सुचित करूनी अंतःकर्ण । ऐका करंटलक्षण । हें त्यागितां सदेवलक्षण । आंगीं बाणें ॥ १ ॥

Focus your mind and hear the marks of the wretched, ill-fated man. By giving up these traits, the marks of the fortunate, blessed man naturally take root in oneself.

पापाकरितां दरिद्र प्राप्त । दरिद्रें होये पापसंचित । ऐसेंचि होत जात । क्षणक्षणा ॥ २ ॥

Sin brings poverty, and poverty in turn heaps up more sin. This vicious cycle keeps repeating itself, moment after moment.

याकारणें करंटलक्षणें । ऐकोनी त्यागचि करणें । म्हणिजे कांहीं येक बाणें । सदेवलक्षण ॥ ३ ॥

For this reason, on hearing the marks of the wretched man, one should simply abandon them. Only then can something of the fortunate man's qualities take hold in oneself.

करंट्यास आळस आवडे । यत्‍न कदापि नावडे । त्याची वासना वावडे । अधर्मीं सदा ॥ ४ ॥

The wretched man loves idleness and never cares for effort. His desire is always drawn towards unrighteous ways.

सदा भ्रमिष्ट निदसुरा । उगेंचि बोले सैरावैरा । कोणीयेकाच्या अंतरा । मानेचिना ॥ ५ ॥

He is always dazed and drowsy, babbling aimlessly this way and that. His words never sit well with anyone's heart.

लेहों नेणे वाचूं नेणे । सवदासुत घेऊं नेणे । हिशेब कितेब राखों नेणे । धारणा नाहीं ॥ ६ ॥

He knows neither how to write nor how to read, nor how to strike a proper deal. He has no idea of keeping accounts, no memory for anything.

हारवी सांडी पाडी फोडी । विसरे चुके नाना खोडी । भल्याचे संगतीची आवडी । कदापी नाहीं ॥ ७ ॥

He loses things, spills them, drops them, breaks them, forgets and blunders in every way - such are his many bad habits. He never has any liking for the company of good people.

चाट गडी मेळविले । कुकर्मी मित्र केले । खट नट येकवटिले । चोरटे पापी ॥ ८ ॥

He gathers about him worthless, roguish companions and befriends evildoers. He brings together tricksters, liars, thieves, and sinners.

ज्यासीं त्यासीं कळकटा । स्वयें सदाचा चोरटा । परघातकी धाटामोटा । वाटा पाडी ॥ ९ ॥

He is deceitful with everyone he deals with, a born thief by nature. He is bold and shameless in doing harm to others, even waylaying travelers.

दीर्घ सूचना सुचेचिना । न्याय नीति हे रुचेना । पराभिळासीं वासना । निरंतर ॥ १० ॥

No far-sighted thought ever occurs to him; justice and morality hold no appeal for him. His mind is forever set on despoiling others.

आळसें शरीर पाळिलें । परंतु पोटेंविण गेलें । सुडकें मिळेनासें जालें । पांघराया ॥ ११ ॥

He has nursed his body only through idleness, yet ends up without even food for his belly. He cannot even find a rag to cover himself with.

आळसे शरीर पाळी । अखंड कुंसी कांडोळी । निद्रेचे पाडी सुकाळीं । आपणासी ॥ १२ ॥

The lazy man does nothing but tend his body, endlessly rolling from one side to the other. He keeps himself in a perpetual abundance of sleep.

जनासीं मीत्री करीना । कठिण शब्द बोले नाना । मूर्खपणें आवरेना । कोणीयेकासी ॥ १३ ॥

He forms friendship with no one and instead speaks harsh, cutting words to all. Out of sheer foolishness, he cannot restrain himself with anyone.

पवित्र लोकांमधें भिडावे । वोंगळामधें निशंक धांवे । सदा मनापासून भावे । जननिंद्य क्रिया ॥ १४ ॥

He hesitates and shrinks from pure, good people, yet rushes fearlessly among the vile and depraved. Deeds that society condemns are exactly what he loves from the heart.

तेथें कैचा परोपकार । केला बहुतांचा संव्हार । पापी अनर्थी अपस्मार । सर्वाबद्धी ॥ १५ ॥

How can such a man ever perform an act of kindness? Instead, he has ruined and destroyed many. He is sinful, calamitous, like an affliction upon everyone around him.

