“Cunningness”

August 1

A crowd of cunning people stands
In the marketplace of life,
Humanity is losing ground,
Amidst deceit and strife.

Among the darkest traits we find
Deception, tricks, and lies,
Fraud, hypocrisy, selfishness—
Where cunningness resides.

With twisted minds they walk their paths,
No goodwill fills their heart;
They throw dust into others’ eyes,
Deceit is their clever art.

They seek some gain by any means,
However small it may be;
They never care what others face,
Or where their actions lead.

In secret, quietly, they will
Cut down another’s root,
Then standing right before their eyes,
Pretend to be innocent.

They hide the straw of their own theft
Deep within their beard,
And never let their real self
Before the world appear.

They silence just a bit of sense,
And turn away from truth;
They work in secret, silently,
To gather endless fruits.

Who knows of heaven, hell, or sin,
Of virtue, faith, or right?
They live their lives for selfish gain,
And chase their own delight.

In business or in daily work,
Cunningness may play its part—
Adulteration, cheating weights,
Or shirking work by heart.

Thus honest, simple-hearted souls
Can easily be deceived;
The cunning feast upon their trust,
While truth remains aggrieved.

They may take money without work,
And call themselves so wise;
They look neither back nor forth,
Nor judge their deeds’ replies.

But cunning never earns respect,
Its pleasure does not last;
Like Ravana, Duryodhana, Shakuni—
Misfortune follows fast.

For deeds that spring from selfishness
Can never bring true fame;
The fruits of every action come—
And karma knows each name.

— Vidya