August 30th


Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
अन्तःसारविहीनानाम् उपदेशो न जायते ।
मलयाचल संसर्गात् न वेणुश्चन्दनायते ॥

- चाणक्य नीति

Transliteration:
antaḥsāravihīnānām upadeśo na jāyate ।
malayācala saṃsargāt na veṇuścandanāyate ॥
- cāṇakya nīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:
No point advising those who are devoid of inner substance. Bamboo does not become sandalwood in the company of the Malaya mountain!

Commentary:
Many times, company isn't everything. If an intrinsic nature is not already there, the company one keeps won't put a dent in his persona. The example the poet uses is - just because a shoot of bamboo grows on the Malaya mountain (which bears an abundant population of sandal trees), it doesn't qualify it to acquire the qualities of sandalwood!

If seen on a more trivial level, just because a child keeps the company of a research scholar, he will not be able to understand a word of his lecture. The child lacks a certain maturity to grasp the concepts the scholar is talking about. No matter how hard he tries, his efforts shall go futile. Similarly, there is no point advising those who are devoid of inner ethos. Growing physically is certainly different from growing spiritually and emotionally. If that prior readiness to receive the knowledge given by others is missing, then the effort in teaching such a person is futile.

Conserve your resources. Know when to spend your energy on who, how much and why.  Do not invest in a place where the gist of the matter cannot be grasped.

pada vigrahaH:
अन्तः-सार-विहीनानाम् उपदेशः न जायते ।
antaḥ-sāra-vihīnānām upadeśaḥ na jāyate ।

मलयाचल संसर्गात् न वेणुः चन्दनायते ॥
malayācala saṃsargāt na veṇuḥ candanāyate ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
antaHsaaravihInaanaam upadesho na jaayate ।
malayaachala saMsargaat na veNushchandanaayate ॥
- chaaNakya nIti

antaH-saara-vihInaanaam upadeshaH na jaayate ।
malayaachala saMsargaat na veNuH chandanaayate ॥

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