Shukra Niti by Shukracharya
by Benoy Kumar Sarkar | 1914 | 106,458 words
The English Translation of the Shukra Niti by Shukracharya: An ancient Sanskrit text possibly dating to the 4th-century BC. The text contains maxims that deal with politics, statecraft, economis and ethics and shed light on the social life, monarchy and government of ancient India as well their knowledge of early political science....
Chapter 3 - General rules of Morality
1. Now are being explained to all the ordinary rules of social polity.
2-3. The activities of all creatures are known to have happiness for their end. There can be no happiness without morality. So one should be devoted to morality [dharma].
4-5. Let not one try to get mokṣa without trying to acquire the other three [viz., dharma, artha and kāma], and let him constantly follow [the path of] mokṣa without discarding the other three. This is the [golden] mean in all religions.
6-7. One should have low hair, nails and beards and clean feet and glands, should have daily baths, use scents and decent clothing, but should not be excessively gaudy.
8-9. One should always bear medicinal substances in jewels etc. consecrated by mantras, have umbrellas and shoes and walk in the streets with eyes fixed on the straight path only.
10. And at night on occasions connected with death one should be a stick-bearer and have a head-dress.
11.[1] One should not mind other business while under a call of nature nor should use force to stop that call.
12. One should follow with respect friends who do good but keep others at distance.
13-15. One should give up by mind, body and speech the following ten sins: Envy, stealing, illegitimate passions, depravity, harshness, untruthfulness, divulgence of secrets, evil design, atheism and perverseness.
16-17. Man by practising virtues as far as possible does earn merits. There is no doubt about it.
18-19. One should not do in deed the sin that one has thought of in mind. According to religious men one has to enjoy the effects (of sinful work).(?)
20-22. One should serve as far as possible people who are out of employment, who are diseased and who are aggrieved, should always look upon even ants and worms as oneself, and even if the enemy he harmful, should be doing good to him.
23. He should have the same attitude towards prosperity and adversity, and envy not their results but their causes.
24. He should speak good, moderate, consistent, and sweet words at the proper time.
25. He should be cheerful, well-behaved, kind and gentle.
26. He should not be happy alone, should not trust every body, and should not be suspicious (or timid).
27- 28. He should not declare anybody to be his enemy nor himself to be anybody’s enemy, and should not publish the insults or cruelties of the master.
29 -30.[2] He should be wise in humouring others by attending to their likes and dislikes and ministering to them in the manner satisfactory to them.
31- 32. He should neither repress the senses nor indulge them excessively. The senses running riot easily destroy the mind.
33- 34. The antelope, the elephant, the fly, the bee and the fish—these five are ruined through sound, touch, form, smell and taste.
35. Of these the touch of females captivates the heart of even the muni,
36. So one should duly enjoy these things with restraint.
37.[3] One should not sit very near mother, sister and daughter.
38. One should call a female according to the relationship, and address her whether related or unrelated as good sister.
39-43. Living with other persons, speaking with them even publicly, independence even for a moment, and residence in their houses should not be granted to females by the husband, father, king, son, father-in-law and relatives; nor leisure for any thing besides domestic duties.
44-47. The woman gets disgusted with the husband who is cruel, barbarous, severe, always abroad, very poor and sickly, and attached to other women, and takes to some other man. Hence men should carefully avoid these defects to keep their wives.
48-49. One should keep his wife and children by giving them as far as possible clothing, food, love and affectionate words, as well as living always very near them.
50-51. One should not visit places sacred because of caityas, holy flags, shades, ashes, or regions covered with dusts, stones, or places for sacrifices and baths.
52-53. One should not cross the river by arms, nor approach a fallen fire, nor should climb a boat or a tree that is likely to give way, nor (also get into) a bad vehicle.
54-55.[4] One should not turn up the nose, nor scratch the ground, should not press the head by folded hands, attempt useless things by the limbs or remain intoxicated for long.
56. One should desist from activities of body, mind and speech before fatigue.
57- 59. One should not keep the thighs up for long, and at night should not go under trees, or to court-yards, chaityas [caityas], squares (crossings of streets) and liquor houses.
60. One should not go to solitary forests, unoccupied houses and cremation-grounds even by day.
61. One should not always look to the sun and should not carry weight by the head.
62. One should not constantly see minute things or burning, (bright) impure and unpleasant substances.
63- 64. One should not take food, or dream, study and think about women, sell liquor, practise aiming and receive or give any thing in the evening.
65- 66. Ordinary people are the guides and instructors of the wise men for all.ordinary activities. Hence the men versed in Śāstras should follow these people for social function.
67- 68. One should not abuse the king, the country, the race, the family and the religion, and should not even mentally break the custom of the folk though that were possible.
69. One should remedy what has been said or done improperly—not however by force but by reason.
70- 71. Men are very rare who can openly declare their vices. Hence the wise man should forsake the undesireables by finding them out from public opinion, as well as the rules of Śāstras.
72. One should not even in mind reflect on the immorality that looks very like morality.
73-74. ‘I am guilty of thousand offences, what if I commit one more?’ One should not practise vice by thinking in this way, for a vessel is filled by drops.
75-76. ‘How should my days and nights pass in the future?’ One should not thus be a pessimist but should always remember (past things.)
77-78.[5] One should first get rid of arrays of compound argumentative discourses, and rules got-up or made according to one’s desires, reject the-hymns, praises and adulations and then carefully collect the spirit or essence (of Śāstras).
79-80.[6] The theory of religion and moral is very complicated hence people should practise the rules of Śruti, Smṛti and Purāṇas which have been followed by the good men.
81-82. The king should neither protect nor allow residence to the friend, son, preceptor, thief and enemy who are addicted to various practices.
83-84. One should know the following six classes of enemies—those who set fire, poisoners, armed ruffians, robber of wealth, plunderers of fields and seducers of wives.
85-86. The wise man should never for a moment disregard the wife, the child, the disease, the slave, the cattle, wealth, studies and attendance to the good.
87-88. One should not live for a day at a place where the king, the rich people, the priest, the physician, the custom and the country are antagonistic to him.
89-90. One should nut live for a day at a place where the officers are impotent. and females and children barbarous, foolish and adventurous.
91-94. One should not wish for wealth, fame, life and residence at a place where the king is indiscreet, councillors are partial, the learned men are deserters of good paths, witnesses are liars and where there is predominance of the female and the lower folks.
95-96. What is the good of crying at a place where the mother does not nourish in infancy, the father does not educate well and the king is the robber of wealth?
97-98. What is the good of crying at a place where the friends, relatives and the kings are angry even though they are well served, and the house is liable to be destroyed by lire or thunder?
99-100. What is the good of crying at a place, where through neglecting the advice of authorities and conducting oneself through pride evil consequences ensue?
101-102. One should always carefully respect the king, the god, the preceptor, the lire, the ascetic and the man who is old in age and virtue.
103-104. One should never even mentally go against or do harm to the mother, the father, the preceptor, the husband, the brother, the son and the friend.
105-106. One should not fight with relatives or challenge the powerful or quarrel with the women, children and the elderly and the foolish people.
107-108. One should not eat good things alone, study problems and interests alone, travel in the street alone, or keep up alone among sleeping men.
109-110. One should neither follow nor obstruct the duties of another man; and should never sit on the same seat with people who are of inferior grades in character and work and with females.
111-113. The following six vices have to be got rid of by men who want prosperity in this world—sleep, sluggishness, fear, anger, laziness, and procrastination. There is mo doubt that these are great hindrances to work.
114-115. The man who is resourceful, practises Yoga, is learned in theories and is brillant in intellect, is always mindful of his own duty and abstains from the pursuit of others’ wives.
116-117. One should be a good speaker, know the significance of words and their position, be a word-painter and always cheerful in expressions, should always hear for long and understand very quickly.
118. One should enjoy one's goods after knowing them.
119. One should not disclose his excessive zeal for sale or purchase and his own misery.
120-121. One should not enter another man's house without business and without permission and unasked should not say to anybody things happening in one’s house.
122-123. One should make his talk with few words but of much significance for the. accomplishment of his object, and should not give out his own opinions without [fully] understanding [the subject-matter].
124. After having fully known other’s opinions
125. One should not make father or son witnesses to the quarrel between husband and wife.
126-127. One should mature policies in careful secrecy and should not forsake the man who takes shelter with him, should wish to work to the best of his ability, and should not get dispirited under danger while working.
128-129. One should not touch any man to the quick and should not say false things about anybody. One should not abuse anybody nor make anybody indulge in madness.
130.[7] An action which is religious but disapproved by the people does not lead to heaven.
131. Whose Words do not frustrate themselves by their own logic?
132. One should make reply after careful consideration and not speak abruptly.
133. The merits of even enemies have to be recognised while the demerits of even preceptors have to be got rid of.
134-135. Neither prosperity nor adversity is likely to be permanent. It is only the work of past lives that is the cause of permanent wealth or misery.
136. Hence one should not diminish love in all creatures.
137-138. The king should ever he far-sighted and have presence of mind; should never be adventurous, slothful or procrastinating.
139-140. The man who proceeds with a work after knowing it to be highly difficult, and who has long views at the commencement enjoys happiness for ever.
141. The man who has presence of mind can proceed with the work as he gets it.
142. Success is doubtful either through fickleness or through difficulty of the work.
143-144. The man who does not attempt the work even at the proper time is lazy. He can never have success and is ruined with his family.
145-146. The adventurous man is he who commences a work without knowing the effects—is sure to be unhappy either through the action or its effects.
147-148. The procrastinating man is he who does little work in much time. He suffers from insignificance of results. One should therefore be far sighted.
149-151. Work done adventurously may sometimes bear good fruits. Sometimes even well-considered actions are futile. Yet one should never do anything abruptly, such actions are harmful.
152-153. Sometimes good comes out of evil actions. And the evil which comes out of a good action is not the source of evils.
154-155. That work is not to be suspected which is avoided by the servant, the brother, the son, and the wife but done by the friends.
156-157. The foolish man who without knowing fully [the capacity of] a friend, employs him in some act of friendship, gets his object frustrated.
158-159. The mental attribute of any man cannot be easily discovered. So one should try to acquire friends. Acquisition of friends is happiness to men.
160-161. One should not confide too much in any trustworthy person, e.g., the son, the brother, the wife, the ministers or the officers.
162. Since the desire for wealth, women and kingdom is great in all men,
163-164. One should trust only those actions which have been tried and proved. Having placed confidence in some body as oneself one should weigh his action personally.
165. He should not consider his words useless or antagonistic simply by reasoning.
166-167. One should forgive the trustworthy person if his action leads to loss of one sixty-fourth part of its fruit. The man who is religious, moral and powerful should keep up friendship with him.
168-169. One should honour the respectable persons with gifts, distinctions, &c., and should never be severe in punishment or harsh in words.
170-171. Even the wife and the son get terrified by punishment and harsh words. Even beasts get tamed through gifts and sweet words.
172-173. One should never be mad or vain with learning, valour, wealth, birth or strength.
174-175. The man who is proud of his learning does not care for the advice of the authorities and considers even harmful things as desirable and useful things.
176-178. The man who, proud of his valour, abandons the path followed by the people, loses his life by rashly undertaking warfare, and though armed, by giving up the recognised military tactics.
179-180. The man who is proud of his wealth does not know of his own infamy just as the goat uses his urine to wash his own urine-scented mouth.
181-182. So also the man who is proud of his birth disregards all persons, good as well as other men, and directs his attention to bad actions.
183-184. The man who is proud of his strength applies his mind rashly to warfare; obstructs everybody by his strength or even the animals
185-186. The man who is proud of his distinction looks upon the whole world as a piece of straw. The worthless man also desires the most precious of all seats
187. These are known as mada or passions of the vain and the following are the dama or virtues of the good.
188-189, The result of learning is wisdom and humility, that of wealth is sacrifice and charity, that of strength is known to be the protection of the good.
190. The result of valour is that enemies are subdued and made tributaries.
191. The simple result of good birth is contentment and moderation.
192. The result of fame is that all are like oneself.
193-194. One should give up vanity and carefully receive knowledge, mantra, medicine, wife and gems even from low families.
195. One should give away that when received, which one does not care for when lost.
196-197. One should neither caress or repress too much the wife or the child, but should appoint them to domestic duties and to studies respectively.
198-199. One should not take anything however small belonging to others which is not given, should not publish the vice of any man and should not abuse the wife.
200-201. One should not give false evidence and stop the evidence that has been produced, but should speak untruth when life or great affairs are at. stake.
202-203. One should not point out, even where known, the poor man to the man who wants to give away his daughter in marriage, the moneyed man to the thief and the man who has hidden himself to the murderer.
204-205. One should not create dissensions between the husband and wife, mother and father, brother and brother, master and servant, sister and sister, friend and friend, or between preceptor and disciple.
206. When two persons are talking, though even seated, do not go between them.
207. One should attend to friend, brother and relative as to one’s own self.
208-209. One should honour by questions of health, gifts of water, etc., the man who though humble, has come to his house.
210-211. One with sons should not ask his daughter who has children to live in his house or the sister with her husband; but should maintain them when they are widowed.
212-213. The snake, the fire, the wicked man, the king, the son-in-law, the nephew, the disease and the enemy—these arc not to be disregarded as being too small.
214-215. One should deal with these from the standpoint of cruelty, sharpness, wickedness, sovereignty, daughter’s prestige, one sharing in the privilege of offering manes to the ancestors, increase and fear.
216. One should not preserve anything of debt, illness and enemy as remainder.
217-218. Asked for something by suppliants one should not make harsh reply, but do what they want or ask somebody to do that.
219-220. One should eagerly listen to the praises of the charitable, the religious minded and the valorous, but should never care for their blemishes.
221-222. A man should take good and moderate food and walk at the proper time, eat after giving to the gods, live in pleasure, always have sweet thoughts and be pure.
223. He should always enjoy, eat and commit nuisance in private places.
224. He should be always active and take part in physical exercises with pleasure.
225. Une should not abuse food, and if quite well should accept friendly feasts.
226. The best menu of food is that which contains all the six tastes beginning with sweet.
227. This is about enjoyment (carnal).
228. The best exercise is fight, and wrestling with the expert athletes.
229. Sleep is best during night excluding the first and last Yāma.
230. The miserable, the blind, the dwarf and the dumb are never to be laughed at.
234. One should not apply one’s mind to wrong deeds but carry out one’s own duties without delay.
232-233. The man should give up vanity (and do his duty) by perseverance, strength, intelligence, patience, rashness or prowess.
234.[8] If the task is accomplished by quarrel, quarrel is good.
235. Otherwise life, wealth, friend, fame—all these are destroyer of happiness.
236. Une should not say undesirable things to, and should not look to the defects of anybody.
237. Commands of the great and of the king are not to be violated.
238. One should advise even the preceptor who appoints one to an evil action.
239. But one should not disregard an inferior person even when he prompts him to good action.
240-241. One should not leave his place by making the young wife dependent on herself. Women are the roots of evils. Can young females be left with others?
242. One should not get intoxicated with spirituous liquors and should not indulge in evil company.
243-248. The chaste wife, step-mother, mother, daughter, father, wife, widowed daughter, or sister who has no offspring, aunt, brother’s wife, sister of father or mother, grandfather, preceptor who has no son,
219-250. In times of prosperity one should maintain the families of both parents, friends, wife’s family, and the attendants, servants, and maidservants.
251. One should maintain also the deformed, the stranger, the poor and the helpless.
252 253.[9] Woe to the man who does not take care to maintain his kith and kin. All his virtues go for nothing. In fact, though living he is dead.
251-255.[10] What is the value of his life who does not maintain relative, who does not subdue enemies and who does not protect things acquired?
256-257. The man who is mastered by his wife, the debtor, the valetudinary, the beggar, the worthless, and the man who is dependent on enemies—all these are dead though possessing life.
258-259. One should hide the number of years lived, wealth, domestic follies, mantra, carnal enjoyments, medicines, charity, honour and insult,
260-261. One should without loth undertake travels, attend royal courts, study Śāstras, see prostitutes and make friends with the learned.
262-263. Through travel the numerous religions (customs), materials, animals, races of men, hills, etc., come within the cognisance of man.
261-267.[11] The man who habitually attends courts and assemblies, acquires knowledge as to the character of kings and royal officers, the nature of justice and injustice, the men who falsely quarrel and the men who have real grounds of conflict, and the procedure of oases and suits both customary and legal.
268. One who studies the truths of Śāstras cannot be vain and bigoted.
269.[12] But one who studies only one Śāstra cannot decide upon any course of action.
272- 271.[13] The intelligent man, therefore, should inspect many sciences and always study carefully many Śāstras.
272-274. The prostitute takes others’ money but does not become their slave, on the other hand is competent enough to overpower them, so one should come under nobody’s authority but have the world under oneself.
275-276. Through associates with learned men meanings of Śruti, Smṛti, Fuwas are known and intelligence gets quickened.
277-278. One should never eat food without giving it to the gods, -ancestors and guests.. The man who cooks for himself only through foolishness lives only to go to hell.
279-280. One should give the road to superiors, the strong, the diseased, the corpse, the king, the respectable people, the man who is observing a vow and also to the man who goes in a conveyance.
281-282. One should keep five cubits from the carriage, ten cubits from horse, one hundred cubits from the snake, and ten cubits from the ox.
283-284. One should not trust the abodes of the horned, nailed and toothed animals, the wicked people, rivers and women.
285-286. One should not, while eating, go along a street or speak with laughter, should not sue for what is lost or talk of one’s own deeds.
287-288. One should leave the company of those who fear themselves, give up the service of the lower orders and should never hear stealthily the conversation of others.
289-290. One should not desire work with the superiors unless requested by them. The head of Rāhu was cut down through drinking with the gods.
291-292. Evil actions of the great become their ornaments as it were. The drinking of poison by Śiva would cause death to others.
293. The powerful man can destory everything just like pure fire.
294. One should not stand in the presence of the preceptor, the king and the superiors.
295. One should not desire anything even mentally on the strength that ‘the king is my friend.’
296-297. One should not desire sovereignty over or subjection to fools, chivalry with the great, flattering the people who are proud of their little learning.
298-299. The wise man takes to his duties in the order of their importance as absolutely necessary, unnecessary, etc., or in the order of their arrival as received first, last, soon or late, etc.
300-301. The procrastination of Gautama’s son in the evil action of killing his mother, though commanded by his father, has been well honoured.
302-306. One should always master the world by love, association, praise, submission, service, artifice, arts, words, wisdom, affection, simplicity, valour, charity, learning, getting up or coming in front to receive superiors, words spoken with cheerful smiles, and benefits rendered.
307-309. These methods of subjugation are quite useless with regard to wicked people. The wise man therefore should leave their company, and if possible should everpower them by force of punishment, stratagems or such like methods.
310-311. The study of Śruti, Smṛti, Purāṇas together with the Aṅgas, Upavedas and Kalās is always beneficial to man.
312. Hunting, gambling, womanizing and drinking—these are the passions of man.
313. One should give up these four and be rational.
314-315. One should not use craft in dealing with anybody or destroying his income, and should not even mentally desire harm to anybody.
316-317. That action is good which makes the three epochs become firm, which leads to attainment of heaven after death, and fair and permanent reputation while alive.
322. One should not imitate either the king or the superiors.
323. One should not go alone to attack snakes, tigers and thieves.
324. One should slay the assassin, even though he is a preceptor, who tries to kill him.
325. One should not aid in a conflict but should protect the leader.
326-327. One should not sit on important seats before preceptors and the king; nor being arrogant, distort their sayings, through (false) reasoning.
328-329. The inferior man does not know what ought to be done, but knows what has been done (and so blindly follows the precedence). The superior does not divulge what he is going to do or what he has done.
330-331. One should not totally accept without verification wife’s statements about the offences of mother, son’s wife, brother’s wife and co-wife.
332-333. The eight natural defects of women are mendacity, rashness, attachment, foolishness, greed, impurity, cruelty and vanity.
334-335- One should not chastise by harsh words the son after the sixteenth year, the girl after the twelfth year, nor should punish the daughter-in-law.
336-337. Daughter’s sons, sister’s sons and brothers are more important than sons. Brother’s wives, sons’ wives and sisters are to be maintained as being more weighty than daughters.
338-339. For the maintenance of relatives the master always tries to earn and keep (wealth). Others who do not do so) are as it were thieves.
340-341. About association with females.
342-345. One should give away his daughter in marriage to, and be friends with, somebody after examining his wealth, birth, character, form, learning, strength and age; he may give his daughter even to a penniless man who possesses (proper) qualifications of age, learning and beauty, and should not judge (bridegroom) by his beauty, age and wealth and who asks for a wife.
346-347. One should first examine the family, then learning, then age, then character, then wealth, then form and lastly the country of birth; marriage is to be entered into afterwards.
348-349. The daughter wants beauty, mother wealth, father learning, friends high birth, outsiders food and festivities.
350-351. One should have for his wife the girl who is born in the race of a Ṛṣi, who is not of the same race as his, who has a brother, whose family is good and who has no defects of birth.
352-353. One should pursue learning by moments and wealth by grains. The moments and the grains are not to be left out by the man who wants learning and wealth.
