look back may not mend everything

 

उत्पन्न परितापस्य बुद्धिर्भवति यादृशी।

तादृशी यदि पूर्वं स्यात्कस्य स्यान्न महोदयः॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे १२१० वृद्धचाणक्य

utpanna paritāpasya buddhirbhavati yadṛśī|

tadṛśī yadi pūrvaṁ syātkasya syānna mahodayaḥ||

indiśce sprūce 1210 vṛddhacāṇakya

Even the man with worst mind-set and attitude would soften and be remorseful and would reveal sufficient tolerance and understanding once he has faced a setback and has just recovered from the situation, groaning with mental and physical bruises. In that state of mind, he would be prepared to be more genial, more understanding. Vriddha Chanakya here raise a poser

If a person, who is normally cantankerous would look genial and accommodative after having faced a difficult situation. Had he shown the same level of tolerance and understanding even before the onset of such adverse situation, he would have perhaps not faced the situation at all. In addition, even if he had to face adversity, he would have been far more stoic and even happier. Is it not?

We feel sorry after pulling the trigger, after using unpardonable words, after committing grave errors. All these are just like crying over spilt milk. On some occasions, we may be able to repair some damages. Nevertheless, broken fences never mend perfectly.

kva

उत्पन्न after the onset परिपातस्य remorse, repentance, second thoughts नरस्य man यादृशी of the same type बुद्धिः mind-set, attitude, behaviours भवति happens तादृशी of that same type बुद्धिः attitude यदि if पूर्वं earlier स्यात् is there कस्य for whom न not महोदयः भवति great happiness and celebration happens?

life is a contnuum--we start from where we stopped last life

 

जन्मजन्मन्यभ्यस्तं यद्दानमध्ययनं तपः।

तेनेवाभ्यासयोगेन तदेवाभ्यस्यते पुनः॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रुचे २३३१ वृद्धचाणक्य

janmajanmanyabhyastaṁ yaddānamadhyayanaṁ tapaḥ|

tenevābhyāsayogena tadevābhyasyate punaḥ||

indiśce spruce 2331 vṛddhacāṇakya

The generosity, the magnanimity and preparedness to share with others what one possesses, to give gifts, the abundance of knowledge accumulated through meticulous study and focussed training, the yearning to acquire more of knowledge, the devoted penance, the willingness to undergo even mortification and painful experiences to realize the Supreme Divinity-- A person acquires and inherits all these in his present life through abhyaasayoga, or the affinity and expertise developed and acquired by him through constant, focussed practice in many earlier lives.

A reminder here from Vriddhachanakya

It has to be noted that even Bhagavat Gita testifies to the fact that a person, if he pursues intense sadhana during the course of one lifetime, but departs without reaching the summit, without achieving the full results, then he would again take birth in an environ where he could resume from the point at which he left in the earlier chapter of his existence.

We believe that life is a continuum.-death is just a pause, a comma.. Never a full stop.

K V ANANTHANARAYANAN

जन्म जन्मनि from various previous births again and again अभ्यस्तं trained, practiced, pursuee यद् which दानं willingness to give gifts, generosity अध्ययनं learning, education, meticulous study,तपः penance, holy ordeal or mortification तेन by that अभ्यासयोगेन because of the habit developed, because of the tendency ingrained through repeated performance नरेण by man तद् that एव alone पुनः again (at present)अभ्यस्यते develops intuitive liking and practices with earnestness and intensity

Emancipation comes thrugh acquisition of knowledge

दानेन पाणिर्नतु कङ्कणेन स्नानेन शुद्धिर् न तु चन्दनेन।

मानेन तृप्तिर्नतु भोजनेन ज्ञानेनमुक्तिर् न तु मुण्डनेन॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे ४१७४ वृद्धचाणक्य

dānena pāṇirnatu kaṅkaṇena snānena śuddhir na tu candanena|

mānena tṛptirnatu bhojanena jñānenamuktir na tu muṇḍanena||

indiśce sprūce 4174 vṛddhacāṇakya

A quote from Vriddhachanakya.. It is not really known whether the slokas attributed to Vriddhachanakya are from the great philosopher politician Chanakya himself. The works of Vriddhachanakya were discovered in the Andhra Desham

The hands of a man attains immortal glory when he makes generous gifts using those hands. Such glory will not accrue to him just because he is wearing precious bangles studded with gems and precious stones.

A man becomes cleans and fresh in body and perhaps gets rejuvenated mentally when he takes and thorough and meticulous bath in water. That cleanliness cannot be attained by him by just smearing his body repeatedly with sandal paste mixed with cosmetics

A man who has attained some respectability in life would consider his own personal dignity and reputation in public as the most treasured possession he has. For him, the greatest source of happiness is when people treat him with the respect that is due and when honours are bestowed on him. A gourmet meal or a sumptous dinner might not be of much interest to him

And the ultimate aim of any living being should be the release from the cycle of births and sufferings from the worldly woes. Every sane person years for such release. The release of Moksham cannot come by show offs like wearing saffron and shaving off the whole hair on the skull regularly. Emancipation comes thrugh acquisition of knowledge and thereby attaining maturity in thoughts and actions.

K V ANANTHANARAYANAN

नरस्य पाणिः the hands, wrists, arms of a man कङ्कणेन न not by wearing bangles परन्तु but दानेन through generous gifts effected महत्वं लभते attains greateness , कायः the body स्नानेन through a bath शुद्धिं cleanliness आप्नोति attains न तु चन्दनेन, not by smearing fragrant sadal paste सज्जानाः great people मानेन when honoured through respects and praises तृप्तिं लभन्ते become greatly happy and satisfied , भोजनेन न not through gourment dinners or sumptous meals... नरस्य मुक्तिः the emancipation, the final blissful release to eterning, the moksham for a man ज्ञानेन through acquisition of knowldedge भवति happening , मुण्डनेन न not by shaving off the hair from the head at regular intervals.

when numerous individuals gather and fight, they would become strong enough to defeat the strongest enemy

बहूनां चैव सत्त्वानां समवायो रिपुञ्जयः। 

वर्षधाराधरो मेघस्तृणैरपि निवार्यते॥ 

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रुचे ४४२४ ४६२३ वृद्धचाणक्य

bahūnāṁ caiva sattvānāṁ samavāyo ripuñjayaḥ|  

varṣadhārādharo meghastṛṇairapi nivāryate|| 

indiśce spruce 4424 4623 vṛddhacāṇakya

Although very weak when considered separately, when numerous individuals gather and fight, they would become strong enough to defeat and conquer even the strongest enemy. The insignificant pieces of straws when stacked together, could resist the torrential outpour created by huge rainclouds

Five types of people would meet their downslide

पञ्च क्षिप्रं विनश्यन्ति स्तब्धो लुब्धश्च यो नरः।

अभिमानी च कामी च गुरुद्वेषी तथैव च॥वृद्धचाणक्य॥

pañca kṣipraṁ vinaśyanti stabdho lubdhaśca yo naraḥ|

abhimānī ca kāmī ca gurudveṣī tathaiva ca||vṛddhacāṇakya||

Five types of people would meet their downslide sooner or later . They are

1 Stubborn and inactive fellow who becomes completely numb while facing situations

2 Miserly fellow, who hoards everything and will not give or share

3. Vainglorious, arrogant fellow, who thinks too much of himself

4. Person given to lustfulness, excessive desires

5. Person who entertains enmity with his elders and preceptors.

दैवायत्तं यतः सर्वं तस्मात्सन्तोषमाश्रयेत्॥

ईप्सितं मनसः सर्वं कस्य संपद्यते सुखम्।

दैवायत्तं यतः सर्वं तस्मात्सन्तोषमाश्रयेत्॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे ११४८ वृद्धचाणक्य

īpsitaṁ manasaḥ sarvaṁ kasya saṁpadyate sukham|

daivāyattaṁ yataḥ sarvaṁ tasmātsantoṣamāśrayet||

indiśce sprūce 1148 vṛddhacāṇakya

A quote from Vriddha Chanakya.. The works of Vriddha Chanakya were discovered in and are in wide circulation in Southern Indian States, especially in Andhra Area. It is not know whether this Vriddha Chanakya and the Chanakya, the author of ArthaSastram are one and the same. But the works othis author too contain very deep and substantial thoughts.

The meaning of the couplet is

Sure, no one would ever attain and enjoy all the comforts that his mind and heart would fondly yearn for, desire, and would love to enjoy.

So the best course of action would be realize that whatever benefits and comforts that happen in life are windfalls from the fate, and one should derive the utmost happiness utilizing those benefits to the fullest and in the best way.

K v a

Life is not a cake walk through path strewn with roses. Nice things might happen. Not to nice things too will happen. Enjoy nice things the best way, and tolerate the hiccupts with a lote of patience and tolerance. Life can move forward only that way.

कस्य for whom मनसः of the mind, of the heart ईप्सितं deeply, fondly desired सर्वम all सुखं comforts, benefits संपद्यते ? comes by, are getting accumulated ? यतः therefore दैवायत्तं received through luck, fate सर्वं all तस्मात् from संतोषं happiness आश्रतेत् enjoyed

Who will receive all the joys that are dear to his heart. Since everything depends on fate, one should resort to enjoyment

पठ पुत्र किमालस्यमपठन्भारवाहकः

पठ पुत्र किमालस्यमपठन्भारवाहकः।

पाठितः पूजितो राज्ञां पठ पुत्र दिने दिने॥वृद्धचाणक्य

paṭha putra kimālasyamapaṭhanbhāravāhakaḥ|

pāṭhitaḥ pūjito rājñāṁ paṭha putra dine dine||vṛddhacāṇakya

Son, learn, acquire more skills, why are you keeping lazy?

If you have no education and if you do not possess any skills, you will have to waste away your life as a career of burdens for other (perhaps like a donkey)

The man with education, knowledge and skill becomes highly respectable even in the eyes of the king.

Therefore son, study, learn, train yourself, day in and day out.