अथैतत् पूर्णमभ्यात्मं यच्च नेत्यनृतं वच: । सर्वं नेत्यनृतं ब्रूयात् स दुष्कीर्ति: श्वसन्मृत: ॥ ४२ ॥
athaitat purnam abhyatmam yac ca nety anrtam vacah sarvam nety anrtam bruyat sa duskirtih svasan mrtah
- atha
- therefore
- etat
- that
- purnam
- completely
- abhyatmam
- drawing the compassion of others by presenting oneself as always poverty-stricken
- yat
- that
- ca
- also
- na
- not
- iti
- thus
- anrtam
- false
- vacah
- words
- sarvam
- completely
- na
- not
- iti
- thus
- anrtam
- falsity
- bruyat
- who should say
- sah
- such a person
- duskirtih
- infamous
- svasan
- while breathing or while alive
- mrtah
- is dead or should be killed.
Therefore, the safe course is to say no. Although it is a falsehood, it protects one completely, it draws the compassion of others toward oneself, and it gives one full facility to collect money from others for oneself. Nonetheless, if one always pleads that he has nothing, he is condemned, for he is a dead body while living, or while still breathing he should be killed.