To day's Subhashit.

आत्मनः परितोषाय कवैः  काव्यं तथापि तत्
स्थापितो देहली दीप समं अन्योपकारकं  .

Aatmanah paritoshaaya kavaih kaavyam tathaapi tat;
sthaapito dehli deep samam anyopakaarakam.

i.e.     Although poets write poetry for their self satisfaction, it benefits the society as a whole, just like a bright lamp at the entrance of a house brightening all its surroundings (including the road where the house is situated.

Aatmanah = for oneself.       Paritoshaaya = satisfaction.       Kavaih = poets.          Kaavyam =  poetry.
Tathaapi =  although.            Tat = there, however.               Sthaapito = situated at.
Dehli = entrance of a house, a porch.             Deepam = a lamp.
Samam = equal to, like          deep samam = any device like a lamp which produces bright light.
Anyopakaarakam (anya +upkaarakam) . Anya = others.  Upkaarakam = beneficial .

To day's Subhashit.

      There is a speical type of Subhashit known as "Koot Shloka", which implies that one can interpret the shloka in two different ways  having just the opposit meaning.  Here is an example of such as Shloka (verse).

हनुमता हताSराम  सीता हर्ष समागता.
सर्वे राक्षसाः रोदन्ति  हाहाSराम हता हताः

Hanumataa hataaraam Seeta harsh samaagataa.
Sarve Raakshahah rodanti ha ha Raam Hataa hataah.

The first meaning of the Shloka :-    Hanumaan has killed Ram, whereby Sita was overjoyed and all Rakshasaas started weeping saying Hai ! Hai ! Ram has been killed.

The second meaning of the shloka:-   Hanuman destroyed the garden, whereby Seeta was overjoyed and all the Raakshasaas started weeping saying hai ! hai ! the garden has been destroyed.

     These two different and quite opposite meanings of the shloka are conveyed by paraphrasing the word 'Hataaraama' as hata + aarama  (hata = destroyed, killed , and aaram =a garden). If the word is taken as a whole then it may mean Rama was killed.   In this shloka the context is that Hanuman has found Devi Seeta kept captive by Ravana in a garden called Ashoka Vaatika and with her permission destroyed the garden's trees.

Harsh =  joy.       Samaagata = became.       Sarve = all.           Rodanti = are weeping
Ha Ha =  an expression of grief  - hai hai.

To day's Subhashit.

स्थान भ्रष्टा न शोभन्ते दन्ताः केशा नखा नराः
इति विज्ञाय मतिमान् स्वस्थानम् न परित्यजेत

Sthaan bhrashtaas na shobhante dantaah kesha nakhaa naraah.
Iti vigyaay matimaan swasthsaanam na parityajet.

i.e.   On being removed from their designated place, the teeth, hairs, finger nails and  persons do not get the attention and care which they were hitherto receiving.  Therefore, knowing this phenomena  wise persons never quit from the position being held by them.

Sthaan = place       Sthaan bhrashta =   removed from the position held by a thing or a person.
Shobhante = liked , appreciated.           Dantaa = teeth.        Kesha =  hairs (of head)
Nakhaa = finger nails.            Naraah = people.         Iti vigyaay =  by knowing this
Matimaan =  wise persons.        Swa = one's own.        Sthaan = place, position.
Paritryajet = quit, leave, abandon.

( So long as the teeth, hairs and fingernails are part of our body, we pay full attention towards their upkeep by every measure possible. But once these  no longer are part of our body for any reason they are discarded. Similarly so long a person is in a position of power, he gets full attention and respect.But once he is deprived of that position he loses all that attention. That is why persons,particularly politicians, try to hold their exalted position by hook or crook. ) 

To day's Subhashit.

न धैर्येण  बिना  लक्ष्मी न शौर्येण बिना जयः

न दानेन बिना  मोक्षो  न ज्ञानेन बिना यशः 

Na dhairyen binaa lakshmi na shauryen binaa jayah

na daanen binaa moksho na gyaanen bina yashh.

i.e.    One can not get rich without perseverance , can not win a battle (accomplish a difficult task) without courage, can not get salvation without doing charitable work, and one can not become illustrious and famous without being learned and knowledgeable.

Na= not.         Dhairya = perseverance,  patience.       Bina = without.       

Lakshmi = Goddess of Riches.( here the reference is to being rich).      

Shaurya = courage, bravery.      . Jayah=  winning,        Daan = charity.  Helping the needy in cash or kind without expecting any thing in return.       Moksha = salvation.  (According to Hindu  Religion 'Moksha' is a situation in which one attains union with God and gets exempted from the cycle of birth and re-birth.)            Gyaan = knowledge, learning.       Yash = being illustrious and famous.

To day's Subhashit.

ददाति प्रतिगृण्हाति गुह्यमाख्याति पृच्छति
भुङ्ते भोजयते चैव षड् विधं प्रीति लक्षणम्

Dadaati pratigrunhaati guhyamaakhyaati pruchhatam,
Bhungte bhojayate chaaiw shadvidham preeti lakshnam.

i.e.   Giving, returning of the courtesy shown by a similar behavior, sharing of secrets, caring for one's welfare ,sharing of meals,  and serving food with care, these are the six symptoms of affection shown by  a person to another person.

Dadaati = gives.       Pratigrunhaati = returns the courtesy shown  by a similar behavior.
Guhya = secret.        Aakhyati = keeps.           Pruchati = cares for one's welfare.
Bhungte = shares meals.         Bhojayate =  serves meals.
Shadvidham = these six.       Preeti = afection.         Lakshnam = symptoms.

(If we find these symptoms in the behavior of a person while dealing with him, we can be certain that he loves and respects us.)    

To day's Subhashit.

अधिगम्य गुरौ: ज्ञानं छात्रेभ्यो वितरन्तिये ,
 विद्या वात्सल्य निधियः शिक्षकाः मम दैवतं.

Adhigamya Gurouh Gyaanam Chaatrebhyo vitaranti ye,
Vidyaa vastalya nidhiyah shikshakaah mama daivatam.

i.e.   Those Teachers, who freely distribute the knowledge acquired by them from their own Teachers to other Students, are like Gods to me, because they bestow the treasure of 'Vidya' on their student like a mother's affection towards her children.

Adhigamya = acquired.    Gurouh (plural of Guru) = teachers.      Gyaanam = knowledge, learning.
Chaatrebhyo = to Students.        Vitaranti =  distribute.         Ye = who.      
 Vidya = learning, knowledge.      Nidhi = treasure          Shikshakaah = teachers.
Vaatsalya = love and affection, especially by a mother towards her children. (Here the author equates the students as children and the teachers as a mother. Just as a mother loves her children so also a teacher loves his students.)

Sanskrit and Hindi literature is very rich in Subhashits extolling the the Guru by equating him to God. However, a Guru who does not conform to the high standards of probity and benevolence, has also been severely criticised. Here is a quotation from 'Ramcharit Manas' by Goswami Tulsidas - "हरई   शिष्य धन शोक न हरई  , सो गुरु घोर नरक महुँ परई."- Harai shishya dhan shok na harai, so guru ghor narak mah parai - i.e. a teacher who robs a student of his money and does not remove his sorrow (ignorance), is ultimately consigned to Hell by the Providence.

To day's Subhashit.

नहि कश्चित् विजानाति किं कस्य भविष्यति
अतः श्वः करणीयानि  कुर्याद्यैव बुद्धिमान .

Nahi kashchit vijaanati kim kasya bhawashiyati.
Atahh shwah karaneeyani kuryaddyaiva buddhimaan'

i.e.    One never knows what will happen to him tomorrow. Therefore, wise men should do tomorrow's task to day itself .

Na hi = never.     Kashchit=  perhaps.    Vijaanati = knows.     Kim =  what.
Kasya = him, his.       Shwo =  tomorrow.      Bhawaishyati =  will happen.
Atahh = therefore       Shwah =  tomorrow,     Karaniyaani = to be done.
Kuryaad =  to do.        Aiva = definitely.    Kuryaaddyaiva = definitely do..
Buddhimaan =   a wise person

(The underlying idea behind this Subhashit is that there is a common tendency among persons to postpone the task in hand for doing it on the next day.The author warns agsainst this tendancy and exhorts that what to say of completing the task to day itself, even tomorrow's task should better be performed to day itself, because no one knows whiat is in store for us tomorrow. There is a nice couplet in Hindi on this subject -  "काल करे सो आज कर आज करे सो अब,  पल में प्रलय होई है फेरि  करोगे कब "  - i.e. Whatever task you have to do tomorrow do it to day, and what you have to do to day perform it just now, because at any moment there can be dooms' day .So when you will get an opportunity to do your job ?