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 prospers.  In turn, when one's company or association is not up to mark, he shall fall in his character.  The company one keeps speaks volumes about his mettle.  Someone once said, 'tell me thy friends and I shall tell you thy 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 on 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 survival)!!

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 ॥