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-60] 5. THE SECTION ON THE WICKED
279 55) One can understand if the virtuous feel elated because of their good qualities or if the wealthy feel elated because of their wealth. But the wicked take pride in their faults (de-merits). Passing strange is the way of the wicked!
56) The wicked do not give to others what they themselves possess (in abundance), if they see someone giving, they stop him from doing so;if they find that something has been already given away (by others) they cause it to be withdrawn (snatched away). Ob how passing strange is the behaviour of the wicked who indulge in hostility without any cause !
57) Whence can there be any happiness (freedom from worry) in the company of a wicked person who jealously focusses his attention on the weak points of others, who is possessed of a fickle mind, who is terrible and speaks with a double tongue and who moves about in a crooked mannermany more than 'in the vicinity of a snake,which forces its entry into the hole made by another animal (such as a rat), whose body is dappled with spots, who is terrible to look at, has two tongues (a split tongue) and glides along in a zigzag manner?
58) Who is not frightened at the sight of the wicked against whom counsel (persuasion #7) and the use of restraining power a) do not prevail, who are devoid of noble birth and are addicted to a life of dissipation and debauchery (read adatot for utareturri) as at the sight of Vyantara-snakes, against whom charms and techniques (use of drugs etc.)are powerless, who are devoid of birth in the eight well-known noble families of snakes (but are born of cross-breeding and are therefore very virulent) and who are possessed of hoods (expanded in anger) (1747atui)?
59) That one manages to remain alive in the midst of wicked people is itself indeed a great gain (or achievement), just as it is a great achievement (or sheer good luck) that one is not bitten (or manages to escape from being bitten) (by a snake) even when the leg is encircled by it.
60) Who is not frightened at the sight of a wicked person of dreadful appearance (HTETTE), who cannot brook a request (made by others) (i.e. gets annoyed when requested by others to do some
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