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 ||

The Inherent Purity of Language

Tuesday

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.]

The Witnesses

Monday

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 |

DISGRACE AND DEATH ARE BETTER, SOME TIMES

Sunday

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]

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 ||

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 ||