March 7th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
आरोप्यते शिला शैले यथा यत्नेन भूयसा ।
निपात्यते सुखेनाधः तथात्मा गुणदोषयोः ॥
- हितोपदेश, सुहृद्भेद


Transliteration:
āropyate śilā śaile yathā yatnena bhūyasā ।
nipātyate sukhenādhaḥ tathātmā guṇadoṣayoḥ ॥
- hitopadeśa, suhṛdbheda

Meaning of the subhAShita:

With tremendous effort, a big stone can be raised onto the top of a mountain. (On the other hand), it can be rolled downhill very easily. Similar is the case of the Self, (due to) efficacies and defects.

Commentary:

If a stone is to be carried up a steep mountain, it needs a great deal of strenuous effort on one's part. But all it takes is one gentle push to bring it downhill—one push and then gravity is in charge. The stone rolls at high speed, all the way to the bottom, making it difficult to be stopped it in between!

The exact same is the scenario with the आत्मा (atmā—Self). The atmā needs to climb the huge, hard, steep, and rugged mountain of संसार (saṃsāra—worldly existence). It takes a lot of effort to climb uphill. That climbing is done with the assistance of गुणाः (guṇāḥ—efficacies, merits, virtues). It takes a lot of guṇas for the Self to put one step ahead of another and conquer the uphill trek. 

Whereas a small effort in the opposite direction, a gentle push given by the दोषाः (doṣāḥ—defects, blemishes, faults, weaknesses—can be given multitudes of names), very easily rolls the atmā downhill, in an instant, negating all the efforts in climbing up so far! At that point, the Self doesn't even have a hold on how far below it will reach. If there is a pivot strong enough on the way, it might stop midway, else, it will fall all the way down and then some (because of the potential gained during the rolling!

One needs to be very cautious about every action and thought. They can either be a guṇa or a doṣa. If the conquest of sasaṃsāra is the goal, guṇās and doṣās must be entertained or rejected accordingly!

pada vigrahaH:

आरोप्यते शिला शैले यथा यत्नेन भूयसा ।
āropyate śilā śaile yathā yatnena bhūyasā ।

निपात्यते सुखेन् आधः तथा अत्मा गुण-दोषयोः ॥
nipātyate sukhen ādhaḥ tathā atmā guṇa-doṣayoḥ ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
aaropyate shilaa shaile yathaa yatnena bhUyasaa ।
nipaatyate sukhenaadhaH tathaatmaa guNadoShayoH ॥
- hitopadesha, suhRudbheda

aaropyate shilaa shaile yathaa yatnena bhUyasaa ।

nipaatyate sukhen aadhaH tathaa atmaa guNa-doShayoH ॥