the basic source is the best....

नास्ति मेघसमं तोयं नास्ति चात्मसमं बलम्।

नास्ति चक्षुः समं तेजो नास्ति धान्यसमं प्रियम्॥

चाणक्यनीत्याम्

nāsti meghasamaṁ toyaṁ nāsti cātmasamaṁ balam|

nāsti cakṣuḥ samaṁ tejo nāsti dhānyasamaṁ priyam||

cāṇakyanītyām

A great nugget of wisdom attributed to the master Statesman Acharya Chanakya..

the meaning of the couplet is

There cannot be a better source for water that the cloud

There can be no help or support to a person than the person himself

There can be nothing that would throw light and illuminate us than our own eyes

There can be nothing healthier or tastier as food that the grains and cereals

We find water almost everywhere, and we draw water from all sources.. But the ultimate source of water is the cloud.. and if the process of vapourisation and recycling of unclean water into pure water through rains does not happen, life on this earth would not exist. So clouds are the best bet at any point of time

For everyone, the best help can come only from himself. Others can lend their support, but only the person himself can channelize the resources effectively.. If he fails in doing that no help would be of any avail

Whatever be the source of coulours or beauty or illumination, if the eyes are not working properly one cannot see and enjoy... So the eyes are the best source of illumination.

And

We may love to eat many things.. We may talk high of many food materials and sweetmeats..

But if the basic foundation laid by rice or such grains and cereals are not there, healthy existence is impossible..

Of course we tend to ignore the basic foundations.. But we are managing only because they serve us silently and persistently..

money or health lost can be recovered, but time lost is lost for ever..

नष्टं द्रव्यं लभ्यते कष्टसाध्यं नष्टा विद्या लभ्यतेऽभ्यासयुक्ता।

नष्टारोग्यं सूपचारैः सुसाध्यं नष्टा वेला या गता सा गतैव॥

naṣṭaṁ dravyaṁ labhyate kaṣṭasādhyaṁ naṣṭā vidyā labhyate'bhyāsayuktā|

naṣṭārogyaṁ sūpacāraiḥ susādhyaṁ naṣṭā velā yā gatā sā gataiva||

A great Subhashitam.. quoted in numerous compilations.. could not manage to trace the authorship..

Many things seemingly lost in life could be retrieved with some effort.. But a moment, an opportunity, lost of missed is lost for ever..

The meaning of the verse is

If we lose money, we could make good the loss in time, even though that may mean a lot of sweat and toil

If what we learnt and practices becomes lost or obsolete though lack of use and application, we can train ourselves again and reach the peak of efficiency in good time

If our health has declined through illness or injuries or for any other reason, we could spring back through efficient medication and effective nourishment

However once we lose some time.. and we manage to lose or even waste our valuable time.. that is a permanent loss.. the time and opportunity will never come back to us..

We are conscious of the value of money, education and health.. even though we often neglect to take care of them..

But time just runs fast beside us, and we do not realize that with every moment, we are nearing a point where we have to depart and we become non entities..

It is so sad..

And if we take care of our minutes and seconds, all others things like health, money and education would keep company with us happily and dance to our tunes..

the boss can make the difference

दोषोऽपि गुणतां याति प्रभोर्भवति चेत्कृपा।

अङ्गहीनोऽपि सूर्येण सारथ्ये योजितोऽरुणः॥

सुभाषितरत्नभण्डागारे

doṣo'pi guṇatāṁ yāti prabhorbhavati cetkṛpā|

aṅgahīno'pi sūryeṇa sārathye yojito'ruṇaḥ||

subhāṣitaratnabhaṇḍāgāre

A nugget of pure gold from the collection of great sayings, Subhashitaratnabhandagaram

Even if there are inherent defects in a person he would reach state of glory if he is blessed by the Lord..

The meaning of the couplet

===========

If the mercy of the Lord is present, even defects can become sources of greatness.

Aruna was deformed and lacked limbs even at birth, but he was accepted as the charioteer of Sun Himself.

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

Physical deformities and difficulties in life happen to people, maybe because of their Karma..

And the ways of Karma are inscrutable..

It is very difficult to overcome Karma..

