Trust in Your Own Intelligence

An idea should not be accepted just because one’s own minister proposed it; nor should it be ignored just because another king’s minister suggested it. For the intelligent, their own intelligence is their minister. [From Nilakantavijayachampu of Nilakanta Dikshita, chapter 3]

(na khalvAthmanaha sachivOktham ithyEvAdharaNIyam parasachivOktham ithi vA pariharaNIyam / DHImathAm DHIrEva sachivaha/

न खल्वात्मनः सचिवोक्तम् इत्येवादरणीयं परसचिवोक्तम् इति वा परिहरणीयम्/ धीमतां धीरेव सचिवः /)

A Miser’s Wealth

Has Wealth sought refuge with him? Or is it that Wealth is poisonous? What could be the reason for a miser to neither give away his wealth nor enjoy it?

(sharaNam kim prapannAm viSHavanmArayanthi vA / na thyajyanthE na bhujyanthE krpaNEna DHanAni yath

शरणं किं प्रपन्नानि विषवन्मारयन्ति वा /न त्यज्यन्ते न भुज्यन्ते कृपणेन धनानि यत् //)

How Sweet are the Words of a Poet!

Honey is sweet; nectar is sweeter still; but sweetest of all are the words of a poet.

(maDHuram maDHu pIyUSHam thasmAth thasmAth kavErvachaha /

मधुरम् मधु पीयूषं तस्मात् तस्मात् कवेर्वचः)

The Greatest of All

A mountain is great; the ocean is greater; the sky is greater still; the Almighty is greater than even the sky.  But the greatest of all is Hope.

(girirmahAn girErabDHirmahAn abDHErnabhO mahath /  nabhasOpi mahadh brahmA thathOpyAshA garIyasI

गिरिर्महान् गिरेरब्धिर्महान् अब्धेर्नभो महत् / नभसोपि महद् ब्रह्मा ततोप्याशा गरीयसी //)

Miserliness Leads to Poverty

(A certain scholar, who approached a king for patronage, had this to say): One goes to hell due to one’s sins.  Those who commit sins do so because they are poor.  Poverty is the lot of those who have not been generous in their lives.  Therefore, O king, be liberal in giving!

(bhavanthi narakAha pApAth pApam dhAridhryasmabhavam /  dhAridhryam apradhAnEna thasmath dhAnaparO bhava)

Be Not Enslaved!

Those who are slaves of desire remain forever at the mercy of the world, whereas the whole world is at the service of those who have enslaved desire.

 (AshayA yE dhAsAha thE dhAsAha sarvalOkasya /  AshA dhAsI yESHAm thESHAm dhAsAyathE lOkaha)

The Nature of Good People

Good people are like mountains.  They reach great heights.  But, unlike mountains, they are soft by nature.

(shailA ivOnnathAha santhaha kinthu prakrthi kOmalAha)