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