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 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 ||

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is meandering through the forest as if trying to discern the way; the distant sun too has diminished in size – he has withdrawn his rays, turned his chariot around and is now slowly entering the sunset mountain.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 //

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 ||

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 ||

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 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 ||

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 ||