Subhashita kaustubha (56-58)

सुभाषितकौस्तुभः (५६-५८)

पिशुनाश्च पिशाचाश्च भीरोरेव भयावहाः ।

जनं समाश्रयन्ते यं क्षीणयन्त्येव तं क्रमात् ॥ ५६ ॥

Slanderers and demons frighten only the timid. Anyone giving shelter to them steadily gets dissipated. [A person possessed by a demon is supposed to get weakened and emaciated steadily.]

 

अन्तस्सारविहीना ये बहिश्च बहुकण्टकाः ।

अन्योन्येनैव दह्यन्ते तेजना इव ते जनाः ॥ ५७ ॥

Persons who are hollow inside and who are dangerous to many from outside get destroyed due to mutual conflict like bamboo trees. [ Bamboos are hollow inside and have many thorns (कण्टका) and get destroyed due to frictional fire.]

कर्णाटीचिकुरा इवातिकुटिला गौडीकटाक्षा इव

स्वाभाव्यात्तरलाश्च घूर्जरवधूपादाब्जवद्रागिणः ।

मन्दा मागधसुन्दरीहसितवत् स्वल्पाश्च तन्मध्यवत्

पाण्ड्यस्त्रीस्तनवन्नटन्ति मलिनाः पश्यन्ति चोर्ध्वं खलाः ॥ ५८ ॥

The wicked are very crooked like the locks of hair of women from Karnataka; they are by nature unsteady like the glances of women from Bengal; they are libertines [रागिणः] like the red [रागिणः] lotus-like feet of women from Gujarat; they are apathetic [मन्द] like the gentle [मन्द] smiles of Magadha women and are mean [स्वल्प] like their small [स्वल्प] waists; they are sinful [मलिन], act [नटन्ति] and look up like the dark [मलिन] breasts of Pandya women, which dance [नटन्ति] and look up. [ The poet again uses श्लेष to bring out similarity between the various aspects of women from various parts of the Country.]

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