Dharma

चला लक्ष्मिश्चलाः प्राणाश्चलॆ जीवितमंदिरॆ ।
चला चलॆच संसारॆ धर्म ऎकॊहि निष्चलं ॥
ಚಲಾ ಲಕ್ಶ್ಮಿಶ್ಚಲಾಃ ಪ್ರಾಣಾಶ್ಚಲೇ ಜೀವಿತಮಂದಿರೇ
ಚಲಾ ಚಲೇಚ ಸಂಸಾರೇ ಧರ್ಮ ಏಕೋಹಿ ನಿಶ್ಚಲಂ
Wealth is not permanent so as life. Even house and temple is not permanent. The world itself is not permanent. Only dharma is permanent.

Five Mothers of Man

राजपत्नी गुरोः पत्नी भ्रातृपत्नी तथैव च।
पत्नीमाता स्वमाता च पञ्चैते मातरः स्मृताः॥
ರಾಜಪತ್ನಿ ಗುರೋಃ ಪತ್ನೀ ಭಾತೃಪತ್ನೀ ತಥೈವ ಚ
ಪತ್ನೀಮಾತಾ ಸ್ವಮಾತಾ ಚ ಪಂಚೈತೇ ಮಾತರಃ ಸ್ಮೃತಾಃ
Wife of King, wife of teacher, wife of brother, mother of wife and own mother should be treated as "mother" by a man.

Good Listener

शतॆशु जायते शूरः सहस्रॆशुच पंडित: ।
वक्ता दशसहस्रॆशु श्रॊता भवति वा न वा ॥
ಶತೇಶು ಜಾಯತೇ ಶೂರಃ ಸಹಸ್ರೇಶುಚ ಪಂಡಿತಃ
ವಕ್ತಾದಶಸಹಸ್ರೇಶು ಶ್ರೋತಾ ಭವತಿ ವಾ ನ ವಾ
There will be one valiant among hundred people. One learned person among thousand. There will be one orator among ten thousand. But it is not sure if a good listener is there or not.

Knowledge

न चॊरहार्यं नच राजहार्यं न भ्रातृ भाज्यं न च भारकारि ।
व्ययॆ कृतॆ वर्धत ऎव नित्यं विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानं ॥
ನ ಚೋರಹಾರ್ಯಂ ನಚ ರಾಜಹಾರ್ಯಂ ನ ಭ್ರಾತೃ ಭಾಜ್ಯಂ ನ ಚ ಭಾರಕಾರಿ
ವ್ಯಯೇ ಕೃತೇ ವರ್ಧತ ಏವ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ವಿದ್ಯಾಧನಂ ಸರ್ವಧನಪ್ರಧಾನಂ
Among all the wealth, wealth of knowledge(education) is most important. This wealth cannot be stolen by thief, cannot be ceased by King, need not be shared among brothers. It will increase as much as you distribute that.

अग्रत:चतुरॊ वेद: पृष्टत: सशर: धनुः ।
उभाभ्यांच समर्थॊ हं शापादपि शरादपि ॥
ಅಗ್ರತಃ ಚತುರೋ ವೇದ: ಪೃಷ್ಟತಃ ಸಶರಃ ಧನುಃ
ಉಭಾಭ್ಯಾಂಚ ಸಮರ್ಥೋ ಹಂ ಶಾಪಾದಪಿ ಶರಾದಪಿ

Helping bad people

उपकारॊपि नीचानां अपकारॊपकल्पतॆ ।
पयः पानं भुज़ंगानां कॆवलं विषवर्धनं ॥
ಉಪಕಾರೋಪಿ ನೀಚಾನಾಂ ಅಪಕಾರೋಪಿಕಲ್ಪತೇ
ಪಯಃ ಪಾನಂ ಭುಜಂಗಾನಾಂ ಕೇವಲಂ ವಿಷವರ್ಧನಂ
This is from Panchatantra. The meaning goes like this. If you help a bad person, there is no use. It will lead to bad results only. Even if you feed milk to a snake, it will end up in increasing the venom.

अलब्धं वांछतॆ वित्तं लब्धंच परिरक्शणं ।
नश्टं च शॊचतां नित्यं कदा दुखं निवर्ततॆ ॥
ಅಲಬ್ಧಂ ವಾಂಛತೇ ವಿತ್ತಂ ಲಬ್ಧಂಚ ಪರಿರಕ್ಶಣಂ
ನಷ್ಟಂ ಚ ಶೋಚತಾಂ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಕದಾ ದುಖಂ ನಿವರ್ತತೇ?

Persons who does not have money will have the worry of making money. Once they get money they will have the worry of keeping that. If it is lost, they will have the worry about loosing the money. When are they happy ?

