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]?”
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].”
abhyāsaś chandasāṁ daṇḍo |
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2386)
“Practice is the stick [i.e., means of discipline] for fancy.”
aprāpye’pi yathā kāme dharme cintā na kiṁ tathā |
alābhe’pi dvayor ekā bhayadā śivadāparā ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2184)
“Why does one not think of dharma as much as even an unattainable desire? Even if neither are attained, one [i.e., thought of unattainable desires] causes stress and the other [i.e., thought of dharma] causes auspiciousness.”
apūrvo’yaṁ dhanur-vedo manmathasya mahātmanaḥ |
śarīram akṣataṁ kṛtvā bhinatty antargataṁ manaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2116)
“This archery of mighty Manmatha [lit., ‘the mind-churner,’ i.e., Kāmadeva] is extraordinary: leaving the body uninjured, he pierces the heart within.”
atiśaucam aśaucaṁ vā atinindā atistutiḥ |
atyācāram anācāraṃ ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ mūrkha-lakṣaṇam ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“The six characteristics of a fool are (1) excessive cleanliness [i.e., obsessive concern regarding cleanliness], (2) uncleanliness, (3) excessive criticism, (4) excessive praise, (5) excessive propriety [i.e., pretension, affectation, theatricality, artificiality, etc.], and (6) impropriety.”
anāhūtaḥ praviśati apṛṣṭo bahu bhāṣate |
aviśvaste viśvasiti mūḍha-cetā narādhamaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 5.33.36; Vidura-nīti: 38; Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“One who enters uninvited, speaks at length without being asked, and trusts the untrustworthy is a fool and the lowest of men.”
apriyaṁ na hi bhāṣet na virūdhyeta kenacit |
kārya-siddhiṁ samīheta kārya-bhraṁśo hi mūrkhatā ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2189)
“Do not speak unpleasantly and do not act hostilely with anyone. [Rather, simply] Strive to accomplish your goal. Straying from the goal is foolishness.”
adhruveṇa śarīreṇa pratikṣaṇa-vināśinā |
dhruvaṁ yo nārjayed dharmaṁ sa śocyo mūḍha-cetanaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“One who does not acquire imperishable dharma with the perishable body, which is subject to destruction at every moment, is pitiable and foolish.”
apragalbhasya yā vidyā kṛpaṇasya ca yad dhanam |
yac ca bāhu-balaṁ bhīror vyartham etat trayaṁ bhuvi ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2153)
“The knowledge of the timid, the wealth of the miserly, and the arm-strength of the cowardly—these three are useless in the world [because they are never applied and thus never fulfill their potential].”
