या साधूंश्च खलान्करोति विदुषो मूर्खान्हितान्द्वेषिणः
प्रत्यक्षं कुरुते परेक्षममृतं हालाहलं तत्क्षणात् ।
तामाराधय सत्क्रियां भगवतीं भोक्तुं फलं वाञ्छितं
हे साधो व्यसनैर्गुणेषु विपुलेष्वास्थां वृथा मा कृथाः ॥
yā sādhūṁś ca khalān karoti viduṣo mūrkhān hitān dveṣiṇaḥ
pratyakṣaṁ kurute parekṣam amṛtaṁ hālāhalaṁ tat-kṣaṇāt |
tām ārādhaya sat-kriyāṁ bhagavatīṁ bhoktuṁ phalaṁ vāñchitaṁ
he sādho vyasanair guṇeṣu vipuleṣv āsthāṁ vṛthā mā kṛthāḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 98)
“O sādhu! To attain your desired goal, worship the goddess of virtuous conduct, which makes the wicked good, the foolish wise, the inimical well-wishers, the invisible visible, and poison nectar in an instant. Do not in vain passionately put faith in numerous [other] qualities.”