The principal wealth of a man is his wife.

The characteristics of Dharma are the following: Never taking something which is not given to us; Being steadfast in studying the Vedas; Doing charity; Performing austerities; Practising non-violence; Speaking the truth; Not getting angry and performing Yagyas.

Just as a frog swallows beings even when in the fangs of a serpent, in the same way, self, why you even in the grip of death, torment others?

If one has not given up hypocrisy, what has one to do with vows and austerities? If the blindness of the eye is not gone, what use is looking at a glass or lamp?

One should bring under control the agitated elephant of senses strutting about in the sprawling forest of sense-objects with the goad of knowledge.

There are eight kinds of foes- an act of god, fire, water, disease, plague, panic, famine and flood.

A backbiter does not cause as much hurt by not being kind as he does by harsh words. A mosquito causes more pain to the ear by its hum than by sucking blood.

That which was before is only what takes birth again. What happens before happens now and that is what will happen in the future too. It is the father who enters his son with all his powers.

The king who has control over his senses is truly Indra.

Like a cow loves her calf may you all too love each other.

May the son follow his father and obey his mother. May the wife speak with her husband in a calml and sweet voice.

A sleeping person is like a dead one.

No truth, no austerities, no control over senses, no mercy for all beings – this is the definition of a Chandala (an out-caste).

Always give way to a brahmin, a cow, the king, a blind person, one who is old, one who is carrying a load, a pregnant woman and one who is weak.

Evenness of mind (samata) is called yoga.

Yoga means skill in action.

Those who cook food (only) for themselves eat only sin.

By performing action without attachment one attains the Highest.

A walking man lifts his second leg only after the first has been placed firmly on the ground. A caterpillar leaves a blade of grass only when it has caught hold of another; similarly does the embodied soul, following the course of its destiny, leave the former body only when it has caught hold of the next.

Two types of deaths have been considered the most coveted in this world: The yogic way of giving up the body by control of breath and meditating on the Supreme Reality, and the second of the brave warrior fighting fearlessly at the forefront of battle.

Who does this body belong to? Does it belong to my parents who created it? Or does it belong to my wife who is my life partner? Is it fuel for the fire that is ultimately going to consume it, or is it food for vultures and wolves? Does it belong to me, or to my near and dear ones?

The one who knows the secret of my words does not criticize not praise anybody, but moves in the world free from any prejudice or partiality, just like the sun.

Think of the other's wife as your mother, and your own wife as half of your body.

Man has right over only that much wealth as is enough to satisfy his hunger. He who lays a claim on the surplus is a thief and deserves punishment.

Relieving others of their suffering is the highest worship of god.

O sandalwood, who could be clever enough to follow this path of yours that you, even when rubbed, fill with your fragrance even those who rub you?

To be without qualities is good. Fie upon qualities. While other trees have their jolly good existence, it is the sandalwood trees that are cut.

Like a tree laden with ripe fruits bends naturally, so do gentle people display all the more humility when blessed with abundance.

An elephant bound in ropes, the eclipse of the sun and the poverty of the wise, makes it obvious that the power of fate is always supreme.

One should give something everyday even from the little (with him).

Generally it is the rich who have a strong desire for riches.

He who does not have mother in the house and has a wife of harsh speech, should go to a forest: (for him) as is the forest so is his house.

When Gautam Buddha saw the ground littered with dead worms and insects scattered by ploughs, he mourned deeply, as if they were his own kinsmen.

Like birds collecting on a tree in the night and then going their separate ways in the morning, the union of all beings inevitably ends in separation.

Water does not stick to a lotus leaf or a grain of mustard to the tip of an awl. Similarly, even though he may be married, one who does not cling to the pleasure of the senses, him would I call a Brahmin.

With effort even difficult things get accomplished. Even a rock gets thinner with repeated fall of water.

Never live in a city lacking these five things: Means of livelihood, Fear of punishment, Mutual shame, Cleverness and Charity amongst the people. 

A servant is tested at the time of work, Relatives at the time of suffering, Friends in calamities, and women during the loss of wealth.

A wise man should marry an ugly girl of a noble family rather than a beautiful girl born in a dubious family, because a marriage takes place only between equal families.

Never trust the following: Animals with nails, Rivers, Horned animals, Men with weapons, Women, and the Royal family (because all change temperament without warning).

Compared to men women have eight times the diet, four times the brain, six times the courage and eight times the desire.

Never live in a city lacking in these five things: a rich man, a Vedic Brahmin, a ruler, a river and a doctor.

The parents who do not educate their child are his enemies.

Separation from one's wife, lack of respect from friends and relatives, a balance loan, service of an evil king, poverty, and a gathering of fools - all these burn the body without fire.

These three are destroyed soon: Trees on the bank of a river, a woman who lives in another's house and a king without ministers

A prostitute deserts a man without money, the people desert a defeated king, birds a fruitless tree, and a guest the house after having his food.

Appropriate food and the capacity to digest it, a beautiful wife and the power to make love to her, extensive wealth and the inclination to charity, all these are not the fruit of a small amount of penance (i.e. they are the fruits of a large amount of penance).

Whose son is under his control, whose wife follows his words, who has ample wealth, for him, this world itself is heaven.

Never trust a bad friend. Even a good friend should not be trusted too much, because, if he ever gets angry, he will reveal all your secrets.

Indulgence leads to demerits and admonition leads to development of good qualities. Hence, sons and students should be admonished and never indulged.

Whose family is without a stain? Who is not suffering from some disease? Who has not experienced a crisis? Who has always experienced happiness?

The industrious one is devoid of poverty, the one who chants is devoid of sins, for the silent there are no quarrels, and there is no fear for those who are alert.

Sita was kidnapped because of too much beauty, Ravana was killed because of excess pride, King Bali was bound in ropes because of excess charity; therefore, always shun excess in anything.

Indulge a child till five years; for the next ten, chide him to mend his faults; but, as soon he becomes sixteen years old, start treating him like a friend.

A man's behavior reveals his family background, his manner of speaking his place of origin, respect reveals his affection, and the makeup of his body reveals his food habits.

Where fools are not worshipped, sufficient quantity of grain is in store, where husband and wife don't fight with each other, there Goddess Lakshmi dwells by her own choice.

A koel's beauty is in her voice, a woman's beauty in her loving devotion to her husband, an ugly person's beauty is his knowledge and for saints, beauty lies in forgiveness.

Kings give order only once, wise men give their decision only once, and a daughter is given in marriage only once. All three are done only once.

Penance is done alone, studies with two, singing with three, traveling with four, farming with five, and a battle is fought well by many.

A scripture is poison without practice, food is poison for those having indigestion, a gathering is poison for a poor fellow, and a young woman is poison for an old man.

For men too much walking, for horses being tied up, for women the lack of copulation, and for clothes exposure to sunshine - all lead to deterioration and old age.

One should ponder over again and again over the following points: who are my friends, who are my enemies, what is the ground level situation, what is my income and expense, who am I, and what is my strength.

For the Brahmins fire is the god; for the sages, god is in the heart; for those low on knowledge the idol is the god;, and for those who see impartially (sama-dasrhi), god is everywhere.

It is better to have a single son with good qualities, rather than several ones without qualities; because, a single moon removes the darkness of the night, rather than the large number of stars in the sky.

Better than a long-living foolish son is the son who dies as soon he is born. The latter gives a brief pain, but the foolish one gives torment as long as he lives.

For the twice born, fire is the guru, for all castes, Brahmins are the guru, for women, husband is the guru, and a guest is guru for all.

Those who criticize the wisdom of the Vedas, describe the noble behavior enjoined by the scriptures as useless, call the peaceful person a hypocrite, all these merely trouble themselves without cause.

Charity destroys poverty, good behavior destroys troubles, knowledge destroys ignorance, and bhakti destroys fear.

Desire is the biggest disease in the world; infatuation the biggest enemy; anger the greatest fire; and knowledge the highest pleasure in the world.

For the Brahmagyani heaven, for the brave a warrior his life, for one who has won over his senses a woman, and for those who are not greedy this world, all are but mere twigs.

For those living in a foreign land his education is the true friend; in the house a wife is a man’s true friend; for the ill medicine is the best friend; and for the dead dharma is the only friend.

All these are useless: Rainfall in the sea, feeding those with already a full stomach, donating wealth to the already rich, and lighting a lamp in the day.

There is no water purer than a cloud’s, no power greater than one’s own inner strength, no light like that of the eye and nothing more likeable than food.

The poor want wealth, the animals want to speak, humans desire the heavens and gods desire salvation.

It is truth which bears this world, the sun shines because of truth, and the wind blows because of truth; all are established in truth only.

In this transient world wealth, our breath, life, and youth, all are transient. If anything is unshaking, it is dharma.

In humans the barber is the most cunning, in birds the crow, in four-legged creatures the jackal and amongst women the wife of the gardener.

Be afraid of a fearful circumstance only till it is far. As soon as it comes near, strike at it fearlessly.

No official is above greed, one without desire is not fond of beauty, an unintelligent person cannot be a sweet talker, and a straightforward person can never be a crook.

Fools bear malice towards the wise, the poor towards the rich, prostitutes towards women of noble families, and widows towards married women.

Money protects dharma, yoga protects knowledge, gentleness saves the king, and a chaste woman protects the house.

A man understands dharma by hearing the scriptures, by hearing does he leave aside wicked thoughts, by listening does he gain knowledge, and by listening does he gain enlightenment (Moksha).

Control the greedy man by money, the proud by folding hands, a fool by doing what he says, and a wise person by telling the truth.

Amongst birds the crow, in animals the dog, in saints the one prone to anger, and in humans the one who criticizes everybody, these are the outcastes (chandala).

A bronze vessel becomes pure on cleaning with ash, a copper vessel is purified by application of sour mangoes (khatai), women are purified by menstruation, and rivers on being flooded.

A man’s intelligence follows whatever is supposed to happen, all means and helpers too become available to achieve it.

Those born blind, those blinded with desire, and those blinded with pride, all three cannot see, and a fourth, the selfish ones, cannot see their faults.

The ruler has to suffer the fruits of sins committed by his people, the royal priest suffers the sins of the ruler, a husband the sins of his wife, and a guru the sins committed by his disciple.

A wise man should never reveal the following: a loss of wealth, a worry bothering the mind, faults of his household, having been made a fool by someone, and being humiliated.

One should always be satisfied with following three: one’s own wife, food and money. One should never be satisfied with following: one’s study, penance, and charity.

One should very much avoid swimming in a big river and conflict with and opposition to a great man.

The good people who earn their livelihood with righteous means, who are attached only to their wives, who have control over their senses and who love their guests there is salvation in their house itself.

The elders are not to be criticized.

Control over the senses is the real penance.

A veil on her head, natural bashfulness on her face, slow gait, eyes fixed on the tip of the feet, few words in sweet and slow tone (all) this proclaims for sure a woman’s noble birth.

One should not diminish one’s qualities by self-praise.

A well-born person is worthy of respect, more than him is an artist, more than him even is a scholar, still more than him is one of good conduct, more that still him is a rich person, more than even a rich person is a philanthropist. But even his fame is eclipsed by him who has never begged.

Knowledge is that which takes pride away, wealth is that which rains on the supplicants. Intellect is said to be that which follows Dharma.

All women in this world are forms of the goddess.

One should be careful in speech, restrained in one's thoughts and do no wrong with one's body. Once these three parts of action are cleared, then one will gain the path of the sages.

The greatest of warriors is one who conquers the Self.

A silent person, or one who speaks much or the man of few words, all are blamed. In this world, none is blameless.

Civility adds grace even to an ugly woman while the absence of it takes away the grace of even from the pretty one.

Pupils should tend to their teachers in the following five ways: i) By rising to greet them, ii) Waiting on them, iii) Being attentive, iv) Serving them and v) Mastering the skills they teach. The teachers should similarly: i) Give thorough instruction, ii) Make sure the pupils have grasped what they have been taught; iii) Give them a thorough grounding in skills, iv) Recommend their pupils to friends and colleagues and, v) Make them secure.

The wise do not seek to hasten the ripening of that which is not yet ripe, but rather they wisely await its ripening.

Be islands unto yourselves, be a refuge unto yourselves with no other refuge.

The way of action is inscrutable as to what may happen and when. It could be that a mountain is dug up and what is gained is just a mouse.

Honour, insult and charity one should not make public.

A person exceedingly angry is blind though possessed of eyes.

A king without pride, a Brahmin without greed, a sage without anger, a monkey without pranks, a poet without jealousy, a merchant who is no thief (pilferer), a fond husband without jealousy, a good man not poor, a rich man not half-wicked, an attendant who is happy, a gambler who is grateful, a wandering ascetic who is not hungry, a cruel man who is sweet of tongue and a king’s son who is not arrogant are rare in this world.

A gift accompanied with sweet words, knowledge without pride, courage attended by forgiveness and wealth spend in charity: these four are rare in this world.

A golden deer is an impossibility; even then, the great Rama went after it. Truly, when misfortune is near, the intelligence of even the most clever gets deluded.

Any act committed with excessive vigor, whether it be sinful or virtuous, yields result within three years, three months, three fortnights, three days or in this present birth itself.

One should no go at the head of multitude; if the undertaking succeeds, the fruit is the same (i.e., is shared equally by all); but if it fails, it is the leader who is killed.

When calamities are to befall, even a well-wisher becomes a cause of them. It is the leg of the mother that serves as the pillar for tying the calf.

When you have to choose between water secured without any effort and delicious food causing trouble, choose after consideration, what is conducive to happiness and what is easily acquired.

Like a jar of water, when overturned, empties all its contents, never to receive them back, thus should one give away without regard to money, fame, one's progeny, or even our own body to anybody who approaches us with a wish list.

Generally the mind of the ignorant inflamed with anger with reference to an object gets all the more inflamed with its mention.

To be in the river till noon, to offer worship to a deity in an (open) assembly, to be well-dressed all the time - this is what hypocrisy is.

Obeisance to that Kali (age) where the words of wife are the Vedas, to earn money is Dharma and one’s own intellect is authority.

Women are like flowers.

Material prosperity is the highest ideal for the king and the prostitute. For the rest, dharma is the supreme ideal.

When the heart becomes free of all desires, then does man achieve god and become immortal.

A deed performed unrighteously will certainly bring calamity.

There is only a twofold remedy for the wicked and the thorns: either slap their face with shoes or keep them at a safe distance.

Who is brave? One who has achieved control over the senses. Who is beloved? She who is of good character. What is wealth? Knowledge. What is happiness? Not to continue living abroad. What is authority? The ability to issue orders. What is gain? The association with the virtuous. What is unwelcome? To serve the unwise. What is loss? The absence of decency. What is skill? The attachment to Dharma.

Fix your mind only on Me, place your intellect in Me and then without doubt you will dwell in me thereafter.

The internal suffering of the person who does not reciprocate the criticism and abuse hurled at him burns down the abuser taking away all the latter's merit.

Question to Goddess Lakshmi: "Where do you live?" Her Answer: "I live in women devoted to their husbands".

Charity begets wealth, keeping silent makes others follow you, penance leads to gain of desired objects, and celibacy leads to a long life.

The days ends in setting of the sun; and there is a new dawn at the end of the night. Pleasure ends in pain; and the end of pain is always happiness.

"Dharma is called 'dharma' because it upholds (dharan) the world. Therefore, whatever possesses this characteristic of support and sustenance is dharma."

Never trust the one who is not faithful, and do not place too much trust even in the faithful.

Physical penance (tapas) means celibacy and non-violence. Mental penance is restraint of the mind and speech.

The wise think of insult as nectar, and fear honor as much as they would poison.

Even a little thorn, if extracted carelessly, leads to gangrene.

One should avoid from a distance a bad son, a bad king, a bad friend, a bad relationship and a bad country.

The rod of chastisement sways all subjects, and protects them. The rod of chastisement is awake when all are asleep. The wise have designated the rod of chastisement as Righteousness itself.

The best remedy for sorrow (dukha) is to not think about it. Thinking about sorrow increases it, rather than decreasing it.

For the sake of the family sacrifice an individual, for the village a family, for the city a village, and for the soul, the whole world can be sacrificed.

One who plucks unripe fruits from a tree doesn't enjoy its taste, but succeeds in destroying its seed.

Dharma protects those who protect it.

Desire is never extinguished by the enjoyment of desired objects; it only grows stronger like a fire (fed) with clarified butter.

The relinquishing of the present happiness and the pursuit of a future one is never the policy of intelligent people.

In this world, the prosperous are often seen deprived of the power to consume and digest, while the poor have the capacity to digest even a piece of wood.

Virtue is preserved with truthfulness, learning with practice, beauty with (herbal) make-up and noble birth with good manners.

To keep company with those whom they do not like and to be separated from those whom they like as also to deal with the wicked is the agony which people with long life have to suffer.

