Tuesday, June 14, 2011

the essential five

अनुपद्रवम् देशमावसेत्॥३६९॥
चाणक्यसूत्रं
धनिकः श्रोत्रियो राजा नदी वैद्यस्तु पञ्चमः।
पञ्च यत्र न विद्यन्ते न कुर्यात् तत्र संस्थितिं॥
anupadravam deśamāvaset||369||
cāṇakyasūtraṁ
dhanikaḥ śrotriyo rājā nadī vaidyastu pañcamaḥ|
pañca yatra na vidyante na kuryāt tatra saṁsthitiṁ||

When it comes to prescribe rules for good life, the Master Chankaya has repeated many ideas many a times. Maybe, his idea would have been that at least a little piece of his advise reaches somebody and makes someone's life better. My mailbox is cluttered with about 150 mails on an average day and ninety percent of it would be junk for me. But I never complain..because the heap may contain some unexpected gems also.
I am underlining this because I know I am contributing to the junk mail of many friends, almost daily with assiduous precision..And I have met my friends who remark immediately on seeing me, every morning I am really jittery to open my mailbox because there will be something from you.. Okey, with my apologies to those. let me continue to fill up my basket of junk.

Chankya"s dictum is that  " One should in habit a terrain which is free from major hazards to peaceful inhabitation"  
To supplement the idea,  a couplet is also provided.  A person should never choose as permanent residence a place where  these five are not present (1)  Rich people (2) Learned people (3) a King (4) a fast flowing river and (5) a doctor.

A terrain will be inhabited by rich people only if the living conditions are comfortable and there is further scope for investment. And for the poor inhabitant, the rich persons can provide job opportunities, and at the worst, loans for an emergency even if the interest rate may surpass Shylock.  Learned persons are necessary so that there can be schools, law, enlightenment, fine arts.. Moreover all require somebody whom they can freely ridicule.   There should be a local administration to ensure law and order.   For any living being to survive and have a healthy living, a flowing river as source of water is the minimum guarantee.  Moreover such rivers can be source for navigation and even unobtrusive flight when things are not all well.  And last but least there should be a doctor .  If he is good enough he can treat you and restore you to good health. If he is so inclined he can also pack you up to eternity.
There is a  proverb in Kerala which listed  a different set of things, the absence of which will make Kerala beautiful.
എലി പന്നി പെരുച്ചാഴി പട്ടരും വാനരം തഥാ ഇവര്‍ ഐവരും ഇല്ലെങ്കില്‍ മലയാളം മനോഹരം   
Kerala would be very beautiful if it does not have rats,pigs, bandicoots, monkeya and pattars ( or the Iyers who have come from across the ghats to inhabit kerala) .  It is really curious that the great poet equated the pattars with the other four.

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