“ Praise be: to Batfira Gtint, who is-all-powerful! to Batdra Vishnu (wimu);
■&'who purifieth the minds of- men i and to Hatara Stiria, who enlight-
P eneth the world! May'they render--their divine ^assistance--'to udlie
■ “ author who composeth • this work, Niti Sdstra,’ which contains an
I « account of the truths to be-foupd-in the"saci-ed!:writingsi arid-which
“ are highly necessary to be known by all public officers. 8
“ A man who cannot regulate his conduct'according.' to circumstances/ and
“ to the situation in which he may be placed, is like? unto a man who
“ has lost the senses'.of taste, arid enjoyeth not the -advantage o&-$iri,
w ijrlsm^talman doth not shine in the-world, however fair' may be mis
“ appearance.
“ A 'wan :wh@ fa ignorant of the sacred writings, is as one who'h'as lbsbhis
“ • speech;: for when.these becotne the conversation of' other men,-he forill
“ -be-under. tbenecessityof remaining sifenti
“ .-It is an abomination to the Divinity to worship him in afl.'unclean place ;
§§ and the man who does so may be compared to-one -who eat^ aEfftSther
« man’s bread without«.-life' consent; The food is unwholesome''to* him,
“ even as if he ate of his o_wn bread with aversion,.An which case'he
“ resembles th e . poor man who overeats himself and. afterwardswSfers
“ from hunger; Ml
“ A woman who takes not a husband until her -hair - becomes.grey and her
: v“ teeth fall out, is despicabledn her. own eyes, because men willpotiofiger
“ feel any inclination to her.
“ A man, to be accounted able, must know how to. adapt.his ^words to his
“ actions and his actions to his words, so that he may give offence to no
“ one, but render himself agreeable to his companions: ‘ he must also
“ know how • to command in war and to inspire'. hiS' followers with
“ courage. .
“ In order to obtain this distinction, a man must conduct’ himself towards his
“ equals even as a llover. conducts himself towards his mistress’;bfor. as
“ 'the lover-cannot obtain his object without flattery and indulgence;, so
“ must we strive to obtain the good will of- mankind by flattering- them
4 oeebsionally, and by indulging them-in those things to which.'they, are
, « most inclined, and which consists, if we are in company with religious
“ men, in treating of religious • matters, and if-in: company with, war-
riors, in treating about war. This will not only make them like us the
“ better, but at the: same time, excite them to excel in their profession.
1 The
T h é subtle nature of the snake and the venom of1 its 'póiSön, as well as
,U' thé ferocious dispositiön of' thVtigèr, m’ay^be removed by'smpathetic
’“'■rëniêdies j -the wild'elephant may also be-tamed'bymeanS of tfteiwell-
known small irorThoofctf but the üercenèSs o f ‘the warrior,' when once
■‘^^fiPclóse engagement,"is not to "be tamed, unless his ending surrender ;
« and even then' hóf -eiitirély" for altKciügh the Vanquished: surrender,' it
« is to bë inferred that lie 'still harbourS réS’ehtmenbfor tfae'losff'of-h’is
^freedom,' jafid''the' cbnqUeror • must? keep;a-lively -watch-ever • the van-
& qüïshéd,' lest he' stall oppose him.
[If is^well known, that 'waters,' - however deep, may be • fathomed ; > bixt |
“ the thoughts .of men cannot be sounded.' In 'order ^ to' -khow^ fhe I
«< nature- of another, we must ^attentively "'observe his' appearciricei -his
manner of speaking, and his "judgment j and^’üp a'' mam gives himself
“ out as" a holy man, it must be proved byhis;ób;sélwa,nce of the setvihe
of" the peity and his knowledge'of the sacred writings.
Such a man is distinguished» who is ■ able to expound all abstracte expres-
,-** 'sibhs;-' • ■: v : tV' ' " " / \ ■'
A rich man, who maketh not use of his fiSHegnh epfocuring ’for himself
“ fgood'¥oad and clothing,’ is an abomination, and ought not to be admitted
“ into the society’of the learned or men of rank ; neither óüght a man,
** who haS learnt a p/ófession or studied religion, -bht \tfhp still continues
“ Attached Idle and' viciöus propensities.
The than- wEo'advances in years, and "he'ftrBö'-'is tsóTa'zy' to labour,’and
does nothing but eat and sleep, is "like a^shpep, which 'i^'us'èl'ess'eitept
W,on account of its flesh.' " 1
It-Ts-said, that-rièïthêr'the' ravens nor the gaddrbo; blids, 'are good for
« man; but much-less are such men. w h o -having ofibe embraced-a'holy
“ life» return to'worldly pursuits, or such as ban find1 it in1 their-hearts to
“Wduce the wives and daughters óf their frrends to'commit adultery.
The water in a" vessel wbiPh is only partly full will by the least agitation
^Vgplash on the Sides: "experience dso’'proves, th'afdhe c©w which has the
“ loudest voice gives-the least milkV 'So1 is>it with- men:? thbse'w'ho have
^Ileast understanding or wealth make the greatest noise'and-show-;-hut
“ in reality.they are inferior,"'and' all they-Say and- do vanishethlike smoke.
Triends must bp faithful and forbearing towards each other,- otherwise the
“ ’consequences will bè ’fatal to-both! ’ Of this w.e hafe’ an example in the
u fable of thé tiger and the forest.
2 L « The