Rig Ved Samhita 10:117
The Original Sanskrit Hymn
ná vµ
u devµþ kù£dham ¡d vadháü
dadur utµ÷itam £pa gachanti mçtyávaþ
|
ut¢ ray¡þ pçõat¢ n¢pa
dasyaty utµpçõan maróitµraü
ná vindate ||
yá àdhrµya cakamànµya
pitv¢ 'nnavàn sán raphitµyopajagm£ùe
|
sthirám mánaþ kçõut
svate pur¢t¢ cit sá maróitµraü
ná vindate ||
sá ¡d bhoj¢ y¢ gçháve
dádàty ánnakàmàya cárate
kç÷µya |
áram asmai bhavati yµmahåtà
utµpar·ùu kçõute sákhàyam
||
ná sá sákhà y¢ ná
dádàti sákhye sacàbh£ve
sácamànàya pitváþ |
ápàsmàt pryàn ná
tád ¢ko asti pçõántam
anyám áraõaü cid ichet ||
pçõãyµd ¡n nµdhamànàya
távyàn drµghãyàüsam
ánu pa÷yeta pánthàm |
¢ h¡ vártante ráthyeva cakrµnyám-anyam
£pa tiùñhanta rµyaþ ||
m¢gham ánnaü vindate ápracetàþ
satyám bravãmi vadhá ¡t sá
tásya |
nµryamáõam p£ùyati n¢
sákhàyaü kvalàgho bhavati
kevalàd· ||
kçùánn ¡t phµla µ÷itaü
kçõoti yánn ádhvànam
ápa vçïkte car¡traiþ |
vádan brahmµvadato vánãyàn
pçõánn àp¡r ápçõantam
abh¡ ùyàt ||
kapàd bh½yo dvipádo v¡
cakrame dvipµt tripµdam abhy ti pa÷cµt
|
cátuùpàd eti dvipádàm
abhisvar sampá÷yan païkt·r
upat¡ùñhamànaþ ||
sama£ cid dhástau ná samáü
viviùñaþ sammàtárà
cin ná samáü duhàte |
yamáyo÷ cin ná samµ vãry¶õi
j¤àt· cit sántau ná
samám pçõãtaþ ||
Translation
in English
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.