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Therefore, he should restrain from evil; Increasing only good, he should rule the people. 285. The life of a fool is short, The life of a wise person is much longer; The king is for the people, Royal duty is for the king. 286. Those without a leader perish, Those with many leaders perish; Those with weak leaders perish, Those with very good leaders perish. 287. As a turtle is for fish, As a hen is for cows; As a son is for nourishment, So are ministers for the king. 288. One who has not reached the royal family, Does not obtain He should go. Not too stupid, nor too dull, Nor ever be negligent. 289. When he gains virtue and wisdom, Purity and discernment, Then in the highest confidence, He guards the king's secrets. 290. By day or by night, Skilled in royal affairs, He should not dispute the king's command, Living in the king's residence. 291. Not clothes like the king's, Nor garlands, nor perfumes, Nor behavior, nor dress, Like the king should he act. 292. Not play with the king's ministers, Nor be surrounded by his wives, Not act like a minister or the king's wife, Should the wise man do. 293. Not haughty, not fickle, Prudent, with senses restrained, Possessed of mental resolve, He should live in the king's residence. 294. Not play with his wife, Nor whisper in secret with ministers, Nor take wealth from his treasury, He should live in the king's residence. 295. Not consider sleep too much, Nor drink intoxicating liquor, Nor always go hunting, He should live in the king's residence. 296. Not his back, nor his couch, Nor his elephant, nor his boat, nor his chariot, "I am equal" having mounted, He should live in the king's residence. 297. Not too far, he should serve the king, Nor too near, the discerning one, He should stand before him, Calm, content, and devoted to his lord. 298. Not be the king's friend, Nor the king's lover, For kings are quick to anger, Like eyes rubbed with a thorn. 299. Not conceited when honored, The wise and discerning man, Should speak harshly to the king, When surrounded by his court. 300. Having gained an entrance, having found an opening, Not even in the king's private affairs, He should stand like a fire, He should live in the king's residence. 301. A king, whether son or brother, Having taken hold of, In villages or towns, In kingdoms or regions, Silent, he should observe, Not speak deceitful evil. 302. Elephant riders nearby, Charioteers, foot soldiers, By attention to their duties, The king increases their wages, He should not interfere with them, He should live in the king's residence. 303. If the king's bow or quiver, Or his lineage should falter, He should not turn against him, He should live in the king's residence. 304. The king's bow or quiver, Like a fish without a tongue, Silent, prudent, brave, He should live in the king's residence. 305. One should not go to excess with women, Seeing the decline of vigor; Coughing, asthmatic, with weakened strength, One departs with diminished intelligence. One should not speak excessively, Nor be silent at all times; Speaking measured words, That are unscattered, at the proper time. Not irascible, not clashing, Truthful, gentle, not a slanderer; One should not speak foolish words, And dwell near the king. Supporting mother and father, Respecting elders in the family; Endowed with shame and fear of wrongdoing, One dwells near the king. Disciplined, skilled in crafts, Restrained, controlled, gentle; Diligent, clever, and skillful, One dwells near the king. Humble in conduct, among elders, Affectionate, respectful, and reverent; Courteous, easy to associate with, One dwells near the king. One should avoid from afar, A messenger who is sent; One should look only to the husband, And not to another king. Monks and brahmins too, Virtuous and learned; One should attend to them respectfully, Satisfying them with food and drink; Approaching, one should ask questions, Desiring one's own growth. One should not hinder a gift Previously given to monks and brahmins; Nor should one prevent anything, At the time of giving, from the needy. Wise, endowed with growth, Skilled in rules and procedures; Knowing the right time and occasion, One dwells near the king. Rising early in one's duties, Diligent and discerning; With well-arranged affairs, One dwells near the king. Going often to the threshing floor, The rice field, cattle, and farm; One should store measured grain, And cook a measured amount at home. A son or brother, Who is not well-established in virtue; Or children who are unloved, Like the departed, they are; One should give them robes, Food, and a seat. One should support servants and workers, Who are well-established in virtue; Skilled, diligent, One should place them in positions of authority. Virtuous, ungreedy, Loving to the king; Sincere, wishing him well, One dwells near the king. Knowing the king's desires, Attentive to the king's mind; Of unwavering conduct, One dwells near the king. With unguents and bathing, Washing feet and head; Even when struck, one should not be angry, And dwell near the king. It rains for seventy years. 322. Making a respectful gesture with cupped hands, And circumambulating the funeral pyre; What did he not give to fulfill all desires, That wise and excellent one? 323. He gives clothes, bedding, Vehicles, and a dwelling place; Like a rain cloud to living beings, He showers them with possessions. 324. These two are like thorns, Wasting away their bodies: He who desires sensual pleasures though poor, And he who is angry though powerless. 325. Speech is tasteless to the poor, Blows are struck against the weak, Words of instruction to the unwise; These three are marks of inferiority. 326. Three things are sweet on earth: Sugarcane, a woman, and well-spoken words; Sugarcane and a woman soon become tiresome, But well-spoken words do not. 327. Three jewels are on earth, Means of gathering on the great earth: Skill, grain, and a friend; These are the jewels. 328. A good friend, a wilderness, Battle, and speaking in an assembly; Fools desire to enter these, These four kinds of people. 329. Five kinds of living people are as good as dead, Enumerated in detail: The afflicted, the sick, the weak, The debtor, and the dependent. 330. The person who is wise, Guarding the six sense doors; Is sixfold in virtue, And sixfold in non-virtue. 331. Sleepy, fond of pleasure, Happy, lazy when healthy, Unwilling, and delighting in work; These seven are devoid of benefit. 332. Of good family, wise, willing, Modest, conscientious, learned, Desiring benefit, and protective; These eight are endowed with benefit. 333. Of noble family, wise, Increasing, brave, virtuous, Learned, energetic, Mild, and going to a good destination; These nine are the best of people, They restrain themselves from evil. 334. Buddha, Paccekabuddha, Arahant, chief disciple, Mother, father, respected teacher, Giver, and preacher of the Dhamma; Know that one should not be hostile To these ten wise people. 335. Life is the means For accomplishing Dhamma, wealth, happiness, and liberation; If that is destroyed, what is destroyed? If that is protected, what is not protected? 336. Honesty and long life Are the cause of happiness for all beings; Dishonesty, without doubt, Is the cause of suffering for all. 337. As the juice of sugarcane does not leave the press, And an elephant does not leave the battlefield, And a skilled person does not leave the game, So sandalwood does not leave its fragrance. 338. The essence of fragrance does not... The wise, though fallen on evil days, forsake not virtue; In times of joy, the eloquent never forsake truth. 339. Self is the friend of men, self is the foe of beings; Self is the kin of the unguarded, self is the foe of the unguarded. 340. By sacrificing self, they protect what they rely on; The good alone do this, not those who follow worldly wisdom. 341. The time of the wise passes in discussing scriptures and poetry; That of the wicked in vice, sleep, or strife. 342. Bees seek flowers, flies seek filth; The good seek virtue, the wicked seek fault. 343. Fruitful trees bend low, so do the wise; Dry wood and fools do not bend, they break. 344. If the good quarrel, they quickly make peace again; Fools, self-willed, break, they never come to agreement. 345. Even a little wealth of the good is like a well that never fails; Much wealth of the wicked is like water in the ocean. 346. Thousands of occasions for sorrow, hundreds of occasions for fear; The fool sees them every day, not the wise. 347. The anger of one with a mind full of hate is like a writing on stone; The kindness of a base person is like a writing on water, soon gone. 348. A harsh, discontented, ungrateful, and timid person; Is never able to learn good conduct. 349. Goodness is association with the good, not association with the wicked; The earth bears the fragrance of flowers, not the odor of dung. 350. He hides his own virtues, quarrels about the virtues of others; He proclaims his own merits, but hides even a little fault. 351. He sees the faults of others, but not his own; He winnows the faults of others like chaff, but hides his own like a gambler hiding a losing throw. 352. Anger knows not advantage, anger sees not the Dhamma; Then there is utter darkness, when anger overwhelms a man. 353. Anger born within, surely destroys the angry one; As fire burns a beautiful casket full of clothes and ornaments. 354. Lust is a mental dart, a thief of virtue; An eclipse of wisdom, a fire that consumes the wealth of asceticism. 355. There is no satiating. Like a king with wealth, a scholar with good speech; Like an eye with pleasing sight, the ocean with great water. 356. The discontented ascetic is ruined, the contented king is great; The adorned prostitute is ruined, the shameless woman of good family. 357.