हिन्दी
May success attend the good in their undertakings (in the object they wish to accomplish) by the favour of that Dhurjati (as firm as Lord Shiva), on whose head there is a digit of the moon looking like a streak of the foam of the Ganges.
This Hitopadesa (the work inculcating salutary instruction) when studied (lit., carefully attended to) gives (the student) proficiency in elegant speeches, a variety of expression in every department and a knowledge of the conduct of human affairs.
A wise man should think of (acquiring) knowledge and money as though he were not subject to old age or death, but he should perform his dharmic duties as if Death had seized him by the hair.
Learning, of all things, (the wise) declare to be without a superior (the best of them all), because of its incapability of being taken away, or valued or exhausted.
Learning, although possessed by a low man, introduces him to the king who is (ordinarily) inapproachable, just as a river, although flowing through a low region, takes one to the inaccessible sea, (sources) from which flows great fortune (or the future rests with fortune).
Learning endows one with modesty; from (having) modesty one passes on to (gets) worthiness; being worthy one obtains riches; from riches dharmic merit and from that happiness.
The knowledge of arms and that of the Sastras - these two Lores conduce to glory, but the former exposes one to ridicule in old age, while the latter is ever respected.
As an impression made upon a raw (earthen or so) pot can undergo no change afterwards - so (following the same principle) in this work the science of conduct (or policy) is taught to youths under the guise of stories.
(The subjects of) "Mitralabha - The acquisition of friends", "Suhrdbheda - The separation of friends", "Vigraha - War" and "Sandhi - Concluding peace" are written upon, extracts being made from Panchatantra and other works.
On the bank of the Bhagirathi there is a city named Pataliputra. In it there was a king, Sudarshana by name, endowed with all princely qualities. That king once heard a couple of Slokas (stanzas) chanted by some one; (viz.) He who does not possess (a knowledge of) Sastra, the universal eye, which totally removes various doubts and discusses things hidden from view, is surely blind.
Youth, abundance of wealth, sovereignty and inconsiderateness are the source of calamity even singly; what then, where all these four are combined!
On hearing this, the king, who was distracted at heart, on account of the non-attendance to (the commands of the) Sastras of his sons who had no knowledge of the Sastras and who always followed the wrong path, thought to himself - What is the good of (what benefit can accrue from) having a son who is neither learned nor pious (dutiful); (for) what is the use of an eye that is blind? It simply causes occular pain.
Of sons, not born, (born and) dead and foolish, the first two are to be preferred and not the last, (for) the first two cause pain (but) once; the last at every step.
Moreover, He is (really) born by whose birth the family is exalted. In this revolving world who does not die and is not born again?
If the mother of the boy, for whom the little finger does not bend down hastily at the commencement of the enumeration of the number of meritorious men, be said to have given birth to a son, then say, what a barren woman would be like to (i.e., she is as good as a barren woman).
He, who is not well known for his charity, penance, bravery, learning and the acquisition of wealth, is but the excrement of his mother.
Also, It is better to have one meritorious son than a hundred of foolish ones; the single moon dispels darkness; and not the whole firmament of stars.
The son of him, who has practised dharmic austerities, extremely difficult to perform, at some holy place, will be obedient, prosperous, righteous and talented.
An influx of money, constant health (lit., freedom from disease), a beloved wife, and one sweet-speaking (of gentle manners), an obedient son, and learning productive of wealth - these six, o king, are the pleasures of the mortal world.
Who will be (considered) blessed by having sons who are like no better than, the adhakas (a kind of measure) filling up (i.e., Simply making up a particular number) a granary? It is better to have one son, who is the prop of the family and who brings fame to his father.
A father who contracts debts (i.e., leaves nothing to his son but a legacy of debt) is an enemy, and so is a mother, false to her bed; a beautiful wife is an enemy; and such is an illiterate son.
Learning if not kept up by constant study is poison; taking food after indigestion is poison; to a poor man a public assembly is poison; and to an old man a youthful wife is poison.
A man of merits, born of whatever parents, is honoured; (for) what is the use of a bow that is without string though made of a faultless bamboo staff (or, what can a man of pure Kshatriya extraction do if wanting in martial vigour)?
Alas! poor child, you, who leads an easy life, did not acquire knowledge in these (bygone) nights, on this account, you do come to grief (fare ill) in the society of the learned like a cow stuck in mud.
Then how shall I now make my sons accomplished! For: Food, sleep, fear and the enjoyment of carnal pleasures - these men share in common with animals; surely the sense (or performance) of duty is their special attribute (distinguishing mark), devoid of this they are degraded to the level of (stand on a level with) animals.
The life of him, who has not achieved any one of Dharma (the discharge of dharmic duties), Artha (the acquisition of money by fair means), Kama (the gratification of desires so as not to trespass on Dharma) and Moksha (Liberation), is as without its purpose (useless) as that of the nipple on the neck of a she-goat.
Now, (as to) the declaration (doctrine) that - (The period of) life, (the kinds of) action (one has to perform), (the amount of) wealth (to be acquired), (the degree of) knowledge (to be attained), and (the time of) death - even these five are created (determined) while a man is yet in the womb.
And that, Things, which are fated, do happen even in the case of the great, (as) Siva's nakedness and Hari's having to sleep on a huge serpent.
And further, what is not to be can never be, and if it is to be, it can never be otherwise - why is this antidote against the poison of anxiety not swallowed?
These are the idle words of some, incapable of doing anything. Even thinking fate to be favourable one should not give up one's industry; (for) one can never get oil from sesamum without exertion.
Moreover, Fortune approaches him, the lion among men, who is industrious. It is the weak-minded who say, "Fate gives". Dismissing all idea about (lit., killing) fate, put forth manly efforts depending upon your own strength; and if, after an exertion is made, success does not attend, where is the blame (i.e., you are not to blame; or find out where the fault lay)?
Just as a chariot cannot move with one wheel, so without manly exertion, fate does not succeed.
And further, what is called fate is (but) the (sum of one's) actions in a previous life; one should, therefore, make an effort manfully without being slothful.
Just as a potter makes whatever he likes out of a lump of clay, so does a man reap the fruit of the action done by himself.
Even seeing a treasure found quite by accident in front of a man, fate does not take it up itself, but expects a manly effort of his part.
Works are accomplished by industry and not by (idle) wishes; for the deer enter not the mouth of a sleeping lion.
A boy who is educated by his parents becomes accomplished. A son does not become a learned man by merely being dropped out of the womb.
That mother is an enemy and that father a foe of the son by whom he is not taught; for he (such a son) shines not in an assembly just as a crane does not in the midst of swans.
Men, endowed with beauty and youth and born of a very noble race but deficient in learning, do not shine as (do not) the scentless Kimshuka flowers.
Even a fool, dressed in fine garments, shines in an assembly; but he shines only so long as he does not open his lips.
Having thus meditated the king convened a council of the learned. The King said - O Pandits, listen. Is there such a learned man among you, as is able to make my sons who are always going astray and who are ignorant of the Sastras, undergo a second birth (as it were) by giving them instruction in the science of conduct? For, A piece of glass, by being in contact with gold, possesses the lustre of emerald; similarly, a fool attains proficiency by being in the company of the good.
It is also said - The intellect is impaired, O friend, by the society of inferiors; it remains what it is with one's equals and is improved by association with one's superiors.
Then a great Pandit, Visnusharman by name, who knew all the principles of the Science of conduct (or, who knew the very essence of the entire science of conduct) spoke like a second Brihaspati - My lord, these princes are born of an exalted race. They are, therefore, capable of being instructed by me in the Niti shastra. For, no action exercised upon an unfit object can bear fruit. A crane cannot be taught (to speak) like a parrot even with hundreds of efforts.
And this other thing - In this (royal) family a child devoid of merits cannot be born; whence can a piece of glass be produced in a mine of rubies?
I will, therefore, make your sons well versed in the Niti shastra within the space of six months. The king spoke again respectfully - Even an insect ascends the head of the good by being in contact with flowers; a stone also attains divinity when well consecrated by the great.
Moreover, as objects on the rising mountain appear bright by the near presence of the sun, so a person of humble rank too shines by being in the company of the good.
Merits pass as merits with those who know how to appreciate them, coming in contact with one devoid of merits they are turned into faults. Rivers, as they rise, have their water sweet, but on reaching the sea they cease to be drinkable.
I, therefore, give you Carte blanche (complete freedom to act as one wishes) as regards giving instruction to my sons in the science of conduct. Having said so the king entrusted his sons to Vishnusharman with great respect. Thus, the introduction.
