OF CROWS AND OWLS- KAKOLUKIYAM-PTKU18

 SUBHASHITHANI:435

अपसार-समायुक्तं न यज्ञैर् दुर्गम् उच्यते ।
अपसार-परित्यक्तं दुर्ग-व्याजेन बन्धनम् ॥ १२२ ॥

apasāra-samāyuktaṃ na yajñair durgam ucyate |
apasāra-parityaktaṃ durga-vyājena bandhanam || 3.122 ||

Forts should have a proper escape route say the political pundits; while that which is destitute of such provision is a prison in the form of a fort.

अपि प्राण-समान् इष्टान् पालितान् लालितान् अपि ।
भृत्यान् युद्धे समुत्पन्ने पश्येच् छुष्कम् इवेन्धनम् ॥ १२३ ॥
api prāṇa-samān iṣṭān pālitān lālitān api |
bhṛtyān yuddhe samutpanne paśyec chuṣkam ivendhanam || 3.123 ||
Servants may be dear as life, desirable, protected and fondled, but when war breaks out the king must be ready push them in to the fire of war like dry grass. ( Idea is, a servant must be ready to sacrifice his life for the state in case of a war.)

प्राणवद् रक्षयेद् भृत्यान् स्वकायम् इव पोषयेत् ।
सदैक-दिवसस्यार्थे यत्र स्याद् रिपु-सङ्गमः ॥ १२४ ॥

prāṇavad rakṣayed bhṛtyān svakāyam iva poṣayet |
sadaika-divasasyārthe yatra syād ripu-saṅgamaḥ || 3.124 ||

Cherish servants like yourself, guard them as you would your life, for the one day when it may be required for them to fight for him when there is an encounter with the enemy.

(The above three slokas were spoken by Sthirajeevin to his king )

शत्रोः प्रचलने छिद्रम् एकम् अन्यं च संश्रयम् ।
कुर्वाणो जायते वश्यो व्यग्रत्वे राज-सेविनाम् ॥ १२५ ॥

śatroḥ pracalane chidram ekam anyaṃ ca saṃśrayam |
kurvāṇo jāyate vaśyo vyagratve rāja-sevinām || 3.125 ||

When an enemy is running away that is one weak moment to attack him; another is when he has taken shelter in a new place( for the loyal servants will be busy with other activities)

वृत्तिम् अप्य् आश्रितः शत्रुर् अवध्यः स्याज् जिगीषुणा ।
किं पुनः संश्रितो दुर्गं सामग्र्या परया युतम् ॥ १२६ ॥

vṛttim apy āśritaḥ śatrur avadhyaḥ syāj jigīṣuṇā |
kiṃ punaḥ saṃśrito durgaṃ sāmagryā parayā yutam || 3.126 ||

An enemy taking shelter behind even a hedge cannot be conquered by one desirous of conquest; what to say then of one who has taken shelter in a fort well furnished with all provisions.

( The above two slokas are advice by minister to owl king. Taking the advice the owls made an attack on the crows only to find an empty banyan tree. The crows had left to a safer place on the advice of Sthirajeevin. Stirajeevin , then by a clever ploy had successfully entered the enemy's camp....)

अनारम्भो हि कार्याणां प्रथमं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ।
आरब्धस्यान्त-गमनं द्वितीयं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ॥ १२७ ॥

anārambho hi kāryāṇāṃ prathamaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam |
ārabdhasyānta-gamanaṃ dvitīyaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam || 3.127 ||

The first sign of intelligence is to not begin any task. The second sign of intelligence is to always finish a task that has been started.

बलीयसा हीन-बलो विरोधं

न भूति-कामो मनसापि वाञ्छेत् ।
न वध्यते वेतस-वृत्तिर् अत्र व्यक्तं

प्रणाशो ऽस्ति पतङ्ग-वृत्तेः ॥ १२८ ॥

balīyasā hīna-balo virodhaṃ

na bhūti-kāmo manasāpi vāñchet |
na vadhyate vetasa-vṛttir atra vyaktaṃ

praṇāśo 'sti pataṅga-vṛtteḥ || 3.128 ||

Never, even in thought, one should offend a stronger enemy , if he is desirous of his own welfare; for in this world one who acts like a reed survives, while those who behave like a moth suffers extinction.

बलवन्तं रिपुं दृष्ट्वा सर्वस्वम् अपि बुद्धिमान् ।
दत्त्वा हि रक्षयेत् प्राणान् रक्षितैस् तैर् धनं पुनः ॥ १२९ ॥

balavantaṃ ripuṃ dṛṣṭvā sarvasvam api buddhimān |
dattvā hi rakṣayet prāṇān rakṣitais tair dhanaṃ punaḥ || 3.129 ||

One should save his life at any cost when facing a powerful enemy; once life is protected wealth can be regained in course of time.

कल्याणी बत गाथेयं लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मे |
एति जीवन्तमानन्दो नरं वर्षशतादपि || ६-१२६-२ Sita in Ramayana
"This common saying sounds to me good, that bliss comes to a surviving man, even if it be after a hundred years!"- Sundara kaandam 6.126.2

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH