The inherent talent cannot be taken away.

The inherent talent cannot be taken away.

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अम्भोजिनीवननिवासविलासमेव हंसस्य हन्ति कुपितो विधाता।

न त्वस्य दुग्धजलभेदविधौ प्रसिद्धां वैदग्ध्यकीर्तिमपहर्तुमसौ समर्थः॥१८

भर्तृहेरे नीतिशतके

ambhojinīvananivāsavilāsameva haṁsasya hanti kupito vidhātā|

na tvasya dugdhajalabhedavidhau prasiddhāṁ vaidagdhyakīrtimapahartumasau samarthaḥ||18

bhartṛhere nītiśatake

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The philosopher poet and king Bhartruhari in Neetishatakam is trying to underline that fact that certain accomplishments of a being will remain with it even if its materials circumstances take a turn to the worse.. Whatever be the external circumstances, the inborn capacities cannot be taken away..

The message is quite clear.. The poet expects all to respect a person for his inherent inner qualities, rather than the affluent way he lives or the riches and pomp he exhibits in his life.. The riches can be confiscated by a stronger person at any time, but the qualities like character and erudition would remain with the subject for ever..

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Meaning

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If and when the God of Creation Brahma becomes angry with a swan, he can easily confiscate or destroy its facility to stay happily in a forest of lotuses..

However that Brahmadeva is not capable enough to take away the expertise of the Swan to discriminate between milk and water, and the fame arsing to the bird out of such capacity..

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Note..

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The poetic imagery of the capacity of the Swan to taken in the milky.. solid part of a mixture of milk and water.. and to just reject the water content, is very famous.

Kalidasa has used it in Abhijnaana Shakuntalam.

He says

हंसो हि क्षीरं आदत्ते तन् मिश्राः वर्जयत्यपः.. hamso his ksheeram aadatte tanmishraa varjayatyapaH.. the swan drinks the milk but rejects the water mixed with the milk.

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word analysis

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हंसस्य of the Swan

अम्भोजिनी lotus वन निवास विलासं the pleasure of happily living in the forest (full o lotuses )एव (only ) कुपितो the angry

विधाता the lord of creation, Brahma

हन्ति destroys

(परन्तु ) but

अस्य his of the swan प्रसिद्धां famous, celebrated

दुग्ध milk

जल water

भेद विधौ the capacity to separate

वैदगध्य the expertise

कीर्तिं the fame acquired

अपहर्तुं to rob, to take away forcibly

असौ न समर्थः. He ( that Brahma) is not capable..

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Regards

K v ananthanarayanan