PEACE-सन्धिः-SANDHIH-3 (Hitopadesa)

 SUBHASHITHANI:592

भक्षयित्वा बहून् मत्स्यान् उत्तमाधम-मध्यमान् ।
अतिलोभाद् बकः पश्चान् मृतः कर्कटक-ग्रहात् ॥ १६ ॥

bhakṣayitvā bahūn matsyān uttamādhama-madhyamān |
atilobhād bakaḥ paścān mṛtaḥ karkaṭaka-grahāt || 4.16 ||

After swallowing several fishes best, average and bad, due to excessive greed, a foolish crane got killed by grabbing a crab.

उपकर्त्रारिणा सन्धिर् न मित्रेणापकारिणा ।
उपकारापकारो हि लक्ष्यं लक्षणम् एतयोः ॥ १७ ॥
upakartrāriṇā sandhir na mitreṇāpakāriṇā |
upakārāpakāro hi lakṣyaṃ lakṣaṇam etayoḥ || 4.17 ||
Association with a helping enemy is better than having a betraying friend. Helping or injuring is the characteristics for deciding whether one is an enemy or friend.

तावद् भयेन भेतव्यं यावद् भयम् अनागतम् ।
आगतं तु भयं दृष्ट्वा प्रहरत्वयम् अभीतिवत् ॥ १८ ॥
tāvad bhayena bhetavyaṃ yāvad bhayam anāgatam |
āgataṃ tu bhayaṃ dṛṣṭvā praharatvayam abhītivat || 4.18 ||
One should fear possible danger only when it has still not arrived; once the danger has arrived one should face it without fear.

अभियुक्तो यदा पश्येन् न किञ्चिद् गतिम् आत्मनः ।
युध्यमानस् तदा प्राज्ञो म्रियते रिपुणा सह ॥ १९ ॥

abhiyukto yadā paśyen na kiñcid gatim ātmanaḥ |
yudhyamānas tadā prājño mriyate ripuṇā saha || 4.19 ||

When faced with no other alternative while fighting an enemy, a wise man dies fighting with the enemy.

अनागतवतीं चिन्तां कृत्वा यस् तु प्रहृष्यति ।
स तिरस्कारम् आप्नोति भग्न-भाण्डो द्विजो यथा ॥ २० ॥

anāgatavatīṃ cintāṃ kṛtvā yas tu prahṛṣyati |
sa tiraskāram āpnoti bhagna-bhāṇḍo dvijo yathā || 4.20 ||

One who day-dreams about what is yet to happen,  will suffer like the brahmin who broke the pots.

मदोद्धतस्य नृपतेः प्रकीर्णस्येव दन्तिनः ।
गच्छन्त्य् उन्मार्ग-यातस्य नेतारः खलु वाच्यताम् ॥ २१ ॥

madoddhatasya nṛpateḥ prakīrṇasyeva dantinaḥ |
gacchanty unmārga-yātasya netāraḥ khalu vācyatām || 4.21 ||

A king, possessed with pride like a mad elephant, will blame his advisers without rhyme or reason.

यो हि धर्मं पुरस्कृत्य हित्वा भर्तुः प्रियाप्रिये ।
अप्रियाण्य् आह पथ्यानि तेन राजा सहायवान् ॥ २२ ॥

yo hi dharmaṃ puraskṛtya hitvā bhartuḥ priyāpriye |
apriyāṇy āha pathyāni tena rājā sahāyavān || 4.22 ||

One who sticks to his duty, without thinking what the master’s likes and dislikes are, and offers wholesome advice, which may be unpleasant, is a real friend of the king.

We have an excellent sloka from Ramayana which is very similar:

सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन्, सततं प्रियवादिनः ।
अप्रियस्य तु पथ्यस्य, वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः ॥
sulabhAH puruShA rAjan, satataM priyavAdinaH |
apriyasya tu pathyasya, vaktA shrotA cha durlabhaH ||Ramayana

O King, abundant are yes-men, always pleasant spoken,
Rare are the speakers and listeners of the unpleasant but medicinal (truth).

सुहृद्-बलं तथा राज्यम् आत्मानं कीर्तिम् एव च ।
युधि सन्देहदोलास्थं को हि कुर्याद् अबालिशः ॥ २३ ॥

suhṛd-balaṃ tathā rājyam ātmānaṃ kīrtim eva ca |
yudhi sandehadolāsthaṃ ko hi kuryād abāliśaḥ || 4.23 ||

Who except the childish would place in the swing of uncertainty, an ally, his army, his kingdom,himself and his fame?

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH