November 4th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:

परस्परविरोधे तु वयम् पञ्चश्च ते शतम् ।

परैस्तु विग्रहे प्राप्ते वयम् पञ्चाधिकम् शतम् ॥

- महाभारत

Transliteration:

parasparavirodhe tu vayam pañcaśca te śatam ।

paraistu vigrahe prāpte vayam pañcādhikam śatam ॥

- mahābhārata

Meaning of the subhAShita:

When opposing each other, we are 5, and they are 100. When against others, we are 5 plus 100. 

Commentary:

Unity is Strength!

This timeless truth is famously articulated by Yudhiṣṭhira in the Mahābhārata. When their ill-intentioned cousin, Duryodhana, was captured by an enemy, his brother Bhīma was reluctant to come to his aid. It was Yudhiṣṭhira who, with wisdom and foresight, urged Bhīma to set aside personal grudges and offer help in Duryodhana's moment of peril.  He said, "pitted against each other, we are 5 people against their hundred.  Whereas against a common enemy, we are a unified 105!"

Though family disputes are inevitable, and conflicts may simmer within its walls, there is a higher purpose when facing external threats. In times of adversity, the bonds of kinship must transcend individual differences. Familial matters should be resolved internally, within the confines of the family. But when united against a common foe, the strength of that unity is unmatched.

This principle extends far beyond the family unit. It is the cornerstone of communities, cities, states, and nations. When a common enemy seeks to undermine the very fabric of society, the imperative to stand together becomes critical. Divided we weaken, but unified we resist. If we allow ourselves to be consumed by internal strife, we invite the enemy in, making it easier for them to divide and conquer.

A family need not be flawless, but it must be united. And just as a family is a source of strength through unity, so too must we elevate that sense of unity to the level of the nation. We must know who is ours and who is not.  For in unity, there is power; in division, there is defeat.

pada vigrahaH:

परस्पर-विरोधे तु वयम् पञ्चः च ते शतम् ।

paraḥ api hitavān bandhuḥ bandhuḥ api ahitaḥ paraḥ ।

परैः तु विग्रहे प्राप्ते वयम् पञ्च-अधिकम् शतम् ॥

ahitaḥ dehajaḥ vyādhiḥ hitam āraṇyam auṣadham ॥

Alternate Transliteration:

parasparavirodhe tu vayam pa~jchashcha te shatam |

paraistu vigrahe praapte vayam pa~ncaadhikam shatam ||

- mahaabhaarata

paraspara-virodhe tu vayam pa~nchaH cha te shatam |

paraiH tu vigrahe praapte vayam pa~nca-adhikam shatam ||