प्रजागर पर्व — विदुरद्वारा विवेचित नीतिका सिद्धान्त

Vidura said The heart of a young man soars high, when an old man comes (to his house). He gets it back after rising up and according him a suitable welcome.

A wise man should give good guest a seat, bring water and have his feet washed off. And he should ask him about his welfare and speak of his own matters; then again, he should offer him food after consideration (as to what food is best suitable.)

He, whose water, honey, curds and kine, one versed in the Mantras (Brahmana) does not accept either owing to fear (on the part of the Brahmana) or to unwillingness and miserliness (on the part of the host), lives in vain; which the wise have declared.

A physician, a manufacturer of arrows, one who has given up the of Brahmacharya before the proper time, a thief, a crooked-minded man, a drunkard Brahmana, one who kills the child in the womb, one who lives by serving in the army and a seller of holy books are exceedingly dear as guests, through they may be unworthy of the offer of water.

Salt, cooked-food, curds, milk, honey, oil, clarified butter, sesame, flesh, fruits and roots, herbs and vegetables, red cloths, all sorts of perfumery and molasses must not be sold (by a Brahmana).

He who does not yield to wrath, who values equally a piece of earth with stone or gold, who is not touched by grief who is indifferent to friendship or enmity, who cares not for praise or blame and who avoids what is agreeable and disagreeable like one who has renounced the world, is a Bhikshuka.

The ascetic, who lives on rice growing wild and roots and vegetables, who has his soul under control, who is ever careful if his fire (that it may not be extinguished), who living in the forest is not indifferent to his guests, is considered to be holy and the foremost of his brotherhood.

After doing harm to an intelligent man, one should not console himself by saying that he is at a distance. The intelligent man who has been injured has long arms to return the injury.

One must not trust another who should not be trusted, nor put too much trust on one worthy of trust. The calamity born of such trust cuts down even the very roots.

One should live without showing envy, protect his wife, divide everything property and suitably, be of sweet speech and be mild and sweet in his address to his wife and yet be not her slave.

Worthy of worship, highly blessed, virtuous, forming the light of their homes-such are the wives, who are the visible embodiments of household felicity. It is therefore, they should be specially protected.

The supervision of the inner apartments should be entrusted to one's father, (that of) the kitchen should be entrusted to his mother, (that of) the cows should be entrusted to some body considered equal to himself; but the supervision of agriculture should be attended to by himself.

The guests who carry on commerce should be waited on by servants; but the quests of the twice-born caste by one's sons. Out of water has arisen fore; and out of Brahma, the Kshatriya; and out of stone, iron.

The force of these extend to everything; but it is neutralized of what it is born. Those good people who are born in high families have always a spirit similar to fire.

Those born is high families are endued with a forgiving nature; and stay like fire in the wood without showing any outward symptoms. The king, whose intentions cannot be known by outsiders and even by his own officers and who has his eyes everywhere, enjoys long prosperity. One should not speak of what he wants to do, nor show what he has already done.

Let not the intention, to do acts to be done either for virtue, worldly good or gratifying desires, be made known to others. Having ascended the top of a mountain or the roof of a palace.

Or proceeding to a forest shorn of grass, one should think of his purposes. One who is not a friend, O Bharata, should not be made aware of important secrets.

Nor a friend who is not learned, nor a learned friend who has not his mind under control. a king should not appoint any body his own counselor without a trial.

On the minister depend the desire for wealth (of the king) and the carrying out of his intentions. He, whose followers know all acts only after they are done or acts done for the sake of virtue, worldly good or gratification of desire, is the chief among kings, O king. The success of that king, whose intentions are not known is undoubted.

He who does uncommendable acts out of ignorance loses even his life, owing to the unexpected consequences of his acts.

The doing of acts that are commendable leads to happiness; the omission to do these acts causes injury afterwards, which is my opinion.

As a Brahmana, without studying the Vedas, is unfit to officiate at a Shradha, so one who has not heard of the six means (for protecting a kingdom) is not fit to hear of the purposes (of a king).

One, who knows about the increase, decrease and surplus of revenue in the kingdom, who knows the six means and himself, one whose conduct is never spoken ill of, has the world under his subjection.

He whose wrath and joy are unfailing (to produce some results), who himself superiors over what is to be done, who has his treasury under his own control, has the world under his subjection.

The lord of the earth should be satisfied with the name he earns and the umbrella (held over his head as a sign of royalty) and should divided the wealth among his servants and not be the sole possessor of everything.

A Brahmana knows a Brahmana in the same way as the nusband knows the wife. A king knows his minister and a monarch knows a monarch.

An enemy who deserves death should not be set liberty when under control. when one is weak, an enemy should be flattered though deserving of death; but he should be killed on the acquirement of strength. When not killed, dangers arise from him soon.

The resentment against the gods, the king, the Brahmanas should ever be suppressed with an effort; as also that against old men, children and helpless person.

A wise man should avoid unprofitable quarrels, to which fools alone are parties. By this one gains fame in this world and avoids misery.

Him whose favour is without consequence and whose wrath does no harm the people do not desire to have for a lord; even as women do not want to have an impotent man to be their husband.

Intelligence is not for the acquirement of wealth; and laziness is not the cause of adversity. The wise man knows the history of the different conditions of man; but others do not.

Fools have ever made light of those who are learned, old in age, old in intelligence, superior in wealth in wealth and in birth, O Bharata.

Misery soon comes on him who leads a vicious life, who is wanting in wisdom, who is envious and sinful and who is wicked in speech and given to anger.

Absence of deceitfulness, gift, observance of the respect due to others, subjugate all creature, so does well conducted speech.

He, who has no deceit in him, who is skillful, grateful, intelligent and simple minded, gets friends even if his treasury has been drained off.

Wisdom, calmness of mind, self-control, holiness, the reverse of harshness in speech and the intention never to injure one's friends, these seven are to prosperity, even as fuel to the fire.

Who does not give to others their dues, who is of a vicious soul and ungrateful and who has no sense of shame-such a wretch should, O king, be avoided in this world.

He cannot sleep at night in peace, like one having a serpent in the room; who, being a guilty person himself, provokes other people against one who is innocent.

Persons, who when tainted with a vice are capable to injuring others by depriving them of their possessions and removing the means of their livelihood, should ever be propitiated like the gods with promptitude.

Those objects which depend for their obtainment on women, men whose mind has been distracted, men who have fallen from their original state of purity and those that depend on the vicious, are all doubtful of fulfillment.

Where a woman or where a child or where a wicked man is the guide, there, O king, persons (who make them guides) are as helpless as a stone in a river, which sinks.

Those that are capable of grasping the general principle of things, through they may be ignorant of details, are learned men. This is my opinion, O Bharata; for details are small matters.

The man, whom deceitful persons praise, whom spies praise and whom immoral women praise, does not live (long).

Having abandoned those mighty bowmen, the Pandavas of unlimited prowess, you have, O Bharata, entrusted a great lordship on Duryodhana.

You shall soon see him fallen from that lordship, even as foolish Vali, who was proud of his power fallen from the three worlds.