Subhashita Kaustubha (62-65)

सुभाषितकौस्तुभः (६२-६५)

अथ वदान्यपद्धतिः

Now is the section dealing with the generous.

अहंसवैरोऽवनदोऽतपःश्री-

ध्वंसोऽखलाभोऽचपलोऽसवारिः ।

कल्याणवर्षं भुवि कीर्तिदायि

तनोत्यहो कोऽपि घनो वदान्यः ॥ ६२ ॥

A generous person is indeed an unusual घन (great person, cloud) . He is अ-हंस-वैरः (one who does not dislike the spiritual preceptor, one who has no dislike for swans).  He is अ-तपः-श्री-ध्वंसः (one who does not destroy the luster of penance, one who does not destroy the luster of summer). He is अवन-दः (one who gives protection, अ-वन-दः= one who does not provide water.) He is  अ-खल-आभः (one who does not have the  appearance of the wicked, अ-ख-लाभः=one who is not associated with the sky.)  He is अ-चपलः (one who does not waver, one who is not associated with lightening.) He is अ-सव-अरिः (not an enemy of sacrifices, अ-स-वारिः= not associated with water.) On this earth he rains auspiciousness which grants fame. What a wonder! [ Swans fly away to manas lake during rains. Clouds destroy the luster of summer. Clouds supply water and are over the sky and are accompanied by lightening. A generous person is a type of cloud (घन) who has characteristics diametrically opposed to that of a cloud! What a wonder!]

अन्योपभोगहेतोरन्वहमर्थार्जनं वितन्वानौ ।

नियतं वदान्यकृपणौ निष्काञ्चनमाश्रितं कुरुतः ॥ ६३ ॥

The generous person and the miser who earn money continuously in order that others may enjoy inevitably make their own dependants penniless. (The miser’s money gets stolen or is confiscated by the king.)

वितरणकलावीराद् विश्वश्रुतादतिरिच्यते

विकरुणमनोवृत्तिर्लुब्धो यतश्शरणागतम् ।

धनमपि तृणीकुर्वन् पूर्वो विमुञ्चति सञ्चितं

तृणमपि धनीकुर्वन्नन्यो न किञ्चन मुञ्चति ॥ ६४ ॥

A world renowned person of generous disposition is out beaten by a miser who has no compassion. Because while the former, taking it to be straw, lets go collected money which seeks shelter, the latter, taking it to be  money, does not let go even straw which falls at his feet.   

कुतस्तरणिजन्मनो वितरणप्रसिद्ध्यर्हता

शिबिस्तु पलमात्रदः शशिनि कः कलादे गुणः ।

सतां सकलदायिनां सुकृतिनामशक्यास्तथा

गुणा हि गुरुणाप्यहो भुवि निदर्शनादर्शनात् ॥ ६५ ॥

How can Karna, son of Sun-God become eligible to fame for charity? Shibi gave only some flesh. What is great about Moon, whose rays are supposed to be drunk by divine beings? The qualities of the blessed virtuous, who give away every thing on this earth are unattainable even by a preceptor due to lack of appropriate examples.[ What the poet seems to convey is that a preceptor will be hard pressed to explain the qualities of a generous person who gives away all as he is unable to find suitable parallels  from mythology.] 
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