2.4.9. Agriculture
1031 Howe’er they roam, the world must follow still the plougher’s team; Though toilsome, culture of the ground as noblest toil esteem. Agriculture, though laborious, is the most excellent (form of labour); for people, though they go about (in search of various employments), have at last to resort to the farmer.
1032 The ploughers are the linch-pin of the world; they bear Them up who other works perform, too weak its toils to share. Agriculturists are (as it were) the linch-pin of the world for they support all other workers who cannot till the soil.
1033 Who ploughing eat their food, they truly live: The rest to others bend subservient, eating what they give. They alone live who live by agriculture; all others lead a cringing, dependent life.
1034 O’er many a land they ‘ll see their monarch reign, Whose fields are shaded by the waving grain. Patriotic farmers desire to bring all other states under the control of their own king.
1035 They nothing ask from others, but to askers give, Who raise with their own hands the food on which they live. Those whose nature is to live by manual labour will never beg but give something to those who beg. 125
1036 For those who ‘ve left what all men love no place is found, When they with folded hands remain who till the ground. If the farmer’s hands are slackened, even the ascetic state will fail.
1037 Reduce your soil to that dry state, When ounce is quarter-ounce’s weight; Without one handful of manure, Abundant crops you thus secure. If the land is dried so as to reduce one ounce of earth to a quarter, it will grow plentifully even without a handful of manure.
1038 To cast manure is better than to plough; Weed well; to guard is more than watering now Manuring is better than ploughing; after weeding, watching is better than watering (it).
1039 When master from the field aloof hath stood; Then land will sulk, like wife in angry mood. If the owner does not (personally) attend to his cultivation, his land will behave like an angry wife and yield him no pleasure.
1040 The earth, that kindly dame, will laugh to see, Men seated idle pleading poverty. The maiden, Earth, will laugh at the sight of those who plead poverty and lead an idle life.
2.4.10. Poverty
1041 You ask what sharper pain than poverty is known; Nothing pains more than poverty, save poverty alone. There is nothing that afflicts (one) like poverty.
1042 Malefactor matchless! poverty destroys This world’s and the next world’s joys. When cruel poverty comes on, it deprives one of both the present and future (bliss).
1043 Importunate desire, which poverty men name, Destroys both old descent and goodly fame. Hankering poverty destroys at once the greatness of (one’s) ancient descent and (the dignity of one’s) speech.
1044 From penury will spring, ‘mid even those of noble race, Oblivion that gives birth to words that bring disgrace. Even in those of high birth, poverty will produce the fault of uttering mean words. 126
1045 From poverty, that grievous woe, Attendant sorrows plenteous grow. The misery of poverty brings in its train many (more) miseries.
1046 Though deepest sense, well understood, the poor man’s words convey, Their sense from memory of mankind will fade away. The words of the poor are profitless, though they may be sound in thought and clear in expression.
1047 From indigence devoid of virtue’s grace, The mother e’en that bare, estranged, will turn her face. He that is reduced to absolute poverty will be regarded as a stranger even by his own mother.
1048 And will it come today as yesterday, The grief of want that eats my soul away? Is the poverty that almost killed me yesterday, to meet me today too ?
1049 Amid the flames sleep may men’s eyelids close, In poverty the eye knows no repose. One may sleep in the midst of fire; but by no means in the midst of poverty.
1050 Unless the destitute will utterly themselves deny, They cause their neighbour’s salt and vinegar to die. The destitute poor, who do not renounce their bodies, only consume their neighbour’s salt and water.