THE SKY- CLOUD- MEGAH- GAGAN- (मेघ:, गगनम्)

SUBHASHITHANI:143

गगनम् गगनाकारम् सागरः सागरोपमः।
रामरावणयोर्युद्धम् रामरावणयोरिव॥ 
The sky compares only with itself and so does the ocean;
In the same way, the war between Rama and Ravana compares only with itself!

‘மையோ, மரகதமோ, மறி
     கடலோ, மழை முகிலோ,
ஐயோ, இவன் வடிவு!’ என்பது ஓர் 

     அழியா அழகு உடையான்." Kamba Ramayanam

अल्पकार्यकराः सन्ति ये नरा बहुभाषिणः ।

 शरत्कालिनमेघास्ते नूनं गर्जन्ति केवलम् ॥

Those men who talk too much are ones who do little work. They are the clouds of autumn; they really only roar. (but do not give any rain)

भवन्ति नम्रास्तरवः फलोद्गमैः  नवाम्बुभिर्भूरिविलम्बिनो घनाः ।
अनुद्धताः सत्पुरुषाः समृद्धिभिः स्वभाव एवैष परोपकारिणाम् ॥
Trees become bent (i.e. humble) with the harvest of fruits; with newly-gathered waters the clouds hang very low; good men with (the acquisition of) wealth become meek; this is the nature of benevolent persons.

शरदि न वर्षति गर्जति, वर्षति वर्षासु नि:स्वनो मेघ:।

नीचो वदति न कुरुते, न वदति सुजन: करोत्येव॥

Clouds in autumn make lot of noise but do not rain. Monsoon clouds rain, without making noise. An inferior person just talks, does not act but a good person acts without talking.

गौरवं प्राप्यते दानात् न तु वित्तस्य सञ्चयात् ।
स्थितिरुच्चैः पयोदानां पयोधीनामधः स्थितिः ॥
gauravaṃ prāpyate dānāt na tu vittasya sañcayāt ।
sthitiruccaiḥ payodānāṃ payodhīnāmadhaḥ sthitiḥ ॥

Respectability comes from giving and not collecting. Clouds (attain) a higher position and the oceans, a lower one.

अजायुद्धमृषिश्राद्धं प्रभाते मेघडम्बरम् ।

 दम्पत्योः कलहश्चैव परिणामे न किञ्चन ॥

Fighting between the goats, post death rituals for the sages, the thundering of clouds in the morning and the quarrel between the couple there is no useful outcome (result) in any one of these : )

रे रे चातक ! सावधानमनसा मित्र क्षणं श्रूयतां

अम्भोदा बहवो वसन्ति गगने सर्वेऽपि नैकादृशाः ।

केचित् वृष्टिभिरार्द्रयन्ति धरणीं गर्जन्ति केचिद्वृथा

 यं यं पश्यसि तस्य तस्य पुरतो मा ब्ऱूहि दीनं वचः ॥

O chatak, my friend, listen for a moment with an alert mind. There are many clouds in the sky, not all of them are alike. Some wet the earth by their showers, whereas some just roar. Don’t beg pitifully in front of each and every one you come across !

संग्रहैकपरः प्रायः समुद्रोपि रसातले ।
दातारं जलधं पश्य गर्जन्तं भुवनोपरि ॥

A collector (hoarder) is always at a lower level than the one who "gives". Just like the sea that just collects (whose water is of no use), and the cloud that only gives.

दैवेन प्रमुणा स्वयं जगति यद्यस्य प्रमाणिकृतं
तत्तस्योपनमेन्मनागपि महान्नैवाश्चयः कारणम् ।
सर्वाशापरिपूरके जलधरे वर्षत्यपि प्रत्यहं
सूक्ष्मा एव पतन्ति चातकमुखे द्वित्राः पयोबिन्दवः ॥

daivena pramuNA svayaM jagati yadyasya pramANikRutaM
tattasyopanamenmanAgapi mahAnnaivAshchayaH kAraNam |
sarvAshAparipUrake jaladhare varShatyapi pratyahaM
sUkShmA eva patanti chAtakamukhe dvitrAH payobindavaH ||
--Bhartrihari's nIti shataka, 13

That which has been fixed as a man's portion in this world by all-powerful Destiny will go to him; patronage of the great (lit. great patronage) is not at all the cause (of the acquisition). Although the cloud, the gratifier of the desires of all beings showers daily, only two or three minute drops of water fall into the mouth of the chAtaka bird. 

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH