Verse 7.53

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

व्यसनस्य च मृत्योश्च व्यसनं कष्टमुच्यते ।
व्यसन्यधोऽधो व्रजति स्वर्यात्यव्यसनी मृतः ॥ ५३ ॥

vyasanasya ca mṛtyośca vyasanaṃ kaṣṭamucyate |
vyasanyadho'dho vrajati svaryātyavyasanī mṛtaḥ || 53 ||

Between Vice & Death, Vice is said to be more harmful; the vicious man sinks down and down; but the dead man, without vices, ascends to heaven.—(53)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Though both death and vice deprive one of every thing, yet there is this difference between them that death deprives one of everything, only in this world, while vice deprives him of all things in this world as well as in heaven.

‘The vicious man sinks down and down’—falls into hell.

The term ‘vicious’ denotes excessive addiction to the aforesaid sets of vices. Hence it is such repeated addiction that is forbidden; not merely having recourse to them once in a way.

These vices become destructive of virtue, wealth, pleasure and life, even in the case of ordinary men; what to say of Kings? At the same time it would not be right to] abandon drinking etc. entirely; nor would it be possible; hence it is the habit that is forbidden.—(53)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted on Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 414);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 149), which explains ‘adhodho vrajati’ as ‘falls into hell,’ and adds that hells have been described as located in the Nether Regions (that is why they are spoken of as ‘adhaḥ,’ ‘down below’).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 7.45-53)

See Comparative notes for Verse 7.45.