लालयेत्‌ पञ्चवर्षाणि

लालयेत्‌ पञ्चवर्षाणि दशवर्षाणि ताडयेत्‌।
प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रं मित्रवदाचरेत्‌॥
lālayet pañcavarṣāṇi daśavarṣāṇi tāḍayet|
prāpte tu ṣoḍaśe varṣe putraṁ mitravadācaret||

“A child should be pampered till five; and disciplined for the next ten years.
Once he is sixteen, a son should be treated like a friend.
(supposedly from nItishAstra of ChaNakya)

नास्ति एषां यशः काये जरामरणजं भयम्

जयन्तु ते सुकृतिनो रससिद्धाः कवीश्वराः।
नास्ति एषां यशः काये जरामरणजं भयम्॥
jayantu te sukṛtino rasasiddhāḥ kavīśvarāḥ|
nāsti eṣāṁ yaśaḥ kāye jarāmaraṇajaṁ bhayam||

Found various versions of translations!:
[1] A poet who has profound knowledge of the Rasas is always victorious. His body, the embodiment of success does not need to fear old age and death.

[2] They are wining and fortunate and perfectly wise
Who fear not old age, nor their own demise.

[3] Victory to those foremost of poets, who have mastered the
Rasas (for want of a better word).
Their 'fame-body' does not have any fear of old age or death.
(this is approx. what I remember from school, similiar to [1])

(Posted on Sep 30)

विद्वान्‌ सर्वत्र पूज्यते

विद्वत्त्वं च नृपत्वं च नैव तुल्ये कदाचन।
स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान्‌ सर्वत्र पूज्यते॥
vidvattvaṁ ca nṛpatvaṁ ca naiva tulye kadācana|
svadeśe pūjyate rājā vidvān sarvatra pūjyate||

"Being a scholar and being a king are never comparable.
A king is worshipped in his own country whereas a scholar is respected everywhere."
(Thanks to Kedar)

आचार्य देवो भव

गुरुर्बन्धुरबन्धूनां गुरुश्चक्षुरचक्षुषां।
गुरुः पिता च माता च सर्वेषां न्यायवर्तिनां॥
gururbandhurabandhūnāṁ guruścakṣuracakṣuṣāṁ |
guruḥ pitā ca mātā ca sarveṣāṁ nyāyavartināṁ ||
"The teacher is kin to those who dont have any relatives; the teacher is an eye for the blind.
The teacher is father and mother to everyone who lives on the path of justice."

आचार्य देवो भव।
ācārya devo bhava|

अन्नदानं परं दानं

अन्नदानं परं दानं विद्या दानम् अतः परम्।
अन्नेन क्षणिका तृप्तिः यावज्जीवञ्च विद्यया॥
annadānaṁ paraṁ dānaṁ vidyā dānam ataḥ param|
annena kṣaṇikā tṛptiḥ yāvajjīvañca vidyayā||

"The offering of food is great; the offering of education is even greater.
While food satisfies only momentarily, education satisfies during the entire course of life."

एकः स्वादु न भुञ्जीत

एकः स्वादु न भुञ्जीत नैकः सुप्तेषु जागृयात्।
एको न गच्छेदध्वानं नैकश्चार्थान्प्रचिन्तयेत्॥
पञ्चतन्त्रम् – अपरीक्षितकारकम्-९५ कथा १३
ekaḥ svādu na bhuñjīta naikaḥ supteṣu jāgṛyāt|
eko na gacchedadhvānaṁ naikaścārthānpracintayet||
pañcatantram – aparīkṣitakārakam-95 (kathā 13)

"One should not eat a sweet thing alone;
one should not wake up alone while others are sleeping;
One should not go on a journey alone;
and one should not think of gaining wealth alone."
(M. R. Kale translation: MLBD ISBN 81-208-0219-5). Lakshman liked this one particularly from the good ol' school days!

