September 5th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
देहे पातिनि का रक्षा यशो रक्ष्यमपातवत् ।
नरः पातितकायोऽपि यशःकायेन जीवति ॥
- सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार

Transliteration:
dehe pātini kā rakṣā yaśo rakṣyamapātavat ।
naraḥ pātitakāyo'pi yaśaḥkāyena jīvati ॥
- subhāṣitaratnabhāṇḍāgāra

Meaning of the subhAShita:

Why protect the body that is bound to fall off?  Honor should be protected from falling. Even when the body is thrown, the being lives through his honor.

Commentary:

Immortality is not for the body. If one wishes to live eternally, the footprints he needs to leave are not his physical ones, but those of his deeds. Desirous of immortality, many beings have performed penances in an effort to live forever. What is the point in protecting the physical body that is bound to be discarded at some point or the other? Whether alive or not, the seeds of the deeds one has sown live on. His valor and honor never die. Not only his glory lives on, but his deeds live on too. For, his life will be an inspiration for many, for generations to come! This way, the society at large benefits from not only his deeds alone but from the deeds of those that are inspired by him. As such, he becomes immortal through his venerable deeds!

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains. That is immortality. We will all die one day or the other. May the goal be not to live forever, but to create something that will!

pada vigrahaH:
देहे पातिनि का रक्षा यशः रक्ष्यम् अपातवत् ।
dehe pātini kā rakṣā yaśaḥ rakṣyam apātavat ।

नरः पातित-कायः अपि यशः-कायेन जीवति ॥
naraḥ pātita-kāyaḥ api yaśaḥ-kāyena jīvati ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
dehe paatini kaa rakShaa yasho rakShyamapaatavat ।
naraH paatitakaayo.pi yashaHkaayena jIvati ॥
- subhaaShitaratnabhaaNDaagaara

dehe paatini kaa rakShaa yashaH rakShyam apaatavat ।

naraH paatita-kaayaH api yashaH-kaayena jIvati ॥