comfort after hard toil

यदेवोपनतं दुःखात् सुखं तद्रसवत्तरम्।

निर्वाणाय तरुच्छाया तप्तस्य हि विशेषतः॥

सुभाषितशतके--२--७

yadevopanataṁ duḥkhāt sukhaṁ tadrasavattaram|

nirvāṇāya tarucchāyā taptasya hi viśeṣataḥ||

subhāṣitaśatake--2--7

The happiness arising to one after a period of unhappiness or grief is enjoyable all the more..

The comfort verging on ecstacy on reaching the shade of a tree can best be experienced by one who has been walking on open scorching sunlight for some time..

This is a pointer to the fact that even the effects of comforts and welfare on human mind becomes rather neutral when there is no challenge or threat to such a state of affluence..

It is not that we should be inviting misery just to enjoy nice things..

But it is best if we can take setbacks with equanimity.. learn lessons and enjoy when the roadblocks get cleared.

regards

k v ananthanarayanan

to sleep or not to sleep?

हयानामिव जात्यानाम् अर्धरात्रार्धशायिनाम्।

न हि विद्यार्थिनां निन्द्रा चिरं नेत्रेषु तिष्ठति ॥

सुभाषितशतके --२-४

hayānāmiva jātyānām ardharātrārdhaśāyinām|

na hi vidyārthināṁ nindrā ciraṁ netreṣu tiṣṭati||

subhāṣitaśatake --2-4

a traditional wise saying which the modern physician or psychologist might not endorse..

But still enough to ponder over..

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

Just like for pedigree horses who would just sleep only during half of the later half of the night, for the earnest students too sleep does not remain in their eyes for long periods..

( And remember.. every person worth his salt.. is an eternal student.. at least many believe so..)

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

To choose between sleep .. which in this instance seems to espouse a comfortable state of mind and body

or

to choose hard work, involving mind or body or both,,

is indeed very difficult..

"The prey does not voluntary enter the mouth of a sleeping lion.." was how Pancatantram put it..

Of course, the lifestyle is ultimately our choice..

We can have our own timeslots for every activity, including work and sleep..

It is also a fact that even if we slave drive our heads, hearts and body too all through our lifetime, still we may not achieve the expected results..

But if we do not try at all, and just sleep our time away, then there can be no results..

To sleep or not to sleep..?

regards

k v ananthanarayanan

साधोः प्रकोपितस्यापि मनो नायाति विक्रियाम्।

साधोः प्रकोपितस्यापि मनो नायाति विक्रियाम्।

न हि तापयितुं शक्यं सागराम्भस्तृणोल्कया॥

सुभाषितशतके ३-४२

sādhoḥ prakopitasyāpi mano nāyāti vikriyām|

na hi tāpayituṁ śakyaṁ sāgarāmbhastṛṇolkayā||

subhāṣitaśatake 3-42

A great but simple statement in the form of a subhashitam..

The mind of a person with balanced and noble disposition would not become aggressive and violent even if provoked..

it is not possible to heat the waters of the ocean by throwing on it huge bundles of burning straw..

It is exactly for this reason that the entire art and science of yoga is deviced for control and channelization of the activities of the mind..

A person, who can get excited.. and invariably we all belong to that category, may not retain his docile nature and objectivity while he is in that state of excitement..

He may even regret for many actions he perpetrated in that state.. but most actions in life are just irreversible..

Most of the ime , We get only one chance.. one occasion..

right balane

मृदो परिभवो नित्यं वैरं तीक्ष्णस्य नित्यशः।

उत्सृज तद् द्वयं तस्मान्मध्यां वृत्तिं समाश्रयेत्॥

सुभाषितशतके ३-३०

mṛdo paribhavo nityaṁ vairaṁ tīkṣṇasya nityaśaḥ|

utsṛja tad dvayaṁ tasmānmadhyāṁ vṛttiṁ samāśrayet||

subhāṣitaśatake 3-30

A person who is soft would face defeats almost on day to day basis.

A person who is intense and tough woulld gain enmities too on a regular basis..

Therefore the best course in life is to give up both such extremes and adopt a middle or balanced path,, where softness and severity blend in the right proportion..

A very appealing Subhashitam.. and a nice an pragmatic lesson for life without much botheraton..

But it cannot be denied that persons who are by nature soft, would not be able to take tough stances overnight..

And persons who is intense will not be able to douse the fire inside him just to feel goody goody with others..

Regards..

k v ananthanarayanan