Text 42] The Lord Begs Charity from Bali Mahārāja
91
parāg vā etad riktam akṣaram yad etad om iti tad yat kiñcid om iti āhātraivāsmai tad ricyate. sa yat sarvam om kuryād ricyād ātmānam sa kāmebhyo nālam syāt.
TEXT 42
अथैतत् पूर्णमभ्यात्मं यच्च नेत्यनृतं वचः । सर्वं नेत्यनृतं ब्रूयात् स दुष्कीर्तिः श्वसन्मृतः ॥४२॥
athaitat pūrṇam abhyātmam yac ca nety anṛtam vacaḥ sarvam nety anṛtam brūyāt sa duṣkīrtiḥ śvasan mṛtaḥ
atha—therefore; etat—that; pūrṇam—completely; abhyātmam—drawing the compassion of others by presenting oneself as always poverty-stricken; yat—that; ca—also; na—not; iti—thus; anṛtam—false; vacaḥ—words; sarvam—completely; na—not; iti—thus; anṛtam—falsity; brūyāt—who should say; saḥ—such a person; duṣkīrtiḥ—infamous; śvasan—while breathing or while alive; mṛtaḥ—is dead or should be killed.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, the safe course is to say no. Although it is a falsehood, it protects one completely, it draws the compassion of others toward oneself, and it gives one full facility to collect money from others for oneself. Nonetheless, if one always pleads that he has nothing, he is condemned, for he is a dead body while living, or while still breathing he should be killed.
PURPORT
Beggars always present themselves as possessing nothing, and this may be very good for them because in this way they are assured of not losing their money and of always drawing the attention and compassion of others for the sake of collection. But this is also condemned. If one purposely continues this professional begging, he is supposed to be dead while breathing, or, according to another interpretation, such a man of