deeper and deeper we go down
शिरः शार्वे स्वर्गात्पशुपतिशिरस्तः क्षितिधरम्
महीध्रादुत्तुङ्गादवनिमवनेश्चापि जलधिम्।
अधोधो गङ्गेयम् पदमुपगता स्तोकमथवा
विवेकभ्रष्टानाम् भवति विनिपातः शतमुखाः॥
भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकात् १०
śiraḥ śārve svargātpaśupatiśirastaḥ kṣitidharam
mahīdhrāduttuṅgādavanimavaneścāpi jaladhim|
adhodho gaṅgeyam padamupagatā stokamathavā
vivekabhraṣṭānām bhavati vinipātaḥ śatamukhāḥ||
bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakāt 10
The philosopher King Bhartruhari is pondering over the fate of people who have to face fall from a place of honour.. The slide down accelerated into cascades and the fall is abysmal
This Ganga, the great river of Heaven slipped from the head of Sharva the Shiva
From there she fell in to the peaks of Himavan the great mountain who is the one who holds the earth in place
From the peaks of this great mountain she flows into plain valleys of the land
And finally after flowing through plain valleys she finds her end by falling into the ocean
Just like that, for people who have abandoned caution and discretion and have started to slip from their exalted postions,
the fall and the pain and dishonour arising out of such fall grow hundredfold..
The head of Shiva was the most honourable and lovely place to live
From there the river fell into the peaks of Himalaya, which were at least cool
And further slide was over dirty, silt filled landscape, but even here the river maintained her identity
But finally she fell into the ocean facing almost a total annihilation
This is the case with all who happen to have a fall from a positon of honour..
It is especially so when such fall is due to lack of discretion.
