A man may live but for a moment, but that moment should be spent in doing auspicious deeds. It is useless living even for a kalpa (4,320,000 *1000 years) and bringing only distress upon the two worlds (this world and the next).
मुहूर्त्तं माप जीवेच्च नरः शुक्लेण कर्मणा ।
न कल्पमापि कष्टेन लोकद्वयविरोधिना ।।१।।
We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment.
गते शोको न कर्तव्यो भविष्यं नैव चिन्तयेत् ।
वर्तमानेन कालेन प्रवर्त्तन्ते विचक्षणाः ।।२।।
It certainly is nature of the demigods, men of good character, and parents to be easily pleased. Near and distant relatives are pleased when they are hospitably received with bathing, food, and drink; and pandits are pleased with an opportunity for giving spiritual discourse.
स्वभावेन हि तुष्यन्ति देवाः सत्पुरुषाः पिता ।
ज्ञातयः स्नान-पानाभ्यां वाक्यदानेन पंडिताः ।।३।।
4 जब बच्चा माँ के गर्भ में होता है तो यह पाच बातें तय हो जाती है…
१. कितनी लम्बी उम्र होगी. २. वह क्या करेगा ३. और ४. कितना धन और ज्ञान अर्जित करेगा. ५. मौत कब होगी.
Even as the unborn baby is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his activities, his acquisition of wealth and knowledge, and his time of death.
आयुः कर्म च वित्तञ्च विद्या निधनमेव च ।
पञ्चैतानि च सृज्यन्ते गर्भस्थस्यैव देहिनः ।।४।।
Oh, see what a wonder it is! The doings of the great are strange: they treat wealth as light as a straw, yet, when they obtain it, they bend under its weight.
अहो वत ! विचित्राणि चरितानि महात्मनाम् ।
लक्ष्मी तृणाय मन्यन्ते तद्भारेण नमन्ति च ।।५।।
He who is overly attached to his family members experiences fear and sorrow, for the root of all grief is attachment. Thus one should discard attachment to be happy.
यस्य स्नेहो भयं तस्य स्नेहो दुःखस्य भाजनम् ।
स्नेहमूलानि दुःखानि तानि त्यक्त्वा वसेत्सुखम् ।।६।।
He who is prepared for the future and he who deals cleverly with any situation that may arise are both happy; but the fatalistic man who wholly depends on luck is ruined.
अनागतविधाता च प्रत्युत्पन्नमतिस्तथा ।
द् वावेतौ सुखमेधेते यद्भविष्यो विनश्यति ।।७।।
If the king is virtuous, then the subjects are also virtuous. If the king is sinful, then the subjects also become sinful. If he is mediocre, then the subjects are mediocre. The subjects follow the example of the king. In short, as is the king so are the subjects.
राज्ञधर्मणि धर्मिष्ठाः पापे पापाः समे समाः ।
राजानमनुवर्तन्ते यथा राजा तथा प्रजाः ।।८।।
I consider him who does not act religiously as dead though living, but he who dies acting religiously unquestionably lives long though he is dead.
जीवन्तं मृतवन्मन्ये देहिनं धर्मवर्जितम् ।
मृतो धर्मेण संतुक्तो दीर्घजीवी न संशयः ।।९।।
He who has acquired neither virtue, wealth, satisfaction of desires nor salvation (dharma, artha, kama, moksa), lives an utterly useless life, like the “nipples” hanging from the neck of a goat.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां यस्यैकोऽपि न विद्यते ।
अजागलस्तनस्येव तस्य जन्म निरर्थकम् ।।१०।।
The hearts of base men burn before the fire of other’s fame, and they slander them being themselves unable to rise to such a high position.
दह्यमानाः सुतीब्रेण नीचाः परयशोऽग्निना ।
अशक्तास्तत्पदं गन्तुं ततो निन्दां प्रकुर्वते ।।११।।
Excessive attachment to sense pleasures leads to bondage, and detachment from sense pleasures leads to liberation; therefore it is the mind alone that is responsible for bondage or liberation.
बन्धाय विषयासङ्गं मुक्त्यै निर्विषयं मनः ।
मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः ।।१२।।
He who sheds bodily identification by means of knowledge of the indwelling Supreme Self (Paramatma), will always be absorbed in meditative trance (samadhi) wherever his mind leads him.
देहाभिमानगलिते ज्ञानेन परमात्मनः ।
यत्र यत्र मनो याति तत्र तत्र समाधयः ।।१३।।
Who realises all the happiness he desires? Everything is in the hands of God. Therefore one should learn contentment.
ईप्सितं मनसः सर्वं कस्य सम्पद्यते सुखम् ।
दैवायत्तं यतः सर्वं तस्मात् संतोषमाश्रयेत् ।।१४।।
As a calf follows its mother among a thousand cows, so the (good or bad) deeds of a man follow him.
यथा धेनुसहस्त्रेषु वत्सो गच्छति मातरम् ।
तथा यच्च कृतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छाति ।।१५।।
He whose actions are disorganised has no happiness either in the midst of men or in a jungle — in the midst of men his heart burns by social contacts, and his helplessness burns him in the forest.
अनवस्थितकार्यस्य न जने न वने सुखम् ।
जनो दहति संसर्गाद्वनं संगविवर्जनात् ।।१६।।
As the man who digs obtains underground water by use of a shovel, so the student attains the knowledge possessed by his preceptor through his service.
यत् खनित्वा खनित्रेण भुतले वारि विन्दति ।
तथा गुरुगतां विद्या शुश्रुषुरधिगच्छति ।।१७।।
Men reap the fruits of their deeds, and intellects bear the mark of deeds performed in previous lives; even so the wise act after due circumspection.
कर्मायत्तं फलं पुंसां बुध्दिः कर्मानुसारिणी ।
तथाऽपि सुधियश्चार्या सुविचार्यैव कुर्वते ।।१८।।
Even the man who has taught the spiritual significance of just one letter ought to be worshiped. He who does not give reverence to such a guru is born as a dog a hundred times, and at last takes birth as a chandala (dog-eater).
एकाक्षरप्रदातारं यो गुरुं नाऽभिवन्दते ।
श्वानयोनिशतं भुक्त्वा चांडालेष्वभिजायते ।।१९।।
At the end of the yuga, Mount Meru may be shaken; at the end of the kalpa, the waters of the seven oceans may be disturbed; but a sadhu will never swerve from the spiritual path.
युगान्ते प्रचलेन्मेरुः कल्पान्ते सप्त सागराः ।
साधवः प्रतिपन्नार्थान्न चलन्ति कदाचन ।।२०।।
There are three gems upon this earth; food, water, and pleasing words — fools (mudhas) consider pieces of rocks as gems.
पृथिव्यां त्रीणि रत्नानि अन्नमापः सुभाषितम् ।
मूढैः पाषाणखण्डॆषु रत्नसंख्या विधीयते ।।२१।।