Lecture 3, Lesson 2

Look, Sir, at birth and old age here,
Examine and know the happiness of the living,
Thence the most learned, knowing (what is called) the highest good,
He who has right intuition, commits no sin. (1) Undo the bond with mortals here;
He who lives by sins, is subject to both^[1],
Desirous of pleasures they heap up karman,
Influenced by it they are born again. (2)
Killing (animals) he thinks good sport, and derives mirth from it:
Away with that fool’s company, he increases his own unrighteousness. (3)
Thence the most learned, knowing (what is called) the highest good,
Aware of the punishment, commits no sin;
Wisely avoid the top and the root^[2]!
Cutting them off, he knows himself free from karman. (4)

That man will be liberated from death; he is a sage who sees the danger^[3], knowing the highest good in this world, leading a circumspect life, calm, guarded, endowed (with knowledge, &c.), always restrained, longing for death, he should lead a religious life. Manifold, indeed, appear sinful actions; therefore prove constant to truth! Delighting in it^[4], a wise man destroys all karman. (1)

Many, indeed, are the plans of this man (of the world); he will satisfy his desires; he (thereby causes) the slaughter of others, the pain of others, the punishment of others, the slaughter, the blame, the punishment of a whole province. Doing such things, some have exerted themselves^[5]. (2)

Therefore the second (i.e. the wrong creed) is not adhered to. The knowing one seeing the vanity (of the world) [knowing the rise and fall of the souls^[6]], the Brahman follows the unrivalled (control of the Jainas). He should not kill, nor cause others to kill, nor consent to the killing of others. ‘Avoid gaiety, not delighting in creatures (i.e. women), having the highest intuition,’ keeping off from sinful acts. (3)

And the hero should conquer wrath and pride,
Look at the great hell (as the place) for greed.
Therefore the hero abstaining from killing,
Should destroy sorrow, going the road of easiness^[7].

Here now the hero, knowing the bondage,
Knowing sorrow, should restrain himself.
Having risen to birth among men,
He should not take the life of living beings.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Literally, sees both, i.e. experiences bodily and mental (agonies), those of this world and of the next.

[2]:

The root means delusion, the top the rest of the sins.

[3]:

Arising from worldliness. The same words occur in 2, 6, § 2; but bhae (bhaya) stands here instead of pahe, road. Bhae occurs also in the former place in some MSS.

[4]:

Ettho ’varae is usually 'ceasing from it, i.e. activity.' But here the commentators explain it as translated above.

[5]:

Samuṭṭhiyā is commonly used in the sense of right effort, and thus explained by the commentators in this place, though we should expect the contrary.

[6]:

The words in brackets [ ] are a gloss upon the preceding sentence. If we leave them out, the rest forms half a śloka.

[7]:

Laghubhūya, i.e. nirvāṇa.