The Aḫlāq-e Moḥsenī is divided into forty chapters (bāb), each dedicated to a capacity of the ideal ruler or quality of statesmanship, e.g. justice (ʿadl), or a moral quality such as patience (ṣabr). The Vīraratnaśekharaśikhā is likewise divided into forty chapters, some of the titles closely correspond to its Persian counterpart (marked = in the following), some can be considered a transliteration (such as chapter 2, śuklīkaraṇa for šokr) or adaption, e.g. Sanskrit daivaprasannatā meaning “acceptance of fate” for the Persian tavakkol meaning “resignation (to the divine will)”.
chapter | Persian title | translation | Sanskrit title according to uddeśa-prakaraṇa |
1 | ʿebādat | submissive obedience (to God); religious practice | tapas |
2 | eḫlās | sincerity | susvabhāvatvam |
3 | doʿā | invocation | dainyākrandanam |
4 | šokr | thanksgiving | tatprāpitānumodaḥ |
5 | ṣabr | patience | kṣamā |
6 | reżā | consent (to the divine will) | īśecchāprasannatā |
7 | tavakkol | resignation (to the divine will) | upanate saṃtoṣaḥ |
8 | ḥayāʿ | chastity | vṛddhaśreṣṭhānuvartanam |
9 | ʿeffat | continence | bāhyāntaraśucitvam |
10 | adab | courtesy, propriety of conduct | vinayaḥ |