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, after creating a bloody mire, if this is how heaven is attained,  (then) hell is attained by whom?! 

Commentary:
There is a story where a little boy comes to a tree.  The tree gives him leaves to play with.  He would then climb the trunk and swing from the branches.  When the boy grows up, the tree provides 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 the favors, man loots and loots, like there is no tomorrow until nothing is left!  What to say about the massacring 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 are not for attaining afterlife, but are created here and now!  One 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 ॥

5 comments:

  1. Great explanation! This deserve to be flagged for Environment Day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This for posting so many subhashits with meaning and audio. Jokingly I may ask whether all this is done by you in this single life or in many lives?
    Slight correction required. रुधिर .. न तु रुदिर.
    2. स्वर्गं. न तु स्वर्गे. दयाकर दाब्के +919584233753.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaa! Yes, Dayakar ji. Did all this over a few years. Timeline of the works available at 'About the blog' :).

      Thank you for catching the typos. They have been fixed.

      Delete
  3. Namaskaram mam bahut accha slok

    ReplyDelete