apūrvaḥ ko’pi kośo’yaṁ vidyate tava bhārati |
vyayato vṛddhimāyāti kṣayamāyāti sañcayāt ||
(Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)
“How extraordinary is this treasury of yours, O Bhāratī (Sarasvatī)! By spending [i.e., distributing it], it increases, and by stocking [i.e., keeping it to yourself], it depletes!”
api mānuṣyakaṁ labdhvā bhavanti jñānino na ye |
paśutaiva varā teṣāṁ pratyavāyāpravartanāt ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2052)
“For those who even after attaining human birth do not become educated, being [born as] an animal would have been better as they would [in that case] not engage in degrading behavior.”
asantuṣṭasya viprasya tejo vidyā tapo yaśaḥ |
sravantīndriya-laulyena jñānaṁ caivāvakīryate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.15.19)
“On account of greed related to the senses, an unsatisfied brāhmaṇa’s potency, learning, austerity, and fame dwindle, and his awareness [i.e., discernment] too is certainly cast away.”
anyāyaḥ prauḍhavādena nīyate nyāyatāṁ yayā |
nyāyaś cānyāyatāṁ lobhāt kiṁ tayā kṣudra-vidyayā ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1798)
“Of what good is that meager learning which, because of [one’s] greed, with meager learning turns the improper into propriety and the proper into impropriety [alt., the unjust into justice and the just into injustice]?”
ālasyaṁ hi manuṣyāṇāṁ śarīrastho mahān ripuḥ |
nāsty udyama-samo bandhuḥ kurvāṇo nāvasīdati ||
(Nīti-śataka: 86)
“The great enemy situated in the body of human beings is laziness, and there is no friend [to them] like endeavor. One who acts never comes to ruin.”
kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās
teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ |
utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhis
tvām āyātaḥ śaraṇam abhayaṁ māṁ niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye ||
(Aparādha-bhañjana; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 3.2.35; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.16)
“I have obeyed the wicked dictates of kāma and so forth for so long and in so many ways! Yet they have never taken pity upon me, and I have never felt any shame or satisfaction! O Lord of the Yadus, at last I have abandoned them and attained proper understanding: I have taken shelter in you, the Abode of fearlessness. Please engage me in your service.”
ghṛta-kumbha-samā nārī taptāṅgāra-samaḥ pumān |
tasmād ghṛtaṁ ca vahniṁ ca naikatra sthāpayed budhaḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“A woman is like a pot of ghee, and a man like a burning coal. Therefore, the wise should not place ghee and fire together.”
āśā hi paramaṁ duḥkhaṁ nairāśyaṁ paramaṁ sukham |
yathā sañchidya kāntāśāṁ sukhaṁ suṣvāpa piṅgalā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.8.44)
“Hope [i.e., material desire] is the greatest unhappiness, and hopelessness [i.e., freedom from material desire] is the greatest happiness, as after completely cutting away any hope for a lover, Piṅgalā slept happily.”
dharmārthaṁ yasya vittehā varaṁ tasya nirīhatā |
prakṣālanād dhi paṅkasya dūrād asparśanaṁ varam ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.2.49; cited in Hitopadeśa: 1.174)
“For one who desires [alt., pursues] wealth for the sake of dharma, desirelessness [alt., non-pursuit] is better, just as remaining untouched by mud from afar is better than washing [it off after touching it].”
icchopaśamanaṁ kartuṁ yadi kṛtsnaṁ na śakyate |
svalpam apy anugantavyaṁ mārgastho nāvasīdati ||
(Yoga Vāsiṣṭha of Vālmīki: 7.36.30)
“If one is not able to calm one’s desire completely, then doing so should be pursued at least a little. One [who remains] situated on the path will not come to ruin [whereas those who gives up will never be successful].”
