Prajagara Parva — Code of morality of Vidura

Vaishampayana said The Lord of the Earth Dhritarashtra of great wisdom, said to his attendant-I desire to see Vidura. Bring him here without delay.

Being sent by Dhritarashtra the messenger said to the Kshatriya-"O you of great wisdom, my lord, the king wants to see you."

Being thus addressed, Vidura, having come to the royal palace, said to the gate keeper-'Announce me to Dhritarashtra.'

The gate keeper said O chief among kings, Vidura, having come here at your command, desires to behold your feet. Command me what he is to do.

Dhritarashtra said Let the very wise Vidura endued with great foresight enter. I am always willing and prepared to see Vidura.

The gate keeper said O Kshattri, enter the inner apartments of the wise king; the king told me that he was never unwilling to see you.

Vaishampayana said Then Vidura having entered the palace of Dhritarashtra said with clasped hands to the lord of men who was absorbed in thought.

O you of great wisdom, I am Vidura, come here by your command, if there is anything to be done, here I am; command me.

Dhritarashtra said O Vidura, Sanjaya has arrived here and having found fault with me gone away; the message of Yudhishthira he will deliver in the council.

This day was I unable to know (the nature of) the message of the hero among the Kurus; therefore is my body burning, which has caused sleeplessness.

What you consider good for a man who gets no sleep and whose body is burning, tell (me) you are versed in what is regions and what leads to profit.

Since Sanjaya has come back from the Pandavas, I have not my usual calmness of mind; all my senses are in disorders I am thinking what he will say.

Vidura said Sleeplessness overpowers one attacked by a stronger man, the weak, those who have failed to attain an end, those whose wealth has been stolen, those fired with desire and thieves.

I hope, O Lord of men, you have not been affected by any of these grave evils nor are you possessed by covetousness at other people's wealth.

Dhritarashtra said I desire to hear words from you that are at once moral in spirit and beneficial; in this race i of royal devotees; you are the only one ; hundred by the wise.

Vidura said He is said to be a wise man, whom for a consciousness of the power of one's own self, exertion, forbearance and constancy in religion does not draw aside from the acquisition of the high ends in life.

He is said to be a wise man whom anger, exultation, pride, shame, stupefaction and vanity cannot draw aside from the acquisition of the high ends in life.

He is said to be a wise man whose proposed acts, line of action agreed on are not known to other and known only after they have been put into execution.

He is called a wise man whose acts are not hampered by cold, heat, fear, lust prosperity or adversity.

He is called a wise man whose wisdom naturally follows both religion and profit and who chooses such course of life as is of use in both the worlds and not acts immediately resulting in pleasure.

Wise men exert to the best of their ability and also act to the best of their ability and they disregard nothing.

It the wisdom of the foremost wise man to understand quickly, listen pertinently and having understood the effects of action not to follow them from desire to get pleasure (but from judgment) and not to connect one's self with other peoples' affairs unsolicited.

Men with the wisdom of a wise man do not strive for the unattainable, do not grieves for what is lost and do not lose their senses in calamities.

He is said to be a wise man who exerts after having decided on a courts of action and who dose not stop in the middle, who dose not waste his time and who has his self under control.

Wise men rejoice in virtuous deeds and do those that tend to their prosperity and look not with contempt on what is good.

He is said be a wise man who dose not exult in honors to himself and grieves not at intuits and who remains unagitated like a lake near the Ganga.

That man is said to be wise who is cognizant of the nature of all creatures (their ultimate destructibility), of the connections (causes and effects) of all acts and the means of human beings (employed in the attainment of their ends).

He is said to be a wise man who speaks boldly, can talk on diverse subjects, can argue well, has genius and who can explain the meaning of what is written in books at once.

He gains the reputation of wise man who regulates his studies by wisdom and whose wisdom follows the books, who is ever ready to respect those that are good.

Wise men call them fools, who though not learned are haughty, though poor are vain and who are who are are desirous of attaining prosperity by wrong acts.

He is said be a fool who neglecting his own interests looks after those of others and who resorts to deceit for (serving) his friends.

