8. Kṣemendra’s Focal Points

Kṣemendra emphasizes upon the following virtues to be followed by each individual to be a true human being-

A. To build good character Kṣemendra suggests the following virtues-^[1]

i. Keeping good company
ii. Conquering passion
iii. Maintaining purity
iv. Good service to elderly person
v. Good conduct
vi. Listening to good things vii.
Love for one’s reputation

B. For everlasting happiness one should follow the following virtues-^[2]

i. Avoid jealousy
ii. Pleasant talk
iii. Tolerance
iv. Avoid anger
v. Forsaking greed to other’s wealth

C. To live a respectable life one should follow the following qualities-^[3]

i. Keeping silence
ii. Lack of fickleness
iii. Never begging anything from others

D. For majestic luster Kṣemendra suggests the following qualities-^[4]

i. Valour
ii. Excellence
iii. Intellect
iv. Endeavour
v. Policy
vi Understanding signs
vii. Confidence
viii. Helping others
ix. Gratitude
x. Keeping counseling

E. The following ten qualities are beneficial for all-^[5]

i. Stay away from powerful opposition party-
ii. not to bow down to them-
iii. not to oppose firmly if one has power or strength
iv. Virtuous conduct against those who are suffering from miseries
v. Patience in distress
vi. Devoid of pride in happiness
vii. Sharing in wealth
viii. Affection for noble one
ix. Applying intellect in case of distrustful counsel
x. To keep away from scandalous people

F. According to Kṣemendra, righteousness or dharma lies in-^[6]

i. Sympathy for all creatures.
ii. Helping others
iii. Charity iv. Forgiveness
v. Truth
vi. Absence of greed and jealousy
vii. Kindness

G. Artha or worldy success lies in–^[7]

i. Constant effort for progress
ii. Observance of rules and regulations
iii. Knowledge of work
iv. Leaving the place whenever it becomes necessary
v. Talent vi. Lack of anxiety
vii. Not trusting women

H. Kāma or lust lies in-^[8]

i. Beautiful dress
ii. Charmingness
iii. Elegance
iv. Excellence of merit
v. Understanding the various ways and the heart of the women

I. Mokṣa is attainable by-^[9]

i. Discrimination
ii. Satisfaction
iii. Peace
iv. Elimination of greed
v. Leaving company of others
vi. Intuition
vii. Enlightment

Besides these qualities, Kṣemendra also highlights on the importance of various moral and social values to be upheld by one for the improvement of human behavior and to make a peaceful and harmonious society. According to Kṣemendra,^[10]

1. Sympathy is the highest moral act..kāruṇyaṃ puṇyānāṃ
2. Gratitude is more worthy than any other qualities..kṛtaĵnatā puruṣacihnānāṃ
3. Simplicity is supreme among all purities..ārjavamamalakarāṇāṃ
4. Modesty is the jewel laden bracelets..vinayo vararatnamukuṭānāṃ
5. Truth always makes one pure..satyaṃ mukhapadmapāvanakarāṇāṃ
6. Giving respect is considered the most salutary of all things..mānaḥ puṣṭikarāṇāṃ
7. Friendship with everyone is the highest happiness..nirvairatvaṃ sukhapradeśānāṃ.
8. Wisdom is supreme among all the qualities..prāĵnaḥ sarvaguṇānāṃ
9. Fame is ranked highest among all the wealth..yaśasvitā vipulavittavibhavānāṃ
10. Among the richs, charity tops..dānaṃ ratnanidhīnāṃ
11. Love for virtue is foremost among all unguents..guṇarāgaścandanādilepānāṃ
12. Dharma is essential for the whole life..dharmaḥ pātheyānāṃ
13. Sound health is necessary to live in peace..praśamaḥ svāsthyakarāṇāṃ
14. Among the good works it is devotion for god, reverence for—Brāmaṇas and cows..guruvacanaṃ satyānāṃ kāryāṇāṃ godvijātisurapūjā
15. Lack of desire is said to be the most appreciable..niḥspṛhatā ślāghyānāṃ
16. Among the suitable things, sweet words are more adorable..priyavacanaṃ sarvamadhurāṇāṃ
17. Absence of malice is the highest purity..adrohaḥ śaucānāṃ
18. Firmness is the foremost among all vows..acāpalaṃ vrataviśeṣaniyamānāṃ
19. For a state, contentment is important.. santoṣo rājyānāṃ
20. The ruler should keep association with virtuous people.. satsaṅgaścakravarti-vibhavānāṃ
21. Of enjoyments of high value, it is freedom.. niryantraṇatā mahārhabhogānāṃ
22. Of all praiseworthy things, it is propriety.. aucityaṃ stutyānāṃ
23. Basis of popularity, the people’s love.. janarāgaḥ kīrtikandānāṃ
24. Self realization is foremost among the entire journey to holy places..ātmarati-stīrthasevānāṃ
25. Among the entire prowess, it is controlling over the senses..indriyavijayaḥ-prabhāvāṇāṃ
26. Among all auspicious things, it is mother.. mātā māṅgalyānāṃ
27. One who gives good advice, it is father.. janakaḥ sukṛtotsavopadeśānāṃ
28. Of jewel lamps, the scripture.. śāstraṃ maṇidīpānāṃ
29. Of all religious bathing, it is advice.. upadeśaścābhiṣekāṇāṃ
30. For success, it is determination.. utsāhaḥ sarvasiddhīnāṃ
31. Of all that control anger, it is submissiveness.. praṇatirmanyuharāṇāṃ
32. For the enlightened, it is knowledge.. ĵnānaṃ paramaprakāśānāṃ
33. Of all attainable, it is virtuous works.. puṇyaṃ prāpyatamānāṃ
34. Among all the essentials for the people in this world, it is fame.. kīrtiḥ saṃsāre’smin sāratarā sarvalokānāṃ

