October 24th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
गगनं गगनाकारं सागरः सागरोपमः ।
रामरावणयोर्युद्धं रामरावणयोरिव ॥
- रामायण

Transliteration:
gaganaṃ gaganākāraṃ sāgaraḥ sāgaropamaḥ ।
rāmarāvaṇayoryuddhaṃ rāmarāvaṇayoriva ॥
- rāmāyaṇa

Meaning of the subhAShita:

The vastness of the sky is equal to (that of) the sky; the ocean is analogous to the ocean; the battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa is like the battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa!

Commentary:

This verse looks like it is repeating itself!  Is that so?  Not really.  This figure of speech is called 'ananvaya' (comparison of an object with its own ideal).  In this verse, the poet is at a loss of words to describe or give comparisons.  He says the best analogy for the vastness of the sky is none other than the sky itself!  Can anything be as deep and vast as an ocean?  The only collation or resemblance one can give for an ocean is - the ocean itself!  Similarly, the one and only correlation one can come up with for the fierce battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa is..., the battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa!!  They fought with such ferocity and strength that no comparison could suffice the description.  Finally, the poet just says that it was as unmatched as itself!  Lord Rāma was of great valor.  But Rāvaṇa could keep up with him.  (He was an equal match to Rāma in his physical strength.  But what brought him down was his weakness for sense pleasures and arrogance.) 

This very well depicts our inner demons.  The good thoughts are Rāma, the ignoble ones are Rāvaṇa.  Their internal battle is nothing short of the battle between Lord Rāma and Rāvaṇa themselves.  Just as there is no simile to the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, nothing can be compared to the inner turmoil each one of us goes through at our own crossroads either.  This brings to mind the story of the two wolves - the good one and the bad one.  When the grandson asks 'which one wins', the grandfather replies 'whichever you feed'!  Who we allow to win is entirely up to us.  It sure is not easy to win over the evil thoughts, just like Rāvaṇa who was quite invincible. But once the initial bombardment is overcome, the path for the good paves its way itself.  Physical strength, ignoble thoughts, and selfish motives can only survive so long.  If the thought that 'only the good and the ethical win eventually' is kept in mind, triumph comes sooner.

May Rāma's victory over Rāvaṇa inspire us to fight our inner war with the same tenacity as He did!  May everyone achieve noble merits in all their noble endeavors always!

P.S.:  This verse is an extraction from a four-line verse, but the subhāṣita aspect is covered in these two lines itself.  Hence the extraction from the full verse.

pada vigrahaH:
गगनं गगन-आकारं सागरः सागर-उपमः ।
gaganaṃ gagana-ākāraṃ sāgaraḥ sāgara-upamaḥ ।

राम-रावणयोः युद्धं राम-रावणयोः इव ॥
rāma-rāvaṇayoḥ yuddhaṃ rāma-rāvaṇayoḥ iva ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
gaganaM gaganaakaaraM saagaraH saagaropamaH ।
raamaraavaNayoryuddhaM raamaraavaNayoriva ॥
- raamaayaNa

gaganaM gagana-aakaaraM saagaraH saagara-upamaH ।

raama-raavaNayoH yuddhaM raama-raavaNayoH iva ॥