He is said to be foolish-minded who desires what ought not to be desired and forsakes those that are fit to be desired and who treats stronger parties with contempt.

He is said be foolish-minded who makes friends of those that are foes and who hates and slays that are well-wishers and who commits wicked acts.

He is a fool who gives out his intended acts, who has doubts in every case and who delays in doing things that ought to be done quickly.

He is said to be foolish-minded who dose not give offerings to his ancestors, (Pitris), who dose not worship gods and who dose not (manage to) get good-hearted friends.

That fool the worst of men who enters unasked, speaks much unsolicited and has; confidence in those that are untrust-worthy.

That man is the worst of fools who throws the blame on others, though himself is to blame and who is though unable to do anything.

He is said to be foolish-headed in this world who is desirous of an object hard to gain without knowing his own strength, without employing adequate means for it and the object if gained securing him neither merit in heaven nor profit in this world.

He is said to be foolish-minded who punishes, Oking him who deserves not punishment, who flatters big people without their knowledge and who attends on misers.

He is said to be a wise man who, having acquired immense wealth, learning or power, conducts himself without any haughtiness.

Who is meaner then he who though possessed of riches eats and wears pretty looking dresses alone without sharing them amongst his dependents.

One man dose wicked deeds while the fruit is enjoyed by many; others enjoy while the doer alone is blamed.

Only one may or may not be killed by a bowman who has shot an arrow but when a wise man employs his wisdom (viciously) a kingdom may be destroyed along with the king.

Discriminating the two (right and wrong or the transient and the permanent effect of actions) by means of the one (intellect), bring under your control the three (friend, foe and one who is indifferent in these respects or desire, anger and greed) by means of four (Conciliation, gift dissension and punishment) and subjugating the five (senses) and knowing the six (treaty, war, hunger, thirst, calamity, imbecility, old age and death or desire anger, greed, &c) and keeping yourself away from the seven (women, dice, hunting, drink, harshness of speech severity of punishment and misuse of wealth) be happy.

Poison kills but one and also one is slain by a weapon, while disagreement between ministers destroys a king with the kingdom and the subjects.

Alone one should not taste a delicious dish, alone one should not think of profitable undertakings, alone one should not go on a journey and alone one should not be awake amidst those that are asleep.

The Being, who has no rival, whom you have not been able to comprehend, is Truth and the Way to Heaven, like a boat in the ocean.

There is but one defect in persons of a forgiving disposition; since people consider this man of a foregoing nature to be weak.

This defect in such a man need not be made too much of; forgiveness is a great power. For the weak as well as for the strong forgiveness is an ornament.

Forgiveness subdues (everything) in the world. What is there that cannot be accomplished by forgiveness? What can a wicked man do to one who has the sword of pacification in his hand.

Fire, falling on ground devoid of vegetation, is extinguished of itself. The unforgiving poison defiles himself with grave defects.

Virtue is the only highest good forgiveness the supreme peace, knowledge the deepest satisfaction and benevolence the one cause of happiness.

The earth devours these two, as a serpent destroys living in holes viz., a king who is not a warrior and a Brahmana who has never been away form home (to holy places).

By doing two things a man can attain to renown in this world by not indulging in harshness of speech and by disregarding the slightly his honest.

These two, 0 best of men, place confidence in others viz. The women who desire men (only because the latter are) desired by other women and the men who worship another (only because the latter is) worshipped by others.

These two are like sharp thorns consuming the body viz. the man, who being poor, has desires and one, who thought powerless, is yet wrathful.

These two cannot shine owing to the inconsistency of their acts with their station viz., the householder who does not exert and the begger who is busy.

These two men, O king, are placed above heaven, viz. the powerful man graced with forgiveness and the poor man with charity.

Of things earned by just means these two must be looked upon as abuses viz. gifts to the unworthy and refusal to the worthy.

These two are fit to be thrown into the water with stones firmly bound to their necks viz. the wealthy man who does not make gifts and the poor man who is a devotee.

These two, O best of men, pierce the orb of the sun viz. an itinerant versed in yoga and one slain when engaged in battle.

Men are known to have three means (for attaining of their ends) 0 best the race of Bharatas, they are kuown to people versed in the Vedas as the bad, the middling and the good.

