Hindu Dharma: samskRuta shubhAShitAni: Hindu Words of Wisdom

Namaste Members.

As a natural extension to our 'Hindu Dharma: Codes...' thread, let us have a collection of these beautiful SamskRuta shubhAshiAs (Hindu words of wisdom): these gems of words so nicely complement the Dharma Shastras, even as they shine with their own splendour.

I shall post them in convenient instalments so each subhAshita can be read, understood, contemplated and adopted in our own lives to the possible extent. Members may also contribute to this useful collection of wisdom.

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अ a
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अभिवादन शीलस्य नित्यं वृद्धोपसेविनः ।
चत्वारि तस्य वर्धन्ते आयुर्विद्या यशो बलम् ॥

abhivAdana shIlasya nityaM vRuddhopasevinaH |
chatvAri tasya vardhante AyurvidyA yasho balam ||

One who daily bows to the elders in the house and seeks their blessings, gets four things--his lifetime, learning skills, fame and power among his people and bodily strength--growing day by day.

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अधमाः धनमिच्छन्ति दनं मानं च मध्यमाः ।
उत्तमाः मानमिछन्ति मानो हि महतां धनम् ॥

adhamAH dhanamichChanti danaM mAnaM cha madhyamAH |
uttamAH mAnamiChanti mAno hi mahatAM dhanam ||

One who seeks wealth at the cost of honour is at the third and lowest position in dharma. One who seeks honour along with wealth is at the middle position. And one who seeks honour though this would not bring him wealth is at the highest position in dharma.

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अद्भिर्गत्राणि शुध्यन्ति मनः सत्येन शुध्यति ।
विद्यातपोभ्यां जीवात्मा भुद्धिर्ज्ञानेन शुध्यति ॥

adbhirgatrANi shudhyanti manaH satyena shudhyati |
vidyAtapobhyAM jIvAtmA bhuddhirj~jAnena shudhyati ||

• By taking bath in pure water, bodies of living men are purified.
• By talking truth always, wherever and to whosoever, the mind is puriried.
• With learning by good education, and doing meditation, our soul called JIvAtma is purified.
• With jnAnam (wisdom), our buddhi (intelligence) is purified.

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अजराऽमरवत् प्राज्ञो विद्यामर्थं च साधयेत् ।
गृहीत इव केशेषु मृत्युना धर्म माचरेत् ॥

ajarA&maravat prAj~jo vidyAmarthaM cha sAdhayet |
gRuhIta iva kesheShu mRutyunA dharma mAcharet ||

A man who is wise, when he is in the stages of learning and earning, should learn and earn with care, thinking that he is going to live long in this world and that old age or death will never approach him.

But when giving charity to the poor, doing puja to the deities, and such other acts of dharma, they should never be postponed for a later day with the thought that the man is going to live in this world for a long time.

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अनेक संशयोच्छेदि परोक्षार्थस्य दर्शकम् ।
सर्वस्य लोचनं शास्त्रं यस्य नास्त्यन्ध एव सः ॥

aneka saMshayochChedi parokShArthasya darshakam |
sarvasya lochanaM shAstraM yasya nAstyandha eva saH ||

The ShAstras such as VyAkaraNam, MImAmsA, Vedanta, and Tarka, since they clear all sorts of doubts that arise in us and shine as the two eyes of every person, one who has not learnt them would be considered blind even if he has his two eyes.

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अपृष्टोऽपि हितं ब्रूयात् यस्य नेच्छेत् पराभवम् ।
एष एव सतां धर्मो विपरीत मतोऽन्यथा ॥

apRuShTo&pi hitaM brUyAt yasya nechChet parAbhavam |
eSha eva satAM dharmo viparIta mato&nyathA ||

If you don't want a known person to fail in his act, you should counsel him if he seeks it. If he happens to be your friend, you should voluntarily give him the counsel even if he does not seek it from you. This is the quality of the good man.

Remaining without giving him your counsel with the thought that you would counsel him when he seeks it or why should you volunteer it when it is not asked for, is the quality of the bad man.

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अरावप्युचितं कार्य मातिथ्ये गृहमागते ।
छेतुः पार्श्वगतां छायां नोपसंहरते दृमः ॥

arAvapyuchitaM kArya mAtithye gRuhamAgate |
ChetuH pArshvagatAM ChAyAM nopasaMharate dRumaH ||

Even if a person is our enemy, if he seeks our home, we should receive him well and not insult him. Just as the well-grown trees in a forest give their shade even to the person whose purpose is to cut them for wood, for the very reason that he has sought their refuge.

