lowly birth.

134

If a priest forgets the Vedas, he can relearn them.

But if he falls from virtue, his high birth is forever lost.

135

Prosperity is not for the envious,

nor is greatness for men of impure conduct.

136

The firm-minded never slacken in upholding virtuous conduct,

for they know the miseries brought on by such neglect.

137

By honest conduct one achieves honorable eminence,

while corrupt conduct brings one nothing but blame.

138

Good conduct is the seed in virtue’s field;

wicked conduct’s harvest is never-ending sorrow.

139

Men who conduct themselves virtuously

are incapable of voicing harmful words, even forgetfully.

140

Those who cannot live in harmony with the world,

though they have learned many things, are still ignorant.

Chapter 15 on Not Coveting Another’s Wife 

141

Those who know virtue’s laws and marital rights

never indulge in the folly of desiring another man’s wife.

142

Among those who stand outside virtue, there is no greater fool

than he who stands with a lustful heart outside another’s gate.

143

No different from the dead are those who

wickedly desire the wife of a friend.

144

Though a man’s measure be mountainous, what good is it

if, without the minutest concern, he takes another’s wife?

145

A man who seduces another man’s wife, knowing she is easy,

suffers a shame that neither dies nor diminishes.

146

Hatred, sin, fear and disgrace—these four

never forsake the man who commits adultery.

147

He is decreed a worthy householder who holds

no desire for the womanly charms of another’s wife.

148

The chivalry that does not look upon another’s wife

is not mere virtue—it is saintly conduct.

149

In a world encircled by the awesome sea, to whom do good things

belong? To men never impassioned to caress a married woman.

150

Though a man deserts virtue and indulges in vice, he keeps

some decency by not wanting another’s wife’s womanliness.

Chapter 16 on Possession of Forbearance 

151

Just as the Earth bears those who dig into her,

it is best to bear with those who despise us.

152

It is always good to endure injuries done to you,

but to forget them is even better.

153

It is impoverished poverty to be inhospitable to guests.

It is stalwart strength to be patient with fools.

154

Desiring that greatness should never cease,

let one’s conduct foster forbearance.

155

Worthless are those who injure others vengefully,

while those who stoically endure are like stored gold.

156

The joy of the vengeful lasts only for a day,

but the glory of the forbearing lasts until the end of time.

157

Though unjustly aggrieved, it is best to suffer the suffering

and refrain from unrighteous retaliation.

158

Let a man conquer by forbearance

those who in their arrogance have wronged him.

159

Those who patiently endure rude remarks

possess the rare purity of an ascetic.

160

Great are those who suffer fasting’s hardships; yet they

are surpassed by those who suffer hard words.

Chapter 17 on Avoidance of Envy 

161 

The unenvious heart is to be valued

no less than virtuous conduct itself.

162 

Among the many precious things a man may acquire,

none surpasses a nature free from envy toward all.

163 

They say he who is jealous instead of joyous of another’s wealth

clearly desires no wealth or virtue of his own.

164 

Envy will never cause one to commit wrongful deeds

who rightly fathoms the disgrace that follows.

165 

A man’s own envy is foe enough to forge his ruin,

even if he has no other enemies.

166 

Whoever begrudges another’s bounty will watch

his kindred die in poverty, naked and starving.

167 

Goddess Fortune, intolerant of those who cannot tolerate others’

success, introduces them to her sister, Misfortune, and goes away.

168 

The wicked one called Envy consumes this world’s wealth,

then consigns sinners to those worlds of hellish fire.

169 

It is worth pondering why good men may be poor

while the envious in heart can prosper.

170 

There are no envious men who have risen to prosperity.

There are no men free from envy who have fallen from it.

Chapter 18 on Avoidance of Covetousness 

171

In the very attempt to wrongly gain another’s wealth,

a man forfeits his family’s future and his own faultlessness.

172

Those who deem injustice shameful never commit

guilt-yielding deeds driven by money-yielding desires.

173

Those who seek immortal bliss will not succumb

to immoral deeds that follow desire for fleeting delights.

174

With senses conquered and sight unclouded by depravity,

one will not wish for others’ wealth, even in destitution.

175

What avails a man’s subtle and comprehensive learning,

if, crazed by covetousness, he treats others insensibly?

176

Desiring grace and doing his duty, a man who desires wealth

but acquires it wrongly is destroyed nevertheless.

177

Do not seek the fortune that greed gathers,

for its fruit is bitter on the day of enjoyment.

178

To protect one’s own prosperity from decline,

one must not crave the property held by others.

179

Just as wise men know the goodness of noncoveting,

so Fortune Herself knows their goodness and draws near.