Along with these, Kṣemendra also highlights upon the following evil qualities so that one can make judgment between good and bad. In the words of Kṣemendra-^[11]

1. Of the sources of all heat, anger is severest..krodhaṃ sarvopatāpajanakānāṃ
2. The cause of losing self respect, it is begging..yāñcā mānaharāṇāṃ
3. Destroyer of the property of a house, it is sloth.ālasya gṛhasamṛddhināśānāṃ
4. Among all types of darkness, vanity is the darkest one..darpastimirakarāṇāṃ
5. Among all unpleasing thing, it is backbiting..paiśunyamapriyāṇāṃ
6. Of all the heinous activity, it is destroying someone’s livelihood..vṛtticchedo nṛśamsacaritānāṃ
7. Among deceptions, it is delusion of mind which prevents one from discer-ning the truth..māyā mohamatīnāṃ
8. Of the causes one goes to hell, it is ungratefulness..kṛtaghnatā narakapāta-hetūnāṃ
9. Of unusual poison, it is lack of love.. sneho viṣamaviṣāṇāṃ
10. Of all things which dry up of one’s health, it is stress or tension..cintā śoṣakarāṇāṃ
11. Of all things which burn, it is hatred.. vidveṣaḥ kotarāgnidāhānāṃ
12. Of all ailments, it is terror.. saṃkoco vyādhīnāṃ
13. Among dark dry well, it is crookedness..kautilyaṃ nirjalāndhakūpānāṃ
14. Among the picāsas of the desert, it is kidnapper of a woman.. strījitatā marutaṭīpiśācānāṃ
15. Among all uncertainties, it is friendship with a rogue..khalamaitrī capalānāṃ
16. Of all sufferings, it is poverty.. dāridryaṃ copatāpasārthānāṃ
17. Destroyer of a family, it is a immoral son.. duṣputraḥ kulavināśānāṃ
18. Among wastage of efforts, it is service to wicked one.. durjanasevā vṛthāprayāsānāṃ
19. Among destroyer of discernments, it is a group of fool.. mūrkhasabhā sadvivekanāśānāṃ
20. Of all pitiable things, it is lack of intellect.. buddhivihīno’nukampyānāṃ
21. For the lawliness, it is hitting.. ghātastīkṣṇatarāṇāṃ
22. Of all cemetery ground, it is lack of good conduct.. ācāravivarjitaḥ śmaśānānāṃ
23. Among the hundreds of ailments, it is jealousy..īrṣyā yakṣmaśatānāṃ
24. Devoid of fame is more ridiculous than someone’s death in an unsuitable place..ayaśaḥ kusthānamaraṇānāṃ

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

satsaṅgaḥ kāmajayaḥ śaucaṃ gurusevanaṃ sadācāraḥ/
śrutamamalaṃ yaśasi ratirmūlakalā sapta śīlasya// ibid.,X.8

[2]:

mātsaryasya tyāgaḥ priyavāditvaṃ sadhairyamakrodhaḥ/
vairāgyaṃ na parārthe sukhasya siddhāḥ kalāḥ pañca// ibid.,X.7

[3]:

maunamalaulyamayāñcā mānasya ca jīvitaṃ kalātritayaṃ/
ibid.,X.11

[4]:

tejaḥ satvaṃ buddhirvyavasāyo nītiriṅgitaĵnānaṃ/
prāgalbhyaṃ susahāyaḥ kṛtaĵnatā mantrarakṣaṇaṃ tyāgaḥ// anurāgaḥ pratipattirmitrārjanamānṛśaṃsyamastambhaḥ/
āśritajanavātsalyaṃ saptadaśa kalāḥ prabhāvasya// ibid.,X.9-10

[5]:

śaktavirodhe gamanaṃ tatpraṇatirvā balodaye vairaṃ/
ārtasya dharmacaryā duḥkhe dhairyaṃ sukheṣvanutsekaḥ// vibhaveṣu saṃvibhagaḥ satsu ratirmantrasaṃśaye praĵnā/
nindyeṣu prāṅmukhatā bheṣajametat kalādaśakaṃ// ibid.,X.12-13

[6]:

dharmasya kalā jyeṣṭhā bhūtadayākhyā paropakāraśca/
dānaṃ kṣamānasūyā satyamalobhaḥ prasādaśca// ibid.,X.2

[7]:

arthasya sadotthānaṃ niyamaparīpālanaṃ kriyāĵnānaṃ/
sthānatyāgaḥ paṭutānudvegaḥ strīṣvaviśvāsaḥ// ibid.,X.3

[8]:

kāmasya veṣaśobhā peśalatā cārutā guṇotkarṣaḥ/
nānāvidhāśca līlāścittaĵānaṃ ca kāntānāṃ// ibid.,X.4

[9]:

mokṣasya vivekaratiḥ praśamastṛṣṇākṣayaśca santoṣaḥ/
saṅgatyāgaḥ svalayasthānaṃ paramaprakāśaśca// ibid.,X.5

[10]:

ibid.,X.14-38

[11]:

ibid., X.14-38