Beginning Prayers:
- शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् - shuklaambaradharaM viShNum
- सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यम् - saraswati namastubhyam
- गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः - gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH
Topic Summary:
- More vocabulary through lots of subhaashita-s
Home Work:
- Review previous lessons over the summer break.
- Make vocabulary lists and try to identify them in daily prayers, verses, etc.
- Learn by-heart, the verses discussed from Lesson 65
Topic Details:
Pay attention to the word breaks (sandhi-s). Try applying the rules to break words and understand some familiar, common shloka-s later.1.
बलाद्दत्तं बलाद्भुक्तं बलद्यच्चापि लेखितम्
सर्वान् बलकृतानर्थान् अकृतान् मनुरब्रवीत्
- मनुस्मृति
balaaddattaM balaadbhuktaM baladyachchaapi lekhitam
sarvaan balakRutaanarthaan akRutaan manurabravIt
- manusmRuti
Meaning:
That which is given forcefully, that which is possessed (enjoyed) forcefully, also that which is written forcefully; all affairs extracted by force are wretched, said manu.
Exposition:
Any action should be performed willingly by anyone! 'Force', should not be the driving force behind any deed, else it goes futile.
Giving should be beneficial to the receiver. Giving something for the sake of giving and forcing the other to receive it, no matter what, is a wasteful effort. It could be material object or monetary help or even an advice for that matter; giving by force, is not appreciated.
Taking by force is an obvious 'no, no'. Nobody wants anything snatched from them, for any reason!
Using strength to make one write anything is not useful either. One might be given an imposition to write 'I shall not lie', a hundred times. But that forced writing does not help inculcate that value in the person. One can be forced to sign off his entire property by force. That, if proven, does not hold up in the court of law even.
Manu says, any affair that is achieved through force, is wretched. No good fruit can be expected from such deeds. Pressurizing one to give into the others' strength, can yield nothing but contempt and fear. Neither is beneficial for the betterment of either of the involved individuals. It only makes one a tyrant and the other, the threatened. Neither grows spiritually. It curtails the blossoming of the soul in both. Then, what is the purpose of showing unwanted force?
Force, is all-conquering; but its victories, short-lived! Plan long term :).
pada vigrahaH:
बलात् दत्तं बलात् भुक्तं बलत् यत् चापि लेखितम्
balaat dattaM balaat bhuktaM balat yat chaapi lekhitam
सर्वान् बलकृतान् अर्थान् अकृतान् मनुः अब्रवीत्
sarvaan balakRutaan arthaan akRutaan manuH abravIt
2.
यथा चित्तं तथा वाचः यथा वाचस्तथा क्रियाः
चित्ते वाचि क्रियायाञ्च साधूनामेकरूपता
- सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार
yathaa chittaM tathaa vaachaH yathaa vaachastathaa kriyaaH
chitte vaachi kriyaayaa~ncha saadhUnaamekarUpataa
- subhaaShitaratnabhaaNDaagaara
Meaning:
As the mind is so is the speech, as is the speech so is the action; there is uniformity in the mind, diction and action of the noble.
Exposition:
One may speak something, think something else and execute a whole other thing! There is no connection to what they think, say or do. It is very difficult to understand such people or predict their actions. Such people are not taken seriously nor are their opinions valued much by others. The trust-ability factor for them goes down drastically.
But the noble have uniformity in their thoughts, words and deeds. They think their actions through before acting and stick to them too. They speak in coherence with their actions. In such a person, one can trust that he will do as he says and he says as he thinks. There is no hypocrisy. That evenness in these 3 faculties makes them noble.
In reality, irrespective of being certified 'noble', such people lead a much more happier and peaceful life. Just keeps things simple for them as they do not have to keep track of 3 different things :). Life suddenly seems more straight forward and untangled. They are trusted better by others, that is a bonus!
Keep thy thoughts, words and actions all in coherence!
pada vigrahaH:
यथा चित्तं तथा वाचः यथा वाचः तथा क्रियाः
yathaa chittaM tathaa vaachaH yathaa vaachaH tathaa kriyaaH
चित्ते वाचि क्रियायां च साधूनाम् एक रूपता
chitte vaachi kriyaayaaM cha saadhUnaam eka rUpataa
3.
द्राक्षा म्लानमुखी जाता शर्करा चाश्मतां गता
सुभाषितरसस्याग्रे सुधा भीता दिवं गता
- सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार
draakShaa mlaanamukhI jaataa sharkaraa chaashmataaM gataa
subhaaShitarasasyaagre sudhaa bhItaa divaM gataa
- subhaaShitaratnabhaaNDaagaara
Meaning:
Grapes (had) a withered face, sugar solidified. On the origination of subhaaShita, divine nectar ran away to heaven in fear!
Exposition:
The poet here has beautifully reasoned the existence of raisins, rock sugar and amruta (divine nectar). Grapes dry out to yield sweet raisins. Sugar is crystallized to obtain 'rock sugar'. Amruta naturally belongs to the Gods and is in heaven.
The poet very nicely reasons out that the grapes withered out, the sugar solidified and amruta ran away in fear - at the origination of subhaaShitaas, when subhaaShitaas came to being. The essence here is that the value of the advice, disciplines and morals in the subhaaShitaas are more sweeter than all these three! So, even these sweet things thought that they do not stand a chance against the sweetness of the subhaaShitaas and hence attained their states!!
Such is the sweetness of our valuable subhaaShitaas, which are eternal truths and relevant to any time or era.
pada vigrahaH:
द्राक्षा म्लान मुखी जाता शर्करा चाश्मतां गता
draakShaa mlaana mukhI jaataa sharkaraa chaashmataaM gataa
सुभाषित रसस्य अग्रे सुधा भीता दिवं गता
subhaaShita rasasya agre sudhaa bhItaa divaM gataa
Each verse a gem! Until we meet again, happy practicing!
Ending prayer:
- ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - om pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
