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parāśara uvāca॥
Parāśara said.
kaḥ kasya copakurute kaśca kasmai prayacchati। prāṇī karotyayaṃ karma sarvam ātmārtham ātmanā ॥12-281-1॥
Who serves whom, and who gives to whom? Every living being performs all actions solely for their own sake, by themselves.
gauraveṇa parityaktaṃ niḥsnehaṃ parivarjayet। sodaryaṃ bhrātaramapi kimutānyaṃ pṛthagjanam ॥12-281-2॥
One should shun even a brother born of the same mother if he is abandoned out of respect and is devoid of affection; how much more, then, a stranger.
viśiṣṭasya viśiṣṭāc ca tulyau dānapratigrahau। tayoḥ puṇyataraṃ dānaṃ taddvijasya prayacchataḥ॥12-281-3॥
Among distinguished persons, giving and receiving are considered equal, but of the two, giving is more meritorious, especially when performed by a twice-born person.
nyāyāgataṃ dhanaṃ varṇairnyāyenaiva vivardhitam। saṃrakṣyaṃ yatnamāsthāya dharmārthamiti niścayaḥ ॥12-281-4॥
It is decided that wealth acquired and increased justly by the classes must be protected with effort for the sake of righteousness.
na dharmārthī nṛśaṃsena karmaṇā dhanamarjayet। śaktitaḥ sarvakāryāṇi kuryānnarddhimanusmaret ॥12-281-5॥
A seeker of righteousness should not gain wealth through cruel deeds. One should perform all duties according to one's capacity and always remember prosperity.
apo hi prayataḥ śītāstāpitā jvalanena vā। śaktito'tithaye dattvā kṣudhārtāyāśnute phalam ॥12-281-6॥
If one, having purified water, whether cool or heated by fire, gives it to a guest according to his ability, he enjoys the fruit (of merit) when given to one afflicted by hunger.
rantidevena lokeṣṭā siddhiḥ prāptā mahātmanā। phalapatrairatho mūlairmunīnarcitavānasau ॥12-281-7॥
Rantideva, the great-souled one, attained the worldly success he desired. He worshipped the sages with fruits, leaves, and roots.
taireva phalapatraiś ca sa māṭharam atoṣayat। tasmāl lebhe paraṃ sthānaṃ śaibyo'pi pṛthivīpatiḥ ॥12-281-8॥
With those very fruits and leaves, he pleased Māṭhara; therefore, even King Śaibya attained the highest position.
devatātithibhṛtyebhyaḥ pitṛbhyo'thātmanastathā। ṛṇavāñ jāyate martyas tasmād anṛṇatāṃ vrajet ॥12-281-9॥
A person is born indebted to deities, guests, servants, ancestors, and to oneself; therefore, one should strive to become free from all debts.
svādhyāyena maharṣibhyo devebhyo yajñakarmaṇā। pitṛbhyaḥ śrāddhadānena nṛṇāmabhyarcanena ca ॥12-281-10॥
One should honor the great sages through self-study, the gods through sacrificial acts, the ancestors through offerings of śrāddha, and people through acts of worship.
vācaḥ śeṣāvahāryeṇa pālanenātmano'pi ca। yathāvadbhṛtyavargasya cikīrṣeddharmamāditaḥ ॥12-281-11॥
One should, from the very beginning, properly perform one's duty towards the group of servants, by protecting oneself and with what remains to be taken from speech.
prayatnena ca saṃsiddhā dhanair api vivarjitāḥ। samyag-ghutvā hutavahaṃ munayaḥ siddhim āgatāḥ ॥12-281-12॥
The sages, even without wealth, attained perfection by their efforts and by properly offering to the fire.
viśvāmitrasya putratvam ṛcīka-tanayo 'gamat। ṛgbhiḥ stutvā mahābhāgo devān vai yajña-bhāginaḥ ॥12-281-13॥
The son of Ṛcīka became the son of Viśvāmitra. The greatly fortunate one praised the gods, who indeed have a share in the sacrifice, with Ṛg Vedic hymns.
gataḥ śukratvam uśanā devadevaprasādanāt। devīṃ stutvā tu gagane modate tejasā vṛtaḥ ॥12-281-14॥
Uśanā, having become Śukra by the grace of the Lord of lords, praised the goddess and now rejoices in the sky, surrounded by radiance.
asito devalaścaiva tathā nāradaparvatau। kakṣīvāñjāmadaghnyaśca rāmas tāṇḍyas tathāṃśumān ॥12-281-15॥
Asita, Devala, Nārada and Parvata, Kakṣīvān, Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma), Rāma, Tāṇḍya, and Aṃśumān were also present.
vasiṣṭho jamadagniś ca viśvāmitro'trir eva ca। bharadvājo hariśmaśruḥ kuṇḍadhāraḥ śrutaśravāḥ ॥12-281-16॥
Vasiṣṭha, Jamadagni, Viśvāmitra, Atri, Bharadvāja, Hariśmaśru, Kuṇḍadhāra, and Śrutaśravā are the sages mentioned here.
ete maharṣayaḥ stutvā viṣṇumṛgbhiḥ samāhitāḥ। lebhire tapasā siddhiṃ prasādāttasya dhīmataḥ ॥12-281-17॥
These great sages, after praising (him) and focusing together with the Viṣṇu-seekers, attained perfection through austerity by the grace of that wise one.
anarhāś cārhatāṃ prāptāḥ santaḥ stutvā tameva ha। na tu vṛddhim ihānvicchet karma kṛtvā jugupsitam ॥12-281-18॥
Even if unworthy people attain the status of the worthy and are praised by good people, one should not seek advancement here by performing a despicable act.
ye'rthā dharmeṇa te satyā ye'dharmeṇa dhigastu tān। dharmaṃ vai śāśvataṃ loke na jahyāddhanakāṅkṣayā ॥12-281-19॥
Only those gains acquired through righteousness are true; those gained through unrighteousness deserve condemnation. Righteousness is eternal in the world; one should never abandon it for the sake of wealth.
āhitāgnir hi dharmātmā yaḥ sa puṇyakṛd uttamaḥ। vedā hi sarve rājendra sthitās triṣv agniṣu prabho॥12-281-20॥
O king, one who has established the sacred fires, who is righteous and the foremost doer of virtuous deeds—know that all the Vedas are indeed established in the three sacred fires, O lord.
sa cāpy agnyāhito vipraḥ kriyā yasya na hīyate। śreyo hy anāhitāgnitvam agnihotraṃ na niṣkriyam ॥12-281-21॥
A brāhmaṇa who has established the sacred fire and whose ritual actions are not diminished—indeed, it is better to be without the sacred fire than to perform the Agnihotra ritual without proper activity.
agnirātmā ca mātā ca pitā janayitā tathā। guruśca naraśārdūla paricaryā yathātatham ॥12-281-22॥
O best of men, fire, the self, mother, father, and progenitor, as well as the teacher, should be served accordingly.
mānaṃ tyaktvā yo naro vṛddhasevī; vidvānklībaḥ paśyati prītiyogāt। dākṣyeṇāhīno dharmayukto nadānto; loke'sminvai pūjyate sadbhirāryaḥ ॥12-281-23॥
He who has given up pride, serves elders, is wise, and even if lacking in skill or self-restraint but is endowed with dharma and affection, such a noble person is truly honored by the virtuous in this world.
