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आदौ कुलं परीक्षेत ततो विद्यां ततो वयः।

शीलं वनं ततो रूपम् पश्चादेव विवाहयेत्॥

ādau kulaṁ parīkṣeta tato vidyāṁ tato vayaḥ|

śīlaṁ vanaṁ tato rūpam paścādeva vivāhayet||

First the [nobility of the] family should be examined, then the learning, then age [of the bridegroom]. Then his character, dwelling, and appearance, and then only should the marriage alliance be made.

Note: Read as appropriate to both genders.

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जम्बू फलानि पक्वानि पतन्ति विमले जले।

कपिकम्पितशाखाभ्यः गुलुगुगुलुगुग्गुलु॥

jambū phalāni pakvāni patanti vimale jale|

kapikampitaśākhābhyaḥ guluguguluguggulu||

This is an interesting one. It is believed that महाकवि कालिदास was once challenged by भोजराज to fabricate a poem that would rhyme with गुलुगुगुलुगुग्गुलु! To which कालिदास promptly composed the beautiful verse above, which refers to the falling of ripe jamun fruits into clear water, from branches shaken by monkeys, causing the sound of गुलुगुगुलुगुग्गुलु (splashing).

No wonder (though this by no means is any ample proof of the genius of the महाकवि), it was once said that:

पुरा कवीनां गणना प्रसङ्गे कनिष्ठिकाधितिष्ठित कालिदासः।

अद्यापि तत्तुल्य कवेराभावात् अनामिका सार्थवती बभूव॥

purā kavīnāṁ gaṇanā prasaṅge kaniṣṭhikadhitiṣṭhita kālidāsaḥ|

adyāpi tattulya kaverābhāvāat anāmikā sārthavatī babhūva||

"Long ago, when the best poets were being counted, they started with कालिदास, on the little finger. Even today, due to the lack of equal poets to his stature, the ring finger remains अनामिका, or 'unnamed'! 'उपमा कालिदासस्य'(simile belongs to Kalidasa)!"

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क्षमा शस्त्रं करे यस्य दुर्जनः किं करिष्यति।

अतृणे पतितो वह्निः स्वयमेवोपशाम्यति॥

kṣamā śastraṁ kare yasya durjanaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati |

atṛṇe patito vahniḥ svayamevopaśāmyati ||

What can a wicked person do to someone who has the weapon of forgiveness in his hands?

Fire fallen on ground without any grass extinguishes by itself.

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तृष्णां छिन्धि भज क्षमां जहि मदं पापे रतिं मा कृताः

सत्यं ब्रूह्यनुयाहि साधु पदवीं सेवस्व विद्वज्जनम्‌।

मान्यान्मानय विद्विशोऽप्यनुनय प्रख्यापय प्रश्रयं

कीर्तिं पालय दुःखिते कुरु दयामेतत्सतां चेष्टितम्॥

tṛṣṇāṁ chindhi bhaja kṣamāṁ jahi madaṁ pāpe ratiṁ mā kṛtāḥ

satyaṁ brūhyanuyāhi sādhu padavīṁ sevasva vidvajjanam |

mānyānmānaya vidviśo’pyanunaya prakhyāpaya praśrayaṁ

kīrtiṁ pālaya duḥkhite kuru dayāmetatsatāṁ ceṣṭitam ||

Curbing the desire, practising patience, giving up pride, not interested in committing a sin,

Speaking the truth, following the footsteps of the good, serving the scholars,

Respecting the honorable, pleasing even enemies, being modest,

Protecting fame, and kind towards the distressed - These are the actions of the good people.

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अल्पानामपि वस्तूनां संहतिः कार्यसाधिका।

तृणैर्गुणत्वमापन्नैः बध्यन्ते मत्तदन्तिनः॥

alpānāmapi vastūnāṁ saṁhatiḥ kāryasādhikā|

tṛṇairguṇatvamāpannaiḥ badhyante mattadantinaḥ||

"The unity of even small things can accomplish [huge] tasks.

Straw, when united in the form of a rope, can even tie down mad elephants!"

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मातृवत् परदारेषु परद्रव्येषु लोष्ठवत्।

आत्मवत् सर्वभूतेषु यः पश्यति सः पण्डितः॥

mātṛvat paradāreṣu paradravyeṣu loṣṭhavat|

ātmavat sarvabhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati saḥ paṇḍitaḥ||

"Other's wives as one's own mother, other's possessions as equivalent to stone.

Other beings as one's own self, who sees [thus] is [indeed] a learned man."

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उष्ट्राणाम् विवाहेषु गीतं  गायन्ति गर्दभाः।

परस्परं प्रशंसन्ति अहो रूपम् अहो ध्वनिः॥

uṣṭrāṇām vivāheṣu gītam gāyanti gardabhāḥ|

parasparaṁ praśaṁsanti aho rūpam aho dhvaniḥ||

"At the weddings of camels, donkeys sing songs. [Further] they mutually congratulate each other, Oh! How beautiful! Oh! What a wonderful voice!"

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अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि।

बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान्॥

ahaṁ ca tvaṁ ca rājendra lokanāthāvubhāvapi|

bahuvrīhirahaṁ rājan ṣaṣṭhītatpuruṣo bhavān||

I and you, Oh King, are both ‘lokanāthā’ only ! [Only that] I am a bahuvrīhi [samāsa in grammar = लोक: नाथः यस्य सः — One whose guardian is the loka (people)], while you are a ṣaṣṭhī (6th vibhakti) tatpuruṣa [samāsa in grammar = लोकस्य नाथः — Guard / Lord of the world, i.e., a king].  ---

Context : A poor poet addressing a king (who also happens to be a lover of samskritam language). Unlike our current rulers, we had a lot of royals in those days who had a deep love and appreciation for this divine language.

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कुचेलिनम् दन्तमलोपचरिणम् बह्वश्निनम् निष्ठुरभाषिणं च।

सूर्योदये चास्तमिते शयनं विमुञ्चति श्रीरपि चक्रपाणिनम्॥

kucelinam dantamalopacariṇam bahvaśninam niṣṭhurabhāṣiṇaṁ ca|

sūryodaye cāstamite śayanaṁ vimuñcati śrīrapi cakrapāṇinam||

He who wears unwashed and unclean clothes, does not clean his teeth, eats too much, speaks harshly and unfeelingly, and sleeps at dawn and dusk is forsaken by Goddess Lakshmi even if he be Lord Vishnu [who is her own husband]. *

* Read it as it applies to both genders !

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लभेत सिकतासु तैलमपि यत्नतः पीडयन्

पिबेच्च मृगतृष्णिकासु सलिलं पिपासार्दितः।

कदाचिदपि पर्यटन् शशविषाणमासादयेत्

न तु प्रतिनिविष्टमूर्खजनचित्तमाराधयेत्॥

labheta sikatāsu tailamapi yatnataḥ pīḍayan

pibecca mṛgatṛṣṇikāsu salilaṁ pipāsārditaḥ|

kadācidapi paryaṭan śaśaviṣāṇamāsādayet

na tu pratiniviṣṭamūrkhajanacittamārādhayet||

[One can, perhaps] extract oil by squeezing sand;

[one could] quench his/her thirst by drinking water from a mirage;

During travel, one may even find the horns of a hare;

However, it is impossible to please a conceited fool.

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दातव्यं भोक्तव्यं धनविषये सञ्चयो न कर्तव्यः।

पश्येह मधुकरीणां सञ्चितार्थं हरन्त्यन्ये॥

dātavyaṁ bhoktavyaṁ dhanaviṣaye sañcayo na kartavyaḥ|

paśyeha madhukarīṇāṁ sañcitārthaṁ harantyanye||

On the matter of money, it should be given away or enjoyed, but never stocked up.

Look here, the collected savings of the bees [honey] is stolen by others.

दानं भोगो नाशस्तिस्रो गतयो भवन्ति वित्तस्य।

यो न ददाति न भुङ्क्ते तस्य तृतीय गतिर्भवति॥६४॥

— भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकम्

dānaṁ bhogo nāśastisro gatayo bhavanti vittasya|

yo na dadāti na bhuṅkte tasya tṛtīya gatirbhavati||64||

— bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakam

Being given away, enjoyed, destroyed: these are the three (possible) states for (one’s) possessions.

What is neither given away nor enjoyed, that takes the third course (of destruction).

- 64th verse in Bhartuhari's "100 verses on ethics"

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यथा खरः चन्दनभारवाही भारस्य वेत्ता न तु चन्दनस्य।

एवं हि शास्त्राणि बहून्यधीत्य अर्थेषु मूढाः खरवद्वहन्ति॥

yathā kharaḥ candanabhāravāhī bhārasya vettā na tu candanasya|

evaṁ hi śāstrāṇi bahūnyadhītya artheṣu mūḍhāḥ kharavadvahanti||

Just like a donkey carrying sandalwood on its back knows only the weight, but not the value of the sandalwood, those who have learnt a lot of the śāstrās, but do not realize its true meaning live like the donkeys [unaware of the true value of knowledge].

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स्वभावो नोपदेशेन शक्यते कर्तुम् अन्यथा।

सुतप्तमपि पानीयं पुनर्गच्छति शीतलम्॥२८०॥

यदि स्यच्छीतलो वह्निः शीतांशुर्दहनात्मकः।

न स्वभावोऽत्र मर्त्यानां शक्यते कर्तुमन्यथा॥२८१॥

— मित्रभेदः नाम प्रथमे तन्त्रे मन्द-विसर्पिणी नाम यूका कथा ९

svabhāvo nopadeśena śakyate kartum anyathā|

sutaptamapi pānīyaṁ punargacchati śītalam||280||

yadi syacchītalo vahniḥ śītāṁśurdahanātmakaḥ|

na svabhāvo’tra martyānāṁ śakyate kartumanyathā||281||

— mitrabhedaḥ nāma prathame tantre manda-visarpiṇī nāma yūkā kathā 9

By advice, the basic nature [of people] cannot be changed.

Even though heated to boiling, water still turns cold [by nature].

Even if fire becomes cold and the moon begins to scorch;

The basic nature of people can never be changed!

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सदयं हृदयं यस्य भाषितं सत्यभूषितम्।

कायः परहिते यस्य कलिस्तस्य करोति किम्॥

sadayaṁ hṛdayaṁ yasya bhāṣitaṁ satyabhūṣitam|

kāyaḥ parahite yasya kalistasya karoti kim||

[For those] whose heart is full of compassion, whose speech is adorned with the Truth, whose body is for the service of others, what can Kali (yuga) do to them?

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पौलस्त्यः कथमन्यदारहरणे दोषं न विज्ञातवान्

रामेणापि कथं न हेमहरिणस्यासम्भवोऽलक्षितः।

अक्षैस्चापि युधिष्ठिरेण सहसा प्राप्तो ह्यनर्थः कथम्

प्रत्यासन्न-विपत्ति-मूढ-मनसां प्रायो मतिः क्षीयते॥          — मित्रसम्प्राप्तिर्नाम द्वितीये तन्त्रे

paulastyaḥ kathamanyadāraharaṇe doṣaṁ na vijñātavān

rāmeṇāpi kathaṁ na hemahariṇasyāsambhavo’lakṣitaḥ|

akṣaiscāpi yudhiṣṭhireṇa sahasā prāpto hyanarthaḥ katham

pratyāsanna-vipatti-mūḍha-manasāṁ prāyo matiḥ kṣīyate||4||

— mitrasamprāptirnāma dvitīye tantre

How come the grandson of Pulastya (Raavana) failed to see that it is wrong to abduct another’s wife?

How come Raama failed to see that a golden deer could never exist?

How come Yudhishthira did not know that gambling would lead to misery?

Attaching to evil dims one's senses and clouds the intellect!

- From panchatantra

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धारणाद्धर्ममित्याहुः धर्माद्धारयते प्रजाः।

यस्याद्धारणसंयुक्तं स धर्म इति निश्चयः॥

dhāraṇāddharmamityāhuḥ dharmāddhārayate prajāḥ|

yasyāddhāraṇasaṁyuktaṁ sa dharma iti niścayaḥ||

The word “dharma” is derived from verb “dhāraṇa“. It is “dharma“, which holds the people (society) together. Hence, if something is able to hold people together, it is certainly dharma.

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केयूराणि न भूषयन्ति पुरुषं हारा न चन्द्रोज्ज्वलाः

न स्नानं न विलेपनं न कुसुमं नालंकृता मूर्धजाः।

वाण्येका समलंकरोति पुरुषं या संस्कृता धार्यते

क्षीयन्ते खलु भूषणानि सततं वाग्भूषणं भूषणम्॥

keyūrāṇi na bhūṣayanti puruṣaṁ hārā na candrojjvalāḥ

na snānaṁ na vilepanaṁ na kusumaṁ nālaṁkṛtā mūrdhajāḥ|

vāṇyekā samalaṁkaroti puruṣaṁ yā saṁskṛtā dhāryate

kṣīyante khalu bhūṣaṇāni satataṁ vāgbhūṣaṇaṁ bhūṣaṇam||

"Armlets or garlands — even as radiant as the moon — do not decorate a man;

Nor does bathing and anointing, or flowers or ornamented hair.

Only the gift of refined speech decorates a man;

All ornaments indeed fade (in comparison); the ornament of speech is the only ornament"

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आचार्यात् पादमादत्ते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया।

पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादं कालक्रमेण च॥

ācāryāt pādamādatte pādaṁ śiṣyaḥ svamedhayā|

pādaṁ sabrahmacāribhyaḥ pādam kālakrameṇa ca||

A student gets a quarter (of his knowledge) from his teacher, a quarter by his own intelligence, a quarter from his fellow students, and a quarter (only) in due course of time.

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प्रारभ्य च विघ्नविहताः विरमन्ति मध्याः।

विघ्नैः पुनः पुनरपि प्रतिहन्यमानाः

प्रारभ्य च उत्तमजनाः न परित्यजन्ति॥

— भर्तृहरेः नीतिशतकम्

prārabhyate na khalu vighnabhayena nīcaiḥ

prārabhya ca vighnavihatāḥ viramanti madhyāḥ|

vighnaiḥ punaḥ punarapi pratihanyamānāḥ

prārabhya ca uttamajanāḥ na parityajanti||

— bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakam

Inferior people do not start (an endeavour) out of fear for obstacles;

Mediocres, having started, retract on being fazed with obstacles;

Even though they are repeatedly attacked with obstacles, the superior people, having undertaken (something), never give up!

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करे श्लाघ्यस्त्यागः शिरसि गुरुपादप्रणयिता

मुखे सत्या वाणी विजयि भुजयोः वीर्यमतुलम्‌।

हृदि स्वच्छवृत्ति श्रुतमधिगतं च श्रवणयोः।

विनाऽप्यैश्वर्येण प्रकृति महतां मण्डनमिदम्‌॥

kare ślāghyastyāgaḥ śirasi gurupādapraṇayitā

mukhe satyā vāṇī vijayi bhujayoḥ vīryamatulam |

hṛdi svacchavṛtti śrutamadhigataṁ ca śravaṇayoḥ |

vinā’pyaiśvaryeṇa prakṛti mahatāṁ maṇḍanamidam ||

Ornaments of great people are entirely different. They are all natural.

Praise-worthy charity, for the hand; submission at the feet of the elders, for the head;

Truthful speech, for the mouth; matchless ever-victorious strength, for the arms;

Purity of thought, for the heart; and acquired knowledge of the holy scriptures, for the ears.

