Sanskrit sayings 5 - Sharing, Humility, Useless people, Pyre and Worry

This is part 5 of the Sanskrit quotes that i liked. Hope you enjoy it.

 1: Giving & Sharing

दानोपभोगरहिता दिवसा यस्य यान्ति वै। 
स लोहकारभस्त्रेव श्वसन्नपि न जीवति॥
Dhaanaubhogarahita divasaa yasya yaanti vai!

Sa lohakaarabhastraiva svasannapi na jeevati!!

Meaning:

The quote very nicely captures “Living is in giving and giving is living”. A person who passes his days without donations and enjoyments is like a blacksmith's bellows, he breathes but does not live.

Topic 2: Humility

भवन्ति नम्रास्तरवः फलोद्गमैः
नवाम्बुभिर्भूरिविलम्बिनो घनाः ।
अनुद्धताः सत्पुरुषाः समृद्धिभिः
स्वभाव एवैषः परोपकारिणाम् ॥
Bhavanti namraastaravaha phalaudhajamaihi

Navaam bhubhirbhuri vilambino ganaaha

Anudhdhatha satpurushaaha samrudhdhibhihi

Svabhaava yevaisha paropakaarimaan!!

Meaning:
On bearing fruits, trees bend (i.e. become humble), 
with new [recently] gathered water, clouds hang very low,
wealthy good men maintain non-arrogant nature,
this is the nature of benevolent persons.

Topic 3: Useless poeple

व्दौ अम्भासी निवेष्टव्यौ गले बदध्वा दृटां शिलां!

धनावान्तामदातारम  दरिद्रम चातपस्विनम !!

Vdau Ambaasi niveshtavyau Gale Bandhvaa dritaam sheelam

Dhanaavaanataam dhaathaaram Daridram chaatapasvinam!!

There are two types of people who should be pushed in deep water with heavy stones tied to their body! One who does not donate despite being rich and the other who does not work hard despite being poor !!

Topic 4: Worry & Pyre

चिन्ता चिता समानाऽस्ति बिन्दुमात्रविशेषतः |
सजीवं दहते चिन्ता निर्जीवं दहते चिता ||

Chinta Chita samaanasti binda maatra visheshita!

Sajeevam dahate chinta nirjeevam dahate chita!

This is a classic quote which talks about similarity between worry and funeral pyre. While worry burns the body alive, the funeral pyre burns the dead body. "Chita" means pyre and "Chinta" means worry and the difference is just an anusvara! So, avoid anxiety.

Topic 5: Always worry about this!

कः कालः कानि मित्रांनी को देशः कौव्ययागमौ

कज्चाहं का चमे शक्ति रीति चिन्त्यं मुहुमुर्हुः!!

Well. While the earlier quote told us not to worry, this quote tells us to worry about few things always. If you are confused at the contradictions. Isn't life all about balancing extremes and contradictions? Instead of using the word "Worry" i would rather use circumspect and contemplate.

How is the time / situation around me? who & how are my friends? what is condition in the country? what are the things for and against me (or what do I have and what I don't have)? who am I? what are my strengths?" one should always worry about these questions. 

Happy reading!

Sanskrit sayings 4 - Women, Help, overindulgence, Tongue and leadership trait

Here we continue to part 4. I shall start with the importance of women in the society and continue this part.

Topic 1: Importance of women

यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यंते रमंते तत्र देवताः।
यत्र तास्तु न पूज्यंते तत्र सर्वाफलक्रियाः॥
Yatra naaryastu poojyante ramnte tatra devataaha

Yatra thaastu na poojyante tatra sarva phalakriyaaha!!

Meaning:
This quote highlights the importance we attached to women in the society. Angels and goddess won’t dwell in a place where women are not worshiped.

Where women are worshiped, goddesses dwell.
Where they are not worshiped, all actions are fruitless.

Topic 2: Remember and repay the help received

प्रथमवयसि पीतं तोयमल्पं स्मरन्त:
शिरसि निहितभारा नारिकेला नराणाम्।
ददति जलमनल्पास्वादमाजीवितान्तं
न हि कृतमुपकारं साधवो विस्मरन्ति॥
Prathamavayasi pitham thoyamalpam smarantham

Shirasi nihithabhaara naarikela naranaam

Dhadhathi jalamanalpasvaadhamaa jeevithaantham

Nahi kritamupakaaram saadhavo vismaranthi

Meaning:

The Coconut trees, remembering the little amount of water they were fed, when they were saplings, carry loads of coconuts on their top and supply humans with very-tasty and sweet water in abundance, for their life-span.

The Wise never forget a help received.

There is an equally beautiful poem in Tamil by Auvaiyaar which I want to quote with a word of caution. Please do not try to find out whether it came in Tamil first or Sanskrit. Both of them are beautiful as languages and had ocean of wisdom with them.

நன்றி ஒருவர்க்குச் செய்தக்கால் அந்நன்றி

என்று தருங்கோல் என வேண்டா - நின்று
தளரா வளர்தெங்கு தாளுண்ட நீரைத்
தலையாலே தான்தருத லால்.

Topic 3: An important trait  of leadership

अमंत्रमक्षरं नास्ति नास्ति मूलमनौषधम्‌।
अयोग्यः पुरुषो नास्ति योजकस्तत्र दुर्लभः॥
Amantram aksharam Naasti, naasti moolam aushadam

Ayogya: purusha naasti yojakasthram durlabha

Meaning:

This is a good quote for parents, teachers and managers esp. the third line, where it says that every individual has a potential and it is up to the leader to make use of them.

