BLIND LED BY THE BLIND - (ANDAH-अन्ध: -BLIND)

 SUBHASHITHANI:371

अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः 
स्वयं धीराः पण्डितंमन्यमानाः ।
दन्द्रम्यमाणाः परियन्ति मूढा 
अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः ॥ १.२.५ ॥
Avidhyam antare vartamaanaah
svayam dheeraah panditam manyamaanaah I
Dandramymaanaah pariyanti moodaa
Andenaiva neeyamaanaa yathaandhaah IIKatopanisad
Fools dwelling in ignorance, yet imagining themselves wise and learned, go round and round in crooked ways, like the blind led by the blind.

अनेकसंशयोच्छेदि, परोक्षार्थस्य दर्शकम् ।
सर्वस्य लोचनं शास्त्रं, यस्य नास्त्यन्ध एव सः ॥
aneka-saMshayo_chchhedi, paroksh_Arthasya darshakam |
sarvasya lochanam shAstram, yasya nAstyandha eva saH ||
It clears many doubts, foresees what is not obvious |
Science is the eye of everyone, one who hasn't got it, is like a blind ||

न स्वल्पम् अप्य् अध्यवसाय-भीरोः

करोति विज्ञान-विधिर् गुणं हि ।
अन्धस्य किं हस्त-तल-स्थितो ऽपि

प्रकाशयत्य् अर्थम् इह प्रदीपः ॥ १६५ ॥

na svalpam apy adhyavasāya-bhīroḥ

karoti vijñāna-vidhir guṇaṃ hi |
andhasya kiṃ hasta-tala-sthito 'pi

prakāśayaty artham iha pradīpaḥ || 165 ||Hitopadesa

One who is scared to do even a little bit of studies can’t benefit by science; the lamp placed on the palm of a blind, can’t illumine him.

अन्ध: पुरैव वधिरो मन्दप्रज्ञाश्च साम्प्रतम् ।
विशीर्णदन्तो मन्दाग्नि: सराग: कफमुद्वहन् ॥ २२ ॥

andhaḥ puraiva vadhiro
manda-prajñāś ca sāmprataṁ
viśīrṇa-danto mandāgniḥ
sarāgaḥ kapham udvahanII ŚB 1.13.22

You have been blind from your very birth, and recently you have become hard of hearing. Your memory is shortened, and your intelligence is disturbed. Your teeth are loose, your liver is defective, and you are coughing up mucus.  ( Vidura to Dhrutarashtra)

आचारहीनस्य तु ब्राह्मणस्य वेदाः
षडंगास्त्वखिलाः सयज्ञाः।
कां प्रीतिमुत्पादयितुं समर्था
अन्धस्य दारा इव दर्शनीयाः।।Vaisishta dharma sutra
Aachaaraheenaya tu brahmansya vedaah
Shadangaastvakhilaah sayagyaah I
Kaam preetim upaadayitum samarthaa
Andhasya daaraa iva darsaneeyaah II
For a brahmin without virtue, the Vedas, Vedaangaas and Yajna are meaningless in the same way as the beauty of the wife for the blind.

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?

अन्धस्य मे हृतविवेकमहाधनस्य

चोरैः प्रभो बलिभिरिन्द्रियनामधेयैः ।

मोहान्धकूपकुहरे विनिपातितस्य

लक्ष्मीनृसिंह मम देहि करावलम्बम् ।। Sankara bhagavad pada

andhasya me hR^itavivekamahaadhanasya

choraiH prabho balibhirindriyanaamadheyaiH |

mohaandhakuupakuhare vinipaatitasya

lakshhmInR^isiMha mama dehi karAvalambam.h || 11 || 

O Lord! My great wealth called power of discrimination (viveka) has been stolen away by the powerful thieves called senses. I am blind (without the power of discrimination between things eternal and noneternal). In this condition, I have been pushed into the dark well called delusion. O Lakshminrsimha, provide me the support of Your hands.

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया ।
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन  तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥Guru gita 
Of a person who is blind because of the darkness of ignorance, using a stick to apply the eyeliner of knowledge, by whom the eyes were opened , unto that Guru (my) respects.

कोऽर्थः पुत्रेण जातेन यो न विद्वान्न धार्मिकः ।
काणेन चक्षुषा किं वा चक्षुः पीडैव केवलम् ॥ Hitopadesa
Ko arhah putrena jaatena yon a vidvaan na dharmikah I
Kaanena chakshushaa kim vaa chakshuh peedaiva kevalam II
What is the good of having a son who is neither learned nor pious; for what is the use of an eye that is blind? It only causes ocular pain.

SRI KRISHNAYATHUBHYAM NAMAH