Sukta 117

न वा उ देवाः क्षुधमिद्वधं ददुरुताशितमुप गच्छन्ति मृत्यवः। उतो रयिः पृणतो नोप दस्यत्युतापृणन्मर्डितारं न विन्दते॥

na vā u devāḥ kṣudhamidvadhaṁ dadurutāśitamupa gacchanti mṛtyavaḥ | uto rayiḥ pṛṇato nopa dasyatyutāpṛṇanmarḍitāraṁ na vindate ||

THE Gods have not ordained hunger to be our death: even to the well-fed man comes death in varied shape. The riches of the liberal never waste away, while he who will not give finds none to comfort him.

य आध्राय चकमानाय पित्वोऽन्नवान्सन्रफितायोपजग्मुषे। स्थिरं मनः कृणुते सेवते पुरोतो चित्स मर्डितारं न विन्दते॥

ya ādhrāya cakamānāya pitvo'nnavānsanraphitāyopajagmuṣe | sthiraṁ manaḥ kṛṇute sevate puroto citsa marḍitāraṁ na vindate ||

The man with food in store who, when the needy comes in miserable case begging for bread to eat, Hardens his heart against him-even when of old he did him service-finds not one to comfort him.

स इद्भोजो यो गृहवे ददात्यन्नकामाय चरते कृशाय। अरमस्मै भवति यामहूता उतापरीषु कृणुते सखायम्॥

sa idbhojo yo gṛhave dadātyannakāmāya carate kṛśāya | aramasmai bhavati yāmahūtā utāparīṣu kṛṇute sakhāyam ||

Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him in want of food and feeble. Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles.

न स सखा यो न ददाति सख्ये सचाभुवे सचमानाय पित्वः। अपास्मात्प्रेयान्न तदोको अस्ति पृणन्तमन्यमरणं चिदिच्छेत्॥

na sa sakhā yo na dadāti sakhye sacābhuve sacamānāya pitvaḥ | apāsmātpreyānna tadoko asti pṛṇantamanyamaraṇaṁ cidicchet ||

No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes imploring food, will offer nothing. Let him depart-no home is that to rest in-, and rather seek a stranger to support him.

पृणीयादिन्नाधमानाय तव्यान्द्राघीयांसमनु पश्येत पन्थाम्। ओ हि वर्तन्ते रथ्येव चक्रान्यमन्यमुप तिष्ठन्त रायः॥

pṛṇīyādinnādhamānāya tavyāndrāghīyāṁsamanu paśyeta panthām | o hi vartante rathyeva cakrānyamanyamupa tiṣṭhanta rāyaḥ ||

Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway. Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of cars are ever rolling.

मोघमन्नं विन्दते अप्रचेताः सत्यं ब्रवीमि वध इत्स तस्य। नार्यमणं पुष्यति नो सखायं केवलाघो भवति केवलादी॥

moghamannaṁ vindate apracetāḥ satyaṁ bravīmi vadha itsa tasya | nāryamaṇaṁ puṣyati no sakhāyaṁ kevalāgho bhavati kevalādī ||

The foolish man wins food with fruitless labour: that food -I speak the truth- shall be his ruin. He feeds no trusty friend, no man to love him. All guilt is he who eats with no partaker.

कृषन्नित्फाल आशितं कृणोति यन्नध्वानमप वृङ्क्ते चरित्रैः। वदन्ब्रह्मावदतो वनीयान्पृणन्नापिरपृणन्तमभि ष्यात्॥

kṛṣannitphāla āśitaṁ kṛṇoti yannadhvānamapa vṛṅkte caritraiḥ | vadanbrahmāvadato vanīyānpṛṇannāpirapṛṇantamabhi ṣyāt ||

The ploughshare ploughing makes the food that feeds us, and with its feet cuts through the path it follows. Better the speaking than the silent Brahman: the liberal friend outyalues him who gives not.

एकपाद्भूयो द्विपदो वि चक्रमे द्विपात्त्रिपादमभ्येति पश्चात्। चतुष्पादेति द्विपदामभिस्वरे सम्पश्यन्पङ्क्तीरुपतिष्ठमानः॥

ekapādbhūyo dvipado vi cakrame dvipāttripādamabhyeti paścāt | catuṣpādeti dvipadāmabhisvare sampaśyanpaṅktīrupatiṣṭhamānaḥ ||

He with one foot hath far outrun the biped, and the two-footed catches the three-footed. Four-footed creatures come when bipeds call them, and stand and look where five are met together.

समौ चिद्धस्तौ न समं विविष्टः सम्मातरा चिन्न समं दुहाते। यमयोश्चिन्न समा वीर्याणि ज्ञाती चित्सन्तौ न समं पृणीतः॥

samau ciddhastau na samaṁ viviṣṭaḥ sammātarā cinna samaṁ duhāte | yamayościnna samā vīryāṇi jñātī citsantau na samaṁ pṛṇītaḥ ||

The hands are both alike: their labour differs. The yield of sister milch-kine is unequal. Twins even diffier in their strength and vigour: two, even kinsmen, differ in their bounty.