Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
स्वभावो नोपदेशेन शक्यते कर्तुमन्यथा ।
सुतप्तमपि पानीयं पुनर्गच्छति शीतताम् ॥
- पञ्चतन्त्र, मित्रभेद
Transliteration:
svabhāvo nopadeśena śakyate kartumanyathā ।
sutaptamapi pānīyaṃ punargacchati śītatām ॥
- pañcatantra, mitrabheda
Meaning of the subhAShita:
It is not possible to change the intrinsic nature (of anyone) through advice. Even after being boiled intensely, water goes back (to being) cold.
Commentary:
One may boil water for hours, bringing it to a rolling boil. Yet, all that heat cannot alter water’s inherent nature—to be cool to the touch. Water is naturally colder than its surroundings and doesn’t need effort to be so. No amount of boiling can change its fundamental properties. How much ever it is heated, it will only cool down after a while. That is simply how it’s designed.
Similarly, in life, we encounter people whose ways of doing things may differ from our expectations. The urge to shake them up or guide them toward what seems a "better" approach can be overwhelming. However, what feels natural to them might be incomprehensible to someone outside their circumstances. Attempting to educate or lecture them often proves futile if their intrinsic nature operates on an entirely different wavelength.
Just as water cannot be taught to remain hot, or fire to become cold, a person’s enduring nature cannot be fundamentally altered through advice or counseling—whether well-intentioned or not. You can’t teach a fish to fly like a bird. Each person is the “best version of themselves,” shaped by their unique traits and experiences.
Recognize when your efforts 'to change or influence someone' may be beyond their capacity to heed. Knowing when to let go spares you disappointment and frustration. Accept people for who they are, and move on with grace.
pada vigrahaH:
स्वभावः न उपदेशेन शक्यते कर्तुम् अन्यथा ।
svabhāvaḥ na upadeśena śakyate kartum anyathā ।
सुतप्तम् अपि पानीयं पुनः गच्छति शीतताम् ॥
स्वभावः न उपदेशेन शक्यते कर्तुम् अन्यथा ।
svabhāvaḥ na upadeśena śakyate kartum anyathā ।
सुतप्तम् अपि पानीयं पुनः गच्छति शीतताम् ॥
sutaptam api pānīyaṃ punaḥ gacchati śītatām ॥
svabhaavo nopadeshena shakyate kartumanyathaa।
sutaptamapi paanIyaM punargachChati shItataam॥
- pa~nchatantra, mitrabheda
svabhaavaH na upadeshena shakyate kartum anyathaa ।
sutaptam api paanIyaM punaH gachChati shItataam॥
