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]

विद्वान्‌ सर्वत्र पूज्यते

विद्वत्त्वं च नृपत्वं च नैव तुल्ये कदाचन।
स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा विद्वान्‌ सर्वत्र पूज्यते॥
vidvattvaṁ ca nṛpatvaṁ ca naiva tulye kadācana|
svadeśe pūjyate rājā vidvān sarvatra pūjyate||

"Being a scholar and being a king are never comparable.
A king is worshipped in his own country whereas a scholar is respected everywhere."
(Thanks to Kedar)

अर्धो घटो घोषमुपैति

अल्पकार्यकराः सन्ति ये नरा बहुभाषिणः।
शरत्कालिनमेघास्ते नूनं गर्जन्ति केवलं॥
alpakāryakarāḥ santi ye narā bahubhāṣiṇaḥ|
śaratkālinameghāste nūnaṁ garjanti kevalaṁ||

"Men who talk too much do little work;
The are like the autumn clouds, that only roar!"

सम्पूर्णकुम्भो न करोति शब्दं
अर्धो घटो घोषमुपैति नूनं ।
विद्वान्‌ कुलीनो न करोति गर्वं
मूढास्तु जल्पन्ति गुणैर्विहीनाः॥
sampūrṇakumbho na karoti śabdaṁ
ardho ghaṭo ghoṣamupaiti nūnaṁ |
vidvān kulīno na karoti garvaṁ
mūḍhāstu jalpanti guṇairvihīnāḥ ||

"A full pot does not make any noise;
However a half full pot really makes noise.
A learned respectable person is never vain;
but foolish people bereft of good qualities babble incessantly."

"Empty vessels make much noise!"