काचः काचो मणिर्मणिः

मणिर्लुटति पादेन काचः शिरसि धार्यते।
यथैवास्तु तथैवास्तु काचः काचो मणिर्मणिः॥
maṇirluṭati pādena kācaḥ śirasi dhāryate |
yathaivāstu tathaivāstu kācaḥ kāco maṇirmaṇiḥ ||
A gem is trodden under foot and a glass is worn on the head.
Even in that state a glass is glass and a gem is a gem.

यत्र धर्मो ह्यधर्मेण

यत्र धर्मो ह्यधर्मेण सत्यं यत्रानृतेन च।
हन्यते प्रेक्षमाणास्तु हतास्तत्र सभासदः॥
yatra dharmo hyadharmeṇa satyaṁ yatrānṛtena ca |
hanyate prekṣamāṇāstu hatāstatra sabhāsadaḥ ||
Where dharma is destroyed by adharma and truth by false,
There the courtiers who witness it become themselves deprived.

भूते पश्यन्ति बर्बराः

राजा पश्यति कर्णाभ्यां धिया पश्यन्ति पण्डिताः।
पशुः पश्यति गन्धेन भूते पश्यन्ति बर्बराः॥
rājā paśyati karṇābhyāṁ dhiyā paśyanti paṇḍitāḥ |
paśuḥ paśyati gandhena bhūte paśyanti barbarāḥ ||
The administrator perceives by his ears, the learned by their intellect;
An animal perceives by scent and fools by the past.

हंसैर्यथा क्षीरमिवाम्बुमध्यात्‌

अनन्तपारं किल शब्दशास्त्रम्
स्वल्पं तथाऽऽयुर्बहवश्च विघ्नाः।
सारं ततो ग्राह्यमपास्य फल्गु
हंसैर्यथा क्षीरमिवाम्बुमध्यात्‌॥
anantapāraṁ kila śabdaśāstram
svalpaṁ tathā”yurbahavaśca vighnāḥ |
sāraṁ tato grāhyamapāsya phalgu
haṁsairyathā kṣīramivāmbumadhyāt ||
Boundless indeed is the science of language,
but life is short and obstacles are numerous.
Hence take what is good and leave what is worthless,
as geese/swan take milk from the midst of water.

भेको बक-बकायते

दिव्यं चूतफलं प्राप्य न गर्वं याति कोकिलः।
पीत्वा कर्दमपानीयं भेको बक-बकायते॥
divyaṁ cūtaphalaṁ prāpya na garvaṁ yāti kokilaḥ |
pītvā kardamapānīyaṁ bheko baka-bakāyate ||
The cuckoo has no pride in the possession of a delicious mango
Whereas a frog will be croaking by a gulp of muddy water.