Fortune, Effort and the Fruit of Deeds

Verse 1 (13.269.1)

नाभागधेयः प्राप्नोति धनं सुबलवानपि । भागधेयान्वितस्त्वर्थान्कृशो बालश्च विन्दति ॥

nābhāgadheyaḥ prāpnoti dhanaṃ subalavānapi | bhāgadheyānvitastvarthānkṛśo bālaśca vindati

A man who lacks good fortune does not obtain wealth, however strong he may be; but one endowed with fortune finds riches even if he is frail or a child.

Verse 2 (13.269.2)

नालाभकाले लभते प्रयत्नेऽपि कृते सति । लाभकालेऽप्रयत्नेन लभते विपुलं धनम् ॥

nālābhakāle labhate prayatne'pi kṛte sati | lābhakāle'prayatnena labhate vipulaṃ dhanam

In the time of no gain, a man gains nothing even when he has made an effort; in the time of gain, without effort he obtains great wealth.

Note on the text: CE mapping: lines = CE 13.149.2a, c.

Verse 3 (13.269.3)

कृतयत्नाफलाश्चैव दृश्यन्ते शतशो नराः । अयत्नेनैधमानाश्च दृश्यन्ते बहवो जनाः ॥

kṛtayatnāphalāścaiva dṛśyante śataśo narāḥ | ayatnenaidhamānāśca dṛśyante bahavo janāḥ

Hundreds of men are seen whose efforts bear no fruit, and many people are seen prospering without any effort.

Note on the text: CE mapping: line 1 = CE 13.149.2e; line 2 = CE star line 13.149.002f*0689_01.

Verse 4 (13.269.4)

यदि यत्नो भवेन्मर्त्यः स सर्वं फलमाप्नुयात् । नालभ्यं चोपलभ्येत नृणां भरतसत्तम ॥

yadi yatno bhavenmartyaḥ sa sarvaṃ phalamāpnuyāt | nālabhyaṃ copalabhyeta nṛṇāṃ bharatasattama

If effort alone decided, a mortal would obtain every fruit, and for men, O best of the Bharatas, nothing would be unobtainable.

Verse 5 (13.269.5)

प्रयत्नं कृतवन्तोपि दृश्यन्ते ह्यफला नराः । मार्गत्यागशतैरर्थानमार्गश्चापरः सुखी ॥

prayatnaṃ kṛtavantopi dṛśyante hyaphalā narāḥ | mārgatyāgaśatairarthānamārgaścāparaḥ sukhī

Men who have made an effort are seen to gain nothing, while another, by hundreds of departures from the path, gets what he wants, and off the path is happy.

Verse 6 (13.269.6)

अकार्यमसकृत्कृत्वा दृश्यन्ते ह्यधना नराः । धनयुक्ताः स्वकर्मस्था दृश्यन्ते चापरेऽधनाः ॥

akāryamasakṛtkṛtvā dṛśyante hyadhanā narāḥ | dhanayuktāḥ svakarmasthā dṛśyante cāpare'dhanāḥ

Men who repeatedly do what should not be done are seen to be poor; some are seen rich while attending to their own duties, and others, poor.

Verse 7 (13.269.7)

अधीत्य नीतिशास्त्राणि नीतियुक्तो न दृश्यते । अनभिज्ञश्च साचिव्यं गमितः केन हेतुना ॥

adhītya nītiśāstrāṇi nītiyukto na dṛśyate | anabhijñaśca sācivyaṃ gamitaḥ kena hetunā

One who has studied the treatises on policy is not seen to be skilled in policy, while one who knows nothing is raised to the post of minister—for what reason?

Verse 8 (13.269.8)

विद्यायुक्तो ह्यविद्यश्च धनवान्दुर्मतिस्तथा । यदि विद्यामुपाश्रित्य नरः सुखमवाप्नुयात् ॥

vidyāyukto hyavidyaśca dhanavāndurmatistathā | yadi vidyāmupāśritya naraḥ sukhamavāpnuyāt

A man may possess learning and yet be as if without it, and a rich man may be dull-witted. If a man could gain happiness by taking refuge in learning,

Note on the text: CE mapping: line 1 = CE 13.149.6e; line 2 = CE 13.149.7a.

Verse 9 (13.269.9)

न विद्वान्विद्यया हीनं वृत्त्यर्थमुपसंश्रयेत् । यथा पिपासां जयति पुरुषः प्राप्य वै जलम् ॥

na vidvānvidyayā hīnaṃ vṛttyarthamupasaṃśrayet | yathā pipāsāṃ jayati puruṣaḥ prāpya vai jalam

then a learned man would not seek out one without learning for his livelihood. As a man overcomes his thirst when he reaches water,

Note on the text: CE mapping: line 1 = CE 13.149.7c; line 2 = CE 13.149.8a.

Verse 10 (13.269.10)

इष्टार्थो विद्यया ह्येव न विद्यां प्रजहेन्नरः ॥

iṣṭārtho vidyayā hyeva na vidyāṃ prajahennaraḥ

so a man who has gained his desired end through learning would never give up learning.

Note on the text: CE mapping: this single line corresponds to CE 13.149.8c (where the CE reads “dṛṣṭārtho vidyayāpy evam avidyāṃ prajahen naraḥ”, a different reading).

Verse 11 (13.269.11)

नाप्राप्तकालो म्रियते विद्धः शरशतैरपि । तृणाग्रेणापि संस्पृष्टः प्राप्तकालो न जीवति ॥

nāprāptakālo mriyate viddhaḥ śaraśatairapi | tṛṇāgreṇāpi saṃspṛṣṭaḥ prāptakālo na jīvati

No one dies before his time has come, even if pierced by hundreds of arrows; but one whose time has come does not live, even if touched by the tip of a blade of grass.

Verse 12 (13.269.12)

ईहमानः समारम्भान्यदि नासादयेद्धनम् । उग्रं तपः समारोहेन्न ह्यनुप्तं प्ररोहति ॥

īhamānaḥ samārambhānyadi nāsādayeddhanam | ugraṃ tapaḥ samārohenna hyanuptaṃ prarohati

If, though striving in his undertakings, a man does not gain wealth, he should take up severe austerity; for nothing that has not been sown sprouts.

Verse 13 (13.269.13)

दानेन भोगी भवति मेधावी वृद्धसेवया । अहिंसया च दीर्घायुरिति प्राहुर्मनीषिणः ॥

dānena bhogī bhavati medhāvī vṛddhasevayā | ahiṃsayā ca dīrghāyuriti prāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

Through giving a man becomes an enjoyer of wealth, through serving the aged he becomes wise, and through non-violence he lives long—so the wise say.

Verse 14 (13.269.14)

तस्माद्दद्यान्न याचेत पूजयेद्धार्मिकानपि । सुभाषी प्रियकृच्छान्तः सर्वसत्वाविहिंसकः ॥

tasmāddadyānna yāceta pūjayeddhārmikānapi | subhāṣī priyakṛcchāntaḥ sarvasatvāvihiṃsakaḥ

Therefore one should give and not beg, and should honour the righteous; one should speak pleasantly, do what is dear to others, be calm, and harm no living being.

Verse 15 (13.269.15)

यदा प्रमाणं प्रसवः स्वभावश्च सुखासुखे । दंशकीटपिपीलानां स्थिरो भव युधिष्ठिर ॥

yadā pramāṇaṃ prasavaḥ svabhāvaśca sukhāsukhe | daṃśakīṭapipīlānāṃ sthiro bhava yudhiṣṭhira

Since for gnats, insects and ants as well, the cause of birth and one’s own nature are the measure of happiness and unhappiness, be steady, Yudhishthira.