Hindu Dharma: samskRuta shubhAShitAni: Hindu Words of Wisdom

[saidevo]

आदित्यस्य नमस्कारं ये कुर्वन्ति दिने दिने ।
जन्मान्तरसहस्रेषु दारिद्रयं नोपजायते ॥

Adityasya namaskAraM ye kurvanti dine dine |
janmAntarasahasreShu dAridrayaM nopajAyate ||

Those who adore and worship the sun everyday will not inherit poverty over thousands of births. People who are punctual in their duties like the sun will never be poor.

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ज्येष्ठत्वं जन्मना नैव गुनैर्ज्येष्ठत्वमुच्यते ।
गुणात् गुरुत्वमायाति दुग्धं दधि घृतं कमात् ॥

jyeShThatvaM janmanA naiva gunairjyeShThatvamuchyate |
guNAt gurutvamAyAti dugdhaM dadhi ghRutaM kamAt ||

Greatness is not ascribed at birth; it is rather acquired by qualities possessed by the individual. It increases progressively like the transformation of milk into yogurt, and ghee.

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उद्यमेन हि सिध्यन्ति कार्यणि न मनोरथैः ।
न हि सुप्तस्य सिंहस्य प्रविशान्ति मुखे मृगाः ॥

udyamena hi sidhyanti kAryaNi na manorathaiH |
na hi suptasya siMhasya pravishAnti mukhe mRugAH ||

Results are obtained by hard work and industry; not by daydreaming just as deer do not fall [willingly] into the mouth of the idle lion.

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[saidevo]

स्थानभ्रष्टाः न शोभते दन्ताः केशा नखा नराः ।
इति विज्ञाय मतिमान् स्वस्तानं न परित्यजेत् ॥

sthAnabhraShTAH na shobhate dantAH keshA nakhA narAH |
iti vij~jAya matimAn svastAnaM na parityajet ||

Teeth, hair, nails, and men do not shine when not in their proper places. Knowing this adage, the wise should not leave their place or location.

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उदये सविता रक्*तो रक्*तःश्चास्तमये तथा ।
सम्पतौ च विपत्तौ च महातमेकरूपता ॥

udaye savitA rak^to rak^taHshchAstamaye tathA |
sampatau cha vipattau cha mahAtamekarUpatA ||
--MahAbhArata

The sun looks red both at sunrise and sunset. Great men similarly retain their steadfastness (demeanor) through good and bad times.

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शान्तितुल्यं तपो नास्ति तोषान्न परमं सुखम् ।
नास्ति तृष्णापरो व्याधिर्न च धर्मो दयापरः ॥

shAntitulyaM tapo nAsti toShAnna paramaM sukham |
nAsti tRuShNAparo vyAdhirna cha dharmo dayAparaH ||

There is no achievement like peace (the word tapa is probably used here to emphasize hard effort required to keep your mind peaceful). There is no happiness like satisfaction, there is no disease like desire, and there is no dharma like mercy.

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सर्वापनिषदो गावः दोग्धाः गोपालनंदनः ।
पार्तो वत्सः सुधीः भोक्*ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत् ॥

sarvApaniShado gAvaH dogdhAH gopAlanaMdanaH |
pArto vatsaH sudhIH bhok^tA dugdhaM gItAmRutaM mahat ||

Upanishads are (like) cows that Krishna milks and intelligent Arjuna feasts on the splendid nectar of the Gita like the calf enjoying the cow’s milk.

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हंसः श्*वेतो बकः श्*वेतो को भेदो बकहंसयोः ।
नीरक्षीरविवेके तु हंसः हंसो बको बकः ॥

haMsaH sh^veto bakaH sh^veto ko bhedo bakahaMsayoH |
nIrakShIraviveke tu haMsaH haMso bako bakaH ||

The swan is white and so is the crane. Then what is the difference between the two? It is said that the swan is able to separate milk even though diluted with water and drink only milk (unlike the crane). The subhAshita stresses the point that it is the inner qualities that make an object not its outer appearance. The wise precisely know what is useful and what is not.

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अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि ।
बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्*ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥

ahaM cha tvaM cha rAjendra lokanAthAvubhAvapi |
bahuvrIhirahaM rAjan ShaSh^ThItatpuruSho bhavAn ||

The beggar declares to the king: "Both of us are Lokanatha. The only difference is that in my case people are my master (when the compound Lokanatha is resolved as 'bahuvrIhi'); while the king is the master (ruler) of the people (when the compound is resolved as a 'ShaSh^ThItatpuruSha')".

Similar story is told about rameshwara linga - the linga that Rama worshiped. Rama interprets as tatpuruSha that is rAmasya IShvaraH, the Lord of Rama; and Shiva interprets as bahUvrIhi samAsa that is rAmaH IShvaraH yasya saH, the one for whom Rama is the Lord.
(http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/archi...ry/001752.html)

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[saidevo]

सुलभाः पुरुषाः राजन् सततं प्रियवादिनः ।
अप्रियस्य च पथ्यस्त वक्*ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः ॥

sulabhAH puruShAH rAjan satataM priyavAdinaH |
apriyasya cha pathyasta vak^tA shrotA cha durlabhaH ||

Sage Vidura advises Dhritarashtra, “Your Majesty, people who engage in pleasantries can be easily found. One speaking bitter [truth] and another who listens to him/her are both difficult to find however."

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दुर्जनः प्रियवादीति नैतद् विश्*वासकारणम् ।
मधुतिष्ठति जिह्वाग्रे हृदये तु हलाहलम् ॥

durjanaH priyavAdIti naitad vish^vAsakAraNam |
madhutiShThati jihvAgre hRudaye tu halAhalam ||

Never believe a wicked person even if he/she speaks in (your) favor because there may be honey on his tongue but poison in his heart.

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वरं एको गुणी पुत्रो न च मूर्खशतान्यपि ।
एकश्*चंद्रस्तमो हन्ति न च तारागणोऽपि च ॥

varaM eko guNI putro na cha mUrkhashatAnyapi |
ekash^chaMdrastamo hanti na cha tArAgaNo&pi cha ||

It is preferable to have one good (guNavat) son than to have a hundred foolish (mUrkha) ones. One single moon effectively removes darkness, for instance, which the multude of stars cannot.

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[Pretnath]

Namaste Srideo

You have a gentel mind but from were did you get this-

अरावप्युचितं कार्य मातिथ्ये गृहमागते ।
छेतुः पार्श्वगतां छायां नोपसंहरते दृमः ॥

arAvapyuchitaM kArya mAtithye gRuhamAgate |
ChetuH pArshvagatAM ChAyAM nopasaMharate dRumaH ||

Even if a person is our enemy, if he seeks our home, we should receive him well and not insult him. Just as the well-grown trees in a forest give their shade even to the person whose purpose is to cut them for wood, for the very reason that he has sought their refuge.

We are not going to welcome jihadis, I can say that we cannot allow anybody to come, attack, murder and still welcome. If there is was netural disaster India always helped Pakistan, but now we should not.

[saidevo]

Namaste Pretnath.

arAvapyuchitaM kArya mAtithye gRuhamAgate |
ChetuH pArshvagatAM ChAyAM nopasaMharate dRumaH ||

Even if a person is our enemy, if he seeks our home, we should receive him well and not insult him. Just as the well-grown trees in a forest give their shade even to the person whose purpose is to cut them for wood, for the very reason that he has sought their refuge.

This subhAshita I got from the book SubhAshitas for the Sangha Shakha, edited with introduction by Dr Shrinivas Tilak, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangha; which is possibly from the larger collection titled mahAsubhAShitasaMgraha, published by the Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute.

I see, concur with and appreciate your point that in these days an enemy like the jihAdi is far from being welcome at our doorstep, or else we meet with our own destruction.

I think this subhAShita can serve as a nostalgic memory of how our holy land of Bharatam was even during the beginning times of this Kali Age. In Kerala, there was a custom to pack cooked rice and tie it to the treeposts at night for the waylaying robbers to quench their hunger!

Such culture courses in our veins or else we would have by now taken deterrent action against the jihadis in the camps of the POK, as Israel did last week. We have always fought against adharma, of course, but only if adharma attacked us first!

[saidevo]

यथा हि मलिनैः वस्त्रः यत्र कुत्र उपविष्यते ।
वृततः चलितोपि एवं शेषं वृतं न रक्षति ॥

yathA hi malinaiH vastraH yatra kutra upaviShyate |
vRutataH chalitopi evaM sheShaM vRutaM na rakShati ||

Just as a person who does not hesitate to sit anywhere once his/her garment is soiled, so a person, whose character is spoiled, will not hesitate to do any unsavory deeds.

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न देवा दण्डमादाय रक्षन्ति पशुपालवत् ।
यं तु रक्षितुमिच्छन्ति बुद्ध्या संविभजन्ति तम् ॥

na devA daNDamAdAya rakShanti pashupAlavat |
yaM tu rakShitumichChanti buddhyA saMvibhajanti tam ||

Parmeshvara (God) does not himself pick up a staff (daNDa) to protect us like the shepherd guarding his flock. He gives intelligence (buddhi) to the person whose safety he wishes to assure.

