Texts 18-19
steyaṁ hiṁsānṛtaṁ dambhaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhaḥ smayo madaḥ
bhedo vairam aviśvāsaḥ
saṁspardhā vyasanāni ca
ete pañcadaśānarthā
hy artha-mūlā matā nṛṇām
tasmād anartham arthākhyaṁ
śreyo-’rthī dūratas tyajet
steyam — theft; hiṁsā — violence; anṛtam — lying; dambhaḥ — duplicity; kāmaḥ — lust; krodhaḥ — anger; smayaḥ — perplexity; madaḥ — pride; bhedaḥ — disagreement; vairam — enmity; aviśvāsaḥ — lack of faith; saṁspardhā — rivalry; vyasanāni — the dangers (coming from women, gambling and intoxication); ca — and; ete — these; pañcadaśa — fifteen; anarthāḥ — unwanted things; hi — indeed; artha-mūlāḥ — based on wealth; matāḥ — are known; nṛṇām — by men; tasmāt — therefore; anartham — that which is undesirable; artha-ākhyam — wealth, spoken of as if desirable; śreyaḥ-arthī — one who desires the ultimate benefit of life; dūrataḥ — at a great distance; tyajet — should leave.
Theft, violence, speaking lies, duplicity, lust, anger, perplexity, pride, quarreling, enmity, faithlessness, envy and the dangers caused by women, gambling and intoxication are the fifteen undesirable qualities that contaminate men because of greed for wealth. Although these qualities are undesirable, men falsely ascribe value to them. One desiring to achieve the real benefit of life should therefore remain aloof from undesirable material wealth.
The words anartham arthākhyam, or “undesirable wealth,” indicate wealth that cannot be efficiently engaged in the loving service of the Lord. Such superfluous money or property will undoubtedly pollute a man with all of the above-mentioned qualities and therefore should be given up.