________________
Gaüḍavaho
873. Granting interviews and close contacts (pasamga) to men of intelligence and of good conduct, these (rich) men of power feel that whatever has been their own benefit was also the benefit of these (good) men too !
98
874. Any other man of wealth enjoys pleasures, associated with graceful forms of (dignified) entertainment (līlāsaha); (in the case of these autocratic men, however), power (or authority) is vindicated in just doing things nonsensical (asamam jasa ).
875. The heart of great men, although upset (amdolamta) by disrespect (shown to them) by men in authority, quietens, however, at the sight of the wretched villains (being treated) with great honour.
876. If at all, (of) the meritorious, some of them, appear to have been favoured with some space inside the royal palaces, it is just their commonality on par with all and sundry; or may be, (they have been so admitted) for some (ulterior) motive even.
877. Why do good men seek to evoke (admiration and) respect for those very merits from kings, because of which alone they become objects of hatred ( vesabhāva ) ( and contempt) with them ?
878. Who is not averse to the meritless? Whom do the meritorious not cause pain (of envy and jealousy)? The only man who lives in peace and happiness (of obscurity, undisturbed by inconvenient attention), is the one who has no merit in him or-the one who is not meritless (and is not obtrusive.)
879. (The fact) that the heart of men in authority recoils from great and good men, feeling impatient and intolerant (nisaha) of the high honour being done to them, is on par with a man's desire to free himself of all jewelled ornaments (on his person) for fear of (having to bear) their heavy load (on the body)!
880. Men without merit are (quite vocal in) praising others' merit, afraid, as they are, of (the charge of incapacity and) want of judgment (being levelled at them). (Accomplished) men of power, however, who have themselves acquired merits, are most malicious and crooked (vāmā) in respect of others' merits.
881. Every one, ambitious of (establishing) his own eminence (ukkarisa) in merit, possesses jealous enthusiasm (maccharu
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
