English translation of excerpts from Dasbodh Part 1

Let us first be particular in doing our daily chores of life. Having done so we can then develop the conscience required for attaining the eternal spirit. If you will go for the eternal spirit disregarding your daily chores then you will become sad and miserable. You can be said to have conscience, if you have developed the ability of attaining the eternal spirit while doing your daily chores. He who renounces daily chores for attaining the eternal spirit may not even get food to feed upon. Now this useless person can attain salvation in what manner? He, who indulges in the daily chores disregarding the spirit, becomes restless. Ultimately he will be in deep trouble. He, who does not attend to the work allocated by his boss and sits at home comfortably, is humiliated by the boss. His humiliation is also seen by the people at large. He loses his prestige and makes out a laughing stock of himself. Thus he is put to great hardships for his deeds. The very same fate awaits for the person who disregards the eternal spirit. Therefore one should have regard to the eternal spirit. One who has regard for the eternal spirit immediately experiences the peace of mind. The point is that a person who has a free mind while doing the daily chores is a reasonable person. He is always alert and attentive. Therefore one should do the daily chores and also try to attain salvation. He who does not behave like this puts himself to many odds

An ant takes a view of the position while moving through the creepers and the trees. This is how the living beings move with conscience. Those who are human-beings should not get confused. If they are confused then what to say? One should plan with a large perspective in mind. One should be alert all around. One should be able to forecast the future. One who is alert becomes happy. One who is not attentive becomes sad. Anyone can see this fact in his day to day life. Therefore one who is always alert is great. He is great who has a satisfied mind while being amid people. One who is lethargic in being attentive is poised for a downfall. It may be too late sometimes to regain whatever has been lost.

We should learn from the people who have the ability to implement their long term plans. If we observe minutely the behaviour of such people then that can cause a change in our life. We should be able to identify such people. We should acquire virtue from men of virtue. We should shun the qualities and traits that we despise others for having. We should be in the company of the people whom we have already evaluated. We should not hurt anyone's mind. We should evaluate people continuously. Good people look same as other people. What distinguishes them from others is their conscience. We should identify people who can work for us. A good person knows very well about everything. This is his mark of goodness. He knows how much regard he should have for anyone.

People should listen carefully to what I say. They should listen to their desire. They should see what their mind is thinking. They should also observe all kinds of ripples rising in their mind. We want wholesome meals, good clothing and everything to be nice. Our mind wants all this but nothing is happening like that. We are expecting a good thing to happen and suddenly a bad thing happens. We can always see that while some people are happy others are not. We can see people undergoing hardships and blaming their fortune for that. They cannot work with precision and therefore cannot achieve what they want. Anyhow they do not understand their vice. They are not able to analyse their situation. What can they do for others? They do not maintain any equity in their action and therefore become miserable. They cannot understand others. They cannot behave like others. These senseless people then spread sparks of malice among people.

If people become malicious in their dealings then they become sad. All their efforts turn into hardships. Don't behave like this. You should evaluate people who are in your contact. You should exactly understand what they want. You should evaluate people on the basis of speech. You should be able to evaluate their mind. He who is attentive can understand others. While one who is not attentive cannot understand. Generally people find fault with others and justify their point of view. A good person undertakes a lot of thinking to understand another's point of view. Those, who don't like to undertake any efforts for understanding others, generate conflicts. We should leave the place where we cannot agree to other's point of view. But still while leaving the place we should not snap the relations. He who abides by truth in his deeds and words commands respect from one and all. People understand the principles of equity in the vicinity of such a person.

He, who cannot pardon the ignorant people, is no different from them. If the sandalwood declines to wear out then how others can understand its fragrance. All trees in the vicinity of sandalwood become trees of good fragrance as sandalwood perfumes all of them by wearing out. A person who cannot understand any virtue, how he can be understood by the people. When people identify good qualities in any person they become happy. He who delights people, also delights the eternal spirit pervading through all. Now tell me, a person who has reached the eternal spirit is lacking in what? It is really very difficult to keep all people in good humuor. We reap what we sow. If we have advanced a loan to others then that has to be received back. If we point out the shortcomings of others then we hurt them by doing so. There is a rise in overall happiness and affinity when we do good to others. Whatever may be our reply, the counter reply will be similar to that. We can understand this on our own. We need not discuss this with others. We should keep our mind informed of this fact every moment. Let us suppose that an evil person has met us. Our limit of forgiving this person has exhausted. Now we should keep quiet and leave the place. People are good at many techniques of evaluation but they are not good at evaluating other's mind. Those who lack in this technique of evaluation are useless. We should be good because we do not have infinite time at our disposal. It is really difficult to always maintain our conscience. All people are like us only. If we do good to them then they do good to us in turn. Now there is no need to tell more. We should abide by the qualities of Lord Rama and manage the politics for general good. If we do not have any regard to the prevailing time then this is absurd. One may have a lot of knowledge but if he disregards the prevailing time then what is the use of his knowledge?

