1.
Humbly bowing down before the Almighty Lord Sri Vishnu, the Lord of the
three worlds, I recite maxims of the science of political ethics (niti)
selected from various shastras.
2.
That man who, by the study of these maxims from the shastras,
acquires a knowledge of the most celebrated principles of duty and
understands what ought and ought not to be followed and what is good
and what is bad is most excellent.
3.
Therefore, with an eye to the public good, I shall speak that which,
when understood, will lead to an understanding of things in their
proper perspective.
4.
Even a pandit comes to grief by giving instruction to a foolish
disciple, by maintaining a wicked wife, and by excessive familiarity
with the miserable.
5.
A wicked wife, a false friend, a saucy servant and living in the
house with a serpent in it are nothing but death.
6.
One should save his money against hard times, save his wife at the
sacrifice of his riches, but invariably one should save his soul even
at the sacrifice of his wife and riches.
7.
Save your wealth against future calamity. Do not say, "What fear has
a rich man of calamity?" When riches begin to forsake one, even the
accumulated stock dwindles away.
8.
Do not inhabit a country where you are not respected, cannot earn
your livelihood, have no friends, or cannot acquire knowledge.
9.
Do not stay for a single day where there are not these five persons:
a wealthy man, a brahmana well versed in Vedic lore, a king, a
river
and a physician.
10.
Wise men should not go into a country where there are no means of
earning a livelihood, where people have no dread of anybody, have no
sense of shame, no intelligence, nor a charitable disposition.
11.
Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in
difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.
12.
He only is a true friend who does not forsake us in time of need,
misfortune, famine or war, in a king's court or at the crematorium
(smashana).
13.
He who gives up what is imperishable for that which is perishable
loses that which is imperishable and doubtlessly losees that which is
perishable also.
14.
A wise man should marry a virgin of a respectable family even if
she is deformed. He should not marry one of a low-class family, though
a beauty. Marriage in a family of equal status is preferable.
15.
Do not put your trust in rivers, men who carry weapons, beasts with
claws or horns, women, and members of a royal family.
16.
Even from poison extract nectar; wash and take back gold if it has
fallen into filth; receive the highest knowledge (Krishna
consciousness) from a low-born person; so also accept a girl possessing
virtuous qualities (stri-ratna) even if she be born in a
disreputable
family.
17.
Women have hunger two-fold, shyness four-fold, daring six-fold, and
lust eight-fold, as compared to men.
