रूप लावण्य अभ्यासितां न ये । सहजगुणास न चले उपाये । कांहीं तरी धरावी सोये । अगांतुक गुणाची ॥ १ ॥

Beauty of form cannot be gained through effort, and no remedy works on innate qualities; but one can at least cultivate a quality — like cleverness — that can be acquired from outside.

काळें माणुस गोरें होयेना । वनाळास येत्ना चालेना । मुक्यास वाचा फुटेना । हा सहजगुण ॥ २ ॥

A dark-skinned person cannot become fair, a lame man cannot walk however hard he tries, a mute cannot gain speech — these are all inborn traits.

आंधळें डोळस होयेना । बधिर तें ऐकेना । पांगुळ पाये घेइना । हा सहजगुण ॥ ३ ॥

A blind man cannot gain sight, a deaf man cannot hear, a cripple cannot use his legs — these too are inborn traits.

कुरूपतेचीं लक्षणें । किती म्हणोनि सांगणें । रूप लावण्य याकारणें । पालटेना ॥ ४ ॥

How many marks of ugliness should one enumerate? Beauty of form, being an inborn matter, simply cannot be changed.

अवगुण सोडितां जाती । उत्तम गुण अभासितां येती । कुविद्या सांडून सिकती । शाहाणे विद्या ॥ ५ ॥

But (unlike inborn traits) faults leave if one gives them up, and good qualities can be gained through practice; wise people abandon bad learning and take up good learning.

मूर्खपण सांडितां जातें । शाहाणपण सिकतां येतें । कारबार करितां उमजतें । सकळ कांहीं ॥ ६ ॥

Foolishness departs if one gives it up, wisdom comes through learning; and through actual practice of affairs, everything gradually becomes clear.

मान्यता आवडे जीवीं । तरी कां उपेक्षा करावी । चातुर्येंविण उंच पदवी । कदापी नाहीं ॥ ७ ॥

If the heart desires recognition, why then neglect the means to it? Without cleverness, high standing is never attained.

ऐसी प्रचीत येते मना । तरी कां स्वहित कराना । सन्मार्गें चालतां जनां । सज्जना माने ॥ ८ ॥

If the mind is truly convinced of this, why not act for one's own good? One who walks the right path is welcomed by both ordinary people and the virtuous.

देहे नेटकें श्रुंघारिलें । परी चातुर्येंविण नासलें । गुणेंविण साजिरें केलें । बष्कळ जैसें ॥ ९ ॥

However neatly the body is adorned, without cleverness it is all spoiled; adornment without inner virtue is as pointless as mere show.

अंतर्कळा श्रृंघारावी । नानापरी उमजवावी । संपदा मेळऊन भोगावी । सावकास ॥ १० ॥

One should adorn one's inner faculties, come to understand them in many ways, and then, having gained prosperity through them, enjoy it at leisure.

प्रेत्न करीना सिकेना । शरीर तेंहि कष्टविना । उत्तम गुण घेईना । सदाकोपी ॥ ११ ॥

One who makes no effort, learns nothing, does not even exert his body, and, being perpetually irritable, never takes on any good quality.

आपण दुसयास करावें । तें उसिणें सवेंचि घ्यावें । जना कष्टवितां कष्टावें । लागेल बहु ॥ १२ ॥

However we treat others is what returns to us in kind; if we cause others trouble, we too shall have to suffer much trouble in return.

न्यायें वर्तेल तो शहाणा । अन्याइ तो दैन्यवाणा । नाना चातुर्याच्या खुणा । चतुर जाणे ॥ १३ ॥

One who behaves justly is wise; one who behaves unjustly becomes pitiable; only the truly clever person recognizes the many marks of real cleverness.

जें बहुतांस मानलें । तें बहुतीं मान्य केलें । येर तें वेर्थचि गेलें । जगनिंद्य ॥ १४ ॥

What convinces most people, most people come to accept; whatever else there is goes to waste, condemned by the world.

लोक आपणासि वोळावे । किंवा आवघेच कोंसळावे । आपणास समाधान फावे । ऐसें करावें ॥ १५ ॥

Whether people are drawn toward oneself or turn away entirely, one should act in whatever way brings genuine contentment.

समाधानें समाधान वाढे । मित्रिनें मित्रि जोडे । मोडितां क्षणमात्रें मोडे । बरेपण ॥ १६ ॥

Contentment grows through contentment, friendship grows through friendship; but goodwill, once broken, breaks in an instant.

अहो कांहो अरे काअंरे । जनीं ऐकिजेतें किं ते । कळत असतांच कां रे । निकामीपन ॥ १७ ॥

Whether one is addressed respectfully or spoken to rudely, people take note of it; knowing this, why persist in such useless, careless speech?

चातुर्यें श्रुंघारे अंतर । वस्त्रें श्रुंघारे शरीर । दोहिमधें कोण थोर । बरें पाहा ॥ १८ ॥

Cleverness adorns the inner self, clothes adorn the body; consider carefully which of the two is truly greater.

बाह्याकार श्रुंगारिलें । तेणें लोकांच्या हातासि काये आलें । चातुर्यें बहुतांसी रक्षिलें । नाना प्रकारें ॥ १९ ॥

What do people actually gain from mere outward adornment? Cleverness, on the other hand, has protected many people in countless ways.

बरें खावें बरें जेवावें । बरें ल्यावें बरें नेसावें । समस्तीं बरें म्हणावें । ऐसी वासना ॥ २० ॥

To eat well, dine well, dress and adorn oneself well, and have everyone speak well of oneself — such is everyone's natural wish.

तनें मनें झिजावें । तेणें भले म्हणोन घ्यावें । उगें चि कल्पितां सिणावें । लागेल पुढें ॥ २१ ॥

For that, one must wear oneself out in body and mind — only then do people call one good; merely daydreaming about it without effort will only bring weariness later.

लोकीं कार्यभाग आडे । तो कार्यभाग जेथें घडे । लोक सहजचि वोढे । कामासाठीं ॥ २२ ॥

When people's needs get stuck, wherever those needs are actually met, there people are naturally drawn, for the sake of their own work.

म्हणोन दुरयास सुखी करावें । तेणें आपण सुखी व्हावें । दुसयास कष्टवितां कष्टावें । लागेल स्वयें ॥ २३ ॥

Therefore make others happy, and thereby become happy oneself; if one troubles others, one will inevitably have to suffer trouble oneself.

हें तों प्रगटचि आहे । पाहिल्याविण कामा नये । समजणें हा उपाये । प्राणीमात्रासी ॥ २४ ॥

This is plain and evident, yet it takes careful observation to see it; understanding this is the one true remedy for every living being.

समजले आणि वर्तले । तेचि भाग्यपुरुष जाले । यावेगळे उरले । तें करंटे पुरुष ॥ २५ ॥

Those who understood this and lived accordingly became truly fortunate; those who remained otherwise turned out to be unfortunate.

जितुका व्याप तितुकें वैभव । वैभवासारिखा हावभाव । समजले पाहिजे उपाव । प्रगटचि आहे ॥ २६ ॥

As much effort one puts in, so much prosperity one gains, and one's manner should match that prosperity; this remedy is quite plain — one need only understand it.

आळसें कार्येभाग नासतो । साक्षेप होत होत होतो । दिसते गोष्टी कळेना तो । शाहाणा कैसा ॥ २७ ॥

Laziness ruins one's work; diligent effort, little by little, brings it to completion; one who fails to grasp what is plainly visible — how can he be called wise?

मित्रि करितां होतें कृत्य । वैर करितां होतो मृत्यु । बोलिलें हें सत्य किं असत्य । वोळखावें ॥ २८ ॥

Friendship gets things accomplished; enmity can even bring about one's death; let each person judge for himself whether this statement is true or false.

आपणास शाहाणें करूं नेणें । आपलें हित आपण नेणें । जनीं मैत्रि राखों नेणे । वैर करी ॥ २९ ॥

One who does not know how to make himself wise, does not recognize his own good, does not know how to keep friendships with people, and instead creates enmity.

ऐसे प्रकारीचे जन । त्यास म्हणावें अज्ञान । तयापासीं समाधान । कोण पावे ॥ ३० ॥

Such a person should be called ignorant; who, indeed, could ever find contentment in his company?

आपण येकायेकी येकला । सृष्टींत भांडत चालिला । बहुतांमध्यें येकल्याला । येश कैचें ॥ ३१ ॥

One who goes about quarreling with everyone, all alone in the world — how can a lone individual ever prevail against the many?

बहुतांचे मुखी उरावें । बहुतांचे अंतरीं भरावें । उत्तम गुणीं विवरावें । प्राणीमात्रासी ॥ ३२ ॥

One should remain on the lips of many, dwell in the hearts of many; for this, one should engage with every living being through one's good qualities.

शाहाणे करावे जन । पतित करावे पावन । सृष्टिमधें भगवद्भकजन । वाढवावें ॥ ३३ ॥

One should make people wise, uplift the fallen into purity, and increase the number of God's devotees in this world.