November 3rd

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
अफलानि दुरन्तानि समव्ययफलानि च ।
अशक्यानि च कार्याणि नारभेत विचक्षणः ॥
- सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार

Transliteration:
aphalāni durantāni samavyayaphalāni ca ।
aśakyāni ca kāryāṇi nārabheta vicakṣaṇaḥ ॥
- subhāṣitaratnabhāṇḍāgāra

Meaning of the subhAShita:
Skillful people do not begin (these 4) tasks -  (that which) are fruitless; (that which) end miserably; (that which) expend the same amount (of effort) as the result; (that which) are impossible.

Commentary:

Planning, planning, planning!  Prudent people think ahead of the tasks, deciding whether it is worth investing their effort. They do not invest time, effort and energy  -

1. in a task that is futile and will yield no result 
2. when they know that a task would end miserably
3. if the end result was not proportionately rewarding as the effort.  (The task should be more rewarding than the toil itself. )
4. when they know that a task will not yield an outcome at all!

A little extra time spent at the beginning to think through the feasibility of the task is certainly time well spent.

pada vigrahaH:
अफलानि दुरन्तानि सम-व्यय-फलानि च ।
aphalāni durantāni sama-vyaya-phalāni ca ।

अशक्यानि च कार्याणि न आरभेत  विचक्षणः ॥
aśakyāni ca kāryāṇi na ārabheta vicakṣaṇaḥ ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
aphalaani durantaani samavyayaphalaani cha ।
ashakyaani cha kaaryaaNi naarabheta vichakShaNaH ॥
- subhaaShitaratnabhaaNDaagaara

aphalaani durantaani sama-vyaya-phalaani cha ।

ashakyaani cha kaaryaaNi na aarabheta vichakShaNaH ॥