Men too, o king, of three denominations viz., the good, bad middling; they should therefore be employed in their respective avocations-in three sorts of work. are

The three are without wealth, O king, viz., the wife, the slave and the son; what ever they earn beings to him to whom they belong.

Robbing other people of their wealth, outraging other people's wives and forsaking a friend-these three sins are consuming.

These three are the way to hell and destruction of self viz., desire, anger and greed; therefore should these three be renounced.

These three viz., a follower, one who seeks your protection saying I am your and one who has come to your house should never be forsaken, even in times of grave danger.

The grant of a boon, of a kingdom and the begetting of a son, O son of Bharata, these three are equaled by the release of foe from difficulty alone.

These four should be excluded from counsels even by a greatly powerful king-the learned men have said men of little sense should not be consulted-nor men who make unnecessary delays, iazy men and flatterers.

Let these four dwell at your house, O sire, who a householder crowned with are prosperity; viz., aged and worn out cousins, men of noble families, destitute friends and childless sisters.

Four things, O great king, were declared to bear fruit instantaneously by Brihaspati on being asked by the chief of the celestial; they are these, listen to me.

The resolve of the gods, the intellect, of the wise, the humility of the accomplished and the destruction of wicked deeds.

Four things calculated to remove fear, cause fear when improperly done-Agnihotra, the vow of silence, the vow of study and that of sacrificial ceremonies.

Five fires should be worshipped by a man with care viz., father, mother, Agni, self and spiritual guide, O best the race of Bharata.

By worshipping these five viz., the gods, the ancestors, men, beggars and guest a man obtains renown in this world.

These five follow you wherever you go viz., friends, those that are neither, dependents nor those who ought to be supported by you.

Of the five senses in this world, if one has a hole, them from that hole gets out the wisdom of an intelligent man like water, from a pot.

These six defects should be shunned by a man in this world who desires for prosperity viz., sleep drowsiness, fear, anger, laziness and procrastination.

These six should be avoided by a man like a broken boat in the sea; a tutor that cannot interpret the meaning of the holy books, a priest that is not well read, a king that cannot protect a wife given to the use of disagreeable words, a cowherd that desires always for the village (and not the pasture) and barber that desires for the wilderness.

The six qualities should never be renounced by a man viz, truth, charity, the reverse of laziness, benevolence, forgiveness and patience.

These six are destroyed through a moment's neglect viz., COWS, service, agriculture, wife, book learning and the prosperity of a Shudra.

These six always cease to care those who have previously done them good viz., a learned pupil, the tutor, he who has got a wife the mother, one whose desire has been satisfied, the woman, one whose wants have been removed, the giver, one who has crossed a river, boat and the diseased (who has been cured) and the physician.

Immunity from malady, unindebtedness, the reverse of exile, coming in contact with good men, confidence in one's own livelihood and life without fear-these six, constitute the happiness of men, O king.

The curious the malicious, the discontented, the wrathful, the ever suspicious and those living on other people's fortunesthese six are alwu miserable.

The attainment of prosperity being always healthy, a beloved wife of sweet speech, an obedient son and knowledge tending to prosperity these six constitute the happiness of men, Oking.

He who attains lordship over the six (desire, anger, grief, stupefaction, pride and vanity) that master of the senses never commits sins-how can he be smitten by grief.

These six live on six (others) and not on a seventh viz., thieves live on the absent-minded, physicians on the diseased, women on those affected with desire, priests on them that perform sacrifices, kings on persons that quarrel and wise men on the ignorant.

Seven defects which are the sources of calainity should also be avoided by a king since they always accomplish the destruction of even firmly established king.

(They are) women, dice, game, drink, harshness of speech, these five and the great severity of punishment and abuse of wealth.

Eight preliminary causes ruin a man; despising the Brahmanas, the struggle with the Brahmanas, the acquirement of a Brahmana's wealth taking the life of Brahmana, rejoicing at reviling them, disapproval of praise to them, not remembering them on occasions of festivity and finding fault with them when they ask for anything. These defects should a wise man understanding them, should avoid.