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कार्यार्थी भजते लोकम् यावत्कार्य न सिद्*धति ।
उत्*तीर्णे च परे पारे नौकायाम् किं प्रयोजनम् ॥

kAryArthI bhajate lokam yAvatkArya na sid^dhati |
ut^tIrNe cha pare pAre naukAyAm kiM prayojanam ||

One who wants to get something done by another pampers him/her only till the work is being done [after the work is done, that person will not be needed] just as you have no use for the boat once you have crossed the river.

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[saidevo]

अल्पनामपि वस्तूनां संहतिः कार्यसाधिका ।
तृणैर्गुणत्वमापन्नैर्वध्यन्ते मत्तसन्तिनः ॥

alpanAmapi vastUnAM saMhatiH kAryasAdhikA |
tRuNairguNatvamApannairvadhyante mattasantinaH ||

Great tasks can be accomplished by judicious deployment of small things just as a rope woven together by using several strands of grass is able to hold in check the mighty intoxicated elephant.

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अतिपरिचयादवज्ञा संततगमनात् अनादरो भवति ।
मलये भिल्ला पुरंध्रती चंदनतरुकाष्ठम् इंधनम् कुरुते ॥

atiparichayAdavaj~jA saMtatagamanAt anAdaro bhavati |
malaye bhillA puraMdhratI chaMdanatarukAShTham iMdhanam kurute ||

Familiarity breeds contempt; repeated visits invite disrespect. The tribal women of inhabiting Malaya Mountain, for instance, use sandalwood (which grows in abundance there) as fuel.

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सर्पः कूरः खलः कूरः सर्पात् कूरतरः खलः ।
सर्पः शाम्यति मन्त्रैश्च दुर्जनः केन शाम्यति ॥

sarpaH kUraH khalaH kUraH sarpAt kUrataraH khalaH |
sarpaH shAmyati mantraishcha durjanaH kena shAmyati ||

The snake is cruel and so is the wicked person; the latter is more vicious though, because while the chanting of a mantra can pacify the snake, the wicked can never be subdued.

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संपूर्णकुंभो न करोती शब्दं अर्धोघटो घोषमुपैति नूनम् ।
विद्वान् कुलीनो न करोति गर्व गुणैर्विहिना बहु जल्पयंति ॥

saMpUrNakuMbho na karotI shabdaM ardhoghaTo ghoShamupaiti nUnam |
vidvAn kulIno na karoti garva guNairvihinA bahu jalpayaMti ||

A fully filled water pitcher does not make as much noise as a half-filled one. A virtuous and sage person born in a good family is free of pride while those devoid of good qualities keep babbling like the half filled water pitcher.

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अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्ति यमालयम् ।
शेषाः स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमतः परम् ॥

ahanyahani bhUtAni gachChanti yamAlayam |
sheShAH sthAvaramichChanti kimAshcharyamataH param ||

Even though all creatures reach the abode of death (Yamalayam) eventually, the rest still desire to remain on the earth. What else can be more surprising than this fact? (Yudhishthira utters this verse in reply to the question of Gandharva, "What is the most surprising thing on the earth?" (Mahabharata).

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मुर्खा यत्र न पूज्यते धान्यं यत्र सुसंचितम् ।
दंपत्यो कलः नास्ति तत्र श्री: स्वयमागतः ॥

murkhA yatra na pUjyate dhAnyaM yatra susaMchitam |
daMpatyo kalaH nAsti tatra shrI: svayamAgataH ||

Where fools are not honored (i.e. fools are not involved in a decision making process), there are to be found sufficient store of food grains (and other things required in day to day life) and where there is no conflict between the husband and wife, there prosperity (Godess Lakshmi) comes on her own.

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[saidevo]

यथा खरः चन्दनभारवाही भारस्य वेत्ता न तु चन्दनस्य ।
यवं हि शास्त्राणि बहुनि अधीत्य अर्थेषु मूढाः खरवद् वहन्ति ॥
...सुश्रुत अध्याय

yathA kharaH chandanabhAravAhI bhArasya vettA na tu chandanasya |
yavaM hi shAstrANi bahuni adhItya artheShu mUDhAH kharavad vahanti ||
...sushruta adhyAya

Just as a donkey carrying the stack of sandalwood on its back does not recognize the worth of the sandalwood but only groans under its burden, so do many learned people who have studied the ‘scriptures’ (shastras) do not realize their true purport and simply bear the 'weight' of the outward knowledge.

