The man that lets his secret thought be known,
Random of speech, to indiscretion prone,
Poor fool, at once is overcome by fear,
As I king-snake am by a bird o'erthrown.

The man who in his folly could betray
The thought that he should hide from light of day,
By his rash speech is overcome by fear,
As I king-snake fall to this bird a prey.

No comrade ought thy inmost thoughts to share,
The best of friends ofttimes most foolish are,
And if too wise, of treachery beware.

I trusted him alas! for was not he
A holy man, of strict austerity?
My secret I revealed; the deed is done
And now I weep for very misery.

Into my confidence the wretch did creep,
Nor could I any secret from him keep:
From him the danger that I dread has come,
And now for very misery I weep.

[78] Judging his friend as faithful to the core
And moved by fear, or the strong love he bore,
To some vile wretch his secret one betrays
And is o'erthrown, poor fool, to rise no more.

Whoso proclaims in evil company
The secret thought that still should hidden lie,
'Mongst men is counted as a poison-snake:
"From such an one, pray, keep aloof," they cry.

Fair women, silken robes and sandal wood,
Garlands and perfumes, even drink and food,
Yea all desires--if only thou, O bird,
Come to our aid--shall be by us eschewed.

[79] Thus did Pandaraka, suspended in the air head downwards, utter his lament in eight stanzas. The garuda, hearing the sound of his lamentation, reproved him and said, "King-snake, after divulging your secret to the ascetic, wherefore do you now lament?" And he uttered this stanza:

Of us three creatures living here, pray name
The one that rightly should incur the blame.
Nor priest nor bird, but foolish deed of thine,
O snake, hath brought thee to this depth of shame.

On hearing this Pandaraka repeated another stanza:

The priest, methought, must be a friend to me,
A holy man, of strict austerity:
[80] My secret I betrayed: the deed is done,
And now I weep for very misery.

Then the garuda repeated four stanzas:

All creatures born into this world must die;
Yet Wisdom's ways her children justify:
By knowledge, justice, self-restraint and truth
A man at length achieves his purpose high.

Parents are kind all other kin above,
No third there is to show us equal love,
Not e'en to them betray thy secret thought,
Lest peradventure they should traitors prove.

Parents and kin of every degree,
Allies and comrades all may friendly be:
To none of them entrust thy hidden thought,
Or thou wilt later rue their treachery.