There is no letter which doesn't have charm (curative property).

There is no root which doesn't have medicinal property.
There is no man who is not able.
Rare is a person who knows its proper application.

Topic 4: Importance of tip of the tongue

लक्ष्मीर्वसति जिह्वाग्रे।
जिह्वाग्रे मित्रबान्धवा:।
जिह्वाग्रे बन्धनं प्राप्तं
जिह्वाग्रे मरणं ध्रुवम्। 
Lakshmir vasati jihvaagre

Jihvaagre mitrabaandhavaaha

Jihvaagre bandhan praaptham

Jihvaagre maranam Dhruvam

Meaning:

How careful you need to be with the tip of the tongue and the quote ranges from prosperity to death.

Prosperity resides on the tip of the tongue, friends are found there on it. The tip of your tongue has the capacity to arrest you and verily death resides on it for sure.

Topic 5: Overindulgence

अतिदानाद्बलिर्बद्धो ह्यतिमानात् ढुरियोधन:।
विनष्टो रावणो लौल्यादति सर्वत्र वर्जयेत्।
Atidhaanaad balir Bhadhdho hayatimanaat Dhuriyodhanaha!

Vinashto raavano laulyaadhathi sarvatra varjayet!!

Meaning:
Well! This is a gem of a quote which highlights extremes are very bad and we need to be balanced. It is a gem because even excessive charitable nature is to be shunned and it gives an example of King Bali, because of his excessive charitable nature he was killed.

(The demon king) Bali was vanquished due to his excessive charitable nature.
King Duryodhana was humbled for his excessive pride.
(Demon Emperor) Ravana was destroyed due to excessive womanising.
Hence one should shun excessiveness in all things.

So lets meet again in the next blog.

Happy reading!

Sanskrit sayings 3 - Quotes, Beauty, wealth and Destiny

This is part 3 in this series. I am sharing some of the quotes which i liked. Considering the attention span i shall limit to 5 quotes per blog and continue this in the next blog.

1. Topic: On sweetness of Sanskrit quotes

द्राक्षा म्लानमुखी जाता शर्करा चाश्मतां गता
सुभाषितरसं दृष्ट्वा सुधा भीता दिवं गता!!

Draksha mlaanamukhi jaatha, sharkara chaasha mataam jaata

Shubhashita rasam drishtvaa sudha bheetaa divam jaata!!

Meaning:

(The sweetness of Sanskrit quotes are so good that the considered sweeter things in this world ran away at the sight of sweetness of Sanskrit quotes). Looking at the flavor of subhashitas (good Sanskrit quotes), grape turned pale, sugar turned into crystals and amrita [elixir of life] ran away to heaven.

2. Topic: On the inability to share Sanskrit quotes

बोधारो मत्सरग्रस्ताः प्रभवः स्मयदूषिताः। 

अबोधोपहताश्चान्ये जीर्णमङ्गे सुभाषितम्॥

Meaning:

Well! We saw a quote related to sweetness of Sanskrit quotes and this quote is for people who wants to share a good quote but are not doing it for whatever reasons. This person is very anxious that he is unable to share his quote and you yourself read what the reasons are behind it?

Learned men are jealous, master(s) laugh at me.

Other do not understand, thus good quote remains in this old body of mine.

3. Topic: Real beauty of an individual

श्रोत्रं श्रृतेनैव न कुन्डलेन दानेन पाणिर्न तु कंकणेन

विभाति काय: करुणापराणां परोपकारैर्न तु चन्दनेन

Srotram Shrutenau na kundalenam, dhaanena paanirnatu kankanena

Vibhaati kaaya: karunaaparaanaam paropakaarairna chandanena!

Meaning:
We wear multiple ornaments to add beauty to our form. This quote highlights what is adds to the real beauty to a person.

For the kind hearted people, their ear glows by the knowledge & not by the ear ring, their hand glows by the donation by the hand & not by bracelet, their body glows by the selfless deeds done & not by anointment with sandalwood oil.

4. Topic: Real wealth

न चोरहार्यं न च राजहार्यं न भ्रातृभ्राज्यं न च भारकारि।
व्यये कृते वर्धत एव नित्यं विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानम्॥
Na Chorahaaryam na cha raajahaaryam na bhraatur bhraajyam na cha bhaarakaari

Vyaye krite vardhata eva nityam vidyadanam sarva dhana pradhanam.

Meaning:
What is the best of all wealth? Which can’t be taken by a king or thief? Which wealth shall increase upon sharing? This quote gives the answer.

It cannot be stolen by a thief.
It cannot be taken away by a King.
It cannot be divided among brothers.
It does not cause load. It always increases when spent.
The wealth of knowledge is the greatest of all wealth.

5. Topic: Destiny

रात्रिर्गमिष्यति भविष्यति सुप्रभातम्
भास्वानुदेष्यति हसिष्यति पंकजश्रीः। 
इति विचारयति कोषगते द्विरेफे 
हा हंत हंत नलिनीं गज उज्जहार॥
Raatrir gamishyati bhavishyati suprabhaatam

Bhaasvaanudheshyati hasishyati pankajasri

Iti vichaarayati koshagate dvirephe

Ha hantham hantham nalineem gaja ujjahara!!

Meaning:
Night will be over, there will be morning,
The sun will rise, lotus flower will open.
While the bee inside the lotus flower was thinking thus,
The lotus plant was uprooted by an elephant.

I shall continue this in the next part.

Happy reading!