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Sri Aurobindo

Translations

CWSA.- Volume 5

Part One. Translations from Sanskrit
Section Four. Bhartrihari. The Century of Life

On the Wicked

Virtue and Slander

A spiritless dull block call modesty;

Love of long fasts and holy vows must be

Mere shows, yon pure heart but a Pharisee,

The world-renouncing sage a fool; the high

World-conquering hero’s taxed with cruelty.

This sweet word’s baseness, that great orator

A windbag, and the great spirit furious pride,

And calm patience an impotent weakness poor.

Thus the base-natured all high things deride.

Judged by the slanderous tongue, the uncandid eyes,

What brightest virtue turns not blackest vice?