N°8: Even better
८. सहस्रवर्गो अष्टमः
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Even better than a thousand useless words is a single word that gives peace.
सहस्रमपि चेद् वाचोऽनर्थपदसंहिता ।
एकमर्थपदं श्रेयो यत् श्रुत्त्वोपशाम्यति ॥ १॥
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Even better than a thousand useless choruses is a single chorus that gives peace.
सहस्रमपि चेद्गाथा अनर्त्थपदसंहिता ।
एकं गाथापदं श्रेयो यत् श्रुत्त्वोपशाम्यति ॥ २॥
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Even better than a hundred useless songs is a single song that gives peace.
यश्च गाथाशतं भाषेतानर्थपदसंहिताः ।
एकं धर्मपदं श्रेयो यत् श्रुत्त्वोपशाम्यति ॥ ३॥
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If someone on the battlefield defeats thousands, and even thousands more, and at the same time one overcomes themselves, that is the greatest victory of the two.
यः सहस्रं सहस्रेण संग्रामे मानुषान् जयेत् ।
एकं च जयेद् आत्मानं स वै संग्रामजिदुत्तमः ४
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For the greatest of the victories is the victory of yourself.
आत्मा ह वै जितः श्रेयान् या चेयमितरा प्रजा ।
दान्तात्मनः पुरुषस्य नित्यं संयतचारिणः ॥ ५॥
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Not even the gods in heaven or the demons among us can turn such a victory back into defeat.
नैव देवो न गन्धर्वो न मारः सह ब्रह्मणा ।
जितं अपजितं कुर्यात् तथारूपस्य जन्तोः ॥ ६॥
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If, month after month, someone makes thousands of sacrifices, even for a hundred years, and someone else briefly shows equal respect for someone who has overcome himself; then that moment of paying respect is worth much more than a hundred years of sacrifice.
मासे मासे सहस्रेण यो यजेत शतं समान् ।
एकं च भावितात्मानं मुहुर्त्तमपि पूजयेत् ।
सैव पुजना श्रेयसी यच्चेद् वर्षशतं हुतम् ॥ ७॥
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If a person worships the sacred fire deep in the forest for a hundred years; and someone else briefly shows respect for someone who has overcome themselves; then that moment of paying respect is worth much more than a hundred years of worship.
यश्च वर्षशतं जन्तुरग्निं परिचरेत् वने ।
एकं च भावितात्मानं मुहुर्त्तमपि पूजयेत् ।
सैव पूजना श्रेयसी यच्चेत् वर्षशतं हुतम् ॥ ८॥
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Whatever a person may sacrifice in worship for a year or donate for a year to be of merit is not worth a fraction of the merit of paying respect to a person who has overcome themselves.
यत् किञ्चिद् इष्टं च हुतं च लोके संवत्सरं यजेत पुण्यापेक्षः ।
सर्वमपि तन्न चतुर्भागमेति अभिवादना ऋजुगतेषु श्रेयसी ॥ ९॥
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And whoever shows respect and honors the virtuous elders, they will have won four treasures: longevity, health, strength and joy.
अभिवादनशीलस्य नित्त्यं वृद्धापचायिनः ।
चत्वारो धर्मा वर्धन्ते आयुर्वर्णः सुखं बलम् ॥ १०॥
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Even better than a hundred years of being mischievous; without even a moment's thought about things in life, is to one day live in virtue and deep understanding.
यश्च वर्षशतं जीवेत् दुःशीलोऽसमाहितः ।
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयः शीलवतो ध्यायिनः ॥ ११॥
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Even better than living a hundred years without wanting to understand things, without thinking about things, is to live one day in wisdom and complete devotion.
यश्च वर्षशतं जीवेत् दुष्प्रज्ञोऽसमाहितः ।
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयः प्रज्ञावतो ध्यायिनः ॥ १२॥
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Even better than wasting a hundred years by not having a sense of the things of life and spending time in feeble-mindedness, is to live one day with full courage and to strive with all your might.
यञ्च वर्षशतं जीवेत् कुसीदो हीनवीर्यः ।
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयः वीर्यमारभतो दृढम् ॥ १३॥
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Even better than not even thinking about how everything comes and goes for a hundred years is to think for a single day about how all things come and go.
यश्च वर्षशतं जीवेत् अपश्यन् उदयव्ययं
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयः पश्यतः उदयव्ययम् ॥ १४॥
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Even better than not seeing your own immortality for a hundred years is to discover your immortality for a single day.
यश्च वर्षशतं जीवेत् अपश्यन्नमृतं पदम् ।
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयः पश्यतोऽमृतं पदम् ॥ १५॥
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Even better than not seeing the clear path for a hundred years, is the day that you found it.
यञ्च वर्षशतं जीवेदपश्यन् धर्ममुत्तमम् ।
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयः पश्यतो धर्ममुत्तमम् ॥ १६॥
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