saṁsāra-viṣa-vṛkṣasya dve phale hy amṛtopame |
kāvyāmṛta-rasāsvādaḥ saṅgamaḥ sajjanaiḥ saha ||
(Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)
“On the poisonous tree of saṁsāra only two fruits are like nectar: tasting the rasa of the nectar of poetry (kāvya) and associating with sādhus.”
karmaṇā jāyate jantuḥ karmaṇeva vilīyate |
sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhayaṁ kṣemaṁ karmaṇevābhipadyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“A living being is born because of his karma and dies because of his karma. Happiness, distress, fear, and well-being [all] arise only because of karma.”
karmaṇā manasā vācā parapīḍāṁ karoti yaḥ |
tad-bījaṁ janma phalati prabhūtaṁ tasya cāśubham ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1827)
“He who harms others with his actions, mind, and speech—the seed produced by this [behavior] results in immense inauspiciousness for him.”
apṛṣṭvaiva bhaven mūḍhaḥ jñānaṁ manasi cintanāt |
apūrṇaḥ kurute śabdaṁ na pūrṇaḥ kurute ghaṭaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2125)
“By not questioning, one becomes foolish. Wisdom comes from reflection in the mind. A vessel that is not full makes noise. A full vessel does not.”
anityatve kṛta-matir mlāna-mālye na śocati |
nityatve kṛta-buddhis tu bhinna-bhāṇḍe’nuśocati ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“When the mind is fixed regarding impermanence, it does not lament over [even] a withered garland. When the mind is fixed on permanence, however, it laments over [even] a broken pot.”
api kriyārthaṁ sulabhaṁ samit-kuśaṁ
jalāny api snāna-vidhi kṣamāṇi te |
api sva-śaktyā tapasi vartase
śarīram ādyaṁ khalu dharma-sādhanam ||
(Kumāra-sambhavam: 5.33; cited in Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2016)
[Śiva in the form of a young boy asks Pārvatī the following questions as she is performing ongoing penance to attain Śiva as her husband:] “Are samit and kuśa for your rites easy for you to obtain? Do you have suitable water for your regular baths? Are you engaging in austerities according to your ability? The body, indeed, is the primary means of [following] dharma.”
vanaspater apakvāni phalāni pracinoti yaḥ |
sa nāpnoti rasaṁ tebhyo bījaṁ cāsya vinaśyati ||
(Vidura-nīti; Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)
“One who picks the unripened fruits of a tree does not get any juice (rasa) from them, and its [i.e., the tree’s] seed is also destroyed.”
gurur eva gatiḥ gurum eva bhaje
guruṇaiva sahāsmi namo gurave |
na guroḥ paramaṁ śiśur asmi guroḥ
matir asti gurau mama pāhi guro ||
(Śabda-mañjarī)
“The guru is always my refuge. I always worship the guru. I am always with the guru. Obeisance unto the guru. There is none higher than the guru. I am a child of the guru. My mind is on the guru. Please protect me, O guru!”
apakāra-daśāyām apy upakurvanti sādhavaḥ |
chindantam api vṛkṣaḥ sva-chāyayā kiṁ na rakṣati ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1876)
“Even in a condition of [receiving] harm, sādhus help [those who harm them]. Does a tree even while being chopped down not offer protection [to those who are cutting it] with its own shade?”
apriya-vacanāṅgārair dagdho’pi na vipriyaṁ vadaty āryaḥ |
kiṁ dahyamānam agaru svabhāva-surabhiṁ parityajati ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 2194)
“Even if burnt by the coals of unpleasant words, a noble person do not say something unpleasant [in response]. Does [even] a burning piece of aloewood give up its natural fragrance?”
