eminent company

वरं पर्वत दुर्गेषु भ्रान्तं वनचरैः सह।
न मूर्खजनसम्पर्कः सुरेन्द्र भवनेष्वपि॥
भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकात्  १४
varaṁ parvata durgeṣu bhrāntaṁ vanacaraiḥ saha|
na mūrkhajanasamparkaḥ surendra bhavaneṣvapi||
bhartṛhareḥ nītiaśatakāt  14
വരം പര്‍വത ദുര്‍ഗ്ഗേഷുഭ്രാന്തം വനചരയ് സഹ
ന മൂര്‍ഖജനസമ്പര്‍ക്ക: സുരേന്ദ്ര ഭവനേഷ്വപി
 ഭര്‍തൃഹരി   നീതിശതകം
It is better to be roaming around in the obscure caves in the deeper parts of a mountain range in the company of aborigines, than to have the company of arrogant idiots even while staying in the ornate abodes of the gods or the like.
This is a terse statement by the great statesman king Bharthruhari.   If one is wandering in obscure places, he may at least gain some experience and insights which, if he is able to come out of obscurity at a later date could share with the world.
 But there is no similar fortune for persons who are perforce doomed to the company of arrogant idiots in ornate abodes.   Nothing good can happen to them at any time.  The ornate buildings may include palaces, legislative houses  and most important, offices of the Government.  Everyone knows that once he secures an employment in the Government service, he is invariably in the  eminent company of people whose identity has been  highlighted by the poet.  And when the cohabitation extends to more than half his lifetime  only god can save him.

--

।श्रीकृष्णो रक्षतु।
|śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu|
Have a nice and happy day
with profound respect and warm regards
K V Ananthanarayanan
(kanfusion)
blog   http://kanfusion.blogspot.com/
त्यजन्तु बान्धवाः सर्वे निन्दन्तु गुरवो जनाःI
तदापि परमानन्दो गोविन्दो मम जीवनंII
let all my relatives abandon me, let the great people insult me, still I am in supreme bliss since my life  is GOVINDA alone.
Iकृष्णात् परं किमपि तत्वं अहं न जाने"I
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु।
lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu|