Verse 21

¹⁵He should not seek wealth even for dharma's sake, and a man without wealth need not seek it even to live by. Not striving itself gives a living to the man who does not strive, as it does to the great snake. ¹⁶The happiness of a contented man who does not strive and takes his pleasure in his own self: how could that belong to one who runs to every quarter out of desire and greed, hunting wealth? ¹⁷To a man whose mind is always content every quarter is full of happiness, as gravel and thorns are kindly to feet that have shoes on them. ¹⁸Content, king, on what can a man not live, even on water? It is the meanness of the tongue and the loins that turns a man into a house dog.

¹⁹In a brahmin who is not content, splendour and learning and austerity and fame run away through the restlessness of the senses, and his knowledge is scattered too. ²⁰Desire comes to an end through hunger and thirst, and anger through what its own fruit brings on. But a man does not come to the end of greed, though he conquer every quarter of the earth and enjoy it. ²¹Many are learned, king, knowing much, cutting doubts through; some are even heads of assemblies. And some of them fall, for want of contentment.