सनत्सुजात उवाच शोकः क्रोधश्च लोभश्च कामो मानः परासुता। ईर्ष्या मोहो विधित्सा च कृपाऽसूया जुगुप्सुता॥ द्वादशैते महादोषा मनुष्यप्राणनाशनाः।
Sanat-Sujata said Grief, anger, avarice, desire, vanity, idleness, malice, stupidity, love of gain, affection, jealousy and evil speech these twelve are great evils leading to the destruction of the life of man.
एकैकमेते राजेन्द्र मनुष्यान् पर्युपासते। यैराविष्टो नरः पापं मूढसंज्ञो व्यवस्यति॥
Each of this, O chief among kings, awaits (opportunity for getting into its clutches) mankind. Man affected with them loses his senses and does sinful acts.
स्पृहयालुरुचः पुरुषो वा वदान्यः क्रोधं बिभ्रन्मनसा वै विकत्थी। नृशंसधर्माः षडिमे जना वै प्राप्याप्यर्थं नोत सभाजयन्ते।॥
He who loves pleasure; he who is haughty; he who harsh of speech; he who talks too much; he who nurses and feeds anger in the heart and he who speaks ill of others-these six sorts of men of wicked disposition, having even gained their objects, do not treat others with politeness.
सम्भोगसंविद् विषमोऽतिमानी दत्त्वा विकत्थी कृपणो दुर्बलश्च। बहुप्रशंसी वन्दितद्विट् सदैव सप्तैवोक्ताः पापशीला नृशंसाः॥
He who is too much attached enjoyment, he who boats after giving away, he to who speaks evil, he who is a miser, he who is (mentally) weak, he who praises himself too much and he who hates his wife-these seven are ever spoken of as vicious wrenches.
धर्मश्च सत्यं च तपो दमश्च अमात्सर्यं ह्रीस्तितिक्षाऽनसूया। दानं श्रुतं चैव धृतिः क्षमा च महाव्रता द्वादश ब्राह्मणस्य॥
Righteousness, truth, asceticism, selfcontrol, contentment, modesty, patience, unselfishness, gifts, acquaintance with the holy books, wisdom, forgiveness, are the twelve great vows of a Brahmanas.
यो नैतेभ्यः प्रच्यवेद् द्वादशभ्यः सर्वामपीमां पृथिवीं स शिष्यात्। त्रिभिभ्यिामेकतो वाऽर्थितो यो नास्य स्वमस्तीति च वेदितव्यम्॥
He, who does not deviate from these twelve, can rule even the whole of this earth. He who is graced with these two or even one, does not regard anything as solely his own.
दमस्त्यागोऽथाप्रमाद इत्येतेष्वमृतं स्थितम्। एतानि ब्रह्ममुख्यानां ब्राह्मणानां मनीषिणाम्॥
Self-control, renunciation and knowledge-on these depends immortality. These are the attributes of those learned Brahmanas, who regard Brahma as the Prime Being.
सद् वासद् वा परीवादो ब्राह्मणस्य न शस्यते। नरकप्रतिष्ठास्ते वै स्युर्य एव कुर्वते जनाः॥
True or false, speaking ill of others, is not proper for a Brahmana. People who do this have hell for their abode.
मदोऽष्टादशदोषः स स्यात् पुरा योऽप्रकीर्तितः। लोकद्वेष्यं प्रातिकूल्यमभ्यसूया मृषा वचः॥
Mada has eighteen vices which have not before been described. (They are) hatred towards men, acting against the interests of others, speaking ill of others who do not deserve it, untruthfulness,
कामक्रोधौ पारतन्त्र्यं परिवादोऽथ पैशुनम्। अर्थहानिर्विवादश्च मात्सर्यं प्राणिपीडनम्॥
Desire, anger, excessive reliance on others, blaming others, calumny, waste of wealth, true quarrels, imprudence, oppression on living beings.
ईर्ष्या मोदोऽतिवादश्च संज्ञानाशोऽभ्यसूयिता। तस्मात् प्राज्ञो न माद्येत सदा ह्येतद् विगर्हितम्॥
Envy, ignorance, excessive speech, loss of the senses and the desire to harm others. Therefore should a wise man never yield to Mada. It is ever reprehensible.
सौहृदे वै षड् गुणा वेदितव्याः प्रिये हृष्यन्त्यप्रिये च व्यथन्ते। स्यादात्मनः सुचिरं याचते यो ददात्ययाच्यमपि देयं खलु स्यात्। नभ्यर्थितश्चार्हति शुद्धभावः॥
In friendship, it should be known, are six virtues; they (friends) are delighted in (their friend's) prosperity and pained in their adversity; if a man asks for anything that ought not to be asked for, it is at once given.
त्यक्तद्रव्यः संवसेन्नेह कामाद् भुङ्क्ते कर्म स्वाशिषं बाधते च॥
One (a friend) who is pure mind when asked, gives away every blessing that he enjoys his wealth, his son, himself, his wife even. A friend should not reside in the house of him whom he has given away everything but should live on what is earned by himself alone.
द्रव्यवान् गुणवानेव त्यागी भवति सात्त्विकः। पञ्च भूतानि पञ्चभ्यो निवर्तयति तादृशः॥
The godly man of possessions and virtues, who wants to be thus endued with virtue, should turn away his five senses from their five objects.
एतत् समृद्धमप्यूर्ध्वं तपो भवति केवलम्। सत्त्वात् प्रच्यवमानानां संकल्पेन समाहितम्॥
Such acquirement of noble qualities constitutes asceticism. These who practice these with patience attain to emancipation.
यतो यज्ञाः प्रवर्धन्ते सत्यस्यैवावरोधनात्। मनसान्यस्य भवति वाचान्यस्याथ कर्मणा॥
Owing to having understood the nature of truth of which are directed all sacrifices, a certain class of men perform sacrifices by the mind (meditation), another by words (recitation of hymns) and another by actions.
संकल्पसिद्धं पुरुषमसंकल्पोऽधितिष्ठति। ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषेण किञ्चान्यदपि मे शृणु॥
In a man, who knows Brahma through his attributes, resides truth; in one who knows him as himself (i.e. does not regard him as the sum total of certain attributes) it resides more completely. Hear me now on some other subjects.
अध्यापयेन्महदेतद् यशस्यं वाचो विकाराः कवयो वदन्ति। अस्मिन् योगे सर्वमिदं प्रतिष्ठितं ये तद् विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति॥
This grand system of philosophy should be taught to those who desire to obtain Brahma; all other systems, are mere tissues of words, which wise men declare. On this philosophy all this universe stands and those who know it become immortal.
न कर्मणा सुकृतेनैव राजन् सत्यं जयेज्जुहुयाद् वा यजेद् वा। नैतेन बालोऽमृत्युमभ्येति राजन् रति चासौ न लभत्यन्तकाले॥
By means of deeds well done, Oking, one cannot obtain Truth; whether he offers libations on the Homa fire or performs sacrificial ceremonies; the man of childlike simplicity does not obtain immortality. O king, nor does he obtain satisfaction in the end.
तूष्णीमेक उपासीत चेष्टेत मनसाऽपि न। तथा संस्तुतिनिन्दाभ्यां प्रीतिरोषौ विवर्जयेत्॥
Bringing all the senses under control and alone one should seek Brahma; he should not work even by the mind and while so employed one should avoid joy and eager at praise and blame.
अत्रैव तिष्ठन् क्षत्रिय ब्रह्माविशति पश्यति। वेदेषु चानुपूर्येण एतद् विद्वन् ब्रवीमि ते॥
Living a life according to this and doing one by one all that is prescribed in the Vedas, OKshatriya, does a man learn and see Brahma, O learned one, I tell you this.