Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
Those who are weak-minded and of low character, they become disheartened by hearing words of reproach, theft, adultery, etc., and they fall from the path of restraint. Just as cowards in battle, overwhelmed by the sight of swords, spears, axes, arrows, and the din of drums, trumpets, and cymbals, abandon their courage and flee, seeking only to escape, so too, those of weak spirit, upon hearing words of anger, become disheartened and abandon restraint. ||7||
Again, the text says:
A hungry mendicant, bitten by a vicious dog, may become disheartened. Just as a creature touched by fire becomes distressed, so too, the weak-minded become disheartened. ||8||
Commentary:
The word "api" in this verse indicates possibility. A vicious dog, by nature, may bite a hungry mendicant who is wandering in search of food. When the mendicant is bitten by the dog, the weak-minded, lacking in wisdom, become distressed and fearful. Just as creatures touched by fire become distressed and contract their limbs in pain, so too, the mendicant, attacked by a vicious creature, may fall from restraint. It is difficult to endure such obstacles in villages. ||8||