Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
ऋणश्शेषोऽग्निशेषश्च शतृशेषस्तथैव च ।
पुनः पुनः प्रवर्धन्ते तस्मात् शेषं न रक्षयेत् ॥
Transliteration:
ṛṇaśśeṣo'gniśeṣaśca śatṛśeṣastathaiva ca ।
punaḥ punaḥ pravardhante tasmāt śeṣaṃ na rakṣayet ॥
Meaning of the subhAShita:
A balance of debt, remainder of fire, (and) residue of enemies too - keep growing again and again; hence do not protect these leftovers.
Commentary:
1. When a debt is not repaid, it just keeps growing. The interest incurred on it keeps accruing and turns out to be more than the principle itself! The debt mentioned here is not only monetary debt. If not repaid, any kind of debt will carry on to another life too.
2. If the last sparks of fire are ignored, in an instant, they can turn into a whole new raging flame, causing havoc.
3. Enemies left untreated bring misery as well. They might come back to avenge with more vengeance.
The advice here is - do not leave a trace of the remnants mentioned above. But the question is: How?
Any and all debt needs to be repaid in its appropriate manner. Flames should be put out in their entirety. But what about enemies? Does it mean 'destroy them'? Not necessarily! It means that the 'enmity' should be destroyed from its roots. Once the feeling of bitterness is thrown out, the person will no longer be called an enemy! So, it's definitely not a call for the destruction of the person who is an enemy, but more for the destruction of the cause (the emotion) of the enmity. Once the source of enmity is uprooted, the person won't be termed an enemy anymore.
Never try to destroy an enemy. Destroy the enmity.
ṛṇaḥ śeṣaḥ agni-śeṣaḥ ca śatṛ-śeṣaḥ tatha eva ca ।
पुनः पुनः प्रवर्धन्ते तस्मात् शेषं न रक्षयेत् ॥
punaḥ punaḥ pravardhante tasmāt śeṣaṃ na rakṣayet ॥
2. If the last sparks of fire are ignored, in an instant, they can turn into a whole new raging flame, causing havoc.
3. Enemies left untreated bring misery as well. They might come back to avenge with more vengeance.
The advice here is - do not leave a trace of the remnants mentioned above. But the question is: How?
Any and all debt needs to be repaid in its appropriate manner. Flames should be put out in their entirety. But what about enemies? Does it mean 'destroy them'? Not necessarily! It means that the 'enmity' should be destroyed from its roots. Once the feeling of bitterness is thrown out, the person will no longer be called an enemy! So, it's definitely not a call for the destruction of the person who is an enemy, but more for the destruction of the cause (the emotion) of the enmity. Once the source of enmity is uprooted, the person won't be termed an enemy anymore.
Never try to destroy an enemy. Destroy the enmity.
pada vigrahaH:
ऋणः शेषः अग्नि-शेषः च शतृ-शेषः तथ एव च ।ṛṇaḥ śeṣaḥ agni-śeṣaḥ ca śatṛ-śeṣaḥ tatha eva ca ।
पुनः पुनः प्रवर्धन्ते तस्मात् शेषं न रक्षयेत् ॥
punaḥ punaḥ pravardhante tasmāt śeṣaṃ na rakṣayet ॥
RuNashsheShao.gnisheShashcha shatRusheShastathaiva cha ।
punaH punaH pravardhante tasmaat sheShaM na rakShayet ॥
RuNaH sheShaH agni-sheShaH cha shatRu-sheShaH tatha eva cha ।
punaH punaH pravardhante tasmaat sheShaM na rakShayet ॥
To Ms. Kavya Sindhu - can you let me know the source of this sloka. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBalasubramanian ji, sorry I do not have the source for this verse.
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