रे पद्मिनीदल तवाSत्र मया चरित्रं
दृष्टं विचित्रमिव यद्विदितं ध्रुवं तत् |
यैरेव शुद्ध सलिले: परिपालितस्त्वं
तेभ्यः प्रथग्भवसि पङ्कभवोसि यस्मात् || -सुभाषित रत्नाकर (प्रसंग रत्नावली )
भावार्थ - ओ कमल पुष्पों के समूह ! मैने तुम्हारा बडा ही विचित्र , स्थायी और
सर्वविदित व्यवहार देखा है कि जो भी तुम्हें शुद्ध जल में उगाने का प्रयास करते हैं
तुम उनसे प्रथक् हो जाते हो (वे असफल हो जाते हैं )क्यों कि तुम्हें कीचड में रहना
ही रुचिकर लगता है |
(प्रस्तुत सुभाषित एक 'कमलान्योक्ति' है | लाक्षणिक रूप से इस का तात्पर्य यह है
कि प्राणिमात्र अपने जन्मजात पृकृतिदत्त स्वभाव तथा वातावरण का परित्याग नहीं
कर सकते हैं और अन्य परिस्थितियों में चाहे वे अच्छी भी क्यों न हों, उनका विकास
नहीं होता है |)
Re padmanidala tavaatra mayaa charitram,
Drushtam vichitramiva yadviditam dhruvam tat.
Yaireva shuddha salilaih paripaalitastvam.
Tebhyah prathagbhavasi pankabavosi yasmaat.
Re = O ! Padmineedala = lotus plants. Tavaatra =
tava + atra. Tava = your. Atra = here. Mayaa =
my. Charitram=behaviour, conduct. Drushtam =See
Vichitramiva = vichitram+ iva. Vichitram = amazing.
Iva = like (for comparison) Yadviditam = yat +viditam.
Yat = that. Vditam= known as. Dhruvam =permanent.
Tat = that. Yaireva = yaih + eva. Yaih = they. Eva=
really. Shuddha = pure. Salilaih = water. Paripaalitah+
tvam. Paripalitah = nurtured, grown in. Tvam = you.
Tebhyah = they. Prathagbhaavasi= praathak +bhavasi.
Prathak = separated. Bhavati = becomes. Pankabhavosi= water
pankabhavo +asi. Pankabhavo = growing in mud and slush.
Asi= is. Yasmaat = because.
i.e. O cluster of lotus flowers ! I have observed an amazing and well known
behaviour in you, that whosoever tries to grow you in fresh water you abandon
him (they fail to do so) because you like to grow only in mud and slush.
(The above Subhashita is an allegory relating to Lotus flowers. The underlying
idea is that all living beings have inborn peculiarities and they can not grow in
an environment other than their natural environment. )