Saturday, March 06, 2010

worst among men

एके सत्पुरुषाः परार्थघटकाः स्वार्थान् परित्यज्य ये
सामान्यास्तु परार्थमुद्यमभृतः स्वार्थाविरोधेन ये।
तेअमी मानवराक्षसाःपरहितं स्वार्थाय निघ्नन्ति ये
ये तु घ्नन्ति निरर्थकं परहितं ते के न जानीमहे।।

barthruhari

yekey satpurushaah paraartha ghatakaah swaarthan prithyajya ye
saamaanyaasthu paraarthamudhyamabhritah swaarthaavirodhena yeh
the amee maanavaraakshasaah parahitham swaarthaaya nighnanthi yeh
yeh tu ghnanthi nirarthakaam parahitham they key na jaaneemahey

ഏകേ സത്പുരുഷാഃ പരാറ്ഥഘടകാഃ സ്വാറ്ഥാന് പരിത്യജ്യ യേ
സാമാന്യാസ്തു പരാറ്ഥമുദ്യമഭൃതഃ സ്വാറ്ഥാവിരോധേന യേ
തേമീ മാനനവരാക്ഷസാഃ പരഹിതം സ്വാറ്ഥായ യേ
യേ തു ഘ്നന്തി നിരറ്ഥകം പരഹിതം തേ കേ ന ജാനീമഹേ
The genuinely noble human beings are those who help others achieve their objects even when such action may have adverse effect on the formers self interest.
The ordinary human beings would not mind helping others to further their interests if the former's selfish interests are not affected in any way.
The fellows who will not hesitate to annihilate the attempts of others to  achieve their own interests can be termed as demons in human form.
 But what definition one is to give for the wretched fellows who destroy the causes of others for no palpable reason, just for the heck of it?


the majority it seems belongs to the last variety and this quotation from barthruhari is universally famous.

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