Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
यथा काष्ठमयो हस्ती यथा चर्ममयो मृगः ।
पुमान्यश्चानधीयानः त्रयस्ते नाम बिभ्रति ॥
- मनुस्मृति
Transliteration:
yathā kāṣṭhamayo hastī yathā carmamayo mṛgaḥ ।
pumānyaścānadhīyānaḥ trayaste nāma bibhrati ॥
- manusmṛti
Meaning of the subhAShita:
A man, who is not learned; an elephant made of wood; a deer made of leather—these 3 just hold the name (are for name sake only).
Commentary:
On seeing an elephant made of wood, do people stand aside and give way?! On seeing an artificially made deer, although from deerskin, does one react like they do upon seeing real deer?! They bear the names of a deer and an elephant only due to their similarity in appearance to the real animals.
Similarly, an uneducated person is a human for namesake alone. He is called a human due to his resemblance to the rest of the human race. He has two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet, two thumbs, and no tail—just like everybody else! But these features alone are not enough to make him human. Just as the lifeless elephant and deer did not have the same value as their live counterparts, one who is not learned does not command the same respect as his scholarly peers. (Learned doesn't mean only 'educated'. It means cultured and civilized.)
The faculty that distinguishes humans from animals is wisdom and speech. If they are not applied towards a higher goal, such people are as good as the lifeless animals who just bear a resemblance in their appearance to the real ones.
Stay focused. Do not put off learning and become a namesake human!
pada vigrahaH:
यथा काष्ठमयः हस्ती यथा चर्ममयः मृगः ।
yathā kāṣṭhamayaḥ hastī yathā carmamayaḥ mṛgaḥ ।
पुमान् यः च अनधीयानः त्रयः ते नाम बिभ्रति ॥
pumān yaḥ ca anadhīyānaḥ trayaḥ te nāma bibhrati ॥
Similarly, an uneducated person is a human for namesake alone. He is called a human due to his resemblance to the rest of the human race. He has two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet, two thumbs, and no tail—just like everybody else! But these features alone are not enough to make him human. Just as the lifeless elephant and deer did not have the same value as their live counterparts, one who is not learned does not command the same respect as his scholarly peers. (Learned doesn't mean only 'educated'. It means cultured and civilized.)
The faculty that distinguishes humans from animals is wisdom and speech. If they are not applied towards a higher goal, such people are as good as the lifeless animals who just bear a resemblance in their appearance to the real ones.
Stay focused. Do not put off learning and become a namesake human!
pada vigrahaH:
यथा काष्ठमयः हस्ती यथा चर्ममयः मृगः ।
yathā kāṣṭhamayaḥ hastī yathā carmamayaḥ mṛgaḥ ।
पुमान् यः च अनधीयानः त्रयः ते नाम बिभ्रति ॥
pumān yaḥ ca anadhīyānaḥ trayaḥ te nāma bibhrati ॥
yathaa kaaShThamayo hastI yathaa charmamayo mRugaH ।
pumaanyashchaanadhIyaanaH trayaste naama bibhrati ॥
- manusmRuti
yathaa kaaShThamayaH hastI yathaa charmamayaH mRugaH ।
pumaan yaH cha anadhIyaanaH trayaH te naama bibhrati ॥
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