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June 2025

शीलं परं भूषणम् (नीति शतक ८०)

By C. N. Vaze, Chartered Accountant
Reading Time 3 mins

Character is ultimate ornament

This is a wonderful verse from Neetishatak. The great Sanskrit poet Bhartruhari wrote 3 ‘shataks’, i.e. 100 verses each on 3 subjects.

Neeti         (नीति)  Ethics

Shrungar  (शृंगार)  Romance

Vairagya  (वैराग्य )  Renunciation or detachment.

The text of the captioned verse is as follows: -

ऐश्वर्यस्य विभूषणं सुजनता शौर्यस्य वाक्संयमो

ज्ञानस्योपशमः श्रुतस्य विनयो वित्तस्य पात्रे व्ययः ।

अक्रोधस्तपसः क्षमा प्रभवितुर्धमस्य निर्व्याजता

सर्वेषामपि सर्वकारणमिदं ,शीलं परं भूषणम् ।।

Bhartruhari describes what are the things that glorify or adorn certain virtues or qualities.

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