Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
मनो मधुकरो मेघो मद्यपो मत्कुणो मरुत् ।
मा मदो मर्कटो मत्स्यो मकारा दश चञ्चलाः ॥
Transliteration:
mano madhukaro megho madyapo matkuṇo marut ।
mā mado markaṭo matsyo makārā daśa cañcalāḥ ॥
Meaning of the subhAShita:
The mind, a honey bee, a cloud, a drunkard, a bedbug, the wind, Mother Lakṣmī (Goddess of wealth), an arrogant person, a monkey, a fish - these 10, starting with the alphabet 'ma' (in Sanskrit), are very unsteady.
Commentary:
In this verse, all ten things listed begin with the syllable 'ma' when spoken in Sanskrit. Yet, their commonality extends far beyond mere phonetics. Each of them embodies instability—fickle, erratic, unpredictable, or volatile in nature.
Some of these, such as bees, bedbugs, monkeys, or fish, act purely on instinct, following impulses hardwired into their beings. Others, like clouds and wind, are by their very nature unbound, free to roam, shift, and swirl without warning. We expect such unpredictability from animals and natural elements; it is their essence.
However, four of these require closer scrutiny. A drunkard, for example, stumbles through life in a haze, his movements as unsteady as his grasp on reality. Pride or arrogance, too, renders a person unstable—pride swells and deflates at the slightest provocation, causing behavior to shift unpredictably from moment to moment.
Even wealth, represented by Goddess Lakṣmī, is transient by design. Riches, like a river, must flow. Wealth has an intrinsic need to circulate and not stagnate. No one can hold onto fortune for too long.
And then there is the mind—perhaps the most volatile of all. It shifts not due to instincts or intoxication but merely because it can. The mind is a creature of whim, drifting from one thought, desire, or attachment to the next, often without reason.
A restless mind is incapable of completing anything meaningful. To harness this wild horse, the discretionary intellect must take the reins to keep the mind in check. After all, our minds belong to us—not the other way around. Only when bridled by wisdom does the mind find stability and purpose!
Don’t let the mind run wild. Reign it in, and it will serve you. Let it wander unchecked, and it will drag you with it.
pada vigrahaH:
मनः मधुकरः मेघः मद्यपः मत्कुणः मरुत् ।
manaḥ madhukaraḥ meghaḥ madyapaḥ matkuṇaḥ marut ।
मा मदः मर्कटः मत्स्यः मकाराः दश चञ्चलाः ॥
mā madaḥ markaṭaḥ matsyaḥ makārāḥ daśa cañcalāḥ ॥
mano madhukaro megho madyapo matkuNo marut ।
maa mado markaTo matsyo makaaraa dasha ca~ncalaaH ॥
manaH madhukaraH meghaH madyapaH matkuNaH marut ।
maa madaH markaTaH matsyaH makaaraaH dasha ca~ncalaaH ॥
