आत्मार्थे पृथिवीं त्यजेत्

त्यजेदेकं कुलस्यार्थे ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलं त्यजेत्।
ग्रामं जनपदस्यार्थे आत्मार्थे पृथिवीं त्यजेत्॥३८६॥
— विष्णुशर्मणः पञ्चतन्त्रम् – मित्रभेदः
tyajedekaṁ kulasyārthe grāmasyārthe kulaṁ tyajet|
grāmaṁ janapadasyārthe ātmārthe pṛthivīṁ tyajet||386||
— viṣṇuśarmaṇaḥ pañcatantram – mitrabhedaḥ
“Sub ordinate (neglect) the interest of an individual for the sake of the family, of the family to sub-serve the interest of the village, of the village in the interest of the state; [give up] all wordly interest in order to attain eternal bliss (Atman)”

दाता दरिद्रः

दाता दरिद्रः कृपणो धनाढ्यः पापी चिरायुः सुकृतिः गतायुः।
राजा कुलीनः सुकुली च भृत्युः कलौ युगि षड्गुणमाश्रयन्ति॥
dātā daridraḥ kṛpaṇo dhanāḍhyaḥ pāpī cirāyuḥ sukṛtiḥ gatāyuḥ |
rājā kulīnaḥ sukulī ca bhṛtyuḥ kalau yugi ṣaḍguṇamāśrayanti ||
In the kali yuga people will suffer these six changes: the liberal
man will be poor; the miser will be rich, the sinner will be
long-lived, the good man will be short lived, the king will be
of low birth and he will be served by a man of high birth.

यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः

जयोऽस्तु पाण्डुपुत्राणां येषां पक्षे जनार्दनः।
यतः कृष्णस्ततो धर्मो यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः॥
jayo’stu pāṇḍuputrāṇāṁ yeṣāṁ pakṣe janārdanaḥ |
yataḥ kṛṣṇastato dharmo yato dharmastato jayaḥ ||
Success be to the sons of Pandu (Pandavas), on whose side is
Janaardana. Where Krishna is, there is justice and where
justice is, there is victory.

कर्तव्यो महदाश्रयः

नीचाश्रयो न कर्तव्यः कर्तव्यो महदाश्रयः।
ईशाश्रयो महानागः पप्रच्छ गरुडं सुखम्॥
nīcāśrayo na kartavyaḥ kartavyo mahadāśrayaḥ |
īśāśrayo mahānāgaḥ papraccha garuḍaṁ sukham ||
The protection of the mean/weak should not be sought but the protection of the great should be obtained.
The great serpent protected by Lord Shiva [even] enquired about Garuda’s [its permanent foe/predator] health.

एकः परात्मा बहु देहवर्तिः

मृत्पिण्ड एको बहुभाण्ड रूपः सुवर्णमेकं बहु भूषणानि।
गोक्षीरमेकं बहु धेनु जातं एकः परात्मा बहु देहवर्तिः॥
mṛtpiṇḍa eko bahubhāṇḍa rūpaḥ suvarṇamekaṁ bahu bhūṣaṇāni |
gokṣīramekaṁ bahu dhenu jātaṁ ekaḥ parātmā bahu dehavartiḥ ||
One lump of clay is moulded into vessels of many forms, gold is
one made into ornaments of many shapes, the milk is one though
yielded by many cows. Similarly the supreme soul is one
though resides in many bodies.

सहायाद्विना न कर्माणि निर्वहति लोके

अङ्कूर कारणमपि तुषहीनश्चेत् तण्डुलो न रोहति हि।
अतिचतुरोऽपि सहायाद्विना न कर्माणि निर्वहति लोके॥
aṅkūra kāraṇamapi tuṣahīnaścet taṇḍulo na rohati hi |
aticaturo’pi sahāyādvinā na karmāṇi nirvahati loke ||
The rice grains cannot sprout without the husk covering it.
Similarly, people capable of doing great things cannot perform
without the help of others.

अर्धमात्रा लाघवेन

अर्धमात्रा लाघवेन पुत्रोत्सव मन्यन्ते वैयाकरणाः

ardhamātrā lāghavena putrotsava manyante vaiyākaraṇāḥ
‘Brevity by half a syllable is considered by grammarians as equivalent to the festivities the birth of a son brings.’ – Consicion was prized by the Indian grammarian to such an extent!

(Kindly contributed by Ms. Uma Purang)

काकचेष्टा बकध्यानम्

काकचेष्टा बकध्यानं श्वाननिद्राल्पभोजनम्।
स्वाध्यायः संयमश्च छात्राणां लक्षणानि षट्॥
kākaceṣṭā bakadhyānaṁ śvānanidrālpabhojanam |
svādhyāyaḥ saṁyamaśca chātrāṇāṁ lakṣaṇāni ṣaṭ ||

Intentiveness akin to a crow’s, concentration like that of a crane, light sleep like that of a dog’s, the consumption of moderate food, application to one’s studies and self control. These are the six signs of a good student.

(Kindly contributed by Ms. Uma Purang)

समुद्रस्य जलं नीलं

समुद्रस्य जलं नीलं नीलमिन्दीवरं जले।
गगनस्य तलं नीलं नीलं लक्ष्मीपतेर्वपुः॥
samudrasya jalaṁ nīlaṁ nīlamindīvaraṁ jale |
gaganasya talaṁ nīlaṁ nīlaṁ lakṣmīpatervapuḥ ||

Blue is the water of the sea, blue is the blue lotus in the water,
Blue is the surface of the sky, the body of Lakshmi’s lord is blue.

(Kindly contributed by Ms. Uma Purang)

मानमेवाभिरक्षतु

प्राणञ्चापि परित्यज्य मानमेवाभिरक्षतु।
अनित्यो भवति प्राणो मानमाचन्द्रतारकम्‌॥
prāṇañcāpi parityajya mānamevābhirakṣatu |
anityo bhavati prāṇo mānamācandratārakam ||
Even at the cost of one’s life one should preserve his honour, as
life is temporary and honour is ever lasting as the moon and stars.