शब्द सांभळून बोलेना । आवरितां आवरेना । कोणीयेकासी मानेना । बोलणें त्याचें ॥ १६ ॥

He never speaks with any care or restraint, and cannot be reined in however one tries. No one finds his speech acceptable.

कोणीयेकास विश्वास नाहीं । कोणीयेकासीं सख्य नाहीं । विद्या वैभव कांहींच नाहीं । उगाचि ताठा ॥ १७ ॥

No one trusts him, and he has close bonds with no one. He has neither learning nor wealth, yet carries a pointless arrogance all the same.

राखावीं बहुतांची अंतरें । भाग्य येतें तदनंतरें । ऐसीं हें विवेकाचीं उत्तरें । ऐकणार नाहीं ॥ १८ ॥

One should win over the hearts of many, and good fortune follows afterward - such wise counsel he will never listen to.

स्वयें आपणास कळेना । शिकविलें तें ऐकेना । तयासी उपाय नाना । काये करिती ॥ १९ ॥

He cannot even understand himself, and he will not listen to what is taught to him. What good can any number of remedies do for such a man?

कल्पना करी उदंड कांहीं । प्राप्तव्य तों कांहींच नहीं । अखंड पडिला संदेहीं । अनुमानाचे ॥ २० ॥

He builds endless fanciful notions, yet in truth attains nothing at all. He remains forever caught in doubts born of mere speculation.

पुण्य मार्ग संडिला मनें । पाप झडावें काशानें । निश्चय नाहीं अनुमानें । नास केला ॥ २१ ॥

He has willfully abandoned the path of virtue, so by what means would his sin ever be washed away? Having no firm resolve, he has ruined himself through mere guesswork.

कांहींयेक पुर्तें कळेना । सभेमधें बोलों राहेना । बाष्कळ लाबाड ऐसें जना । कळों आलें ॥ २२ ॥

He understands nothing fully, yet cannot stop himself from talking in every gathering. People soon come to know him as an empty chatterer and a liar.

कांहीं नेमकपण आपुलें । बहुत जनासी कळों आलें । तेंचि मनुष्य मान्य जालें । भूमंडळीं ॥ २३ ॥

By contrast, the man whose definite, solid worth becomes known to many people - it is he who wins recognition in this world.

झिजल्यावांचून कीर्ति कैंची । मान्यता नव्हे कीं फुकाची । जिकडे तिकडे होते ची ची । अवलक्षणें ॥ २४ ॥

How can fame come without toil, without wearing oneself out? Recognition is never had for free. But because of the wretched man's bad traits, he meets with scorn and disgrace wherever he goes.

भल्याची संगती धरीना । आपणासी शाहाणे करीना । तो आपला आपण वैरी जाणा । स्वहित नेणे ॥ २५ ॥

He keeps no company with good people and does nothing to make himself wiser. Know that such a man is his own worst enemy, for he does not even know what is good for himself.

लोकांसी बरें करवें । तें उसिणें सवेंचि घ्यावें । ऐसें जयाच्या जीवें । जाणिजेना ॥ २६ ॥

Doing good to others is like a loan that comes right back to oneself - it is the wretched man whose heart never grasps this simple truth.

जेथें नाहीं उत्तम गुण । तें करंट्याचें लक्षण । बहुतांसीं न मने तें अवलक्षण । सहजचि जालें ॥ २७ ॥

Wherever good qualities are absent, that is the true mark of the wretched man. Whatever is disliked by most people becomes, quite naturally, his very nature.

कार्याकारण सकळ कांहीं । कार्येंविण तो कांहींच नाहीं । निकामी तो दुःखप्रवाहीं । वाहातचि गेला ॥ २८ ॥

Everything in this world runs by cause and effect, but a man without any real accomplishment amounts to nothing. Such a useless man is simply swept away on the current of sorrow.

बहुतांसीं मान्य थोडा । त्याच्या पापासी नाहीं जोडा । निराश्रई पडे उघडा । जेथें तेथें ॥ २९ ॥

Few indeed accept such a man, and his sin has no equal. Wherever he goes, he remains without shelter, exposed and destitute.

याकारणें अवगुण त्यागावे । उत्तम गुण समजोन घ्यावें । तेणें मनासारिखें फावे । सकळ कांहीं ॥ ३० ॥

Therefore one should give up all faults and take up good qualities with understanding. Doing so, everything one desires can be attained.