August 16th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
स्वर्गस्थितानामिह जीवलोके चत्वारि चिह्नानि वसन्ति देहे ।
दानप्रसङ्गो मधुरा च वाणी देवार्चनं ब्राह्मणतर्पणं च ॥
- चाणक्य नीति

Transliteration:
svargasthitānāmiha jīvaloke catvāri cihnāni vasanti dehe ।
dānaprasaṅgo madhurā ca vāṇī devārcanaṃ brāhmaṇatarpaṇaṃ ca ॥
- cāṇakya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

There are 4 signs of a person in heaven even while living in this world - giving, pleasant words, worshipping the Lord and satiating (the hunger) of a vidvān (learned person).

Commentary:

It is in one's own hands to make life a living hell or heaven. One doesn't have to wait to pass on to see heaven. His life can be as blissful as being in heaven if he inculcates these 4 attributes -

• Giving - Sometimes a small thing given can mean everything in someone's life! True giving is when you give your all and yet feel like it was nothing! These are truly blissful feelings.
• Pleasant words - Someone once asked, “If someone were to pay you 10 cents for every kind word you ever spoke and collect 5 cents for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor?” Words are the keys to another's heart! Blessed are those who are measure rich on this scale!
• Worshiping the Lord - When every action is an offering to the Lord, there is nothing much he needs to do after that. He is just as close to God as he would be in heaven.
• Satiating the hunger of a vidvān (learned one) - Why specifically a vidvān? Why should his hunger be satisfied? In those days, a brāhmaṇa was generally given the responsibility of giving knowledge to people. He would roam from place to place propagating his learning. He would not be equipped to make his own meals at home, so satiating his hunger means contributing to the propagation of knowledge! Such a person is happy for doing his share for the society.

A person involved in these 4 kinds of actions is in virtual heaven. In his mind, he is as happy as being in heaven even with his breathing spirit still in the body!  It is not about going to heaven after passing on, but living in heaven here and now!

Find your own heaven. Do good, feel good!

pada vigrahaH:
स्वर्ग-स्थितानाम् इह जीव-लोके चत्वारि चिह्नानि वसन्ति देहे ।
svarga-sthitānām iha jīva-loke catvāri cihnāni vasanti dehe ।

दान-प्रसङ्गः मधुरा च वाणी देव-अर्चनं ब्राह्मण-तर्पणं च ॥
dāna-prasaṅgaḥ madhurā ca vāṇī deva-arcanaṃ brāhmaṇa-tarpaṇaṃ ca ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
svargasthitaanaamiha jIvaloke chatvaari chihnaani vasanti dehe ।
daanaprasa~ngo madhuraa cha vaaNI devaarchanaM braahmaNatarpaNaM cha ॥
- chaaNakya nIti

svarga-sthitaanaam iha jIva-loke chatvaari chihnaani vasanti dehe ।

daana-prasa~ngaH madhuraa cha vaaNI deva-archanaM braahmaNa-tarpaNaM cha ॥