December 24th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
किं मित्रमन्ते सुकृतं न लोकाः
किं ध्येयमीशस्य पदं न शोकाः ।
किं काम्यमव्याजसुखं न भोगाः
किं जल्पनीयं हरिनाम नान्यत् ॥
- रसगङ्गाधर

Transliteration:
kiṃ mitramante sukṛtaṃ na lokāḥ
kiṃ dhyeyamīśasya padaṃ na śokāḥ ।
kiṃ kāmyamavyājasukhaṃ na bhogāḥ
kiṃ jalpanīyaṃ harināma nānyat ॥
- rasagaṅgādhara

Meaning of the subhAShita:

Who is a friend in the end?  Good deed(s), not people.  What should be contemplated upon?  The Lord's feet, not sorrows.  What should be desired?  Un-abound happiness, not indulgences.  What should be prattled?  Only the name of Śrī Hari, nothing else.

Commentary:

A friend in need is a friend indeed.  True friends are hard to find.  A single rose can be my garden, a single friend, my world!  All these statements are nice to quote and very true as well.  But they can only go so far.  When passing on, one's best friends are his vices and virtues alone!  One needs to keep this in mind at all times.  Befriend many, but at the same time, keep your sight on the friends that accompany you through the entire journey!

Given the nature of the mind, it constantly keeps churning up thoughts.  It is its very nature.  It does not stay still.  Throughout the waking hours, it jumps from one thought to another, from one town to another, even from one world to another.  There is no stopping it.  (Isn't that why it is said to be faster than the wind but at the same time compared to a monkey too! :).   Thoughts are the very existence and thriving purposes of the mind.  In that case, why not feed it something healthy?  Think of the Lord's lotus feet.  Contemplate and meditate on His prowess and presence in the very existence of all beings!  

When there is a mind and there are thoughts in that mind, it is quite natural to want something desirable!  So, why not desire for something that is more eternal and long-lasting?  In aspiring for something trivial with a very small shelf life, isn't one wasting precious time that can be focused on acquiring something that lasts forever?  What lasts forever is the ultimate Bliss. It is attained by treading the path of dharma, not the chasing after sense pleasures.

A mind which has thoughts oriented towards desires, what can be said about the speech coming forth?  With so many thoughts and desires, it is only predictable that there will be a lot of chattering.  Many a time, mindless too...  Instead of gossip, why not make it the Lord's name!

With virtue as a friend, with the mind and desires under check, even the mindless prattling automatically becomes nothing else but the name of the Lord! Knowing the right goals and priorities shall put the traveler on the right path, without a doubt.

pada vigrahaH:
किं मित्रम् अन्ते सुकृतं न लोकाः
kiṃ mitram ante sukṛtaṃ na lokāḥ

किं ध्येयम् ईशस्य पदं न शोकाः  ।
kiṃ dhyeyam īśasya padaṃ na śokāḥ ।

किं काम्यम् अव्याज-सुखं न भोगाः 
kiṃ kāmyam avyāja-sukhaṃ na bhogāḥ

किं जल्पनीयं हरि-नाम न अन्यत् ॥
kiṃ jalpanīyaṃ hari-nāma na anyat ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
kiM mitramante sukRutaM na lokaaH
kiM dhyeyamIshasya padaM na shokaaH ।
kiM kaamyamavyaajasukhaM na bhogaaH
kiM jalpanIyaM harinaama naanyat ॥
- rasaga~ngaadhara

kiM mitram ante sukRutaM na lokaaH

kiM dhyeyam Ishasya padaM na shokaaH ।

kiM kaamyam avyaaja-sukhaM na bhogaaH

kiM jalpanIyaM hari-naama na anyat ॥