Original Text
18 (A) Devanaṁpriyo Priyadraśi r[a]ya evaṁ ahati (B) jano ucavucam maṁgalaṁ karoti abadhe avahe vivahe pajupadane pravase ataye añaye ca ediśiy[e] jano ba maṁgalaṁ karoti (C) atra tu striyaka bahu ca bahuvidhaṁ ca putika ca niratpṭhiyaṁ ca maṁgalaṁ karo[ti] (D) so kaṭavo ca [va] kho maṁgala (E) apa-phala[ṁ] tu kho eta (F) imaṁ [t]u kho maha-phala ye ma-maṁgala
19 (G) [a]tra ima dasa-bhaṭakasa samma-paṭipati garuna apaciti praṇanaṁ sa[ṁ]yamo śamaṇa-bramaṇana dana etaṁ añaṁ ca dhrama- maṁga[laṁ] nama (H) [s]o vatavo pituna pi putrena pi bhratana pi spamik[e]na pi mitra-sastutena ava prativeśiyena imaṁ sadhu [imaṁ] kaṭa[vo] maṁgala[ṁ] yava tasa aṭhrasa nivuṭiya nivuṭaspi va p[u]na
20 imaṁ kashaṁ (I) ye hi etake magale saśayike taṁ (J) siya vo taṁ aṭhaṁ nivaṭeyati siya puna no (K) ialoka ca vo taṁ (L) ida puna dhrama- magalaṁ akalikaṁ (M) yadi puna taṁ aṭhaṁ na nivaṭ[e] ia atha paratra anaṁtaṁ puñaṁ prasavati (N) haṁce puna taṁ ṭhaṁ nivaṭeti tato u[bha]y[e]sa ladhaṁ bhoti ia ca so aṭho paratra ca anaṁtaṁ puñaṁ prasavati tena dhramaṁgalena
Translation
(A) King Devānaṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus.
(B) Men are practising various ceremonies during illness, at the marriage of a son or a daughter, at the birth of a child, (and) when setting out on a journey; on these and other such (occasions) men are practising many ceremonies.
(C) But in such (cases) women are practising many and various offensive and useless ceremonies.
(D) Now, ceremonies should certainly be practised.
(E) But these (ceremonies) bear little fruit indeed.
(F) But the following bears much fruit indeed, viz. the practice of morality.
(G) Herein the following (are comprised), (viz.) proper courtesy to slaves and servants, reverence to elders, gentleness to animals, (and) liberality to Śramaṇas and Brāhmaṇas; these and other (virtues) are called the practice of morality.
(H) Therefore a father, or a son, or a brother, or a master, (or) a friend or an acquaintance, (or) even a (mere) neighbour ought to say: ‘This is meritorious. This practice should be observed until the (desired) object is attained, (thinking): After it is actually attained, I shall observe this again’.
(I) For such ceremonies are of doubtful (effect).
(J) One may attain his object (by them), but he may not (do so).
(K) And they (bear fruit) in this world only.
(L) But that practice of morality is not restricted to time.
(M) But if one does not attain (by it) his object in this (world), then endless merit is produced in the other (world).
(N) But if one attains (by it) his object (in this world), the gain of both (results) arises from it; (viz.) the (desired) object (is attained) in this (world), and endless merit is produced in the other (world) by that practice of morality.
