Saturday, September 24, 2011

Subhashita-kaustubha (7-9)

सुभाषिततकौस्तुभः (७-९)
सुधापृषतसोदरैरपि सुधीजनाह्लादनैः
न रञ्जयितुमीष्महे नरमपण्डितं भाषितैः ।
कलानिधिशिलाद्रवीकृतिचणैरपि त्विट्कणैः
चिरेण दृषदन्तरे दिशति किं द्रवं चन्द्रमाः ॥ ७ ॥
We cannot please the un-informed by utterances which bring joy to a scholar and which are akin to drops of ambrosia. Can moon make any other stone ooze out by its particles of rays which are famous for making moon-stones ooze out? [Moon-stone is supposed to ooze out when exposed to moon-light. Use of such fictitious pseudo-observations is quite common in Sanskrit literature.] 


मण्डूकडुण्डुभदुरण्डजषण्डसान्द्रं
काञ्चिज्जलाशयमुपेत्य वने विविक्ते ।
कर्णामृतध्वनिकृतस्तव कण्ठशोषा-
दन्यत्फलं न खलु हंस विभावयामः ॥ ८ ॥
O swan, we do not see any result other than  the drying up of your throat by your melodious singing in a lonely forest near some lake which is full of groups of frogs, water snakes and lowly birds. [The poet is indirectly addressing a poet to desist from wasting his efforts in pleasing people who are not competent to appreciate him. Such indirect statements come under the category of अन्योक्ति or अन्यापदेश.]

दन्तावलेन्द्रमभितो ननु दानलाभ-
प्रत्याशया भ्रमर चारु करोषि गीतम् ।
जानाति किं स तव गानरसं मदान्धो
दानार्थिनं प्रसभमस्यति कर्णवातैः ॥ ९ ॥
O bee, you sing nicely around the leader elephant in the hope of getting in return ichor ( the juice that exudes from its temples when it is in rut.) But does that elephant which is blind with intoxication know what the essence of your music is? While you expect to get its ichor, it quickly drives you away by flapping of its ears. [By the use of word दान which also means ichor, the poet indirectly refers to someone who is currying the favour of a hot-headed person who cannot appreciate him and is likely to drive him away.]
- - - - 

No comments:

Post a Comment