183. THE sage observed, The success of man chiefly depends on his renunciation of worldly pleasures and immoderate desires.

184. The ability to select or reject betokens discrimination, and the government of our passions is the best test of wisdom.

185. Wisdom guides and instructs its adherents, whilst the slave of passions is led astray and perishes.

186. Happy is he who controls his desires; he will once have as a witness Him who exists but is invisible, viz., God;¹ for no man has ever regretted that which he has resigned in honour of God.

footnotes: ¹ Or, this will secure for him the celestial boon, which is certain though invisible.

187. We can only approach our Creator by worship.¹

footnotes: ¹ Or, serve God, and we shall assuredly obtain his reward.

188. The fear of God renders our end happier than our beginning.¹

footnotes: ¹ Or, sure to mend his future career.

189. The consciousness of the omniscience and omnipotence of God will guard us from the commission of evil; this constitutes the reverence of God, and the means of resisting our passions.

190. Misfortune follows the footsteps of the dissipated.

191. The restraint upon our excesses is our safeguard from evil consequences.

192. Fickle words indicate the predominance of the passions.

193. When passions sway reason, it is a sure evidence of deep immersion in folly.

194. He who is unable to govern his inclinations and to repress sinful passions, so as to fortify himself against evil consequences, is surely unfit to rule over others.

195. In the absence of reliable counsel, beware not to lean to the dictates of passion, in any object that may engross thine attention, for passion is the enemy of cool deliberation.

196. Prosperous indeed would be the condition of man, but for the following reasons: that the old and experienced are unheeded, that our passions are unbridled, and that our self-love is overweening.

197. Evil imagination and licentiousness corrupt intellect.

198. Good counsel cannot be expected from the fickle, nor concord from the schismatic, nor tranquillity from hope deferred.

199. He who succumbs to his passions will be enslaved, and he who resists them will prevail.

200. He who is a prey to passions entails on himself loss of wealth and honour.

201. The immoderate indulgence of passions will lead man to ignore his Creator, to multiply his sorrow, compunction, and remorse, and to increase his own punishment.

202. Passion may be figuratively termed the twin sister of blindness.

203. Alas! said the sage, that our discretion should slumber whilst our passions are vigilant; hence the submission of the former to the latter.

204. The sages were asked, Which is the most commendable war? That which is waged against our evil desires, was their reply.