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:
People of the world are just followers, nobody gets the true meaning. (In the episode of) a 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 it, he wanted to leave it hidden 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. To be able 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 his reason for 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 made to mark the secret location!
In utter despair, he said that the entire world just blindly follows anything that anyone does, without rhyme or reason. They are just herded sheep that do not think rationally but just 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 it can't be of much use either.
Think through your 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 ॥
But alas! Without knowing his reason for 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 made to mark the secret location!
In utter despair, he said that the entire world just blindly follows anything that anyone does, without rhyme or reason. They are just herded sheep that do not think rationally but just 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 it can't be of much use either.
Think through your 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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