That wretched man
who desireth to do what is sinful, slayeth himself. By doing what is
sinful, one only imitates them that are wicked and sinful. Disbelieving
in virtue they that mock the good and the pure saying, '_There is no
virtue_' undoubtedly meet with destruction. A sinful man swelleth up
like a leather bag puffed up with wind. The thoughts of these wretches
filled with pride and folly are feeble and unprofitable. It is the
heart, the inner soul, that discovereth the fool like the sun that
discovereth forms during the day. The food cannot always shine in the
world by means of self-praise. The learned man, however, even if he be
destitute of beauty, displayeth his lustre by refraining from speaking
ill of others and well of himself. No example, however, can be met with,
in this world, of a person shining brilliantly on account of attributes
to be found in him in their reputed measure. If one repenteth of a wrong
done by him, that repentance washeth off his sin. The resolution of
never doing it again saveth him from future sin, even as, O thou best of
Brahmanas, he may save himself from sin by any of those expiations
obtained in the scriptures. Even this, O regenerate one, is the _sruti_
that may be seen in respect of virtue. He that having before been
virtuous, committeth a sin, or committeth it unknowingly may destroy
that sin. For virtue, O Brahmana, driveth off the sin that men commit
from ignorance. A man, after having committed a sin, should cease to
regard himself any longer as a man.
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