आत्मार्थे पृथिवीम् त्यजेत्

कुलस्यार्थे त्यजेदेकम् ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलम् त्यजेत् ।

ग्रामम् जनपदस्यार्थे आत्मार्थे पृथिवीम् त्यजेत्॥

For the sake of the family, we may have to sacrifice one person. Sacrifice a family to save a village. Sacrifice a village to save a state. But to save one-self, sacrifice the entire world.

क्षुध्र तृट् आशाः कुटुम्बिन्य

क्षुध्र तृट् आशाः कुटुम्बिन्य

    मयि जीवति न अन्यगाः।

तस्मात् आशा महासाध्वी

    कदाचित् मां न मुञ्चति ॥

Hunger, thirst and desire are like a man's wives. They do not desert a man through out his life. Of them, desire is the most faithful. Others leave at least temporarily after eating and drinking.

वसुधैव कुटुंबकम्

अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।

उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुंबकम् ॥

This person is one of us, that one is not... So think only thesmall minded people. For the liberals, the world

itself is one big family.

क्षणे नष्टे कुतो विद्या

क्षणशः कणश्चैव विद्याम् अर्थ च साध्येत् ।

क्षणे नष्टे कुतो विद्या कणे नष्टे कुतो धनम् ॥

One must give a lot of importance to every second (with respect to time) and every grain of cereals. If you lose seconds how will one get educated. If you lose grains, how will you gain wealth.

पापाय परपीडनम्

अष्टादशपुराणां सारं व्यासेन कीर्तितम् ।

परोपकारः पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम् ॥

In eighteen lenthy episodes of puranas Vyasa (author of the epic Mahabharatha which has 18 episodes named puranas) has described one thing. Helping others is vitue - troubling others is sin. Show me one religious book that deals with something different.

दुर्बलस्य बलं राजा

दुर्बलस्य बलं राजा बालानां रोदनं बलम् ।

बलं मूर्खस्य मौनित्वं चौराणामनृतम् बलम् ॥

A king is the strength of the weak. He protects them. Ability to cry is the strength of a baby. Ability to stay silent is the strength of a fool. Likewise, a theif finds his strength in his ability to lie.

देवो दुर्बलघातकः

अश्वं नैव गजं नैव व्याघ्रं नैव च ।

अजापुत्रं बलिं दधात् देवो दुर्बलघातकः ॥

Not a horse, neither elephant, nor a tiger - it is a goat that is offered as a sacrifice. Seems like even god does not spare the weak.

खल - साधु भेदः

विद्या विवादाय धनं मदाय

    शक्तिः परेषां परिपीडनाय ।

खलस्यः साधोः विपरीतं

    एतद् ज्ञानाय दानाय च रक्षणाय ॥

A wicked man uses his education for needless argument, money to indulge and strength to hurt others. In contrast a virtuous person uses them for aquiring new knowledge, charity and protecting the weak reaspectively.

घातयितुमेव नीचः परकार्यं

घातयितुमेव नीचः परकार्यं वेति न प्रसाधयितुम् ।

पातयितुमस्ति शक्तिर्वायोः वृक्षं न चोन्नमितुम् ॥

-पञ्चतंत्र

 

A wicked person only knows to destroy other people's work, not to help them. Wind can uproot a tree, not to help it grow. 

-Panchatantra

कस्यास्ति सहृदम्

वनानि दहतो वह्ने सखा भवति मारुतः ।

स एव दीप नाशय कृशे कस्यास्ति सहृदम् ॥

Fire that burns down the forest finds a friend in the wind. The same wind kills a small lamp. There is no body who supports the weak.

शेषं न कारयेत्

अग्नि शेषं ऋणः शेषं शत्रुः शेषं तथैव च ।

पुनः पुनः प्रवर्धेत तस्मात् शेषं न कारयेत् ॥

Fire, loan, enemy - should never be left remaining. Even small trace will grow back into a monster size.

को भेदः पिककाकयोः

काकः कृष्णः पिकः कृष्णः को भेदः पिककाकयोः ।

वसन्तसमये प्राप्ते काकः काकः पिकः पिकः ॥

The crow is black. The nightingale is also black. Who can tell the differnce between them both? But when it is spring time, it becomes very clear that a crow is a crow and the nightingale is a nightingale.

न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम्

सत्यं ब्रूयात् प्रियं ब्रूयात् न ब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियम्।

प्रियञ्च नानृतम् ब्रूयात् एष धर्म सनातनः ॥

You should always tell the truth. You should also be pleasant. So, if the hard truth hurts, you should tell it pleasantly as long as you are not lying. This is the age old rule of virtue.

विक्रमार्जित

न अभिषेको न संस्कारः सिंहस्य क्रियते वने ।

विक्रमार्जित सत्वस्य स्वयमेव मृगेंद्रता ॥

There is no coronation or other ceremonies to declare the Lion as the "King of the forest". Real winners do not need any such ceremonies.

सूत्रम् शिरसि धार्यथे

गुणवज्जनसंसर्गात् याति नीचोपि गौरवम् ।

पुष्पमालाप्रसङ्गेन सूत्रम् शिरसि धार्यते ॥

When found among virtuous people, even the wicked get lot of respect. Just like a simple thread gets worn on the head when it is found with in the chain of flowers.

छायैव मैत्रि खलु सज्जनानम्

आरंभ गुर्वी क्षयिणी क्रमेण

    लुब्ध्वि पुर्व वृद्धिमति च पश्चात् ।

दिनस्य पुर्वार्ध परार्ध बिन्न

    छायैव मैत्रि खलु सज्जनानम् ॥

 

A wicked person's friendship is too huge at start and

slowly shrinks. But a good person's friendship is small

to start and grows with time. Their difference is just

like shadows at morning and evening times.

प्रिय वचः

कोऽन्धो योऽकार्यरतः

    को बधिरो यो हितानि न श्रुणोति ।

को मूको यः काले

    प्रियाणि वक्तुं न जानाति ॥

He is blind who is busy in wrong deeds. He is deaf who does not heed to good advice. He is dumb who does not know to tell good words at the right time.

परवर्णग्रहणेष्वसाधवः

सहजान्धदृशः स्वदुर्नये परदोषेक्षणदिव्यचक्षुषः ।

स्वगुणोच्चगिरो मुनिव्रत्ताः परवर्णग्रहणेष्वसाधवः ॥

-शिशुपालवध

Blind to short-comings in self. Extremely good sight while finding fault in others. Loud voice when talking about self and a saint like silence when praising others. Such is the nature of bad people.

        - Shishupaalavadha

खलानां वाचः

नन्वाश्रयस्थिरियं तव कालकूट

    केनोत्तरोत्तरविशिष्टपदोपदिष्टा ।

प्रागर्णवस्य हृदये वृषलक्ष्मणोऽथ

    कण्टेऽधुना वससि वाचि पुनः खलानाम् ॥

                - कुवलयानन्द

Indeed you find varied hosts at different times, Oh deadly poison Kalakuta. Wonder on whose command do you act? Earlier you were hidden in the heart of the ocean, then in the throat of Lord Shiva. Now you reside in the speech of the wicked.

            -Kuvalayaananda

सज्जन - दुर्जन

लोकनन्दन चन्दनद्रुम सखे नास्मिन् वने स्थीययतां

दुर्वंशैः पुरुषैरसारहृदयैराक्रान्तमेतद्वनम् ।

तेऽप्यन्योन्यनिघर्षनातदहनज्वालावलीव्याकुलाः

न स्वान्येव कुलानि केवकममी सर्वं दहेयुर्वनम् ॥

- कुवलयानन्द

 

A sandalwood tree can not exist peacefully in a forest full of hard useless trees. Similarly a virtous people can not co-exist with hard hearted rough rogues. The fire started by their mutual hatred will not only burn them, but also burn the good trees (virtuous people).

मनुस्मृति - अर्थशौचं परं

सर्वेषामेव शौचानाम् अर्थशौचं परं स्मृतम् ।

योऽर्थे शुचिर्हि स शुचिर्न मृद्वारिशुचिः शुचिः ॥

- मनुस्मृतिः

Among all types of cleanliness, being clean in finance is the cleanest. The one who is clean in finance is the cleanest not the one who is clean with respect to all other 9 forms of cleanliness that include body, clothes and so on.

            -Manu smriti.

सहृच्च विद्वानपि दुर्लभ

मनीषिणाः सन्ति न ते हितैषिणः

    हितैषिणः सन्ति न ते मनीषिणाः ।

सहृच्च विद्वानपि दुर्लभो नृणां

    यथौषधं स्वादु हितञ्च दुर्लभम् ॥

            -सुभाषितरत्नभण्डागारम्

There are intellectuals but they are not well-wishers. There are well wishers but they are not intellectual. It is hard to find a kind hearted person who is also intelligent - just like it is hard to find medicine that also tastes well.