The students and the teachers and all those who pore over the Sastras are all fools and addicts. One who practises (what is enjoined in the Sastras) is learned.

All qualities do not exist at one place.

All the gods reside where women are worshipped.

The gods live where women are worshipped.

A woman's mouth is forever pure.

One's own character, offspring, family, soul, and dharma - all are protected when the wife is protected. 

One should not sit in a lonely place with one’s mother, sister or daughter; for the senses are powerful. They pull towards themselves even a learned man.

One should acquire nectar even from poison, good words even from a child, good conduct even from an adversary and gold even from an unclean spot.

That man may be considered to have (really) subdued his sense-organs who on hearing and touching and seeing or tasting and smelling (any thing) neither rejoices nor repents.

All people remain under control through punishment. An upright man is rare. It is through the fear of punishment that the world gets fit for enjoyment.

The division of day and night has been created by the sun. Night is for sleeping while daytime is meant for work.

In humans, the regions above the navel are extremely pure. Even amongst these, the mouth is the purest.

It is better for knower of the Vedas to die without passing on his knowledge to anybody, rather than teach it to an undeserving person.

One who has the habit of greeting and constantly serving his elders, his age, knowledge, fame and strength, all increase.

For those who want to know about Dharma, the Vedas are the only authority.

Worship the wife of your elder brother daily by touching her feet.

Behave with your paternal aunt, maternal aunt and your elder sister as you would with your mother. However, your mother is much above them.

Money, relatives, age, karma and knowledge, all these are to be respected. The latter ones more than the former (For e.g. relatives are more important than money etc.)

The mother is a thousand times great than the father.

A Brahmin should shrink from praise as he would from poison; let him ever yearn for scorn, as he would for ambrosia.

One who takes scorn in his stride sleeps at ease, wakes at ease, and goes about the world with ease. However, the one who scorns him perishes.

For a brahmachari subsisting solely on alms, it is but equivalent to fasting.

As a man gets water by digging with a spade, so does a student, offering obedient service, gain knowledge contained in his Guru.

The amount of trouble that a mother and father undergo during the birth of offspring cannot be repaid even in a hundred years.

One who respects all three – Mother, Father and Guru, he has respected all Dharmas. One who disrespects them; he has failed in all ways.

Till the Mother, Father and Guru are alive, no need to do any another Dharma. One should constantly serve and benefit them with love and affection.

A woman’s name should be beautiful, benign, soft, and easily pronounceable with a clear meaning, have a long vowel at the end and should communicate a blessing.

In this world nobody is ever seen doing anything without desire. Whatever a man does it is because of desire.

Always respect food. Eat it without criticizing. Express pleasure on seeing food and pray for receiving it forever.

Food eaten everyday with respect gives both strength and stamina. Food consumed disrespectfully destroys both.

Eating too much destroys one’s health, life span, heaven and merits. Therefore, leave this practice altogether.

For women the act of marriage is their rite of twice born. To serve her husband is equivalent to staying in a gurukula and household chores are but the service to fires.

The guru’s feet should be touched with hands crossed, i.e., the right hand should touch the right leg and the left hand should touch the left.

OM is the Supreme God. Pranayama is the greatest austerity. There is nothing greater than Gayatri, and truth is greater than silence.

Like a charioteer controlling his horses, a wise man too should rein in his senses wandering in the objects of pleasure which steal away his mind.

A man invariably sins while indulging his sense organs. By controlling them he gains all siddhis.

One obtains objects of pleasure, another sacrifices them. Out of the two, the sacrifice of such objects is better than their gain.

The one who gains neither pleasure nor unhappiness while listening, touching, seeing, eating or smelling, is the one who has gained control over his sense organs.

The new daughter-in-law, girls, the sick, and a pregnant woman, all should be fed first in the house.

Nights are demonic.

Never look at your own reflection in water.

Where women are revered, there the gods rejoice; but where they are not, all endeavors fail.

Families where women accepted in marriage (wife, daughter in law etc) grieve, those clans are destroyed. But where do not grieve, those families definitely prosper.

When the wife sparkles, everything in the family also shines. When she does not, everything loses its attraction.

Suffering means being under somebody else’s control. Happiness is being under one’s control only. This in a nutshell is a definition of happiness and suffering.

Never raise a stick against anyone except one’s own son or pupil. These two can be chastisised in order to inculcate discipline.

Like the earth does not bear fruit immediately, similarly, Adharma too does not yield results immediately, but gradually uproots its perpetrator.

Our servants are but our shadows; our daughter deserving of our supreme compassion. Therefore, even though they may much criticize or assail you, bear it all without getting angry at all.

The one who uses another person’s vehicle, bed, seat, well, garden or house without permission, gets a quarter of the owner’s sins.

The one who gives with respect and the one who receives it with respect; both go to heaven. But when the opposite happens, they go to hell.

Never brag about a donation you have made.

Alone is a man born, alone does he die. Alone he enjoys the fruits of his good and evil deeds.

Even though beseeched by desire, never go near your wife during her menstrual period; nor lie with her on the same bed.

Fie upon the birth of the man who is known in this world through his father. The birth is (praiseworthy) of that well-born who gets known through his son.

There can be no lotus without a stalk, no merchant without deceit, no goldsmith who is not a cheat, no village assembly without conflict and no prostitute without greed.

Truth always wins, and never falsehood.

Anything against something in progress is unbecoming. With the play on the lyre does not go well the Vedic recitation.

A wise man accepts there and then the cooked food, the ripe fruit, a woman in early youth, a wise saying, and a betelnut.

There is just a difference of a dot between chinta (=worry) and chita (=funeral pyre). Chita (funeral pyre) burns a life-less being while, strange it may appear, chinta (=worry) burns even the living one.

“Will grow” with this idea one should take to farming: “there may be (profit) or not” with this idea one should do business; “will not come back” with this idea one should advance loan; “I will not exist” with this idea one should take risk.

There is no worse emaciation of the body than worry.

O you the Ketaka plant, you are curved, you grow in a muddy place, you are not easy of reach, snakes take recourse in you, you have no fruit, you have thorns, still you through your smell, are dear to all beings. Just one, single, good quality of yours cancels out all the bad ones.

God dislikes egoism and loves meekness (wretchedness).

A cloud thunders in the autumn, it does not rain: in the rainy season it rains but does not thunder. A mean fellow speaks but does not act. A good man does not speak, he just acts.

He, who, in spite of the wealth that he has neither gives it away in charity nor puts it to self-use; that wealth is not his. He is the like a fake man made of straw who protects the crop for the sake of somebody else.

That work one should avoid by doing which one may have to feel ashamed.

Separation from wife, censure by the good, the remainder of debt, service to the miser, the advent of the dear ones when one is stricken with poverty – these five burn the body without fire.

The wise should keep the following nine as secret: age, wealth, the weak point of their family (lit. house), mantra, medicine, contracts, charity, honour and insult.

One should accept reasonable (suitable) words even from a child, and a parrot but if these are not suitable, one should not accept them even it they come from Brhaspati.

In strained circumstances a man is even anxious to get a handful of barley grains but afterwards when he is full (very prosperous) he attaches no importance (lit. thinks like a straw) to (the whole) earth. It is quite clear, (therefore) that the value of a thing is altogether dependant upon the wealthy or penurious conditions of a man.

A dog wags its tail, falls at the feet of its master and lies down flat on the ground to show its mouth and stomach to the man who feeds it: but the noble elephant looks with a clam and steady glance upon the face of its master and condescends to take its food after a series of soothing and flattering entreaties.

The fish which lives deep in the sea gets caught, the deer which runs faster than the wind gets bound, even the bird, which can discern a piece of meat from a distance of several miles cannot see the net nearby - all because of the vagaries of fate.

Where the life of people could be saved by telling a lie, there lie would be truth and the truth lie.

The words that cause pain to others are untruth. The reverses of it is truth.

Of a man overcome by worries of his family, learning, good conduct and (all) other qualities disappear along with the body like water in an unbaked pitcher.

Those sensible (wise) people who follow the path purified by non-violence, they only go up (go to the higher regions). Others either join the animal kingdom or repair to the nether regions.

When taking food, luck may provide a full meal, but, without the assistance of the hand, it will not reach the mouth.

Whom does not association with the great benefit? A raindrop, standing on a lotus leaf, glitters like a pearl.

Never take advice from dancers, sycophants, mean people, children, barbers, monks and hermits.

Just as a calf finds out its mother in the midst of thousands of cows, in the same way the action done in previous life follows its doer.

