Parashara on Livelihood, Good Company and the Grades of Giving

Verse 1 (12.299.1)

वृत्तिः सकाशाद्वर्णेभ्यस्त्रिभ्यो हीनस्य शोभना । प्रीत्योपनीता निर्दिष्टा धर्मिष्ठान्कुरुते सदा ॥

vṛttiḥ sakāśādvarṇebhyastribhyo hīnasya śobhanā | prītyopanītā nirdiṣṭā dharmiṣṭhānkurute sadā

For one of the lowest class, a good livelihood comes from the three higher classes; offered with affection and fixed in due measure, it always makes men devoted to dharma.

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: the page is the right adhyaya (rows labelled 12-299-1 to 12-299-22; the colophon's ordinal is misprinted as एकोनत्रिशततमोऽध्यायः but it prints the number 299). Its text is the critical edition's 12.282.1-21 (the CE numbers this adhyaya 282), with one vulgate-only couplet noted on verse 9. The heading line printed above the verses and the footnotes after the colophon (पाठान्तर glosses) are not part of the text and are not added. No Appendix I passage occurs here.

Verse 2 (12.299.2)

वृत्तिश्चेन्नास्ति शूद्रस्य पितृपैतामही ध्रुवा । न वृत्तिं परतो मार्गेच्छुश्रूषां तु प्रयोजयेत् ॥

vṛttiścennāsti śūdrasya pitṛpaitāmahī dhruvā | na vṛttiṃ parato mārgecchuśrūṣāṃ tu prayojayet

If a shudra has no livelihood secured from his father and grandfather, he should not look for one from any other quarter; let him apply himself to service.

Verse 3 (12.299.3)

सद्भिस्तु सह संसर्गः शोभते धर्मदर्शिभिः । नित्यं सर्वास्ववस्थासु नासद्भिरिति मे मतिः ॥

sadbhistu saha saṃsargaḥ śobhate dharmadarśibhiḥ | nityaṃ sarvāsvavasthāsu nāsadbhiriti me matiḥ

Association with the good, who see dharma, is fitting at all times and in all circumstances, and never with the bad: such is my view.

Verse 4 (12.299.4)

यथोदयगिरौ द्रव्यं सन्निकर्षेण दीप्यते । तथा सत्सन्निकर्षेण हीनवर्णोऽपि दीप्यते ॥

yathodayagirau dravyaṃ sannikarṣeṇa dīpyate | tathā satsannikarṣeṇa hīnavarṇo'pi dīpyate

As a thing on the mountain of sunrise shines through its nearness, so even a man of low class shines through nearness to the good.

Note on the text: Corrected दीयते → दीप्यते (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped प् gives 'is given', which does not fit the simile and repeats the verb of the first line; CE dīpyate).

Verse 5 (12.299.5)

यादृशेन हि वर्णेन भाव्यते शुक्लमम्बरम् । तादृशं कुरुते रूपमेतदेवमवेहि मे ॥

yādṛśena hi varṇena bhāvyate śuklamambaram | tādṛśaṃ kurute rūpametadevamavehi me

Whatever colour a white cloth is dyed with, it takes on the appearance of that; understand this from me.

Verse 6 (12.299.6)

तस्माद्गुणेषु रज्येथा मा दोषेषु कदाचन । अनित्यमिह मर्त्यानां जीवितं हि चलाचलम् ॥

tasmādguṇeṣu rajyethā mā doṣeṣu kadācana | anityamiha martyānāṃ jīvitaṃ hi calācalam

Therefore take delight in good qualities, never in faults. The life of mortals here is impermanent and unsteady.

Verse 7 (12.299.7)

सुखे वा यदि वा दुःखे वर्तमानो विचक्षणः । यश्चिनोति शुभान्येव स भद्राणीह पश्यति ॥

sukhe vā yadi vā duḥkhe vartamāno vicakṣaṇaḥ | yaścinoti śubhānyeva sa bhadrāṇīha paśyati

In happiness or in sorrow, the discerning man who gathers only what is good sees good fortune here.

Verse 8 (12.299.8)

धर्मादपेतं यत्कर्म यद्यपि स्यान्महाफलम् । न तत्सेवेत मेधावी न तद्धितमिहोच्यते ॥

dharmādapetaṃ yatkarma yadyapi syānmahāphalam | na tatseveta medhāvī na taddhitamihocyate

A wise man should not practise an action that departs from dharma, even if it would bring great reward; it is not called beneficial here.

Verse 9 (12.299.9)

धर्मेण सहितं यत्तु भवेदल्पफलोदयम् । तत्कार्यमविशङ्केन कर्मात्यन्तं सुखावहम् ॥

dharmeṇa sahitaṃ yattu bhavedalpaphalodayam | tatkāryamaviśaṅkena karmātyantaṃ sukhāvaham

But an action that accords with dharma, though its fruit may be small, should be done without hesitation: such action brings happiness without limit.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension). It is the CE star passage 12.282.8d*0742_01-02, printed in the apparatus after 12.282.8 (dharmeṇa sahitaṃ yat tu bhaved alpaphalodayam / tat kāryam aviśaṅkena karmātyantasukhāvaham), identical to Wikisource's text. Removed the stray backtick that opens the couplet and the doubled daṇḍa and closing quote mark before the verse-end mark.

Verse 10 (12.299.10)

यो हृत्वा गोसहस्राणि नृपो दद्यादरक्षिता । स शब्दमात्रफलभाग्राजा भवति तस्करः ॥

yo hṛtvā gosahasrāṇi nṛpo dadyādarakṣitā | sa śabdamātraphalabhāgrājā bhavati taskaraḥ

A king who seizes thousands of cows and then gives them away, though he is no protector, gains only the name of a reward; that king is a thief.

Verse 11 (12.299.11)

स्वयंभूरसृजच्चाग्रे धातारं लोकसत्कृतम् । धाताऽसृजत्पुत्रमेकं लोकानां धारणे रतम् ॥

svayaṃbhūrasṛjaccāgre dhātāraṃ lokasatkṛtam | dhātā'sṛjatputramekaṃ lokānāṃ dhāraṇe ratam

At the beginning the Self-existent created Dhatri, honoured by the world, and Dhatri created one son, devoted to upholding the worlds.

Verse 12 (12.299.12)

तमर्चयित्वा वैश्यस्तु कुर्यादत्यर्थमृद्धिमत् । रक्षितव्यं तु राजन्यैरुपयोज्यं द्विजातिभिः ॥

tamarcayitvā vaiśyastu kuryādatyarthamṛddhimat | rakṣitavyaṃ tu rājanyairupayojyaṃ dvijātibhiḥ

Having honoured him, a vaishya should make his wealth greatly flourish; it is to be protected by kshatriyas and put to use by the twice-born.

Verse 13 (12.299.13)

अजिह्नैरशठक्रोधैर्हव्यकव्यप्रयोक्तृभिः । शूद्रैर्निर्मार्जनं कार्यमेवं धर्मो न नश्यति ॥

ajihnairaśaṭhakrodhairhavyakavyaprayoktṛbhiḥ | śūdrairnirmārjanaṃ kāryamevaṃ dharmo na naśyati

Shudras who are upright, free from deceit and anger, and who provide for the offerings to gods and ancestors, should do the work of cleansing; in this way dharma does not perish.

Note on the text: Corrected शूर्दैर्निर्मार्जनं → शूद्रैर्निर्मार्जनं (misprint in Wikisource; र् and द्र transposed, giving a non-word; CE śūdrair nirmārjanaṃ).

Verse 14 (12.299.14)

अप्रनष्टे ततो धर्मे भवन्ति सुखिताः प्रजाः । सुखेन तासां राजेन्द्र मोदन्ते दिवि देवताः ॥

apranaṣṭe tato dharme bhavanti sukhitāḥ prajāḥ | sukhena tāsāṃ rājendra modante divi devatāḥ

While dharma is not destroyed, the people are happy; and through their happiness, O king of kings, the gods rejoice in heaven.

Verse 15 (12.299.15)

तस्माद्यो रक्षति नृपः स धर्मेणेति पूज्यते । अधीते चापि यो विप्रो वैश्यो यश्चार्जने रतः ॥

tasmādyo rakṣati nṛpaḥ sa dharmeṇeti pūjyate | adhīte cāpi yo vipro vaiśyo yaścārjane rataḥ

Therefore the king who protects is honoured for his dharma, as is the brahmin who studies and the vaishya who is intent on earning,

Verse 16 (12.299.16)

यश्च शुश्रूषते शूद्रः सततं नियतेन्द्रियः । अतोऽन्यथा मनुष्येन्द्र स्वधर्मात्परिहीयते ॥

yaśca śuśrūṣate śūdraḥ satataṃ niyatendriyaḥ | ato'nyathā manuṣyendra svadharmātparihīyate

and the shudra who serves constantly with his senses controlled. One who is otherwise falls away from his own dharma, O lord of men.

Verse 17 (12.299.17)

प्राणसंतापनिर्दिष्टाः काकिण्योऽपि महाफलाः । न्यायेनोपार्जिता दत्ताः किमुतान्याः सहस्रशः ॥

prāṇasaṃtāpanirdiṣṭāḥ kākiṇyo'pi mahāphalāḥ | nyāyenopārjitā dattāḥ kimutānyāḥ sahasraśaḥ

Even a few small coins, set aside at the cost of hardship, are greatly fruitful when they were justly earned and then given; how much more so thousands of them.

Verse 18 (12.299.18)

सत्कृत्य हि द्विजातिभ्यो यो ददाति नराधिपः । यादृशं तादृशं नित्यमश्नाति फलमूर्जितम् ॥

satkṛtya hi dvijātibhyo yo dadāti narādhipaḥ | yādṛśaṃ tādṛśaṃ nityamaśnāti phalamūrjitam

The king who gives to the twice-born after honouring them eats in return, always, a mighty fruit of exactly the same kind.

Verse 19 (12.299.19)

अभिगम्य तु यद्दत्तं धर्म्यमाहुरभिष्टुतम् । याचितेन तु यद्दत्तं तदाहुर्मध्यमं फलम् ॥

abhigamya tu yaddattaṃ dharmyamāhurabhiṣṭutam | yācitena tu yaddattaṃ tadāhurmadhyamaṃ phalam

What is given by going to the receiver is called righteous and praised; what is given when asked is said to bear middling fruit.

Verse 20 (12.299.20)

अवज्ञया दीयते यत्तथैवाश्रद्धयाऽपि वा । तदाहुरधमं दानं मुनयः सत्यवादिनः ॥

avajñayā dīyate yattathaivāśraddhayā'pi vā | tadāhuradhamaṃ dānaṃ munayaḥ satyavādinaḥ

What is given with contempt, or without faith, is called the lowest gift by the truthful sages.

Verse 21 (12.299.21)

अतिक्रामेन्मज्जमानो विविधेन नरः सदा । तथा प्रयत्नं कुर्वीत यथा मुच्येत संशयात् ॥

atikrāmenmajjamāno vividhena naraḥ sadā | tathā prayatnaṃ kurvīta yathā mucyeta saṃśayāt

A man who is sinking in many ways should always strive to cross beyond them, and make such effort that he is freed from peril.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads अतिक्रामेन्मज्जमानो विविधेन नरः सदा where the CE has अतिक्रमे मज्जमानो विविधेन नरः सदा ('sinking through transgression of many kinds'); the Wikisource reading is a recension variant and is kept. संशयात् is rendered 'from peril'.

Verse 22 (12.299.22)

दमेन शोभते विप्रः क्षत्रियो विजयेन तु । धनेन वैश्यः शूद्रस्तु नित्यं दाक्ष्येण शोभते ॥

damena śobhate vipraḥ kṣatriyo vijayena tu | dhanena vaiśyaḥ śūdrastu nityaṃ dākṣyeṇa śobhate

A brahmin shines through self-restraint, a kshatriya through victory, a vaishya through wealth, and a shudra always through diligent service.

Note on the text: Corrected शृद्रस्तु → शूद्रस्तु (misprint in Wikisource; ृ for ू makes a non-word; CE śūdras tu).