Pride, malice, slander, crookedness, and incapacity to
hear other people's good, are vices, O descendant of Kuru, that are to be
seen in persons of uncleansed soul under the domination of covetousness.
Even persons of great learning who bear in their minds all the voluminous
scriptures, and who are competent to dispel the doubts of others, show
themselves in this respect to be of weak understanding and feel great
misery in consequence of this passion. Covetous men are wedded to envy
and anger. They are outside the pale of good behaviour. Of crooked
hearts, the speeches they utter are sweet. They resemble, therefore, dark
pits whose mouths are covered with grass. They attire themselves in the
hypocritical cloak of religion. Of low minds, they rob the world, setting
up (if need be) the standard of religion and virtue. Relying upon the
strength of apparent reasons, they create diverse kinds of schisms in
religion. Intent upon accomplishing the purposes of cupidity, they
destroy the ways of righteousness. When wicked-souled persons under the
domination of covetousness apparently practise the duties of
righteousness, the consequence that results is that the desecrations
committed by them soon become current among men. Pride, anger, arrogance,
insensibility, paroxysms of joy and sorrow, and self-importance, all
these, O descendant of Kuru, are to be seen in persons swayed by
covetousness. Know that they who are always under the influence of
covetousness are wicked.
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