PANCHA TANTRA-MITRA BHEDAA-44

 SUBHASHITHANI:374

The story of the sparrow and the elephant

अनिर्वेदः श्रियो मूलं चञ्चुर् मे लोह-सन्निभा ।
अहो-रात्राणि दीर्घाणि समुद्रः किं न शुष्यति ॥ ३५९ ॥

anirvedaḥ śriyo mūlaṃ cañcur me loha-sannibhā |
aho-rātrāṇi dīrghāṇi samudraḥ kiṃ na śuṣyati || 359 ||

Indefatigable is the root cause of prosperity; My beak is as hard as iron the days and nights are long enough; cannot the sea be then dried up.

दुरधिगमः पर-भागो यावत् पुरुषेण पौरुषं न कृतम् ।
जयति तुलाम् अधिरूढो भास्वान् अपि जलद-पटलानि ॥ ३६० ॥

duradhigamaḥ para-bhāgo yāvat puruṣeṇa pauruṣaṃ na kṛtam |
jayati tulām adhirūḍho bhāsvān api jalada-paṭalāni || 360 ||

Supreme excellence is beyond one’s reach only s long as one does not put forth manly efforts; even the luminous sun dispels the masses of clouds when he enters the sign libra.

बहूनाम् अप्य् असाराणां सम्वायो हि दुर्जयः ।
तृणैर् आवेष्ट्यते रज्जुर् यथा नागो ऽपि बद्ध्यते ॥ ३६१ ॥

bahūnām apy asārāṇāṃ samvāyo hi durjayaḥ |
tṛṇair āveṣṭyate rajjur yathā nāgo 'pi baddhyate || 361 ||

The combination of many things, although insignificant, is irresistible; a rope is made out of grass by which even an elephant is bound.

चटकाकाष्ठ-कूटेन मक्षिका-दर्दुरैस् तथा ।
महाजन-विरोधेन कुञ्जरः प्रलयं गतः ॥ ३६२ ॥

caṭakākāṣṭha-kūṭena makṣikā-dardurais tathā |
mahājana-virodhena kuñjaraḥ pralayaṃ gataḥ || 362 ||

An elephant met with his destruction through hostility of many; namely the sparrow, the wood-pecker, the fly and the frog with his followers.

नष्टं मृतम् अतिक्रान्तं नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिताः ।
पण्डितानां च मूर्खाणां विशेषो ऽयं यतः स्मृतः ॥ ३६३ ॥

naṣṭaṃ mṛtam atikrāntaṃ nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ |
paṇḍitānāṃ ca mūrkhāṇāṃ viśeṣo 'yaṃ yataḥ smṛtaḥ || 363 ||

The wise don’t lament for what is lost, dead, or past. This is the difference between the wise and fools.

 अशोच्यानीह भूतानि यो मूढस् तानि शोचति ।

तद्-दुःखाल् लभते दुःखं द्वाव् अनर्थौ निषेवते ॥ ३६४ ॥

aśocyānīha bhūtāni yo mūḍhas tāni śocati |
tad-duḥkhāl labhate duḥkhaṃ dvāv anarthau niṣevate || 364 ||

In this world the death of someone should not be lamented; one who mourns for them is considered a fool. He gets one misery as resulting from another and he falls to two undesirable things.

श्लेष्माश्रु बान्धवैर् मुक्तं प्रेतो भुङ्क्ते यतो ऽवशः ।
तस्मान् न रोदितव्यं हि क्रियाः कार्याश् च शक्तितः ॥ ३६५ ॥

śleṣmāśru bāndhavair muktaṃ preto bhuṅkte yato 'vaśaḥ |
tasmān na roditavyaṃ hi kriyāḥ kāryāś ca śaktitaḥ || 365 ||

Since the deceased person, being helpless, has to taste the tears and phlegm, shed by the relatives, one should not lament, but perform the exequial rites according to one’s means.

आपदि येनोपकृतं येन च हसितं दशासु विषमासु ।
उपकृत्य तयोर् उभयोः पुनर् अपि जातं नरं मन्ये ॥ ३६६ ॥

āpadi yenopakṛtaṃ yena ca hasitaṃ daśāsu viṣamāsu |
upakṛtya tayor ubhayoḥ punar api jātaṃ naraṃ manye || 366 ||

I consider him a great man who confers benefit on him who has done a service to him in times of adversity and punishes him who made fun of him when the times were bad.

 स सुहृद्-व्यसने यः स्याद् अन्य-जात्य्-उद्भवो ऽपि सन् ।

वृद्धौ सर्वो ऽपि मित्रं स्यात् सर्वेषाम् एव देहिनाम् ॥ ३६७ ॥

sa suhṛd-vyasane yaḥ syād anya-jāty-udbhavo 'pi san |
vṛddhau sarvo 'pi mitraṃ syāt sarveṣām eva dehinām || 367 ||

A friend in need is a friend in deed; although from a different caste; the whole world is your eager friend so long as riches last. ( A.W.Ryder)

स सुहृद्-व्यसने यः स्यात् स पुत्रो यस् तु भक्तिमान् ।
स भृत्यो यो विधेयज्ञः सा भार्या यत्र निर्वृतिः ॥ ३६८ ॥

sa suhṛd-vyasane yaḥ syāt sa putro yas tu bhaktimān |
sa bhṛtyo yo vidheyajñaḥ sā bhāryā yatra nirvṛtiḥ || 368 ||

A friend in need is a friend in deed; a son is one who is devoted; a servant is one who is obedient; a wife is one who brings happiness in the family.

 ( निर्वृतिः- Nirvrutih- happiness )

पुनः प्रत्युपकाराय मित्राणां क्रियते प्रियम् ।
यत् पुनर् मित्र-मित्रस्य कार्यं मित्रैर् न किं कृतम् ॥ ३६९ ॥

punaḥ pratyupakārāya mitrāṇāṃ kriyate priyam |
yat punar mitra-mitrasya kāryaṃ mitrair na kiṃ kṛtam || 369 ||

When good service is done to friends it is expected that they will make a return of it; again when need arises to help a friend of a friend, have not people done it ( disinterestedly)?

 हितैः साधु-समाचारैः शास्त्रज्ञैर् मति-शालिभिः ।

कथञ्चिन् न विकल्पन्ते विद्वद्भिश् चिन्तिता नयाः ॥ ३७० ॥

hitaiḥ sādhu-samācāraiḥ śāstrajñair mati-śālibhiḥ |
kathañcin na vikalpante vidvadbhiś cintitā nayāḥ || 370 ||

The plans made with the help of well-wishers, virtuous men, learned men, intelligent men, and men of wisdom , fail not, under any circumstances, in their intended object.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH