न वा उ देवाः क्षुधम् इद् वधं ददुर् उताशितम् उप गच्छन्ति मृत्यवः । उतो रयिः पृणतो नोप दस्यत्य् उतापृणन् मर्डितारं न विन्दते ॥
na vā u devāḥ kṣudham id vadhaṃ dadur utāśitam upa gacchanti mṛtyavaḥ | uto rayiḥ pṛṇato nopa dasyaty utāpṛṇan marḍitāraṃ na vindate ||
The Gods have not ordained hunger to be our death: even to the well-fed man comes death in varied shape. The riches of the liberal never waste away, while he who will not give finds none to comfort him.
य आध्राय चकमानाय पित्वो ऽन्नवान् सन् रफितायोपजग्मुषे । स्थिरम् मनः कृणुते सेवते पुरोतो चित् स मर्डितारं न विन्दते ॥
ya ādhrāya cakamānāya pitvo 'nnavān san raphitāyopajagmuṣe | sthiram manaḥ kṛṇute sevate puroto cit sa marḍitāraṃ na vindate ||
The man with food in store who, when the needy comes in miserable case begging for bread to eat, Hardens his heart against him-even when of old he did him service-finds not one to comfort him.
स इद् भोजो यो गृहवे ददात्य् अन्नकामाय चरते कृशाय । अरम् अस्मै भवति यामहूता उतापरीषु कृणुते सखायम् ॥
sa id bhojo yo gṛhave dadāty annakāmāya carate kṛśāya | aram asmai bhavati yāmahūtā utāparīṣu kṛṇute sakhāyam ||
Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him in want of food and feeble. Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles.
न स सखा यो न ददाति सख्ये सचाभुवे सचमानाय पित्वः । अपास्मात् प्रेयान् न तद् ओको अस्ति पृणन्तम् अन्यम् अरणं चिद् इच्छेत् ॥
na sa sakhā yo na dadāti sakhye sacābhuve sacamānāya pitvaḥ | apāsmāt preyān na tad oko asti pṛṇantam anyam araṇaṃ cid icchet ||
No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes imploring food, will offer nothing. Let him depart-no home is that to rest in-, and rather seek a stranger to support him.
pṛṇīyād in nādhamānāya tavyān drāghīyāṃsam anu paśyeta panthām | o hi vartante rathyeva cakrānyam-anyam upa tiṣṭhanta rāyaḥ ||
Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway. Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of cars are ever rolling.
मोघम् अन्नं विन्दते अप्रचेताः सत्यम् ब्रवीमि वध इत् स तस्य । नार्यमणम् पुष्यति नो सखायं केवलाघो भवति केवलादी ॥
mogham annaṃ vindate apracetāḥ satyam bravīmi vadha it sa tasya | nāryamaṇam puṣyati no sakhāyaṃ kevalāgho bhavati kevalādī ||
The foolish man wins food with fruitless labour: that food -I speak the truth- shall be his ruin. He feeds no trusty friend, no man to love him. All guilt is he who eats with no partaker.
kṛṣann it phāla āśitaṃ kṛṇoti yann adhvānam apa vṛṅkte caritraiḥ | vadan brahmāvadato vanīyān pṛṇann āpir apṛṇantam abhi ṣyāt ||
The ploughshare ploughing makes the food that feeds us, and with its feet cuts through the path it follows. Better the speaking than the silent Brahman: the liberal friend out values him who gives not.
ekapād bhūyo dvipado vi cakrame dvipāt tripādam abhy eti paścāt | catuṣpād eti dvipadām abhisvare sampaśyan paṅktīr upatiṣṭhamānaḥ ||
He with one foot hath far outrun the biped, and the two-footed catches the three-footed. Four-footed creatures come when bipeds call them, and stand and look where five are met together.
समौ चिद् धस्तौ न समं विविष्टः सम्मातरा चिन् न समं दुहाते । यमयोश् चिन् न समा वीर्याणि ज्ञाती चित् सन्तौ न समम् पृणीतः ॥
samau cid dhastau na samaṃ viviṣṭaḥ sammātarā cin na samaṃ duhāte | yamayoś cin na samā vīryāṇi jñātī cit santau na samam pṛṇītaḥ ||
The hands are both alike: their labour differs. The yield of sister milch-kine is unequal. Twins even differ in their strength and vigour: two, even kinsmen, differ in their bounty.