276. Let lie telling be forsaken and good be done to others unasked.
277. Everything in this world finally meets its end; nothing here lasts forever.
278. Who on hearing benevolent words of knowledge accepts them giving up his earlier view, him the world follows.
279. A week opponent cannot be taken for granted; in moments of unwatchfulness he can swoop down like a kite.
280. Behaving ill which his own men of good conduct, a man uproots himself like a tree with an axe.
281. That very behavior of a man, acceptable to others in his prosperous days, if repeated in evil days, is not tolerated by even his own men.
282. Follow dharma alone; than dharma nothing is greater.
283. Once the right hour is missed, by one waiting for it, its return is rare…
284. When the enemy has become suspicious, one should not visit his place.
285. Counselors may sometimes disclose a secret or speak about it among themselves. A secret act, if it can be done singly, should be done by oneself alone.
286. By sweet words one can get others' things, by sweet words one can captivate the world.
287. Anguish at the friend's anguish, happiness at the friend's happiness, this is the sign of friendship. Silence, it is said, is better than speech; if speak you must, speak the truth, To speak what is true and agreeable is still better, and yet better if also by dharma it is approved.
288. A man becomes like one with whom he lives or like the one whom he serves, or like that what he wished to be.
289. The king is meant for upholding the dharma. Not for indulgence in the objects of the senses.
290. Following dharma, the king becomes godly; following adharma, he goes to hell.
291. With the flourishing of dharma all beings ever flourish, with its decline all decline.
292. Haughtiness is a child of wealth, born a portion of dharma, say the Scriptures Many a god, demon and sage royal it has led to ruin.
293. Hard to bear I find the glances of a weak being, a sage and a snake. Oppress not any weak being.
294. The tears of the weak, falsely accused, destroy the false accusers, even their sons and cattle.
295. The seed sown in the ground bears fruit, but not at once. So it with the acts of sin.
296. Man, if given honor, gives up even his wife and son.
297. If this whole world were made of a single class, the whole world would have gone to pieces altogether.
298. Four are the varnas, the classes. Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.
299. Truth, peace of mind, austerity and cleanliness, these are the Brahmin's eternal dharma.
300. The protection and maintenance of the people this is the foremost dharma of the Kshatriya.
301. Cattle bearing, agriculture and trade, fire-rites, charity, study, good conduct, hospitality, self-control, sacrifice, honoring of Brahmins-these are the Vaishya's eternal dharma.
302. Service to the regenerate varnas-this is the Shudra's supreme dharma.
303. Man's actions, say the men of knowledge, are of three kinds; righteous, sinful, and those beyond righteousness and sin.
304. That man's action, who is devoid of sense of doership, is deemed neither righteous nor sinful.
305. When two armies battle, victory becomes a common lot, either may win.
306. What happens was so fated to be; the law of Fate admits no breach.
307. Some, in happiness, would remember things of sorrow, some in sorrow, would remember things of happiness.
308. Turn by turn, as the writ of Fate runs, man gets all things in time.
309. Rare is rectitude among those who hanker after wealth.
310. Who grieves over some afflication the mind or body suffered in the past, from one sorrow to another he passes; two griefs' he suffers.
311. Like men moving into new houses, the soul enters new bodies.
312. Who in all things sees the Self-Supreme, from the great Fear he gets release.
313. Who as a spectator sees this phenomenal world, he is the man with eyes; he is the wise one.

Long Live Sanatan Dharam

December 2002