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अर्चकस्य प्रभावेन शिला भवति शङ्करः ।
आभिरूप्याच्च मूर्तीनां देवः सान्निध्यमृच्छति ॥

archakasya prabhAvena shilA bhavati sha~gkaraH |
AbhirUpyAchcha mUrtInAM devaH sAnnidhyamRuchChati ||

Because of the power and efficacy of the temple priest who is doing puja to the deities as ordained and with extreme care, the stone image turn into the deities Shiva and Vishnu and bless the worshipping people.

In addition, those stone images, since they are sculpted by excellent sculptors, to the form of the deities they create, they become charged with the divine presence of the deities.

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अकृत्व पर संतापं अगत्व खलसंसादम् अनूत्सृज्य सातम् वर्त्म यदल्मपि तद्बहु

akRutva para saMtApaM agatva khalasaMsAdam anUtsRujya sAtam vartma yadalmapi tadbahu

Without hurting others, without geting into the association of the bad, without losing association of the good, however little you progress in the path of dharma, that is sufficient.

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अर्थागमो नित्य मरोगिता च प्रिया च भार्या प्रियवादिनी च ।
वश्यश्च पुत्रोऽर्थकरी च विद्या षट्जीवलोकेषु सुखानि राजन् ॥

arthAgamo nitya marogitA cha priyA cha bhAryA priyavAdinI cha |
vashyashcha putro&rthakarI cha vidyA ShaTjIvalokeShu sukhAni rAjan ||

If a householder who is married has the following six facilities, then he lives with more comfort in this world than he could in heaven:

1. daily accumulation of wealth (rightfully earned)
2. remaining healthy without disease in any age
3.-4. a wife who is kind and loving in her words and acts, encouraging her husband and removing his fatigue
5. children who listen to his words and act on them
6. education that at all times and all places earns him wealth and fame.

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अत्यासन्ना विनाशाय दूरस्था न फलप्रदा ।
सेव्यन्तां मध्यभागेन राजा वह्णिर्गुरु स्त्रयः ॥

atyAsannA vinAshAya dUrasthA na phalapradA |
sevyantAM madhyabhAgena rAjA vahNirguru strayaH ||

Moving closely with the king (or boss) might get us into trouble. But then staying farther from him also would not get the desired fruits. It is the same with burning fire and the teacher.

Therefore, with the king (or boss), the fire and the teacher, the wise will keep at a mid-distance and get the desired fruits.

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अर्थनां अजने दुःखम् अर्जितानां च रक्षणो ।
आये दुःखं व्यवे दुःखं धिक् अर्थाः कष्टसंश्रयाः ॥

arthanAM ajane duHkham arjitAnAM cha rakShaNo |
Aye duHkhaM vyave duHkhaM dhik arthAH kaShTasaMshrayAH ||

It is pain and sorrow to earn money as well as to preserve what is earned.
Money gives pain and suffering, when it comes, or when it goes.
Shame on money, which is the cause of all hardship!

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आ A
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आचार्यात् पादमादत्ते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया ।
पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादम् कालक्रमेण च ॥

AchAryAt pAdamAdatte pAdaM shiShyaH svamedhayA |
pAdaM sabrahmachAribhyaH pAdam kAlakrameNa cha ||

A quarter of the knowledge that a student acquires comes from the teacher; a quarter by his/her own intelligence; a quarter from his/her classmates and the last quarter in due course from the experiences in life.

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आदित्य चन्द्रावनिलो नलश्च द्यौर्भूमिरापो हृदयं यमश्च ।
अहश्च रात्रिश्च उभेच सन्ध्ये धर्मश्च जानाति नरस्य वित्तम् ॥

Aditya chandrAvanilo nalashcha dyaurbhUmirApo hRudayaM yamashcha |
ahashcha rAtrishcha ubhecha sandhye dharmashcha jAnAti narasya vittam ||

Fourteen deities have been appointed by God to take note of people's good and bad acts. They are:

01. the sun that shines in the day time at all places
02. the moon that remains a witness at night
03. the air that pervades everywhere
04. the fire
05. the sky (or space or AkAsha)
06. the mother earth we live on
07. god VaruNa who lives in water sources
08. our conscience called the heart
09. Yama the god of Death who punishes those who move away from dharma
10. The deity Ahas in charge of the daytime
11. The deity rAtri in charge of the night
12. The deity ushas in charge of the dawn
13. The deity sandhya in charge of the dusk
14. The deity dharma.

