Hitopadesha 2.48

2.48

yāty adho 'dhaḥ vrajaty uccair naraḥ svair eva karmabhiḥ |
kūpasya khanitā yadvat prākārasyeva kārakaḥ //

'A man goes lower and lower, or rises high, solely by his own deeds,
just like a digger of a well, or like the builder of a wall.'

2.48.p1

tad bhadram | svayatnāyatto hy ātmā sarvasya |

'Therefore it is good. For everyone's self depends on one's own effort.'

2.48.p2

karaṭako brūte-atha bhavān kiṃ bravīti ?

Karaṭaka said: 'Now what are you saying?'

'Very good,' observed Karataka; 'but what is all this talk about?'

2.48.p3

sa āha-ayaṃ tāvat svāmī piṅgalakaḥ kuto 'pi kāraṇāt sa-cakitaḥ parivṛtyopaviṣṭaḥ |

He said: 'This master of ours, Piṅgalaka, for some reason or other, has turned around and sat down in alarm.'

'Why! don't you see our Royal Master there, and how he came home without drinking? I know he has been horribly frightened,' said Damanaka.