The Laws of ManuЗаконы Ману

The soul itself is its own witness; the soul itself is its own refuge : offend not thy conscious soul, the supreme internal witness of men !

84. ' The Soul itself is the witness of the Soul, and the Soul is the refuge of the Soul ; despise not thy own Soul, the supreme witness of men.

नाकृत्वा प्राणिनां हिंसां मांसं उत्पद्यते क्व चित्

न च प्राणिवधः स्वर्ग्यस्तस्मान्मांसं विवर्जयेत्

Meat can never be obtained without injury to living creatures, and injury to sentient beings is detrimental to (the attainment of) heavenly bliss ; let him therefore shun (the use of) meat.

Iniquity, committed in this world, produces not …

… fruit immediately, but, like the earth, in due season, …

… and advancing by little and little, it eradicates the man who committed it.

नाधर्मश्चरितो लोके सद्यः फलति गौरिव

शनैरावर्त्तमानस्तु कर्तुर्मूलानि कृन्तति

Unrighteousness, practised in this world, does not at once produce its fruit, like a cow ; but, advancing slowly, it cuts off the roots of him who committed it.

… in its other sense, ' the earth/ i. e. ' which does not at once yield a harvest,'

There are two roads which, conduct to perfect virtue, — to be true, and to do no evil to any crea ture.

63. Abstention from injuring (creatures), veracity, abstention from unlawfully appropriating (the goods of others), purity, and control of the organs, Manu has declared to be the summary of the law for the four castes.

The fruit of every virtuous act which thou hast done, 0 good man, since thy birth, shall depart from …

… thee to the dogs, if thou deviate from the truth.

… friend to virtue ! that supreme spirit, which thou believest one and the same with thyself, resides in thy bosom perpetually, and is an all-knowing inspector of thy goodness or of thy wickedness.

जन्मप्रभृति यत्किं चित्पुण्यं भद्र त्वया कृतम्

तत्ते सर्वं शुनो गच्छेद्यदि ब्रूयास्त्वं अन्यथा

एकोऽहं अस्मीत्यात्मानं यस्त्वं कल्याण मन्यसे

नित्यं स्थितस्ते हृद्येष पुण्यपापेक्षिता मुनिः

(The reward) of all meritorious deeds which thou, good man, hast done since thy birth, shall become the share of the dogs, …

If thou thinkest, O friend of virtue, with respect to thyself, " I am alone," (know that) that sage who witnesses all virtuous acts and all crimes, ever resides in thy heart.

A religious act proceeding from selfish views in this world, as a sacrifice for rain, or in the next, …

… but an act performed with a knowledge of God, and without self-love, is abstract and disinterested.

Equally perceiving the supreme mind in all beings, and all things in the supreme mind, the true worshipper sacrifices his own spirit by fixing it on the Spirit of God, and approaches the nature of the One, who shines by his own effulgence.

Let every Brahmin with fixed attention consider all nature, visible and invisible, as existing in the divine mind ; for when he contemplates the boundless universe existing in the divine mind, he cannot give his heart to iniquity.

इह चामुत्र वा काम्यं प्रवृत्तं कर्म कीर्त्यते

निष्कामं ज्ञातपूर्वं तु निवृत्तं उपदिश्यते

सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि

सर्वं ह्यात्मनि संपश्यन्नाधर्मे कुरुते मनः

… acts performed without any desire (for a reward), preceded by (the acquisition) of (true) knowledge, …

He who sacrifices to the Self (alone), equally recognising the Self in all created beings and all created beings in the Self, becomes (independent like) an autocrat and self-luminous.

… for he who recognises the universe in the Self, does not give his heart to unrighteousness.

As at the change of the seasons each season of its own accord assumes its distinctive marks, even so corporeal beings (resume in new births) their (appointed) course of action.

For he who is scorned (nevertheless may) sleep with an easy mind, awake with an easy mind, and with an easy mind walk here among men; but the scorner utterly perishes.

Let him not, even though in pain, (speak words) cutting (others) to the quick; let him not injure others in thought or deed; let him not utter speeches which make (others) afraid of him, since that will prevent him from gaining heaven.