virtue, O king, which tortureth one's own self and friends, is really no
virtue. It is rather vice, producing calamities. Virtue is sometimes also
the weakness of men. And though such a man might ever be engaged in the
practice of virtue, yet both virtue and profit forsake him, like pleasure
and pain forsaking a person that is dead. He that practiseth virtue for
virtue's sake always suffereth. He can scarcely be called a wise man, for
he knoweth not the purposes of virtue like a blind man incapable of
perceiving the solar light. He that regardeth his wealth to exist for
himself alone, scarcely understandeth the purposes of wealth. He is
really like a servant that tendeth kine in a forest. He again that
pursueth wealth too much without pursuing virtue and enjoyments,
deserveth to be censured and slain by all men. He also that ever pursueth
enjoyments without pursuing virtue and wealth, loseth his friends and
virtue and wealth also. Destitute of virtue and wealth such a man,
indulging in pleasure at will, at the expiration of his period of
indulgence, meeteth with certain death, like a fish when the water in
which it liveth hath been dried up. It is for these reasons that they
that are wise are ever careful of both virtue and wealth, for a union of
virtue and wealth is the essential requisite of pleasure, as fuel is the
essential requisite of fire. Pleasure hath always virtue for its root,
and virtue also is united with pleasure. Know, O monarch, that both are
dependent on each other like the ocean and the clouds, the ocean causing
the clouds and the clouds filling the ocean. The joy that one feeleth in
consequence of contact with objects of touch or of possession of wealth,
is what is called pleasure. It existeth in the mind, having no corporeal
existence that one can see. He that wisheth (to obtain) wealth, seeketh
for a large share of virtue to crown his wish with success. He that
wisheth for pleasure, seeketh wealth, (so that his wish may be realised).
Pleasure however, yieldeth nothing in its turn. One pleasure cannot lead
to another, being its own fruit, as ashes may be had from wood, but
nothing from those ashes in their turn. And, O king, as a fowler killeth
the birds we see, so doth sin slay the creatures of the world. He,
therefore, who misled by pleasure or covetousness, beholdeth not the
nature of virtue, deserveth to be slain by all, and becometh wretched
both here and here-after. It is evident, O king, that th