Sunday, November 27, 2011

Subhashitakaustubha (71-75)

सुभाषितकौस्तुभः (७१-७५)
पाण्डित्यं प्रथितान्ववायजनुषः प्रायः क्षमां योगिनो
दाक्षिण्यं धरणीपतेश्च नियतं दातुः प्रियाभाषणम् ।
विद्यापारदृशो जनस्य विनयं वित्तोन्नतस्यामदं
सौलभ्यं महतश्च हेमसुमनस्सौरभ्यमाचक्षते ॥ ७१ ॥
Scholarship of a person of well known ancestry, forgiveness of a saint, civility of a king, controlled sweet words of a donor, humility of an erudite scholar, lack of haughtiness of a wealthy person, easy accessibility of a great person are all called the fragrance of Golden flower. [ Such combinations of qualities are a rarity and if and when they occur they are indeed to be highly praised.]    

विदधाति दानमभियाचतां सतां
क्षुधितस्य वक्त्रमपि नावलोकते ।
कृपणश्च दाननिपुणश्च चेष्टितैः
सुमनोजनस्य वितनोति विस्मयम् ॥ ७२ ॥
The miser and the philanthropist both cause surprise to the learned by their actions. The miser cuts off the requests of those who seek his help and does not look at the face of a hungry person. The philanthropist gives liberally to those who come to him and does not ever have to look at the face of a hungry person. [ Here again the poet depends on श्लेष to bring about an apparent similarity between a miser and a philanthropist. दान means 1.cutting and 2.giving, the former applies to the miser and the latter to the philanthropist. While the miser does not ever look at a hungry person, the philanthropist ensures through charity that he does not have to look at a hungry person.]

मन्देतरां भजति मानधनो हि लज्जां
याच्ञासु गौरवहतेरिति युक्तमेव ।
अर्थिस्पृहाधिकधनप्रतिपादनेऽपि
जिह्रेत्युदार इति चित्रमिदं वदामः ॥ ७३ ॥
It is of course natural that persons of self-respect feel small to beg for fear of losing self-respect. We say that it is indeed surprising that even a liberal person feels small at the time of giving more than what the supplicant requests. [The liberal person feels small with a feeling that he could have given more.]

प्रायः पात्रेषु धनप्रदानसमये मुदा वदान्यजनः ।
सलिलं करारविन्दे धत्ते नेत्रे पुनः कदर्यजनः ॥ ७४ ॥
A person of liberal disposition has water in his lotus-like hands while happily donating money to the deserved. A person of miserly nature, on the other hand has water in his eyes. [The reference is to the practice of pouring water through the palm while donating.]  

पात्रे निधाय परिरक्षति शश्वदर्थं
दाता जनस्तदितरश्च न तत्र भेदः ।
जन्मान्तरेष्वपि तु जायत एव भुक्त्यै
दातुर्धनं तदितरस्य तु नो कदापि ॥ ७५ ॥
The liberal person and the miser both protect their money all the time by keeping the money in the safe custody of a पात्र ( a deserving person, a vessel). The donor’s money will be available for enjoyment in his later births whereas that of the miser will be of no use for ever.

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