The Nine Enemies and Ambarisha's Verses on Greed

Verse 1 (14.32.1)

त्रयो वै रिपवो लोके नवधा गुणतः स्मृताः । हर्षः स्तंभोऽतिमानश्च त्रयस्ते सात्विका गुणाः ॥

trayo vai ripavo loke navadhā guṇataḥ smṛtāḥ | harṣaḥ staṃbho'timānaśca trayaste sātvikā guṇāḥ

The Brahmin said: There are three enemies in the world, which by their qualities are counted as nine. Elation, rigidity and conceit: these three are the qualities of sattva.

Note on the text: Corrected स्तंभोतिमानश्च → स्तंभोऽतिमानश्च (missing avagraha in Wikisource; CE stambho 'bhimānaś reads अभिमान). Line 1 नवधा for CE nava vai is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 2 (14.32.2)

शोकः क्रोधाभिसंरम्भो राजसास्ते गुणाः स्मृताः । स्वप्नस्तन्द्रा च मोहश्च त्रयस्ते तामसा गुणाः ॥

śokaḥ krodhābhisaṃrambho rājasāste guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ | svapnastandrā ca mohaśca trayaste tāmasā guṇāḥ

Grief, anger and fierce agitation: these are called the qualities of rajas. Sleep, drowsiness and delusion: these three are the qualities of tamas.

Verse 3 (14.32.3)

एतान्निकृत्य धृतिमान्बाणसङ्घैरतन्द्रितः । जेतुं परानुत्सहते प्रशान्तात्मा जितेन्द्रियः ॥

etānnikṛtya dhṛtimānbāṇasaṅghairatandritaḥ | jetuṃ parānutsahate praśāntātmā jitendriyaḥ

Cutting these down with swarms of arrows, one who is steadfast, unwearied, calm in mind and master of his senses is able to conquer others.

Verse 4 (14.32.4)

अत्र गाथाः कीर्तयन्ति पुराकल्पविदो जनाः । अम्बरीषेण या गीता राज्ञा राज्यं प्रशासता ॥

atra gāthāḥ kīrtayanti purākalpavido janāḥ | ambarīṣeṇa yā gītā rājñā rājyaṃ praśāsatā

On this subject people who know the ancient ages recite verses that King Ambarisha sang while ruling his kingdom.

Verse 5 (14.32.5)

समुदीर्णेषु दोषेषु बाध्यमानेषु साधुषु । जग्राह तरसा राज्यमम्बरीष इति श्रुतिः ॥

samudīrṇeṣu doṣeṣu bādhyamāneṣu sādhuṣu | jagrāha tarasā rājyamambarīṣa iti śrutiḥ

When faults had risen high and the good were being oppressed, Ambarisha, so tradition tells, seized the kingdom by force.

Verse 6 (14.32.6)

स निगृह्यात्मनो दोषान्साधून्समभिपूज्य च । जगाम महतीं सिद्धिं गाथाश्चेमा जगाद ह ॥

sa nigṛhyātmano doṣānsādhūnsamabhipūjya ca | jagāma mahatīṃ siddhiṃ gāthāścemā jagāda ha

Having subdued the faults in himself and honoured the good, he reached great perfection, and he sang these verses:

Verse 7 (14.32.7)

भूयिष्ठं विजिता दोषा निहताः सर्वशत्रवः । एको दोषो वरिष्ठश्च वध्यः स न हतो मया ॥

bhūyiṣṭhaṃ vijitā doṣā nihatāḥ sarvaśatravaḥ | eko doṣo variṣṭhaśca vadhyaḥ sa na hato mayā

"Most of the faults have been conquered by me, and all my enemies slain. One fault remains, the foremost, which must be killed, and I have not yet killed it.

Note on the text: Speaker: Ambarisha's own verses (the gāthās announced at the end of verse 6); no heading is printed and the input had ब्राह्मण.

Verse 8 (14.32.8)

यत्प्रयुक्तो जन्तुरयं वैतृष्ण्यं नाधिगच्छति । तृष्णार्त इव निम्नानि धावमानो न बुध्यते ॥

yatprayukto janturayaṃ vaitṛṣṇyaṃ nādhigacchati | tṛṣṇārta iva nimnāni dhāvamāno na budhyate

Driven by it, a creature never finds freedom from craving; like one parched with thirst running down to the low ground, he does not come to understand.

Note on the text: Speaker: Ambarisha's own verses (the gāthās announced at the end of verse 6); no heading is printed and the input had ब्राह्मण.

