Sunday, June 26, 2011

The indomitable spirit of man alone keeps him aloft




The indomitable spirit of man alone keeps him aloft

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परदेशभयाद्भीताः बहुमायाः नपुम्सकाः
स्वदेशे निधनं यान्ति काकाः कापुरुषा मृगाः।३५०
यस्यास्ति सर्वत्र गतिः स कस्मात्स्वदेशरागेण हि याति नाशं।
तातस्य कूपोऽयमिति ब्रुवाणाः क्षारं जलं कापुरुषाः पिबन्ति॥३५१
विष्णुशर्मकृते पञ्चतन्त्रे मित्रभेदात्

paradeśabhayādbhītāḥ bahumāyāḥ napumsakāḥ
svadeśe nidhanaṁ yānti kākāḥ kāpuruṣā mṛgāḥ|350
yasyāsti sarvatra gatiḥ sa kasmātsvadeśarāgeṇa hi yāti nāśaṁ|
tātasya kūpo'yamiti bruvāṇāḥ kṣāraṁ jalaṁ kāpuruṣāḥ pibanti||351
viṣṇuśarmakṛte pañcatantre mitrabhedāt

പരദേശഭയാത് ഭീതാ ബഹുമായാ നപുംസകാ
സ്വദേശേ നിധനം യാന്തി കാകാ കാപുരുഷാ മൃഗാ
യസ്യാസ്തിസര്‍വത്ര ഗതിഃ സ കസ്മാത് സ്വദേശരാഗേണ ഹി യാതി നാശം
താതസ്യ കൂപോയമിതിബ്രുവാണ ക്ഷാരം ജലം കാപുരുഷാ പിബന്തി

വിഷ്ണുശര്മാവിന്റെ പഞ്ചതന്ത്രം മിത്രഭേദം
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The advise for an enterprising person is that he should travel far and wide and amass wealth and knowledge.

The basic courage of a person lies in his travel and getting established in foreign territories. 
This idea was popular for millenia in India.

And historically there was heavy inflow of foreigners to India and Indians have travelled extensively and set up settlements in many places.

It is even said jocularly that when Armstrong landed up in the Moon, he could see a Nair from Kerala running a teashop.

It is only a joke but all these geographical discoveries and bonding of the whole earth happened through people travelling extensively disregarding personal risks and discomforts. 
This idea is underlined in the mitrabedha section of panchatantram.
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"The artful eunuchs,, crows some animals and idiotic people shun travel outside their birthplaces out of timidity and perish there after leading an insipid life. 
If one has the energy and resources, why should he stick to a little area of land just because of meaningless attachment? 
They are, in the grip of nostalgia and are drinking alkaline and polluted water from a well dug by their forefathers thinking that "this is my father's well and I should drink from here alone even if the water is alkaline and polluted." "
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The idea given here should not be interpreted as lack of love for the motherland or fatherland. 
Trade, Commerce, exchange of knowledge, culture, all happens only when there is inter border flow of populace between nations.

Tamilians were very enthusiastic about trading even by covering long distances through sea voyage. 
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வெள்ளிப்பனிமலைதன்மீதுலாவுவோம் அந்த மேலைக்கடல்கடந்து கப்பல்விடுவோம் ...

எங்கள் பாரததேசமேன்று தோள்கொட்டுவோம்..
மகாகவி பாரதியார்

vellippanimalaithanmeethulaavuvom antha 
melaikkatal katandur kappal vituvoom..

engal bharatha desamenru thol kottuvom.
said Mahakavi Bharathiyaar..." 
"let us wander over snowy mountains and let us ply ships travelling all over the western sea....

and wherever we go, we will raise our shoulder aloft and pat ourselves that the place we come is the Bharatha Desam.. our lovely India." 
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The indomitable spirit of man alone keeps him aloft.

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