पूर्ण॒स्य पूर्ण॒मादा॒य पूर्ण॒मेवावशि॒ष्यते

ॐ पूर्ण॒मद॒ पूर्ण॒मिदं पूर्णा॒त्पूर्ण॒मुद॒च्यते।
पूर्ण॒स्य पूर्ण॒मादा॒य पूर्ण॒मेवावशि॒ष्यते॥
om pūrṇa̱mada̱ḥ pūrṇa̱midaṁ pūrṇā̱tpūrṇa̱muda̱cyate|
pūrṇa̱sya pūrṇa̱mādā̱ya pūrṇa̱mevāvaśi̱ṣyate||

"What is whole, this is whole; what has come out of the whole is also whole.
When the whole is taken out of the whole, the whole still remains whole."

In other words, even a fraction of the Supreme Being is whole and complete by itself as nicely translated by Shri. Rajaji in his translation of the Valmiki Ramayana. This is yet another शान्ति मन्त्रः।

ते॒ज॒स्विना॒वधी॑तमस्तु॒

ॐ स॒ह ना॑ववतु।
स॒ह नौ॑ भुनक्तु।
स॒ह वीर्यं॑ करवावहै।
ते॒ज॒स्विना॒वधी॑तमस्तु॒ मा वि॑द्विषा॒वहै॥
om sa̱ha nā̍vavatu|
sa̱ha nau̍ bhunaktu|
sa̱ha vīryaṁ̍ karavāvahai|
te̱ja̱svinā̱vadhī̍tamastu̱ mā vi̍dviṣā̱vahai̎||

"Together may we be protected Together may we be nourished Together may we work with great energy May our journey together be brilliant and effective May there be no bad feelings between us" This is a typical शान्ति मन्त्रः chanted before any learning is commenced. In fact, ते॒ज॒स्विना॒वधी॑तमस्तु॒ is the slogan for IIM Ahmedabad.

सत्यं परित्यजति मुञ्चति बन्धुवर्गं

सत्यं परित्यजति मुञ्चति बन्धुवर्गं
शीघ्रं विहाय जननीमपि जन्मभूमिम्।
संत्यज्य गच्छति विदेशमभीष्टलोकं
चिन्ताकुलीकृतमतिः पुरुषोत्र लोके॥
पञ्चतन्त्रम् – अपरीक्षितकारकम्-२७ कथा २
satyaṁ parityajati muñcati bandhuvargaṁ
śīghraṁ vihāya jananīmapi janmabhūmim|
saṁtyajya gacchati videśamabhīṣṭalokaṁ
cintākulīkṛtamatiḥ puruṣotra loke||
pañcatantram – aparīkṣitakārakam-27 (kathā 2)

"In this world, a man whose mind is perplexed with anxiety disregards truth, leaves off the multitude of his relations and abandoning even his mother and leaving his motherland, quickly repairs to a foreign land, the people whereof he likes."
(M. R. Kale translation: MLBD ISBN 81-208-0219-5)

(posted on 25th Sep)

किं वाससा

किं वाससा इत्यत्र विचारणीयं
वासः प्रधानं खलु योग्यतायै।
पीताम्बरं वीक्ष्य ददौ स्वकन्यां
दिगम्बरं वीक्ष्य विषं समुद्रः॥
kiṁ vāsasā ityatra vicāraṇīyaṁ
vāsaḥ pradhānaṁ khalu yogyatāyai |
pītāmbaraṁ vīkṣya dadau svakanyāṁ
digambaraṁ vīkṣya viṣaṁ samudraḥ ||

Sanskrit humour…
""What's in one's dress" — is a point for contemplation;
apparel is indeed important for appropriateness;
Looking at the one dressed in bright yellow clothes (Mahavishnu), the ocean gave him his daughter;
seeing the one dressed in nothing (Lord Shiva) it gave him poison!"

Thanks again to Kedar/Saketh.

अर्धो घटो घोषमुपैति

अल्पकार्यकराः सन्ति ये नरा बहुभाषिणः।
शरत्कालिनमेघास्ते नूनं गर्जन्ति केवलं॥
alpakāryakarāḥ santi ye narā bahubhāṣiṇaḥ|
śaratkālinameghāste nūnaṁ garjanti kevalaṁ||

"Men who talk too much do little work;
The are like the autumn clouds, that only roar!"

सम्पूर्णकुम्भो न करोति शब्दं
अर्धो घटो घोषमुपैति नूनं ।
विद्वान्‌ कुलीनो न करोति गर्वं
मूढास्तु जल्पन्ति गुणैर्विहीनाः॥
sampūrṇakumbho na karoti śabdaṁ
ardho ghaṭo ghoṣamupaiti nūnaṁ |
vidvān kulīno na karoti garvaṁ
mūḍhāstu jalpanti guṇairvihīnāḥ ||

"A full pot does not make any noise;
However a half full pot really makes noise.
A learned respectable person is never vain;
but foolish people bereft of good qualities babble incessantly."

"Empty vessels make much noise!"

वाग्भूषणं भूषणम्

केयूराणि न भूषयन्ति पुरुषं हारा न चन्द्रोज्ज्वलाः
न स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं नालंकृता मूर्धजाः।
वाण्येका समलंकरोति पुरुषं या संस्कृता धार्यते
क्षीयन्ते खलु भूषणानि सततं वाग्भूषणं भूषणम्॥
keyūrāṇi na bhūṣayanti puruṣaṁ hārā na candrojjvalāḥ
na snānaṁ na vilepanaṁ na kusumaṁ nālaṁkṛtā mūrdhajāḥ|
vāṇyekā samalaṁkaroti puruṣaṁ yā saṁskṛtā dhāryate
kṣīyante khalu bhūṣaṇāni satataṁ vāgbhūṣaṇaṁ bhūṣaṇam||

"Armlets or garlands — even as radiant as the moon — do not decorate man;
Nor does bathing and anointing, or flowers or ornamented hair.
The gift of speech, which is refined only decorates a man;
All ornaments indeed fade (in comparison); the ornament of speech is the only ornament"

अगजाननपद्मार्कं गजाननमहर्निशं

अगजाननपद्मार्कं गजाननमहर्निशं।
अनेकदन्तं भक्तानाम् एकदन्तमुपास्महे॥
agajānanapadmārkaṁ gajānanamaharniśaṁ|
anekadantaṁ bhaktānām ekadantamupāsmahe||

Identify the contrasting words used and appreciate the beauty of poetry. The following is the 'split' version to aid in understanding!

अगजायाः आननपद्मार्कं गजाननम् अहर्निशं।
अनेकदं तं भक्तानाम् एकदन्तम् उपास्महे॥
agajāyāḥ ānanapadmārkaṁ gajānanam aharniśaṁ|
anekadaṁ taṁ bhaktānām ekadantam upāsmahe||

सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात्

सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात् न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम्।
प्रियं च न अनृतम् ब्रूयात् एष धर्मस्सनातनः॥
satyaṁ brūyāt priyaṁ brūyāt na brūyāt satyamapriyam|
priyaṁ ca na anṛtam brūyāt eṣa dharmassanātanaḥ||

"Speak the truth, speak pleasant truths; do not say the unpleasant truth.
Also, do not fabricate pleasant untruths, this is the eternal practice."

क्षमा-महत्वं

क्षमा शस्त्रं करे यस्य दुर्जनः किं करिष्यति।
अतृणे पतितो वह्निः स्वयमेवोपशाम्यति॥
kṣamā śastraṁ kare yasya durjanaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati |
atṛṇe patito vahniḥ svayamevopaśāmyati ||

"What can a wicked person do to someone who has the weapon of forgiveness in his hands?
Fire fallen on ground without any grass extinguishes by itself."

क्षमा बलमशक्तानाम् शक्तानाम् भूषणम् क्षमा।
क्षमा वशीकृते लोके क्षमया किं न सिध्यति।॥
kṣamā balamaśaktānām śaktānām bhūṣaṇam kṣamā |
kṣamā vaśīkṛte loke kṣamayā kiṁ na sidhyati | ||

"Forgiveness is the strength of the weak. Forgiveness is the ornament of the mighty.
If the world can be conquered by forgiveness, what cannot be accomplished by forgiveness?"

आक्रामत्येव तेजस्वी

एकचक्रो रथो यन्ता विकलो विषमे हयाः।
आक्रामत्येव तेजस्वी तथाप्यर्को नभस्तलम्॥
ekacakro ratho yantā vikalo viṣame hayāḥ|
ākrāmatyeva tejasvī tathāpyarko nabhastalam||

"He has a chariot with one wheel, a disabled charioteer (it is believed that अरुणः was a cripple), and an odd number of horses (seven) to draw the chariot.
Even then the briliant sun always attacks the sky !!"

Thanks to Kedar for this wonderful piece…

अमन्त्रम्‌ अक्षरं नास्ति

अमन्त्रम्‌ अक्षरं नास्ति नास्ति मूलमनौषधम्।
अयोग्यः पुरुषो नास्ति योजकस्तत्र दुर्लभः॥
amantram akṣaraṁ nāsti nāsti mūlamanauṣadham|
ayogyaḥ puruṣo nāsti yojakastatra durlabhaḥ||

"There is no syllable that cannot be used in mantras; nor a root that that cannot be used as medicine;
There is no useless person too; only the one who knows how to use these is rare!"

विनाशकाले विपरीतबुद्धिः

न भूतपूर्वं न कदापि वार्ता हेम्नः कुरङ्गो न कदापि दृष्टः।
तथापि तृष्णा रघुनन्दनस्य विनाशकाले विपरीतबुद्धिः॥
na bhūtapūrvaṁ na kadāpi vārtā hemnaḥ kuraṅgo na kadāpi dṛṣṭaḥ|
tathāpi tṛṣṇā raghunandanasya vināśakāle viparītabuddhiḥ||

"It had neither happened before nor heard; nor had a golden deer ever been seen;
Even then, Rama desired it — one's thinking goes amiss in bad times!"

विनाशकाले विपरीतबुद्धिः is such a famous quote, but would one think it would be from Ramayana, and that too describing Rama! One would have expected it to be describing one of the bad characters such as दुर्योधनः or रावणः! That's what destiny is… it impels even the great to err…

काकः कृष्णः पिकः कृष्णः

काकः कृष्णः पिकः कृष्णः को भेदः पिककाकयोः।
वसन्तकाले सम्प्राप्ते काकः काकः पिकः पिकः॥
kākaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pikaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ ko bhedaḥ pikakākayoḥ|
vasantakāle samprāpte kākaḥ kākaḥ pikaḥ pikaḥ||
"The crow is black, so also the cuckoo; what's the difference between the two;
When spring descends, crows and cuckoos are easily distinguished!"

This is a bit of humour and poetry. The moment spring begins and the cuckoos coo, they can be clearly discerned from the crows! Appearances are deceptive…

सम्पत्तौ च विपत्तौ च साधूनामेकरूपता

उदये सविता रक्तो रक्तश्चास्तमने तथा।
सम्पत्तौ च विपत्तौ च साधूनामेकरूपता॥
udaye savitā rakto raktaścāstamane tathā|
sampattau ca vipattau ca sādhūnāmekarūpatā||

"The sun is red at sunrise and red at sunset;
During prosperity as well as calamity, great men have the same form."

The following are some gems that श्रीकृष्णः imparted to अर्जुनः in the भगवद्गीता:
… समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते॥२-१५॥
… samaduḥkhasukhaṁ dhīraṁ so'mṛtatvāya kalpate||2-15||
"… Who is even-minded in pleasure and pain, steadfast, he is fit for immortality"

सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ।
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि॥२-३८॥
sukhaduḥkhe same kṛtvā lābhālābhau jayājayau |
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpamavāpsyasi ||2-38||
"Having gained equanimity in pleasure and pain, in gain and loss, in victory and defeat;
Then arise to fight; thus, you will not incur sin."

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्नमनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः।
वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते॥२-५६॥
duḥkheṣvanudvignamanāḥ sukheṣu vigataspṛhaḥ |
vītarāgabhayakrodhaḥ sthitadhīrmunirucyate ||2-56||
"He whose mind is unshaken in the midst of sorrows, who amongst pleasures is free from longing;
from whom attachment, fear and anger have departed, he is said to be a sage of steady intellect."

जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः॥६-०७॥
jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ |
śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ ||6-07||
"For he who has conquered his self, who is deep in peace the transcendent Self is steadfast
in heat and cold, in pleasure and pain, in honour and disgrace."