[neeti-15]
केयूराणि न भूषयन्ति पुरुषं हारा न चन्द्रोज्ज्वलान स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं नालङ्कृता मूर्धजाः ।वाण्येका समलङ्करोति पुरुषं या संस्कृता धार्यतेक्षीयन्ते खलु भूषणानि सततं वाग्भूषणं भूषणम् ॥१५॥keyūrāṇi na bhūṣayanti puruṣaṃ hārā na candrojjvalāna snānaṃ na vilepanaṃ na kusumaṃ nālaṅkṛtā mūrdhajāḥ |vāṇyekā samalaṅkaroti puruṣaṃ yā saṃskṛtā dhāryatekṣīyante khalu bhūṣaṇāni satataṃ vāgbhūṣaṇaṃ bhūṣaṇam ||15||
Translation
Armlets do not adorn a man; or the garlands shining bright like the moon; nor bathing in fragrant waters; nor anointment with fragrant pastes; nor the flowers; nor the decorated hairs on the head. Speech alone adorns a man which is well-refined! All other ornaments will diminish as time goes by! But the ornament of speech is the best ornament! ॥ 15 ॥