यशो यशस्विनां शुद्धं श्लाघ्या ये गुणिनां गुणा: । लोभ: स्वल्पोऽपि तान् हन्ति श्वित्रो रूपमिवेप्सितम् ॥ १६ ॥
yaśo yaśasvināṁ śuddhaṁ ślāghyā ye guṇināṁ guṇāḥ lobhaḥ sv-alpo ’pi tān hanti śvitro rūpam ivepsitam
- yaśaḥ
- the fame
- yaśasvinām
- of those who are famous
- śuddham
- pure
- ślāghyāḥ
- praiseworthy
- ye
- which
- guṇinām
- of those endowed with good qualities
- guṇāḥ
- the qualities
- lobhaḥ
- greed
- su-alpaḥ
- a little
- api
- even
- tān
- these
- hanti
- destroys
- śvitraḥ
- white leprosy
- rūpam
- physical beauty
- iva
- just as
- īpsitam
- enchanting
Whatever pure fame is possessed by the famous and whatever praiseworthy qualities are found in the virtuous are destroyed by even a small amount of greed, just as one’s attractive physical beauty is ruined by a trace of white leprosy.