Hanuman – the Destroyer of Demons

Saturday

Wherever Raghava’s praises are sung, there He is ever present, with palms clasped overhead and eyes flooded with tears of joy. Let us meditate on Him – Maruthi – the destroyer of demons.

yathra yathra raghynAthakIrthanam thathra thathra krthamasthakAnjalim |
bASHpavAriparipUrNalOchanam mAruthim namatha rAksasAnthakam ||

यत्र यत्र रघुनामकीर्तनं तत्र कतमस्तकाञ्जलिम् |
बाष्पवारिपरिपूर्णलॊचनं मारुतिं नमत राक्षसान्तकम् ||

Good People and Bad People

Thursday

There is just one difference between people who are good and those who are not. The thoughts, words and deeds of the bad do not match one another. The thoughts, words and deeds of the good people are all identical.

manasyEkam vachasyEkam karmaNyEkam dhurAthmanAm |
manasyEkam vachasyEkam karmaNyEkam mahAthmanAm ||

मनस्येकं वचस्येकं कर्मण्येकं दुरात्मनाम् |
मनस्येकं वचस्येकं कर्मण्येकं महात्मनाम् ||

Good Speech – A Hint from the ‘Panchatantra’

Monday

Some people speak words of wisdom, simply repeating the same like parrots; some others are inherently wise, but do not express themselves; there are a few whose speech sparkles, the wise words flowing eloquently from their hearts.

[Note: This quotation is from Vishnu Sharma's 'Panchatantra', an ancient Indian classic on the art of winning friends and influencing people.]

एकेषां वाचि शुकवदन्येषां हृदि मूकवत् |
हृदिवाचि तथान्येषां वल्गु वल्गन्ति सूक्तयः ||

EkESHAm vAchi shukavadh anyESHAm hrdhi mUkavath |
hrdhivAchi thaTHAnyESHAm valgu valganthi sUkthayaha ||

Advice to Parents

Friday

Indulge a child for the first five years of his life, for the next ten years deal firmly with the child. Once the child is sixteen, treat him as a friend.

lAlayEth pancha varSHANi dasha varSHANi thAdayEth |
prApthE thu SHOdashE varSHE puthram mithravadh AcharEth ||

लालयेत् पञ्च वर्षाणि दश वर्षाणि ताडयेत् |
प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रं मित्रवदाचरेत् ||

A Father’s Sorrow

Since Shakunthala is leaving today, my heart is turbulent, unshed tears constrict my throat and anxiety blurs my sight. If affection causes such agitation in a person like me who lives in the forest, how much will the sadness of separation from a just married daughter trouble a householder?

yAsyathyadhya shakunthalEthi hrdhayam samsprSHtam uthkaNTayA kaNTaha sthambithabASHpavrththikaluSHashchinthAjadam dharshanam |
vaiklavyam mama thAvadhIdhrsham idham snEhAdh araNyaukasaha pIdyanthE grhiNaha kaTHam nu thanayAvishlESHadhuhkhairnavaihi ||

यास्यत्यद्य शकुन्तलेति हृदयं संस्पृष्टमुत्कण्ठया कण्ठः स्थम्बितबाष्पवृत्तिकलुषैश्चिन्ताजडं दर्शनम् |
वैक्लव्यं मम तावदीदृशमिदं स्नेहादरण्यौकसः पीड्यन्ते गृहिणः कथं नु तनयाविश्लेषदुःखैर्नवैः ||

(Note: This slokam is from Kalidasa's play Abhignyana Shakuntalam. Sage Kanva says these words to himself before Shakuntala's departure to her husband Dushyanta's kingdom.)

Let Us Go Home!

Tuesday

The birds have returned to their homes; the sages have entered the waters [to offer their evening prayers]; the fires are burning bright wherever they have been lit; the smoke is meandering through the forest as if trying to discern the way; the distant sun too has diminished in size – he has withdrawn his rays, turned his chariot around and is now slowly entering the sunset mountain.

