The Praise of Self-Control

Verse 1 (12.225.1)

किं कुर्वन्सुखमाप्नोति किं कुर्वन्दुःखमाप्नुयात् । किं कुर्वन्निर्भयो लोके सिद्धश्चरति भारत ॥

kiṃ kurvansukhamāpnoti kiṃ kurvanduḥkhamāpnuyāt | kiṃ kurvannirbhayo loke siddhaścarati bhārata

By doing what does one gain happiness, and by doing what does one meet with sorrow? By doing what does one go through the world without fear, an accomplished man, O Bharata?

Verse 2 (12.225.2)

दममेव प्रशंसन्ति वृद्धाः श्रुतिसमाधयः । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषतः ॥

damameva praśaṃsanti vṛddhāḥ śrutisamādhayaḥ | sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ brāhmaṇasya viśeṣataḥ

The elders, whose minds are set on revealed truth, praise self-control above all, for every class and especially for the brahmin.

Verse 3 (12.225.3)

नादान्तस्य क्रियासिद्धिर्यथावदुपपद्यते । क्रिया तपश्च देवाश्च दमे सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥

nādāntasya kriyāsiddhiryathāvadupapadyate | kriyā tapaśca devāśca dame sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam

Without self-control, success in action is not duly gained. Ritual action, austerity and the gods all rest on self-control.

Note on the text: Recension variants, kept: Wikisource यथावदुपपद्यते and देवाश्च against CE yathāvad upalabhyate and vedāś ca (the page's footnote cites तपश्च सत्यं चेति as another reading).

Verse 4 (12.225.4)

दमस्तेजो वर्धयति पवित्रं दम उच्यते । विपाप्मा निर्भयो दान्तः पुरुषो विन्दते महत् ॥

damastejo vardhayati pavitraṃ dama ucyate | vipāpmā nirbhayo dāntaḥ puruṣo vindate mahat

Self-control increases radiance, and it is called purifying. Free from sin and from fear, the self-controlled man gains greatness.

Note on the text: Corrected विपाष्मा → विपाप्मा (misprint in Wikisource; ष for प; विपाष्मा is not a word, the critical edition reads vipāpmā, 'free from sin').

Verse 5 (12.225.5)

सुखं दान्तः प्रस्वपिति सुखं च प्रतिबुध्यते । सुखं लोके विपर्येति मनश्चास्य प्रसीदति ॥

sukhaṃ dāntaḥ prasvapiti sukhaṃ ca pratibudhyate | sukhaṃ loke viparyeti manaścāsya prasīdati

The self-controlled man sleeps happily and wakes happily; he moves happily in the world, and his mind is serene.

Verse 6 (12.225.6)

तेजो दमेन ध्रियते तत्र तीक्ष्णोऽधिगच्छति । अमित्रांश्च बहून्नित्यं पृथगात्मनि पश्यति ॥

tejo damena dhriyate tatra tīkṣṇo'dhigacchati | amitrāṃśca bahūnnityaṃ pṛthagātmani paśyati

Radiance is held in check by self-control; the keen-tempered man who attains it always sees within himself many separate enemies.

Note on the text: Corrected तेजो दमन → तेजो दमेन (misprint in Wikisource; दमन 'taming' does not fit the construction of the instrumental; the critical edition reads damena). Recension variant, kept: Wikisource तत्र तीक्ष्णोऽधिगच्छति against CE na tat tīkṣṇo 'dhigacchati (the page's footnote glosses तीक्ष्ण as 'passionate' and the enemies as desire and the rest); the clause is obscure and rendered as closely as the sense allows.

Verse 7 (12.225.7)

क्रव्याद्भ्य इव भूतानामदान्तेभ्यः सदा भयम् । तेषां विप्रतिषेधार्थं राजा सृष्टः स्वयंभुवा ॥

kravyādbhya iva bhūtānāmadāntebhyaḥ sadā bhayam | teṣāṃ vipratiṣedhārthaṃ rājā sṛṣṭaḥ svayaṃbhuvā

Beings always have fear of the undisciplined, as of beasts of prey. To restrain them, the Self-existent created the king.

