Random musings - part 13

Ever watered a plant mindfully? There are lot of insects that die and raising animals means destroying so much of vegetation! Everything about growing one stuff entails destroying another! Creation is impossible without destruction! Maintenance is nothing but creation extended! If God is said to create and maintain the world? at what cost?

सृष्टिर्वापि स्थितिर्हन्त कुतो विनाशनं विना ।

क्रिये तु द्वेऽपि ते देव पञ्चत्वेनास्तु नाटकम् ।। 121 ।।

सृष्टिः creation वापि also स्थितिः maintenance हन्त alas कुतः wherefrom विनाशनं destruction विना without क्रिये activities तु but द्वेऽपि two also ते your देव Lord पञ्चत्वेनास्तु be with the five elements नाटकम् drama

Alas! Creation or maintenance seem to be impossible without involving destruction. Or O Lord! both these two acts of yours is a drama with the five elements!

---------------------------------- 

There are some slokas in Sanskrit that emphasise the need for learning Grammar. The one below is an attempt in this front! There are some words when even a letter is wrongly spelt, will convey opposite meaning. Like कृतज्ञ and कृतघ्न ; अवद्य and अवध्य

कृतज्ञो भव पुत्र त्वं कृतघ्नो न गुरौ स हि ।

अवध्योऽस्तु न चावद्यः तस्मात् व्याकरणं पठ ।। 122 ।।

कृतज्ञः grateful भव be पुत्र son त्वं you कृतघ्नः ungrateful न not गुरौ in Guru स he हि indeed अवध्यः sacred अस्तु be न not च and अवद्यः faulty तस्मात् therefore व्याकरणं Grammar पठ study

Dear Son! Be grateful and not ungrateful with your Guru. Let him be of high regard and not faulty. Therefore, study Grammar!

---------------------------------- 

I am not able to say to which genre this sloka falls in to. May be sarcasm or a new one. Today people are more confident on the money that they possess for their protection than the merit they follow or dharma that they followed!

त्रिषु युगेषु सत्यं स्यात् धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः ।

चतुर्थे तु कलौ किन्तु धनं रक्षति रक्षितम् ।। 123 ।।

I think it is easy to follow and hence no word to word meaning.

---------------------------------- 

I am not the one to talk about conduct. Yet sharing this thought - on modern speakers (acharyas!) of philosophy etc etc. There was a time when Acharyas preached what they practiced or practiced before they preached. But in present times, If someone is able to communicate nicely, without following what they preach, the world is attracted to them without minding if they 'walk their talk' or not!

वागधीने हि कालेस्मिन् चरित्रं नैव लक्षितम् ।

कथञ्चिदपि वक्ता स्याः यशस्वी त्वं भविष्यसि ।। 124 ।।

वाक् speech अधीने dependent हि indeed  काले in time अस्मिन् this चरित्रं conduct नैव never लक्षितं looked at कथञ्चिदपि somehow वक्ता speaker स्याः become यशस्वी famous त्वं you भविष्यसि will become

In this time, that goes only by speech and not at all on conduct, somehow you become a (good) speaker, you are destined to attract huge crowds!

---------------------------------- 

Sorry to take a dig at astrologers. But often their diagnosis revolves around curse of the manes or Gods, which is beyond the reach of common men to find out!

पितृणां वापि देवानामप्रीत्या दुर्गतिस्तथा ।

तच्छान्तिर्गतिरित्युक्त्वा ज्योतिषतिलकं भव ।। 125 ।।

पितृणां of the manes वापि or also देवानाम् of the gods अप्रीत्या due to displeasure दुर्गतिः bad situation तथा and तच्छान्तिः their appeasement गतिः is the recourse इति thus उक्त्वा having said ज्योतिषतिलकं the best of astrologers भव become

For problem of any kind (quietly do some calculations) and say 'this bad state is due to the displeasure of manes or Gods and the only way is to appease them'. You will become the best of astrologers! No one will dare to question you.

---------------------------------- 

This one is on the Maahaanasa sampradaya (which is detailed in the blog on Desika). In our lives, once we attach to a goal and work towards it in a focussed manner, there will be a direction and less confusions - at a material level. At a spiritual level - if we attach ourselves to a sampradaya (whichever is convincing to us or given to us) with conviction and just try to pursue it with focus and faith, life becomes peaceful....

The essence of this sampradaya is unconditional surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord!

निर्दिष्टमार्गोऽस्मि च पोषितोऽपि

धौतो भविष्यामि समस्तपापात् ।

तेजोविशेषः किल येन चाहं

          तन्नौमि माहानससंप्रदायम् ।। 126 ।।

निर्दिष्टमार्गोऽस्मि I am on a directed path पोषितोऽपि nourished as well धौतो cleaned भविष्यामि I will become समस्तपापात् from all sins तेजोविशेषः brilliant fire किल indeed येन by which चाहं I also तन्नौमि I salute that माहानससंप्रदायम् Maahaanasa sampradayam

I salute that Maahaanasa sampradaya (linked to kitchen), a brilliant fire (hence the fire connection) by which I am on a directed path and being nourished from strength to strength, will one day be cleaned of all my sins!  

---------------------------------- 

That the doors of heaven are closed for me, a meritless person, it's OK, no point in worrying about it. Alas! even the hells will be closed and their in-dwellers are going to laugh at me for that! Nammala vida mosama oruthan irukkaan paa.. That is my concern!

अचिन्त्यो नाकवासो मे व्यर्थं विलपनं तु वै ।

प्रहसिष्यन्ति मां हन्त नरकस्थाः कुकर्मिणम् ।। 127 ।।

अचिन्त्यो unimaginable नाकवासः heaven stay मे to me व्यर्थं waste विलपनं lamentation तु but  वै indeed प्रहसिष्यन्ति are going to laugh मां at me हन्त alas नरकस्थाः hell-dwellers कुकर्मिणम् worst fellow

Heaven is unimaginable! Enough of lamentation indeed. Alas! Even the people of hell are going to laugh at me, the worst fellow (that I am not even fit there)

---------------------------------- 

State of happiness may be indicated by brightness and smile, and sadness by dullness and cry. A cloud, when it is white, is very bright and happy. When it is dark, raining, we may say it is crying. Moreover, without independence in moving about, it is at the mercy of the action (karma) of air. Likewise, I am led by karma between earth and above regions , smiling and crying my way.....

भूखयोर्वायुनानीतजीमूतगतिरेव मे ।

असुखसुखयोर्मध्ये कर्मणा हासरोदने ।। 128 ।।

भू earth ख sky भूखयोः in-between earth and sky वायुना by wind नीत led जीमूत cloud गतिः state एव only मे mine (as well) असुख sadness सुखयोः happiness मध्ये between कर्मणा by karma हासरोदने smiling and crying

My state is akin to a cloud experiencing happiness and sadness while being caught in-between earth and sky, led by the action (karma) of air! A cloud may be said to be born out of some action (karma), then it goes up to spend it only to come back, to be born again!

---------------------------------- 

This sloka is addressed to Hari. I wish it makes sense, in more than one way. The word guna means good qualities in general and also a thread. I am requesting Hari

1. to endow me with good qualities and associate with his devotees, who are close to his heart.

2. To make me a thread and yoke in the midst of those diamonds, the devotees, so that a garland is placed on your chest and thus i can also reach you through them...

निर्गुणं मां गुणीकृत्य भक्तरत्नेषु तेषु ते ।

योजय कृपया मध्ये वक्षोगतेषु हे हरे! ।। 129 ।।

निर्गुणं character less or not a thread yet (cotton) मां me गुणीकृत्य having made good or thread भक्तरत्नेषु among the devotee-diamonds तेषु of those ते your योजय yoke or join कृपया please मध्ये in the midst वक्षोगतेषु who are close to your heart हे हरे Hari!

Hari! Please make me, a person of character or a thread, associate me with your devotees, diamonds that they are in a garland around your chest! (Very close to your heart!) I can reach you only through them!

---------------------------------- 

A mobile phone is very appropriately (or not?) is translated as jangama-doora-vani (phone on the move) But while it is seated in the palms of people, they also do not move! Where is this mobility factor!

हस्ते त्वय्युपविष्टे तु तिष्ठन्त्येकत्र मानवाः ।

जंगमदूरवाणीति नामधेयं कथं हि ते ।। 130 ।।

With you seated on the palms, people are stationed at one place. How did you get your name as a mobile phone!?

----------------------------------