201
अल्पानामपि वस्तूनां संहति: कार्यसाधिका तॄणैर्गुणत्वमापन्नैर् बध्यन्ते मत्तदन्तिन:
Meaning: Even small-small (insignificant) things, when put together, can do a great work. A rope made up of hay sticks can control a powerful elephant. Unity is power.
202
शैले शैले न माणिक्यं मौक्तिकं न गजे गजे साधवो न हि सर्वत्र चन्दनं न वने वने हितोपदेश
All the mountains do not have the precious stones, you will not get pearls from all the elephants; The philanthropists are not very common, sandalwood is not found in all the woods. (The good things are uncommon)
203
एकवर्णं यथा दुग्धं भिन्नवर्णासु धेनुषु |
तथैव धर्मवैचित्र्यं तज्ञल्त;वमेकं परं स्मॄतम् ||
महाभारत
The cows of different colours produce milk of one colour, in the same way, the principle taught by different religions is one.
204
सर्वं परवशं दु:खं सर्वम् आत्मवशं सुखम् |
एतद् विद्यात् समासेन लक्षणं सुखदु:खयो: ||
Whatever is not in possession of ourselves (It is with others) is sorrow and whatever is in possession of ourselves is happiness. In short, these are the indications of happiness and sorrow! Happiness is inside the human-being and not outside. Happiness is not tied with the external entity. Absence of desire is absolute happiness! People become unhappy when they see new/better objects of consumption not in their ownership. So the suBAshitkAr has in simple words told us what are the things that makes one happy or sad. We have to decide if we want to be happy or sad!
205
आलस्य कुतो विद्या अविद्यस्य कुतो धनम् |
अधनस्य कुतो मित्रम् अमित्रस्य कुतो सुखम् ||
How can a lazy person acquire knowledge? Without knowledge how will one get wealth? Without wealth who will become friends? And without friends how will anyone become happy?
206
आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथा गच्छति सागरम् |
सर्वदेवनमस्कार: केशवं प्रति गच्छति ||
Just as the rain water that falls on the earth travels through various rivers and ultimately reaches the sea - In the same way offerings ('Namaskaras') offered to various Gods ultimately reaches only one God.
207 |
नीरक्षीरविवेके हंस आलस्यम् त्वम् एव तनुषे चेत् |
विश्वस्मिन् अधुना अन्य: कुलव्रतं पालयिष्यति क: ||
So here in the above suBAshita, the suBAshitkAr addressing the swan says - Only you have the capability to separate milk and water, and so if you only become lazy then who else will be able to do your job? If the people with bright intellect and unique skills don't carry their work as is expected from them, then who else can do it? It is the responsibility of the beaurocrats, doctors, engineers, farmers, soldiers,writers,poets,artists,thinkers,saints of the nation to do their job with the best of their abilities, or else how will the nation progress?
208
पापंज्ञन्ब्स्प; प्रज्ञाम्प;ा नाशयति क्रियमाणं पुन: पुन: |
नष्टप्रज्ञाम्प;: पापमेव नित्यमारभते नर:ज्ञन्ब्स्प; ||
विदूरनीति
Person loses the conscience (ability to think) by committing sins again and again and the one who has lost the conscience keeps on doing sins.
209
पुण्यं प्रज्ञाम्प;ा वर्धयति क्रियमाणं पुन:पुन: |
वॄद्धप्रज्ञाम्प;: पुण्यमेव नित्यमारभते नर:ज्ञन्ब्स्प; ||
विदूरनीति
Person gains conscience (ability to think) by doing good deeds again and again and the one who has conscience, keeps on doing good things.
210
अनेकशास्त्रं बहुवेदितव्यम् अल्पश्च कालो बहवश्च विघ्ना: यत् सारभूतं तदुपासितव्यं हंसो यथा क्षीरमिवाम्भुमध्यात्
There are many ‘shastraas’ (topics of study, doctrines) and abundance of knowledge. We have limited time and many obstacles. As swan (haMsaH) extracts milk from mixture of milk and water, one should (only) study essence of shastras (rather than studying each end every shastra to great details).
