यन्नामानि च गृह्णाति लोको भृत्ये कृतागसि । सोऽसाधुवादस्तत्कीर्तिं हन्ति त्वचमिवामय: ॥ ५ ॥
yan-namani ca grhnati loko bhrtye krtagasi so ’sadhu-vadas tat-kirtim hanti tvacam ivamayah
- yat
- of whom
- namani
- the names
- ca
- and
- grhnati
- take
- lokah
- people in general
- bhrtye
- when a servant
- krta-agasi
- has committed something wrong
- sah
- that
- asadhu-vadah
- blame
- tat
- of that person
- kirtim
- the reputation
- hanti
- destroys
- tvacam
- the skin
- iva
- as
- amayah
- leprosy.
A wrong act committed by a servant leads people in general to blame his master, just as a spot of white leprosy on any part of the body pollutes all of the skin.