PLIGHT OF A POOR MAN-PTML14

 SUBHASHITHANI:404

Hiranyaka ( The extra-ordinary mouse) was narrating his story to his friends: "Knowing clearly that the state of being poor is so miserable, I should have tried hard to preserve my wealth.  I have now to make all efforts to regain my lost wealth and respect. " . Hiranyaka went on to describe the plight of those who enjoy power and prosperity once and had lost them later. We have already seen the sloka where the pitiable condition of a penniless man is described, which is reproduced here for readers' convenience.

माता निन्दति न अभिनन्दति पिता भ्राता न सम्भाषते
भृत्य: कुप्यति न अनुगच्छति सुत: कान्ता च न आलिङ्गते |
अर्थप्रार्थनशङ्कया न कुरुते स्वालापमात्रं सुहृत्
तस्मात् अर्थमुपाश्रय सुमते  हि अर्थेन सर्वे वशा: ||

Mother will scold. Father will not rejoice.  Brother will not speak. Friends will be angry. Son will not accompany. Wife will not embrace. Due to fear of being asked for a loan, the friend does not have a friendly conversation. So, oh! mind,  Take resort in money. Everyone is controlled only by the money.

व्यथयन्ति परं चेतो मनोरथ-शतैर् जनाः ।
नानुष्ठानैर् धनैर् हीनाः कुलजाः विधवा इव ॥ १०१ ॥

vyathayanti paraṃ ceto manoratha-śatair janāḥ |
nānuṣṭhānair dhanair hīnāḥ kulajāḥ vidhavā iva || 2.101 ||

Poor men keep worrying about hundreds of desires, incapable of implementing any of them; just like a widowed woman from a noble family.

दौर्गत्यं देहिनां दुःखम् अपमान-करं परम् ।
येन स्वैर् अपि मन्यन्ते जीवन्तो ऽपि मृता इव ॥ १०२ ॥
daurgatyaṃ dehināṃ duḥkham apamāna-karaṃ param |
yena svair api manyante jīvanto 'pi mṛtā iva || 2.102 ||
Penury means suffering and is a great source of humiliation, since they are seen as dead even though living, even by their own relatives and friends.

दैन्यस्य पात्रताम् एति पराभृतेः परं पदम् ।
विपदाम् आश्रयः शश्वद् दौर्गत्य-कलुषी-कृतः ॥ १०३ ॥

dainyasya pātratām eti parābhṛteḥ paraṃ padam |
vipadām āśrayaḥ śaśvad daurgatya-kaluṣī-kṛtaḥ || 2.103 ||

Whoever is labouring under penury is prone to misery, indignity and a receptacle for calamities.

लज्जन्ते बान्धवास् तेन सम्बन्धं गोपयन्ति च ।
मित्राण्य् अमित्रतां यान्ति यस्य न स्युः कपर्दकाः ॥ १०४ ॥

lajjante bāndhavās tena sambandhaṃ gopayanti ca |
mitrāṇy amitratāṃ yānti yasya na syuḥ kapardakāḥ || 2.104 ||

Relatives feel ashamed of him and hide their relationship with a poor man; his friends too desert him. ( कपर्दकाः- kapardakāḥ- Sea shell used as coin )

मूर्तं लाघवम् एवैतद् अपायानाम् इदं गृहम् ।
पर्यायो मरणस्यायं निर्धनत्वं शरीरिणाम् ॥ १०५ ॥

mūrtaṃ lāghavam evaitad apāyānām idaṃ gṛham |
paryāyo maraṇasyāyaṃ nirdhanatvaṃ śarīriṇām || 2.105 ||

Poverty is another form of death; humility incarnate and a resting place  of mishaps.

अजा-धूलिर् इव त्रस्तैर् मार्जनी-रेणुवज् जनैः ।
दीप-खट्वोत्थ-च्छायेव त्यज्यते निर्धनो जनः ॥ १०६ ॥

ajā-dhūlir iva trastair mārjanī-reṇuvaj janaiḥ |
dīpa-khaṭvottha-cchāyeva tyajyate nirdhano janaḥ || 2.106 ||

A mendicant is avoided by people like the dust kicked up by she-goats, or raised by a broom, or by the shadow of a bedstead projected by a lamp. (It is considered to be inauspicious to stand in the shadow of a bed)

शौचावशिष्टयाप्य् अस्ति किञ्चित् कार्यं क्वचिन् मृदा ।
निर्धनेन जनेनैव न तु किञ्चित् प्रयोजनम् ॥ १०७ ॥
śaucāvaśiṣṭayāpy asti kiñcit kāryaṃ kvacin mṛdā |
nirdhanena janenaiva na tu kiñcit prayojanam || 2.107 ||
Some use can be found of even mud that remains after cleaning the body after the morning call; it is only a poor man with whom no one wants anything to do.

अधनो दातु-कामो ऽपि सम्प्राप्तो धनिनां गृहम् ।
मन्यते याचको ऽयं धिग् दारिद्र्यं खलु देहिनाम् ॥ १०८ ॥

adhano dātu-kāmo 'pi samprāpto dhanināṃ gṛham |
manyate yācako 'yaṃ dhig dāridryaṃ khalu dehinām || 2.108 ||

A poor man who goes to a rich man’s house with the idea of making a gift, is still treated as a person who has come to plead for something. Fie! upon the poverty of men.

स्व-वित्त-हरणं दृष्ट्वा यो हि रक्षत्य् असून् नरः ।
पितरो ऽपि न गृह्णन्ति तद्-दत्तं सलिआञ्जलिम् ॥ १०९ ॥

sva-vitta-haraṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā yo hi rakṣaty asūn naraḥ |
pitaro 'pi na gṛhṇanti tad-dattaṃ saliāñjalim || 2.109 ||

Even the departed ancestors do not accept the offerings of water from one who seeing his wealth taken away does not try to recover it for fear of his life.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH