tvam eva cātakādhāro’stīti keṣāṁ na gocaraḥ |
kim ambhoda-varāsmākaṁ kārpaṇyoktiṁ pratīkṣase ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 50)
“To whom is it not known that you alone are the support [“reservoir”] of the cātakas? So why, O dear cloud, do you wait for our expressions of deprivation [before showering rain upon us]?”
yā sādhūṁś ca khalān karoti viduṣo mūrkhān hitān dveṣiṇaḥ
pratyakṣaṁ kurute parekṣam amṛtaṁ hālāhalaṁ tat-kṣaṇāt |
tām ārādhaya sat-kriyāṁ bhagavatīṁ bhoktuṁ phalaṁ vāñchitaṁ
he sādho vyasanair guṇeṣu vipuleṣv āsthāṁ vṛthā mā kṛthāḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 98)
“O sādhu! To attain your desired goal, worship the goddess of virtuous conduct, which makes the wicked good, the foolish wise, the inimical well-wishers, the invisible visible, and poison nectar in an instant. Do not in vain passionately put faith in numerous [other] qualities.”
kṣīreṇātmagatodakāya hi guṇā dattā purā te’khilā
kṣīrottāpam avekṣya tena payasā svātmā kṛśānau hutaḥ |
gantuṁ pāvakam unmanas tad abhavad dṛṣṭvā tu mitrāpadaṁ
yuktaṁ tena jalena śāmyati satāṁ maitrī punas tv īdṛśī ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 76)
“First, milk bestowed all its own well-known qualities on water [such as whiteness, tastefulness, etc., when it was mixed with water]. Observing the milk [in its midst] becoming greatly heated [i.e., seeing the milk and itself being heated on a stove], the water made itself an offering into the fire [i.e., the water sacrificed itself to protect the milk]. The milk became eager to enter the fire [along with its friend the water, as it neared boiling over] upon seeing the distress of his friend [i.e., the water], but became calm when combined with water again. Such is friendship with the virtuous.”
pāpān nivārayati yojayate hitāya
guhyam nigūhati guṇān prakaṭīkaroti |
āpad-gataṁ ca na jahāti dadāti kāle
san-mitra-lakṣaṇam idaṁ pravadanti santaḥ
(Nīta-śatakam of Bhatṛhari: 1.73)
“The wise say these are the characteristics of a true friend: he prevents one from sins, engages one in what is beneficial, conceals one’s secrets, affirms one’s qualities, does not abandon one in trouble, and gives one [whatever is required or desired] at the appropriate time.”
yadā kiñcij-jño’haṁ dvipa iva madāndhas samabhavaṁ
tadā sarvajño’smīty abhavad avaliptaṁ mama manaḥ |
yadā kiñcit kiñcid budhajana-sakāśād avagataṁ
tadā mūrkho’smīti jvara iva mado me vyapagataḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 8)
“When I had a little knowledge
and became blinded with pride
like an elephant [in rut],
then my mind became arrogant,
as I thought, ‘I know everything.’
When I understood a little something from wise persons,
then I thought, ‘I am a fool,’
and my pride faded away like a fever.
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.”
bhogā na bhuktā vayam eva bhuktāḥ
tapo na taptaṁ vayam eva taptāḥ |
kālo na yāto vayam eva yātās
tṛṣṇā na jīrṇā vayam eva jīrṇāḥ ||
(Vairāgya-śatakam of Bhartṛhari: 7)
“Pleasures [alt., foods] have not been consumed. We ourselves have been consumed [by them].
Austerities have not been practiced [lit., ‘inflamed‘]. We ourselves have been inflamed.
Time has not passed by. We ourselves have passed by.
Desires have not wasted away. We ourselves have wasted away.”
ambhojinī-vana-vihāra-vilāsam eva
haṁsasya hanti nitarāṁ kupito vidhātā |
na tv asya dugdha-jala-bheda-vidhau prasiddhāṁ
vaidagdhī-kīrtim apahartum asau samarthaḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 18)
“Vidhātā [i.e., Brahmā, or, destiny], [even] when exceedingly angered,
may destroy a swan’s fun
of playing in a cluster of lotuses,
but he cannot destroy
the widely renowned fame
of its skill in separating milk from water.”
santaptāyasi saṁsthitasya payaso nāmāpi na jñāyate
muktākāratayā tad eva nalinī-patra-sthitaṁ rājate |
svātyāṁ sāgara-śuktim adhyapatitaṁ san-mauktikaṁ jāyate
prāyeṇottama-madhyamādhama-daśā saṁsargato jāyate ||
(Nīti-śatakam of Bhartṛhari: 67)
“Water placed on a red-hot iron cannot even be recognized [i.e., it evaporates immediately without a trace and becomes invisible]. When situated on a lotus leaf, [however,] it shines with the appearance of a pearl. And when it falls onto an oyster shell during Svāti [i.e., the lunar mansion during which oysters open their shells], it becomes an actual pearl. Generally [speaking], excellent, moderate, and low conditions [of people] arise from association.”
