April 4th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
आत्मापराधवृक्षस्य फलान्येतानि देहिनाम् ।
दारिद्र्यरोगदुःखानि बन्धनव्यसनानि च ॥
- चाण्क्य नीति

Transliteration:
ātmāparādhavṛkṣasya phalānyetāni dehinām ।
dāridryarogaduḥkhāni bandhanavyasanāni ca ॥
- cāṇkya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

For beings, these are the fruit from the tree of follies of the self: poverty, disease, suffering, restraint and adversity.

Commentary:

The fruit of one's actions has to be borne by oneself. There is no bypassing this rule. Every being comes to the world with his own baggage. He would have to unload it on his own account to attain mukti (liberation). Unfit deeds come as baggage of unpleasant circumstances in one birth or another. They could show up as poverty and hardships, diseases and illnesses, pain and suffering, restraint and binding and/or vices and adversities.

When faced with such circumstances, the easiest and fastest way to overcome them is to live a life of dharma. Not only does this hasten the process of unloading, but it also stops the accumulation of more baggage.

Hence, dharma (virtuous deeds) is a prescription for people with a baggage of all shapes and sizes!

pada vigrahaH:
आत्म-अपराध-वृक्षस्य फलानि एतानि देहिनाम् ।
ātma-aparādha-vṛkṣasya phalāni etāni dehinām ।

दारिद्र्य-रोग-दुःखानि बन्धन-व्यसनानि च ॥
dāridrya-roga-duḥkhāni bandhana-vyasanāni ca ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
aatmaaparaadhavRukShasya phalaanyetaani dehinaam ।
daaridryarogaduHkhaani bandhanavyasanaani cha ॥
- chaaNkya nIti

aatma-aparaadha-vRukShasya phalaani etaani dehinaam ।

daaridrya-roga-duHkhaani bandhana-vyasanaani cha ॥