[Says the man-servant to Vasavadatta as he leads her away in the last verse of Act I of poet and dramatist Bhasa's most famous play of six Acts, Svapnavasavadattam (स्वप्नवासवदत्तम्)

खगा वासॊपॆताः सलिलमवगाढॊ मुनिजनः प्रदीप्तॊ s ग्निर्भाति प्रविचरति धूमॊ मुनिवनम् /

परिभ्रष्टॊ दूराद्रविरपि च संक्षिप्तकिरणॊ रथं व्यावर्त्यासौ प्रविशति शनैरस्तशिखरम् //]

[khagA vAsOpEthAha salilamavagADO munijanaha pradhIpthOgnirbhAthi pravicharathi DHUmO munivanam / paribhraSHtO dhUrAdhravirapi cha sankshipthakiraNO raTHam vyAvarthyAsau pravishathi shanairasthashikharam //

Who is a Good Friend?

They will help you overcome bad qualities and inspire you to take the right path; they will keep your secrets but advertise your good qualities; they will not desert you when you’re in trouble and give of themselves in your time of need – such is the nature of good friends say the wise.

पापान् निवारयति योजयते हिताय गुह्यानि गूहति गुणान् प्रकटीकरोति |
आपद्गतम् च न जहाति ददाति काले सन्मित्रलक्षणमिदम् प्रवदन्ति सन्तः ||

pApAn nivArayathi yOjayathE hithAya guhyAni gUhathi guNAn prakatIkarOthi |
Apadhgatham cha na jahAthi dhadhAthi kAlE sanmithralakSHaNamidham pravadhanthi santhaha ||

The Inherent Purity of Language

How can a tongue [or language] be defiled? Like a noble woman, so is language. Only uncouth people talk about their defilement.



सर्वथा व्यवहर्तव्यं कुतॊ ह्यवचनीयता |
यथा स्त्रीणां तथा वाचां साधुत्वॆ दुर्जनॊ जनः ||


sarvaTHA vyavaharthavyam kuthO hyavachanIyathA |
yaTHA sthrINAm thaTHA vAchAm sADHuthvE durjanO janaha||


[Note: This verse is from Bhavabhuti's Sanskrit play, Uttararamacharitham.]

A King vs A Scholar

Monday

Scholarship and kingship can never become equal. A king is respected in his kingdom; a scholar is revered everywhere. [From Vishnu Sharma's Panchatantra - 'Mitrasampraptikam' verse 57]

विद्वत्त्वं च नृपत्वं च नैव तुल्यं कदाचन |
स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान् सर्वत्र पूज्यते ||

vidhvaththvam cha nrpathvam cha naiva thulyam kadhAchana |
svadhEshE pUjyathE rAjA vidhvAn sarvathra pUjyathE ||

The Witnesses

Day and night, dusk and dawn, and the Law of Right Conduct are witness to man’s every action.

अहश्च रात्रिश्च उभे च सन्ध्ये धर्मोऽपि जानाति नरस्य वृत्तम् |

ahashcha rAthrishcha ubhE cha sanDHyE DHarmOpi jAnAthi narasya vrththam |

Expansion of Knowledge Leads to Happiness in the World

Wednesday

Knowledge makes you humble; humility gives you character; good character attracts wealth; wealth can be used for doing good deeds. This in turn leads to happiness in the world.

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रतम् |
पात्रत्वाद् धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्म ततः सुखम् ||

vidhyA dhadhAthi vinayam vinayAdhyAthi pAthrathAm |
pathrathvAdh DHanamApnOthi DHanAdhDHarma thathaha sukham ||

We are but Tools in His Hands

Sunday

A dumb person speaks fluently, a lame person crosses mountains – with His grace. To that source of infinite joy, Madhava, I bow down.

मूकं करॊति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिम् |
यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्दमाधवम् ||

mUkam karOthi vAchAlam pangum langhayatE girim |
yathkrpA thamaham vandhE paramAnandhamAdhavam ||

DISGRACE AND DEATH ARE BETTER, SOME TIMES

My friend, it is better to be disgraced by good people than to have as an ornament the association of bad people. Glory comes to him who is trampled underfoot by a gallant horse [in battle] and not to the one seated animatedly on a donkey.

वरं सखे सत्पुरुषापमानितो न नीचसंसर्गगुणैरलङ्कृतः |
वराश्वपादेन हतो विराजते न रासभस्योपरि संस्थितो नरः ||

varam sakhE sathpuruSHApamAnithO na nIchasamsargaguNairalankrthaha |
varAshvapAdhEna hathO virAjathE na rAsabhasyOpari samsTHithO naraha ||

A stranger whose company uplifts you is as good as family

A stranger whose company uplifts you is as good as family. On the other hand, a near and dear one whose company demeans you is no better than a stranger. A disease though it is born in our own body is unpleasant. But a medicine that grows in a forest is beneficial.

परोऽपि हितवान् बन्धु: बन्धुरप्यहित: परः |
अहितो देहजो व्याधिः हितम् आरण्यम् औषधम् ||

parOpi hithavAn banDHuhu banDHurapyahithaha paraha |
ahithO dhEhajO vyADHihi hitham AraNyam auSHaDHam ||

Time is Money

Even with a crore gold coins, you cannot buy even a minute of your life. Should, therefore, even a moment be wasted, can there be a greater calamity?



आयुषः क्षण एकोऽपि |
न लभ्यः स्वर्णकोटिभिः |
स चेत् निरर्थकं नीतः |
का नु हानिस् ततॊऽधिका ||



AyuSHaha kSHaNa EkOpi |
na labhyaha svarNakOtibhihi |
sa chEth nirarTHakam nIthaha |
kA nu hAnis thathODHikA ||

[Slokam and Translation: Courtesy Dr. K.S. Kannan]

Tackling Poverty – A Lesson from Ancient India – Blog Action Day Special

The taxes that he [king Dilipa] collected were all given back to the people, just as the sun draws water from the earth only to give it back, a thousand times over.

प्रजानामॆव भूत्यर्थं स ताभ्यो बलिमग्रहीत् |
सहस्रगुणमुत्स्रष्टुम् आदत्ते हि रसं रविः ||

prajAnAmEva bhUthyarTHam sa thAbhyO balimagrahIth |
sahasraguNamuthsraSHtum AdhaththE hi rasam ravihi ||

[The verse is from Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsha. Dilipa ruled Bharatavarsha – approximately the area that is today India – around 5000 BCE or earlier. If only the governments of the nations of the world would emulate Dilipa, the earth can be free from poverty.]

Grow More Trees?

What is the use of raising children who are neither righteous nor prosperous? It is better to grow a tree by the roadside where people can come and rest.

बहुभिर्बत किं जातैः पुत्रैर्धर्मार्थवर्जितैः |
वरमेकः पथि तरुर्यत्र विश्रमते जनः ||

bahubhirbatha kim jAthaihi puthrairDHarmArTHavarjithaihi |
varamEkaha paTHi tharuryathra vishramathE janaha ||



[This verse is from Upavana Vinoda, a section in Sharngadhara Paddhathi, an encyclopaedia written by Sharngadhara in the thirteenth century.]

Equanimity

The sun grows coppery red as he rises and even as he sets; so too do the wise maintain the same temperament in prosperity and adversity.

उदेति सविता ताम्रः ताम्र एव अस्तमेति च |
संपत्तौ च विपत्तौ च सतां एकैव रूपता ||

udhEthi savithA thAmraha thAmra Eva asthamEthi cha |
sampaththou cha vipaththou cha sathAm Ekaiva rUpathA ||

Hail Thee, O Saraswathi

Due to whose grace poets can see the whole Universe as if it were a gooseberry in the palm of their hands – may She, Goddess Saraswathi, be victorious for ever.

करबदरसदृशमखिलं भुवनतलं यत्प्रसादतः कवयः |
पश्यन्ति सूक्ष्ममतयः सा जयति सरस्वती देवी ||

karabadharasadhrshamakhilam bhuvanathalam yathprasAdhathaha kavayaha |
pashyanthi sUkSHmamathayaha sA jayathi saraswathI dEvI ||

[Invocatory verse of Subandhu's prose work, Vasavadatta]

The Lord’s Promise

O son of Pritha, neither here in this world nor in the next is a sincere person defeated. Such a person, my dear friend, is never on the road of misfortune. [6-40]

[Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita ]

पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते |
न हि कल्याणकृत् कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ||

pArTHa naivEha nAmuthra vinAshasthasya vidhyathE |
na hi kalyANakrth kashchidhdhurgathim thAtha gachCHathi ||

Dasharatha: The Choice of the Eternal One

There was a king, friend to the wise, a torment to his enemies, endowed with sacred knowledge, Dasharatha by name, whom, being the best by his virtues, the Eternal One chose as His own father on the pretext of benefiting the world.

आभून् नृपो विबुधसखः परंतपः श्रुतान्वितो दशरथ इत्युदाह्र्तः |
गुणैर्वरं भुवनहितच्छलेन यं सनातनः पितरम् उपागमत्स्वयम् ||

AbhUn nrupO vibhuDHasakhaha paranthapaha shruthAnvithO dhasharaTHa ithyudhAhrthaha |
guNaivaram bhuvanahithachCHalEna yam sanAthanaha pitharam upAgamathsvayam ||

[This is the first verse of Bhattikavyam, also called Ravanavadham. Translation courtesy: Bhatti’s Poem, translated by Oliver Fallon, published by the Clay Sanskrit Library, New York, 2009]

A Neem Leaf A Day ….

To enjoy a diamond-hard constitution for a hundred years and all kinds of wealth and to annihilate that which is undesirable, one must eat the tender shoots of the neem tree.

शतायुर्वज्रदेहाय सर्वसंपत्कराय च |
सर्वानिष्टविनाशाय निम्बकन्दलभक्षणम् ||

shathAyurvajradhEhAya sarvasampathpradhAya cha |
sarvAniSHtavinAshAya nimbakandhalabhakSHaNam ||

Success Assured

Fire is generated when two dry twigs are rubbed together. Water springs forth when the earth is dug. When there is enthusiasm, nothing is impossible to achieve. Once you have begun a task, all efforts [enthusiastically taken] lead to fruition.

काष्ठादग्निर्जायते मथ्यमानाद्भूमिस्तोयं खन्यमाना ददाति |
सोत्साहानां नास्त्यसाध्यं नराणां मार्गारब्धाः सर्वयत्नाः फलन्ति ||

kASHTAdhagnirjAyathE maTHyamAnAdhbhUmisthOyam khanyamAnA dhadhAthi |
sOthsAhAnAm nAsthyasADHyam narANAm mArgArabDHAha sarvayathnAha phalanthi ||

[Last verse of Act I of Bhasa’s play Pratignyayaugandharaayanam]

The Ways of the Wise

Those who study ceaselessly do not run the risk of becoming fools; those who contemplate their actions do not run into danger; a person who keeps his counsel does not get embroiled in a dispute; and one who is vigilant need have no fear.

पठतो नास्ति मूर्खत्वं जपतो नास्ति पातकम् |
मौनिनः कलहो नास्ति न भयं चास्ति जाग्रतः ||

paTathO nAsthi mUrkhathvam japathO nAsthi pAthakam |
mouninaha kalahO nAsthi na bhayam chAsthi jAgrathaha ||

A Noble Mission

It’s not a kingdom I desire, nor paradise nor eternal liberation from the living world. But I do have a desire: to destroy the misery of all living things that are sad.

न त्वहं कामये राज्यं न स्वर्गं नापुनर्भवम् |
कामये दुःखतप्तानां प्राणिनामार्तिनाशनम् ||

na thvaham kAmayE rAjyam na svargam nApunarbhavam |
kAmayE dhuhkhathapthAnAm prANinAmArthinAshanam ||

A Beautiful Couple: Dilipa and his Wife

Like the sight of the star Chitra alongside the moon at the end of winter, there was an elusive beauty that marked the couple: King Dilipa and his queen, who were passing by, dressed flawlessly.

काप्यभिख्या तयॊरासीद् व्रजतॊः शुद्धवॆषयॊः |
हिमनिर्मुक्तयॊर्यॊगॆ चित्राचन्द्रमसॊरिव ||

kApyabhikhyA thayOrAsIdh vrajathOho shudhDHavESHayOho |
himanirmukthayOryOgE chithrAchandhramasOriva ||

[This is the forty-sixth verse in the first chapter of Kalidasa’s poem, Raghuvamsha.]