June 18th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
यो ध्रुवाणि परित्यज्य अध्रुवं परिसेवते ।
ध्रुवाणि तस्य नश्यन्ति अध्रुवं नष्टमेव च ॥
- चाणक्य नीति

Transliteration:
yo dhruvāṇi parityajya adhruvaṃ parisevate ।
dhruvāṇi tasya naśyanti adhruvaṃ naṣṭameva ca ॥
- cāṇakya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

He who gives up the 'certain' and pursues the 'temporary' (attributes), his stable (attributes) shall perish, his impermanent ones are certainly lost.

Commentary:

It is like trying to catch a shadow! Enticed by the shape of an object, what if one puts his best efforts and works hard to capture its shadow? Would he ever be able to fulfill his desire?  With sunlight, an object naturally casts a shadow.  But instead of getting the object, if one were to put effort to catch the shadow, he will not only fail in his endeavor, he will lose precious time! Meanwhile, time will pass and the sun will set. The shadow will certainly be gone and in the process, the true object of desire is lost too, because he would have run out of time to make an effort in obtaining the object. In the end, he neither gets the shadow nor the object :(.

This verse is really addressing a much bigger issue!  If one chases after tentative material pleasures he will become entangled in māyā (illusion) and lose his goal.   It is said that 'Life is a mirage; It comes from no visible rain; It falls into no recognizable sea'. Winning over the mirage of māyā is not an easy task!  If one digresses and runs after the material world, then the focus will be lost and life's purpose will be forgotten! The purpose of life is to attain the eternal.  Each one of us has to go on our own quest and realize the Supreme.

By going on a quest to catch the shadow (material pleasures), do not lose the object (purpose of life)!

pada vigrahaH:
यो धुर्वाणि परित्यज्य अध्रुवं परिसेवते ।
yo dhurvāṇi parityajya adhruvaṃ parisevate ।

ध्रुवाणि तस्य नश्यन्ति अध्रुवं नष्टम् एव च ॥
dhruvāṇi tasya naśyanti adhruvaṃ naṣṭam eva ca ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
yo dhruvaaNi parityajya adhruvaM parisevate ।
dhruvaaNi tasya nashyanti adhruvaM naShTameva cha ॥
- chaaNakya nIti

yo dhurvaaNi parityajya adhruvaM parisevate ।

dhruvaaNi tasya nashyanti adhruvaM naShTam eva cha ॥