These are the worthy ornaments of the great by nature, despite the absence of worldly riches.

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लालयेत्‌ पञ्चवर्षाणि दशवर्षाणि ताडयेत्‌।

प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे पुत्रं मित्रवदाचरेत्‌॥

lālayet pañcavarṣāṇi daśavarṣāṇi tāḍayet|

prāpte tu ṣoḍaśe varṣe putraṁ mitravadācaret||

“A child should be pampered till five; and disciplined for the next ten years.

Once he is sixteen, a son should be treated like a friend."

(supposedly from nItishAstra of ChaNakya, read as it applies to both genders)

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रविसन्निधिमात्रेण सूर्यकान्ता प्रकाशयेत्।

गुरुसन्निधिमात्रेण शिष्यज्ञानं प्रकाशयेत्॥

ravisannidhimātreṇa sūryakāntā prakāśayet|

gurusannidhimātreṇa śiṣyajñānaṁ prakāśayet||

Only in the presence of the sun, does the sunflower bloom.

[In the same way], only in the presence of the preceptor, does a student’s knowledge shine!

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कन्या वरयते रूपं माता वित्तं पिता श्रुतम्‌।

बान्धवाः कुलमिच्छन्ति मिष्टान्नम् इतरेजनाः॥

kanyā varayate rupaṁ mātā vittaṁ pitā śrutam |

bāndhavāḥ kulamicchanti miṣtānnam itarejanāḥ ||

[What do people look for in a prospective bridegroom while making a match?]

The girl goes for the looks of the boy.

The mother is more concerned about how much wealth he has acquired.

The father wants his son-in-law to be well-educated.

Relatives want to ensure that the boy is from a good family.

The rest of the people only look forward to the sweets served during the wedding!

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अष्टौ गुणा पुरुषं दीपयन्ति प्रज्ञा सुशीलत्वदमौ श्रुतं च।

पराक्रमश्चाबहुभाषिता च दानं यथाशक्ति कृतज्ञता च॥

aṣṭau guṇā puruṣaṁ dīpayanti prajñā suśīlatvadamau śrutaṁ ca|

parākramaścābahubhāṣitā ca dānaṁ yathāśakti kṛtajñatā ca||

Eight qualities adorn a man : Intellect, good character, self-control, knowledge, valor, not talking too much, being charitable as per his (financial) strength, and gratitude.

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प्रीणाति यः सुचरितैः पितरं स पुत्रः

यद्भर्तुरेव हितमिच्छति तत्कलत्रम्।

तन्मित्रमापदि सुखे च समक्रियं यत्

एतत्त्रयं जगति पुण्यकृतो लभन्ते॥

prīṇāti yaḥ sucaritaiḥ pitaraṁ sa putraḥ

yadbhartureva hitamicchati tatkalatram|

tanmitramāpadi sukhe ca samakriyaṁ yat

etattrayaṁ jagati puṇyakṛto labhante||

"[Indeed] a son is he who makes his father happy with his good deeds.

She who is a well-wisher of her husband is a wife [in the real sense].

He is a friend who remains alike in times of happiness and misery.

In the world, only the noble (those with good deeds) obtain these three."

(Please read it as applicable to both the genders!)

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असतोऽपि भवति गुणवान् सद्भ्योऽपि परं भवन्त्यसद्वृत्ताः।

पङ्कादुदेति कमलं क्रिमयः कमलादपि भवन्ति॥

asato’pi bhavati guṇavān sadbhyo’pi paraṁ bhavantyasadvṛttāḥ|

paṅkādudeti kamalaṁ krimayaḥ kamalādapi bhavanti||

A virtuous person may spring even from a bad source and one of bad conduct even from the virtuous. The (beautiful) lotus springs from (dirty) mud, but worms are seen to spring even from a lotus.