180

There is a thoughtless desire for others’ things that is destructive.

There is a mindful pride that, in refusing to covet, is triumphant.

Chapter 19 on Avoidance of Backbiting 

181

Silent about virtue and swift to act wrongly,

one who does not slander others may still be called good.

182

More vile than violating virtue and committing crime

is slandering a man, then smiling to his face.

183

Virtue declares that dying, not living, will bring

better rewards to deceiving backbiters.

184

Though you speak unkind words to a man’s face,

do not talk behind his back heedless of consequent harm.

185

Though his every word is full of kindly virtue,

a man’s mean backbiting will betray an empty heart.

186

If a man spreads tales of others’ faults,

his own worst faults will be exposed and spread.

187

Not knowing the companionable art of cheerful conversation,

men estrange even friends by divisive discourse.

188

If men are disposed to spread the faults of friends,

what deadly harm might they do to strangers?

189

Only because she weighs duty well does Earth bear the weight

of those who wait for a man’s departure to defame him.

190

If men perceived their own faults as they do the faults of others,

could misfortune ever come to them?

Chapter 20 on Avoidance of Pointless Speech 

191

Everyone is disgusted by a man

who offends one and all with meaningless chatter.

192

Uttering useless words to crowds is worse

than committing unkindnesses toward companions.

193

A long and pointless discourse itself declares

to all the speaker’s lack of worth.

194

Worthless words are doubly unprofitable: the listeners’

enjoyment is lost, and the speaker’s own virtues vanish.

195

Prestige and popularity flee the best of men

the moment they speak inane and useless words.

196

Do not call him a man who enjoys displaying

his own empty words. Rather, call him the chaff of men.

197

Let the wise, if they deem it necessary, speak even unpleasant

words, but it is good if they always refrain from pointless speech.

198

Even in search of extraordinary gains, the wise

will never speak trivial or ungainful words.

199

The wise, faultless and free from ignorance,

never utter pointless words, even forgetfully.

200

In your speaking, say only that which is purposeful.

Never utter words that lack purpose.

Chapter 21 on Dread of Sinful Deeds 

201

Wicked men do not fear, but worthy men dread,

the arrogance of sinful deeds.

202

From evil springs forth more evil.

Hence evil is to be feared even more than fire.

203

To commit no wrong, even against one’s enemies,

is said to be supreme wisdom.

204

Only the forgetful plot another’s ruin; others remember

that virtue itself devises every plotter’s downfall.

205

Do not commit wrongful deeds, claiming to be poor.

Such deeds only cause one to be poorer still.

206

Let one who hopes for freedom from afflictions’ pain

avoid inflicting harm on others.

207

One can escape from hate-filled enemies,

but his own hateful acts will pursue and destroy him.

208

As a man’s shadow follows his footsteps wherever he goes,

even so will destruction pursue those who commit sinful deeds.

209

If a man feels any fond affection for himself,

let him not indulge in immoral deeds, however trifling.

210

If men neither deviate from right nor act wrongly,

they will be defended against destruction.

Chapter 22 on Understanding One’s Duty to Give 

211

The benevolent expect no return for their dutiful giving.

How can the world ever repay the rain cloud?

212

It is to meet the needs of the deserving

that the worthy work so hard to acquire wealth.

213

Of all duties, none is better than benevolence,

whether in this world or that of the Gods.

214

He who understands the duty of giving truly lives.

All others shall be counted among the dead.

215

The wealth of a community-loving wise man

may be likened to a well-filled village water tank.

216

Riches retained by the big-hearted resemble fruits

ripening on a tree in the heart of a village.

217

In the hands of a generous man,

wealth is like a medicinal tree whose healing gifts help all.

218

Those who know duty deeply never neglect giving,

even in their own unprosperous season.

219

The benevolent man considers himself poor only

when he is unable to render his accustomed duty to humanity.

220

Were it said that loss of wealth is the price of generosity,

such loss would be worth selling one’s self to acquire.

Chapter 23 on Charity 

221

Giving to the poor is true charity.

All other giving expects some return.

222

Though some may declare it a good path, garnering gifts is bad.

Even if they say it denies one Heaven, giving gifts is good.

223

Men of good birth graciously give,

never uttering the wretched excuse, “I have nothing.”

224

How unpleasant a beggar’s pleading can become,

until one sees his face so sweetly pleased.

225

Great, indeed, is the power to endure hunger.

Greater still is the power to relieve others’ hunger.

226

Relieving the ravaging hunger of the poor

is a right use for wealth men have obtained.

227

The fiery scourge called hunger never touches

the man who shares his daily meal with others.

228

Is it because they are unaware of the joys of giving

that hard-hearted men waste their wealth by hoarding it?

229

More bitter than even a beggar’s bread is the meal

of the miser who hoards wealth and eats alone.

230

There is nothing more bitter than death;

yet even death seems sweet when giving is impossible.

Chapter 24 on Glory 

231

Give to the poor and become praiseworthy.

Life offers no greater reward than this.

232

Those who expound will always praise

people who bestow alms on the imploring poor.

233

Nothing on Earth is imperishable,

except exalted glory, which endures forever.

234

So great is glory gained by men in this world

that celestials cease praising ascended sages.

235

Loss that is gain and death that is life of

immortal glory are attained only by the wise.

236

If you must be born, be born for glory.

Those born without it would be better off without birth.

237

Why do those whose life is devoid of renown blame enemies

who hate them, when they have themselves to blame?

238

Barren are they and deemed a disgrace by all men on Earth

who fail to beget the offspring called fame.

239

Even flawlessly fruitful lands will lessen their yields

when forced to support the body of one who lacks illustriousness.

240

Those who live without reproach truly live.

Those who live without renown don’t live at all.

Section III on The Way of The Renunciate 

Chapter 25 on Possession of Compassion 

241

Among the wealthy, compassionate men claim the richest wealth,

for material wealth is possessed even by contemptible men.

242

Find and follow the good path, ruled by compassion.

Of the many ways, that one leads to liberation.

243

Those whose hearts are drawn toward mercy

will never be drawn into the dark and woeful world.

244

Kindly ones who lovingly protect all life

need never dread hurt from the actions of their own life.

245

This wide and wind-swept fertile Earth is witness to the truth

that misery is not for kind-hearted men.

246

They say those who act cruelly by forsaking kindness

must have forgotten what it means to forsake virtue.

247

As this world is not for the penniless,

so is that world not for the pitiless!

248

Those without wealth may one day prosper,

but those without kindness are utterly and incurably poor.

249

Practicing charity without compassion is as inconceivable

as realizing God without clarity of mind.

250

Before proceeding against men weaker than yourself,

ponder when you stood before those more powerful.

Chapter 26 on Abstaining from Eating Meat 

251

How can he practice true compassion

who eats the flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh?

252

Riches cannot be found in the hands of the thriftless,

nor can compassion be found in the hearts of those who eat meat.

253

He who feasts on a creature’s flesh is like he who wields a weapon.

Goodness is never one with the minds of these two.

254

If you ask, “What is kindness and what is unkindness?”

It is not-killing and killing. Thus, eating flesh is never virtuous.

255

Life is perpetuated by not eating meat.

The jaws of Hell close on those who do.

256

If the world did not purchase and consume meat,

no one would slaughter and offer meat for sale.

257

When a man realizes that meat is the butchered flesh

of another creature, he will abstain from eating it.

258

Insightful souls who have abandoned the passion to hurt others

will not feed on flesh that life has abandoned.

259

Greater than a thousand ghee offerings consumed in sacrificial

fires is to not sacrifice and consume any living creature.

260

All life will press palms together in prayerful adoration

of those who refuse to slaughter or savor meat.

Chapter 27 on Austerity 

261 

It is the nature of asceticism to patiently endure hardship

and to not harm living creatures.

262 

Austerity belongs to the naturally austere.

Others may attempt it, but to no avail.

263 

Is it because they must provide for renunciates

that others forget to perform penance?

264 

Should he but wish it, an ascetic’s austerities

will ruin his foes and reward his friends.

265 

In this world men do austerities diligently,

assured of acquiring desires they desire.

266 

Men who follow some austerity fulfill their karma.

All others, ensnared in desires, act in vain.

267 

As the intense fire of the furnace refines gold to brilliance, so does

the burning suffering of austerity purify the soul to resplendence.

268 

One who has realized by himself his soul’s Self

will be worshiped by all other souls.

269 

So potent is the power acquired through disciplined self-denial

that those who attain it may even delay the moment of death.

270 

A few people fast and abstain, while most do not.

Due to this, many suffer deprivation.

Chapter 28 on Deceptive Conduct 

271 

A deceiver’s own five elements remain undeceived

by his double-dealing mind and silently mock him.

272 

Of what avail is an outer appearance of saintliness

if the mind suffers inwardly from knowledge of its iniquity?

273 

He who has not attained the power yet wears the garb of saints

is like a cow that grazes about wearing a tiger’s skin.

274 

He who conceals himself beneath holy robes and commits sins

is like a hunter hiding in the bushes to snare unwary birds.

