Saturday, October 02, 2010

goats and their king fox

स्वामिना प्रतिकूलेन प्रजास्तीक्ष्णेन रावण।

रक्ष्यमाणा न वर्धन्ते मेषाः गोमायुना यथा॥
वाल्मीकिरामायणे आरण्यकण्डम् ४१-----१४

svāminā pratikūlena prajāstīkṣṇena rāvaṇa| 
rakṣyamāṇā na vardhante meṣa gomāyuna yatha|| 
vālmīkirāmāyaṇam āraṇyakaṇḍam 41-----14 


this is again an advise from the wizened bird grand-sire Jatayu to the arrogant Ravana, who is in the process of abducting Seethadevi 

But it can easily form the part of the preamble to any civilized constitution 
with a ruler who cares nothing for the welfare of his subject apart from being very stern and cruel to them, the population of the country dwindles in number as if the subjects are the sheep and the ruler is a fox who preys on them continuously.. 

the contemporary significance of this sloka needs no elaboration. 
If our rulers just glance through our ancient texts not out of piety but for gaining some raw common sense, 
our destiny would have been safer in their hands

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