नागुणी गुणिनं वेत्ति

नागुणी गुणिनं वेत्ति गुणी गुणिषु मत्सरी।
गुणी च गुणरागी च सरलो विरलो जनः॥
nāguṇī guṇinaṁ vetti guṇī guṇiṣu matsarī|
guṇī ca guṇarāgī ca saralo viralo janaḥ||
Those who do not have talent do not recognize other talented people and those who are talented envy other talented people. Those who are themselves talented and love other talented persons, such simple people are rare indeed.

[Posted on 23 NOV]

अपां प्रवाहो गाङ्गोऽपि

अपां प्रवाहो गाङ्गोऽपि समुद्रं प्राप्य तद्रसः।
भवत्यवश्यं तद्विद्वान्नाश्रयेदशुभात्मकम्॥
apāṁ pravāho gāṅgo’pi samudraṁ prāpya tadrasaḥ|
bhavatyavaśyaṁ tadvidvānnāśrayedaśubhātmakam||
A stream of tasteful water (even arising from the Ganges?), having flown into the sea, becomes saline and thus undrinkable.
For this simple reason, a wise man should never associate with one of wicked and impure soul.

[Posted on 25 NOV]

ऐक्यं बलं समाजस्य

ऐक्यं बलं समाजस्य तदभावे स दुर्बलः।
तस्मादैक्यं प्रशंसन्ति दृढं राष्ट्रहितैषिणः॥
aikyaṁ balaṁ samājasya tadabhāve sa durbalaḥ|
tasmādaikyaṁ praśaṁsanti dṛḍhaṁ rāṣṭrahitaiṣiṇaḥ||
Unity is the strength of any society and it (society) is weak without
it. Hence those who wish the good of the nation strongly praise unity.

[Thanks to Kedar]

[Posted on 23 NOV]

दुर्जनस्य धनं बलम्

गर्वाय परपीडायै दुर्जनस्य धनं बलम्।
सुजनस्य तु दानाय रक्षणाय च ते सदा॥
garvāya parapīḍāyai durjanasya dhanaṁ balam|
sujanasya tu dānāya rakṣaṇāya ca te sadā||
The wealth and power of a wicked person are for vanity and harrasment of others respectively. However, those of a good man are always [used] for charity and for protection.

[Thanks to Kedar]

[Posted on 23 NOV]

स नः पातु गजाननः

अम्बा यस्य उमादेवी जनकः यस्य शङ्करः।
विद्यां ददाति सर्वेभ्यः स नः पातु गजाननः॥
ambā yasya umādevī janakaḥ yasya śaṅkaraḥ|
vidyāṁ dadāti sarvebhyaḥ sa naḥ pātu gajānanaḥ||
Whose mother is UmA devi, whose father is Shankara and who gives knowledge to everyone, may He, the elephant-faced one, bless us!

[Thanks to Kedar]

[Posted on 23 NOV]

उपदेशः हि मूर्खाणां

उपदेशः हि मूर्खाणां प्रकोपाय न शान्तये।
पयः पानं भुजङ्गानां केवलं विषवर्धनम्॥
upadeśaḥ hi mūrkhāṇāṁ prakopāya na śāntaye|
payaḥ pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣavardhanam||
Advising an idiot leads to more aggravation than peace. Feeding milk to a snake only serves to increase its poison.

[Posted on 23 NOV]