August 10th


Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
अहिं नृपञ्च शार्दूलं कीटञ्च बालकं तथा ।
परश्वानञ्च मूर्खञ्च सप्‍त सुप्‍तान्न बोधयेत् ॥
- चाणक्य नीति

Transliteration:
ahiṃ nṛpañca śārdūlaṃ kīṭañca bālakaṃ tathā ।
paraśvānañca mūrkhañca sap‍ta sup‍tānna bodhayet ॥
- cāṇakya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:
A snake, king, tiger, insect, child, others' dog, and foolish person too—(these) 7 sleepers should not be woken up (or advised)!

Commentary:
A snake can be poisonous, a king can get angry, a tiger kills, an insect bites, a child cries and somebody else's dog barks at strangers. Waking up any of these is, quite understandably, not a pleasant circumstance. For one's own good, he is better off letting them sleep.

But why the foolish? 'Waking' here doesn't literally mean from a slumber.  Ignorance is equated to darkness as well as sleep.  It is dangerous to wake him because he is arrogant and uninterested in listening to anyone's words. Initiating a conversation with such a person is futile, even if it is for his betterment.  

The minute a foolish person begins to talk, he causes trouble for everyone around him due to his imprudence and absurdity. He asks questions that the wise can not answer. For, he won't accept anything for an answer! He has a closed, blocked mind that is unwilling to accept anyone's view or think logically by himself. Such a person is better left alone so that one does not invite trouble onto himself. 

Keep trouble at bay. Do not trouble the trouble until the trouble troubles you, if not double trouble will trouble you.   

pada vigrahaH:
अहिं नृपं च शार्दूलं कीटं च बालकं तथा ।
ahiṃ nṛpaṃ ca śārdūlaṃ kīṭaṃ ca bālakaṃ tathā ।

पर-श्वानं च मूर्खं च सप्‍त सुप्‍तान् न बोधयेत् ॥
para-śvānaṃ ca mūrkhaṃ ca sap‍ta sup‍tān na bodhayet ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
ahiM nRupa~ncha shaardUlaM kITa~ncha baalakaM tathaa ।
parashvaana~ncha mUrkha~ncha sapta suptaanna bodhayet ॥
- chaaNakya nIti

ahiM nRupaM cha shaardUlaM kITaM cha baalakaM tathaa ।
para-shvaanaM cha mUrkhaM cha sapta suptaan na bodhayet ॥

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