September 25th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
यदि सत्सङ्गनिरतः भविष्यसि भविष्यसि ।
तथा सज्जनगोष्ठीषु पतिष्यसि पतिष्यसि ॥
- हितोपदेश, मित्रलाभ

Transliteration:
yadi satsaṅganirataḥ bhaviṣyasi bhaviṣyasi ।
tathā sajjanagoṣṭhīṣu patiṣyasi patiṣyasi ॥
- hitopadeśa, mitralābha

Meaning of the subhAShita:

If (you) stay in good company, you shall remain.  Similarly, if (you) fall off from good company, (you) shall fall.

Commentary:

One's character is immensely influenced by the company he keeps.  The more one stays in good company, the better he fares.  When one's association is not up to mark, he shall fall in his character.  The company one keeps speaks volumes about his mettle. 

As the saying goes, 'Tell me your friends and I shall tell you your character!'  Such is the profoundness of one's association.  The more one keeps good company, the more he grows.  The more one moves away from it, the more he regresses.  One has to be mindful of this always.  It is not a goal to achieve one day and forget about another!  It is a constant process towards progress.

The beauty of the verse is also in the play of the words.  The verse at first glance might seem repetitive, confusing, or even wrong!  Punctuation is powerful.  There is a pause (,) between the two bhaviṣyasi-s and the two patiṣyasi-s!  The first bhaviṣyasi indicates being in good company.  The second one means you shall be (as in, survive)!  Similarly, the first patiṣyasi means to fall off from good company.  The second one indicates that you shall fall (in morality) and hence perish!!

May each person be good and keep good company so the entire universe will be a 'company to keep!'

pada vigrahaH:
यदि सत्-सङ्ग-निरतः भविष्यसि भविष्यसि ।
yadi sat-saṅga-nirataḥ bhaviṣyasi bhaviṣyasi ।

तथा सज्जन-गोष्ठीषु पतिष्यसि पतिष्यसि ॥
tathā sajjana-goṣṭhīṣu patiṣyasi patiṣyasi ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
yadi satsa~nganirataH bhaviShyasi bhaviShyasi ।
tathaa sajjanagoShThiShu patiShyasi patiShyasi ॥
- hitopadesha, mitralaabha

yadi sat-sa~nga-nirataH bhaviShyasi bhaviShyasi ।

tathaa sajjana-goShThIShu patiShyasi patiShyasi ॥

September 23rd

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
शमार्थं सर्वशास्त्राणि विहितानि मनीषिभिः ।
स एव सर्वशास्त्रज्ञः यस्य शान्तं मनः सदा ॥
- महाभारत

Transliteration:
śamārthaṃ sarvaśāstrāṇi vihitāni manīṣibhiḥ ।
sa eva sarvaśāstrajñaḥ yasya śāntaṃ manaḥ sadā ॥
- mahābhārata

Meaning of the subhAShita:

The learned contrived all the śāstras (scriptures, treatises) to quieten the mind.  He alone is cognizant of all śāstras whose mind is calm, at all times.

Commentary:

It is said that data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, and understanding is not wisdom.  Gaining wisdom is the very purpose of reading treatises or scriptures.  

The very purpose of the seers of those treatises is to teach the reader 'how to quieten the mind'.  All the śāstras proclaim the same key factor—quietening of the mind.  It is like many rivers flowing, all with the same purpose of pouring into the mighty ocean.  If one has already reached the ocean, why would he be required to know the flow of the river?  Hence, the poet says, he who already knows how to keep the mind calm and placid has true cognizance and mastery over all the śāstras!  He does not have to read any śāstras or work towards achieving a specific goal in life.  He would have already achieved the purpose of any being's reason for existence! 

Each one of us is running in search of ONE THING—the tranquility of mind, all else shall follow.  He who has won that fort has no battle to fight, nothing else to achieve!  May each of us find inner peace soon.  It will surely make the noisy world a much quieter and more serene place to be in!

pada vigrahaH:
शम-अर्थं सर्व-शास्त्राणि विहितानि मनीषिभिः ।
śama-arthaṃ sarva-śāstrāṇi vihitāni manīṣibhiḥ ।

सः एव सर्व-शास्त्रज्ञः यस्य शान्तं मनः सदा ॥
saḥ eva sarva-śāstrajñaḥ yasya śāntaṃ manaḥ sadā ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
shamaarthaM sarvashaastraaNi vihitaani manIShibhiH ।
saH eva sarvashaastraj~naH yasya shaantaM manaH sadaa ॥
- mahaabhaarata

shama-arthaM sarva-shaastraaNi vihitaani manIShibhiH ।

sa eva sarva-shaastraj~naH yasya shaantaM manaH sadaa ॥

September 16th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
वृक्षान् छित्वा पशून्हत्वा कृत्वा रुधिरकर्दमम् ।
यद्येवं गम्यते स्वर्गं नरकः केन गम्यते ॥
- पञ्चतन्त्र, काकोलूकीय

Transliteration:
vṛkṣān chitvā paśūnhatvā kṛtvā rudhirakardamam ।
yadyevaṃ gamyate svargaṃ narakaḥ kena gamyate ॥
- pañcatantra, kākolūkīya

Meaning of the subhAShita:

After tearing down trees, massacring animals, (and) creating a bloody mire, if this is how heaven is attained,  (then) hell is attained by whom?! 

Commentary:

There is a story of a little boy who came to a tree.  The tree gave him leaves to play with.  He would then climb the trunk and swing from the branches.  When the boy grew up, the tree provided him with fruit and wood to build his home.  When the man wanted more, the tree gave more, until only a stump was left.  Even then, when the weary man came by, the stump propped itself up and gave him a place to sit on!  Such is the magnanimity of the tree.  

Instead of returning favors, man loots like there is no tomorrow and until nothing is left!  What to say about the massacre of animals?    Does man realize what a bloody quagmire he is creating and letting flow?  Does he understand that he is hurting himself in the long haul? Does he even comprehend that there are repercussions for his actions?

No one wants to go to hell.  All beings aim to reach heaven.  With these aspirations, if man's actions are so merciless, one can only imagine the brutality if the aim was to reach hell instead!!  The poet sarcastically says, if these beings want to reach the garden of Eden, who else shall make it to Hades?!!

Heaven and hell can be created here and now!  We can either make the earth a green heaven or one bloody hell!  It is all in our own hands.

pada vigrahaH:
वृक्षान् छित्वा पशून् हत्वा कृत्वा रुधिर-कर्दमम् ।
vṛkṣān chitvā paśūn hatvā kṛtvā rudhira-kardamam ।

यदि एवं गम्यते स्वर्गं नरकः केन गम्यते ॥
yadi evaṃ gamyate svargaṃ narakaḥ kena gamyate ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
vRukShaan Chitvaa pashUnhatvaa kRutvaa rudhirakardamam ।
yadyevaM gamyate swargam narakaH kena gamyate ॥
- pa~nchatantra, kaakolUkIya

vRukShaan Chitvaa pashUn hatvaa kRutvaa rudhira-kardamam ।

yadi evaM gamyate swargam narakaH kena gamyate ॥

September 9th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
वनस्पतेरपक्वानि फलानि प्रचिनोति यः ।
स नाप्नोति रसं तेभ्यः बीजं चास्य विनश्यति ॥
- विदुरनीति

Transliteration:
vanaspaterapakvāni phalāni pracinoti yaḥ ।
sa nāpnoti rasaṃ tebhyaḥ bījaṃ cāsya vinaśyati ॥
- viduranīti

Meaning of the subhAShita:

He who plucks the unripe fruit from the fruit trees, not only doesn't acquire their juices but spoils its seed as well. 

Commentary:

Right time, right place!

When fruit is not ripe, it is not ready for picking.  Nature has designed things so perfectly that when a fruit is ripe, just a small touch is enough to detach it from the tree!  Not only does the peel separate from the fruit easily but so does the seed inside.  There is not much effort needed.  When such a perfect design is tampered with, it is quite natural that the result gets tampered with as well!  If a fruit is plucked when unripe, its juices would not have reached their culmination.  The flavors would not have developed to their entirety.  The seed inside wouldn't have reached its fullest potential either and hence wouldn't be able to sprout another plant!  Why risk so many losses?!  

Keeping patience until the fruit is ready for harvest reaps far more benefits to the person than to one who loses his patience.  Hurrying nature won't yield good results.  Trees will not ripen the fruit as per the onlooker's schedule after all!  Only time can fill in the right juices in the right proportions in the fruit.

Similarly, in all walks of life, one has to do the right things, at the right time, and in the right place.  The same action done in an untimely manner will most certainly turn out wasteful.  One cannot say, 'But I put in a lot of effort!'  For, it is not the effort alone that yields results, it is the perfect timing as well.  Just like a player cannot hit a goal even before the game starts, and expect to score, one has to put his efforts in the right direction always.

After all, doing what's right in the right way at the right time, is the key to success in all walks of life!

pada vigrahaH:
वनस्पतेः अ-पक्वानि फलानि प्रचिनोति यः ।
vanaspateḥ a-pakvāni phalāni pracinoti yaḥ ।

स न आप्नोति रसं तेभ्यः बीजं च अस्य विनश्यति ॥
sa na āpnoti rasaṃ tebhyaḥ bījaṃ ca asya vinaśyati ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
vanaspaterapakvaani phalaani prachinoti yaH ।
sa naapnoti rasaM tebhyo bIjaM chaasya vinashyati ॥
- viduranIti

vanaspateH a-pakvaani phalaani prachinoti yaH ।

sa na aapnoti rasaM tebhyaH bIjaM cha asya vinashyati ॥

September 2nd

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
सदा वक्रस्सदारुष्टः सदा पूजामपेक्षते ।
कन्याराशिस्थितो नित्यं जामाता दशमो ग्रहः ॥

Transliteration:
sadā vakrassadāruṣṭaḥ sadā pūjāmapekṣate ।
kanyārāśisthito nityaṃ jāmātā daśamo grahaḥ ॥

Meaning of the subhAShita:

Always crooked, always angry, always expecting veneration—established eternally in the 'kanyā-rāśi' (sun sign Virgo or daughter), the son-in-law is the tenth planet.

Commentary:

This verse is a warning of what not to be! 

It is a norm among some that a son-in-law should be given special care and treatment by the parents of the girl.  Such a son-in-law is known to be constantly angry and always finding faults with anything his in-laws do.  The parents of the girl are constantly anxious about providing the best possible care and attention to their son-in-law.  If not, their daughter will suffer the brunt of his displeasure!  They are weary from tending to him all the time.

Astrology uses sun signs and planet positions to predict a person's predispositions, present and future outcomes, etc.  A planet sitting in the wrong sun sign of a person continually poses hardships to him/her for a very long time!  This seems to be a verse emerging out of the plight of parents who have given their daughter in marriage to a very demanding man.  There are only nine planets in astrology.  These parents are expressing their sorrow satirically, naming the son-in-law to be the 'tenth planet' sitting in the 'kanyā-rāśi' (the word 'kanyā' means the zodiac sign 'Virgo' as well as 'daughter') and causing grief eternally!

Not all sons-in-law have this attitude, but then the few that do, bring the poet to saying such a verse.  A mundane issue is addressed with a blend of humor and satire here.

Pray no parent feels this sort of pain and no son-in-law earns this kind of name!

pada vigrahaH:
सदा वक्रः सदा रुष्टः सदा पूजाम् अपेक्षते ।

sadā vakraḥ sadā ruṣṭaḥ sadā pūjām apekṣate ।

कन्या-राशि-स्थितो नित्यं जामाता दशमः ग्रहः ॥
kanyā-rāśi-sthito nityaṃ jāmātā daśamaḥ grahaḥ ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
sadaa vakrassadaaruShTaH sadaa pUjaamapekShate |
kanyaaraashisthito nityaM jaamaataa dashamo grahaH ||

sadaa vakraH sadaa ruShTaH sadaa pUjaam apekShate ।

kanyaa-raashi-sthito nityaM jaamaataa dashamaH grahaH ॥