April 27th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
यस्य नास्ति स्वयं प्रज्ञा शास्त्रं तस्य करोति किम् ।
लोचनाभ्यां विहीनस्य दर्पणः किं करिष्यति ॥
- चाणक्य नीति

Transliteration:
yasya nāsti svayaṃ prajñā śāstraṃ tasya karoti kim ।
locanābhyāṃ vihīnasya darpaṇaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ॥
- cāṇakya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

For the one who doesn't have his own intellectual insight, what can the scriptures do? What can a mirror do for one who is blind in the eyes?

Commentary:

To build a structure, raw material should be appropriate and ready for construction. If there is only a pile of sand, one cannot expect to build a multi-storied monument with it. Similarly, if one has no eyes, he cannot be expected to look at himself in a mirror, let alone the beauty of nature around him. If one has no aptitude and awakening within himself, the scriptures cannot help guide him! It is futile to invest energy and then expect to change him because of all the rules that are drilled into his head. He has to exhaust his vāsanās (behavioral tendencies, from previous experiences and births - as per shāstra-s,) all by himself. One can only pray that he gets the prajnā (intellectual awareness) soon enough so that he can delve deeper into the scriptures once he has the necessary skill set to do so.

Pick your battles. Fundamentally, if effort can't bear fruit, then there is no point fighting with it!

pada vigrahaH:
यस्य न अस्ति स्वयं प्रज्ञा शास्त्रं तस्य करोति किम् ।
yasya na asti svayaṃ prajñā śāstraṃ tasya karoti kim ।

लोचनाभ्यां विहीनस्य दर्पणः किं करिष्यति ॥
locanābhyāṃ vihīnasya darpaṇaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
yasya naasti swayaM praj~naa shaastraM tasya karoti kim ।
lochanaabhyaaM vihInasya darpaNaH kiM kariShyati ॥
- chaaNakya nIti

yasya na asti swayaM praj~naa shaastraM tasya karoti kim ।

lochanaabhyaaM vihInasya darpaNaH kiM kariShyati ॥