सभोपदेशक 10
1 १ मरी हुई मक्खियों के कारण गंधी का तेल सड़ने और दुर्गन्ध आने लगता है; और थोड़ी सी मूर्खता बुद्धि और प्रतिष्ठा को घटा देती है।
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 ४ यदि हाकिम का क्रोध तुझ पर भड़के, तो अपना स्थान न छोड़ना, क्योंकि धीरज धरने से बड़े-बड़े पाप रुकते हैं।
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 १० यदि कुल्हाड़ा थोथा हो और मनुष्य उसकी धार को पैनी न करे, तो अधिक बल लगाना पड़ेगा; परन्तु सफल होने के लिये बुद्धि से लाभ होता है।
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 १४ मूर्ख बहुत बातें बढ़ाकर बोलता है, तो भी कोई मनुष्य नहीं जानता कि क्या होगा, और कौन बता सकता है कि उसके बाद क्या होनेवाला है?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 १७ हे देश, तू धन्य है जब तेरा राजा कुलीन है; और तेरे हाकिम समय पर भोज करते हैं, और वह भी मतवाले होने को नहीं, वरन् बल बढ़ाने के लिये!
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 १९ भोज हँसी खुशी के लिये किया जाता है, और दाखमधु से जीवन को आनन्द मिलता है; और रुपयों से सब कुछ प्राप्त होता है।
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 २० राजा को मन में भी श्राप न देना, न धनवान को अपने शयन की कोठरी में श्राप देना; क्योंकि कोई आकाश का पक्षी तेरी वाणी को ले जाएगा, और कोई उड़नेवाला जन्तु उस बात को प्रगट कर देगा।
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
