October 19th


Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
अर्थातुराणां न सखा न बन्धुः
कामातुराणां न भयं न लज्जा ।
क्षुधातुराणां न रुचिर्न वेला
विद्यातुराणां न सुखं न निद्रा ॥

Transliteration:
arthāturāṇāṃ na sakhā na bandhuḥ
kāmāturāṇāṃ na bhayaṃ na lajjā ।
kṣudhāturāṇāṃ na rucirna velā
vidyāturāṇāṃ na sukhaṃ na nidrā ॥

Meaning of the subhAShita:
For those ambitious of wealth, there are no friends or relatives.  For those afflicted with excessive sexual urge, there is no fear nor shame. Those who are desperately hungry,  do not care for taste or time.  For those who have an intense thirst for knowledge, there are no comforts or sleep.  

Commentary:
The spirit of this verse is about priorities and what people are ready to compromise because of specific desires.

Opposites by nature cannot coexist. Where light resides, darkness fades; where cold prevails, warmth withdraws; where water flows, dryness vanishes.

In human nature too, certain opposites cannot find harmony within the same being. A person entirely driven to accumulate wealth sees all people as mere business transactions. In his eyes, friends and family bear no significance—only profit margins hold value, while relationships become inconsequential.

Similarly, someone deeply indulged in physical pleasures loses all sense of shame or restraint. Like an animal led by instinct, he pursues his cravings, caring only to satisfy his body’s demands.

When hunger overwhelms, taste and nourishment lose meaning. Time and decency hold no place in his mind; he’ll eat anything, anywhere, just to silence the pangs of his stomach.

On the contrary, one who thirsts endlessly for knowledge forsakes sleep and comfort, tirelessly pursuing an ever-expanding horizon of goals. His mind, driven by an insatiable desire to learn, knows no rest.  He compromises his sleep and comforts to gain what his heart desires - knowledge.  

Importantly, the heart of all pursuits should be human dignity. No goal is worth a trade of self-respect. Dignity does not stem from how others regard us but from how steadfastly we honor ourselves, even in the most trying of times.

pada vigrahaH:
अर्थ आतुराणां न सखा न बन्धुः
artha āturāṇāṃ na sakhā na bandhuḥ

काम आतुराणां न भयं न लज्जा ।
kāma āturāṇāṃ na bhayaṃ na lajjā ।

क्षुधा अतुराणां न रुचिः न वेला
kṣudhā aturāṇāṃ na ruciḥ na velā

विद्या आतुराणां न सुखं न निद्रा ॥
vidyā āturāṇāṃ na sukhaṃ na nidrā ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
arthaaturaaNaaM na sakhaa na bandhuH
kaamaaturaaNaaM na bhayaM na lajjaa |
kShudhaaturaaNaaM na rucirna velaa
vidyaaturaaNaaM na sukhaM na nidraa ||

artha aaturaaNaaM na sakhaa na bandhuH
kaama aaturaaNaaM na bhayaM na lajjaa |
kShudhaa aturaaNaaM na ruciH na velaa
vidyaa aaturaaNaaM na sukhaM na nidraa ||




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