October 10th


Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
धनवन्तमदातारं दरिद्रञ्चातपस्विनम् ।
मज्जयेदर्णवेऽशङ्कं कण्ठे बद्ध्वा दृढां शिलाम् ॥


Transliteration:
dhanavantamadātāraṃ daridrañcātapasvinam ।
majjayedarṇave'śaṅkaṃ kaṇṭhe baddhvā dṛḍhāṃ śilām ॥

Meaning of the subhAShita:
Wealthy, but not charitable; needy, yet not ascetic; (such people) without a doubt, must be dipped in the ocean, with a massive rock tied to their neck.

Commentary:
No means of escape!
  1. Wealthy people who are unwilling to do good with their assets: A wealthy person has the blessed opportunity to be beneficial to others in his community.  But if he refuses to do so, he has to reap the fruit of his actions. 
  2. Needy people who are not austere and pious: Even the poorest person can practice austerity.  It doesn't cost him anything and he has no excuse not to!   
In this verse, both these categories of people are given quite a stern consequence for their respective vices.  The suggestion is that it is certainly not a bad idea if they are drowned in an ocean with a huge stone tied to their neck (making sure that they stay drowned!). 

The people addressed here are the intended targets for the shloka. (It is only an idea and not a recommendation. So, do not be encouraged by the shloka to drown thy neighbor!)  It is advice to such people to wake up and not be a burden on the face of the earth.  They have to define their own lives without waiting for others to write their script. 

pada vigrahaH:
धनवन्तम् अदातारं दरिद्रं च अतपस्विनम् ।
dhanavantam adātāraṃ daridraṃ ca atapasvinam ।

मज्जयेत् अर्णवे अशङ्कं कण्ठे बद्ध्वा दृढां शिलाम् ॥
majjayet arṇave aśaṅkaṃ kaṇṭhe baddhvā dṛḍhāṃ śilām ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
dhanavantamadaataaraM daridra~nchaatapaswinam ।
majjayedarNave.sha~nkaM kaNThe baddhvaa dRuDhaaM shilaam ॥

dhanavantam adaataaraM daridraM cha atapaswinam ।
majjayet arNave asha~nkaM kaNThe baddhvaa dRuDhaaM shilaam ॥

2 comments:

  1. Namaste. Can you please provide the soruce of this subhashita? Such blunt messages are rare !

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    Replies
    1. True that! Unfortunately, do not have the source for this one.

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