But if there is divine grace residing with us, then we would be endowed with greatness and glory in spite of all such setbacks

The story of Aruna.. the bright red one.. the deity of the east appearing just before the sunrise.. is found in many texts with some variations.

But the essential story-line is like this

Prajapathi Kashyapa married many daughters of Daksha Prajapathi and various clans of gods, demigods, demons, etc were born to Kashyapa from various such wives.

Two of the wives of Kashyapa were Kadru and Vinatha.. the sisters.

Both wanted illustrious sons born to them.

Kashyapa blessed Kadru with thousand sons.. the snakes or Nagas..

Vinata had also conceived at the same time, but she delivered two eggs.

Kashyapa had advised her to wait for the eggs to hatch..

The jealousy between Kadru and Vinata was intense, and when she saw thousand sons born to her sister, Vinata could not wait.

So she broke one of the eggs..

Kashyapa had told her that two sons of the same splendour and valour of the Sun would be born to them..

However, since the egg was broken prematurely, a son with defective and deformed limbs but with bright red glow emerged from the egg..(He should have been as bright as the midday sun had he been born after the prescribed period of hatching )

The child was very powerful and bright..

He gained the name of Aruna because of his tawny bright red colour..

Noticing his valour, the Sun God appointed the deformed bird Aruna as his charioteer..

Even today Aruna leads the chariot of the Sun from East to West..

And his colour appears first in the east as the Sun rises and his colour vanishes after the Sun as he sets in the west..

So by divine grace, Aruna has become eternal, although he is physically deformed.

Of course, the second egg delivered by Vinata hatched after thousand years and the glorious bird..Garuda, the victor of the world was born

The birds in Ramayanam, Sampathi and Jatayu.. the eagles are the sons of this Aruna

Yes, the one who is protected by the God is ever safe, whatever be his status and shape

And the one who is abandoned by God is lost for ever whatever be his status and glory..

that girl remains unmarried....

अद्यापि दुर्निवारं स्तुतिकन्या वहति कौमारम्।

सद्भ्यो न रोचते सा असन्तः अपि अस्यै न रोचन्ते॥

adyāpi durnivāraṁ stutikanyā vahati kaumāram|

sadbhyo na rocate sā asantaḥ api asyai na rocante||

(this couplet is seen quoted by Achyutaraya in his commentary on Bhaminivialasa or Jagannatha Pandita..)

The people of real quality and nobility are more interested in their work rather than going after praise and publicity.. However, shallow popularity mongers run after advertisement and publicity and seek praise for themselves even when such praise is undeserved..

The subhashitam quoted describes that situation in a very metaphoric fashion

Meaning

The nubile girl “Praise” remains unmarried and unattached even today. Such state is unavoidable for her.. The good and noble do not want Praise.. they just shun her… The not so noble fellows run after praise.. But she does not want them..

Good people alone deserve praise, but they do not care about it.. Evil fellows would do anything to manage to get some praise, but no one in their senses would give praise to such persons. So the damsel named praise is remaining unmarried for ever..

അദ്യാപി ദുര്‍ന്നിവാരം സ്തുതികന്യാ വഹതി കൌമാരം

സദ്‌ഭ്യോ ന രോചതേ സാ അസന്തഃ അപി അസ്യൈ ന രോചതേ

പ്രശംസ എന്ന കുമാരി ഇന്നും അവിവാഹിതയായി കഴിയുന്നു. അത് അനിവാര്യതയാണ്. അവള്‍ ഇഷ്ടപ്പെടുന്ന നല്ലവര്‍ പ്രശംസയെ ഇഷ്ടപ്പെടുന്നില്ല.. അവളുടെ പിന്നില്‍ അവളേയും തേടി നടക്കുന്ന ദുഷ്ടന്മാരെ അവള്‍ക്കു വേണ്ട താനും .

the right preparations would yield good results sooner or later..

कौमार्ये पठ्यतां विद्या शैत्ये संपाल्यतां च गौः।

क्षेत्रं च कर्ष्यतां पीतं त्रयः सुफलहेतवः॥

गतेऽपि वयसि ग्राह्या विद्या सर्वात्मना बुधैः।

यद्यपि स्यान्न फलदा सुलभा साऽन्यजन्मनि॥

आचार्यवररुचिकृते शतगाथायाम्

kaumārye paṭhyatāṁ vidyā śaitye saṁpālyatāṁ ca gauḥ|

kṣetraṁ ca karṣyatāṁ pītaṁ trayaḥ suphalahetavaḥ||

gate'pi vayasi grāhyā vidyā sarvātmanā budhaiḥ|

yadyapi syānna phaladā sulabhā sā'nyajanmani||

ācāryavararucikṛte śatagāthāyām

The above two couplets are attributed to one Acharya Vararuchi. They appear in a work Shata Gaathaa..

It looks more like a Jaina Text.. and perhaps this Vararuchi is not the great Grammarian and the Bhashya kara.

They are found in the compendium Subhashitaratnabhandagaram too..

However there is no doubt that the verses carry very worthy advices of eternal value.

One should be given education while he is in his youth.. especially while he is in his adolescence.

A cow should be protected with great care during cold season although its yield of milk may not be much then .

We should supply a lot of water and irrigate the agricultural field and plough it well although there may not be much yield in the beginning..

The education given during youth, the care given to the cow in the cold season and the water supplied of the arable land before sowing would yield great results and provide immense profit later on..

If a fellow neglects education during the period of youth,he is lost for ever..

If the cow is not properly looked after during the cold season, she will not survive to yield milk later..

Only irrigated and properly tilled land would permit growth of plants and such growth alone would give abundant crops later..

The second couplet underlines the value of education even more..

Even if a person has grown old, he should not stop learning for that reason alone..

If the education and training gained in this life does not prove to be effective in this life, they would work as a great opening capital in the future life..

What one has learned in this life could be caught up with great ease in the life to come, says the author..

Of course, there are a set of people who would believe that life ends with death..

The above idea may not appeal to them

However, our experience is that the level of intelligence and comprehension of people vary considerably on individual basis. One viable explanation for this could be that the person who could grasp things better would have learned and understood things in his earlier life..

Of course , there is no proof for it..

the metamorphosis

क्षारं जलं वारिमुचः पिबन्ति तदेव कृत्वा मधुरं वमन्ति।

सन्तस्तथा दुर्जनदुर्वचांसि पीत्वा च सूक्तानि समुद्गिरन्ति॥

kṣāraṁ jalaṁ vārimucaḥ pibanti tadeva kṛtvā madhuraṁ vamanti|

santastathā durjanadurvacāṁsi pītvā ca sūktāni samudgiranti||

I found this great saying in more than one compendiums of great sayings.. Could not trace the identity of the author.. However, the content of the couplet is worth re reading many times..

The clouds absorb the alkaline and saline water found in the oceans and other locations where water is found contaminated, and they give out sweet and rejuvenating fresh water in the shape of rain.. this water is suitable for drinking by us.

Similarly, noble people of exemplary character just listen to and absorb all the nasty words uttered by people of evil mind and just give out nice and sweet words.. which are of great

comfort and utility for all around..

The Good God is an expert in recycling.. and creating the most useful things out of even deadly wast..

The great example is the photosynthesis.. The toxic carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants and Oxygen the sustainer of life is given out... And this oxygen is continuously absorbed by living beings for breathing and Carbon dioxide is again generated.. If the great plants, assisted by the Sunlight do not engage themselves in taking in the toxic carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen, life on the face of the earth would have been impossible..

Evil has to be converted into good.. and that too in spite of the evil doing harm to the good all the time.. But then God and nature are kind..

And we see many a times that the most beautiful things emerge out of very ugly sources.. That seems to be a poignant message from nature..

Note

Word Analysis.

वारिमुचः the clouds

क्षारं जलं alkaline water

पिबन्ति.. drink

तदेव the same

मधुरं sweet

कृत्वा after converting

वमन्ति. give out

तथा in the same way

सन्तः good people

दुर्जन दुर्वचांसि the nasty words of rude people

पीत्वा after absorbing, after drinking

सूक्तानि nice and worthy words

समुद्गिरन्ति. speak out.

musings 70

In good old days we used to learn things by trial and error, putting to effective use a lot of mental energy.. and that involved lots and lots of effort and even pain

If we examine the way Vedas were taught.. we will have some idea how tough it was for the initiates..