        -Subhashitaratnabhandagara

दैवं विधानमनुगच्छति कार्यसिध्दिः

यत्ने कृते यदि न सिद्ध्यति कोऽत्र दोषः

    को वा न सिद्ध्यति ममेति करोति कर्मः ।

यत्नैः शुभैः पुरुषता भवतीह नृणां

    दैवं विधानमनुगच्छति कार्यसिध्दिः ॥

                -अविमारकम्

If you are trying and still not accomplishing, who is to blame? Who does work, not to accomplish? People become heroes even when they try to accomplish something noble. It is up to GOD whether those attempts success

        -Avimaarakam by Bhaasa

र्विद्याविवेकचतुरा विबुधा

जानाति मन्दरगिरिर्जलधेर्महत्वं

    लङ्केश्वरोऽपि गुरुतां रजताचलस्य ।

विद्वज्जनस्य वचसो महिमानमुच्चै

    र्विद्याविवेकचतुरा विबुधा (विदन्ति) ॥

                -सुभाषितसुरद्रुमः

The mandara mountain alone knows the power of the sea. So does only Ravana knows the weight of Kailasa. Similarly, when the learned speak, only a person with good education and intelligence can comprehend them entirely.

- Subhashitasuradruma

संसर्गतो जायते

सन्तप्तायसि संस्थितस्य पयसो नामापि न श्रूयते

मुक्ताकारतया तदेव नळिनीपत्रस्थितं दृश्यते ।

स्वात्यां सागरशुक्तिमध्यपतितं तन्मौक्तिकं जायते

प्रायेणाधममध्यमोत्तमगुणः संसर्गतो जायते ॥

                 -नीतिशतक

A drop of water on a hot iron plate immediately looses existence. The same drop takes up the shape of a pearl when dropped on a lotus leaf. But, even in the middle of the ocean, a drop of water that enters the oyster achieves its destiny by turning into a real pearl. In time, a person becoming a wretched one, an average one or an extra-ordinary one depends on the company he keeps.

                    -Neetishataka

परतापा द्द्रवते सतां पुनः

मृदुलं नवनीतमीरितं नवनीतादपि सज्जनस्य हृत् ।

तदिदं द्रवति स्वतापनात् परतापा द्द्रवते सतां पुनः ॥

                        -सुभाषितसुरद्रुमः

 

Butter is soft - so people say.Softer that that is the heart of the virtuous. Because, butter melts when it is heated. The other (heart of the virtuous)melts even when some one else is heated.

                -Subhashitasuradrumaha

 

खलानामतीवनिपुणा धीः

अतिमलिने कर्त्व्ये भवति

    खलानामतीवनिपुणा धीः ।

तिमरे हि कौशिकानां रूपं

    प्रतिपाद्यते दृष्टिः ॥

            -वासवदत्ता

 

Rogues have the keenest intelligence while commiting henious deeds. Just like the owl can make out objects visually only at night.

            -Vasavadatta

सुभाषितसुरद्रुमः - दानाय लक्ष्मि

दानाय लक्ष्मिस्सुकृताय विद्या

    चिन्ता परब्रह्मविनिश्चयाय ।

परोपकाराय वचांसि यस्य

    वन्द्यस्त्रिलोकी तिलकस्य एव ॥

- सुभाषितसुरद्रुमः

 

He - whose wealth is for charity whose education is for doing good deeds whose thoughts are always about GOD. He is respected like the best in all three worlds.

-Subhashitasuradrumaha

सङ्गः सतां किमु मङ्गलमातनोति

दूरीकरोति कुमतिं विमलीकरोति

    चेतश्चिरन्तनमघं चुलुकीकरोति ।

भूतेषु किञ्च करुणां बहुलीकरोति

    सङ्गः सतां किमु मङ्गलमातनोति ॥

 

Company of virtuous people will have the following effect on you: drives away rogue thoughts, cleanses the mind, engulfs the sins, amplifies the compassion. Their company will be beneficial for every one.

 

त्रीणि रत्नानि जलमन्नंसुभाषितम्

पृथिव्यां त्रीणि रत्नानि जलमन्नंसुभाषितम् ।

मूढैः पाषाणखण्डेषुरत्नसंज्ञा विधीयते ॥

 

In this world there are three gems - water, food and wise sayings. Idiots are those who search for gems among stones.