Then, after a time, he falls in sickness: those with whom he lives together, first grumble at him, and he afterwards grumbles at them. But they cannot help thee or protect thee, nor canst thou help them or protect them. (1)
Knowing pleasure and pain separately 1, they trouble themselves about the enjoyment (of the external objects). For some men in this world have (such a character that) they will desire to enjoy their portion, whether it be large or small, in the three ways 2: Then, at one time, it will be sufficiently large, with many resources. Then, at another time, his heirs divide it, or those who have no living steal it, or the king takes it away, or it is ruined in some way or other, or it is consumed by the conflagration of the house. Thus a fool, doing cruel acts, comes ignorantly to grief. (2)
Wisely reject hope and desire 3, and extracting that thorn (i.e. pleasure) thou (shouldst act rightly). People who are enveloped by delusion do not understand this: he who (gathers wealth) will, perhaps, not have the benefit of it.
The world is greatly troubled by women. They (viz. men) forsooth say, 'These are the vessels (of happiness).' But this leads them to pain, to delusion,
to death, to hell, to birth as hell-beings or brute beasts. The fool never knows the law. (3)
Thus spake the hero 1: 'Be careful against this great delusion; the clever one should have done with carelessness by considering death in tranquillity, and that, the nature of which is decay (viz. the body); these (pleasures), look! will not satisfy (thee). Therefore have done with them! Sage, look! this is the great danger, it should overcome none whomsoever. He is called a hero who is not vexed by (the hardships caused) by control. He should not be angry because the (householder) gives him little. If turned off, he should go. Thou shouldst conform to the conduct of the sages.' Thus I say. (4)
21:1 The meaning seems to be: If people do not know that pleasure and pain are the result of their own works, &c.
21:2 The commentators give no explanation of what is meant by 'the three ways,' yet cf. 3, § 5.
21:3 The words âsam ka khamdam ka vigimka dhîre form a trishtubh pâda.
22:1 The MSS. have udâhu dhîre. The last word is a frequent mistake for vîre, which is adopted by the commentators. They explain udâhu by ud-âha = uktavân.
