PANCHA TANTRA-MITRA BHEDAA-42

 SUBHASHITHANI:372

 The story of the foolish turtle/The story of the three fishes

                 

यः पराभव-सन्त्रस्तः स्व-स्थानं सन्त्यजेन् नरः ।

तेन चेत् पुत्रिणी माता तद् वन्ध्या केन कथ्यते ॥ ३४२ ॥

yaḥ parābhava-santrastaḥ sva-sthānaṃ santyajen naraḥ |
tena cet putriṇī mātā tad vandhyā kena kathyate || 342 ||

If a mother is to be called ‘The giver of birth to a son’ by having a son who, afraid of a defeat or injury, leaves his own place, then on whose account can she be  designated “a barren woman?”

उत्क्षिप्य टिट्टिभः पादाव् आस्ते भ गभयाद् दिवः ।
स्व-चित्त-कल्पितो गर्वः कस्य नात्रापि विद्यते ॥ ३४३ ॥

utkṣipya ṭiṭṭibhaḥ pādāv āste bha gabhayād divaḥ |
sva-citta-kalpito garvaḥ kasya nātrāpi vidyate || 343 ||

The Tittibha flies with its feet spread out, thinking that it will hold back the falling sky with its feet! And like this, who does not feel proud of his own imagined superiority?

सुह्ड़्दाम्हितकामानाम् न करॊतीह यॊवचः। 
स कूर्म इव दुर्बुढिः काष्ठाद् भ्रष्टॊ विनश्यति॥३४४॥

suhadām hitakāmanām n katotīh yovachah |

 sa kūrm iva durbuddhih kāśtād bhraśto vinaśayati ||344

He who does not follow the advice of his friends and well-wishers will be destroyed, like the foolish turtle, which fell down, letting go the stick it was holding on to.”

त्याज्यं न धैर्यं विधुरेऽपि काले

धैर्यात् कदाचिद् गतिम् आप्नुयात् सः ।
यथा समुद्रेऽपि च पोत-भङ्गे

सांयात्रिको वाञ्छति तर्तुम् एव ॥ ३४५ ॥

tyājyaṃ na dhairyaṃ vidhure’pi kale

 dhairyāt kadācid gatim āpnuyāt saḥ |
yathā samudre’pi ca pota-bhaṅge

sāṃyātriko vāñchati tartum eva || 345 ||

If one has courage one can find a way out of difficulty; As when a ship is wrecked even in the midst of the sea, the voyager tries his best to reach the shore. 

(विधुरेऽपि- Vidurepi- in adverse condition )

मित्रार्थे बान्धवार्थे च बुद्धिमान् यतते सदा ।
जातास्व् आपत्सु यत्नेन जगादेदं वचो मनुः ॥ ३४६ ॥

mitrārthe bāndhavārthe ca buddhimān yatate sadā |
jātāsv āpatsu yatnena jagādedaṃ vaco manuḥ || 346 ||

An intelligent person should always help his friends and relatives in hard times. It is through this constant effort, that difficulties are overcome. So says Manu.

अनागत-विधाता च प्रत्युत्पन्न-मतिस् तथा ।
द्वाव् एतौ सुखम् एधेते यद्-भविष्यो विनश्यति ॥ ३४७ ॥
anāgata-vidhātā ca pratyutpanna-matis tathā |
dvāv etau sukham edhete yad-bhaviṣyo vinaśyati || 347 ||
“Far-sighted” and “Quick-witted” both survived and lived happily, while “Whatever happens is inevitable” died.

अशक्तैर् बलिनः शत्रोः कर्तव्यं प्रपलायनम् ।
संश्रितव्यो ऽथवा दुर्गो नान्या तेषां गतिर् भवेत् ॥ ३४८ ॥

aśaktair balinaḥ śatroḥ kartavyaṃ prapalāyanam |
saṃśritavyo 'thavā durgo nānyā teṣāṃ gatir bhavet || 348 ||

When the weak face strong enemy, he has to protect himself by running away to safety, seek an alliance, or stay in a fort; there is no other way.

विद्यमाना गतिर् येषाम् अन्यत्रापि सुखावहा ।
ते न पश्यन्ति विद्वांसो देह-भङ्गं कुल-क्षयम् ॥ ३४९ ॥

vidyamānā gatir yeṣām anyatrāpi sukhāvahā |
te na paśyanti vidvāṃso deha-bhaṅgaṃ kula-kṣayam || 349 ||

Those wise men who have a safe resort open, elsewhere though it may be, do not wait to see the down fall of their country or the destruction of their family.

 पर-देश-भयात् भीता बहु-माया नपुंसकाः ।
स्व-देशे निधनं यान्ति काकाः कापुरुषा मृगाः ॥ ३५० ॥

para-deśa-bhayāt bhītā bahu-māyā napuṃsakāḥ |
sva-deśe nidhanaṃ yānti kākāḥ kāpuruṣā mṛgāḥ || 350 ||

Afraid of going to foreign lands, full of many tricks and imbecile, crows, weak- minded men and deer perish in their own places.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH