WEIGH BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Subhashitham:008

अर्थानर्थौ विनिश्चित्य व्यवसायं बजेत ह I

गुणत: संग्रहं कुर्यात् दोषतस्तुविसर्जयेत्  II

यदि  दोषो महान् तस्मिन् त्यजतां अविषङ्गितं I

गुणान् वा s पि बहून् ज्ञात्वा संग्रह: क्रियताम् नृप  II

Arthanarthan vinischithya vyavasaayam  bhajetha ha I

Gunatha: sangraham kuryaath doshasthu visarjayeth II

Yadhi dosho mahaan thasmin thyajathaam avishangitham  I

Gunaan vaa api bahoon gyathvaa sangraha: kriyatham  nrupa  II

This is sloka is  from Valmiki Ramayana.

 Angadha  to Rama on  Whether to accept Vibhishana or not.

“When deciding on a venture or people  we have to weigh both the good and the bad. If a person is found worthy he should be welcomed. If he is unworthy he should be avoided. If someone is predominantly bad he should not be accepted, where as if someone is predominantly good he should be allowed to join the group.”

In thirukkural similar idea is expressed:

குணம்நாடிக் குற்றமும் நாடி அவற்றுள்
மிகைநாடி மிக்க கொளல்.    குறள் 504:

Weigh well the good of each, his failings closely scan,
As these or those prevail, so estimate the man.

Sri Krishnaya thubhyam nama:

NATURE BORN INCLINATIONS ARE DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME

Subhashitham: 007
काक: पद्म वने रति न कुरुते  हंसो न कूपोदके I 

मूर्ख: पण्डित संगमे न रमते दासो न सिंहासने II

कुस्त्री सज्जन संगमे न रमते  नीचं जनं सेवते I

या यस्य प्रकृति स्वभाव जनिता  केनापि न त्यज्यते II
Kaakah padma vane rati na kurute hamso na koopodake I
Moorkhah pandita samgame na ramate daaso na simhaasane II
Kustree sajjana sangame na ramate neecham janam sevate I
Yaa yasya prakruti svabhaava janitaa kenaapi na tyajyate II

A crow has no fascination for a lovely lotus-pond;
 Swan is not happy to dwell in a small well.

 A fool hates assembly of wise men; An attendant trembles to sit on a thone( Simhasana ). An unchaste woman shuns men of character and prefers men of her own ilk. Whatever the nature-born inclinations, beings tend to hold on to it.

In  the Bhagavath Gita ch3-verse 33 ( karma yoga ) Sri Krishna presents universal laws of life as follows:

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्या: प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि |

प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रह: किं करिष्यति ||BG3.33||

sadṛiśhaṁ cheṣhṭate svasyāḥ prakṛiter jñānavān api
prakṛitiṁ yānti bhūtāni nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣhyati

 Even wise people act according to their natures, for all living beings are propelled by their natural tendencies. What will one gain by repression?

If it is so, is there no salvation?  Kalidasa in Malavikagnimithra says:

मन्दोऽप्यमन्दतामेति संसर्गेण विपश्चितः

पङ्कछिदः फलस्येव निकर्षेणाविलं पयः

Mando’pyamandataameti samsargena vipashchitah

Pankachchhidah phalasyeva nikashenaavilam payah

Even a fool becomes clever by association with the wise just as even muddy water becomes clear when it comes into contact with the fruits of the nirmalee tree (i.e. when the fruits are put in the water).

संग: सर्वात्मना त्याज्य: स चेत् त्यक्तुं न शक्यते  I

साधव सत्वभि गन्तव्य: संत: सङ्गस्य भेषजं  II

Get rid of all earthly attachments with all your heart, if for some reason you are not able to do that , approach men of wisdom. Wise men are the anti-dote for attachment.

Sri Krishnaaya thubyam nama:

THE ETERNAL WITNESS- SARVA SAKSHI-सर्व साक्षी

Subhashitham: 006

एकाहमस्ति इति  च मन्यसे त्वंन ह्रुच्च यं वेत्त्सि मुनिं पुराणं I
यो वेदिता कर्मण: पापकस्यतस्यान्तिके त्वं वृजिनं करोषि II

This is a beautiful verse from Saakuntalam of Kaalidaasa.

Sakuntala tells Dushyantha : You think by repudiating me you have cheated me without anyone knowing about it. But, there in your heart dwells ‘Paramaathma’ as sarva sakshi witnessing the sin committed by you. You can never cheat your own conscience.

There is also a famous verse which lists a number of witnesses to all our activities which  we may think no one has noticed. In hindu belief, behind every insentient object there is a sentient ‘DEVATA’ principle.Behind the burning sun is the principle of SURYA NARAYANA and so on.

आदित्य चन्द्रा वनिलो s नलश्च ध्यौर् बूमिरापो हृदयं यमश्च I

अहश्च रात्रिश्च उभेच संध्ये धर्मश्च जानाति नरस्य वृत्तं II

Aadithya chandraa anilo analascha dhyour bhoomi aapo hrudayam yamascha I

Ahascha raathrischa ubecha sandhye dharmascha jaanaathi narasya vrutthamII

The sun,the moon, wind, fire, sky, earth, water, Heart, Yama, day,night, twilights and dharma know all the activities of men.

It is because of  this principle Valluvar says:

குறள் 34:

மனத்துக்கண் மாசிலன் ஆதல் அனைத்தறன்

ஆகுல நீர பிற II

YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME.

Sri Krishnaaya thubyam nama:

VALUES IN LIFE

Subhashitham: 005

Two jackals were roaming in a forest when they happened to see a dead body.

One of them thought that it is time for a nice feast and pounced on the body. However, the other wiser jackal advised him not to do so. Chanakya in his own inimitable style brings out important “ values in life” through a dialogue between two jackals in this subhashitha.

    हस्तौ दानविवर्जितौ श्रुतिपुटौ सारस्वतद्रोहिणौ

    नेत्रे साधुविलोकनेन रहिते पादौ न तीर्थं गतौ ।

   अन्यायार्जितवित्तपूर्णमुदरं गर्वेण तुंगं शिरो

   रे रे जम्बुक मुञ्च सहसा नीचं सुनिन्घं वपु: ।।

O jackal, leave aside the body of that man at once, whose hands have never given in charity, whose ears have not heard the voice of learning, whose eyes have not beheld a pure devotee of the Lord, whose feet have never traversed to holy places, whose belly is filled with things obtained by crooked practices, and whose head is held high in vanity. Do not eat it, O jackal, otherwise you will become polluted.

We have also similar sentiments expressed by Bharthruhari in Niti sataka

श्रोत्रं श्रुतेनैव न कुण्डलेन

दानेन पाणिर्न तु कङ्कणेन ।

विभाति कायः करुणपराणां

परोपकारैर्न तु चन्दनेन ॥ 1.72 ॥

s`rotram s`rutena iva na kundalena

daaneena paan`ir na tu kankanena

vibhaati kaayaha  karun`aa  paraan`aam

paropakaarair  na tu candaneena

What are real jewels to humans?

1    The ears of men  are adorned with hearing revelation, not with earrings ;

.     Their hands with liberality, not with bracelets ;

.     Their bodies shine through doing kind deeds to others, not with ointment of sandal- wood.

 SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH

LITTLE DROPS OF WATER

Subhashitham:004

जल बिन्दु  निपाथेन क्रमशः पूर्यते घटः I

स हेतु सर्व विद्द्यानां धर्मस्य च धनस्य च I I208 Chanakya niti

Jalabindu nipaathena kramashah pooryaathe ghatah I

Sahethu sarva viddyaanaam dharmasya cha dhanasya cha II

Trickling water droplets can fill the pitcher in due course of time. Exactly in the same way, we should

Accumulate Knowledge, Dharma and Wealth.

 The idea here is that nothing in this world is small enough to be ignored. In acquiring knowledge, fame or wealth there is no place for slackness or despondency. The very effort is satisfying and rewarding.

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || 47 ||

karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi

BG 2.47: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.

Also, in matters of great importance one should have patience and perseverance. As the lord says in

BG CH6-Verse 25 :

शनै: शनैरुपरमेद्बुद्ध्या धृतिगृहीतया |
आत्मसंस्थं मन: कृत्वा न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् || 25||

Slowly and steadily, with conviction in the intellect, the mind will become fixed in God alone, and will think of nothing else.

In this sloka the importance of need to repeatedly practice whatever has been learnt is stressed.

Further, it is guaranteed that in course of  time the goal will be achieved:

न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते |
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्ध: कालेनात्मनि विन्दति || 38||

na hi jñānena sadṛiśhaṁ pavitramiha vidyate
tatsvayaṁ yogasansiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati

BG 4.38: In this world, there is nothing as purifying as divine knowledge. One who has attained purity of mind through prolonged practice of Yoga, receives such knowledge within the heart, in due course of time.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH