Saturday, January 19, 2019

mere name, no substance...




यथा काष्ठमयो हस्तिः यश्च चर्ममयो मृगः।
यश्च विप्रोऽनधीयानस्त्रयस्ते नामधारकाः॥ 
सूक्तिरत्नाकरे॥
yathā kāṣṭhamayo hastiḥ yaśca carmamayo mṛgaḥ|
yaśca vipro'nadhīyānastrayaste nāmadhārakāḥ|| 
sūktiratnākare||


An elephant carved out from timber too might be called an elephant
The skin of a dead deer stuffed propped up like a deer might be called a deer too
A brahmin who has no knowledge of Vedas might be called a Brahmin, a Vipra or a learned person

But all the three are just names.. names in words.. not in spirit and substance..

A toy elephant or a stuffed deer are nowhere near an elephant or a deer.. Similarly a person who tries to pose as leared without reall stuff of learning in him is just a name.. He has no value or respectability worthy of his name.

from sookthi ratnakara of Sambasiva Sastri.. (Trivandrum Sanskrit Series)

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