May 21st

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
खल्वाटो दिवसेश्वरस्य किरणैस्सन्तापितो मस्तके 
गच्छन्देशमनातपं द्रुतगतिस्तालस्य मूलं गतः ।
तत्राप्यस्य महाफलेन पतता भग्नं सशब्दं शिरः 
प्रायो गच्छति यत्र दैवहतकस्तत्रैव यान्त्यापदः ॥
-नीतिशतक
Transliteration:
khalvāṭo divaseśvarasya kiraṇaissantāpito mastake
gacchandeśamanātapaṃ drutagatistālasya mūlaṃ gataḥ ।
tatrāpyasya mahāphalena patatā bhagnaṃ saśabdaṃ śiraḥ
prāyo gacchati yatra daivahatakastatraiva yāntyāpadaḥ ॥
-nītiśataka

Meaning of the subhAShita:

A bald man scorched in the head due to the sun's rays, in search of a place of shade rushed hurriedly to the base of a palm tree.  There too, due to the falling of a huge palm fruit, his head was fractured with a huge noise!  Alas! perils probably go where ever those cursed by destiny go...

Commentary:

This story is an example of the fate of the ill-fated.  To begin with, he is a bald man without even a strand of hair to protect him from the scorching sun.  On a hot day in a barren place, all he could find was a palm tree.  He scurried beneath the tree to get some scraps of shade (a palm tree doesn't have dense foliage to cast a thick shadow anyway.)  As soon as he stood, a huge palm fruit (palm fruits are not very large, to begin with) fell on his head.  Just by that, his head cracked, with a loud noise!

Alas! Looks like he was ill-fated... Reminds of the saying 'Sometimes, the road of life takes an unexpected turn and you have no choice but to follow it and end up in the place you are supposed to be!'  Otherwise, why would he go beneath a palm tree of all places and offer his scorching bald head to the unusually large, falling fruit, so his head can break?!!  There were a million other places he could have been at that time, but the circumstances and his won decisions led him to where he was.  There will be times in one's life, where sometimes no matter how one prepares or handles his circumstances, things may not appear to be going right.

In such circumstances, where no logic, rhyme or reason can explain the happenings, one decides to attribute it to destiny.  And rightly so!  There is only so much a human can understand and explain.  Some things are beyond his limitations.  It is just the way it is!  Whatever has to happen, happens.  If we were able to explain everything, shouldn't we deem ourselves as God?!  Even with our infinite limitations, humans as a species is known to have a complex ego.  What if we were given that ultimate power where we knew and understood why everything happened a certain way?!  Then there would be no respite for the universe.

While luck/fate is a factor, one can do things to better his chances.  Then again, the Lord may choose to override them all!  At that time, one's mantra should be - what can't be cured, has to be endured!

pada vigrahaH:
खल्वाटः दिवसेश्वरस्य किरणैः सन्तापितः मस्तके 
khalvāṭaḥ divaseśvarasya kiraṇaiḥ santāpitaḥ mastake

गच्छन् देशम् अनातपं द्रुत-गतिः तालस्य मूलं गतः ।
gacchan deśam anātapaṃ druta-gatiḥ tālasya mūlaṃ gataḥ ।

तत्र अपि अस्य महा-फलेन पतता भग्नं सशब्दं शिरः 
tatra api asya mahā-phalena patatā bhagnaṃ saśabdaṃ śiraḥ

प्रायः गच्छति यत्र दैव-हतकः तत्र एव यान्ति आपदः ॥
prāyaḥ gacchati yatra daiva-hatakaḥ tatra eva yānti āpadaḥ ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
khalvaaTo divaseshwarasya kiraNaissantaapito mastake
gachChandeshamanaatapaM drutagatistaalasya mUlaM gataH ।
tatraapyasya mahaaphalena patataa bhagnaM sashabdaM shiraH
praayo gachChati yatra daivahatakastatraiva yaantyaapadaH ॥
-nItishataka

khalvaaTaH divaseshwarasya kiraNaiH santaapitaH mastake
gachChan desham anaatapaM druta-gatiH taalasya mUlaM gataH ।
tatra api asya mahaa-phalena patataa bhagnaM sashabdaM shiraH
praayaH gachChati yatra daiva-hatakaH tatra eva yaanti aapadaH ॥