बलं वाव विज्ञानाद् भूयः । अपि ह शतं विज्ञानवताम् एको बलवान् आकम्पयते । स यदा बली भवत्य् अथोत्थाता भवति । उत्तिष्ठन् परिचरिता भवति । परिचरन्न् उपसत्ता भवति । उपसीदन् द्रष्टा भवति श्रोता भवति मन्ता भवति बोद्धा भवति कर्ता भवति विज्ञाता भवति । बलेन वै पृथिवी तिष्ठति बलेनान्तरिक्षं बलेन द्यौर् बलेन पर्वता बलेन देवमनुष्या बलेन पशवश् च वयांसि च तृणवनस्पतयः श्वापदान्य् आकीटपतङ्गपिपीलकम् । बलेन लोकस् तिष्ठति । बलम् उपास्स्वेति
balaṃ vāva vijñānād bhūyaḥ | api ha śataṃ vijñānavatām eko balavān ākampayate | sa yadā balī bhavaty athotthātā bhavati | uttiṣṭhan paricaritā bhavati | paricarann upasattā bhavati | upasīdan draṣṭā bhavati śrotā bhavati mantā bhavati boddhā bhavati kartā bhavati vijñātā bhavati | balena vai pṛthivī tiṣṭhati balenāntarikṣaṃ balena dyaur balena parvatā balena devamanuṣyā balena paśavaś ca vayāṃsi ca tṛṇavanaspatayaḥ śvāpadāny ākīṭapataṅgapipīlakam | balena lokas tiṣṭhati | balam upāssveti
Devanagari rendered by HREEM from the edition's roman (IAST) text; the IAST is the edition's own.
'Power (bala) is better than understanding. One powerful man shakes a hundred men of understanding. If a man is powerful, he becomes a rising man. If he rises, he becomes a man who visits wise people. If he visits, he becomes a follower of wise people. If he follows them, he becomes a seeing, a hearing, a perceiving, a knowing, a doing, an understanding man. By power the earth stands firm, and the sky, and the heaven, and the mountains, gods and men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants; by power the world stands firm. Meditate on power.
Translated by F. Max Müller