Verse 7.52

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

सप्तकस्यास्य वर्गस्य सर्वत्रैवानुषङ्गिणः ।
पूर्वं पूर्वं गुरुतरं विद्याद् व्यसनमात्मवान् ॥ ५२ ॥

saptakasyāsya vargasya sarvatraivānuṣaṅgiṇaḥ |
pūrvaṃ pūrvaṃ gurutaraṃ vidyād vyasanamātmavān || 52 ||

The self-disciplined man should know that in this set of seven which spreads everywhere, each preceding vice is more serious than the succeeding one.—(52)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Between Drinking and Gambling, Drinking is the more serious; because this entails loss of consciousness; by it the unmaddened man becomes maddened, the living man becomes dead, the man exposes his private parts, loses his friends, is abandoned by good men and becomes associated with bad persons; becomes addicted to singing and other vices, shamelessly gives out bis love and other secrets; the respected man becomes an object of obloquy, even the otherwise serious man becomes liable to talk at random, when suffering from intoxication. Such are the evil effects of Drinking. In the case of Gambling on the other hand, the man who knows the art of gambling always wins, and also for one who does not know the art there is only partial loss.

Between Woman and Gambling, the vice of Gambling is more serious. In Gambling what is won by the man becomes poison for himself; winning always gives rise to enmities, since it is only loss that is common to several people; it also leads to the loss of what may have been already enjoyed; then again, on account of the checking of the calls of nature, the body becomes dull and a breeding-ground of disease; so that even Blight causes become productive of much pain; (such is the spirit of gambling that) even at the death of his mother the man keeps on his gambling; even when he has attained success, he cannot be drawn away from it even by bis well-wishers; he ceases to trust even such persons as avoid other people’s belongings like heated iron; he neglects to give food and other things to persons that are hungry and in straitened circumstances; even though endowed with all estimable qualities, he comes to be despised, as a blade of grass. Such are the evils of gambling. In the vice connected with woman on the other hand, there is this good that the man obtains children, enjoys excellent dinners and nice articles of toilet; so that he secures wealth as well as some virtue. Further, it is possible to employ women on state-business, and also for the purpose of rendering people open to stigma and censure.

Between Woman and Hunting, the vice in connection with women is more serious. Under its influence, the King neglects his business; becoming addicted to women, he acquires distaste for state-business, he wastes time and loses in virtue, becomes addicted to the evils of drinking as also to lying and other pernicious habits. In Hunting on the other hand, there is physical exercise, a lessening of the humours of bile and phlegm, reduction of obesity, markmanship in ariming (aiming?) at moving as well as standing targets, also practice of hitting; the king also aquires a degree of alertness and cultivates the acquaintance of the village-folk.

Thus in the set of four vices proceeding from love of pleasure, that which precedes is more abominable than that which follows.

In the set born of anger also, assaulting is beset with evils, and is followed by addiction to lying and other evil habits. Between Assaulting and Cruelty of speech, Assaulting is more serious. In the case of assault, making up becomes impossible, while in the case of cruel speech the fire of auger and hatred is capable of being appeased by the subsequent bestowals of gifts and honour.

Between cruel speech and misappropriation of property, cruel speech is the more serious. Even high-minded persons become afflicted and perturbed in mind by cruel speech. To this effect we have the following saying:—

‘Even a powerful sword, or a black dart, entering the bone may make the body free from pain, when removed, but words never disappear from the heart; that which is pierced by an arrow grows again; the forest cut off by the axe again flourishes; but that which is wounded by rough and indecent speech never flourishes again’.

Misappropriation of property on the other hand is looked upon as an effect of ill-luck and as such high-minded people donot feel keenly about it.

Thus it is shown that in these two sets the preceding vice is more serious than the succeeding one.—(52)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 148).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 7.45-53)

See Comparative notes for Verse 7.45.