The various syllables and phonetic notations while chanting Vedas were to be synchronized with movement of head.. to keep the purity. and originality . and validation of the vocal delivery..

For this, the initiates would have their heads shaved except for a long tuft with a handful of hair..

The teacher would catch hold of this tuft, and pull up and down, and tilt the head of the young pupil to and fro, left and right, up and down, and the pressure of the pull would be in sync with the intonation..

The first few years of study for the boys was just deluged in tears and pain.. Traumatic indeed.

But once they get used to it it becomes great advantage.. the Vedas in their full dimensions would be embedded in the psyche of the student for ever..

Here, we want everything saralam or super easy .. and we want to give a running commentary on the process of our learning more than concentrating on our learning..

What a paradigm shift!

company of the friends and kin is the best

कुलीनैः सह संपर्कं पण्डितैः सह मित्रताम्।

ज्ञातिभिश्च समं मेलं कुर्वाणो न विनश्यति॥

सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागरे॥

kulīnaiḥ saha saṁparkaṁ paṇḍitaiḥ saha mitratām|

jñātibhiśca samaṁ melaṁ kurvāṇo na vinaśyati||

subhāṣitaratnabhāṇḍāgare||

Another very practical advice contained in the great collection Subhashita Ratna Bhandagaram

A person

who is in always in constant touch with people who are born in good families

who seeks the friendship of learned scholars

and

who mixes and enjoys in the company of his own kin

would never face destruction or damage..

Observing the conduct of people of class at close quarters and trying to emulate them can help us a lot

Friendship with learned people would definitely help us because their knowledge would get shared with us

A person can be at his best only when he is in the close company of his friends and relatives.. The confidence available for his there cannot be found anywhere else..

musings 69

My answer to a query as whether the proper path for a Hindu is just to follow the vedic rites... and practices.. as professed by some organization.. or whether worship of idols, symbols and forms could be permitted..

The philosophy of the people who inhabited the Indian Peninsula or sub continent was very catholic.. We can find what we call Hinduism. Jainism, Buddhism and ever so many minor and medium sized faith following different modes of worship gelling together here..
The blessed Lord Krishna in Gita puts its succinctly... Yo yadaa maam prapadyante, taan tadaiva bhajaamyaham ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्

"whoever approach me in whatever way I am also responding to them that way.."
Of course Vedas stress on worship through Agni and Yajnas.. but that is only one method..
It is very difficult to see any findings there that there should not be any other mode of worship..
And Tantras and Agamas and Puranas.. which fuse together Vedic mode of worship with temple and idol worship.. have developed a very clear and harmonious synthesis..
Even in places of worship where the routine poojas are rather crude, a few days are earmarked when some practitioner of Veda would go and do some agni Karyam..

In Kumbhabhishekam and such functions, agni karyam is a must even now.. and Vedas are chanted, although the core practice is idol worship

Our philosophy and religious ethos tend to underline that idea that Sagunopasana, Nirgunopasana, Vedic Worship, Tantric Worshsip, Agamic Worshiip, Tribal worship.. all are just paths or bridges or routes that connect the Divine being with the human devotee or worshiper..
Each following his own mode or mixture of modes would think that his mode is superior and more convenient.. that is quite natural.. and understandable too.
But if followers of any particular mode are so much obsessed to cling on to the view that their own mode is exclusive and would decry and discourage the modes followed by others, that is not right.
If Arya Samajists say that the Path of Vedas is great, others need not have any reservation in respecting their choice.
But if that sect tried to hold that their path alone is right, then that is not in line with the Philosophy and ethos of India..

See, even Vedic rites often gets metamorphosed into mystic rites.. as Samhita part of the vedas evolves into Brahmanas and Aranyakas and Upanishads.. and in Upanishads, the same yajnas which were performed on direct fire through practices involved in Brahmanas.. are performed as an offer to the symbolic fire ever present in the core centre inside the Sadhaka..or worshiper

Even Idol worship.. can be cited as a path where the worshiper gets acquainted and becomes emotionally attached to the Divinity and from such realization, the worshiper can graduate into a sadhaka who would attempt and succeed in realizing the real core of the Supreme Brahman..

I just wanted to say that by just showing contempt to any mode of worship, one would only defeat the spirit of unity .. which is the hallmark of Sanatana Dharma..