Today's Subhashita.

उदकानलचौरेभ्यो   मूषकेभ्यो   विशेषतः  |
कष्टेन लिखितं शास्त्रं यत्नेन परिपालयेत् || - महाशुभाषितसंग्रह

भावार्थ -    विभिन्न विषयों पर अनेक कष्ट उठा कर लिखी गयीं
हस्तलिखित पुस्तकों को जल से,अग्नि से ,चोरों से, और विशेषतः
चूहों के द्वारा क्षति से  बचा कर विशेष यत्न पूर्वक संरक्षित करना
चाहिये |

(शतब्दियों पूर्व जब  पुस्तकें मशीन द्वारा  न छापी  जा  कर लेखनी
से  हस्तलिखित रूप में भोज पत्र मे  लिखी  जाती  थीं तो वे बहुत ही
श्रमसाध्य  तथा मूल्यवान  समझी  जाती  थीं |   यह  सुभाषित उसी 
काल खण्ड  का ही प्रतीत होता है | पुस्तकों के संरक्षण की इन विधियों
का अभी  भी उतना  ही महत्व  हैं | )

Udakaanalachaurebhyo  mooshakebhyo visheshatah.
kashtena likhitam shaastram yatnena paripaaalayet.

Udakaanalachaurebhyo = udak + anala + chaurebhyo.
Udak = water.    Anala = fire.    Chaurebhyo = thieves.
Mooshakebhyo = mice, rats.     Visheshatah =especially.
Kashtena =   painstakingly           .   Likhitam = written
Shaastram = treatises on various disciplines of learning.
Yatnena = with special  care.    Paripaalayet = guarded.
 
i.e.             Hand written books produced painstakingly on
various subjects should be assiduously protected from loss
or damage by water, fire, thieves, and especially from rats,
and must be preserved with special care.

( In olden times when the printing press was not invented,
books were written by hand through a painstaking process
and were considered very precious. Perhaps this Subhashita
also dates back to that period.  But the instructions for the
protection and preservation of books mentioned therein are
still valid.)