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अयं निजः परः वा इति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।
उदारचरितानां तु वसुधा एव कुटुंबकम् ॥

ayaM nijaH paraH vA iti gaNanA laghuchetasAm |
udAracharitAnAM tu vasudhA eva kuTuMbakam ||

This one is of my group, the other is an outsider: such is the thought of people with petty mind. For people who are magnanimous and broadminded, the whole world is a family.

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आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां शरीरस्थो महान् रिपुः ।
नास्त्युद्यमसमो बन्धुः कुर्वाणो नावसीदति ॥

AlasyaM hi manuShyANAM sharIrastho mahAn ripuH |
nAstyudyamasamo bandhuH kurvANo nAvasIdati ||

Laziness is a big enemy of men latent in the body. There is no friend like effort, with which no one gets disappointed.

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आलसस्य कुतः विद्या, अविद्यस्त कुतः धनम् ।
अधनस्य कुतः मित्रम् अमित्रस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥

Alasasya kutaH vidyA, avidyasta kutaH dhanam |
adhanasya kutaH mitram amitrasya kutaH sukham ||

How can the lazy get educated? How can the uneducated earn wealth?
How can the penniless have friends? And how can there be happiness without friends?

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अनर्घम् अपि माणिक्यम् हेमाश्रयम् अपेक्षते ।
विना आश्रयं न शोभन्ते पंडिताः वनिताः लताः ॥

anargham api mANikyam hemAshrayam apekShate |
vinA AshrayaM na shobhante paMDitAH vanitAH latAH ||

A gem such as ruby looks priceless only with the support and refuge of gold.
Without support and refuge, pandits, creepers and women cannot shine.

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आहारो द्विगुणः स्त्रीणां बुद्धिस्तासां चतुर्गुणाः ।
षट्गुणो व्यवसायश्च कामश्चाऽष्टगुणाः स्मृतः ॥

AhAro dviguNaH strINAM buddhistAsAM chaturguNAH |
ShaTguNo vyavasAyashcha kAmashchA&ShTaguNAH smRutaH ||

Brahma has created a woman in such a way that she has the capacity
• twice that of men in taking food
• four times that of men in taking decisions with her subtle intelligence
• six times that of men in exertion and
• eight times that of men in getting her desires fulfilled.

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आयुः कर्म च वित्तं च विद्या निधन मेव च ।
पञ्चैतान्यपि सृज्यन्ते गर्भस्थस्यैव देहिनः ॥

AyuH karma cha vittaM cha vidyA nidhana meva cha |
pa~jchaitAnyapi sRujyante garbhasthasyaiva dehinaH ||

A man's lifetime, his karmic acts and fruits, the wealth he is going to obtain, the knowledge and skills he is going to learn, and the time, way and place of death--all these five things are predestinate even when he resides in his mother's womb. He cannot change them.

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इज्याऽध्ययन दानानि तपः सत्यं धृतिः शमाः ।
अलोभ इति मार्गोऽयं धर्मस्याऽष्टाविधः स्मृतः ॥

ijyA&dhyayana dAnAni tapaH satyaM dhRutiH shamAH |
alobha iti mArgo&yaM dharmasyA&ShTAvidhaH smRutaH ||

To be on the path of dharma is to implement the following eight things in life:

01. Worshipping God with puja, litany, fire ceremonies, scriptural reading and recitations and such other things.
02. Learning Vedas and other scriptures regularly through a guru.
03. Giving in charity to the poor whatever articles one can.
04. Doing meditation towards a good purpose with control over food and mind.
05. Without hurting others to always talk the truth at all circumstances.
06. Meeting the contingencies of life by being bold and without getting disheartened.
07. Controlling the mind by controlling what it desires.
08. Remaining without anger towards others under any circumstances.

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ईर्ष्यी घृणी त्वसन्तुष्टः क्रोधनो नित्यसङ्कितः ।
पर भाग्योपजीवी च षडेते दुःखहागिनः ॥

IrShyI ghRuNI tvasantuShTaH krodhano nityasa~gkitaH |
para bhAgyopajIvI cha ShaDete duHkhahAginaH ||

• a man who is envious of the growth of another man
• a man who does not sympathize with those in a status lower to his
• a man who is never satisfied with anything that he gets
• a man who is in anger towards another without any reason
• a man who always suspects everyone without believing them
• a man who profits from the labour of other people

All these six kinds of people ultimately come to grief and suffer in this world.

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उत्तमाः स्वगुणैः ख्याताः मध्यमाश्च पितुर्गुणैः ।
स्वकुलै रधमाः ख्याताः श्वशुरैश्चाऽधमाऽधमैः ॥

uttamAH svaguNaiH khyAtAH madhyamAshcha piturguNaiH |
svakulai radhamAH khyAtAH shvashuraishchA&dhamA&dhamaiH ||

People who get fame and name with their own qualities are the loftiest.

