Subhashita kaustubha (81-85)

सुभाषितकौस्तुभः ( ८१-८५)

पूर्वं गोपवधूपटान् हृतवता पुंसापि कंसारिणा

द्रौपद्यै वसनालिरापदि पुनर्दत्तेति नात्यद्भुतम् ।

अर्थिभ्यः परिदीयते न तु कुतोऽप्यादीयते किञ्चिदि-

त्यार्यानामवनीभुजां व्रतमिदं कस्यात्र न स्यान् मुदे ॥ ८१ ॥

There is nothing very astonishing in Krishna, the enemy of Kamsa, who had earlier stolen the clothes of cow-herdesses, giving away a chain of clothes to Draupadi in her distress. Who does not rejoice at the vow of gentle kings who give to suppliants without getting anything from anyone? [ Kings are supposed to give and not take anything from others. This echoes the sentiments expressed by Rama when he met with Guha, as reported to Bharata by Guha,

“नह्यस्माभिः प्रतिग्राह्यं सखे देयं हि सर्वदा” VR -2-87-17.]  

इति वदान्यपद्धतिश्चतुर्थी

Thus ends the fourth section on the generous.

अथ सङ्कीर्णपद्धतिः

Now then the miscellaneous section

अम्भोजबन्धुमजहत्सलिलं सरोजं

योऽयं विकासयति हन्त स एव तीक्ष्णैः ।

नीरैर्वियुक्तमपहन्ति निजैः करैस्तत्

स्यादेव बन्धुरपि शत्रुरनाश्रयाणाम् ॥ ८२ ॥

The Sun, who is a friend of lotus enables a lotus which is in water to bloom; but alas destroys the lotus with its fierce rays when the lotus is bereft of water. For those who have no shelter even a relative becomes an enemy.

विपत्सु मित्राह्वयमात्रधारी

विस्रम्भणीयो न कदाचिदुग्रः ।

त्यक्ताश्रयं हि म्लपयन् सरोजं

तद्बन्धुरर्कोऽथ निदर्शनं नः ॥ ८३ ॥

A fierce person even if he is called a friend cannot be trusted during times of distress. The sun who is called a relative of lotus but dries up the lotus bereft of support (of water) is an example for us. [It is a repetition of the idea in the previous verse.]

रात्रिर्नीरजनिकरा नीरजनिकरापरिष्कृता सरसी ।

अपि भजते न वर सभा नवरसभावज्ञवर्जिता शोभाम् ॥ ८४ ॥

A night without the moon [नी+रजनिकरा], a lake which lacks the embellishment of a group of lotuses [नीरज+निकरा] and an august assembly [वरसभा] which lacks persons of taste in the nine sentiments [नव+रस+भावज्ञ] do not shine. [Note the repetition of नीरजनिकरा and नवरसभा. Such repetition with different meanings constitutes यमक, a word-embellishment.]

निरस्तनिगमाक्षरं ननु निरर्थमास्यं नृणां

सरित्क्षरणवर्जिता स्फुरणमेति न ग्रामता ।

पुरः स्फुरणतो विना पुनरनर्थकं स्पर्शनं

हरिस्मरणवर्जितं हतमवैमि जन्म क्षितौ ॥ ८५ ॥

A person’s mouth which is bereft of Vedic chants is useless. A group of villages which lacks the flow of a river does not shine. A gift that is not accompanied by horripilation serves no purpose. I consider that a life without mental recitation of Hari (God) is as good as being dead. [When giving a gift the giver should be so involved emotionally with the act of giving that he experiences horripilation.] 
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