विदेशेषु धनं विद्या व्य्सनॆषु धनं मतिः ।
परलोकॆ धनं धर्मः शीलं सर्वत्र वै धनं ॥
ವಿದೇಶೇಷು ಧನಂ ವಿದ್ಯಾ ವ್ಯಸನೇಷು ಧನಂ ಮತಿ:
ಪರಲೋಕೇ ಧನಂ ಧರ್ಮ: ಶೀಲಂ ಸರ್ವತ್ರ ವೈ ಧನಂ ॥
When you are in different country, your knowledge is your wealth. When you are in trouble, intelligence is your wealth. After death, when you are in Heaven your "Dharma" is your wealth. But good character is always a wealth.

उत्साहो बलवानार्य नात्स्युत्साहापरंबलं ।
सॊत्साहस्य लॊकेशु नकिंचिदपि दुर्लभं ॥
ಉತ್ಸಾಹೋ ಬಲವಾನಾರ್ಯ ನಾತ್ಸ್ಯುತ್ಸಾಹಾಪರಂಬಲಂ
ಸೋತ್ಸಾಹಸ್ಯ ಲೋಕೇಶು ನಕಿಂಚಿದಪಿ ದುರ್ಲಭಂ

A person with enthusiasm is the powerful person. There is nothing as powerful as enthusiasm.
Nothing is impossible for enthusiastic person.

नीपाणामिव मंडूकाः शरद्पूर्णमिव अंडजाः ।
स्वॊद्यॊगीनाम् नरं यांति विवशः सर्व संपदः ॥
ನೀಪಾಣಮಿವ ಮಂಡೂಕಾಃ ಶರದ್ ಪೂರ್ಣಮಿವ ಅಂಡಜಾಃ
ಸ್ವೋದ್ಯೋಗೀನಾಂ ನರಂ ಯಾಂತಿ ವಿವಶಃ ಸರ್ವ ಸಂಪದಃ

Like the frogs and birds come near the water resource, all the wealth will come to the person who is working.

नाभिषिक्तॊ नसंस्कारॊ सिम्हस्य क्रियतॆ वनॆ ।
विक्रमार्जित सत्वस्य स्वयमॆव मृगेंद्रता ॥
ನಾಭಿಷಿಕ್ತೋ ನ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರೋ ಸಿಂಹಸ್ಯ ಕ್ರಿಯತೇ ವನೇ
ವಿಕ್ರಮಾರ್ಜಿತ ಸತ್ತ್ವಸ್ಯ ಸ್ವಯಮೇವ ಮೃಗೇಂದ್ರತಾ

Nobody has appointed Lion as the king of animals. Nobody enthroned it. It is being called as the King by the virtue of its royalty and power.

गौरवं प्राप्यते दानत् नहि वित्तस्य संचयात् ।
स्थितिरुच्चैः पयॊदानां पय़ोधीनां अधः स्थितिः ॥
ಗೌರವಂ ಪ್ರಾಪ್ಯತೇ ದಾನಾತ್ ನಹಿ ವಿತ್ತಸ್ಯ ಸಂಚಯಾತ್
ಸ್ಥಿತಿರುಚ್ಛೈಹಿ ಪಯೋದಾನಾಂ ಪಯೋಧೀನಾಂ ಅಧ: ಸ್ಥಿತಿಃ
Respect comes when you do "Dana" (donations). Not by accumilating the money. The cloud, which gives whate is far higher than the sea, which keeps on collecting the water.

एक एव खगॊ मानि वनॆ वसति चातकः ।
पिपसितॊ मृयतॆ वा यचतॆव पुरंदरं ॥
ಏಕ ಏವ ಖಗೋ ಮಾನಿ ವನೀ ವಸಿತಿ ಚಾತಕ:
ಪಿಪಸಿತೋ ಮೃಯತೇ ವಾ ಯಚತೇವಾ ಪುರಂದರಃ

There is a fable that "Chataka" bird (Crane) drinks only the rain water. Here there is a comparison that one should be like this bird. "Chataka", if it is begs will beg only the rain god for water. Otherwise it will die by thirst, but will not beg anybody else for whater.

सिम्ह शिशुरपि निपतति मदजल मलिन कपोल गजेंद्रस्य ।
प्रक्रूतिर्यं सत्ववतां न् खलु वयसि दशतेशु ॥

ಸಿಂಹ ಶಿಶುರಪಿ ನಿಪತತಿ ಮದಜಲ ಮಲಿನ ಕಪೋಲ ಗಜೇಂದ್ರಸ್ಯ
ಪ್ರಕೃತಿರ್ಯಂ ಸತ್ವವತಾಂ ನ ಖಲು ವಯಸಿ ದಶತೇಶು
Even if the lion is smaller, it will attack only Elephant's head. Similarly we should not judge great people by their looks.

