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"A wise man, even if he is very strong, Never makes enemies for himself."
"No wise man should speak ill of others In an assembly, even if it is the truth, For it may lead to his own downfall."
'Most people are taken in by The intriguing talk of a rogue, The pretended politeness of a new servant, The charming conversation of guests And a woman's false tears.'
'A wise man never begins What he cannot bring to fruition.'
"A weak man, with his own interests at heart, Never dreams of provoking his enemy."
'When you encounter an enemy much stronger than you are, To save your skin, hand everything over, For money and possessions are easily regained, But your life, once lost, you can never recover.'
'Love, once shattered, Can never be restored by a show of affection.'
'Wicked people who destroy life, Are dangerous to be near. They can well be compared to snakes Who bite one and all.' "One
"A house without a wife Cannot be called a home, It's a desert."
"Whoever does not welcome a guest, according to his mite, Will pay for all the sins of the guest And lose to him all the fruits of his good deeds."
"Enter into marriage ties and friendship Only with those who are, socially and financially, Your equals."
"A wise man should give his daughter in marriage To someone who fulfils the following seven requirements: Good family, good character, the capability to look after a family,
Education, wealth, physical fitness and suitable age."
'He who delays work, That should be finished quickly, Enrages the gods Who put obstacles in his way.'
'Someone who has left the service of the enemy, And come over to the other side, Should never be trusted; He should always be avoided.'
'A fellow who is cunning, Puts up with his enemy Even under demanding conditions, Unperturbed, both by honour and insult, He bides his time, In order, ultimately, to achieve his objective.
'A forest fire burns down the trees But the roots lie safe underneath; Whilst a cold frosty wind Destroys the very roots.'
A small amount of debt unpaid, The last trace of fire left unextinguished, The last trace of sickness uncured after treatment, And enemies surviving a battle, All these will rise again and again Unless they are utterly destroyed.'
'Inferior people never begin a task for fear of destruction, Ordinary people give up a task only half-finished because of obstruction, But superior people will never give up anything, However many difficulties may beset them.'
'Those who look down on insignificant work, Because they think it's too easy, Do it carelessly, And, one day, regret it.'
"A man who does not lose his head, In the face of calamities, Shall overcome them,
'All the gods, and his ancestors too, Will turn away their faces, From the man who lets a guest leave his house Sighing and unhonoured.'
'Brotherhood developed by way of conversation, Is reputed to be far superior To brotherhood that comes from having the same mother.'
'Never trust a man who is not to be trusted, Or even a trustworthy man beyond reasonable limits, For it is dangerous to do so And can result in utter ruin.'
'A man who wants to be friends with someone Who has let him down before Surely courts his own death.'
"When you are in trouble and someone does you harm, Or when you are in difficulties and someone jeers at you, By paying them back in their own coin, I believe, you are regenerated."
"A wise man should uproot his strong enemies By pitting them against each other And getting them to destroy each other. A thorn is taken out by another thorn And then, they are both thrown away. Thus pain is turned into joy."
"Even in dreams, Never approach anyone Who could cause your death."
"A wise man, whose limbs have grown weak And has no source of income, Should always arrange things in such a way That he continues to earn his livelihood without any effort."
"There is no doubt about it: Making friends with a stronger enemy Amounts to eating a poisonous pill."
"If desire arises in a man's heart, Merely by hearing a woman mentioned, It would indeed be astonishing, If he did not feel passionate When he actually saw her." '
"Never attack an ascetic, a Brahmin, a child or a woman Or, in particular, someone who trusts you."
'Even when one's life is in danger, It is not proper to forget one's obligations And so commit a sin.' —"This is our ancient religion.