How can a tongue [or language] be defiled? Like a noble woman, so is language. Only uncouth people talk about their defilement.
[sarvaTHA vyavaharthavyam kuthO hyavachanIyathA / yaTHA sthrINAm thaTHA vAchAm sADHuthvE durjanO janaha //
सर्वथा व्यवहर्तव्यं कुतॊ ह्यवचनीयता / यथा स्त्रीणां तथा वाचां साधुत्वॆ दुर्जनॊ जनः //]
[Note: This verse is from Bhavabhuti's Sanskrit play, Uttararamacharitham. Follow the link on the right to read more of the play]
A lotus is beautiful even if it is in the midst of muck; the blemish on the moon, despite its darkness, only highlights the moon’s lustre; her simple bark attire only enhances the loveliness of this maiden. Indeed, what will not serve as a decoration for something that is intrinsically beautiful?
[This verse is in Act I (of VII Acts) of Kalidasa's play, Abhignyanashakunthalam (अभिज्ञाशाकुन्तलम्). King Dushyanta recites this verse to himself when he sees Shakuntala for the first time from his vantage point, behind the trees]
[sarasijamanuvidhDHam shaivalEnApi ramyam malinamapi himAmshOrlakshma lakshmIm thanOthi / iyamaDHikamanOgnyA valkaEnApi thanvI kimiva hi maDHurANAm maNdanam nAkrthInAm//
सरसिजमनुविद्धं शैवलॆनपि रम्यं मलिनमपि हिमांशॊर्लक्ष्म लक्ष्मीं तनॊति /इयमधिकमनॊज्ञा वल्कलॆनापि तन्वी किमिव हि मधुराणां मण्डनं नाकृतीनाम् //]
Wherever Raghava’s praises are sung, there He is ever present, with palms clasped overhead and eyes flooded with tears of joy. Let us meditate on Him - Maruthi - the destroyer of demons.
[yathra yathra raghynAthakIrthanam thathra thathra krthamasthakAnjalim / bASHpavAriparipUrNalOchanam mAruthim namatha rAksasAnthakam //
यत्र यत्र रघुनामकीर्तनं तत्र कतमस्तकाञ्जलिम् /बाष्पवारिपरिपूर्णलॊचनं मारुतिं नमत राक्षसान्तकम् //
To Him who jumped across the ocean as if it were just a sport, who doused the fire of sadness in the heart of Janaka’s daughter and with that very fire set aflame all of Lanka - to Anjaneya - I offer my salutations with hands folded.
[ullanghya sinDHOho salilam salIlam yaha shOkavahnim janakAthmajAyAha / AdhAya thEnaiva dhadhAha lankAm namAmi tham prAnjalirAnjanEyam //
उल्लङ्घ्य सिन्धोः सलिलं सलीलं यः शॊकवह्निं जनकात्मजायाः /आदाय तेनैव ददाह लङ्कां नमामि तं प्राञ्जलिराञ्जनेयम् //]
In order to acquire command over the knowledge of Speech and its Meaning, I bow down to Parvathi and Parameshvara, mother and father of the world, who are as inseparable as Speech and its Meaning.
[vAgarTHAviva samprkthau vAgarTHaprathipaththayE / jagathaha pitharau vandhE pArvathIparamEshvarau -
वागर्थाविव सम्पृक्तौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तयॆ / जगत: पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमॆश्वरौ]
[Note: This is the first verse of Kalidasa's epic poem, Raghuvamsham.
Curiously, vAk, in Sanskrit belongs to the feminine gender and arTHa to the masculine gender. In Sanskrit, gender is not determined by the object denoted by the word.)
He made the mighty ocean seem so small (goSHpadha was a small measure of length used in ancient India) and squashed the demons like so many flies. He is the gem in the grand necklace that is the Ramayanam. I bow down to him - the son of the Wind.
[gOSHpadhIkrtha vArIsham mashakIkrtha rAkshasam / rAmAyaNa mahAmAlArathnam vandhEnilAthmajam
गोष्पदीकृतवारीषं मशकीकृतराक्षसं / रामायणमहामालारत्नं वन्देऽनिलात्मजम्//]
I know that you belong to the famous lineage of the greatest of clouds, Pushkara and Avartaka. I know too that you are Indra’s (the king of the gods) right-hand man and that you are capable of changing your form at will. That is why I, who have been displaced from my relatives by fate, approach you to ask a favour of you. It is better that we are refused help by virtuous people than to receive help from lowly persons.
[From Kalidasa's poem, Meghadootam - The Cloud Messenger. Follow link on right for transliteration of verse and full story]
From Chanakya’s nIthi shAsthram
Just as a bee collects honey from flowers, drop by drop, over a period of time (without harming them), so too should a king collect taxes from his subjects for future use (without hurting them).
(yaTHA kramENa grhNanthi puSHpEbhyO maDHu SHatpadhAha / thaTHA viththamupAdhAya rAjA kurvItha sanchayam
यथा क्रमेण गृह्णन्ति पुष्पेभ्यो मधु षट्पदाः / तथा वित्तमुपादाय राजा कुर्वीत सञ्चयम्//)
In one who learns, there is no folly; in one who is devout, there is no wickedness; for one who keeps his counsel, there is no conflict; for one who is judicious, there is no fear.
(paTathO nAsthi mUrkhathvam japathO nAsthi pAthakam / mauninaha kalahO nAsthi na bhayam chAsthi jAgrathaha
पठतो नास्ति मूर्खत्वं जपतो नास्ति पातकम् / मौनिनः कलहो नास्ति न भयं चास्ति जाग्रतः //)
Laziness, the greatest enemy of man, is within his own body. So too is man’s most trustworthy relative - Work - which will never lead to his downfall.
[Alasyam hi manuSHyANAm sharIrasTHO mahAn ripuhu / nAsthyudhyamasamO banDHuhu krthvA yam nAvasIdathi
आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां शरीरस्थो महान् रिपुः /नास्त्युद्यमसमो बन्धुः कृत्वा यं नावसीदति //]
