Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
गतानुगतिको लोके न कोऽपि पारमार्थिकः ।
गङ्गासैकतलिङ्गेन नष्टं मे ताम्रभाजनम् ॥
Transliteration:
gatānugatiko loke na ko'pi pāramārthikaḥ ।
gaṅgāsaikataliṅgena naṣṭaṃ me tāmrabhājanam ॥
Meaning of the subhAShita:
Commentary:
Alternate Transliteration:gatānugatiko loke na ko'pi pāramārthikaḥ ।
gaṅgāsaikataliṅgena naṣṭaṃ me tāmrabhājanam ॥
Meaning of the subhAShita:
People of the world are just followers, nobody gets the real meaning. (In the episode of) the sand 'liṅgam' on (the banks of) Gaṅgā, I lost my copper pot.
Commentary:
This verse has the background of a parable. Here, a person had a copper pot filled with coins. One day, he planned to undertake a pilgrimage. Instead of carrying his accumulated wealth, and risking losing it, he wanted to hide it and procure it upon his return. So he dug a hole in the sand on the banks of the river Gaṅgā. He hid the pot and filled up the hole. How is he to locate where he buried his pot? To identify the location upon his return, he made a 'liṅgam' (a representation of Lord Śiva) on that spot, did a small pooja (worship), and left. This way, he could come back and retrieve his stash from below the liṅgam.
But alas! Without knowing why he was making the liṅgam, the onlookers thought it was a ritual that was supposed to be done upon visiting the sacred place! Each and every visitor thenceforward started making their own liṅgam and worshipping, all around the first one.
Upon his return, the person who hid the pot was perplexed to see the numerous liṅgam-s, all over the place. Obviously, he couldn't locate the one he had made to mark the secret location!
In utter despair, he said that the entire world simply and blindly follows anything that anyone does, without a rhyme or reason. They are like herded sheep who do not think rationally, but will simply follow the crowd!
Anything one does or follows should have a purpose. If the purpose or meaning of the action is not understood, the result of that action can't be of much use either.
Unfortunately, most people would rather die than think and many of them do! Think through every action and its purpose.
gata-anugatikaḥ loke na kaḥ api pāramārthikaḥ ।
गङ्गा-सैकत-लिङ्गेन नष्टं मे ताम्र-भाजनम् ॥
gaṅgā-saikata-liṅgena naṣṭaṃ me tāmra-bhājanam ॥
But alas! Without knowing why he was making the liṅgam, the onlookers thought it was a ritual that was supposed to be done upon visiting the sacred place! Each and every visitor thenceforward started making their own liṅgam and worshipping, all around the first one.
Upon his return, the person who hid the pot was perplexed to see the numerous liṅgam-s, all over the place. Obviously, he couldn't locate the one he had made to mark the secret location!
In utter despair, he said that the entire world simply and blindly follows anything that anyone does, without a rhyme or reason. They are like herded sheep who do not think rationally, but will simply follow the crowd!
Anything one does or follows should have a purpose. If the purpose or meaning of the action is not understood, the result of that action can't be of much use either.
Unfortunately, most people would rather die than think and many of them do! Think through every action and its purpose.
pada vigrahaH:
गत-अनुगतिकः लोके न कः अपि पारमार्थिकः ।gata-anugatikaḥ loke na kaḥ api pāramārthikaḥ ।
गङ्गा-सैकत-लिङ्गेन नष्टं मे ताम्र-भाजनम् ॥
gaṅgā-saikata-liṅgena naṣṭaṃ me tāmra-bhājanam ॥
gataanugatiko loke na ko.pi paaramaarthikaH ।
ga~ngaasaikatali~ngena naShTaM me taamrabhaajanam ॥
gata-anugatikaH loke na kaH api paaramaarthikaH ।
ga~ngaa-saikata-li~ngena naShTaM me taamra-bhaajanam ॥
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