Listen, O seekers of wisdom, to the teachings as they were spoken. The union of many, though each be weak, is a force to be reckoned with; even a rope woven from mere blades of grass can bind a mighty elephant. Yet, know this: he who gives away gifts after seizing the wealth of another, though he appear a benefactor, finds his reward not in heaven but in hell, for the true merit belongs to the one from whom the wealth was taken. When divine property is destroyed, or the riches of Brahmins are seized, or Brahmins themselves are wronged, the nobility of entire families perishes. For the slayer of a Brahmin, the drinker of liquor, the thief, or the breaker of vows, the virtuous prescribe atonement; but for the ungrateful, there is no atonement at all. Neither ancestors nor gods accept offerings from a base man, from one who is ruled by his wife, or from one whose house harbors an adulterer. Mark well these four as outcastes: the ungrateful, the unrefined, the perpetually angry, and the dishonest; a fifth, born from such, is so by birth. Never despise an enemy of wicked intent, however weak he may seem, for even a small fire, if left unchecked, can reduce the world to ashes. Truly tranquil is he who is calm in the vigor of youth, for when the body declines, who does not grow quiet? O best of Brahmins, wealth is as common as the roads upon which all tread; to think “this is mine” brings no true joy. The body is governed by its humors and depends on the mind; if the mind is lost, the humors perish. Therefore, protect the mind always, for with a healthy mind, the humors flourish. Sūta, the wise, then said: One should avoid from afar a bad friend among maidens, a wicked king, a bad son or daughter, and a bad country. Righteousness has fled, asceticism is unstable, truth has gone far away, the earth is barren, people are deceitful, Brahmins are greedy, mortals are ruled by women, women are fickle, and the lowly are exalted—alas, how wretched is life in the Kali age! Blessed are those who are dead. Indeed, blessed are those who do not witness the ruin of their country, the destruction of their family, wives devoted to others, or a son fallen into vice. There is no happiness in a bad son, nor pleasure in a bad wife; one cannot trust a false friend, nor live in a wicked kingdom. Another’s food, another’s wealth, another’s bed, another’s wife, and dwelling in another’s house—these strip away prosperity even from Indra, king of the gods. Through conversation, bodily contact, association, eating together, sitting, lying down, or traveling together, sin is transmitted among men. Women lose their beauty, asceticism is lost through anger, cows by wandering at the gate, and Brahmins by eating food from Shudras. By sitting together, sharing the same bed, eating together, and mingling in the same row, sin is transmitted just as water flows from one pot to another. There are many faults in indulgence and many virtues in discipline; thus, one should discipline, not indulge, a student or a son. The journey is the aging of those with bodies, water is the aging of mountains, lack of union is the aging of women, and sunlight is the aging of clothes. The lowest seek quarrel, the middling seek agreement, and the best seek honor, for honor is the wealth of the great. Honor truly is the root of all wealth; if there is honor, what use is wealth? For one who has lost honor and pride, what use is wealth or even life? The lowest seek only wealth, the middling seek both wealth and honor, but the best seek honor alone, for it is the true treasure of the noble. Even in the forest, lions bow to none, nor do they eat what is offered or gaze at another’s meat; those born in noble families, even if lacking wealth, do not stoop to base deeds. There is no ceremony that anoints the lion king of the forest; by the strength of its own nature, it reigns supreme. A careless merchant, a barber, a proud beggar, a poor man who is lustful, a beautiful woman, and one who speaks unpleasantly—none of these fulfill their proper duties. Five acts are evil for a person: being generous while poor, being a miser while wealthy, having a disobedient son, serving a wicked person, and dying in the midst of good deeds. Separation from a beloved, disgrace from one’s own people, remaining debt, service to a wicked person, and friends who turn away due to poverty—these five burn like fire, even without flame. Among thousands of worries, four are as sharp as a razor’s edge: insult from the lowly, hunger, a wife who is indifferent, and obstruction from one’s own kin. Yet, five things are roots of happiness: an obedient son, wealth, learning, good health, association with the virtuous, and a beloved wife who is compliant. The deer, elephant, moth, bee, and fish are each destroyed by one of five things; how then can a person who serves all five not be ruined? An impatient, harsh, arrogant, poorly dressed, or self-invited Brahmin—even if he equals Brihaspati in wisdom—should not be honored. Lifespan, actions, wealth, learning, and death—these five are fixed for a person at birth. In climbing mountains, crossing water, tending cattle, restraining the wicked, and raising the fallen—these five qualities are considered excellent. The shadow of a cloud, affection from a wicked person, association with another’s wife, youth, and wealth—these five are unstable states. Life in this world, wealth, and youth are all unstable; children, wife, and others are also unstable—only righteousness, fame, and good reputation endure. Even a hundred years of life is little, for night takes away half, and the rest is lost to disease, sorrow, old age, and fatigue—thus, even that is fruitless. The lifespan of humans is a hundred years, but half is lost in night; of the remainder, much passes in childhood, and some in separation from loved ones, suffering, and death, or in service to rulers; what remains is as fickle as the waves—what pride can the proud take in it? Day and night, old age moves throughout the world in its own form; death devours beings just as the serpent swallows the wind. Whether going or standing, awake or asleep, if one does not act for the good of all beings, his actions are like those of a beast. Thus, O wise one, listen and remember these truths, for they illuminate the path of righteousness and reveal the impermanence of worldly things, urging all to seek that which truly endures.