OVER THE LAST YEAR, many of the readers of The Dharma Dispatch have sent repeated requests to publish some Subhashitas (Wise Sayings) penned by Bhartrhari. However, our editorial calendar was rather choked and so we had to repeatedly postpone it although the topic is one that is dear to us.
Without further ado, here it is! This article features a random selection of ten Bhartrhari Subhashitas from both his Niti and Vairagya Shatakas. These are given in the original Sanskrit followed by a transliterated English version along with an English translation.
Happy reading!
1. आयुर्वर्षशतं नृणां परिमितं रात्रौ तदर्धं गतं
तस्यार्धस्य परस्य चार्धमपरं बालत्ववृद्धत्वयोः।
शेषं व्याधिवियोगदुःखसहितं सेवादिभिर्नीयते
जीवे वारितरङ्गचञ्चलतरे सौख्यं कुतः प्राणिनाम्॥
āyurvarṣaśataṃ nṛṇāṃ parimitaṃ rātrau tadardhaṃ gataṃ
tasyārdhasya parasya cārdhamaparaṃ bālatvavṛddhatvayoḥ।
śeṣaṃ vyādhiviyogaduḥkhasahitaṃ sevādibhirnīyate
jīve vāritaraṅgacañcalatare saukhyaṃ kutaḥ prāṇinām॥
A man lives a hundred years: he is asleep half the time, and the other half comprises childhood and old age. As the remainder of his life, disease, separation from loved ones, and craven service to others torment him. How does one find abiding happiness in life, which is as wavering as a water ripple?
2. निन्दन्तु नीतिनिपुणा यदि वा स्तुवन्तु
लक्ष्मीः समाविशतु गच्छतु वा यथेष्टम् ।
अद्यैव वा मरणमस्तु युगान्तरे वा
न्याय्यात्पथः प्रविचलन्ति पदं न धीराः ॥
nindantu nītinipuṇā yadi vā stuvantu
lakṣmīḥ samāviśatu gacchatu vā yatheṣṭam ।
adyaiva vā maraṇamastu yugāntare vā
nyāyyātpathaḥ pravicalanti padaṃ na dhīrāḥ ॥
Whether the philosophers and scholars well-versed in ethics and Dharmashastras praise him or criticize him, whether Lakshmi (Deity of Wealth) enters his house or goes away as she wishes, whether death is today itself or after an eon, courageous men never step a foot away from the path of justice.
3. न नटा न विटा न गायका
न परद्रोहनिबद्धबुद्धयः।
नृपसद्मनि नाम के वयं
स्तनभारानमिता न योषितः॥
na naṭā na viṭā na gāyakā
na paradrohanibaddhabuddhayaḥ।
nṛpasadmani nāma ke vayaṃ
stanabhārānamitā na yoṣitaḥ॥
We are not an actor, not a flatterer, not a musician,
Not a scheming scoundrel intent on backstabbing others.
What is Our utility in a royal court?
Alas! We are not even an attractive girl endowed with ample breasts.
4. यदा किंचिज्ज्ञोSहंद्विप इव मदान्ध: समभवं
तदासर्वज्ञोSस्मीत्यभवदवलिप्तं मम मन: ।
यदा किंचित्किंचिद्बुधजनसकाशादवगतं
तदा मूर्खोSस्मीति ज्वर इव मदो मे व्यपगत: ।।
yadā kiṃcijjñoShaṃdvipa iva madāndha: samabhavaṃ
tadāsarvajñoSsmītyabhavadavaliptaṃ mama mana: ।
yadā kiṃcitkiṃcidbudhajanasakāśādavagataṃ
tadā mūrkhoSsmīti jvara iva mado me vyapagatah ।।
When I acquired a little knowledge, I thought I now know everything and became extremely conceited and began to behave like a rogue elephant on rampage. But when I gradually came in contact with the truly knowledgeable and learned persons, it dawned upon me that I still remained a foolish person and my pride disappeared just as fever gets cured after taking the proper medicine.
5. विपदि धैर्यमथाभ्युदये क्षमा
सदसि वाक्पटुता युधि विक्रम:।
यशसि चाभिरतिर्व्यसनं श्रुतौ
प्रकृतिसिद्धमिदं हि महात्मनाम् ।।
vipadi dhairyamathābhyudaye kṣamā
sadasi vākpaṭutā yudhi vikrama:।
yaśasi cābhiratirvyasanaṃ śrutau
prakṛtisiddhamidaṃ hi mahātmanām ||
Courage in adversity, forbearance in success, mastery over the art of speech in an assembly, valorous in war, a desire to acquire (noble) stature, and assiduously devoted to the Sastras – these are the traits of a true Mahatma.