Verse 9 (14.32.9)

अकार्यमपि येनेह प्रयुक्तः सेवते नरः । तं लोभमसिभिस्तीक्ष्णैर्निकृत्य सुखमेधते ॥

akāryamapi yeneha prayuktaḥ sevate naraḥ | taṃ lobhamasibhistīkṣṇairnikṛtya sukhamedhate

Impelled by it, a man does even what should not be done. That greed, cut down with keen swords, one prospers in happiness.

Note on the text: Speaker: Ambarisha's own verses (the gāthās announced at the end of verse 6); no heading is printed and the input had ब्राह्मण.

Verse 10 (14.32.10)

लोभाद्धि जायते तृष्णा ततश्चिन्ता प्रवर्तते । स लिप्समानो लभते भूयिष्ठं राजसान्गुणान् । तदवाप्तौ तु लभते भूयिष्ठं तामसान्गुणान् ॥

lobhāddhi jāyate tṛṣṇā tataścintā pravartate | sa lipsamāno labhate bhūyiṣṭhaṃ rājasānguṇān | tadavāptau tu labhate bhūyiṣṭhaṃ tāmasānguṇān

From greed craving arises, and from craving anxiety spreads. One who wants to obtain gains in abundance the qualities of rajas, and when he has obtained them he gains in abundance the qualities of tamas.

Note on the text: Speaker: Ambarisha's own verses (the gāthās announced at the end of verse 6); no heading is printed and the input had ब्राह्मण. Three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 32-10a/b/c): lines 1-2 = CE 14.31.10a, 10c (with ततश्चिन्ता प्रवर्तते for CE tataś cintā prasajyate, a recension variant), line 3 = the CE star line 14.31.10d*0068_01 (tad avāptau tu labhate bhūyiṣṭhaṃ tāmasān guṇān). The alignment found no match because of the extra line.

Verse 11 (14.32.11)

स तैर्गुणैः संहतदेहबन्धनः । पुनःपुनर्जायति कर्म चेहते । जन्मक्षये भिन्नविकीर्णदेहो । मृत्युं पुनर्गच्छति जन्मनैव ॥

sa tairguṇaiḥ saṃhatadehabandhanaḥ | punaḥpunarjāyati karma cehate | janmakṣaye bhinnavikīrṇadeho | mṛtyuṃ punargacchati janmanaiva

Bound by these qualities in the compact bondage of a body, he is born again and again and engages in action. At the end of a life his body is broken and scattered, and again he goes to death through birth itself.

Note on the text: Speaker: Ambarisha's own verses (the gāthās announced at the end of verse 6); no heading is printed and the input had ब्राह्मण. Corrected पुनःपनर्जायति → पुनःपुनर्जायति (dropped उ) and भिन्नविकीर्मदेहो → भिन्नविकीर्णदेहो (म for ण): misprints in Wikisource; CE punaḥ punar jāyati and bhinnavikīrṇadehaḥ. Lines 3-4 are a recension variant of CE (janmakṣaye … mṛtyuṃ … janmanaiva for CE punar mṛtyuṃ gacchati janmani sve), kept.

Verse 12 (14.32.12)

तस्मादेतं सम्यगवेक्ष्य लोभं । निगृह्य धृत्याऽऽत्मनि राज्यमिच्छेत् । एतद्राज्यं नान्यदस्तीह राज्य- । मात्मैव राजा विदितो यथावत् ॥

tasmādetaṃ samyagavekṣya lobhaṃ | nigṛhya dhṛtyā''tmani rājyamicchet | etadrājyaṃ nānyadastīha rājya- | mātmaiva rājā vidito yathāvat

Therefore, having rightly examined this greed and restrained it with steadfastness, one should seek kingship within the self. This is the kingdom; there is no other kingdom here: the self alone, rightly known, is the king."

Note on the text: Speaker: Ambarisha's own verses (the gāthās announced at the end of verse 6); no heading is printed and the input had ब्राह्मण. Lines 3-4 are a recension variant of CE 14.31.12c (etad rājyaṃ nānyad astīti vidyād / yas tv atra rājā vijito mamaikaḥ); the page's apparatus records the CE-like reading (क.थ.पाठ). Kept as printed.

Verse 13 (14.32.13)

इति राज्ञाऽम्बरीषेण गाथा गीता यशस्विना । आधिराज्यं पुरस्कृत्य लोभमेकं निकृन्तता ॥

iti rājñā'mbarīṣeṇa gāthā gītā yaśasvinā | ādhirājyaṃ puraskṛtya lobhamekaṃ nikṛntatā

So the verses were sung by the renowned King Ambarisha, who put sovereignty over himself first as he cut down the one enemy, greed.

Note on the text: Corrected आधिराज्य → आधिराज्यं (dropped anusvara in Wikisource; CE ādhirājyaṃ).