July - 2005

01-07-2005
विदेशेषु धनं विद्या व्यसनेषु धनं मतिः ।
परलोके धनं धर्मः शीलं सर्वत्र वै धनं ॥
In a foreign land, you can use your education to get around. In tough times your intellect will be of help. When we cross over to other world, Dharma follwed here will help (in deciding whether we go to hell or heaven). Virtue (good conduct) will be of help every where.

02-07-2005
कार्यार्थी भजते लोकं यावत्कार्य न सिद्धति ।
उत्तीर्णे च परे पारे नौकायां किं प्रयोजनम् ॥
As long as the work is not done, people praise others - Only to get work done. As soon as crossing the river to the other side what is the use of the boat?

03-07-2005
अल्पानामपि वस्तूनां संहितः कार्यसाधिका ।
तृणैर्गुणत्वापनैर्बध्यन्ते मत्तहस्तिनः ॥
Great things can be achieved by putting small things together. Just like a rope made up of grass (still made in India using Jute) can be used to tie down a massive mad elephant.

04-07-2005
अतिपरिचयादवज्~झा संततगमनात् अनादरो भवति ।
मलये भिल्ला पुरंध्री चन्दनतरुकाष्ठं इंधनं कुरुते ॥
When some body very close (like family) advises, it is ignored.
Anything available in abundance is mostly abused. Just like sandal wood being used for fuel by a Bhilla woman. Bhilla is a tribe living on the Vindhya mountains where sandal wood is in aboundance.

05-07-2005
सर्पः क्रूरः खलः क्रूरः सर्पात् क्रूरतरः खलः ।
सर्पः शाम्यति मन्त्रैश्च दुर्जनः केन शाम्यति ॥
Snake is cruel, so is a wicked person. But among them the cruelty of a wicked man surpasses that of a snake. A snake's cruelty can be abated (by snake charmers). But what do we do for the wicked man?

06-07-2005
लालयेत् पञ्च वर्षाणि दश वर्षाणि ताडयेत् ।
प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रे मित्रवदाचरेत् ॥
A 5 year old is to be pampered/loved. A 10 year old should be taught by punishment. Whe your child is 16 years of age, he must be dealt with like a friend.

07-07-2005
सम्पूर्णकुंभो न करोति शब्दं
     अर्धोघटो घोषमुपैति नूनम् ।
विद्वान् कुलिनो न करोति गर्व
    गुणैर्विहीना बहु जल्पयन्ति ॥
A full pot does not make noise while a partially filled one makes a lot of noise - showing off its imperfection. A real scholar and virtuous people, do not talk mush. Those who lack virtue talk too much.

08-07-2005
अहन्यहनि भूतानि गच्छन्ति यमालयम् ।
शेषाः स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमतः परम् ॥
Day by day, all beings (animals and humans alike) perish and go to Yamalaya (house of Lord of Death - Yama). Why do those who are left, still wish to live for eternity? This is most surprising.
- Dharmaraja answering the Yaksha (mahabharatha)

09-07-2005
एक एव खगो मानी चिरंजीवतु चातकम् ।
म्रियते वा पिपासार्थो याचते वा पुरंदरम् ॥
There is one bird - chataka, which embodies self-esteem. Long live such a bird. It prefers dieing of thirst to drinking water (pollutes) water from a pond. It directly requests the rain God to water drinks directly from rain. The moral is that we should not ask for help from any one less than GOD. Only GOD does help and does not put us in a obligatory situation. Every other helper does.

10-07-2005
मूर्खा यत्र न पूज्यते धान्यं यत्र सुसंचितम् ।
दंपत्यो कलहं नास्ति तत्र श्रीः स्वयमागतः ॥
Where the fools are not honoured, where food is well kept, where there is no tension between spouses - Prosperity comes naturally to such houses. Obviously.

11-07-2005
यथा खरः चन्दनभारवाहि
     भारस्य वेत्ता न तु चन्दनस्य ।
एवं हि शास्त्राणि बहुनि अधीत्य
    अर्थेषु मूढाः खरवद् वहन्ति ॥
A donkey carrying bunch of sandalwood realises only the weight but not smell (importance). Just like that there are scholars who are only burdened by a lot of shastras (knowledge books) but do not understand them completely.

12-07-2005
मृगाः मृगैः संगमुपव्रजन्ति
     गावश्च गोभिस्तुरगास्तुरगैः ।
मूर्खश्च मूर्खैः सुधयः सुधीभिः
    समानशीलव्यसनेषु सख्यं ॥
In this world friendship awlays work well among equals and like minded. Deers with deers, cows with cows, horses with horses, fools with fools, wise with wise and so on...

13-07-2005
संग्रहैकपरः प्रायः समुद्रोपि रसातले ।
दातारं जलधं पश्य गर्जन्तं भुवनोपरि ॥
A collector (hoarder) is always at a lower level than the one who "gives". Just like the sea that just collects (whose water is of no use), and the cloud that only gives.

14-07-2005
धर्म यो बाधते धर्मा न स धर्मः कुधर्मकः ।
अविरोधात्तु यो धर्मः स धर्मः सत्यविक्रम ॥
That faith (dharma) which opposes another faith is not a real faith. Its fake. That faith (hinduism) which believes in univeral tolerance is the real faith.

15-07-2005
शतेषु जायते शूरः सहस्रेषु च पण्डितः ।
वक्ता दशसहस्रेषु दाता भवति वा न वा ॥
One in hundred born will be brave. One in thousand will be a schoalar. A good orator is even rare - one in ten thousand. A good benefactor is much more rare.

