February 27th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
कृपणेन समो दाता न भूतो न भविष्यति ।
अस्पृशन्नेव वित्तानि यः परेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥
- सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार

Transliteration:
kṛpaṇena samo dātā na bhūto na bhaviṣyati ।
aspṛśanneva vittāni yaḥ parebhyaḥ prayacchati ॥
- subhāṣitaratnabhāṇḍāgāra

Meaning of the subhAShita:

A 'giver' parallel to a miser has never been nor will be!  Without ever touching the wealth he gives it to others!!

Commentary:

This is a very interesting scenario; a miser is the 'giver' of the best order?! A miser is someone who hoards money and wealth, not sharing it with anyone or even using it for his own needs. How can he be called the 'greatest philanthropist ever?'

Wealth can be in one of 3 contingencies - 1) given to, 2) indulged in or 3) destroyed. A miser neither gives nor indulges in his own wealth. Therefore, his collection is sure to attain the third advent and fall into the hands of someone else! It might get lost, stolen, or, even death may have the final word. Under any of these circumstances, the miser's wealth falls into others' hands, without him even lifting a finger, so to speak. If one wants to give anything to anyone, he must pick it up and hand it over to the other person. Therefore, the giver has to touch the object first. But a miser 'gives' without ever touching the object.  In that case, doesn't it make a miser a greater giver?!

But the real issue is that the miser is doing no good, knowingly and willingly. His wealth will fall into someone else's hands and therefore he cannot control how his wealth will be utilized. Instead, isn't it better to do good with one's own hands than be miserly? That would aid in the betterment of those around and certainly in the betterment of oneself too.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

"Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting!"

pada vigrahaH:
कृपणेन समः दाता न भूतः न भविषयति ।
kṛpaṇena samaḥ dātā na bhūtaḥ na bhaviṣayati ।

अस्पृशन् एव वित्तानि यः परेभ्यः प्रयच्छति ॥
aspṛśan eva vittāni yaḥ parebhyaḥ prayacchati ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
kRupaNena samo daataa na bhUto na bhaviShyati ।
aspRushanneva vittaani yaH parebhyaH prayachChati ॥
- subhaaShitaratnabhaaNDaagaara

kRupaNena samaH daataa na bhUtaH na bhaviShayati ।

aspRushan eva vittaani yaH parebhyaH prayachChati ॥