शास्त्रोपस्कृतशब्दसुन्दरगिरिः शिष्यप्रदेयागमा
विख्याताः कवयो वसन्ति विषये यस्य प्रभोर्निधनः ।
तज्जाड्यं वसुधाधिपस्य कवयो ह्यर्थं विनापीश्वराः
कुत्स्याः स्युः कुपरीक्षका न मणयो यैरर्घतः पातितः ॥
SAstropaskRutaSabdasundaragiriH SiShyapradeyAgamA
viKyAtAH kavayo vasanti viShaye yasya praBornidhanaH ।
tajjADyaM vasudhAdhipasya kavayo hyarthaM vinApISvarAH
kutsyAH syuH kuparIkShakA na maNayo yairarGataH pAtitaH ॥
Learned men who can utter words that are grammatically correct and decorated with various figures of speech, who can impart the same knowledge on to students efficiently, who are famous for their works world wide – if such poets are in your state and are very poor, then it reflects very badly on you (the King). Becuase, when a real gem is valued poorly, it is the mistake of the ‘gem-examiner’ and not the gem itself.
हर्तुर्याति न गोचरं किमपि शं पुष्णाति यत्सर्वदा
ह्यर्थिभ्यः प्रतिपाद्यमानमनिशं प्राप्नोति वृद्धिं पराम् ।
कल्पान्तेष्वपि न प्रयाति निधनं विद्याख्यमन्तर्धन
येषां तान्प्रति मानमुज्झत नृपाः कस्तैः सह स्पर्धते ॥
harturyAti na gocaraM kimapi SaM puShNAti yatsarvadA
hyarthiByaH pratipAdyamAnamaniSaM prApnoti vRuddhiM parAm ।
kalpAnteShvapi na prayAti nidhanaM vidyAKyamantardhana
yeShAM tAnprati mAnamujJata nRupAH kastaiH saha spardhate ॥
Knowledge is unique wealth. Those who come to rob you will not even see it. it gives you a unique happiness that never ends. When knowledge seekers come to you and you give it to them always, (instead of decreasing) it grows manyfold. It will not even be destroyed when the world comes to an end. Oh Kings, when you see someone possessing such a wealth leave your ego and surrender. There is no meaing in competing against them.
अधिगतपरमार्थान्पण्डितान्मावमंस्था -
स्तृणमिव लघुलक्ष्मीर्नैव तान्संरुणद्धि ।
अभिनवमदलेखाश्यामगण्डस्थलानां
न भवति बिसतन्तुवरिणं वारणानाम् ॥
adhigataparamArthAnpaNDitAnmAvamaMsthA -
stRuNamiva laGulakShmIrnaiva tAnsaMruNaddhi ।
aBinavamadaleKASyAmagaNDasthalAnAM
na Bavati bisatantuvariNaM vAraNAnAm ॥
Oh Kings, never treat a scholar lightly. Don’t flaunt your wealth in front of them and feel superior. Material richness can never contain their prowess (fame). Can you contain an elephant whose temples have become black due to excessive rutting by tying them with the stalks of a lotus plant? Thats how futile will an attempt to contain a learned person with your riches.
अम्भोजिनीवनवासविलासमेव
हंसस्य हन्ति नितरां कुपितो विधाता ।
न त्वस्य दुग्धजलभेदविधौ प्रसिद्धां
वैदग्ध्यकीर्तिमपहर्तुमसौ समर्थः ॥
amBojinIvanavAsavilAsameva
haMsasya hanti nitarAM kupito vidhAtA ।
na tvasya dugdhajalaBedavidhau prasiddhAM
vaidagdhyakIrtimapahartumasau samarthaH ॥
If the creator god angry at the earthly beings, he can at most take away the pleasure that swan was having by living by the lake. But can he take away the fame that the swan has earned by its knowledge of separating water and milk? Taking fame away from anybody is something that the creator himself can not do.
केयूरा न विभूषयन्ति पुरुषं हारा न चन्द्रोज्ज्वला
न स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं नालङ्कृता मूर्धजाः ।
वाण्येका समलंकरोति पुरुषं या संस्कृता धार्यते
क्षीयते खलु भूषणानि सततं वाग्भूषणं भूषणम् ॥
keyUrA na viBUShayanti puruShaM hArA na candrojjvalA
na snAnaM na vilepanaM na kusumaM nAlaNkRutA mUrdhajAH ॥
vANyekA samalaMkaroti puruShaM yA saMskRutA dhAryate
kShIyate Kalu BUShaNAni satataM vAgBUShaNaM BUShaNam ॥
Not armlets, not necklaces that shine like moonlight, not a good bath, not an application of sandal paste, not any flowers, not a fancy hair-do – None of these adorn a man. Its only his polished speech that decorate a person. All other decorations fade by time. While the decoration of refined speech lives for ever (Sometimes even after the person).
विद्या नाम नरस्य रूपमधिकं प्रच्छन्नगुप्तं धनं
विद्या भोगकारी यशःसुखकारी विद्या गुरूणां गुरुः ।
विद्या बन्धुजनो विदेशगमने विद्या परा देवता
विद्या राजसु पूजिता न तु धनं विद्याविहीनः पशुः ॥
vidyA nAma narasya rUpamadhikaM pracCannaguptaM dhanaM
vidyA BogakArI yaSaHsuKakArI vidyA gurUNAM guruH ।
vidyA bandhujano videSagamane vidyA parA devatA
vidyA rAjasu pUjitA na tu dhanaM vidyAvihInaH paSuH ॥
Education alone can make a person more presentable. It has to guarded like hidden treasure. Knowledge can give you riches. It can give you fame and happiness. It is the teacher of teachers. It will earn you well-wishers when you are in a foreign land. It is the best diety. It is knowledge that is appreciated by the Kings – not money. That is the reason people treat a person without education as an animal.
क्षान्तिश्चेत्कवचेन किं, किमिरिभिः क्रोधोऽस्ति चेद्देहिनां
ज्ञातिश्चेदनलेन किं यदि सुहृद्दिव्यौषधिः किं फलम् ।
किं सर्पैर्यदि दुर्जनः, किमु धनैर्वुद्यानवद्या यदि
व्रीडा चेत्किमु भूषणैः सुकविता यद्यस्ति राज्येन किम् ॥
kShAntiScetkavacena kiM, kimiriBiH krodho&sti ceddehinAM
jnAtiScedanalena kiM yadi suhRuddivyauShadhiH kiM Palam ।
kiM sarpairyadi durjanaH, kimu dhanairvudyAnavadyA yadi
vrIDA cetkimu BUShaNaiH sukavitA yadyasti rAjyena kim ॥
If you have patience, you would not need a better armour. If you have anger, you don’t have to make other enemies. If you have siblings who fight over wealth, then you don’t need fire to burn oneself. If you have well-wishers, its like having medicines during illness. If you are among wicked men, then you do not need snakes to poison you. If you have unadultrated education, then what is the use of wealth? Being shy makes up as your best ornament. If you have a nice poetry to read, who cares about kingdom (politics)?
दाक्षिण्यं स्वजने, दया परजने, शाट्यं सदा दुर्जने
प्रीतिः साधुजने, नयो नृपजने, विद्वज्जनेऽप्यार्जवम् ।
शौर्यं शत्रुजने, क्षमा गुरुजने, नारीजने धूर्तता
ये चैवं पुरुषाः कलासु कुशलास्तेष्वेव लोकस्थितिः ॥
dAkShiNyaM svajane, dayA parajane, SATyaM sadA durjane
prItiH sAdhujane, nayo nRupajane, vidvajjane&pyArjavam ।
SauryaM Satrujane, kShamA gurujane, nArIjane dhUrtatA
ye caivaM puruShAH kalAsu kuSalAsteShveva lokasthitiH ॥
Courtesy towards relatives, compassion towards others, deceit towards the wicked, love towards the noble men, good conduct towards the king, frankness (and honesty) towards the learned, bravery and courage towards enemies, forgiveness towards teachers, craft towards women – the well being this world is the hands of those men who are well-versed in the above art.
जाड्यं धियो हरति सिञ्चति वाचि सत्यं
मान्नोनतिं दिशति पापमपकरोति ।
चेतः प्रसादयति दिक्षु तनोति कीर्तिं
सत्सङ्गतिः कथय किं न करोति पुंसाम् ॥
jADyaM dhiyo harati si~jcati vAci satyaM
mAnnonatiM diSati pApamapakaroti ।
cetaH prasAdayati dikShu tanoti kIrtiM
satsaNgatiH kathaya kiM na karoti puMsAm ॥
The friendship of the learned and noble men will help you in the following ways: It will kill the sluggishness of the mind. It will make you honest. It will lead you on a path that will enhance your hounour. It will reduce your sins. It will awaken your conscience. It will make yours fame spread in all directions. Tell me who shall not be benefitted by the friendship of noble men.
जयन्ति ते सुकृतिनो रससिद्धाः कवीश्वराः ।
नास्ति येषां यशः काये जरामरणजं भयम् ॥
jayanti te sukRutino rasasiddhAH kavISvarAH ।
nAsti yeShAM yaSaH kAye jarAmaraNajaM Bayam ॥
Victorious are those poets who are well-versed with all the disciplines of creative writing. Their fame does not have to fear any effects of growing old or death.
प्रारभ्यते न खलु विघ्नभयेन नीचैः
प्रारभ्य विघ्ननिहता विरमन्ति मध्याः ।
विघ्नैः पुनःपुनरपि प्रतिहन्यमानाः
प्रारब्धमुत्तमजना न परित्यजन्ति ॥
prAraByate na Kalu viGnaBayena nIcaiH
prAraBya viGnanihatA viramanti madhyAH ।
viGnaiH punaHpunarapi pratihanyamAnAH
prArabdhamuttamajanA na parityajanti ॥
A low-spirited person will not even start on an enterprise for fear of all the obstacles. An average person will start. But soon, gives up when he is faced with the obstacles. A noble man will alone start, fight the obstacles and lead the enterprise to completion.