May 29th


Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
चत्वारो धनदायादाः धर्माग्निनृपतस्कराः ।
तेषां ज्येष्ठावमानेन त्रयः कुप्यन्ति सोदराः ॥

- त्रिशतीव्याख्या, नीति

Transliteration:
catvāro dhanadāyādāḥ dharmāgninṛpataskarāḥ ।
teṣāṃ jyeṣṭhāvamānena trayaḥ kupyanti sodarāḥ ॥
- triśatīvyākhyā, nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:
The four cousins of wealth are - virtue, fire, king and thief. If the older one, virtue, is disrespected the other 3 brothers get livid!

Commentary:
The rivalry between cousins is very well established in the Mahābhārata. When a cousin shows negligence towards one of the brothers, all other brothers stand up against him until he is crushed to dust. The poet has beautifully extended this to compare money/wealth to the likes of Duryodhana. Virtue, fire, king, and thief (although only 4 here), are the Pāṇḍavas.  If the first brother (virtue) is disrespected by their cousin (wealth), then the rest of the brothers (fire, king and thief) are enraged.

If wealth is used to disrespect or humiliate virtue, meaning that wealth is put to use for unjust purposes, it will have to face the wrath of the other 3 brothers; fire, king and thief! These brothers will become the cause for the downfall of that wealth which is not put to use for performing good deeds. Such wealth can get destroyed:
  • by fire or another such natural calamity; 
  • a king or an official might annex it; or
  • a thief might lay his hands on it. 
Either way, the owner of such wealth would not be able to keep his wealth!

Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought after directly. It comes as a by-product of performing virtuous deeds.  Be righteous!

pada vigrahaH:
चत्वारः धन-दायादाः धर्म-अग्नि-नृप-तस्कराः ।
catvāraḥ dhana-dāyādāḥ dharma-agni-nṛpa-taskarāḥ ।

तेषां ज्येष्ठ-अवमानेन त्रयः कुप्यन्ति सोदराः ॥
teṣāṃ jyeṣṭha-avamānena trayaḥ kupyanti sodarāḥ ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
chatvaaro dhanadaayaadaaH dharmaagninRupataskaraaH ।
teShaaM jyeShThaavamaanena trayaH kupyanti sodaraaH ॥
- trishatIvyaakhyaa, nIti

chatvaaraH dhana-daayaadaaH dharma-agni-nRupa-taskaraaH ।
teShaaM jyeShTha-avamaanena trayaH kupyanti sodaraaH ॥

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