PANCHA TANTRA- APARIKSHITA KARAKAM- PTAK-2

 SUBHASHITHANI:469

The story of the Foolish Barber

Once there was a rich merchant who became poor by excessive generosity. He thought it was not wise to continue a life of penury. With this thought in mind, he went to sleep. He had a dream in which a Jain monk appeared and told him ‘You have your head shaven tomorrow morning and when a monk appears hit him with a club and he will turn into gold.’ The merchant did accordingly and got the gold. A barber witnessing the events thought he would also become rich by inviting Jain monks to his house and beating them with a club. He did that and ended up murdering sadhus and was hanged for murder.

विफलम् इह पूर्व-सुकृतं विद्यावन्तो ऽपि कुल-समुद्भूताः ।
यस्य यदा विभवः स्यात् तस्य तदा दासतां यान्ति ॥ ९ ॥
viphalam iha pūrva-sukṛtaṃ vidyāvanto 'pi kula-samudbhūtāḥ |
yasya yadā vibhavaḥ syāt tasya tadā dāsatāṃ yānti || 5.9 ||
Merits from previous good deeds is of not much use in this world, since even men of noble birth and well educated become servants of some one who is rich.

लघुर् अयम् आह न लोकः कामं गर्जन्तम् अपि पतिं पयसाम् ।
सर्वम् अलज्जाकरम् इह यद् यत् कुर्वन्ति परिपूर्णाः ॥ १० ॥
laghur ayam āha na lokaḥ kāmaṃ garjantam api patiṃ payasām |
sarvam alajjākaram iha yad yat kurvanti paripūrṇāḥ || 5.10 ||
The ocean is praised for its roaring waves and no one will criticize it’s saline water; whatever the rich man does is never shameful. 

व्याधितेन स-शोकेन चिन्ता-ग्रस्तेन जन्तुना ।
कामार्तेनाथ मत्तेन दृष्टः स्वप्नो निरर्थकः ॥ ११ ॥
vyādhitena sa-śokena cintā-grastena jantunā |
kāmārtenātha mattena dṛṣṭaḥ svapno nirarthakaḥ || 5.11 ||
Dreams seen by those who are sick, sorrowing, lustful or drunk are meaningless.

जयन्ति ते जिना येषां केवल-ज्ञान-शालिनाम् ।
आ जन्मनः स्मरोत्पत्तौ मानसेनोषरायितम् ॥ १२ ॥
jayanti te jinā yeṣāṃ kevala-jñāna-śālinām |
ā janmanaḥ smarotpattau mānasenoṣarāyitam || 5.12 ||
Victory to the Jain monks, who are men of total wisdom, and are devoid of any lustful thoughts.

सा जिह्वा या जिनं स्तौति तच्-चित्तं यज् जिने रतम् ।
तौ एव तु करौ श्लाघ्यौ यौ तत्-पूजा-करौ करौ ॥ १३ ॥
sā jihvā yā jinaṃ stauti tac-cittaṃ yaj jine ratam |
tau eva tu karau ślāghyau yau tat-pūjā-karau karau || 5.13 ||
The tongue that praiseth Him is blest;
The heart, in Him that seeketh rest;
The hands are blest, and only they,
 That e’er to Him due homage pay. Translation by A.W.Ryder.
(The above two Jain hymns were recited by the barber to please the Abbot)
ध्यान-व्याजम् उपेत्य चिन्तयसि काम् उन्मील्य चक्षुः क्षणं
पश्यानङ्ग-शरातुरं जनम् इमं त्रातापि नो रक्षसि ।
मिथ्या-कारुणिको ऽसि निर्घृणतरस् त्वत्तः कुतो ऽन्यः पुमान्
सेर्ष्यं मार-वधूभिर् इत्य् अभिहितो बौद्धो जिनः पातु वः ॥ १४ ॥
dhyāna-vyājam upetya cintayasi kām unmīlya cakṣuḥ kṣaṇaṃ
 paśyānaṅga-śarāturaṃ janam imaṃ trātāpi no rakṣasi |
mithyā-kāruṇiko 'si nirghṛṇataras tvattaḥ kuto 'nyaḥ pumān
serṣyaṃ māra-vadhūbhir ity abhihito bauddho jinaḥ pātu vaḥ || 5.14 ||
Pretending to meditate, but which lady are you thinking about? Open your eyes and observe these men who are bound by lust. Why are you not protecting them, even though you are their saviour? Are you really compassionate? Who can be more heartless than you? May Buddha, who was addressed by love stricken women , protect all of us.
SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH

Ps. The sloka 5.14 is from famous play 'Naganandha' of Harsha.