Ghatothkacha - As seen by Bhasa in his play, Madhyamavyayogaha

O, who on earth is this? With a head full of hair that resembles the rays of the rising sun and flaming red eyes glowering from under thick eyebrows? The thread tied around his neck is like a flash of lightning on a clouded sky and he looks like the Destroyer Himself come at cataclysm.

[For more of the play, go to KAVYANUBHAVAM link in the right margin, under Simply for the Love of Sanskrit]

bhOho kO nu khalvESHaha /

tharuNaravikaraprakIrNakEshO bhrukutiputOjjvalapingalAyathAkSHaha / sathadidhiva ghanaha sakaNTasUthrO yuganiDHanE prathimAkrthirharasya // 4//

भोः को नु खल्वेषः /

तरुणरविकरप्रकीर्णकेशो भ्रुकुटिपुटोज्ज्वलपिङ्गलायताक्षः / सतडिदिव घनः सकण्ठसूत्रो युगनिधने प्रतिमाकृतिर्हरस्य // ४ //

Whatever Will Be, Will Be

That which is protected by fate survives though it is defenceless whereas that which enjoys protection, perishes if so destined.  Abandoned in the forest, one may survive, yet die sheltered within a home. [A verse from Vishnu Sharma's 'Panchatantra']

arakSHitham thiSHTathi dhaivarakSHitham surakSHitham vinashyathi / jIvathyanATHOpi vane visarhithaha krthapratathnOpi grhE na jIvathi //

अरक्षितं तिष्ठति दैवरक्षितं सुरक्षितं दैवहतं विनश्यति / जीवत्यनाथोऽपि वने विसर्जितः कृतप्रयत्नोऽपि गृहे न जीवति //

 

All that I Do is an Offering to God

All that I do - with my body, my words, my mind, my senses, my intellect, my soul or unconsciously, because of my nature -  everything do I proffer to the supreme spirit, Narayana.

[kAyEna vAchA manasEndhriyairvA budhDHyAthmanA vA prakrthehe svabhAvAth / karOmi yadhyath sakalam parasmai nArAyaNAyEthi samarpayAmi //

कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात् / करोमि यद्यत् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयामि //]

Life as an Offering to God

From dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn, whatever I do O Lord of the World, may it be an offering to You.

[prAthaha prabhrthi sAyAntham sAyAdhi prAtharanthathaha /  yath karOmi jagannATHa thadhasthu thava pUjanam //

प्रातः प्रभृति सायान्तं सायादि प्रातरन्ततः / यत् करोमि जगन्नाथ तदस्तु तव पूजनम् //]

The Unsurpassing Love for One’s Mother and Motherland

O Lakshmana, though Lanka is decked in gold, I do not feel any great liking for it.  The pull of one’s mother and motherland are so great that even heaven cannot compete with it.

 [Rama, prince of Ayodhya, tells these words to his brother, Lakshmana, when he sets out to battle with Ravana, the king of Lanka]

api svarNamayI lankA na mE lakSHmaNa rOchate / jananI janmabhUmishcha svargAdhapi garIyasI //

अपि स्वर्णमयी लङ्का न मे लक्ष्मण रोचते / जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी //

Advice to Parents

Indulge a child for the first five years of his life, for the next ten years deal firmly with the child.  Once the child is sixteen, treat him as a friend.

[lAlayEth pancha varSHANi dasha varSHANi thAdayEth /  prApthE thu SHOdashE varSHE puthram mithravadh AcharEth //

लालयेत् पञ्च वर्षाणि दश वर्षाणि ताडयेत् / प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रं मित्रवदाचरेत् //]

Good People and Bad People

There is just one difference between people who are good and those who are not.  The thoughts, words and deeds of the bad do not match one another.  The thoughts, words and deeds of the good people are all identical.

[manasyEkam vachasyEkam karmaNyEkam dhurAthmanAm /  manasyEkam vachasyEkam karmaNyEkam mahAthmanAm //

मनस्येकं वचस्येकं कर्मण्येकं दुरात्मनाम् / मनस्येकं वचस्येकं कर्मण्येकं महात्मनाम् //]

A Father’s Sorrow

Since Shakunthala is leaving today, my heart is turbulent, unshed tears constrict my throat and anxiety blurs my sight.  If affection causes such agitation in a person like me who lives in the forest, how much will the sadness of separation from a just married daughter trouble a householder?

[yAsyathyadhya shakunthalEthi hrdhayam samsprSHtam uthkaNTayA kaNTaha sthambithabASHpavrththikaluSHashchinthAjadam dharshanam /  vaiklavyam mama thAvadhIdhrsham idham snEhAdh araNyaukasaha pIdyanthE grhiNaha kaTHam nu thanayAvishlESHadhuhkhairnavaihi //

यास्यत्यद्य शकुन्तलेति हृदयं संस्पृष्टमुत्कण्ठया कण्ठः स्थम्बितबाष्पवृत्तिकलुषैश्चिन्ताजडं दर्शनम् / वैक्लव्यं मम तावदीदृशमिदं स्नेहादरण्यौकसः पीड्यन्ते गृहिणः कथं नु तनयाविश्लेषदुःखैर्नवैः // ]

 [Note: This slokam is from Kalidasa's play Abhignyana Shakuntalam.  Sage Kanva says these words to himself before Shakuntala's departure to her husband Dushyanta's kingdom]

As Unselfish As A Tree

Trees give shade to others while themselves standing in the sun.  They bear fruits for others to enjoy as do those who follow the path of goodness. [A verse from Chanakya's Niti Shastram]

[CHAyAm anyasya kurvanthi thiSHTanthi svayam AthapE /  phalanthi cha parasyArTHE sathpaTHasTHA iva dhrumAha //

छायाम् अन्यस्य कुर्वन्ति त्तिष्ठन्ति स्वयम् आतपे /  फलन्ति च परस्यार्थे सत्पथस्था इव द्रुमाः //]

Plan to Save, and Also to Spend

The grains that are saved by an ant, the honey collected by a bee and the wealth stored up by a miser are lost forever (if calamity strikes).

[pipIlikArjitham DHAnyam makSHikA sanchitham maDHu / lubDHEna sanchitham dhravyam samUlam hi vinashyathi //

पिपीलिकार्जितं धान्यं मक्षिका सञ्चितं मधु / लुब्धेन सञ्चितं द्रव्यं समूलं हि विनश्यति // ]