SAARAM-सारं-ESSENCE

 SUBHASHITHANI:494

अनन्त शास्त्रं बहुलाश्च विद्याः 
स्वल्पश्च कालो बहुविघ्नताच |
यत्सारभूतं  तदुपासनीयं  
 हंसो  यथा  क्षीरमिवाम्बुमध्यात्      ||
Anant shastram bahulashch vidyaah 
 swalpashcha   kaalo bahu vighnataacha.
Yatsaarabhootam tadupaasaneeyam
hamso yathaa ksheeramivaambumadhyaat.
Boundless indeed is the scriptures and sciences, but life is short and obstacles are numerous. Hence take what is good and leave what is worthless, as geese/swan take milk from the midst of water.

असारं अल्पसारं च सारं सारतरं त्यजेत् I
भजेत् सारतमं शास्त्रे रत्नाकर इवाम्रुतं II
Asaaram alpa saaram cha saaram saarataram tyajet I Bhajet saaratamam shaastre ratnaakara ivamrutam II
Reject those which are of no essence, meagre essence, and also those which are of partial essence and those even  having greater essence. Focus only on those with greatest essence, like the nectar from the milky ocean. ( Ratnakara- Ocean)

मधुहेव दुहेत् सारं कुसुमं च न घातयेत् I
वत्सापेक्षी दुहेत् क्षीरं भूमिं गां चैव पार्थिवः II Bhruhaspati niti saaram
Madhuheva duhet saaram kusumam cha na ghaatayet I
Vatsaapekshee duhet ksheeram bhumim gaam chaiva partivah II
Honey bees extract honey from flowers without harming them, milk man milks the cow taking care of the needs of its calves, in the same way a king should tax his subjects only for their welfare and taking in to consideration their capabilities.

अणुभ्यश्च महद्भ्यश्च शास्त्रेभ्य: कुशलो नर: ।

सर्वत: सारमादद्यात् पुष्पेभ्य इव षट्पद: ॥ŚB 11.8.10

aṇubhyaś ca mahadbhyaś ca śāstrebhyaḥ kuśalo naraḥ I

sarvataḥ sāram ādadyāt puṣpebhya iva ṣaṭpadaḥ II

Just as the honeybee takes nectar from all flowers, big and small, an intelligent human being should take the essence from all religious scriptures.

सत्यं हितं मितं ब्रूयाद् मर्महिंसादिवर्जितं।
धर्मोंपदेशकं सारं श्रोतृ श्रवण सौख्यदम्।।
Satyam hitam mitam bruyaat marmahimsaadivarjitam I
Dharmopadeshakam saaram srottru shravana soukyadam II
The essence of moral teachings, which are pleasant to the hearers, are as follows: avoid hurting others, speak truth, do good to others, and speak less.

अष्टादशपुराणां सारं व्यासेन कीर्तितम् ।
परोपकारः पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम् ॥
aShTaadashapuraaNaam saaram vyaasena keertitam I
paropakaarah puNyaaya paapaaya parapeeDanam  II
The essence of the eighteen puranas of Vyasa maharshi is: Helping the needy is punyam and unnecessarily doing harm to others is papam(sin).

तदिदं ग्राहयामास सुतमात्मवतां वरम् ।
सर्ववेदेतिहासानां सारं सारं समुद्‍धृतम् ॥ ४१ ॥

tad idaṁ grāhayām āsa
sutam ātmavatāṁ varam I
sarva-vedetihāsānāṁ
sāraṁ sāraṁ samuddhṛtam II SB  1.3.41

Śrī Vyāsa delivered it to his son, who is the most respected among the self-realized, after extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and histories of the universe.

असारे खलु संसारे सारं श्वशुरमन्दिरम् ।
 हरो हिमालये शेते हरिः शेते महोदधौ ॥
In this meaningless world only one place is worth to live in! And that place is the home of father-in-law! Shiva sleeps in himalayas and Hari sleeps in milky ocean. 

मलयाचल संसर्गात् न वेणुर चन्दनायते I
अन्तः सार विहीनानां रसः केनोपजायते II
Malayaachala samsargaat na venur chandanaayate I
Antah saara vihenaanaam rasah kenopajayate II
Merely because a bamboo grows in the Malaya mountain, it does not become sandal wood. Who can install quality in one who is hollow?

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH