(A) 18 Devanaṃpriyo Priyadraśi' r[a]ya evaṃ ahati
(B) jano ucāvucāṃ maṃgalam karoti abadhe avahe vivahe pajupadane pravase ataye añaye ca ediśiy[e] jano ba maṃgalam karoti
(C) atra tu striyaka bahu ca bahuvidhaṃ ca putika ca niraṭhiyaṃ ca maṃgalaṃ karo[ti]
(D) so kaṭavo ca [va] kho maṃgala
(E) apa-phala[ṃ] tu kho eta
(F) imaṃ [t]u kho maha-phala ye ma-maṃgala
(G) 19 [a]tra ima dasa-bhaṭakasa samma-paṭipati garuna apaciti praṇanaṃ sa[ṃ]yamo śamaṇa-bramaṇana dana etaṃ añam ca dhramamaṃga[lam] nāma
(H) [s]o vatavo pituna pi putrena pi bhratana pi spamik[e]na pi mitra-sastutena ava prativeśiyena imaṃ sadhu [imaṃ] kaṭa[vo] maṃgala[ṃ] yava tasa aṭhrasa nivuṭiya nivuṭaspi va p[u]na 20 imaṃ kaśaṃ
(I) ye hi etake magale saśayike taṃ
(J) siya vo taṃ aṭham nivateyati siya puna no
(K) ialoka ca vo taṃ
(L) ida puna dhramamagalaṃ akalikaṃ
(M) yadi puna taṃ atham na nivaṭ[e] ia atha paratra anaṃtaṃ puñaṃ prasavati
(N) haṃce puna taṃ ṭham nivaṭeti tato u[bha]y[e]sa ladhaṃ bhoti ia so ca so aṭho paratra ca anaṃtaṃ puñaṃ prasavati tena dhramamaṃgalena
(A) King Devānāṁpriya Priyadarśin speaks thus.
(B) Men are practising various ceremonies during illness, at the marriage of a son or a daughter, at the birth of a child, (and) when setting out on a journey; on these and other such (occasions) men are practising many ceremonies.
(C) But in such (cases) women are practising many and various offensive and useless ceremonies.
(D) Now, ceremonies should certainly be practised.
(E) But these (ceremonies) bear little fruit indeed.
(F) But the following bears much fruit indeed, 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 Śramaṇas and Brāhmaṇas; these and other (virtues) are called the practice of morality.
(H) Therefore a father, or a son, or a brother, or a master, (or) a friend or an acquaintance, (or) even a (mere) neighbour ought to say: ‘This is meritorious. This practice should be observed until the (desired) object is attained, (thinking): After it is actually attained, I shall observe this again’.
(I) For such ceremonies are of doubtful (effect).
(J) One may attain his object (by them), but he may not (do so).
(K) And they (bear fruit) in this world only.
(L) But that practice of morality is not restricted to time .
(M) But if one does not attain (by it) his object in this (world), then endless merit is produced in the other (world).
(N) But if one attains (by it) his object (in this world), the gain of both (results) arises from it; (viz.) the (desired) object (is attained) in this (world), and endless merit is produced in the other (world) by that practice of morality.
