anasūyā kṣamā śāntiḥ santoṣaḥ priya-vāditā |
kāma-krodha-parityāgaḥ śiṣṭācāra-nidarśanam ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.211.25; Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“Non-enviousness, forgiveness, peacefulness, contentment, pleasing [alt., kind] speech, and abandonment of passion and anger are illustrations of cultured conduct (śiṣṭācāra).”
sad-bhāvena haren mitraṁ sambhrameṇa tu bāndhavān |
strī-bhṛtyau dāna-mānābhyāṁ dākṣiṇyenetarān janān ||
(Hitopadeśa: Sandhi, 112)
“Win over a friend with sincerity, relatives with honor, a wife or a servant with gifts and recognition, and others with cordiality.”
yathā kāṣṭhaṁ ca kāṣṭhaṁ ca sameyātāṁ mahodadhau |
sametya ca vyapeyātāṁ tadvad-bhūta-samāgamaḥ ||
(Mahābhārata: 12.28.36; Hitopadeśa: 4.75)
“As a piece of wood may meet another piece of wood atop a vast sea, and after meeting may also become separated—such is the conjunction of living beings.”
apriyāṇy api kurvāṇo yaḥ priyaḥ priya eva saḥ |
dagdha-mandira-sāre’pi kasya vahnāv anādaraḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: 2.133; Mahāsubhāsīta-saṅgraha: 2198)
“Even after doing displeasing things, one who is dear certainly remains dear. Even after burning down one’s home and property, by whom is fire disrespected?”
kurvann api vyalīkāni yaḥ priyaḥ priya eva saḥ |
aśeṣa-doṣa-duṣṭo’pi kāyaḥ kasya na vallabhaḥ ||
(Hitopadeśa: 2.132; Samayocita-padya-ratna-mālikā)
“Even after committing wrongs, one who is dear certainly remains dear. Even though it is culpable of endless faults, for whom is the body not beloved?”
api kalpānilasyaiva taraṅgasya mahodadheḥ |
śakyate prasaro roddhuṁ nānuraktasya cetasaḥ ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa; cited in Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2009)
“Even the course of strong winds and the waves of a great ocean can be checked, but not that of a loving heart.”
anirvācyam anirbhinnam aparicchinnam avyayam |
brahmeva sujana-prema duḥkha-mūla-nikṛntanam ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha; Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)
“Like Brahman, the prema of a virtuous person is indescribable, undivided [i.e., unbreakable], uninterrupted [i.e., everlasting], and imperishable, and it cuts out the [very] root of suffering.”
abhyāso na hi tyaktavyo abhyāso hi paraṁ balam |
anabhyāse viṣaṁ vidyā ajīrṇe bhojanaṁ viṣam ||
(Subhāṣita-mañjarī)
“Practice (abhyāsa) is never to be abandoned. Practice is indeed the greatest strength. Without practice, knowledge is poison, just as food is poison during indigestion.”
ārtārte mudite hṛṣṭā proṣite malinā kṛśā |
mṛte mriyeta yā patyau sā strī jñeyā pativratā ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa; cited Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“A woman who is distressed when her husband is distressed, pleased when he is happy, and unclean and emaciated when he is abroad, and who dies when her husband dies, is to be known as devoted to her husband.”
paropadeśa-velāyāṁ śiṣṭāḥ sarve bhavanti vai |
vismarantīha śiṣṭatvaṁ svakārye samupasthite ||
(Mahābhārata)
“At the time of giving advice to others, everyone is certainly wise [alt., cultured, proper, etc., or so they think]. When their own duty [alt., tasks, responsibility, difficulty, etc.] arises [however] they then forget all their wisdom [alt., culturedness, propriety, etc.].”
