(A) 1 Devānaṃpiyo Priyadasi rājā eva āha
(B) asti jano ucāvacaṃ maṃgalaṃ karote ābādhesu vā 2 āvāha-vīvāhesu vā putra-lābhesu vā pravāsaṃmhi vā etamhī ca añamhi ca jano ucāvacaṃ maṃgalaṃ karote
(C) 3 eta tu mahiḍāyo bahukaṃ ca bahuvidham ca chudaṃ ca nirath[aṃ] ca maṃgalaṃ karote
(D) ta katavyameva tu magalaṃ
(E) apa-phalaṃ tu kho 4 etarisaṃ maṃgalaṃ
(F) ayaṃ tu mah[ā]-phale maṃgale ya dhaṃma-maṃgale
(G) ta[te]ta dāsa-bhatakamhi samya-pratipatī gurūnaṃ apaciti sādhu 5 pāṇesu sayamo sādhu bamhaṇa-samaṇānaṃ sādhu dānaṃ et[a] ca añ[a] ca etārisam dhaṃma-maṃgalaṃ nāma
(H) ta vatavyaṁ pita va 6 putena vā bhātra vā svāmikena vā idaṃ sādhu idaṃ katavya maṃgalaṃ āva tasa athasa nisṭānāya
(I) asti ca pi vutaṃ 7 sādhu dana iti
(J) na tu etārisaṃ astā dānaṃ va ana[ga]ho va yārisam dhaṃmadānaṃ va dhamanugaho va
(K) ta tu kho mitrena vā suhadayena [v]a 8 ñatikena va sahāyana va ovāditavyaṃ tamhi tamhi pakaraṇe [i]daṃ kacaṃ idaṃ sādha iti iminā sak[a] 9 svagam ārādhetu iti
(L) ki ca iminā katavyataraṃ yathā svagāradhi
(A) King Devānāṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus.
(B) Men are practising various ceremonies during illness, or at the marriage of a son or a daughter, or at the birth of a son, or when setting out on a journey; on these and other (occasions) men are practising various ceremonies.
(C) But in such (cases) women are practising many and various vulgar and useless ceremonies.
(D) Now, ceremonies should certainly be practised.
(E) But ceremonies like these bear little fruit indeed.
(F) But the following practice bears much fruit, viz. the practice of morality.
(G) Herein the following (are comprised), (viz.) proper courtesy to slaves and servants, reverence to elders, gentleness to animals, (and) liberality to Brāhmaṇas and Śramaṇas; these and other such (virtues) are called the practice of morality.
(H) Therefore a father, or a son, or a brother, or a master ought to say:- ‘This is meritorious. This practice should be observed until the (desired) object is attained.’
(I) And it has been said also: ‘Gifts are meritorious.’
(J) But there is no such gift or benefit as the gift of morality or the benefit of morality.
(K) Therefore a friend, or a well-wisher, or a relative, or a companion should indeed admonish (another) on such and such an occasion: – ‘This ought to be done; this is meritorious. By this (practice) it is possible to attain heaven.’
(L) And what is more desirable than this, viz. the attainment of heaven?