A nice shloka, not a subhashita though. It is the worship of Lord Shiva. But if you remove first letter from every word, it will be worship of Vishnu.
Courtesy: "Bharata Darshana". Series of lectures by Shri Vidyananda Shenoy.
पायत् कुमारजनक: शशिखंड मौलिः शंखप्रभश्च निधनश्च गवीशयानः ।
गंगांच पन्नगधरश्च उमाविलासः आद्यक्शरॆन सहितो रहितॊपि देवः ॥
ಪಾಯತ್ ಕುಮಾರಜನಕಃ ಶಶಿಖಂಡಮೌಳಿಃ ಶಂಖಪ್ರಭಶ್ಚ ನಿಧನಶ್ಚ ಗವೀಶಯಾನಃ
ಗಂಗಾಂಚ ಪನ್ನಗಧರಶ್ಚ ಉಮಾವಿಲಾಸಃ ಆದ್ಯಕ್ಶರೇಣ ಸಹಿತೋ ರಹಿತೋಪಿ ದೇವಃ

अयं निजॊ परॊवॆत्ति गणना लघुचेतसां ।
उदार चरितानांतु वसुधैव कुटुंबकं ॥
ಅಯಂ ನಿಜೋ ಪರೋವೇತ್ತಿ ಗಣನಾ ಲಘುಚೆತಸಾಂ
ಉದಾರ ಚರಿತಾನಂತು ವಸುಧೈವ ಕುಟುಂಬಕಂ

Thinking "this is mine", "that is yours" is the habit of narrowminded people. For broadminded people, whole world is the family.

सुजनॊ न य़ाति विक्रतिं विनाशकालेपि ।
छेदेपि चंदनतरुः सुरभयति मुखं कुटारस्य ॥
ಸುಜನೋ ನ ಯಾತಿ ವಿಕೃತಿಂ ವಿನಾಶಕಾಲೇಪಿ
ಛೇದೇಪಿ ಚಂದನತರು: ಸುರಭಯತಿ ಮುಖಂ ಕುಠಾರಸ್ಯ
Even at the time of death, good people will not think bad. Sandalwood, even when getting cut by axe, will make axe smell sweet.

उद्यमेनहि सिध्यांति कार्याणिन मनॊरथैः ।
नहि सुप्तस्य सिम्हस्य मुखं प्रविशंति जंतवः ॥
ಉದ್ಯಮೇನಹಿ ಸಿಧ್ಯಾಂತಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಾಣಿನ ಮನೋರಥೈಃ
ನಹಿ ಸುಪ್ತಸ್ಯ ಸಿಂಹಸ್ಯ ಮುಖಂ ಪ್ರವಿಶಂತಿ ಜಂತವಹ :
One cannot achive anything just by thinking about that. If the lion lies down, no animal will come and enter its mouth !!!.

अनित्यानि शरीरानि विभवॊ नैव शाश्वता ।
नित्यं सन्निहितॊ म्रूत्युः कर्तव्यॊ धर्मसंग्रहः ॥
ಅನಿತ್ಯಾನಿ ಶರೀರಾನಿ ವಿಭವೋ ನೈವ ಶಾಶ್ವತ:
ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಸನ್ನಿಹಿತೋ ಮೃತ್ಯುಃ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯೋ ಧರ್ಮಸಂಗ್ರಹ:

This body is not permanent, nor the money and other luxuries we have. The death is coming near us every day, so our duty should be to go in the path of "Dharma".

नात्युच्छ शिखरॊ मेरुः नातिनीचम् रसातलं ।
व्यवसायाद्वितीयं नाप्यपारॊ महादधिः ॥

ನಾತ್ಯುಚ್ಛ ಶಿಖರೋ ಮೇರುಃ ನಾತಿನೀಚಂ ರಸಾತಲಂ
ವ್ಯವಸಾಯಾದ್ವಿತೀಯಂ ನಾಪ್ಯಪಾರೋ ಮಹಾದಧಿಃ

For the person who does hard work, (or may be best worker ?) mount Meru is not very high. For him the abyss is not very deep. He can even cross the Oceans. The idea here is anything is possible if a person does hard work.

प्रथम वयसि पीतम् तॊयमल्पम् स्मरंति शिरसि निहित भारः नारिकॆलं नराणां ।
उदकमम्रतकल्पं दद्युराजीवनान्तं नहिक्रुतमुपकारं साधवॊ विस्मरंति ॥
ಪ್ರಥಮ ವಯಸಿ ಪೀತಂ ತೋಯಮಲ್ಪಮ್ ಸ್ಮರಂತಿ ಶಿರಸಿ ನಿಹಿತ ಭಾರಃ ನಾರಿಕೇಳಂ ನರಾಣಾಂ
ಉದಕಮಮೃತಕಲ್ಪಂ ದದ್ಯುರಾಜೀವನಾಂತಂ ನಹಿಕೃತಮುಪಕಾರಂ ಸಾಧವೋ ವಿಸ್ಮರಂತಿ
If you feed water to a Coconut plant for the first year. It will give you the coconuts with juice comparable to heavanly nectar for whole of its life. Similarly if you help good people, they will remember that for whole of their life.

Samskrit Subhashitas

Namaskara,
I keep posting some samskrit subhashitas here (mainly collected by my father) whenever I find time.
The source of subhasitas are not exactly known to me. They are collected by my father from different sources. These are NOT copyrighted, please feel free to use these. (GPL !!).
I try to write the meaning in English. That may not be the perfect, still can give some idea about these subhashitas.

Shubham,
Keshava Murali