A man who is weak, under distresss, of bad action, lazy, always hungry, indebted, foolish, involved in petty activities and has nothing. Nothing to eat, nothing to wear, utmost poor, having no baggage at all. He does not have any friends and relatives. No one recognises him and he is an alien person. What should he do? Whether he should die? This question is raised by someone and now the answer follows.


Whatever may be the work big or small it won't be over until it is done. A person should not work like a useless fellow. He should be always attentive. He who does not have attentive mind cannot perform. How can he gain happiness and wealth. Thatswhy shun laziness, make efforts in the right context. Whatever malice is there in the mind should be destroyed forcefully.

You may sing songs, play organs, dance, and do other things to express yourself and to entertain the public. People who come in our contact should remain satisfied. Our speech should gain recognition from the people. Let us not be boring and ineffective while glorifying the God. Let us open up the mind of people. If we do this then more people will join us for the devotion to God. There are many ways of worshipping God like devotion, knowledge, renunciation and yoga. We should demonstrate everything to the people. Let us act as per our preachings. This is a key of becoming a true leader. If there is no sense in our actions then we are suffering from a hopeless disease. Let us not exploit the people who are our followers. We should never do anything that hurts people. Let our mind be always focused on Lord Rama who is the most powerful. People like a person who does not have any ego. People also like to listen the glory of God. We should do everything to spread the glory of Lord Rama. Let the glory of Lord Rama penetrate throughout the universe and beyond. A preacher who is good at singing gets listeners in huge numbers. He who lacks in sense creates fuss. He who has sense can become stronger than the universe. There should be no scope for senseless thinking in our mind.

One should have wholesome meals. Whatever is left over should be distributed. It is not proper to throw away the left-over food. Similarly one should acquire knowledge. One should spread, whatever knowledge one has, among the people. One who is managing to float should see that others who are getting drowned are saved. One should observe the world and should assimilate the virtue. One should also ask others to earn merit. One who speaks without practising speaks senseless. Let us have devotion of mind while performing the rituals. Let us have concentration of mind while doing meditation. Let us work for the well-being of others. Let us do good to the maximum number of people. We should not ignore anybody. We should try to understand the difficulties of others. We should do everything possible for removing the difficulties of others. We should always be soft-spoken.

We should become sad at the sight of others' sadness. We should feel happy for others happiness. Let us reconcile our mind with the mind of others in the best way. We should condone the injustice committed by others. We should work for the well-being of others. We should work in such a way so that other people call us to be their own. We should understand others and work accordingly. We should evaluate the mind of others in various ways. We should speak relevant. We should respond immediately to others comments. We should not burn with anger and should forgive others. We should not be lethargic anymore. We should undertake enormous efforts. We should never speak words of jealousy to others. We should offer whatever is good to others. We should be highly selective in using words. We should be very attentive while doing daily chores.

We should devote our mind to God. We should remember that we are running out of time every moment. We should make our mark on this world that will last after our death. He who works with precision gains recognition among all. All people are kind to such a person. Now such a person is lacking in what? One who shows all these traits in his personality is worth for being called human. If we remember such a person then it as good as remembering God. Even if people humuliate you in the most severe manner, still you should maintain balance of your mind. The good people who can tolerate the company of not so good people are really great. One who is adorned with good qualities and decorated with 'knowledge and detachment', should be considered as a good fellow on this earth. He is undergoing hardships. He is bearing with others. He wears out but his fame remains forever. He who wants fame should do away with comforts. He who is after comforts cannot earn fame. How can one gain satisfaction without thinking? We should not hurt others mind. We should be meticulous always. He who is of forgiving nature is not put to any odds. We should do the work if we can. Whether it relates to us or others is not relevant. It is not good to do buck-passing at times. If you listen to soft words then you feel good. If you listen to harsh words then you feel sad. You know this very well. Then for what sake should you speak harsh.

If a pin is pricked there is a pain. We should learn to understand others from our experience. The thing that hurts others is not good. That will boomrang on us at some point of time. We reap as we sow. Our words are echoed back to us. Still what is the purpose of speaking harsh words. We should undertake enormous actions for making people happy. But if we hurt others then this is a demonic action. Hypocrisy, making hollow and tall speech, ego, anger, harsh words these are the signs of being an ignorant. This is stated in Shrimad Bhagwadgita. He who is adorned with the good qualities is a good person. He is sought after by many people.

Knowledge in the form of words that is not backed by practice is like a stuff vommitted by a dog. No sane person listens to such empty words of knowledge. He who has full devotion to God and who always acquires merit, people are always in search of such a person. He is the right person to organise people as a community. He should devote himself to the God and make God his own. If he dies then who are the devotees of the God? Thatswhy he should make other people devotees of the God. Let me tell you one thing on oath that you should not demand anything from your disciples. You should only demand from them the everlasting devotion to God. How this objective be attained if the people are not organised properly as a community. This community should then celebrate ceremonies on a large scale. This is how the all-pervading eternal spirit can be realised. Now listen from me with utmost attention the two basics that are required for organising the community.

A person who is good at preaching can fill mind of many disciples with devotion to God. He should also be able to understand the mind of his disciples. Whatever has been said earlier in the context of good qualities should be taken as standard. Let me continue with the effective preaching. One should do what he says. People attach great significance to the words of such persons. Whatever people don't like they don't accept. We are lonely and people are in large numbers. We have to live within people. We should teach them bit by bit. We should use our conscience to elevate people to the level that we have set for them in our mind. Those who are having conscience can respond to the call of our conscience. Others who lack conscience will start conflicts. There are many on the other end and we are alone at this end. Can one who is alone ever sustain? Thatswhy take into confidence the majority of people.

You can make a garland of leaves, flowers, stones, gems, fruits and anything you wish. What is common in all of these is the thread that runs through. If there is no thread then how can the garland be together? Now if someone says that the eternal spirit is similar to the thread that holds together the garland then he is not speaking the truth. A thread that runs through the garland is distinct from its other constituents. The eternal spirit is all-pervading. The eternal spirit is very dynamic. The thread cannot move on its own. Therefore thread is not a good simulation for the eternal spirit.

There is an element of water in the fluid of creepers. A sugar-cane is full of juice. Still there is a difference between the fluid in creepers and the juice in sugar-cane. Similarly the juice of sugar-cane and the stuff that remains after squeezing the sugarcane are not same. A spirit resides in the body. The body is not same as the spirit. The eternal spirit is still different. The eternal spirit is matchless and cannot be described. A beggar is a human-being and so is a King. How can anyone say that they are same? God, demon, human-being, a creature of a low breeed like an insect.... this is how the differentiation goes on. There is a huge difference between committing sin and earning merit. The spirit is doing a sin as well as earning merit. Still the capability of doing is altogether different. One will lead to salvation while the other one to hell. A poison is a liquid and water is also a liquid. It is absurd to compare them. There is a spirit residing in the body of a sinner and a person of merit. Still we should understand that there is a clear dividing line in between.

It is true that the eternal spirit is pervading through all. That does not mean that we should have intimacy with an evil person. How can a learned person and small kids be treated at par? A human-being and a donkey; a swan and a cock; a king and a monkey; how can they be considered as equal. Water of ganges and waste-water cannot be same. Anyone cant drink a handful of waste-water. Thatswhy be a man of good action. More than that be a man of good thoughts. You should be detached and intelligent. If in your opinion a coward is more significant than a brave person then who will save you in the battle-field. You can never say that a relationship with a beggar and that with a king is equivalent. Although there is an element of water in the fluid that does not mean that the fluid is fit for consumption. Food is formed from water. The stuff that is ejected while vommitting also contains some element of food. Still this stuff is not at all fit for consumption. This is how we should part with the evil and have the great in our mind. This will lead to spreading of our good fame all around.

A person who is good likes everything that is good. A person who is not good does not like this. This is how the useless people have come to existence. Don't act like a useless fellow. Be good. You should understand the glory of God. You should understand the principles of equity. You should have the conscience of behaving. You should keep all people in good humour. You should have patience to cause elevation of people bit by bit. We are very kind to our child. We move like our child while teaching the child. We should do the same thing while teaching people. The main thing is that we should understand others. One who is intelligent can understand intelligent action. But what about the fools. A fool should not be called a fool. We should not expose anybody in public. One who is not entangled has ability to make great victories. One should arrange great events at great number of places. One should understand the basics that are required for this. One should be very intimate to the minds of all. If we understand others then our mind comes to the level of the minds of others. If we disregard others then there is chaos. He is great who understands others. People are strongly attracted towards such a person.