genuine knowledge can exist only in the company of patience and tolerance

 

नरस्याभरणं रूपं रूपस्याभरणं गुण:।

गुणस्याभरणं ज्ञानं। ज्ञानस्याभरणं क्षमा॥सुभाषितरत्नसंच्चयं

narasyābharaṇaṃ rūpaṃ rūpasyābharaṇaṃ guṇa:।

guṇasyābharaṇaṃ jñānaṃ। jñānasyābharaṇaṃ kṣamā॥subhāṣitaratnasaṃccayaṃ

Attractive appearance and charisma adds real value to a man

The genuine attractiveness for a man is his praiseworthy qualities.

The praiseworthy qualities originate and gets further embellishment when there is an eternal inflow of knowledge

In addition, knowledge, the genuine one, can exist only in the company of patience and tolerance.

उत्तमाः आत्मनः ख्याताः

उत्तमाः आत्मनः ख्याताः पितुः ख्याताश्च मध्यमाः।

अधमाः मातुलात् ख्याताः श्वशुराच्चाधमाधमाः॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

uttamāḥ ātmanaḥ khyātāḥ pituḥ khyātāśca madhyamāḥ|

adhamāḥ mātulāt khyātāḥ śvaśurāccādhamādhamāḥ||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

They are the best in this world, who become famous and respect because of their own merits.

Those who have become famous because of the social standing of their fathers are to be considered as of average stature..

Those who have become famous because of the fame of their uncles are to be treated as below average..

And

Those who have to seek their popularity and fame on the basis of the social status of their fathers in law are just the worst in this world..

பரமசிவன் கழுத்தில் இருந்து பாம்பு கேட்டது கருடா சவுக்கியமா

जानामि नागेन्द्र तव प्रभावं कण्ठे स्थितो गर्जसि शङ्करस्य।

स्थानं प्रधानं न बलं प्रधानं स्थाने स्थितः कापुरुषोऽपि शुरः॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥।

jānāmi nāgendra tava prabhāvaṁ kaṇṭhe sthito garjasi śaṅkarasya|

sthānaṁ pradhānaṁ na balaṁ pradhānaṁ sthāne sthitaḥ kāpuruṣo'pi śuraḥ||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye|||

The poet looks at the snake slithering around the neck of Lord Shiva and saying this..

Oh best among snakes, you are hissing loudly as you are placed in the neck of that all powerful Lord Shiva the Shankara.. I can easily understand the reason for your self assuredness bordering or arrogance.

It is your location and placement that is more significant and not really your personal strength.. Even a weakling or idiot would look like a very bold and strong warrior when he occupies the proper position and is in the company of the strong..

This is a very obvious fact of life.. We tend to pose as and even tend to believe that we are just strong when we are in a strong place from where we can control things in our favour irrespective of whether we are smart or strong..

The real test will come when we are forced to vacate the position of eminence..

Once the position is gone, only the really great and strong could retain his eminence..

This is very apparent in the cases of retired government servants.. They still think they are smart and learned and talk through their hats.. But no one ever cares.

An equivalent quote in Tamil..

பரமசிவன் கழுத்தில் இருந்து பாம்பு கேட்டது

கருடா சவுக்கியமா

the great poet Kannadasan uses this imagery.

The vulture Garuda is very strong and is an avowed enemy of the snakes.. He would kill any snake he could see. So usually snakes hid themselves to safety when they say Garuda.. But the snake nesling around the neck of Lord Shiva just asks Garuda who is flying up.. "Oh Garuda, How are you.. everthing okay?'

Sensible persons usually know their own inherent worth, and never live or act beyond their means.. But then sensibility is not a common stuff...

nothing is insignificant

उपकर्तुं यथा स्वल्पः समर्थो न तथा महान्।

प्रायः कूपस्तृषां हन्ति न कदापि तु वारिधिः॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

upakartuṁ yathā svalpaḥ samartho na tathā mahān|

prāyaḥ kūpastṛṣāṁ hanti na kadāpi tu vāridhiḥ||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

A very poignant message from subhashitaratnasamucchayam.

==============

On some occasions trifling or insignificant persons would be capable of rendering immense service to us.. But on many such occasions the learned, efficient and famous persons may not be able to help at all..

A small well is capable of quenching our thirst

But an ocean which is an immense collection of water would not come to our help when we are thirsty..

===============

A safety pin or a paper clip has its own place.. That place can be taken by a golden spear.. A professor with ten doctoral and post doctoral degrees may not be able to teach a kindergarten kid..

Each has its own place.

We cannot try to kill a mosquito using an AK 47

-------------------------

the philosopher saint poet Rahim said.

रहिमन देख बड़ेन को लघु न दीजिए डारि।

जहाँ काम आवै सुई कहा करै तलवारि॥

Rahiman dekhee badhen ko laghu na deejiye Daari

jaHAm kAm aavai suyee kaha karai talvaari..

Do not ignore or insult small things when big things are in sight..

Rahiman says so.. Where there is a need for a needle, can a big sword help in any way?

-------------------------

But by nature we get star struck.. We tend to ignore the tiny yet useful things.. Let us ask ourselves.

Word analysis

-----------

यथा where

स्वल्पः an insignificant person

उपकर्तुं समर्थो भवति is capable of being really helpful

तथा in such places

महान् very important and efficient person समर्थः न भवति. does not become capable of rendering help

कूपः a well

प्रायः verily

तृषां हन्ति quenches our thirst

कदा अपि न तु ever indeed not

वारिधिः( तत्र समर्थः.) the ocean or sea is having the capacity to do that.

A rare anti tobacco campaign in Sanskrit..

दरिद्रोपि नरो नूनं तमाखुं नैव मुञ्चति।

निवारितोपि मार्जारस्तमाखुं नैव मुञ्चति॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

daridropi naro nūnaṁ tamākhuṁ naiva muñcati|

nivāritopi mārjārastamākhuṁ naiva muñcati||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

==============================

A fellow will not ever give up tobacco, even if he is driven to utter poverty..

Just like a cat, once it has seen a rat would not leave it at any cost even if it is being driven away from the place..

**************

Addiction to tobacco is so great that even a fellow with little cash would manage to get the taste of it somehow or other.. His struggle at times would be almost amount to a life and death attempt..

The favourite dish and staple food for a cat is a rat..

The rat spends most of its hungry time in search of the rodent..

If it finds one, hidden or holed up, it would be sitting or walking around the place eagerly waiting for its food to emerge..

If someone drives away the cat from the area, it might withdraw temporarily but would come back and wait for the rat..

The struggle of the can is understandable.. It persists on getting the rat because rat is its staple food..

But man seeks and gets tobacco to smoke or chew himself to death..

=========================

Meaning of words.. in general..

नरः man

दरिद्रः सन् अपि even if he is driven to utter poverty

तमाखुं न मुञ्चति एव would not give up tobacco

मार्जारः a cat

निवारितः अपि even if he is driven away

तं आखुं that rat

न मुञ्चति एव.. would not give up

A rare anti tobacco campaign in Sanskrit..

use the available resources..

उद्योगः खलु कर्तव्यः फलं मार्जारवत् भवेत्।

जन्मप्रभृति गौर्नास्ति पयः पिबति नित्यशः॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

udyogaḥ khalu kartavyaḥ phalaṁ mārjāravat bhavet|

janmaprabhṛti gaurnāsti payaḥ pibati nityaśaḥ||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

=====================================

One has to persist with his own work and put to use all available resources to the best of his advantage, irrespective of whether he owns the resources himself or not..

This happens to the cats..

The cat never owns a cow at any time during its lifetime .

But it manages to drink milk every day without break..

The examples of such persons who manage to thrive on others' resources are endless..

We can find borrowers of newspaper every day as a simple example and the borrowers and looters of banks and financial institutions at the other end..

==================================

उद्योगः कर्तव्यः खलु one should pursue with his forays always.

मार्जारवत् फलं भवेत् the results will come just as for the cat..

मार्जारस्य जनंप्रभृति गौः न अस्ति from its birth onwards, the cat does not own a cow.

मार्जारः नित्यशः पयः पिबति but the cat drinks milk every day..

hoard and be robbed...

न देवाय न धर्माय न बन्धुभ्यो न चार्थिने।

दुर्जनस्यार्जितं वित्तं ह्रियते खलु तस्करैः॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

na devāya na dharmāya na bandhubhyo na cārthine|

durjanasyārjitaṁ vittaṁ hriyate khalu taskaraiḥ||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

The money earned and hoarded by people with no generosity and no mind to help others would never be used

for religious or spiritual purposes

for charity or noble purposes

would never go for the support of relatives

nor would it ever be given to those who are in great need and poverty

but the money would surely be burgled and taken away by thieves and ruffians..

Word meaning.. ( just to give idea)

दुर्जनस्य आर्जितम् वित्तं the money earned and hoarde by bad people देवाय for the purpose of God धर्माय for charity बन्धुभ्यः for rleativs अर्थिने for those who are in need च also वा eiteher (न वर्तते does not exist for ). (तादृशं वित्तं such money) तस्करैः खलु ह्रियते हि. surely is burgled by thieves..

ന ദേവായ ന ധര്‍മ്മായ ന ബന്ധുഭ്യോ ന ചാര്‍ഥിനേ।

ദുര്‍ജനസ്യാര്‍ജിതം വിത്തം ഹ്രിയതേ ഖലു തസ്കരൈഃ॥

സുഭാഷിതരത്നസമുച്ചയേ॥

സുഭാഷിത രത്ന സമുച്ചയത്തില്‍ നിന്നു

ആര്‍ക്കും കൊടുക്കാതെയും ആരെയും സഹായിക്കതെയും സമ്പാദിച്ചതെല്ലാം പൂഴ്ത്തിവയ്ക്കുന്നവന്‍ അവസാനം അതെല്ലാം കള്ളന്‍ കൊണ്ടുപോവുന്നത് കണ്ട് കരയേണ്ടിവരും

ദൈവീകകാര്യങ്ങള്‍ക്കോ ധര്‍മ്മത്തിനോ ബന്ധുക്കളെ സഹായിക്കാനോ അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ ചോദിച്ചുവരുന്നവര്‍ക്ക് ദാനം നല്‍കാനോ ഉപയോഗിക്കാതെ സ്വരൂപിച്ചു വച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന ദുഷ്ടന്മാരുടെ സ്വത്തെല്ലാം തീര്‍ച്ചയായും കള്ളന്മാരും കൊള്ളക്കാരും കൊണ്ടുപോകും

qualities of a best friend...

शुचित्वं त्यागिता शौर्यं समत्वं सुखदुःखयोः।

दाक्षिण्यं चानुरक्तिश्च सत्यता च सुहृद्गुणाः॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

śucitvaṁ tyāgitā śauryaṁ samatvaṁ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ|

dākṣiṇyaṁ cānuraktiśca satyatā ca suhṛdguṇāḥ||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

The fine qualities that are the hallmarks of a good friend are..

Transparency in dealing with a friend

Willing to sacrifice for his sake

Bold and strong stand in defence of the friend

Identical approach withunflinching loyalty whether the situation is favourable or adverse

Genuine affection and concern for the welfare of the friend.

And unadulterated frankness and honesty in dealing with the affairs of the friend..

Can we find friends having such qualities.. ?

Can we ever be friends having such qualities..?

the real poison

न विषं विषमित्याहु ब्रह्मस्वं विषमुच्यते।

विषमेकाकिनं हन्ति ब्रह्मस्वं सकलं कुलम्॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

na viṣaṁ viṣamityāhu brahmasvaṁ viṣamucyate|

viṣamekākinaṁ hanti brahmasvaṁ sakalaṁ kulam||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

this is a warning for rulers, musclemen tricksters and people who just steal or grab the wealth and earnings of holy spiritual institutions and public trusts

What we call as poison not the real poison.. meaning that the poison has a limited effect.. The poison can kill or destroy only who consumes it or who comes in contact with it..

But the real poison is the wealth of public enterprises like temples and such institutions.. If some people grab or misuse such property, it becomes a poison and destroy the entire family, clan or social group of such a sinner..

Of course, it is another matter that no one nowadays is afraid of either God or temple, snake or poison..

god created them just to help others..

रविश्चन्द्रो घना: वृक्षाः नद्यो गावश्च सज्जनाः।

एते परोपकारार्थमीश्वरेण विनिर्मिताः॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥।

raviścandro ghanā vṛkṣāḥ nadyo gāvaśca sajjanāḥ|

ete paropakārārthamīśvareṇa vinirmitāḥ||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye|||

The Sun

The Moon

The clouds

The trees

The rivers

The cows

and

people who are good and kind at heart

These are created by God just for the help of others..

