repay in the same coin

 

उद्धताः अलमुद्धर्तुमौद्धत्यं दुरितात्मनाम्।

क्षाराणामेव सामर्थ्यं मलनाशाय वाससाम्॥

सुभाषितार्णवे इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे १२३९ mahaasubhaashitasangrahe 6818

uddhatāḥ alamuddhartumauddhatyaṁ duritātmanām|

kṣārāṇāmeva sāmarthyaṁ malanāśāya vāsasām||

subhāṣitārṇave indiśce sprūce 1239

We can counter Arrogance and violence most of the time only through reply in the same coin. If a rowdy bull is charging against you, you cannot stop it by chanting mantras from Vedas or by playing music. Attack by force, using heavy sticks etc., only would do the trick. This couplet from an old compilation Subhaashitarnava, underlines this idea. To counter the evil activities, brash talk and action coming from people who are intent on creating trouble, people who are arrogant and are raring to abuse us and attack us, the people best suited are the ones who are themselves brash, arrogant and who are not averse to using brutal force and equally harsh words.

See, if your clothes have got dirty heavily, mild washing and soft treatment will not help in removing the dirt. You have to use concentrated alkaline preparations like potash, lime, or washing soda concentrate, to clean the garment. Maybe you have to apply some beating too.

k v a

दुरितात्मनां arrogant people intent on harming औद्धत्यं arrogance and vanity उद्धर्तुं to uproot and remove उद्धताः arrogant, brash people अलं are suited, are best suited वाससां of clothes मलनाशाय for removal of dirt सामर्थ्यं capacity, efficiency क्षाराणां corrosive, alkaline mixture एव alone