April 17th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
परोक्षे कार्यहन्तारं प्रत्यक्षे प्रियवादिनम् ।
वर्जयेत्तादृशं मित्रं विषकुम्भं पयोमुखम् ॥
- चाणक्य नीति


Transliteration:
parokṣe kāryahantāraṃ pratyakṣe priyavādinam ।
varjayettādṛśaṃ mitraṃ viṣakumbhaṃ payomukham ॥
- cāṇakya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

Disrupting his work in his absence (and) speaking sweetly in his presence—shun such a friend as if (he were) milk at the mouth of a pot of poison.

Commentary:

If there is a thin layer of milk at the brim of a pot of poison, would anyone drink it?! Would he be able to distill just the milk and throw away the poison? No! The same is the case with a person who has sweet words to speak about someone but then stabs him in the back at the first chance he gets. A person's character is all blended into one, just as milk and poison in the above example.

One can be a friend, a relative, or a neighbor, but can still be a hypocrite. Trusting hypocritical people is very difficult to understand.  Trust is the cornerstone of any relationship. Where there is no trust, no bond can hold ground. The poet says, shun such people and stay away, for your own benefit.

An open foe may be a curse, but a pretend friend is even worse! Be a true friend, not a foe in the garb of a friend.

pada vigrahaH:
परोक्षे कार्य हन्तारं प्रत्यक्षे प्रिय वादिनम् ।
parokṣe kārya hantāraṃ pratyakṣe priya vādinam ।

वर्जयेत् तादृशं मित्रं विष कुम्भं पयोमुखम् ॥
varjayet tādṛśaṃ mitraṃ viṣa kumbhaṃ payomukham ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
parokShe kaaryahantaaraM pratyakShe priyavaadinam ।
varjayettaadRushaM mitraM viShakumbhaM payomukham ॥
- chaaNakya nIti

parokShe kaarya hantaaraM pratyakShe priya vaadinam ।

varjayet taadRushaM mitraM viSha kumbhaM payomukham ॥