Even a serpent with no poison should raise its hood in full. Poison there may or may not be, the display of the hood itself strikes terror.

As a man grows old his hair gets old (wears away) so do his teeth (i.e. decay) and his eyes and ears (i.e. they lose their power of seeing and hearing); his desire only gets stronger (lit. youthful).

It is only the meanminded who calculate in the manner that such and such is mine and such and such is alien. For those of magnanimous character the whole earth is one family.

When the destruction (loss) of the whole impends, a wise man foregoes half (a part of it).

Who does not become proud by a stroke of good luck? Who is not laid low by death? Which beggar can be dignified? Whose mind is not affected by a woman? Who can escape when caught by rogues? Who can be a favorite of kings? Who has ever heard or seen an honest gambler, a clean crow, a woman not swiftly moved by passion, a benevolent serpent or a drunkard fond of science?

Though one might be exceedingly strong and clever, one should be wary of an unnecessary foe. Though a doctor may be available, for no reason should one carelessly drink poison.

Never harm a woman, child, hermit or a priest. Even if one has to give up one's life, the trust of these four should never be betrayed.

Clever people infer what is in the mind of another person from the expression itself just as the bees do the Ketaki flower, through its fragrance only.

What use is his life who goes to a far distant place to earn his livelihood leaving his family behind?

Wise men say that death is natural state, while life is a change or effect.

The ruler of Lanka (Ravana), the conqueror of the worlds, got defeat from the animals (the monkeys). The best of the kings, the Kuru king (Duryodhana), suffered a kick at the head. At the end everybody in common with everyone else suffers humiliation which takes away his respect. Who then is he who under the influence of conceit is to think that he is great?

Father, mother, brothers and sons, all follow their own individual destinies. It is only the wife who shares her husband's destiny.

There is no greater dharma than serving your father and obeying his orders.

Hoarding and expenditure, elevation and degradation, meeting and parting, life and death, all are akin.

Forgiveness is an ornament of both men and women.

Refrain from whispers or smiles in the presence of the great.

The care of the root of a thing - this is the usage of experienced men. If the root is sound, the juices, which implement the maturing of the fruit, will be protected.

It is faith (Shraddha) that we worship in the morning, in the afternoon, and also in the evening. O! Goddess of Faith, give us faith.

Never hurt cows.

Somebody may or may not be tormented by hostile enemies, but everybody is tormented, everywhere and always, by sense organs.

A tree bends when its fruits have ripened; a fresh water cloud hangs low; similarly, a gentleman becomes all the more humble in prosperity.

Those who have an element of attachment in them weaknesses appear even in the forests. Control over the five senses in the house itself is penance. One who follows the noncensurable path, for him, away from attachment, the home is the penance grove.

Where chaste women dwell, rains will not fail, nor will prosperity diminish.

People with great intellect conquest the impulse of anger while the people of lower caliber are conquered by it.

Weak persons acquire their objects when allied with the strong. The rivulet, with the help of the river, reaches the ocean.

By its very nature medicine, if distasteful, is curative of ailment.

Accompanied by Parvati, Shiva lives in the minds of the pure.

The bull of dharma has forgiveness for its horns, control of the senses for its ears, the eyes of faith and the Vedas as its breath.

One tenth of our income should be given to charity. The rest should be divided into three parts - one for increasing our wealth, second for dharma and the third for one's own consumption.

Criticizing others leads to destruction. Criticizing oneself gives fame.

The world was created before kama (desire) came into being.

Fragrance in gold, the non-withering of a jasmine garland and the non-enviousness of listeners are beyond the creation of the Creator.

A man may place his feet anywhere - on a brick, stone or wood etc, in any case it will be on the earth itself. Similarly, whatever name or form exists, it is only that of the Supreme Person.

The form of imperishable dharma is merely that human beings experience grief in the suffering of others and joyfulness in their joy.

Like the featherless young bird crying out for its mother, the hungry calf eager for cow's milk and like the wife who has intense longing for her beloved husband away from home, so am I, O lotus-eyed god, keen to behold you.

The teacher (acharya) is an incarnation of the Vedas, the father is an image of Lord Brahma, one's brother is an image of Indra and one's mother is but a direct expression of the earth.

One should win over kama (desire) by giving up all resolves, anger by giving up desire, greed by looking upon wealth as an evil, and fear by pondering on the true nature of reality (Tattva).

