alone to whom the sin attacheth while those that enjoy
the fruit escape unhurt. When a bowman shooteth
an arrow, he may or may not succeed in slaying even
a single person, but when an intelligent individual
applieth his intelligence (viciously); it may destroy
an entire kingdom with the king. Discriminating
the two by means of the one, bring under thy subjection
the three by means of four, and also conquering the
five and knowing the six, and abstaining from the
seven, be happy. Poison slayeth but one person,
and a weapon also but one; wicked counsels, however,
destroy an entire kingdom with king and subject.
Alone one should not partake of any savoury viand,
nor alone reflect on concerns of profit, nor alone
go upon a journey, nor alone remain awake among sleeping
companions. That Being who is One without a second,
and whom, O king, thou hast not been able to comprehend,
is Truth’s self, and the Way to heaven, even
like a boat in the ocean. There is one only defect
in forgiving persons, and not another; that defect
is that people take a forgiving person to be weak.
That defect, however, should not be taken into consideration,
for forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness
is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong.
Forgiveness subdueth (all) in this world; what is
there that forgiveness cannot achieve? What can
a wicked person do unto him who carrieth the sabre
of forgiveness in his hand? Fire falling on a
grassless ground is extinguished of itself. And
unforgiving individual defileth himself with many enormities.
Righteousness is the one highest good; and forgiveness
is the one supreme peace; knowledge is one supreme
contentment; and benevolence, one sole happiness.
Even as a serpent devoureth animals living in holes,
the earth devoureth these two, viz., a king who
is incompetent to fight, and a Brahmana who doth not
sojourn to holy places. A man may attain renown
in this world by doing two things, viz., by refraining
from harsh speech, and by disregarding those that
are wicked. O tiger among men, these two have
not a will of their own, viz., those women who
covet men simply because the latter are coveted by
others of their sex, and that person who worships
another simply because the latter is worshipped by
others. These two are like sharp thorns afflicting
the body, viz., the desires of a poor man, and
the anger of the impotent. These two persons never
shine because of their incompatible acts, viz.,
a householder without exertion, and a beggar busied
in schemes. These two, O king, live (as it were)
in a region higher than heaven itself, viz.,
a man of power endued with forgiveness, and poor man
that is charitable. Of things honestly got, these
two must be looked upon as misuse, viz., making
gifts to the unworthy and refusing the worthy.
These two should be thrown into the water, tightly
binding weights to their necks, viz., a wealthy
man that doth not give away, and a poor man that is