Wednesday 31 July 2019


निन्दन्तु नीतिनिपुणा यदि वा स्तुवन्तु लक्ष्मीः समाविशतु गच्छतु वा यथेष्टम् ।

अद्यैव वा मरणमस्तु युगान्तरे वा न्याय्यात्पथः प्रविचलन्ति पादं न धीराः ॥ ११

Nindantu nitinipuna yadi va stavantu Lakshmi samavishatu gachchatu va yatheshtam
Adyaiva va maranamastu yugantare va nyayyatpathah pravichalanti padam dhIrah

Let philosophers praise or criticize them, let Lakshmi the Goddess of wealth or go away, let death come today or after a Yuga, great men never move away from the path of justice.

तृणादपि लघुस्तूलस्तूलादपि च याचकः ।

वायुना किं न नीतोऽसौ मामयं प्रार्थयेदिति ॥

Trunadapi laghustulastuladapi cha yachakah
Vayuna kim nan Ito asau mamayam prarthayediti

Lighter than grass is air, a beggar is inferior even to air. When air is asked why it does not carry away the beggar, the answer is ‘He will beg from me too’

आर्ता देवान् नमस्यन्ति तपः कुर्वन्ति रोगिणः ।

निर्धनाः दानमिच्छन्ति वृद्धा नारी पतिव्रता ॥

Arta devan namsyanti tapah kurvanti roginah
Nirdhanah danamichchanti vruddha nari pativrata

Those in distress become pious and pray God, sick people do penance,
Those with no money want to do charity, old ladies pose as those with character.

ध्यायतो विषयान् पुंसः संगस्तेषूपजायते ।

संगात् संजायते कामः कामात् क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥ १४

Dhyayato vishayan pumsah sangasteshupajayate
Sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho abhijayate

Contemplating objects of the senses, one develops attachment.
From attachment comes lust and lust leads to anger.

न वा अरे मैत्रेयि पत्युः कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवति ।

आत्मानस्तु कामाय पतिः प्रियो भवति ॥ १५

Na va are maitreyi patyuh kamaya patih priyo bhavati
Atmanastu kamaya patih priyo bhavati

O Maitreyi, a man does not become dear to his wife because he is a husband.
He becomes dear to her because of the nature of his soul.

लुब्धमर्थेन गृह्णियात् क्रुद्धमञ्जलिकर्मणा ।

मूर्खं छन्दानुवृत्त्या च तत्वार्थेन च पण्डितम् ॥

Lubdhamarthena gruhniyat kruddhamanjalikarmana
Murkham chandanuvrutya cha tatvarthena cha panditam

Gain the attention of a greedy person by using money, an angry person by soothing words, an idiot by acting obedient and a learned one by explaining the gist of the matter.

योजनानां सहस्रं तु शनैर्गच्छेत् पिपीलिका ।

आगच्छन् वैनतेयोपि पदमेकं न गच्छति ॥ १७

Yojananam sahasram tu shanairgacchet pipilika
Agacchan vainateyoi padamekam na gacchati

Even an ant can cover thousand miles by marching steadily ahead.
But the unwilling eagle will not move even one step.

गुणेषु क्रियतां यत्नः किमातोपैः प्रयोजनम् ।

विक्रियन्ते न घण्टाभिः गावः क्षीरविवर्जिताः ॥ १८

Guneshu kriyatam yatnah kimatopaih prayojanam
Vikriyante na ghantabhih gavah kshiravarjitah

Let qualities guide your efforts, what is the use of making noise?
A cow which cannot yield milk cannot be sold by the sound of its bells.

वयमिह परितुष्टा वल्कलैस्त्वं दुकूलैः सम इह परितोषो निर्विशेषो विशेषः ।

स तु भवति दरिद्रो यस्य तुष्णा विशाला मनसि च परितुष्टे कोऽर्थवान् को दरिद्रः ॥ १९

Vayamiha paritushta valkalaistvam dukulaih
Sama iha paritosho nirvishesho visheshah
Sa tu bhavati daridro yasya tushna vishala
Manasi cha paritushte ko arthavan ko daridrah

We, yogis in garments made of bark are as content as you, king are in your finery.One with unsatisfied and unbridled desires feels poor. When there is contented mind, who is rich and who is poor?

पत्र नैव यदा करीरविटपे दोषो वसन्तस्य किम्

नोलूकोऽप्यवलोकते यदि दिवा सूर्यस्य किम् दूषणम् ।

धार नैव पतन्ति चातकमुखे मेघस्य किं दूषणम्

यत् पूर्व विधिना ललाटलिखितं तन्मार्जितुं कः क्षमः ॥ २२

Patra naiva yada kariravitape dosho vasantasya kim
Noluko apyavalokate yadi diva suryasya kim dushanam
Dhara naiva patanti chatakamukhe meghasya kim dushanam
Yat purvam vidhina lalatalikhitam tanmarjitum kah kshamah

If the leafless Karira tree in the desert does not blossom,
How is it the fault of spring? If the owl cannot see the light, why blame the sun?
If the rain does not fall into the mouth of the Chataka bird, why blame the clouds? Who can change the fate written on one’s forehead?

न तथा तप्यते विद्धः पुमान् बाणैः सुमर्मगैः ।

यथा तुदन्ति मर्मस्था ह्यसतां पुरुषेषवः ॥ २२

Na tatha tapyate puman banaih sumarmagaih
Yatha tudanti mamastha hyasatam purusheshavah

One does not feel the pain in one’s body pierced by arrows as much as
Barb like harsh words spoken by wicked persons.

परित्यजेदर्थकामौ यौ स्यातां धर्मवर्जितौ ।

धर्मं चाप्यसुखोदकं लोकानिकृष्टमेव च ॥ २२२

Parityajedarthakamau yau syatam dharmavarjitau
Dharmam chapyasukhodakam lokanikrushtameva cha

Give up acquiring wealth and fulfilling desires if they are not as per dharma.
Reject even dharma if it causes unhappiness and is not approved by society.


आशा नाम मनुष्याणां काचिदाश्चर्यशृङ्खला ।

यया बद्धाः प्रधावन्ति मुक्तास्तिष्ठन्ति पङ्गुवत् ॥ २२

Asha nama manushyanam kachidashcharyashrunkhala
Yaya baddhah pradhavanti muktastishtanti panguvat

Desire for anything is a surprising chain binding man. Those bound by it run with It to accomplish desires. Those who are free from the chain of desires standstill like invalids.

दीपो नाश्यते ध्वांतं धनारोग्ये प्रयच्छति ।

क्ल्याणाय भवत्येव दीपर्ज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥ २२

Deepo nashyate dhvantam dhanarogye prayachchanti
Kalyanaya bhavatyeva dipajyotirnamostute

Lamp dispels darkness and helps bring wealth and health.
For being the beacon for the welfare of all, I salute you, the flame of light.

अभावावधयो भावा निधनावधि जीवितम् ।

अविवेकस्त्वनवधिर्येनायं जायते भ्रमः ॥ २२

Abhavadhayo bhava nidhanavadhi jivitam
Avivekastvanavadhiryenayam jayate bhramah

All materials come with a date by which they are destroyed.
Foolishness has no such date and creates illusions of eternity.