275 

The day will come when those who claim dispassion

yet act deceitfully exclaim,”Alas! Alas! What have I done?”

276 

None is so heartless as he who, without renunciation in his heart,

poses as a renunciate and lives in pretense.

277 

Like the poisonous jequirity bean, with its red and black sides,

there are outwardly dazzling men whose insides are dark.

278 

Many are the men who piously bathe in purifying waters,

while in their black hearts impure conduct lies concealed.

279 

The arrow is straight but cruel; the lute is crooked but sweet.

Therefore, judge men by their acts, not their appearance.

280 

Neither shaven head nor long matted locks are needed,

provided one casts off conduct condemned by the world.

Chapter 29 on Avoidance of Fraud 

281

He who wishes not to be scorned by others

guards his own mind against the slightest thought of fraud.

282

The mere thought of sin is sin. Therefore,

avoid even the thought of stealing from another.

283

A fortune amassed by fraud may appear to prosper

but will all too soon perish altogether.

284

Taking delight in defrauding others yields the fruit

of undying suffering when those delights ripen.

285

Benevolent thoughts and kindly feelings flee from those

who watch for another’s unwatchfulness to swindle his property.

286

Those who walk deceit’s desirous path

cannot hope to work wisdom’s measured way.

287

The dark deceits of fraud cannot be found

in those who desire the greatness called virtue.

288

As righteousness resides in the hearts of the virtuous,

so does deceit dwell in the hearts of thieves.

289

Men who know nothing but deception die a little

each time they contrive their crooked deeds.

290

Even the life in his body will abandon him who cheats others,

while Heaven itself never forsakes those who are honest.

Chapter 30 on Truthfulness 

291

What is truthfulness? It is speaking words

which are totally free from harmful effects.

292

Even falsehood is of the nature of truth

if it renders good results, free from fault.

293

Let one not speak as true what he knows to be false,

for his conscience will burn him when he has lied.

294

One who lives by truth in his own heart

truly lives in the hearts of all people.

295

Those who speak only truth from the heart

surpass even penitents and philanthropists.

296

No prestige surpasses the absence of falsehood;

all other virtues flow from it effortlessly.

297

Not lying, and merely not lying, is beneficial

for those who cannot or will not practice other virtues.

298

Water is sufficient to cleanse the body,

but truthfulness alone can purify the mind.

299

Not all lamps give light.

The lamp of not-lying is the learned man’s light.

300

Among all great truths we have ever beheld,

not a single one rivals the goodness of telling the truth.

Chapter 31 on Avoidance of Anger 

301

It is restraint that restrains rage when it can injure.

If it cannot harm, what does restraint really matter?

302

Wrath is wrong even when it cannot cause injury,

but when it can, there is nothing more evil.

303

Forget anger toward all who have offended you,

for it gives rise to teeming troubles.

304

Anger kills the face’s smile and the heart’s joy.

Does there exist a greater enemy than one’s own anger?

305

If a man be his own guard, let him guard himself against rage.

Left unguarded, his own wrath will annihilate him.

306

Anger’s fire engulfs all who draw near it,

burning even friends and family who risk rescue.

307

As a man trying to strike the ground with his hand can hardly fail,

just as surely will one who treasures his temper be destroyed.

308

Though others inflict wrongs as painful as flaming torches,

it is good if a man can refrain from inflammatory tantrums.

309

If hostile thoughts do not invade his mind,

all his other thoughts may swiftly manifest.

310

As men who have died resemble the dead,

so men who have renounced rage resemble renunciates.

Chapter 32 on Avoidance of Injuring Others 

311 

Even if injuring others would bring princely riches,

the pure in heart would still avoid it.

312 

It is the principle of the pure in heart never to injure others,

even when they themselves have been hatefully injured.

313 

Harming others, even enemies who harmed you unprovoked,

surely brings incessant sorrow.

314 

If you return kindness for injuries received and forget both,

Those who harmed you will be punished by their own shame.

315 

What good is a man’s knowledge unless it prompts him

to prevent the pain of others as if it were his own pain?

316 

Actions that are known to harm oneself

should never be inflicted upon others.

317 

The highest principle is this: never knowingly

harm anyone at any time in any way.

318 

Why does he who knows what injury to his own life is like inflict injury upon other living human beings?

319 

If a man visits sorrow on another in the morning,

sorrow will visit him unbidden in the afternoon.

320 

All suffering recoils on the wrongdoer himself. Thus, those

desiring not to suffer refrain from causing others pain.

Chapter 33 on Avoidance of Killing 

321 

What is virtuous conduct? It is never destroying life,

for killing leads to every other sin.

