1. Humbly bowing down before the almighty Lord Sri Vishnu,
the Lord of the
three worlds, I recite maxims of the science of political
ethics (niti) selected
from the various satras (scriptures
2. That man who by the study of these maxims from the satras
acquires a
knowledge of the most celebrated principles of duty, and
understands what
ought and what ought not to be followed, and what is good
and what is bad, is
3. Therefore with an eye to the public good, I shall speak
that which, when
understood, will lead to an understanding of things in their
proper perspective.
4. Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction to a
foolish disciple, by
maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity with
the miserable.
5. A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living
in a house with a
serpent in it are nothing but death.
6. One should save his money against hard times, save his
wife at the
sacrifice of his riches, but invariably one should save his
soul even at the
sacrifice of his wife and riches.
7. Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say,
"What fear has a rich
man, of calamity?" When riches begin to forsake one
even the accumulated
stock dwindles away.
8. Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected,
cannot earn your
livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.
9. Do not stay for a single day where there are not these
five persons: a
wealthy man, a brahmin well versed in Vedic lore, a king, a
river and a
physician
10. Wise men should never go into a country where there are
no means of
earning one's livelihood, where the people have no dread of
anybody, have no
sense of shame, no intelligence, or a charitable
disposition.
11. Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a
relative in difficulty, a
friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortun.
12. He is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of
need, misfortune,
famine, or war, in a king's court, or at the crematorium
(smasana).
13. He who gives up what is imperishable for that which is
perishable, loses
that which is imperishable; and doubtlessly loses that which
is perishable
also.
14. A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family
even if she is
deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class family,
through beauty.
Marriage in a family of equal status is preferable.
15. Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons,
beasts with claws
or horns, women, and members of a royal family
16. Even from poison extract nectar, wash and take back gold
if it has fallen in
filth, receive the highest knowledge (Krsna consciousness)
from a low born
person; so also a girl possessing virtuous qualities
(stri-ratna) even if she
were born in a disreputable family.
17. Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring
six-fold, and lust
eight-fold as compared to men
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