211
कलहान्तनि हम्र्याणि कुवाक्यानां च सौ)दम् कुराजान्तानि राष्ट्राणि कुकर्मांन्तम् यशो नॄणाम्
Quarrels destroy families. Bad words (which hurt others) destroy friends (friendships). Nations get destroyed due to incapable person as a King. Person's bad deeds destroy (or keeps him away from) success.
212
दुर्लभं त्रयमेवैतत् देवानुग्रहहेतुकम् |
मनुष्यत्वं मुमुक्षुत्वं महापुरूषसश्रय: ||
These three are difficult to obtain in this world, and depend on the mercy of the gods - the human birth, the desire for salvation, and the company of the great-souled ones. This suBAshit will surely appeal to an spiritual person! Individually we can think which of these things we have and be greatful towards it. If we don't have the company of great-souled ones then we should become one!
213
सुखार्थी त्यजते विद्यां विद्यार्थी त्यजते सुखम् |
सुखार्थिन: कुतो विद्या कुतो विद्यार्थिन: सुखम् ||
The one who runs after the luxuries will not get knowledge. And the one who wants to gain knowledge leaves the luxuries. How will any one get knowledge if he/she wants to lead a easy life? And how will one get to live a easy life who is looking for knowledge? suBAshitkAr makes us "understand" that knowledge cannot be gained leading a lavish life-style. Therefore may be in ancient Bharat the 'Gurukula' system was designed in such a way that students in their student life should gain maximum knowledge by staying away from all the pleasures of the materialistic world.
214
दिवसेनैव तत् कुर्याद् येन रात्रौ सुखं वसेत् |
यावज्जीवं च तत्कुर्याद् येन प्रेत्य सुखं वसेत् ||
विदूरनीति
Do such a work through the day, so that you can sleep peacefully at night. Similarly, do such a work throughout your life so that you can 'live' peacefully after death.
215
उपार्जितानां वित्तानां त्याग एव हि रक्षणम् तडागोदरसंस्थानां परीवाह इवाम्भसाम्
Donating (part of ... these are my words :-) ) earned wealth is the best way to protect it. (Just like) allowing water to flow out of a lake is best way to keep the lake clean. Well, I don't know how exactly it works, but may be like this, If you are standing in a bus, and say seat before you becomes empty. If you offer that seat to some other person in the bus, next time when a seat in vicinity becomes empty he takes care that you get it. Similarly if you help others, they will protect you.
216
खल: सर्षपमात्राणि पराच्छिद्राणि पश्यति |
आत्मनो बिल्वमात्राणि पश्यन्नपि न पश्यति ||
A wicked person will notice the bad qualities as tiny as a mustard seed in other person, but will not notice even the bad qualities as large as any big leaf ('bilva-patra') within himself/herself. This subhaashita teaches us to look in to ourselves before we pass any bad comments on others.
217
दानं भोगो नाश: तिस्त्रो गतयो भवन्ति विज्ञल्त;ास्यज्ञन्ब्स्प;ज्ञन्ब्स्प; |
यो न ददाति न भुङ्ज्ञग्त;े तस्य तॄतीया गतिर्भवतिज्ञन्ब्स्प;ज्ञन्ब्स्प; ||
There are three things that can happen with money/wealth . The money can be donated, it can be consumed for individual purposes and lastly it can be destroyed (It will be of no use to either the individual nor to the society). The wealth of the person who does not donate nor use it for his/her own purposes, ultimately gets destroyed. There are so many subhaahitas that tell us not to accumulate wealth! But as Shri. Ramray Kamath has stated in his last e-mail that attachment to money is often hard to resist- it rightly calls for a "sacrifice" in true sense. Please refer to the suBAshitas No. 121, 124, 133, 179 and 189 which give us more guidelines for putting our earned wealth for proper usage!
218
यादॄशै: सन्निविशते यादॄशांश्चोपसेवते |
यादॄगिच्छेच्च भवितुं तादॄग्भवति पूरूष: ||
One becomes like the people (around him/her), who one lives with, whom one serves and whom one wants to become like.
219
गुणी गुणं वेत्ति न वेत्ति निर्गुणो बली बलं वेत्ति न वेत्ति निर्बल: |
पिको वसन्तस्य गुणं न वायस: करी च सिंहस्य बलं न मूषक: ||
Only a person with good qualities knows (or appriciates) qualities of another, not a person without any qualities. A strong person knows (or judges) strength of another storng person, not a weak person. Cuckoo understands (or feels) vasanta Ritu (spring) not a crow (The cuckoo starts singing in this preriod). Elephant knows strength of Lion not a mouse.
220
गुणवान् वा परजन: स्वजनो निर्गुणोपि वा निर्गुण: स्वजन: श्रेयान् य: पर: पर एव च
A friend, even without many good qualities, is better than an enemy with good qualities. After all enemy is enemy. Though, we shall appreciate good qualities in others, it must not be forgotten that enemy is enemy and friend is friend. A person is our enemy or friend depending upon his and our interests, it does not depend on his qualities. Refer to subhashit 194, which have similar meaning.
221
पदाहतं सदुत्थाय मूर्धानमधिरोहति |
स्वस्थादेवाबमानेपि देहिनस्वद्वरं रज: ||
Even a dust particle which rises above when beaten by someone's foot is better than the person who sits calmly inspite of being insulted badly. The message of this suBAshita can vary from person to person if applied individually. But when applied to the society or nation it will convey in no uncertain terms that any wrong/insult done, should get a befitting reply. Bharat which has been beaten by the terrorism for so many years could not follow this message.
222
सा भार्या या प्रियं बू्रते स पुत्रो यत्र निवॄति: |
तन्मित्रं यत्र विश्वास: स देशो यत्र जीव्यते ||
The one who speaks in a sweet language is a real wife to any man; from whom one gets happiness and satisfaction is a real son/daughter; on whom we can put our complete faith without any hesitation is a real friend; and the land in which we can easily earn our livelihood is the real country. The way to understand this suBAshita is not by validating our wife, son, friend or country on the above specified parameters but by seeing if we personally have the qualities mentioned by the suBAshitkAr! As for the country it can be said that from the government's point-of-view it is it's duty to see that every person has work and can easily earn his livelihood, but from the citizen's point-of-view it should no doubt be like "Ask not what the country has done for you, but ask what you have done for the country"!
223
जरा रूपं हरति, धैर्यमाशा, मॄत्यु:प्राणान् , धर्मचर्यामसूया |
क्रोध: श्रियं , शीलमनार्यसेवा , ह्रियं काम: , सर्वमेवाभिमान: ||
The old age snatches away the beauty, hope takes away the courage, death defeats the life, hatred will destory ones noble attitude (dharmic vyavahaar), anger will lead to poverty, being in the company of bad people and helping them will take away ones 'sheela', uncontrolled desire will take away the shyness and false pride will take away all the good things!
224
विरला जानन्ति गुणान् विरला: कुर्वन्ति निर्धने स्नेहम् |
विरला: परकार्यरता: परदु:खेनापि दु:खिता विरला: ||
There are very few who can realise the qualities in others. Also are very few who keep attachment towards the poor people. One can rarely find any person who is fully engrossed in some ones work, and also very few are there who "feel" sad by seeing some ones misery. Should we try to become one of such rare and extinguishing species?
225
आरोग्यं विद्वज्ञल्त;ाा सज्जनमैत्री महाकुले जन्म |
स्वाधीनता च पुंसां महदैश्वर्यं विनाप्यर्थे: ||
Good Health, Intelligence, friendship with noble people, birth in a great (noble) family and not being dependent on others (Say for economic or any other needs) - these things (and not 'money') - are the real wealth of a man. Refer to suBAshita No. 212 which very loosely relates with the current suBAshita.
