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Gaüdavaho
people round-about. In the end it dries up and becomes extinct, like a flower close on top of the fruit formed underneath.
863. The very people viz. rogues and vagabonds, who can never be trusted in respect of the kings' wives and wealth, are kept by them as close companions of pleasure.
865. Even men, firmly established in virtues, lose their virtues and become callous and reckless in their behaviour, as soon as they become rich. No wonder, therefore, if we find that the virtueless people are miles away () from any consideration of virtues
in their conduct.
866. Some there are who are light-hearted or mean-minded. They desire to acquire abundance of wealth by the development of merits, skills or accompliments in themselves. And there are others, leading a pure life, who seek to develop merits in themselves by means of wealth.
867. The society under the monarchical rule is divided into various strata and classes, such as royalty, nobility, king's counsellors, officials in charge of administration, general public pursuing their various avocations etc. A poet, seeking royal patronage, has to depend on the good will and support of all such lesser men in authority and is often required to visit them in their houses. The poet's personal experiences in this respect are referred to in this Gāthā. He mentions in this connection three categories of houses of the men in authority including the King(). 1--Houses where the servants are bad and wicked, while the master is a good man; 2-Houses in which the master is a bad man, but his subordinates are well-disposed; 3-Houses where both the master and men under him are wicked. Such houses are difficult to deal with (fa) in their due order (). A good master, for instance, can easily overrule his servants. In the second category, his subordinates can get round their master. The case is hopeless and beyond cure, however, in the third category, where both the bad master and his unscrupulous servants combine to throw away the supplicant approaching for favours.
868. Only such merits or excellences which these officials lack in themselves and on account of which they become averse to great men who possess them, are being cultivated by them. If, for instance, they find that other men are greatly appreciated for
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