6. नाभ्यस्ता प्रतिवादिवृन्ददमनी विद्या विनीतोचिता
खड्गाग्रैः करिकुम्भपीठदलनैर्नाकं न नीतं यशः।
कान्ताकोमलपल्लवाधररसः पीतो न चन्द्रोदये
तारुण्यं गतमेव निष्फलमहो शून्यालये दीपवत्॥
nābhyastā prativādivṛndadamanī vidyā vinītocitā
khaḍgāgraiḥ karikumbhapīṭhadalanairnākaṃ na nītaṃ yaśaḥ।
kāntākomalapallavādhararasaḥ pīto na candrodaye
tāruṇyaṃ gatameva niṣphalamaho śūnyālaye dīpavat॥
Neither did I acquire knowledge befitting modesty, which can silence an assembly of debaters, nor did I earn far-reaching fame by tearing through the temples of elephants with my sword. Enjoying the beautiful background of a moonlit night, neither did I kiss the soft lips of my beloved. And now my youth has slipped away without purpose, like a lamp burning in an empty house.
7. अज्ञः सुखम् आराध्यः
सुखतरम् आराध्यते विशेषज्ञः |
ज्ञान-लव-दुर्विदग्धम्
ब्रह्मापि नरम् न रञ्जयति ||
ajñaḥ sukham ārādhyaḥ
sukhataram ārādhyate viśeṣajñaḥ |
jñāna-lava-durvidagdhaṁ
brahmāpi taṁ naraṁ na rañjayati ||
The ignorant are easy to please, it is even easier to please the cultured; but even Brahma himself cannot satisfy someone who is puffed up with a little knowledge.
8. शास्त्रोपस्कृत-शब्द-सुन्दर-गिरः शिष्य-प्रदेयागमा
विख्याताः कवयो वसन्ति विषये यस्य प्रभोर् निर्धनाः |
तज्-जाड्यṁ वसुधादिपस्य कवयस् त्व् अर्थṁ विनापीश्वराः
कुत्स्याः स्युः कुपरीक्षका हि मणयो यैर् अर्घतः पातिताः ||
śāstropaskṛta-śabda-sundara-giraḥ śiṣya-pradeyāgamā
vikhyātāḥ kavayo vasanti viṣaye yasya prabhor nirdhanāḥ |
taj-jāḍyaṁ vasudhādipasya kavayas tv arthaṁ vināpīśvarāḥ
kutsyāḥ syuḥ kuparīkṣakā hi maṇayo yair arghataḥ pātitāḥ ||
It is the ignorance of a king if well-known scholars, who speak eloquently and who have knowledge to be imparted to their disciples, live in poverty in his kingdom. Scholars are masters even without wealth. If precious gems are under-valued, then the bad gem-examiners are criticized. In the same manner, the king is liable for condemnation for allowing such scholars to live in poverty.
9. अजानन्दाहात्म्यं पततु शलभो दीपदहने
स मीनोऽप्यज्ञानात् बडिशयुतमश्नातु पिशितं ।
विजानन्तोऽप्येते वयमिह विपज्जालजटिलान्
न मुञ्चामः कामानहह गहनो मोहमहिमा ॥
ajānandāhātmyaṃ patatu śalabho dīpadahane
sa mīno'pyajñānāt baḍiśayutamaśnātu piśitaṃ ।
vijānanto'pyete vayamiha vipajjālajaṭilān
na muñcāmaḥ kāmānahaha gahano mohamahimā ॥
The moth, without knowing that fire will burn, leaps into the flame of the lamp and gets burnt. Fish, because of their ignorance, bite into the meat tied to the angle of the fishing rod and get pierced. But we, knowing well that worldly pleasures will ultimately lead to sorrow and suffering, cling to these pleasures and do not forsake them. Great indeed is the power of illusion.
10. चला लक्ष्मीश्चला प्राणाश्चलं जीवितयौवनं |
चलाचले च संसारे धर्म एको हि निश्चलः ||
calā lakṣmīścalā prāṇāścalaṃ jīvitayauvanaṃ |
calācale ca saṃsāre dharma eko hi niścalaḥ ||
Wealth is fleeting, breath is fleeting, life is fleeting and youth is fleeting. In this world of movable and immovable life forms, only Dharma is stable, permanent.
|| Om Tat Sat ||
The Dharma Dispatch is now available on Telegram! For original and insightful narratives on Indian Culture and History, subscribe to us on Telegram.