157. Hast thou regard for self? Then keep thyself well guarded. Be wise and keep good watch for one of the three watches.[1] 158. First ground thyself in fitness; next, another teach. Thus shalt thou wisdom gain and suffer no reproach. 159. First carry out thyself whate'er thou teachest others. Self-tamed, thou'lt tame another; but self is hard to tame. 160. Self is the lord of self; who else could be the lord? By taming self one gains a lord most hard to gain. 161. The evil done by self, self-born and self-begotten, Crushes the senseless fool, as a bolt the jar of stone.[2] 162. He who is choked by sins, as a creeper chokes a tree, Doth to himself what e'en his foes would have him do. 163. Easy is ill to do and harmful to oneself; But what is good and wholesome, that is hard to do. 164. Whose rejects the words of noble righteous saints On his own head brings ruin by his perversity, As bamboo trees put forth their fruit and die away. 165. By self is evil done; by self is one defiled; Ill deeds not done by self to self bring purity; Each for himself is pure; each for himself impure; Thou can'st not cleanse another man's impurity. 166. Mind thy affairs, not others', however great they be;[3] Right knowledge of one's own brings more prosperity. [1] The night is divided into three watches of three hours each. Some regard this passage as referring to childhood, youth and age. [2] This may be translated, "as a diamond crushes the stony gem". [3] Cf. _Bhagavad Gītā_: "Better one's own _dharma_, however ill-performed, than others' _dharma_, well-performed tho' it be." CHAPTER THIRTEEN. THE WORLD. 167. Follow not the way unworthy; Live not thou in slothfulness; Let not doctrines false allure thee; Turn thy thoughts from worldliness. 168-9. Stand! Arise! Throw sloth away; Follow the path of righteousness; Happy he who walks aright, Here and in the world to come. 170. As a bubble on the water, As a phantom of the sands, Him who thus the world despiseth, Death the king[1] cannot behold. 171. Lo! this world in all its splendour, Like a royal car adorned, Wherein many a fool is seated,[2] Hath no power to bind the wise. 172. He who formerly was slothful, But is slothful now no more, Lighteth up the world with splendour, As the moon from clouds released. 173. He who, having once done evil, Covers up his ill with good, Lighteth up the world with splendour, As the moon from clouds released. 174. All this world is wrapped in darkness; Few be they that are not blind; Like the birds that 'scape the fowler, Few be they that go to heaven. 175. Lo! the swans fly on the sun's path,[3] Fly by magic through the air; Wise men from the world departing Conquer Death and all his hosts.