________________
Atmānuśāsana
आत्मानुशासन
(happiness), and a dreadful door that leads to miseries of the infernal regions. Do not get attracted to the female-body. (verse 80)
The human mode (paryāya) is marked by misfortune, old-age and home to frightful diseases like hunger, wounds, leprosy, and malodour. Make your human mode purposeful by turning it into a seed for the next birth; it is not going to last long. (verses 81-82)
The only favour that your brothers and relations in this world do to you is to assemble after your death and cremate your body. Other activities, like arranging marriages, that they undertake only extend your worldly cycle of births and deaths. (verses 83-84)
The ignorant man has craving for wealth; he cannot remember his duties for the welfare of his next life. It is rare to find the man who wishes to keep himself away from the fire of worldly existence. The man who, on acquisition of the discriminating-knowledge, turns to austerities early is truly praiseworthy. Realizing the harm that karmas have done to him for so long, he wishes to get rid of these. The learned men pity those who, even after owning such wisdom, remain negligent in following the appropriate conduct. (verses 85-94)
It is only through meritorious karmas that men become the rulers of the earth. Still, even learned men accept servitude to those rulers. (verse 95) Dharma is the most excellent possession. By following dharma, men are born in monarchical families, attain great wisdom, and acquire immense virtues and prosperity. The path of dharma consists in following conduct of many kinds, including giving of gifts and self-restraint. It is free from desires and, as such, those with voluptuous inclinations cannot access it. (verse 96)
The body is impure all over, and the cause of many miseries. Still, the man living in such a body does not become averse to it. In essence, the body is home to all kinds of miseries. It is strange that even then the man is afraid of death. (verses 97-99)
Before the man attains right faith (samyagdarśana), he does not know what needs to be accepted and rejected in this world. He gets destroyed unpredictably by strong sensual-desire for lovely women. He does not
(XXVI)