Misfortunes that befell a human being are the eventual cause of his welfare.

Gods kill and drop down (in hell) the king who does not protect the Brahmin, who does not practice austerities and a rich man who is not charitable.

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras are separated not by the accident of their birth, but by works and virtues.

In this world nobody is Brahmin, Ksatriya, Vaisya, Sudra or Mleccha by birth. Qualities and actions lead to distinctions (like the above).

Good advice to fools only provokes them and not pacifies. The drinking of milk by serpents produces poison in them and not nectar.

Excess is the cause of ruin. Hence one should avoid it in any case.

In any endeavor, it is the sentiment (bhava) behind it that is the sole determinant. A man embraces his wife with one feeling, and his mother with another.

Whatever is given to an undeserving person ignoring the deserving one, would be like giving something to an ass ignoring a cow.

Where undeserving ones are shows honour and the deserving ones not done so, three things appear there: famine, death and fear.

It is rare to have birth in Bharatavarsha (India).

He who enveloped by Tamas (Tamoguna) gives black money in charity, he, the wretched one, attaining animalhood in death reaps its fruit.

So long a person has desire in this world, he continues to be poor, even though prosperous.

One protected by the armour of endurance (forbearance) conquers everything.

A serpent giving out sound like a frog, a lion putting on the expression of a cow and an enemy showing respect one should take as not friendly.

A lame frog, a sick serpent, an old man in poverty, a man with bad wife- all these experiences great torment in the this world. It is not possible that it could be otherwise.

With the idea that the wife is mine, if she is pampered a lot, she rudely insults the very husband. The lamp is mine, if with this idea it is given a deep kiss, it singes badly the very moment the bristles on the face.

Get up. Do not sleep.

Worship the following as gods: your mother, father, teacher and the guest who comes unannounced to your home.

If in this world, there were none to beg, would there be any glory for the rich?

Be compassionate: for compassion is the root of all doctrines.

If a pot contains ghee, ants will gather on its exterior unceasingly although they are unable to get at it within.

Let your charity be in conformity with your wealth - that is the way to preserve it.

If you desire to maintain character, cultivate patience.

Bestowal on the poor alone is charity: everything else smacks of barter.

This is the family of the wise man- Dharma is father, forbearance is mother, compassion is wife, qualities are sons. All others are only illusions.

A bad lunch ruins the day, a bad wife the night, a bad son ruins the family and not sharing money ruins one’s wealth.

There are five reasons for the early onslaught of old age: exposure to too much cold, too much walking, eating bad food, copulation with an old woman, and also having to live in unfavorable circumstances.

The (following) six are the hells in this world: living in a bad village, serving a bad king, bad food, a wife given to anger, having many daughters, poverty.

Old age stands threatening like a tigress. Diseases are striking the body like enemies and life is leaking out like water from a broken jar; but, strange to say, men are still regardless of doing good.

The face is marked over with wrinkles, the head is covered with grey hair and the limbs are all weak and worn out with age, it is only the desire which is youthful (getting strong).

All that is accumulated is finally to vanish and all that rises ends in fall. All unions end in separation and life in death.

Who is whose friend? Who is to get what from whom? A being is born alone and alone does he die.

From birth, there are three instructors of a man: his guru, his father and his mother.

He who allows the occasion for coming to the assistance of his friends to pass is worthless, even if he were to achieve great things.

He who kills a Brahmin or a cow or drinks an intoxicating liquor or is a thief or violates his vow is till able to expiate his sin, but of whom who is guilty of ingratitude no expiation is possible.

Long enmity, jealousy, untruthfulness, unchasity, backbiting and cruelty – are the hallmark of a Sudra.

A being is born alone, alone does he die. Alone he wanders in the worldly forest, alone he undergoes great sufferings.

Alone one should not taste a delicious dish, alone one should not think of profitable undertakings, alone one should not go a journey and alone one should not be awake amidst those who are asleep.

One should preserve with (conscious) effort one’s good character. One who has not lost good conduct is no loser, one who has lost good conduct is lost.

The eye cannot see itself but is capable of scanning things which are at a far off distance. Similarly, people are good at advising others, but not in performing their own duties.

When an individual is firmly established in non-violence (ahimsa), all beings who come near him also cease to be hostile.