prerakaḥ sūcakaś caiva vācako darśakas tathā |
śikṣako bodhakaś caiva ṣaḍ ete guravaḥ smṛtāḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“An inspirer, an indicator, an informer, a revealer, an educator, and an enlightener [alt., awakener]—these six are regarded as gurus.”
subhāṣitaṁ hāri viśaty adho galān
na durjanasyārka-ripor ivāmṛtam |
tad eva dhatte hṛdayena saj-jano
harir mahāratnam ivātinirmalam ||
(Kādambarī: 7)
“A captivating subhāṣita [‘fine statement’] does not enter
Farther than the throat of a wicked person,
Just as ambrosia [does not enter
Farther than the throat] of Rāhu.
A wise person holds that specifically [i.e., a captivating subhāṣita] with the heart,
Just as Hari [holds with his heart] the supreme, exceedingly taintless jewel [i.e., the Kaustubha].”
kaṭu kvaṇanto maladāyakāḥ khalās
tudanty alaṁ bandhana-śṛṅkhalā iva |
manas tu sādhu-dhvanibhiḥ pade pade
haranti santo maṇi-nūpurā iva ||
(Kādambarī: 6)
“The wicked, like shackles,
Sound strident, wound severely, and leave marks.
On the contrary,
The good, like jeweled anklets,
At every step [alt., with every word],
Captivate the mind with excellent sounds [alt., implied meanings].”
gatānugatiko mūrkhaḥ śāstronmādaś ca paṇḍitaḥ |
nitya-kṣībāś ca veśyānāṁ jaṅgamāḥ kalpa-pādapāḥ ||
(Samaya-mātṛkā: 5.67; cited in Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 7755)
“A fool is an imitator [lit., ‘a goer after that which has gone,’ i.e., just an uncritical follower of what those before them have done], a scholar (paṇḍita) is crazed by śāstra [i.e., undone as a result of pedantry, excessive concern for theory that results in a lack of practical application, etc.], and the ever-debased [alt., weak-minded] are the mobile desire-trees of prostitutes.”
alpākṣaraṁ ramaṇīyaṁ yaḥ kathayati niścitaṁ sa khalu vāgmī |
bahu-vacanam alpa-sāraṁ yaḥ kathayati vipralāpī saḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 3197)
“One who explains [a subject] in a few pleasing words is certainly eloquent. One who explains [a subject] with many words of little substance is a prattler.”
yogyaṁ yogyena yujyate |
(Unknown source; cited Bāṅgālā Bhāṣāra Abhidhāna; Surata-kathāmṛta: 43)
“That which is fit is united with that which is fit.”
namanti phalino vṛkṣāḥ namanti guṇino janāḥ |
śuṣka-kāṣṭhaś ca mūrkhaś ca na namanti kadācana ||
(Unknown source)
“Trees full of fruits bow down.
People full of qualities bow down.
Dry wood and fools [however]
Never bow down.”
jñātibhir vibhajyate naiva coreṇāpi na nīyate |
dāne naiva kṣayaṁ yāti vidyā-ratnaṁ mahādhanam ||
(Unknown source)
“It is not dividable by relatives, it cannot be taken away even by a thief, and it is not depleted even by giving [it away]. The jewel of knowledge is the greatest wealth.”
ghṛṣṭaṁ ghṛṣṭaṁ punar api punaś candanaṁ cāru-gandhaṁ
chinnaṁ chinnaṁ punar api punaḥ svādu caivekṣu-khaṇḍam |
dagdhaṁ dagdhaṁ punar api punaḥ kāścanaṁ kānta-varṇaṁ
prāṇānte’pi prakṛti-vikṛtir jāyate nottamānām ||
(Unknown source)
“Even when ground and ground,
Again and again,
Sandalwood has a beautiful fragrance.
Even when pressed and pressed,
Again and again,
Sugarcane has a sweet taste.
Even when smelted and smelted,
Again and again,
Gold has a beautiful color.
[Similarly,] Even at death
[alt., Even in the face of death],
No aberration in nature
Of the exalted arises.”
gatānugatiko lokaḥ na loko pāramārthikaḥ |
piṇḍa-dvaya-pradānena gataṁ me tāmra-bhājanam ||
(Unknown source)
“People are imitative [i.e., they tend to follow what those before them have done]. People are not [even] interested in the greater significance [of the actions they or others perform]. My copper vessel is gone [just] because of making two mounds [of sand]!”
