कुसुमस्तबकस्येव

कुसुमस्तबकस्येव द्वयीवृत्तिर्मनस्विनः।
मूर्ध्नि वा सर्वलोकस्य विशीर्येत वनेऽथवा॥३३॥
— भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकम्
kusumastabakasyeva dvayīvṛttirmanasvinaḥ|
mūrdhni vā sarvalokasya viśīryeta vane’thavā||33||
— bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakam

“Like a bunch of flowers, great men have two ways.
They are either on top of everyone, or decay unnoticed in the forest.”

(Posted on 10 OCT)