DO THE TREES NOT LIVE?- तरव: किं न जीवन्ति

 SUBHASHITHANI:313

तरव: किं न जीवन्ति भस्त्रा: किं न श्वसन्त्युत ।
न खादन्ति न मेहन्ति किं ग्रामे पशवोऽपरे ॥ SB 2.3.18

taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti  bhastrāḥ kiṁ na śvasanty uta
na khādanti na mehanti  kiṁ grāme paśavo ’pare
Do the trees not live? Do the bellows of the blacksmith not breathe? All around us, do the beasts not eat and indulge in mating?

( We have already seen that it is knowledge of dharma shastra that separates man from other animals:धर्मेण  हीनाः  पशुभिस-समानाः )

अभिमानो धनंयेषां चिरजीवन्ति ते जनाः ।
अभिमानविहीनानां किं धनेन किमायुषा ॥
Abhimaano dhanam yeshaam chira jeevanti te janaah I
Abhimaana viheenaanaam kim dhanena kim aayushaa II
Those who consider self respect as greatest wealth naturally live longer. But without self-respect, what is the use of wealth or longevity?

व्याघ्रस्याचरणं ध्रुवस्य च वयो विद्या गजेन्द्रस्य का,
का जातिर्विदुरस्य यादवपतेरुग्रस्य किंपौरुषम |
कुब्जाया कमनीय रूप मधिकम किंतत सुदाम्नो धनं,
भक्त्या तुष्यति केवलं न तु गुणैः भक्तिप्रियो माधवः ||

What conduct was great of Vyaadha ? Where was Dhruva that old? What knowledge did Gajendra have ? Where was Vidura of a higher class ? What manliness did yadupati Ugrasena have?Where was there any beauty in Kubja ? Where was there any wealth possessed by Sudama ? Even then all of them realized God! Because to God, only devotion and love are dear to him. He is only satisfied with devotion, not due to their conduct, knowledge or qualities.

यदभावि न तद्भावि भावि चेन्न तदन्यथा ।
इति चिन्ताविषघ्नोऽयमगदः किं न पीयते ॥ ०.२९ ॥Hitopadesa

Yadabhaavee na tad bhavee bhavee chenna tad anyataa I
Iti chintaa vishagno ayaagadah kim na peeyate  II
What is not to be can never be, and if it is to be, it can never be otherwise; Why is this antidote against the poison of anxiety not swallowed?

शरीरं सुरूपं तथा वा कलत्रं 

यशश्र्चारु चित्रं धनं मेरुतुल्यं I
गुरोरङ्घ्रिपद्मे मनश्र्चेन लग्नं

ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं || Guru Ashtakam

śarīram surūpam tathā vā kalatraḿ
yaśaścāru citram dhanam merutulyam
gurorańghripadme ḿanaścenna lagnaḿ
tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ tataḥ kiḿ II Sri Sankara

One’s physique may be superb, one’s consort likewise, one’s reputation resplendent and renowned, and one’s riches as high as Mount Meru; yet if one’s mind be not centred upon the lotus feet of the Guru, what then, what then, what then?

செவியிற் சுவையுணரா வாயுணர்வின் மாக்கள்
அவியினும் வாழினும் என்.-Kural 420

Behold the men that taste with the tongue know not the taste of the ear; What does it matter whether those men live or die?

,किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिता: |

तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् || BG4.16||

kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo ’pyatra mohitāḥ
tat te karma pravakṣhyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣhyase ’śhubhāt

What is action and what is inaction? Even the wise are confused in determining this. Now I shall explain to you the secret of action, by knowing which, you may free yourself from material bondage.

मुक्ताफलै: किं मृग पक्षिनाभ्यां , मिष्ठान्नपानं किमु गर्दभानां I
अन्धस्य दीपो बदिरस्य गीतं मूर्खस्य किं शास्त्र कथाप्रसङ्ग: II

Of What use pearls are to the animals and birds, can donkeys enjoy a tasty dinner? Of what service is a lamp to him who is blind ?, Can the deaf enjoy good music?  what use scholarly lectures to a fool?

लोभश्चेदगुणेन किं पिशुनता यद्यस्ति किं पातकैः

सत्यं यत्तपसा च किं शुचिमनो यद्यस्ति तीर्थेन किम् ।

सौजन्यं यदि किं गुणैः सुमहिमा यद्यस्ति किं मण्डनैः

सद्विद्या यदि किं धनैरपयशौ यद्यस्ति किं मृत्युना ।।Chanakya niti

If one is greedy ,he is not ashamed to do other vices, if one is back-biter he

needs no crime, if one is truthful austerity is not required for him, he need not

go on pilgrimage if one has clear conscience, if one is courteous he needs no

other strength, a man of dignity needs no other ornaments, if one is well

educated he needs no other riches, and if one has begotten ill-repute it is same as death.

युक्ति युक्तं प्रगृह्णीयात् बालादपि विचक्षणः।
रवेरविषयं वस्तु किं न दीपः प्रकाशयेत्॥

 yukti yuktaṃ pragṛhṇīyāt bālādapi vicakṣaṇaḥ।
raveraviṣayaṃ vastu kiṃ na dīpaḥ prakāśayet॥
The wise should learn to accept wisdom from anybody, even from a child.
Doesn’t the small night lamp light up things which the sun can not?​

त्यागः एको गुणः श्लाघ्यः किमन्यैर्गुणराशिभिः।
त्यागाद्जगति पूज्यन्ते पशुपाषाणपादपाः॥
Forsaking or giving up is a lone virtue, which is praiseworthy. What is the use of heaps of other virtues. In this world, due to their giving up (benevolent nature), animals, stones and trees are getting worshipped.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH