Devanagari
अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयमकामक्रोधलोभता ।
भूतप्रियहितेहा च धर्मोऽयं सार्ववर्णिक: ॥ २१ ॥
Verse text
ahiṁsā satyam asteyam
akāma-krodha-lobhatā
bhūta-priya-hitehā ca
dharmo ’yaṁ sārva-varṇikaḥ
Synonyms
ahiṁsā
—
nonviolence
;
satyam
—
truthfulness
;
asteyam
—
honesty
;
a
—
kāma — krodha — lobhatā — being free from lust, anger and greed
;
bhūta
—
of all living entities
;
priya
—
the happiness
;
hita
—
and welfare
;
īhā
—
desiring
;
ca
—
also
;
dharmaḥ
—
duty
;
ayam
—
this
;
sārva
—
varṇikaḥ — for all members of society .
Translation
Nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others and freedom from lust, anger and greed constitute duties for all members of society.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others and freedom from lust, anger and greed constitute duties for all members of society.
Though it says that these are the common rules for all varṇas, it also means that those outside the varṇas should follow these rules.
Purport
The word
sārva-varṇika
indicates that the above-mentioned principles constitute general piety, which should be observed by all members of society, even those outside the
varṇāśrama
system. We practically find that even in societies that have fallen away from the
varṇāśrama
system, the above-mentioned principles are honored and encouraged. Such principles do not constitute a specific path of liberation but are perennial virtues in human society.