एते सत्पुरुषाः

एते सत्पुरुषाः परार्थघटकाः स्वार्थान्‌ परित्यज ये
सामान्यास्तु परार्थमुद्यमभृतः स्वार्थाविरोधेन ये।
तेऽमी मानवराक्षसाः परहितं स्वार्थाय निघ्नन्ति ये
ये तु घ्नन्ति निरर्थकं परहितं ते के न जानीमहे॥
ete satpuruṣāḥ parārthaghaṭakāḥ svārthān parityaja ye
sāmānyāstu parārthamudyamabhṛtaḥ svārthāvirodhena ye|
te'mī mānavarākṣasāḥ parahitaṁ svārthāya nighnanti ye
ye tu ghnanti nirarthakaṁ parahitaṁ te ke na jānīmahe||

"These, who are engaged in benefitting others after sacrificing their own purposes are the great men. Those who benefit others without opposing their needs are the common men. Those who destroy others' well being for doing good to themselves are demons in human form. However those who destroy other peoples' well being without any cause whatsoever, we do not know who they are!"

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः। सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु। मा कश्चित् दुःख भाग्भवेत्॥
sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ| sarve santu nirāmayāḥ|
sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu| mā kaścit duḥkha bhāgbhavet||

"May all be happy. May all be free from disabilities.
May all see auspicious things. May none suffer sorrows. "

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्वम्

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्वम् श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा।
तत्तदेवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोंशसम्भवम्॥
— भगवद्गीता १०-४१
yadyadvibhūtimatsatvam śrīmadūrjitameva vā|
tattadevāvagaccha tvaṁ mama tejoṁśasambhavam||
— bhagavadgītā 10-41

"Every such being as is glorious, brilliant and powerful, know that to be a part manifestation of My glory."

[Posted on 23 NOV]

सूर्योदये चास्तमिते शयनं

कुचेलिनम् दन्तमलोपचरिणम् बह्वश्निनम् निष्ठुरभाषिणं च।
सूर्योदये चास्तमिते शयनं विमुञ्चति श्रीरपि चक्रपाणिनम्॥
kucelinam dantamalopacariṇam bahvaśninam niṣṭhurabhāṣiṇaṁ ca|
sūryodaye cāstamite śayanaṁ vimuñcati śrīrapi cakrapāṇinam||

"He who wears unwashed and unclean clothes, does not clean his teeth, eats too much, speaks harshly and unfeelingly, and sleeps at dawn and dusk is forsaken by Goddess Lakshmi even if he be Lord Vishnu [who is her own husband]."

जले तैलं खले गुह्यं

जले तैलं खले गुह्यं पात्रे दानं मनागपि।
प्राज्ञे शास्त्रं स्वयं याति विस्तार वस्तुशक्तिः॥
jale tailaṁ khale guhyaṁ pātre dānaṁ manāgapi|
prājñe śāstraṁ svayaṁ yāti vistāra vastuśaktiḥ||
"Oil in water, a secret confined to the treacherous, donation to the deserving even in a small measure;
and knowledge in a wise person, expand by themselves because of inherent nature."

को लाभो

को लाभो गुणिसङ्गमः किमसुखं प्राज्ञेतरैः सङ्गतिः
का हानिः समयच्युतिः निपुणता का धर्मतत्त्वे रतिः।
कः शूरो विजितेन्द्रियः प्रियतमा का अनुव्रता किं धनं विद्या
किं सुखं अप्रवासगमनं राज्यं किम् आज्ञाफलम्॥
ko lābho guṇisaṅgamaḥ kimasukhaṁ prājñetaraiḥ saṅgatiḥ
kā hāniḥ samayacyutiḥ nipuṇatā kā dharmatattve ratiḥ|
kaḥ śūro vijitendriyaḥ priyatamā kā anuvratā kiṁ dhanaṁ vidyā
kiṁ sukhaṁ apravāsagamanaṁ rājyaṁ kim ājñāphalam||

"What is gain? Company of the virtuous. What is grief? Company of fools [those other than the learned].
What is loss? It is the waste of time. What is prudence? Devotion to virtue.
What is valour? Conquest of the senses. Who is a beloved wife? One devoted to her husband. What is wealth? Knowledge.
What is happiness? To remain settled in one's own country [not going away from home]. What is rulership? To command obedience."

I have traded the poetry metres for clarity in writing this one.. क्षमस्व!

गुणवदगुणवद्वा कुर्वता

गुणवदगुणवद्वा कुर्वता कार्यमादौ
परिणतिरवधार्यां यत्नतः पण्डितेन।
अतिरभसकृतानां कर्मणानां विपत्तेः
भवति हृदयदाही शल्यतुल्यो विपाकः।
guṇavadaguṇavadvā kurvatā kāryamādau
pariṇatiravadhāryāṁ yatnataḥ paṇḍitena|
atirabhasakṛtānāṁ karmaṇānāṁ vipatteḥ
bhavati hṛdayadāhī śalyatulyo vipākaḥ|

"Before taking any action, whether good or bad,
wise men should carefully ponder over its consequences.
[Or else], the results of acts done in haste
keep piercing the heart like an arrow even after death."

श्रोत्रं श्रुतेनैव

श्रोत्रं श्रुतेनैव न कुण्डलेन दानेन पाणिर्न तु कङ्कणेन।
विभाति कायः करुणापराणां परोपकारैर्न तु चन्दनेन॥
śrotraṁ śrutenaiva na kuṇḍalena dānena pāṇirna tu kaṅkaṇena|
vibhāti kāyaḥ karuṇāparāṇāṁ paropakārairna tu candanena||

"Ears are [adorned] by listening to scriptures, not by earrings; hands are [adorned] by charity, not by bracelets. Similarly, the body is adorned by doing good to others and not by [smearing] sandalwood."

किं किं न साधयति कल्पलतेव विद्या

मातेव रक्षति पितेव हिते नियुङ्क्ते
कान्तेव चापि रमयत्यपनीय खेदम्।
लक्ष्मीं तनोति वितनोति च दिक्षु कीर्तिम्
किं किं न साधयति कल्पलतेव विद्या॥
māteva rakṣati piteva hite niyuṅkte
kānteva cāpi ramayatyapanīya khedam|
lakṣmīṁ tanoti vitanoti ca dikṣu kīrtim
kiṁ kiṁ na sādhayati kalpalateva vidyā||

"It protects like the mother and it works for our good like father.
It delights and removed depression like a wife.
It brings wealth and spreads fame in all directions.
What can't knowledge achieve, like a wish-giving tree (कल्पलता)."

[Posted on 16 NOV]

विद्या परा देवता

विद्या नाम नरस्य रूपमधिकं प्रच्छन्नगुप्तं धनं
विद्या भोगकरी यशः सुखकरी विद्या गुरूणां गुरुः॥
विद्या बन्धुजनो विदेशगमने विद्या परा देवता
विद्या राजसु पूज्यते न हि धनं विद्याविहीनः पशुः॥
vidyā nāma narasya rūpamadhikaṁ pracchannaguptaṁ dhanaṁ
vidyā bhogakarī yaśaḥ sukhakarī vidyā gurūṇāṁ guruḥ||
vidyā bandhujano videśagamane vidyā parā devatā
vidyā rājasu pūjyate na hi dhanaṁ vidyāvihīnaḥ paśuḥ||

“Knowledge is certainly a man’s greatest beauty. It is a safe and hidden treasure.
It provides prosperity, fame and happiness. Knowledge is the teacher of all teachers.
It acts as one’s friend in a foreign country. Knowledge is the Supreme God.
It is the knowledge, not wealth, which is adored by kings. Without knowledge one remains as animal.”

परोक्षे कार्यहन्तारं

परोक्षे कार्यहन्तारं प्रत्यक्षे प्रियवादिनम्।
वर्जयेत्तादृशं मित्रं विषकुम्भोपयोमुखम्॥
parokṣe kāryahantāraṁ pratyakṣe priyavādinam|
varjayettādṛśaṁ mitraṁ viṣakumbhopayomukham||

"Criticises in [your] absence and speaks sweetly in [your] presence.
Such a friend is to be abandoned, [for he is] like a pot of poison with an upper layer of milk."

ऋणशेषोऽग्निशेषश्च

ऋणशेषोऽग्निशेषश्च शत्रुशेषस्तथैव च।
पुनः पुनः प्रवर्धन्ते तस्माच्छेषन्न रक्षयेत्॥
ṛṇaśeṣo'gniśeṣaśca śatruśeṣastathaiva ca|
punaḥ punaḥ pravardhante tasmāccheṣanna rakṣayet||

"Remainder of debt, fire and enemies are alike.
They keep growing repeatedly — so one must never maintain any balance!"

[Thanks to Kedar]

परोपकारार्थमिदम् शरीरम्

परोपकाराय फलन्ति वृक्षाः परोपकाराय वहन्ति नद्यः।
परोपकाराय दुहन्ति गावः परोपकारार्थमिदम् शरीरम्॥
paropakārāya phalanti vṛkṣāḥ paropakārāya vahanti nadyaḥ|
paropakārāya duhanti gāvaḥ paropakārārthamidam śarīram||

"Trees give fruits for others; Rivers [too] flow for [the benefit of] others;
Cows give milk for helping others; [Similarly] this body of ours is also for helping others."

अष्टादशपुराणेषु व्यासस्य वचनद्वयम्।
परोपकारं पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम्॥
aṣṭādaśapurāṇeṣu vyāsasya vacanadvayam|
paropakāraṁ puṇyāya pāpāya parapīḍanam||

छिन्नोऽपि रोहति तरुः

छिन्नोऽपि रोहति तरुः क्षीणोऽप्युपचीयते पुनश्चन्द्रः।
इति विमृशन्तः सन्तः सन्तप्यन्ते न विप्लुता लोके॥८६॥
— भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकम्
chinno'pi rohati taruḥ kṣīṇo'pyupacīyate punaścandraḥ|
iti vimṛśantaḥ santaḥ santapyante na viplutā loke||86||
— bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakam

"When cut, a tree grows again; even after waning, the moon waxes again.
With this in mind, the great ones do not get perturbed in this world even when in distress."

वरमेको गुणी पुत्रो

वरमेको गुणी पुत्रो न च मूर्खशतान्यपि।
एकश्चन्द्रस्तमो हन्ति न च तारागणोऽपि च॥
varameko guṇī putro na ca mūrkhaśatānyapi|
ekaścandrastamo hanti na ca tārāgaṇo'pi ca||

"Even one son who has good qualities is a boon, against even a hundred who are fools. [Just like] one moon that dispels darkness, but not even a barrage of stars!"

विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानम्

न चोरहार्यं न च राजहार्यं न भ्रातृभाज्यं न च भारकारी।
व्यये कृते वर्धत एव नित्यं विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानम्॥
na corahāryaṁ na ca rājahāryaṁ na bhrātṛbhājyaṁ na ca bhārakārī |
vyaye kṛte vardhata eva nityaṁ vidyādhanaṁ sarvadhanapradhānam ||

"It cannot be stolen by thieves, cannot be taken away by the king, nor can be divided among brothers and does not cause a load. When spent, it always multiplies. The wealth of knowledge is the greatest among all wealths."

[Thanks to Kedar]

साहित्यसङ्गीतकलाविहीनः

साहित्यसङ्गीतकलाविहीनः साक्षात्पशुः पुच्छविषाणहीनः।
तृणं न खादन्नपि जीवमानः तद्भागधेयं परमं पशूनाम्॥
sāhityasaṅgītakalāvihīnaḥ sākṣātpaśuḥ pucchaviṣāṇahīnaḥ|
tṛṇaṁ na khādannapi jīvamānaḥ tadbhāgadheyaṁ paramaṁ paśūnām||

"Those who are devoid of [interest in] literature, music and arts are really animals sans tail and horns. They live without eating grass though – that is indeed a great fortune for the animals!"

[Posted on 9 NOV]

मौनं सर्वार्थ साधनम्

आत्मनः मुखदोषेण बध्यन्ते शुकसारिकाः।
बकाः तत्र न बध्यन्ते मौनं सर्वार्थ साधनम्॥
ātmanaḥ mukhadoṣeṇa badhyante śukasārikāḥ |
bakāḥ tatra na badhyante maunaṁ sarvārtha sādhanam ||

"By the fault of their own mouth, parrots and mynahs are caught.
Storks, however are not caught — silence is an instrument that achieves all ends."

[Thanks to Kedar]

अपि पौरुषमादेयं

अपि पौरुषमादेयं शास्त्रं चेद्युक्तिबोधकम्।
अन्यत्त्वार्षमपि त्याज्यं भाव्यं न्याय्यैकसेविना॥
api pauruṣamādeyaṁ śāstraṁ cedyuktibodhakam|
anyattvārṣamapi tyājyaṁ bhāvyaṁ nyāyyaikasevinā||

"One who ever stands for reason must accept a science, though man made, if it stands to reason; and he must reject the other (the unreasonable) though it may be propounded by the sages (of yore). "

सत्सङ्गतिः कथय किं न करोति पुंसाम्

जाड्यं धियो हरति सिञ्चति वाचि सत्यम्
मानोन्नतिं दिशति पापमपाकरोति।
चेतः प्रसादयति दिक्षु तनोति कीर्तिम्
सत्सङ्गतिः कथय किं न करोति पुंसाम्॥
jāḍyaṁ dhiyo harati siñcati vāci satyam
mānonnatiṁ diśati pāpamapākaroti|
cetaḥ prasādayati dikṣu tanoti kīrtim
satsaṅgatiḥ kathaya kiṁ na karoti puṁsām||

"[It] removes the inertia of one's intellect, nurtures truth in the speech;
Enhances prestige, expiates the sins;
Comforts the conscience, spreads fame in all directions.
Say! what [good] is there which the company of good does not bring to men!"