Verse 8 (12.225.8)

आश्रमेषु च सर्वेषु दम एव विशिष्यते । धर्मः संरक्ष्यते तैस्तु यतस्ते धर्मसेतवः । यच्च तेषु फलं धर्म्यं भूयो दान्ते तदुच्यते ॥

āśrameṣu ca sarveṣu dama eva viśiṣyate | dharmaḥ saṃrakṣyate taistu yataste dharmasetavaḥ | yacca teṣu phalaṃ dharmyaṃ bhūyo dānte taducyate

Among all the stages of life, self-control is the one that stands out. By these stages dharma is guarded, for they are the bridges of dharma. And the meritorious fruit found in them is said to be greater in the self-controlled man.

Note on the text: Removed a stray quote mark and doubled daṇḍa printed after line 2. Lines 1 and 3 are CE 12.213.8a and 8c; line 2 (धर्मः संरक्ष्यते तैस्तु यतस्ते धर्मसेतवः) is the CE star passage 12.213.8b*0625_01, not in the CE's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 9 (12.225.9)

तेषां लिङ्गानि वक्ष्यामि येषां समुदयो दमः । अकार्पण्यमसंरम्भः संतोषः श्रद्दधानता ॥

teṣāṃ liṅgāni vakṣyāmi yeṣāṃ samudayo damaḥ | akārpaṇyamasaṃrambhaḥ saṃtoṣaḥ śraddadhānatā

I shall tell you the marks of those in whom self-control has its source: freedom from meanness, freedom from agitation, contentment, faith,

Note on the text: Corrected वक्ष्यानि → वक्ष्यामि (misprint in Wikisource; dropped म; the critical edition reads vakṣyāmi).

Verse 10 (12.225.10)

अक्रोध आर्जवं नित्यं नातिवादोऽभिमानिता । गुरुपूजाऽनसूया च दया भूतेष्वपैशुनम् ॥

akrodha ārjavaṃ nityaṃ nātivādo'bhimānitā | gurupūjā'nasūyā ca dayā bhūteṣvapaiśunam

freedom from anger, uprightness always, no excess of talk, no pride, reverence for the teacher, freedom from envy, compassion for creatures, absence of slander,

Verse 11 (12.225.11)

जनवादमृषावादस्तुतिनिन्दाविवर्जनम् । साधुकामांश्च स्पृहयेन्नायतिं प्रत्ययेषु च ॥

janavādamṛṣāvādastutinindāvivarjanam | sādhukāmāṃśca spṛhayennāyatiṃ pratyayeṣu ca

avoiding gossip, falsehood, praise and blame. He would be fond of those who wish for the good, and would not hanker after the future in his experiences.

Verse 12 (12.225.12)

अवैरकृत्सूपचारः समो निन्दाप्रशंसयोः । सुवृत्तः शीलसंपन्नः प्रसन्नात्माऽऽत्मवाञ्शुचिः ॥

avairakṛtsūpacāraḥ samo nindāpraśaṃsayoḥ | suvṛttaḥ śīlasaṃpannaḥ prasannātmā''tmavāñśuciḥ

He makes no enemies, is courteous, the same toward blame and praise, of good conduct, endowed with virtue and character, serene of soul, self-possessed and pure.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.213.12a, 12c. Recension variant, kept: Wikisource शुचिः against CE budhaḥ.

Verse 13 (12.225.13)

प्राप्य लोके च सत्कारं स्वर्गं वै प्रेत्य गच्छति । दुर्गमं सर्वभूतानां प्रापयन्मोदते सुखी ॥

prāpya loke ca satkāraṃ svargaṃ vai pretya gacchati | durgamaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ prāpayanmodate sukhī

Having gained honour in the world, he goes to heaven after death. And, happy, he rejoices in bringing to all beings what is hard to obtain.

Note on the text: Line 1 is CE 12.213.12e; line 2 is the CE star line 12.213.12f*0626_01 (durgamaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ prāpya yan modate sukhī), which Wikisource words differently (प्रापयन्मोदते for prāpya yan modate).

Verse 14 (12.225.14)

सर्वभूतहिते युक्तो न स्म यो द्विषते जनम् । महाह्रद इवाक्षोभ्यः प्राज्ञस्तृप्तः प्रसीदति ॥

sarvabhūtahite yukto na sma yo dviṣate janam | mahāhrada ivākṣobhyaḥ prājñastṛptaḥ prasīdati

Devoted to the good of all beings, he never hates anyone. Like a great deep lake, undisturbed, the wise and contented man is serene.

Verse 15 (12.225.15)

अभयं यस्य भूतेभ्यः सर्वेषामभयं यतः । नमस्यः सर्वभूतानां दान्तो भवति बुद्धिमान् ॥

abhayaṃ yasya bhūtebhyaḥ sarveṣāmabhayaṃ yataḥ | namasyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ dānto bhavati buddhimān

He from whom beings have no fear, and because of whom all are without fear: such a wise man, self-controlled, becomes worthy of reverence by all beings.

Verse 16 (12.225.16)

न हृष्यति महत्यर्थे व्यसने च न शोचति । सदाऽपरिमितप्रज्ञः स दान्तो द्विज उच्यते ॥

na hṛṣyati mahatyarthe vyasane ca na śocati | sadā'parimitaprajñaḥ sa dānto dvija ucyate

He does not rejoice at great gain, nor grieve in calamity. Ever of boundless wisdom, he is called a self-controlled brahmin.

Verse 17 (12.225.17)

कर्मभिः श्रुतसंपन्नः सद्भिराचारतः शुचिः । सदैव दमसंयुक्तस्तस्य भुङ्क्ते महाफलम् ॥

karmabhiḥ śrutasaṃpannaḥ sadbhirācārataḥ śuciḥ | sadaiva damasaṃyuktastasya bhuṅkte mahāphalam

Endowed with learning through his deeds, pure through the conduct of the good, and ever joined to self-control, he enjoys its great fruit.

Note on the text: Corrected सद्भिराचारेतः → सद्भिराचारतः (misprint in Wikisource; आचारेतः is not a word; the smallest fix is आचारतः, 'through conduct' (the critical edition has a different wording, sadbhir ācaritaiḥ śubhaiḥ)).

Verse 18 (12.225.18)

अनसूयाऽक्षमा शान्तिः संतोषः प्रियवादिता । सत्यं दानमनायासो नैष मार्गो दुरात्मनाम् ॥

anasūyā'kṣamā śāntiḥ saṃtoṣaḥ priyavāditā | satyaṃ dānamanāyāso naiṣa mārgo durātmanām

Freedom from envy, forbearance, peace, contentment, pleasant speech, truth, giving, effortlessness: this is not the path of the wicked.

Verse 19 (12.225.19)

कामक्रोधौ च लोभश्च परस्येर्ष्या विकत्थना । अतुष्टिरनृतं मोह एष मार्गो दुरात्मनाम् ॥

kāmakrodhau ca lobhaśca parasyerṣyā vikatthanā | atuṣṭiranṛtaṃ moha eṣa mārgo durātmanām

Desire, anger and greed, jealousy of others, boasting, discontent, falsehood, delusion: this is the path of the wicked.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick and closing quote mark, and the doubled daṇḍa, Wikisource prints around line 2. Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension): the CE gives these two lines only as star passages, line 1 as 12.213.17d*0627_01 and line 2 as 12.213.17d*0629_01. The CE's further star 12.213.17d*0628_01 (dambho darpaś ca mānaś ca naiṣa mārgo mahātmanām), which the page's footnote also cites as a variant of line 2, is not printed on the page.

Verse 20 (12.225.20)

कामक्रोधौ वशे कृत्वा ब्रह्मचारी जितेन्द्रियः । विक्रम्य घोरे तपसि ब्राह्मणः संशितव्रतः । कालाकाङ्क्षी चरेल्लोकान्निरपाय इवात्मवान् ॥

kāmakrodhau vaśe kṛtvā brahmacārī jitendriyaḥ | vikramya ghore tapasi brāhmaṇaḥ saṃśitavrataḥ | kālākāṅkṣī carellokānnirapāya ivātmavān

Having brought desire and anger under control, the self-restrained student of Brahman, the brahmin firm in his vows, having struggled in fierce austerity, awaiting his time, would move among the worlds, self-possessed, as if free from all danger.

Note on the text: Corrected घोरे तमसि → घोरे तपसि (misprint in Wikisource; म for प; the critical edition reads ghore tapasi, 'in fierce austerity').