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विजेतव्या लङ्का चरणतरणीया जलनिधिः

विपक्षः पौलस्त्यो रणभुवि सहायाश्च कपयः।

तथाप्येको रामः सकलमवधीद्राक्षसकुमम्

क्रियासिद्धिः सत्वे भवति महतां नोपकरणे॥

vijetavyā laṅkā caraṇataraṇīyā jalanidhiḥ

vipakṣaḥ paulastyo raṇabhuvi sahāyāśca kapayaḥ|

tathāpyeko rāmaḥ sakalamavadhīdrākṣasakumam

kriyāsiddhiḥ satve bhavati mahatāṁ nopakaraṇe||

For defeating Lanka [for Lord Rama], the sea had to be crossed by foot. The opponent was (powerful) RavaNa, and (but) his assistants (army) on the battlefield were monkeys (All odds were against Lord Rama).

Despite all this, one Lord Rama killed all the demons. Success of great men depends solely on theirown capacities, and not on the means they get to use.

cf. “A bad workman blames his tools”

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उद्यमस्साहसं धैर्यं बुद्धिश्शक्तिः पराक्रमः।

षड् एते यत्र वर्तन्ते देवः तत्र सहायकृत्‌॥

udyamassāhasaṁ dhairyaṁ buddhiśśaktiḥ parākramaḥ |

ṣaḍ ete yatra vartante devaḥ tatra sahāyakṛt ||

"Industriousness, adventure, courage, intelligence, strength, and adventurous accomplishment; where these six qualities exist, God provides assistance."

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पूरयेत् अन्नेनार्धं तृतीयम् उदकेन तु।

वायोस्सञ्चरणार्थाय चतुर्थम् अवशेषयेत्॥

pūrayet annenārdhaṁ tṛtīyam udakena tu|

vāyossañcaraṇārthāya caturtham avaśeṣayet||

Half [of the stomach] should be filled with solid food; [the] third part (¼th) with water / liquids.

The fourth remaining part should be left free for air to move around.

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बुद्धियुक्तो जहातीह उभे सुकृतदुष्कृते।

तस्माद्योगाय युज्यस्व योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्॥

buddhiyukto jahātīha ubhe sukṛtaduṣkṛte

tasmādyogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam

Endowed with equanimity, one sheds in this life both good and evil.

Therefore, strive for the practice of this Yoga of equanimity. Skill in action lies in (the practice of this) Yoga.

योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् is the slogan of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

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सुन्दरे सुन्दरो रामः सुन्दरे सुन्दरी कथा

सुन्दरे सुन्दरी सीता सुन्दरे सुन्दरं वनम्।

सुन्दरे सुन्दरं काव्यं सुन्दरे सुन्दरः कपिः

सुन्दरे सुन्दरं मन्त्रं सुन्दरे किं न सुन्दरम्॥

sundare sundaro rāmaḥ sundare sundarī kathā

sundare sundarī sītā sundare sundaraṁ vanam|

sundare sundaraṁ kāvyaṁ sundare sundaraḥ kapiḥ

sundare sundaraṁ mantraṁ sundare kiṁ na sundaram||

In the sundara kāṇḍa, or the beautiful chapter, beautiful is Rāma, beautiful is the story;

Beautiful is Sītā Devī, beautiful is the Aśoka vanam;

Beautiful is the poem; beautiful is the kapi Hanumān;

Beautiful is the mantra; what is not beautiful in Sundara Kāṇḍam?

Heard this quoted by Sri Velukkudi Krishnan, in his upanyāsam of the Sundara Kāṇḍam.

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परोपदेशे पाण्डित्यं सर्वेषां सुकरं नृणाम्।

धर्मे स्वीयमनुष्ठानं कस्यचित्तु महात्मनः॥

paropadeśe pāṇḍityaṁ sarveṣāṁ sukaraṁ nṛṇām|

dharme svīyamanuṣṭhānaṁ kasyacittu mahātmanaḥ||

 “To advise others is a very easy task for all common people;  But to perform the proper duties in all necessary spheres is a matter of greatness of a few great people.”