354-355. Daily acquisition of wealth is good for wife, children, and friends, and also for charity. But without these what is the good of having men and money?
356-359. One should carefully preserve wealth that can maintain life in future. ‘I shall live for one hundred years and enjoy life with wealth’—one should ever earn learning and wealth in this hope for twenty-five years or half or a quarter of that period.
360-361. The wealth of learning is superior. It grows with gifts, is not burdensome and cannot be carried.
362-263. So long as there is wealth one is respected by all. But the man without wealth though well qualified is deserted by wife and sons even.
364-367. In this world wealth is the means to all persuits. So men should try to acquire that by good ways and means, e.g., by good learning, good service, valour, agriculture, usury, stone-keeping, arts or begging.
368. One should practise whatever means makes a man wealty.
369.[14] Meritorious men stand at the door of the wealthy people even as menials.
370-371. Even defects are regarded as merits, and even merits become defects of the wealthy and the poor respectively, and the poor are insulted by all.
372-374. Through abject poverty some people got death, some went to the village, some to the hills, and some to utter ruin, some got mad, some came under subjection of enemies.
375. And owing to insufficiency of wealth some people become slaves of others.
376-377. One should keep the money together with the written account in such a manner that one’s own wife, children and friends cannot know how much has been stored by and where.
378-379. For business men, there is no other memorandum besides written record. So the wise man should never transact business without documents.
380-381. Well earned wealth may bo deposited with the non-covetous, the rich, the king, trustworthy and the charitable by receiving written statements.
382-383. One should pay money to a friend without interest. Much wealth placed with the friend is not harmful.
384-386. Having seen that the debtor is capable of transacting business even (on loans) with interest, one should lend him money in the presence of those who stand bail, and of witnesses having received pawns and written statements about the transaction.
387.[15] One should not lend out solely for the sake of interest lest capital should be lost.
388. One should give up shyness in the matter of eating and enjoyment.
389. Wealth makes friends when given but enemies when not given.
390-391. One should be liberal at heart but miserly in outward relations, and should spend properly at the right time.
392. One should maintain by all his wealth, his good wife, children, and friends as far as possible.
393. One’s own self cannot, but all else can, come again. So (one should maintain by all his wealth) one self also.
394. If one is alive one can see many good things.
395-397. The father desirous of the welfare of the family should divide his wealth when his sons are married and grown up. But grown up and married brothers also should divide among themselves. For otherwise even brothers by the same mother get into ruin and destruction.
398-399. A man should not live together with two wives in the same house, but should allot them separate apartments; for animals only as her together, but not human beings.
400-401. The sons should not divide the wealth that is the cause of increase (in interest, i.e.., working as loan-capital) being placed with debtors, nor the wealth that is to be paid back to the creditors.
402. You should not desire wealth of the man whose good friendship you want to have.
403-404.[16] (You should not also) engage secret spies about him, speak with his wife, look down upon him, or contradict him.
405. You should not also be indifferent to his activities or disregard the evils that befall him.
406-407. One should give away the money as if it were being received without any pain whether the Ioan be with or without interest.
408. But not without witnesses and signatures on the Ṛṇapatra (hand-note.)
409-410. The best men are those who are noted for the qualities of themselves, of their fathers or their mothers. People are celebrated separately for their own qualifications, as well as for the virtues of fathers and mothers.
411. People may be good, middling, low and very low (who are famous) through the merits of their brothers.
412. The worst men are those who have to depend on the virtues of the daughter, wife, and sister.
413-414. After having amassed wealth one should maintain his family. The wise man should never pass a day without giving away something.
415-416. ‘I am at death’s door, my life would not linger a moment. Besides these two there are no other friends of mine in future life.’ Thus considering, one should practise charity and virtue.
417-418. None else will be my friends in the next world but these two (charity and virtue); the world exists through charity and good conduct, and not through wickedness.
419. Friends come through charity.
420-421. The sambiddatta [samviddatta] gift is that which is meant for future life, that given for gods, sacrifices, Brāhmaṇs and cows.
422. The paritoṣya or gift of pleasure is that which is given to the songsters, athletes, and dancers, &c.
423. That which is given for fame is known as śriyādatta.
424-425. The hrīdatta or gift of courtesy is that which is given on marriage ceremonies, etc., by way of presents to friends, relatives and kinsfolk.
426-427. The bhidatta or gift of fear is that which is given to the king, the powerful or the obstructor of interests for the furtherance of one’s own cattle or out of fear from sins and vices.
428-429. The pāpadatta or gift of sin is that which is given to promote enmity or which is lost through gambling or which is meant for association with others’ wives.
430-431. He should always glorify the lord whom he serves, he should never disparage him; he should be always alert in his service and try always to please him.
432-433. In this world there is nothing more capable of subduing others than charity and simplicity. The moon that has waned through gifts, when waxing, is beautiful though in the form of a curve.
434-435. One should act after considering love, enmity, etc., but should not undo anything after it is done.
436-437. One should not have these things in excess—harshness, deceitfulness, mildness, exaggeration, attachment to work, and zeal.
438. Excess is ruinous. So one should avoid it.
439-440. People get exasperated through harshness, cast abuse on miserliness, do not reckon anybody for his mildness, and insult a man for his overstatements.
441-442. Poverty comes through excessive charity, insult through excessive cupidity, and foolishness is begotten of excessive zeal.
443. Want of observance of rules leads to moral degeneration, repression is folly.
444-445. The wise man should never consider “I am superior to all, I am more learned than others. Such and such is certainly the religious injunction.”
446-447. One should remember that there is the animal which devours the devourer of whales, Rāghava (animal) is the devourer of that even, and there is the destroyer of Rāghava.
448-449. One should not desire equality with gods, cows and Brahmans. This is very harmful and destructive to the whole family.
450-451. One should always worship, respect and serve these. It is not known how much of the spirit divine is implanted in each.
452.[17] One should not make young wife, wealth and books dependent on others.
453. If made dependent, these things are got back by accident but damaged, spoilt and injured.
454-455. The wise man should never spend much wealth for small things, nor accomplish insignificant ends by spending much wealth through pride.
456. And should not abandon good actions for fear of great expenditure.
457. One should not bear malice to or be angry with messengers because of their bad manners.
458-459. The intelligent man should not even out of fear say anything by which friends are abashed, separated or get apathetic.
460-461. The wise man should never talk to persons with whom words, good or bad, are equally fruitless, as musicians do not sing to the deaf.
462-463. The man who does interfere with a friend who is bent upon vices by entreating him to the best of his ability is known by the learned to be a nṛśaṃsa or cruel being.
464-465. That man is not known to be a friend who does not take care to mediate in the conflicts between relatives.
466-468. Through harsh words even friends who have been maintained since birth and who have been served with gifts and honours become enemies instantly as it is impossible to extricate from the mind the sting of crooked words.
469-470. One should carry the enemy on one’s shoulders so long as he is more powerful than one self; but after knowing that his strength has been impaired, should break him down as a vessel against a stone.
471-472. The ornament, the kingdom, strength, learning or wealth does not adorn a man so much as courtesy and gentleness.
473-479. Speed in horses, splendour in jewels, mercy in kings, gestures in prostitutes, sweet voice in singers, charity in rich men, prowess in soldiers, plentiness of milk in cows, restraint in ascetics, eloquence in learned men, impartiality in councillors, truthfulness in witnesses, devotion in servants, good counsels in minister, silence in fools, faithfulness in wives, are the proper ornaments.
480. The opposites of these are improper attributes of the subjects (mentioned above).
481-482.[18] That house shines (prospers) which has one and not many heads, and which has many members, lamps, cows and young ones.
483. One should not be indifferent io the cruel animals but kill them at once.
484-486. Meanness, roughness, thieving, malice, covetousness, untruth-fulness, obstruction of work, as well as idleness are offences even for meritorious persons and grow by eclipsing their virtues.
487-488. The destruction of wealth is very sinful if the mother be young, wife be middle-aged, and son be old.
489-490. Childlessness of wealthy people, foolishness of poor people, bad husbands of women, and loss of interest are not for happiness.
491-492. The following six again are not for happiness—foolish son, bad daughter and wife, poverty, service of the lower orders, as well as perpetual debt.
493-496. The man who does not find pleasure in teaching, learning, gods, preceptors, Brāhmaṇas, arts, music, service, simplicity, wife, valour, penances, and literature is either a man who has attained salvation, or a cheat or a beast in the form of a man.
497-498. The cheat is he who cannot tolerate another’s prosperity, who picks holes in other’s pockets, who is a calumniator, and quarrelsome, and whose mind is mean but face is bright.
499-501. That little knowledge resulting from the study of the treasure of the Vedas which is not enough even for one person becomes overflowing when it is rightly directed and increased through hope [of doing good to others]. But that very learning becomes mischievous when employed for selfish ends and merely to find fault with others.
502-503. The cheats become honest when giving advice to others. But they commit a hundred misdeeds for their own sake.
504-506. That son gives happiness who obeys father’s command, and is active in his service, always follows him as a shade and tries to earn, and who is versed in all the branches of learning.
507.. The son who has the contrary qualities gives pain and is the destroyer of wealth.
508-511. That mother gives satisfaction who is always devoted to her husband, skilled in domestic duties, bears children, well disciplined, husband’s darling, young in age, pardons the offences of children and nurses them. Any other woman is kulaṭā and is the cause of pain.
512-513. That father is good who cares always for the child’s learning and income, and ever disciplines the lad well.
514-515. That man becomes one’s friend who is always of help to him, never speaks anything against him, and tells the true and good things.
516-517. Intimacy with inferior men, frequent visits to other’s houses, antagonism with the race and the community, and poverty—all these lead to loss of reputation.
518-519. Association with tiger, fire, snake and other ferocious animals is not good. Even when served, the king and these things can never be friends to anybody.
520-523. Antipathy of friends, predominance of enemies, poverty of the learned men, the possession of many children to poor people, permanent residence in places devoid pf rich and qualified persons as well as physician, king and water, only one daughter to a father, and begging—all these are for misery.
524-526. About the relation between husband and wife.
527. Just as the child becomes docile through feeding and caressing so also the wife.
528-529. The wise man proceeds with the work after carefully weighing its nature, instruments, expenditure, and does not commence even insignificant work otherwise.
530. The wise man should not like to do a thing that exceeds the expenditure (fixed).
531. The man of business should undertake that work which yields great profit.
532. The value and measurement of commodities are always desired in exactness,
533-5334. A proxy is not desirable in the matter of penances, women, agriculture, service, enjoyment and eating, but should be appointed for other functions,
535-537. The wicked and the thief always want solitude and good food those who have powerful enemies want help, the prostitute desires friendship with the rich, the bad king desires craft, and the bad servant desires the master’s goods, the learned man wants knowledge (truth), the priest wants pride, fire and sacrifice.
538-540. The beautiful woman wants a beautiful man, the prostitute wants a paramour, the diseased a physician, the store-keeper high prices, the the beggar the charitable.
541. The terrified seeks a protector, the wicked man an opportunity.
542-543. The foolish man behaves roughly, is quarrelsome, sleeps always, takes intoxicants, does useless things and ruins his own interests.
544-545. The Kṣatriya is one in whom the tāmas quality preponderates, the Brāhmaṇa is one in whom the sattwa [sattva] preponderates. The other (Vaiśya) is one in whom the rajas preponderates. Among all those the best is that in whom the sattva preponderates.
546-547. The Brāhmaṇa dominates all through his own deeds. Among the Kṣatriyas and others the particles of his attributes exist.
548-549. Seeing the Brāhmaṇa who practises his own duty others including the Kṣatriyas get terrified. So one should practise his own duty.
550. That activity is good which does not lead to failure in one’s own duty.
551. That country is good where the kith and kin are supported.
552-554. Agriculture which is said to have rivers for mothers, is a good occupation. The occupation of Vaiśyas is intermediate, that of Śūdras is inferior. Begging is lower than that but excellent in ascetics.
555. At times service is a good occupation as that to a king who is virtuous.
556-557. The income that is derived from salary for priestly functions leads to great wealth. Commerce is useless.
558. Wealth cannot accumulate without service to the State.
559-60.[19] But service to kings is very intricate, cannot be well performed by anybody except the intelligent. It is like the asidhārā ceremony.
561-562. The minister masters the king by the force of mantra (charm or counsels), just as the snake-charmer subdues the snake. But intelligent men fear the king very much.
563. The spirit of Brāhmaṇa exists in learned men, that of Kṣatriyas in the king.
564- 565. The wise man is always near though he lives at a distance. He binds the men by the ropes of intelligence and attracts and represses them.
566. He is resourceful even in matters beyond one’s perception and hence through living near may be influencing distant (activities.
567. Intelligence should not be overpowered by the anuvākas but should be useful in practice.
568.[20] The intelligence that is overpowered by these cannot move.
569-570. It is better to be poor first and rich afterwards just as it is better to be a pedestrian first and go in a vehicle afterwards.
571. The above order leads to happiness; The opposite order to sorrow.
572-573. It is always better to have no son than to have sons that are bad. Pedestrianism is better then using bad vehicles. Indifferentism is better than conflicts.
574-575. It is better to cover feet with shoes than try to cover the whole earth with leather. Ignorance is better than vanity due to little learning.
576-577. Life in a forest is better than that in other’s houses. Begging and death are better than being a householder with a bad wife.
578-579. Debt, pregnancy, sovereignty, friendship with the wicked, bad diet—these are pleasant at the beginning but lead to misery in the end.
580-581. The king always suffers through bad advisers, the patient through bad physicians, the subjects through bad kings, the family through bad children, and the soul through bad motives.
582-583. The elephant, the horse, the ox, the child, the wife, and the parrot get the qualities of their teachers through association.
584-585. Success comes from timely speeches; celebrity from good dress, and honour in assemblies from learning. These three come through possession of ability.
586-588. Good wife, good son, good learning, much wealth, friend, faithful servants and maid-servants, good physique, decent dress, and good king—these ten lead always to human happiness.
589-590. Old, well-trained, and trustworthy women who observe the rites and ceremonies, or eunuchs should be appointed within the inner appartments—no young man even if he be a friend.
591. One should do his work by regulating the time not otherwise.
592-593. One should apply the ideas of self to cows, &c., and self to wealth and virtue, appoint the mother to cooking of food and the preceptor to the work of teaching.
594. One should always go into the interior without any regulation.
595-597.[21] In foreign lands the following six are useful to men—wife without child, good conveyance, the bearer, the guard, the knowledge that can be of use in relieving other’s miseries, and an active servant.
598-599. One should not obstruct a road though he is capable. And even the king should not go into a market place in a conveyance though that is good enough.
600-602. One should always travel with companions not otherwise; and take rest, while travelling, in places which have good roads and tanks hard by—but should not stop on roads or in forests.
603-604. Excessive walking, fasts, over-indulgence and over-exercise soon bring about men’s old age.
605.[22] Excessive pursuit of all branches of learning even the fine arts also leads to old age.
606-607. The man who talks of one’s demerits as if they were merits becomes, dear to him. Is not the man who cries up one’s merits his friend?
608-609. The dear friend who speaks of demerits exactly becomes unfriendly. Can that man be friendly who talks of ones merits as if they were demerits?
610-611. Even gods are overpowered by praise, what about men? Hence nobody dare describe one’s defects in one’s presence?
612. So one should consider one’s defects according to Śāstras and popular opinion.
613-614. The man who is pleased and not angry with hearing of his own defects, and who exerts to discover his own weak points and abandons them when told by others,
615. Who after hearing of his own merits remains the same and does not display vanity,
616-617. Who considers “I am the mine of all defects—why attribute merits to me? Ignorance also is in me,” is superior to all.
618. He is sādhu. The gods do not attain a portion of his sixteenth part.
619-620. To the good man even a very insignificant benefit appears very high, while the wicked man considers a service even less in amount than a mustard to be huge.
621. The good man considers the man who forgives to be powerful, while the wicked man considers otherwise.
622. So one should pardon the evil words of the good man as well as the wicked man.
623-624. One should not play with others in such a way as to lead to quarrel. And even for fun one should not abuse another man by saying ‘your wife is a prostitute.’
625. Slang should not be used to anybody even in a friendly way.
626-627. One should not hide anything from a friend nor divulge his secrets. Even after becoming his enemy (one should not divulge) secrets spoken before.
628-629. One should not point out any wickedness even it known, rather one should try to remedy and offer remedies secretly.
630-631. One should say truly of a thing that is powerful but injurious; but should regard as unseen what has been seen, and as unheard what has been heard.
632-633. In times of danger one should appear dumb, blind, dwarf and lame. Otherwise one suffers misery and loss in business.
634. One should speak words favourable to the old men but not childlike.
635. Going to others’ houses one should not look to their wives.
636. One should not receive possession from the poor and of sovereignty.
637. One should educate one’s own child as well as others children but not the offenders.
638-639. One should forsake those places where people are addicted to vicious habits, immoral, fickle, tyrannical and severe.
640-641. Unless requested one should not express, even when known correctly, the cases of the two parties to a suit. Thus one can be free from enemies.
642. One should not take up somebody else’s case and pick up quarrel with others.
643.[23] One should not discuss royal policies in an assembly.
644-645. One should not say anything about astronomical injunctions, morality, punishments, medicines, purgatives and effects of actions without special knowledge.
646. Great misery conies of dependence on others. There is no greater happiness than that from self-rule.
647. The man who is not in a strange land, who is a householder and who is independent always enjoys happiness.
648-649. Owing to the intelligence of new and old masters of sociology new rites and rules are springing up every moment.
650. So it is impossible to describe them by direct observation or by inference.
651. This knowledge can be acquired only by analogy and the commands of authority.
652-653. The Nīti Śāstra that is common to the king and the commonwealth (people) has been narrated in brief. This remembered by the king is useful to him.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Śukranīti, as has been explained above, is not a treatise on political organisation only but is the comprehensive art of life. So one may’ find economic maxims and precepts in it as well as social and hygienic rules.
In the last few lines we have an account of what the householder’s physical and material life is to be. The use of shoes, sticks, head-dress, scents, umbrellas and charmed amulets is recommended.
[5]:
Here is Śukrācārya’s advice as to the interpretation and acceptance of Sūtras. He refers to the difficulties arising out of the peculiar characteristics of the Sanskrit language and of the Hindu written documents as well as out of the tendencies of people to interpolate, add, or take away texts according to the needs of the time. It, therefore, requires great skill on the part of guardians of society to remove the extraneous matter and find out the real spirit of some injunction.
samāsavyūha—The peculiar arrangement of compounds. This grammatical difficulty is of no mean order. For tatpuruṣa and bahuvrīhi compound of the same words give thoroughly different interpretation. These, therefore, have to be first considered
kṛta—Got up—Interpretations or texts may be concocted or interpolated,
hetvādi—Long chains of argumentative reasoning and interpretation, when found in text-books, are real hindrances not helps to those who seek truth and want guidance.
stutyarthavāda—Exaggertions and overstatements of which Hindu treatises are full be carefully weighed before the injunctions of the Śāstras can be accepted for should practical life.
[7]:
asvargya[?]—The possibility of a conflict between formal morality (and religious codes) and people’s conscience is here suggested. The advice of Śukrācārya is to follow the Vox populi.
[8]:
The work is to be done by hook or by crook. father-in-law, uncles, grandson who is young and orphan, brother, sister’s son,—these must be maintained carefully to the best of ones ability even under adverse circumstances.
[9]:
[10]:
The sanction for co-operative domestic life as opposed to competitive individualism is also very strong.
[11]:
[12]:
Practical life is so organised that one aspect is dependent on another. So for the guidance of man all the sciences have to be requisitioned. Otherwise the injunctions will be too narrow, one-sided and conflicting.
[13]:
An art is based on many sciences. The art of human life is thus built upon many Social Sciences. Hence the necessity of having a multiplicity of subjects in a course of studies whether for pupils or for guardians of states.
[14]:
[15]:
Points to be noted with regard to a loan transaction:—
(1) The business qualifications of debtors to be studied (vyavahārakṣama)
(2) There must be pawns or securities (vadha)
(3) There must be men who stand bail (pratibhū)
(4) There are to be witnesses.
(5) Reciepts for value received as well as documents mentioning other conditions should be prepared (gṛhītalikhitaṃ [gṛhīta-likhita]).
[17]:
The mention pustaka of or books in this connexion is highly interesting as indicating the custom of lending out books from one’s library.
[18]:
The components of an ideal household are mentioned here. Cows are indispensable.
[19]:
asidhārā—A religious ceremony in which a sword is placed between husband and wife. It is thus very difficult and dangerous. So also Government service.
The above lines contain Śukrācārya’s gradation of occupations and means of livelihood according to income, dignity, etc.
[20]:
anuvāka—Section of the Vedas. Students of the Vedas become practical fools incompetent to deal with vyavahārya, ordinary transactions of life. Their intelligence is also immobile or inelastic sarvatragāminī, i.e., they cannot be made to apply their intelligence to the accomplishment of various purposes, e.g., those beyond the study-room, &c.
[21]:
The practice of undertaking distant tours is suggested here.
[23]:
The idea of an unlawful assembly is slightly suggested here.