People who use the qualities and influence of their father and get their fame and name are in the middle, less loftier, position.

People who use the name and fame of their ancestors and get their fame and name are in the last position.

And people who obtain fame and name because of their wives' families are at the lower-than-the-lowest position.

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उत्सवे व्यसने चैव दुर्भिक्षे राष्ट्र विप्लवे ।
राजद्वारे श्मशाने च यस्तिष्ठति स बान्धवः

utsave vyasane chaiva durbhikShe rAShTra viplave |
rAjadvAre shmashAne cha yastiShThati sa bAndhavaH

A true relative is one who is with us

• on an auspicious occasion in our home
• when we are in trouble
• at times we happen to be poor and destitute
• when nature's fury causes havoc to the place we live
• at the court in litigations
• at the cremation ground when we or our relative die.

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hariḥ oṁ
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Namaste Saidevo,

Can you share with us some knowledge about dharma and conduct? That is, your thoughts or guiding śloka-s that give information of belief vs. conduct ( action or kriya). Let me explain.

From a dharma perspective ( as I see it) it's the notion of applying knowledge to life's activities and acting accordingly and much less on believing. There is no doubt that one may need to 'believe' before acting. Yet one can also believe in a value or position and do just the opposite e.g. non-violence, yet still engage in fighting or retaliation. So as I see it, dharma applied to humans on this good earth is proper actions that are in-line and supported by Creation.


Also, is there anything you can share with us as you research this dharma regarding vrAtyastoma (vrātyastoma त्यस्तोम) i.e. sacrifice performed to recover the rights forfeited by a delay or postponement of saMskAra (saṁskāra¹).


Your kind help and contribution on this subject has been valuable , perhaps you will find the time to consider the two ideas above.


pranams


1. saṁskāra - making sacred , hallowing , consecration ; any purificatory ceremony ; one which purifies from the taint of sin; also the yajña that restores a person or a thing to its original pure state.

Namaste Yajvan.

Though I had only vaguely heard of the practice 'vrAtyastoma' as a ceremony for re-entrance to Hinduism, your bringing it up and calling for what I can research and share about it sent me hunting across the Net! Here is a brief of some wonderful information you can find about this important 'vrAtyastoma' ceremony that makes Hinduism more and more acceptable as Sanatana Dharma.

1. As the great Hindu Patriot Sri Ram Swarup (1920-1998) says, we have today three categories of Hindus: those born in India, those who went overseas and those who adopt Hinduism by free choice. This third category, though it is new, is fast growing, and has the potential to spread the branches of the tree of Sanatana Dharama the world over, and make it bloom its colorful blossoms of devotion and worship in different parts of the world, and bear the fruits of those blossoms, with its roots of Advaita deep and strongly set, down in the soils of Bharatam. And 'vrAtyastoma' is the welcoming--in one sense home-coming--ceremony for this third category of Hindus.

2. Hinduism, because it is Sanatana Dharma, has at all times rejuvenated itself and shaped its followers by different movements that corrected and balanced the aggressive trends of other religious and spiritual influences. In the beginning of the Kali Yuga after the Mahabharata war, Vedic Hinduism took a beating from the birth of Buddhism and Jainism: a large number of Hindus throughout India were weaned away from the Vedic religion by their influence, until Adi Sankara came along, restored the pride of Sanatana Dharma, and regulated its practices, specially in the paths of Bhakti and JnAna Yoga.

During the medieval and the British colonial periods of Indian history, it was the Bhakti Movement that originated the Shaivite, VaishNavite and ShAkta sects of Hinduism, stemmed the tide of the Islamic conversion by sword and the Christian conversion by sovereignty and money.

And today, it is 'vrAtyastoma' that grants refuge to non-Hindus who voluntarily seek re-entrance/entrance to the religion of the Vedas.

3. Details and significance of the current practice of 'vrAtyastoma' are given in the books of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami of the Himalayan Academy. Some links:

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/reso.../hbh_ch-5.html
http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/h...m-bhuyate.html
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/reso...mws_ch-45.html

4. It seems that the ceremony of 'vrAtyastoma' was a much more formal ritual when it was practiced in the ancient times of Vedas and Mahabharata, as the following quotes explain:

Quote:

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The 'vratyastoma' in the 'Atharvaveda' shows that the 'vratya brahmanas' drawn from the non-Aryan communities knew the art of agriculture, and were invited by tribal leaders as honoured guests for the purpose of bringing prosperity to their lands. The 'Atharvaveda' (15/10), 'Tandya Brahmana' and 'Matsya Purana' contain a special ceremony known as 'vratyastoma' and/or 'hiranyagarbha' by which non-Vedic non-Aryans, and even foreign invaders, could be converted to the varna based system. (For more details see 'Vedic Sanskruticha Vikas' by Tarkatirtha Lakshmana Shastri Joshi, pp.111 to 113). The Hiranyagarbha 'vidhi' consisted of making the chieftain sit in a gold vessel like a foetus in the womb, while the presiding 'purohita' chanted the mantras appropriate to the occasion of the birth of the child. After this ritual, the chieftain emerged 'reborn' in a high caste, such as 'kshatriya', bearing the 'gotra' of the 'purohita'. Thus a tribal chief would be absorbed as 'kshatriya', his priests would be converted to 'brahmanas' and laymen merged with laymen 'shudras'.

For the first time Manu's code mentions the mixed castes of 'vrata brahmanas', 'vrata kshatriyas' and 'vrata vaisyas' which indicates that the 'vratyastoma' rituals must have been actually practised (10-/19-20,21-22). This rather complicated and intricate picture of the development of social progress unfailingly shows that the new brahmana class, especially the 'vratyas', spread while building up a multicaste heterogenious society; and religion with a multiplicity of gods, along with the advance of the plough agriculture in the new regions also spread.

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In his book, 'How to Become a (Better) Hindu', Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, quoting Shreeram Tyambak Godbole, says that the beginnings of the process of assimilation in the Hindu society could be seen in in the 65th chapter of Mahabharata, Shantiparva, "where Indra is described to have ordered Mandhatru to give all access to all foreigners, like the Yavanas, into the Vedic religion."

5. Perhaps, the fifth varNa, SAmAnya or the common people, mentioned in 'The Mahanirvana Tantra', is meant to accommodate the non-Hindus in the contemporary practice of 'vrAtyastoma'.

As more and more non-Hindus take to Sanatana Dharma, purely on account of their own personal conviction, driven to spiritual despair by the theory and practice of exclusivity of their western religions, the practice of 'vrAtyastoma' is increaingly being used in one form or other by gurus and religious institutions of all sects of Hinduism, as Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami says in his book.

उत्साहसम्पन्न मदीर्घसूत्रं क्रिया विधिज्ञं व्यसनेष्वसक्तम् ।
शूरं कृतज्ञं दृढ सौहृतम् च लक्ष्मीः स्वयं याति निवास हेतो ॥

utsAhasampanna madIrghasUtraM kriyA vidhij~jaM vyasaneShvasaktam |
shUraM kRutaj~jaM dRuDha sauhRutam cha lakShmIH svayaM yAti nivAsa heto ||

Goddess Mahalakshmi voluntarily takes permanent residence at the homes of people who

• are always energetic and happy
• finish their tasks quickly without needlessly long deliberations
• know what they do and finish it skillfully
• act with strength and valor mind at times of misfortune
• tussle with life with all their might
• never forget the timely help done to them
• has friends who keep a firm and constant friendship with them.

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उशनाः वेद यच्छास्त्रं यच्च वेद बृहस्पतिः ।
स्वभावेनैव तच्छास्त्रं स्त्रीबुद्धौ सुप्रतिष्ठितम् ॥

ushanAH veda yachChAstraM yachcha veda bRuhaspatiH |
svabhAvenaiva tachChAstraM strIbuddhau supratiShThitam ||

A woman is created by Brahma so that she is endowed naturally with the knowledge of all the Shastras and Vidyas--all those learnt by ShukrAchArya, the guru of Asuras and BRuhaspati, the guru of Devendran and all those 33 crores of Devas.

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ऋ Ru
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ऋणशेषश्चाऽग्नि शेषः शत्रु शेषस्तथैव च ।
पुनः पुनः प्रवर्धन्ते तस्माच्छेषं न रक्षयेत् ॥

RuNasheShashchA&gni sheShaH shatru sheShastathaiva cha |
punaH punaH pravardhante tasmAchCheShaM na rakShayet ||

These acts are gross mistakes:

• returning only part of a loan obtained
• not fully putting out a burning fire
• sparing a few of the enemies without fully conquering them all.

Because these things are bound to grow back in short time to trouble us again.

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hariḥ om
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Namaste saidevo,

Thank you for your post regarding vrAtyastoma (vrātyastoma त्यस्तोम). I think this will help many people here who have been asking about Hinduism . We can use your post as a reference for future questions.

The connection to saṁskāra: vrātyastoma is applied then to those that wish to be absrobed into the Sanatana Dharma way of life.

pranams