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शतेषु जायते शूरः सहस्रेषु च पण्डितः।

वक्ता दशसहस्रेषु दाता लक्षेषु जायते॥

śateṣu jāyate śūraḥ sahasreṣu ca paṇḍitaḥ|

vaktā daśasahasreṣu dātā lakṣeṣu jāyate||

"A brave man is born among hundred persons; a learned scholar, among thousand.

A great orator is one among ten thousand, [but a] great generous donor, one in a lakh!"

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गुलपर्वतमध्यस्थं निम्बबीजं प्रतिष्टितम्।

पयोवर्षसहस्रेण निम्बः किं मधुरायते॥

gulaparvatamadhyasthaṁ nimbabījaṁ pratiṣṭitam|

payovarṣasahasreṇa nimbaḥ kiṁ madhurāyate||

In a hill of sugar, [if] a neem seed [is] planted;

Watered with milk for a thousand years; will it begin to taste sweet?

[One's nature does never change!]

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न अभिषेको न संस्कारः सिंहस्य क्रियते वने।

विक्रमार्जित सत्त्वस्य स्वयमेव मृगेन्द्रता॥

na abhiṣeko na saṁskāraḥ siṁhasya kriyate vane |

vikramārjita sattvasya svayameva mṛgendratā ||

There is no official coronation ceremony held for the lion in the jungle; On account of his own attributes and strength, he becomes king.

स्वयमेव मृगेन्द्रता is the official motto of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA.

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गिरौ कलापि गगने पयोधौ लक्ष्यान्तरेऽर्कश्च जलेषु पद्मम्‌।

इन्दुर्द्विलक्षे कुमुदस्य बन्धुर्यो यस्य हृद्यो न हि तस्य दूरः॥

girau kalāpi gagane payodhau lakṣyāntare’rkaśca jaleṣu padmam |

indurdvilakṣe kumudasya bandhuryo yasya hṛdyo na hi tasya dūraḥ ||

The peacock is in the mountain and the clouds are in the sky; the sun is at the distance of a thousand thousand yojanas and the lotus is in the water, the moon is two hundred thousand yojanas away from its friend, the lily; what is dear to one’s heart is not (really) far away.

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ज्येष्ठत्वं जन्मना नैव गुणैर्ज्येष्ठत्वमुचते।

गुणात् गुरुत्वमायाति दुग्धं दधि घृतं क्रमात्॥

jyeṣṭhatvaṁ janmanā naiva guṇairjyeṣṭhatvamucate|

guṇāt gurutvamāyāti dugdhaṁ dadhi ghṛtaṁ kramāt||

Excellence is not by birth; excellence is decided by the qualities [of a person].

Only by qualities, greatness comes, [just] as it increases from milk to curd to ghee.

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दृढतरनिबद्धमुष्ठेः कोषनिषण्णस्य सहज-मलिनस्य।

कृपणस्य कृपाणस्य च केवलम् आकारतो भेदः॥

dṛḍhataranibaddhamuṣṭheḥ koṣaniṣaṇṇasya sahaja-malinasya|

kṛpaṇasya kṛpāṇasya ca kevalam ākārato bhedaḥ||

Krupana (a miser) and krupaana (a knife) differ from each other by merely an "aa"kaaram.  They are the same in nature. The knife must be held tightly by the fist. The miser is indeed tight fisted. The knife is held in its sheath (kosha). The miser clings on to his kosha (treasury). As the knife is made of iron, it is black in nature. The miser too, to save the cost of washing clothes, is always badly dressed.

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काकचेष्टा बकध्यानं श्वाननिद्राल्पभोजनम्।

स्वाध्यायः संयमश्च छात्राणां लक्षणानि षट्॥

kākaceṣṭā bakadhyānaṁ śvānanidrālpabhojanam |

svādhyāyaḥ saṁyamaśca chātrāṇāṁ lakṣaṇāni ṣaṭ ||

Intentiveness akin to a crow’s, concentration like that of a crane, light sleep like that of a dog, the consumption of moderate food, application to one’s studies, and self control - these are the six signs of a good student.

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