Poetry on general aspects of life - part 1

भवेद्धि बाल्यं परतन्त्रवृत्तं तथापि सौख्यं परहस्तयुक्तम् ।

अहो द्वितीयं जरया तु लब्धं करोति लोकं परहस्तलुप्तम् ।। 1 ।।

Both infancy and old age are dependent phases of life. Yet the former is a happy phase as it is spent in (with) the hands of others. The second one in the form of old age is not as it is spent without the hands (help) of others!

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How should we acquire knowledge?

विद्याऽर्जने जनस्सर्वः पशुवदाचरेत् चरेत् ।

पदतृणं चिरं चर्वेत् चिरन्तनरसं पिबेत् ।। 2 ।।

Let people conduct themselves like cattle in acquiring knowledge; (first) graze (thereby tasting superficially) the words (like grass) and then chew for long (thinking) thereby drinking the lasting juice. Learning is a journey, not everything becomes clear on first time hearing/studying.

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Be careful before you speak to two kinds of people - who say 'yes I know' and who say 'I don't know' - the former is not willing to listen and the latter, perhaps, knows more!

यस्मिन् वदति जानामि तथा जानामि नैव च ।

सदा द्वयोरनाऽऽलोच्य मा वादीर्वै किमप्यहो ।। 3 ।।

To him who says 'I know it' and also to him who says' I know nothing' don't speak without thinking twice - the former may not listen and your ignorance may stand exposed to the latter.

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How do noble people conduct themselves? Well there are many aspects. One aspect is being indicated by the verse below by way of comparison to a cloud!

असि ग्रहणवेलायां दूरे भूम्याश्च तोयद! ।

प्रदानसमये नूनम् अन्तिके साधुलोकवत् ।। 4 ।।

Hey Cloud! you stay afar from the earth when you take (or receive) the water; but when you want to give it, you come very near, indeed like a noble person, who hesitate to approach a giver but heartily come closer to a receiver!

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Everybody possesses both good and bad qualities which spread from one person to another. But they both do not spread in the same manner. This verse gives an example on how they spread (or do not)

प्रसरति गुणस्तावत् तैलस्थजलबिन्दुवत् ।

सदा जनेषु दोषस्तु जलस्थतैलबिन्दुवत् ।। 5 ।।

Always among people, a Guna (good quality) spreads in the same way a drop of water that falls in oil but a doshah (bad quality) spreads like a drop of oil in water!

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अल्पलालारजोभ्यां तु सुकृतं जालबन्धनम् ।

कल्पते साधनायेह किमपि वै मनस्विनाम्।। 6 ।।

A web is being well made with just saliva and dust! (by spiders). (Or) anything becomes a means for resolute people!

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On the menace of begging!

भवन्ति बहवो हन्त याचकाश्चापि निर्धनाः ।

अहो सुदुर्लभो नूनं लोके निर्धनयाचकः ।। 7 ।।

Alas! There are many poor people and there are many beggars! (Not all the poor beg and not all beggars are poor). Indeed a beggar who is really poor is rare! (to find).

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There are many many beings that are different due to differences in their body and mind. But there are two people who can bring sameness in them when they are seated in their hearts. Who are those two?

भवन्ति विविधाः जीवाः भेदेन मतिदेहयोः ।

हृत्स्थो रामश्च कामश्च समीकरोति तानहो ।। 8 ।।

Rama and Kama are the two! The former can make them all spiritual, hence they will remain same, despite their outward differences. The latter will make them all animalistic (or say more materialistic) hence they will remain same, despite the external differences.

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Old age is compared to infancy. Is it not? I am drawing one comparison between boyhood and old age. Both begin after the fall of first tooth!

अतीतशैशवो बालः पतितदशनो यदा ।

पतितशैशवः किन्तु प्राप्तजरः पुनस्तदा ।। 9 ।।

अतीतशैशवो one who has crossed infancy बालः a boy पतितदशनो one who has lost his tooth यदा when पतितशैशवः one who has fallen in to infancyकिन्तु but प्राप्तजरः when he attains old age पुनः again तदा then

Normally when the first tooth falls, no longer the kid is treated as an infant. Similarly when the tooth falls for the first time (on it's own) when old age sets in, once again infancy follows! First time, infancy is crossed, second time, it sets in again!

अन्वयः

यदा पतितदशनः तदा अतीतशैशवः बालः भवति किन्तु प्राप्तजरः यदा पतितदशनः पुनः तदा पतितशैशवः भवति ।

This one is of the types of entharo mahanubhavo! How many talented people are there! On seeing / hearing whose performances / talents there is an indescribable joy that is born in us. And when they perform in the name of God, joy is indeed unlimited! What else can I do but salute them!

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सकलान् सकलान् वन्दे स्मृतिदान् सदयान् सदा ।

तेषां प्रयोजने राम! मयि ते जायते मुदा ।। 10 ।।

सकलान् all the सकलान् - सकल means an artist, one who has an art in him or her, so सकलान् would mean the artists वन्दे I salute स्मृतिदान् who give smrti (your) सदयान् benevolent (as they exhibit their talent for others) सदा always तेषां their प्रयोजने in performance राम Rama मयि in me ते your जायते is born मुदा happiness

I salute all the artistes / talented people who are benevolent and who give your smrti, Rama, and in their performances I am ecstatic. The word always can fit in anywhere! The repeats and rhymes may be enjoyed!