These eight are the creams of rejoicing, O son of Bharata and are obtained this world viz., union with friends, acquirement of immense wealth, embracing a son, intercourse in union, agreeable conversations at proper times, the advancement of the members of one's party, the attainment of desired results and honour and respect among men,

Eight qualities shed lustre on a man, viz., wisdom, noble blood, Self-restraint, burning prowess, moderation of speech charity to the best of one's own power and gratitude.

This house has nine doors, three pillars and five witnesses presided over by the soul. That learned man who knows this is the best of the wise.

These ten know not what virtue is, o Dhritarashtra, listen (as I name them, the intoxicated, the absent-minded, the insane, the weary, the angry, the hungry, the hasty, the covetous, the frightened and lustful, these are the ten; therefore should a wise man shun the company of these all.

In this connection people cite the old story that is related about what passed between Sudhanvan and the chief of the Asuras for the sake of his (the latter's) son.

The king, who shuns desire and spite and distributes wealth among worthy parties, is discriminating, learned, active and is regarded as an authority by all men.

One who knows how to make other people confident on him, who awards punishment after guilt has been established, knows its proper degree and knows also forgiveness it attended with great prosperity.

He is a wise man, who does think lightly of the weak (foe), who proceeds with intelligence in respect to a foe waiting for an opportunity, who does not quarrel with the strong and who shows prowess only at the proper time.

That illustrious man, who does not grieve when a calamity is already on him and who (then) experts with his senses about him and who also patiently bears calamities (when they are unavoidable), is a noble-minded one and his opponents are always subdued.

He who never remains away from home for nothing, who does not mix with wicked people, never outrages another's wife, who is not arrogant, who does not steal, is not ungrateful and does not drink, is always happy.

He who never pursues the three objects (virtue, profit and desire) in a spirit of boastfulness, who when appealed declares the truth, who does not sow discussions even for friends and who through insulted is not angry is the reverse of a fool.

He, who is not malicious towards others and who being weak does not quarrel, who does not speak haughtily and who always forgives quarrels, wins renown.

One, who is never haughty, who never speaks ill of others, praising himself and who in a moment of self forgetfulness never speaks harshly, is loved by all men.

One, who does not revive disputes that have been settled and who behaves not with too much arrogance, nor with excessive humility and who does not do a wrong deed, because he is in distress, is said to be a man, of good behaviour by very good men.

One, who exults not in his own happiness nor is giad at another's distress and who does not repent after having given away, is said by good men to be of good conduct.

He, who desires knowledge of the manners and customs of different countries and of the different languages and of the duties of the different casts, knows everything, high and low; wherever he goes, he attains to lordship over great men.

The wise man who keeps away pride, folly, impertinence, sinful deeds, disloyalty towards his sovereign, roguery enmity with many, speech with the drunk, the insane and the wicked, is a chief among men,

Charity, worship of the gods, auspicious ceremonies and the several penances laid down by men-the gods exert themselves for the advancement of him who practices these daily.

One, who forms matrimonial relationship with a man in equal station and not with those who are below him and who forms friendships with his equals and converses and treats with them, who puts those that are graced with accomplishments before him-performs acts after the best policy.

One who eats with moderation after doing excessive work, who gives away, (even) to foes when asked, is never beside himself; and evils always avoid him.

He, whose proposed acts and acts put into execution are seldom known to others and whose intentions are kept secret and put into practice suitably, does not fail in his objects even when trifling.

He, who is engaged in doing good to all creatures, who is attached to truth, not haughty, of a good mind and not a miser, is known very well among his cousins like a gem of the purest ray obtained from a good mine.

The man, who is ashamed of his faults unknown to others, is respected by all men, being of illimitable luster, of an excellent mind; and his mind is intent on his inner self and his luster shines like the sun.

The king Pandu, burning under the influence of a curse, begot in the woods, five sons each equal to Indra; under your supervision did the boys grow up and were instructed and you have been rearing them up to now, O son of Ambika.

Giving back to them their rightful kingdom, O Sire, be happy with your sons and pass your time agreeably; O Lord of man, then will you not be mistrusted by the gods, nor by the men.