രവിശ്ചന്ദ്രോ ഘനാ വൃക്ഷാഃ നദ്യോ ഗാവശ്ച സജ്ജനാഃ।

ഏതേ പരോപകാരാര്‍ത്ഥമീശ്വരേണ വിനിര്‍മ്മിതാഃ॥

സുഭാഷിതരത്നസമുച്ചയേ॥

ഒരു സംമുന്നതമായ ചിന്താ വിശേഷം... അത് സത്യമാവണേ എന്ന് ആശിക്കാം പ്രാര്‍ഥിക്കാം 

ഈശ്വരന്‍ താഴെപ്പറയുന്നതെല്ലാം സൃഷ്ടിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത് മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ നന്മക്കും ഉപകാരത്തിനും വേണ്ടി മാത്രമാണ് 

സൂര്യന്‍ 

ചന്ദ്രന്‍ 

മേഘങ്ങള്‍ 

വൃക്ഷങ്ങള്‍ 

നദികള്‍ 

പശുക്കള്‍ 

പിന്നെ

നല്ല ഹൃദയമുള്ള മനുഷ്യര്‍ 

ഒരു കാര്യം ഉറപ്പാണ്.. ഇവരുടെ സഹായമില്ലെങ്കില്‍ ആര്‍ക്കും നിലനില്പില്ല.

sing and perish.. keep quiet and...

आत्मनो मुखदोषेण बद्ध्यन्ते शुकसारिकाः।

बकास्तत्र न बध्यन्ते मौनं सर्वार्थसाधनम्॥

सुभाषितरत्नसमुच्चये॥

ātmano mukhadoṣeṇa baddhyante śukasārikāḥ|

bakāstatra na badhyante maunaṁ sarvārthasādhanam||

subhāṣitaratnasamuccaye||

The parrot and the mynah sing.. and by the deed of their own mouth they get caught and are confined in cages.

But the storks with long beaks never sing, and are never caught and bound..

Silence is the most effective way to freedom for them, and for all of us too..

The singing birds are caught and kept in cages so that people can enjoy their songs again and again ..

but no one is bothered about the misery they suffer in captivity. The vast expanse of air and landscape are denied to them..

But thousands and thousands of storks occupy the waterfront, silently prodding ahead long beaks, catching and eating fish heartily..

Sure, no one captures the storks and keeps them in cage.. because the storks are silent.

( At least they do not sing and care not to sing)

The Cuckoo and Mynah face their nemesis because of the activity of their own mouths..

Silence can be the most effective means for all to achieve whatever they want..

ആത്മനോ മുഖദോഷേണ ബദ്ധ്യന്തേ ശുകസാരികാഃ।

ബകാസ്തത്ര ന ബധ്യന്തേ മൌനം സര്‍വ്വാര്‍ത്ഥ സാധനം॥

സുഭാഷിതരത്നസമുച്ചയേ॥

തത്തയും  മൈനയും പാടുന്നു...  ആ പാട്ടിന്റെ  ഫലമായി,  അവ ബന്ധനതില്പ്പെടുന്നു.  പാട്ട് കേട്ട് രസിക്കുന്ന ആളുകള്‍  ഈ പറവകളെ പിടിച്ചു  കൂട്ടിലടക്കുന്നു.   അങ്ങിനെ സ്വന്തം  വായയുടെ ദോഷം കൊണ്ടു അവ ബന്ധനത്തില്‍ പെടുന്നു.   പക്ഷെ കൊക്ക് എന്ന ഒരു പക്ഷിയുമുണ്ട്.  അതിന്നു പാടാന്‍ അറിയില്ല.  അതുകൊണ്ട് വായ തുറക്കുകയുമില്ല.   കൊക്കിനെ ആരും പിടിച്ചു കൂട്ടില്‍ ഇടുകയുമില്ല.   ഇതില്‍ നിന്ന്‍ ഒന്ന് വ്യക്തമാവുന്നു.  മൌനം കൊണ്ടു  എല്ലാം നേടാം..  മൌനമാണ് അനുകരണീയമായ നയം..