Bhartṛhari

etasmād viramendriyārtha-gahanād āyāsakād āśraya

etasmād viramendriyārtha-gahanād āyāsakād āśraya
śreyo-mārgam aśeṣa-duḥkha-śamana-vyāpāra-dakṣaṁ kṣaṇāt |
svātmībhāvam upaihi santyaja nijāṁ kallola-lolaṁ gatiṁ
mā bhūyo bhaja bhaṅgurāṁ bhava-ratiṁ cetaḥ prasīdādhunā ||
(Vairāgya-śatakam: 63)

“Therefore,

Desist from the troublesome labyrinth

Of the sense-objects.

Take shelter in the path

Of the highest good (śreyas),

Capable in the matter of extinguishing

Endless suffering within a moment.

Reach the state of your own self,

Abandoning your own [present] condition,

Inconstant like a wave.

Do not again

Foster transient affinity for the world

[Much less partake of transient pleasures of the world based on it].

O mind,

Be satisfied now.”

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etasmād viramendriyārtha-gahanād āyāsakād āśraya Read on →

paribhramasi kiṁ mudhā kvacana citta viśrāmyatāṁ

paribhramasi kiṁ mudhā kvacana citta viśrāmyatāṁ
svayaṁ bhavati yad yathā bhavati tat tathā nānyathā |
atītam ananusmarann api ca bhāvy asaṅkalpayann
atarkita-samāgamān anubhavāmi bhogān aham ||
(Vairāgya-śatakam: 62)

“Why do you wander about in vain?

O Mind!

Rest somewhere.

Whatever happens of its own accord

Happens howsoever

And not otherwise.

[So,] Not repeatedly recalling the past,

And not planning in regard to the future,

I experience unconsidered, approaching objects.

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jāḍyaṁ hrīmati gaṇyate vrata-rucau dambhaḥ śucau kaitavaṁ

jāḍyaṁ hrīmati gaṇyate vrata-rucau dambhaḥ śucau kaitavaṁ
śūre nirghṛṇatā munau vimatitā dainyaṁ priyālāpini |
tejasviny avaliptatā mukharatā vaktary aśaktiḥ sthire
tat ko nāma guṇo bhavet sa guṇināṁ yo durjanair nāṅkitaḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 54)

“They [i.e., those prone to fault-finding] ascribe folly to the modest,
Pretension to those who have affinity for rites,
Deceit to the honest,
Cruelty to the brave,
Stupidity to the sagacious,
Poverty to those of pleasing speech,
Arrogance to the powerful,
Garrulity to the eloquent,
And inability to the steadfast.
Is there any virtue in a virtuous person which shall not be maligned by the wicked?”

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ādityasya gatāgatair ahar ahaḥ saṁkṣīyate jīvitaṁ

ādityasya gatāgatair ahar ahaḥ saṁkṣīyate jīvitaṁ
vyāpārair bahu-kārya-bhāra-gurubhiḥ kālo’pi na jñāyate |
dṛṣṭvā janma-jarā-vipatti-maraṇaṁ trāsaś ca notpadyate
pītvā mohamayīṁ pramāda-madirām unmatta-bhūtaṁ jagat ||
(Vairāgya-śatakam: 43)

“With the rising and setting of the sun day by day, life is passing away. With affairs heavy with the burden of numerous tasks, the time is also unrecognized [as it passes away]. And [even] after having observed birth, old age, misfortune, and death [occurring all around], [still] fear is not arising [in the people’s mind]. Having drunk the intoxicating wine of remiss, the world has become mad.”

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ādityasya gatāgatair ahar ahaḥ saṁkṣīyate jīvitaṁ Read on →

ajñaḥ sukham ārādhyaḥ

ajñaḥ sukham ārādhyaḥ
sukhataram ārādhyate viśeṣajñaḥ |
jñāna-lava-durvidagdhaṁ
brahmāpi taṁ naraṁ na rañjayati
(Nīti-śatakam: 3)

“The ignorant are easily propitiable,
The highly learned are propitiated even more easily,
[But] A person misguided by a meager modicum of knowledge—
Not even Brahmā can satisfy him.”

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vayam iha parituṣṭā valkalais tvaṁ dukūlaiḥ

vayam iha parituṣṭā valkalais tvaṁ dukūlaiḥ
sama iha paritoṣo nirviśeṣo viṣeśaḥ |
sa tu bhavatu daridro yasya tṛṣṇā viśālā
manasi ca parituṣṭe ko’rthavān ko daridraḥ ||
(Vairāgya-śatakam: 53)

“Here [i.e., in the forest], we [i.e., ascetics] are fully satisfied with bark garments, and you [O King, are fully satisfied in your palace] with fine raiments. In this regard, the full satisfaction [we both feel] is the same. The distinction [between the means of our satisfaction] is insignificant. He, rather, should be [considered] poor whose desires are vast. When the mind is fully satisfied, who is rich? Who is poor?”

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re re cātaka sāvadhāna-manasā mitra kṣaṇaṁ śrūyatām

re re cātaka sāvadhāna-manasā mitra kṣaṇaṁ śrūyatām
ambhodā bahavo vasanti gagane sarve’pi naitādṛśāḥ |
kecid vṛṣṭibhir ārdrayanti vasudhāṁ garjanti kecid vṛthā
yaṁ yaṁ paśyasi tasya tasya purato mā brūhi dīnaṁ vacaḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 51)

“Oh! Oh! Cātaka! My friend, listen with an attentive mind for a moment. Certainly many clouds reside in the sky, although all of them are not like this [i.e., not all of them are supporters of cātakas, as the cātaka stated in the previous verse]. Some saturate the earth with their showers, and some [merely] rumble frivolously [and do not shower any rain at all]. [So,] Do not speak piteous words before every single one you see.”

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re re cātaka sāvadhāna-manasā mitra kṣaṇaṁ śrūyatām Read on →

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