TIMELY ACTION

SUBHASHITHAM: 068

यावत्स्वस्थमिदं शरीरमरुजं यावच्च दूरे जरा           

 यावच्चेन्द्रियशक्तिरप्रतिहता यवत्क्षयो नायुषः ।

आत्मश्रेयसि तावदेव विदुषा कार्यः प्रयत्नो महान्

  संदीप्ते भवने तु कूपखननं प्रत्युद्यमः कीदृशः ॥ ७५ ॥

Yaavatswasthamidam shareeramarujam yaavachcha doore jaraa   Yavachchendriyashaktirapratihataa yaavatkshayonaayushah  I   Aatmashreyasi taavadeva vapushaa kaarya prayatno mahaan    Sandeepte bhavane tu koopa khananam pratyudyamah keedrishah  II [74] VAIRAGYA SATAKAM

When the body is still healthy, when old age is far away, when all the senses are working with peak efficiency, when there are still many more years to live,  one should endeavour intensely, using this body, to elevate the self to the highest state. Trying to do this when one is at the fag end of one’s life is like starting to dig a well when the house is already on fire.

दिवसेनैव तत् कुर्याद् येन रात्रौ सुखं वसेत् |

यावज्जीवं च तत्कुर्याद् येन प्रेत्य सुखं वसेत् ||    विदुरनीति

Do such a work through the day, so that you can sleep peacefully at night. Similarly, do such a work throughout your life so that you can 'live' peacefully after death.

न कश्चिदपि जानाति  किं कस्य श्वो भविष्यति ।

अतः श्वः करणीयानि  कुर्यादद्यैव बुद्धिमान् ॥

Nobody knows what happens to whom tomorrow. That's why, a wise person should complete tomorrow's duties today itself.

चिन्तनीया हि विपदाम्  आदावेव प्रतिक्रिया ।

न कूपखननं  युक्तम्प्रदीप्ते वह्निना गृहे ॥

One should foresee the effects of a problem and decide how to react to them well in advance. It is improper to dig a well when the house is on fire.

कृष्ण त्वदीयपदपङ्कजपञ्जरान्तं    अद्यैव मे विशतु मानसराजहंसः ।

प्राणप्रयाणसमये कफवातपित्तैः    कण्ठावरोधनविधौ स्मरणं कुतस्ते ॥ ७॥

KrishNa! Tvadeeya pada pankaja panjaraantha    Madhyaiva mE visathu maanasa raaja hamsa: I  PraaNa prayaaNa samayE kapa-vaatha- piththai:   KanTaavarOdhna vidhou smaraNam kutha: thE II

Oh! KrishNa!  - Let the royal swan of my mind gain entry into the cage of your lotus feet HERE and NOW!  - This is because, how can your remembrance dawn on me at the time of death, when the throat gets choked with phlegm, rheumatism and bilious afflictions??

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMA: