Bearing the Abuse of Fools

Verse 1 (12.114.1)

विद्वान्मूढप्रगल्भेन मृदुस्तीक्ष्णेन भारत । आक्रुश्यमानः सदसि कथं कुर्यादरिंदम् ॥

vidvānmūḍhapragalbhena mṛdustīkṣṇena bhārata | ākruśyamānaḥ sadasi kathaṃ kuryādariṃdam

A learned man who is gentle, abused in an assembly by one who is harsh, foolish and bold — what should he do, O Bharata, subduer of foes?

Verse 2 (12.114.2)

श्रूयतां पृथिवीपाल यथैषोऽर्थोऽवगम्यते । सदा सचेताः सहते नरस्येहाल्पचेतसः ॥

śrūyatāṃ pṛthivīpāla yathaiṣo'rtho'vagamyate | sadā sacetāḥ sahate narasyehālpacetasaḥ

Listen, protector of the earth, to how this matter is understood: a man of steady mind always bears what a small-minded man says here.

Note on the text: Corrected यथैऽषोर्थोऽवगम्यते → यथैषोऽर्थोऽवगम्यते (misprint in Wikisource; misplaced avagraha and missing avagraha before अर्थः; the critical edition reads yathaiṣo 'rtho). Wikisource अवगम्यते (CE anugīyate) and सचेताः (CE sucetāḥ) are recension variants, kept.

Verse 3 (12.114.3)

आक्रुश्य दूष्यमाणश्च सुकृतं तस्य विन्दति । दुष्कृतं चात्मनो मर्षी तस्मिन्नेव प्रमार्जति ॥

ākruśya dūṣyamāṇaśca sukṛtaṃ tasya vindati | duṣkṛtaṃ cātmano marṣī tasminneva pramārjati

The man who is reviled and slandered takes on the merit of the one who abuses him, and the forbearing man wipes his own wrongdoing off onto that very person.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match; this is CE 12.115.3 (aruṣyan kruśyamānasya sukṛtaṃ nāma vindati / duṣkṛtaṃ cātmano marṣī ruṣyaty evāpamārṣṭi vai), of which Wikisource has a different recension reading (आक्रुश्य दूष्यमाणश्च …, तस्मिन्नेव प्रमार्जति); kept as a variant.

Verse 4 (12.114.4)

गर्हितं तमुपेक्षेत वाश्यमानमिवातुरम् । लोके विद्वेषमापन्नो निष्फलं प्रतिपद्यते ॥

garhitaṃ tamupekṣeta vāśyamānamivāturam | loke vidveṣamāpanno niṣphalaṃ pratipadyate

One should disregard that despicable man, as one would a sick man crying out; having become an object of hatred in the world, he reaps only fruitless results.

Verse 5 (12.114.5)

इति संश्लाघते नित्यं तेन पापेन कर्मणा । इदमुक्तो मया कश्चित्सर्वतो जनसंसदि । स तत्र व्रीडितः शुष्को मृतकल्पोऽवतिष्ठते ॥

iti saṃślāghate nityaṃ tena pāpena karmaṇā | idamukto mayā kaścitsarvato janasaṃsadi | sa tatra vrīḍitaḥ śuṣko mṛtakalpo'vatiṣṭhate

In this way he is forever boasting of that sinful deed: "This is what I said to so-and-so, in the midst of the whole crowd." And that man stands there ashamed and withered, like one dead.

Verse 6 (12.114.6)

श्लाघन्नश्लाघनीयेन कर्मणा निरपत्रपः । उपेक्षितव्यो दान्तेन तादृशः पुरुषाधमः ॥

ślāghannaślāghanīyena karmaṇā nirapatrapaḥ | upekṣitavyo dāntena tādṛśaḥ puruṣādhamaḥ

A shameless man who boasts of a deed not fit to be boasted of — such a vilest of men should be ignored by the self-controlled.

Verse 7 (12.114.7)

यद्यद्ब्रूयादल्पमतिस्तत्तदस्य सहेत्तदा ॥

yadyadbrūyādalpamatistattadasya sahettadā

Whatever the dull-witted man may say, one should bear all of it, then.

Note on the text: One-line verse, as on the page (labelled 12-114-7a). Together with verse 8 it is the CE three-line verse 12.115.7: line 1 = 12.115.7a (yad yad brūyād alpamatis tat tad asya sahet sadā); the alignment found no match for it.

Verse 8 (12.114.8)

प्रकृत्या हि प्रशंसन्वा निन्दन्वा किं करिष्यति । वने काक इवाबुद्धिर्वाश्यमानो निरर्थकम् ॥

prakṛtyā hi praśaṃsanvā nindanvā kiṃ kariṣyati | vane kāka ivābuddhirvāśyamāno nirarthakam

Whether he praises or blames, being what he is by nature, what will he do? Like a witless crow in the forest, he caws to no purpose.

Note on the text: Lines 1-2 = the second and third lines of CE 12.115.7 (7b prākṛto hi praśaṃsan vā nindan vā kiṃ kariṣyati; 7c vane kāka ivābuddhir vāśamāno nirarthakam), with Wikisource प्रकृत्या हि for prākṛto hi (a recension variant, kept). The alignment found no match.

Verse 9 (12.114.9)

यदि वाग्भिः प्रयोगः स्यात्प्रयोज्यः पापकर्मणा । वागेवार्थो भवेत्तस्य न ह्येवार्थो जिघांसतः ॥

yadi vāgbhiḥ prayogaḥ syātprayojyaḥ pāpakarmaṇā | vāgevārtho bhavettasya na hyevārtho jighāṃsataḥ

Even if a wrongdoer were to attack with words, words alone would be his gain; one who wishes to strike gets no real end from that.

Verse 10 (12.114.10)

निषेकं वै परस्यासावाचष्टे वृत्तचेष्टया । मयूर इव कौपीनं नृत्यं संदर्शयन्निव ॥

niṣekaṃ vai parasyāsāvācaṣṭe vṛttaceṣṭayā | mayūra iva kaupīnaṃ nṛtyaṃ saṃdarśayanniva

By his very conduct and gestures this man announces that another begot him, like a peacock that dances and shows off its private parts.

Verse 11 (12.114.11)

यस्यावाच्यं न लोकेऽस्मिन्नाकार्यं चापि किंचन । वाचं तेन न संदध्याच्छुचिः संश्लिष्टकर्मणा ॥

yasyāvācyaṃ na loke'sminnākāryaṃ cāpi kiṃcana | vācaṃ tena na saṃdadhyācchuciḥ saṃśliṣṭakarmaṇā

A pure man should not exchange words with one in whose eyes nothing in this world is unspeakable and nothing undoable, a man of tangled, vile deeds.

Verse 12 (12.114.12)

प्रत्यक्षं गुणवादी यः परोक्षं तु विनिन्दकः । स मानवः श्ववल्लोके नष्टलोकपरायणः ॥

pratyakṣaṃ guṇavādī yaḥ parokṣaṃ tu vinindakaḥ | sa mānavaḥ śvavalloke naṣṭalokaparāyaṇaḥ

He who praises to one's face but slanders behind one's back is a dog among men in this world, and his way to the next world is lost.

Verse 13 (12.114.13)

तादृग्दिनशतं चापि यद्ददाति जुहोति च । परोक्षेणापवादेन तं नाशयति तत्क्षणात् ॥

tādṛgdinaśataṃ cāpi yaddadāti juhoti ca | parokṣeṇāpavādena taṃ nāśayati tatkṣaṇāt

Whatever such a man gives or offers in sacrifice, even for a hundred days, he destroys it in an instant by slander behind another's back.

Verse 14 (12.114.14)

तस्मात्प्राज्ञो नरः सद्यस्तादृशं पापचेतसम् । वर्जयेन्मतिमान्वर्ज्यं सारमेयामिषं यथा ॥

tasmātprājño naraḥ sadyastādṛśaṃ pāpacetasam | varjayenmatimānvarjyaṃ sārameyāmiṣaṃ yathā

Therefore a wise man should at once shun such an evil-minded person, as one shuns dog's flesh.

Verse 15 (12.114.15)

परिवादं ब्रुवाणो हि दुरात्मा वै महाजने । प्रकाशयति दोषान्स्वान्सर्पः फणमिवोन्नतम् ॥

parivādaṃ bruvāṇo hi durātmā vai mahājane | prakāśayati doṣānsvānsarpaḥ phaṇamivonnatam

A wicked man who reviles in the presence of great people exposes his own faults, like a snake raising its hood.

Verse 16 (12.114.16)

तं स्वकर्मणि कुर्वाणं प्रतिकर्तुं य इच्छति । भस्मकूट इवाबुद्धिः खरो रजसि मज्जति ॥

taṃ svakarmaṇi kurvāṇaṃ pratikartuṃ ya icchati | bhasmakūṭa ivābuddhiḥ kharo rajasi majjati

Whoever wishes to pay back such a man, busy at his own work of abuse, is a fool, like a donkey in a heap of ashes that sinks into the dust.

Verse 17 (12.114.17)

मनुष्यसालावृकमप्रशान्तं । जनापवादे सततं निविष्टम् । मातङ्गमुन्मत्तमिवोन्नदन्तं । त्यजेत तं श्वानमिवातिरौद्रम् ॥

manuṣyasālāvṛkamapraśāntaṃ | janāpavāde satataṃ niviṣṭam | mātaṅgamunmattamivonnadantaṃ | tyajeta taṃ śvānamivātiraudram

One should abandon that human hound who is never at peace, forever bent on slandering people, bellowing like a maddened elephant, as one abandons a fiercely savage dog.

Note on the text: Four-line verse as on the page (12-114-17a-d); lines 1-4 = CE 12.115.16a-d (Wikisource सालावृक for CE śālāvṛka, a variant spelling, kept).

Verse 18 (12.114.18)

अनार्यजुष्टे पथि वर्तमानं । दमादपेतं विनयाच्च पापम् । अरिव्रतं नित्यमभूतिकामं । धिगस्तु तं पापमतिं मनुष्यम् ॥

anāryajuṣṭe pathi vartamānaṃ | damādapetaṃ vinayācca pāpam | arivrataṃ nityamabhūtikāmaṃ | dhigastu taṃ pāpamatiṃ manuṣyam

A man who walks the path trodden by the ignoble, devoid of self-control and discipline, a sinner whose vow is hostility and who always wishes harm on others — shame on that man of sinful mind.

Verse 19 (12.114.19)

प्रत्युच्यमानस्त्वथ भूय एव । निशाम्य माभूस्त्वमथार्तरूपः । उच्चस्य नीचेन हि संप्रयोगं । विगर्हयन्ति स्थिरबुद्धयो ये ॥

pratyucyamānastvatha bhūya eva | niśāmya mābhūstvamathārtarūpaḥ | uccasya nīcena hi saṃprayogaṃ | vigarhayanti sthirabuddhayo ye

Even if such men answer you back again and again, listen and do not be distressed; for those of steady mind condemn any dealing of a high man with a low one.

Verse 20 (12.114.20)

क्रुद्धो दशेद्वाऽपि च ताडयेद्वा । स पांसुभिर्वा विकिरेत्तुषैर्वा । विवृत्य दन्तांश्च विभीषयेद्वा । सिद्धं हि मूढे कुपिते नृशंसे ॥

kruddho daśedvā'pi ca tāḍayedvā | sa pāṃsubhirvā vikirettuṣairvā | vivṛtya dantāṃśca vibhīṣayedvā | siddhaṃ hi mūḍhe kupite nṛśaṃse

Enraged, he may bite or strike, scatter dust or chaff over you, or bare his teeth to frighten you; all this is to be expected of a foolish, angry, cruel man.

Verse 21 (12.114.21)

विगर्हणां नाऽपि दुरात्मना कृतां । सहेत यः संसदि दुर्जनानाम् । पठेदिदं चापि निदर्शनं सदा । न वाङ्भयं स लभति किंचिदप्रियम् ॥

vigarhaṇāṃ nā'pi durātmanā kṛtāṃ | saheta yaḥ saṃsadi durjanānām | paṭhedidaṃ cāpi nidarśanaṃ sadā | na vāṅbhayaṃ sa labhati kiṃcidapriyam

He who bears the abuse a wicked man hurls at him in an assembly of the base, and who always recites this illustration, meets from speech no fear and nothing unpleasant.

Note on the text: Wikisource वाङ्भयं (CE vāṅmayaṃ) and the first two lines (विगर्हणां नाऽपि दुरात्मना कृताम् / सहेत यः संसदि दुर्जनानाम्; CE vigarhaṇāṃ paramadurātmanā kṛtāṃ / saheta yaḥ saṃsadi durjanān naraḥ) are recension variants, kept.