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मृगाः मृगैः संगमुपव्रजन्ति गावश्च गोभिस्तुरंगास्तुरंगैः ।
मूर्खाश्च मूर्खैः सुधयः सुधीभिः समानशीलव्यसनेषु सख्यं ॥

mRugAH mRugaiH saMgamupavrajanti gAvashcha gobhisturaMgAsturaMgaiH |
mUrkhAshcha mUrkhaiH sudhayaH sudhIbhiH samAnashIlavyasaneShu sakhyaM ||

Good rapport and friendship develops among those who share a similar outlook on life and hobbies. Thus, deer flock with deer, cows with cows, and horses with horses. In the same manner, fools frequent fools and the wise bond with the wise.

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संग्रहैकपरः प्रायः समुद्रोपि रसातले ।
दातारं जलदं पश्य गर्जन्तं भुवनोपरी ॥

saMgrahaikaparaH prAyaH samudropi rasAtale |
dAtAraM jaladaM pashya garjantaM bhuvanoparI ||

The sea only hoards water which remains useless for the life process. It therefore remains at the level of the ground. In contrast, clouds which shower life sustaining water with a thunder, occupy the position high above. Here the subhAshita wants to emphasize that the person that engages in charity, always achieves a higher station in life than the one who only amasses something for its own sake.

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[saidevo]

dharma yo bAdhate dharmo na sa dharmaH kudharmakaH |
avirodhAttu yo dharmaH sa dharmaH satyavikrama ||

धर्म यो बाधते धर्मो न स धर्मः कुधर्मकः ।
अविरोधात्तु यो धर्मः स धर्मः सत्यविक्रम ॥

This verse from the Mahabharata is addressed to Satyavikrama. Any dharma (way of life, religion) which violates another's dharma is not true dharma. It is, rather, bad dharma (kudharma). That dharma, on the other hand, which flourishes without harming interest of others, is true dharma indeed.

Perhaps we can have this verse as the motto of HDF.

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साक्षराः विपरीताश्चेद्राक्षसाः एव केवलम् ।
सरसो विपरीतश्चेत्सरसत्वम् न मुच्यति ॥

sAkSharAH viparItAshchedrAkShasAH eva kevalam |
saraso viparItashchetsarasatvam na muchyati ||

When the word 'sAkSharA' (literate, learned) is inverted, it becomes 'rAkShasA' (devil). The word 'sarasa' (good), however, evenwhen inverted, remains the same ('sarasa'). The deeper, more important meaning of the subhAshita is as follows: A 'sAkSharA' person may behave like a 'rAkShasA' in certain situations. The 'sarasa' (cultured, cultivated) person will not, however, abandon this quality under any condition.

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अन्नदानं परं दानं विद्यादानं अतः परम् ।
अन्नेन क्षणिका तृप्तिः यावज्जीवं च विद्यया ॥

annadAnaM paraM dAnaM vidyAdAnaM ataH param |
annena kShaNikA tRuptiH yAvajjIvaM cha vidyayA ||

Giving food to the hungry is a pious act of charity (dAna); but superior to it is the gift of knowledge (vidyAdAnam). Because food relieves hunger only temporarily while imparted knowledge lasts lifelong.

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[saidevo]

मूर्खस्य पंच चिहनानि गर्वो दुर्वचनं तथा ॥
क्रोधश्च दृधवादश्च परवाक्येष्वनादरः ॥

mUrkhasya paMcha chihanAni garvo durvachanaM tathA ||
krodhashcha dRudhavAdashcha paravAkyeShvanAdaraH ||

Five characteristics of a fool are: haughtiness, bad mouthing, uncontrollable anger, strongly held views, and intolerance of opinions held by others.

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दर्शने स्पर्शणे वापि श्रवणे भाषणेऽपि वा ।
यत्र द्रवत्यन्तरङ्गं स स्नेह इति कथ्यते ॥

darshane sparshaNe vApi shravaNe bhAShaNe&pi vA |
yatra dravatyantara~ggaM sa sneha iti kathyate ||

If seeing or touching (somebody); listening to or speaking with (someone) touches your heart, then it is called love or affection (sneha).

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नमन्ति फलिनो वृक्षा नमन्ति गुणिनो जनाः ।
शुष्ककाष्ठ्ठश्च मूर्खश्च् न नमन्ति कदाचन् ॥

namanti phalino vRukShA namanti guNino janAH |
shuShkakAShThThashcha mUrkhashch na namanti kadAchan ||

The branches of a tree laden with fruit bend downward just as the highly cultivated persons bow down out of respect to others. The unwise (murkha), however, are like the dry log that never bends.

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