Friday, November 22, 2019

steady erosion...

अम्भसा भिद्यते सेतुस्तथा मन्त्रोऽप्यरक्षितः।
पैशुन्यात् भिद्यते स्नेहः वाचा भिद्येत कातरः॥
विष्णुशर्मणः पञ्चतन्त्रे मित्रभेदे॥
ambhasā bhidyate setustathā mantro'pyarakṣitaḥ|
paiśunyāt bhidyate snehaḥ vācā bhdiyeta kātaraḥ||
viṣṇuśarmaṇaḥ pañcatantre mitrabhede||

A very persistent reminder coming from Panchatantram

Strong and good things are breached and broken by persistent attack by adverse circumstances or bad qualities..
The meaning of the couplet

With the constant and pressing onslaught of the water in the reservoir, a dam or bridge would become unstable and would break in the long run
A secret would be breached if it is not properly guarded
The love and affection between two people would be shattered when either of them indulges in backbiting and slander affecting the other.
and
A person lacking in self confidence can be easily broken through words that convey threats and dangers..

Engineers and builders set limits for the tolerance level for the structures against onslaughts of natural phenomena and other risk factors.. and such factors are monitored for ever.. If proper care is not taken, the results are ominous.

Keeping secrets secure and their breach.. constitute the cat an mouse game between those who are in charge on the one side and enemies, press, and even nosy slander mongers on the one side.. It has been acknowledged as a fine art and science in Politics and other walks of life too.

Of course the dangers of backbiting are too evident .. needing no elaboration

Hype, either positive or negative can make or mar a person.. and if such person is not really confident, even rumours or veiled threats can put him off the balance..

Reading all this just makes one realize that we never lacked guidance.. but mostly we invited trouble by ignoring such sane and sensible counsel..



analysis.
सेतुः the dam the bridge
अम्भसा waters
भिद्यते broken
तथा like that
अरक्षितः unprotected
मन्त्रः state secret
अपि too
भिद्यते gets breached

स्नेहः mutual love and affection
पैशुन्यात् backbiting, slandering, calumny, depravity, malignity, wickedness
भिद्यते is broken

कातरः he coward, timid discouraged, afraid agitated perplexed वाचा through words
भिद्येत may be broken

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