Those who have power to help, but fail
To heed the needy suppliant's wail,
Who treat his prayer with cold disdain,
These justly reprobation gain.

The man who kindly treats a foe
By stern misfortune's stroke laid low,
Who sues for help in humble mood,--
He who so acts is truly good.

CXXII. The humble are wise.
Mahabharata v. 1010.

Those men who far 'bove others rise
By learning, wealth, or royal state,
And yet with pride are ne'er elate,
By all are justly reckoned wise.

CXXIII. Marks of a virtuous man.
Mahabharata v. 1088.

No ill the thoughtful man disturbs,
His hungry appetite who curbs,
In comfort all his household keeps,
Who toils immensely, little sleeps,
Who, not content to help his friends,
When asked, his help to foes extends.

CXXIV. Selfishness.

Mahabharata v. 1011.

Who more inhuman lives than he,
Of dainty food who eats the best,
In rich attire is always drest,
And stints his helpless family?

CXXV. "Ef any provide not for his own, . . . he is worse than an infidel" (1st Epistle to Timothy v. 8.)

Manu xi. 9.

Those men who ample gifts on strangers waste,
And leave their own to pine in want and woe,
Of goodness only earn the empty show :—
To poison turns the honied praise they taste.
The fools who thus to suffering doom their kin,
And costly rites fulfil to merit heaven,
From all the acts performed, and largess given,
No bliss shall find, but reap the fruit of sin.

CXXVI. Disinterestedness: "Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again" (St Luke vi. 34 f.)

Mahābhārata iii. 16796.

The good to others kindness show,
And from them no return exact:

The best and greatest men they know,
Thus ever nobly love to act.

CXXVII. Do to others as ye would that they should do to you.

Mahabharata v. 1517; xii. 9248 f.; 9281; xiii. 5571 f.

Whene'er thy acts the source must be

Of good or ill to other men,

Deal thou with them in all things then
As thou would'st have them deal with thee.

CXXVIII. Marks of a good man.
Mahabharata ii. 2424 and 2438 f.
The good kind actions recollect,
But base, injurious deeds forget;
On doing good to others set,
They never recompence expect.

CXXIX. The Same.

Mahabharata i. 6116, 6254; and iii. 13252.

Kind deeds are never thrown away
On men of real goodness,—such
Are not content to give as much,
As they have got, far more repay,
Nay, even a hundredfold bestow:
For here the gods no measure know.

CXXX. Beneficence a duty.

Mahabharata iii. 13745; xii. 3531'.

A man should do with all his might
The good his heart has once designed.
Ne'er let him wrong with wrong requite,
But be to others ever kind.

CXXXI. The prosperity of others not to be envied.
Mahabharata xiii. 3880.

On thee to smile though fortune never deign,
Her favourites' happier lot with calmness bear;
For prudent men from wealth they do not share,
But others' own, enjoyment ever gain.

[The last two lines of this maxim are ambiguous, and may, perhaps, admit of an unfavourable interpretation; viz., that

the unfortunate may find means of benefiting by the wealth of others, by recommending themselves to their favour. See, however, the context, as given in the Appendix.]

CXXXII. The requiter, not equal to the doer, of good acts.

Mahabharata xii. 4993.

The man who manifold hath paid
A kindness on himself conferred,
Does less than he who, only stirred
By generous impulse, lent him aid.

CXXXIII. "This is the law and the prophets."
(St Matthew vii. 12.)

Vikrama charita 158.

In one short verse I here express
The sum of tomes of sacred lore:
Beneficence is righteousness;
Oppression sin's malignant core.

CXXXIV. Do not to others what thou would'st not have done to thee.

Panchatantra iii. 104 (or 103, in another edition.)

Hear virtue's sum expressed in one
Brief maxim-lay it well to heart,
Ne'er do to others what, if done

To thee, would cause thee inward smart.

CXXXV. "Ef ye love them which love you what reward habe ye?" (St Matthew v. 46.)

Panchatantra i. 277 (or 247 in another edition.)

His action no applause invites,

Who simply good with good repays :

He only justly merits praise

Who wrongful deeds with kind requites.

CXXXVI. The highest worship of the Deity.
Bhagavata Purana viii. 7, 44.

To scatter joy throughout thy whole
Surrounding world; to still men's grief :-
Such is the worship best and chief

Of God, the Universal Soul.

CXXXVII. The proper aim of life.
Bhāgavata Purāņa x. 22, 35.

He only does not live in vain

Who all the means within his reach
Employs, his wealth, his thought, his speech,
T'advance the weal of other men.

CXXXVIII. The means of attaining to final liberation.
Vriddha Chanakya xv. 1.

Those men alone the secret know
Which final liberation brings,
Whose hearts with pity overflow
To even the meanest living things:-
Not those a beggar's garb who wear,
With ashes smeared, with matted hair.