322 

Of all virtues summed by ancient sages, the foremost are to

share one’s food and to protect all living creatures.

323 

Not killing is the first and foremost good.

The virtue of not lying comes next.

324 

What is the good way? It is the path that reflects on

how it may avoid killing any living creature.

325 

Among all who disown the world out of dismay,

the foremost, dismayed with killing, embrace nonkilling.

326 

Life-devouring death will not lay waste the living days

of one whose code of conduct is to never kill.

327 

Refrain from taking precious life from any living being,

even to save your own life.

328 

By sacrifice of life, some gain great wealth and welfare,

but great men scorn such odious gains.

329 

Those whose trade is killing creatures are deemed defiled

by men who know the defiling nature of being mean.

330 

They say that beggars who suffer a depraved life

in a diseased body once deprived another’s body of its life.

Chapter 34 on Impermanence of All Things 

331

There is no baser folly than the infatuation

that looks upon the ephemeral as if it were everlasting.

332

Amassing great wealth is gradual, like the gathering of a theater

crowd. Its dispersal is sudden, like that same crowd departing.

333

Wealth’s nature is to be unenduring.

Upon acquiring it, quickly do that which is enduring.

334

Though it seems a harmless gauge of time, to those who fathom it,

a day is a saw steadily cutting down the tree of life.

335

Do good deeds with a sense of urgency,

before death’s approaching rattle strangles the tongue.

336

What wondrous greatness this world possesses—

that yesterday a man was, and today he is not.

337

Men do not know if they will live another moment,

yet their thoughts are ten million and more.

338

The soul’s attachment to the body is like that of a fledgling,

which forsakes its empty shell and flies away.

339

Death is like falling asleep,

and birth is like waking from that sleep.

340

Not yet settled in a permanent home,

the soul takes temporary shelter in a body.

Chapter 35 on Renunciation 

341 

Whatsoever a man has renounced,

from the sorrow born of that he has freed himself.

342 

The greatest gladness in the world comes after renunciation.

Let men desiring that rapture renounce early in life.

343 

The five senses must be subdued,

and every desire simultaneously surrendered.

344 

The ascetic’s austerity permits not a single possession,

for possessions draw him back into delusion.

345 

What are life’s petty attachments to the man who seeks severance

from future births, when even his body is a burden?

346 

One who slays the conceit that clamors “I” and “mine”

will reach a realm above the celestials’ world.

347 

If one clings to his attachments, refusing to let go,

sorrows will not let go their grip on him.

348 

Those who perfectly renounce attain the highest peak;

the rest remain ensnared in delusion’s net.

349 

Birth ceases when all attachments are severed;

until then, one only sees life’s impermanence.

350 

Attach yourself to Him who is free from all attachments.

Bind yourself to that bond so all other bonds may be broken.

Chapter 36 on Knowledge of Truth 

351 

The muddled mentality that mistakes the unreal for the Real

is the genesis of woeful births.

352 

For those of undimmed perception, free from delusion,

darkness departs and rapture rushes in.

353 

Heaven is nearer than Earth for those who

dispel all doubt and know the Truth.

354 

All knowledge acquired through the five senses is worthless

to those without knowledge of Truth.

355 

In everything of every kind whatsoever,

wisdom perceives Truth in that thing.

356 

Those who find the highest Reality here and now

follow a path which never comes back to this world.

357 

Having thought profoundly and realized fully That which is,

one need never think of being born again.

358 

Wisdom is that rare realization of Perfection’s True Being,

which banishes forever the folly of rebirth.

359 

He who clings to life’s true support clings not to lesser things.

Sorrows, which destroy by clinging, no longer cling to him.

360 

Desire, delusion and indignation—annihilation of these

three terms is the termination of torment.

Chapter 37 on Eradication of Desire 

361 

At all times and to all creatures,

the seed of ceaseless births is desire.

362 

If you must desire, desire freedom from birth.

That will only come by desiring desirelessness.

363 

Here no fortune is as dear as desirelessness;

and even there, nothing like it can be found.

364 

Purity is but freedom from desire,

and that comes from thirsting after Truth.

365 

They say only those who have renounced desire are renunciates. Others, though they have renounced all else, are not.

366 

As it is desire, above all else, which deceives a man,

ascetics rightfully dread it.

367 

Desisting from all desire-driven deeds, a renouncer

finds liberation approaching, just as he desired.

368 

He who has no desires has no sorrow.

But where desire exists, endless sorrows ensue.

369 

When desire, sorrow’s sorrow, dies away,

undying bliss prevails here on Earth.

370 

It is the nature of desire never to be fulfilled, but he who utterly

gives it up is eternally fulfilled at that very moment.