16-07-2005
साक्षराः विपरीताश्चेद्राक्षसाः एव केवलम् ।
सरसो विपरीताश्चेत्सरसत्वं न मुञते ॥
Even by playing with words the meaning comes out. If a person is just a literate [sa-ksha-ra] (scholar, but nogood manners) he is turned into a demon [ra-ksha-sa] in extreme circumstances (reversing). But a good natured person [sa-ra-sa], does not leave his character in any circumstances.

17-07-2005
अन्नदानं परं दानं विद्यादानं अतः परम् ।
अन्नेन क्षणिका तृप्तिः यावज्जीवं च विद्यया ॥
True. Giving food in charity is a noble thing. But, giving education in charity is nobler. For the satisfaction that food gives is transient. Education is for life.

18-07-2005
मूर्खस्य पञ्च चिह्नानि गर्वो दुर्वचनं तथा ।
क्रोधश्च दृधवादश्च परवाक्येष्वनादरः ॥
Five characteristics of fools: unjustified pride, bad mouth (language), anger, taking sides during arguments (not looking at merits of the issue) and total dis-respect to other people's words.

19-07-2005
दर्शने स्पर्शणे वापि श्रवणे भाषणेऽपि वा ।
यत्र द्रवत्यन्तरङ्गं स स्नेह इति कथ्यते ॥
It is called friendship, when seeing some one, or touching them, or hearing them, or talking to them, touches your heart. Other wise it is just an acquintance...

20-07-2005
नमन्ति फलिनो वृक्षा नमन्ति गुणिनो जनाः ।
शुष्ककाष्ठश्च मूर्खश्च न नमन्ति कदाचन ॥
A branch of a tree with lot of fruits bends to wards the earth. A virtuous person will always be down to earth. But, a dry twig never bends down... neither does a fool who does not respect others.

21-07-2005
प्रथमवयसि पीतं तोयमल्पम् स्मरन्तः
     शिरसि निहीतभाराः नारिकेला नराणाम् ।
ददति जलमनल्पात स्वादमाजीवितान्तम्
     नहि कृतमुपकारं साधवो विस्मरन्ति ॥
A coconut tree needs to be watered only when it is young. It remembers that favour it received from men early in its life even when it is old and keeps on giving them sweet, tasty coconut water all its life. Good people never forget the favours they received.


22-07-2005
वृश्चिकस्य विषं पृच्छे मक्षिकायाः मुखे विषम् ।
तक्षकस्य विषं दन्ते सर्वांगे दुर्जनस्य तत् ॥
A scorpion has poison in its tail. A bee has it in its mouth. A snake has it in its fangs. A rogue person has poison in his entire body.

23-07-2005
विकृतिं नैव गच्छन्ति संगदोषेण साधवः ।
आवेष्टितं महासर्पैश्चंदन न विशायते ॥
Bad company can not corrupt a really good person. Just like a sandal wood tree does not become poisonous if a huge snake wraps around it.

24-07-2005
घटं भिन्धात् पटं छिन्धात् कुर्याद्रासभरोहणम् ।
येन केन प्रकारेण प्रसिद्धः पुरुषो भवेत् ॥
People do all sorts of things to become famous. break pots (vandalism), tear of clothes (WWF), making a total fool of themselves by riding a donkey.

25-07-2005
तृणानि नोन्मूलयति प्रभञ्जनो
    मृदूनि नीचैः प्रणतानि सर्वतः ।
स्वभाव एवोन्नतचेतसामयं
    महान्महत्स्वेव करोति विक्रमम् ॥
Strong wind bends big trees, But does no harm to tender, small grass. Just like that, strong and powerful should show off their prowess against only worthy opponents.

26-07-2005
प्रदोषे दीपकश्चंद्रः प्रभाते दीपको रविः ।
त्रैलोक्ये दीपको धर्मः सुपुत्रः कुलदीपकः ॥
At night, the moon shows us the light. In the day we have the sun. Dharma (the ideal code of conduct) shows us the light in all three worlds. A good son is shows light for the entire family.

27-07-2005
प्रथमे नार्हिता विद्या द्वितीये नार्जितं धनम् ।
तृतीये नार्जितं पुण्यं चतुर्थे किं करिष्यते ॥
A man's life has four stages. First stage: education. Second stage: family. Third stage: charity Fourth stage: penance. If a man does not what should be done in first three stages, what will he do on the fourth?

28-07-2005
अनारम्भो हि कार्याणां प्रथमं बुद्धिलक्षणं ।
प्रारम्भस्य अन्तगमनं द्वितीयं बुद्धिलक्षणं ॥
Not starting over ambitious projects is the first sign of intelligence. But once started, sustaining interest till it is completed is the second sign.

29-07-2005
लौकिकानाम् हि साधूनाम् अर्थ वागनुवर्तते ।
ऋषीणाम् पुनरादयानां वाचम् अर्थोनुधावति ॥
When normal speak, meaning follows the speech. People speak and then have to explain temselves since not much thinking was given earlier. But when Rhishis (ancient wise men) speak the meaning comes out even before the speech since they have done lot of thinking.

30-07-2005
परोपदेशवेलायां शिष्टाः सर्वे भवन्ति वै ।
विस्मरन्तीह शिश्टत्वं स्वकार्ये समुपस्थिते ॥
Any body can give advice to somebody in distress. But forget all those advices when they themselves are in trouble.

31-07-2005
निर्विषेणापि सर्पेण कर्तव्या महति फणा ।
विषमस्तु न चाप्यस्तु फटाटोपो भयंकरः ॥
Even a non-poisonous snake must open its hood and hiss. Irrespective of the poison, the antics (hissing and opening the hood) is scary.