Slokas New Volume in PDF

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

voluntary disclosure

महान्तमप्यधमर्यु�ं य सन्त्यजत्य नुपाक

सुखम ् स दःु खानवमच ु ्य शेत जीणा� त्वचं सपर् इवावमुच

श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगप प्रजागरणपवर्�ण �वदुरनी�तवाक४०-२॥ mahāntamapyadharmayuktaṁ ya santyajatyanupākṛṣṭa eva| sukham sa duḥkhānavamucya śete jīrṇāṁ tvacaṁ sarpa ivāvamucya|| śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparvani viduranītivākye ||40-2|| Vidura's parting advice to his vacillating elder brother who is maniacally holding on to the wealth that is the rightful share of the Pandavas. "A person, if he has to live with a peaceful mind should be able to give up even immense wealth which he knows has come to his possession through unfair means, and this should be done without any regret. If such complete surrender of illegally earned riches is effected the man can live with great ease like a snake who was struggling with its slough for sometime but had ultimately managed to wriggle out of it". We have seen and heard about many voluntary disclosure schemes of unaccounted Income and Wealth put forth by Income-taxmen as also by the law enforcers of other wings of the government to enable tax dodgers give up booty illegally earned with least punitive consequences . Yes, if one is rid of the ill gotten booty he can live peacefully. One has to really watch in person how a snake struggles to just wriggle out of its slough but then how it acquires a glow with a new shiny outer skin. Long live Vidura for his support to VDIS . It is surprising how such catchy slogans elude the tax administrators of the present.. especially the guidelines chalked out by Vidura, Chanakya and their like .... --

1 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

devoted conjugal bliss इहै व स्तं म �व यौ�ं

�व�ं आयुर् व्य�ुतम्

क्र�ळन पुत्रैर् नप्त्र मोदमानो स्वे गृह

ऋग्वेदं१०-८५-३७ ihaiva staṁ mā vi yauṣṭaṁ viśvaṁ āyur vyaśnutam| krīḻanto putrair naptrubhir modamāno sve gṛhe ṛgvedaṁ 10-85-37 This is a very sweet and beautiful mantra of benediction to the newlyweds..found in the Rigvedam.. This I remember to have quoted earlier along with a large number of vivaahamanthras and in that process the unique greatness of this simple couplet got omitted to be highlighted. The married couple are blessed by the elders that they should live in this earth perfectly wedded together for long period (for the whole of the lifetime), never should they get separated either in body or mind, they should live the whole of the life as prescribed in the Vedas, and their life should be a saga of fun and frolic, enjoying themselves playing with their own sons (children) and grandchildren all living together in a household which is their own. The lofty idea of the strong fabric of family forged together is unique for us...first the couple should not separate for a lifetime, and they should live in extreme joy with blessed longevity (implying perfect health.) They should be in the happy company of sons and grandsons all living under one roof. What a beautiful picture...The primordial Veda is capable of blessing all the people, and being the godheads of eternal truth, such best wishes would be enjoyed naturally by all. The Indian psyche cannot conceive multiple marriages and flirting in the simple vedic life.(may be the situation was not exactly same in the later puranic times, where the Kshatriyas would marry as many times as possible...example are Dasaratha and Arjuna and even that god in cowherd form, Krishna) but even in these modern days of nuclear families we can feel 2 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the safety and security in the company of a thatha or paatti, appa and ammai, self and wife, brothers and their families, and the sons and daughters. If one's life is full of step-parents, step grandparents, half-siblings etc..at least for the Indians till date life would look very odd.

3 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

my friend shri Cobra न द ुजर्न सहायः स्यात् भुजङ्गप्रकृ�तय उपकारच्छलेनै प�ाद् दुःखं प्रदास्

॥नािस्त खलस्य �मत चाणक्यसूत्४२४॥ na durjanaḥ sahāyaḥ syāt bhujaṅgaprakṛtiryataḥ| uapakāracchalenaiva paścād duḥkhaṁ pradāsyati|| (|ṁāsti khalasya mitraṁ|| cāṇakyasūtraṁ ||424|| There can be no real friendship for the nasty evil-minded person, says Chankya in his 424th aphorism. This is further explained in the couplet attached which reads as " The evil person can never be of any help to you at any time because he is like a poisonous snake by nature. In the guise of offering help (which may seem bona fide to start with) he can lead you only to permanent grief in the long run. We encounter people who may pretend as well-wishers. Even the faint thought of some such beings can bring us misfortune. Hearing their voice over some media can do the trick in some unfortunate cases. And if they give us a darshan, visit our house or cast their eyes on something valuable, we are doomed. Verily, even the earth they cover with their ominous feet would become barren forever. If Mr. Cobra is my friend and he gives me a friendly visit and offers me all the help, I can be sure that my ticket for the next world is confirmed in no uncertain terms. We have to marvel at God's creations. There are many creations like a venomous snake which can only wreak destruction even if their intentions may be, in theory, philanthropic. But it is heartening to note that we human beings are all created with the inherent nature of benevolence and unless we forcibly inject venom to our psyche, we are created and remain to be noble and helpful to one another. Let friendship prevail.

4 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the baton of fate is merciless क्व जनकतनया क्व रामजा

क्व दशस्कन्धमिन्दरे �नवा अ�य खलु �वषमः पुराकृतानां

भव�त �ह जन्तुषु कमर्णां �वपाक३०५॥

बल्लालदेवकृतात भोजप्रबन्ध kva janakatanayā kva rāmajāyā kva ca daśaskandhamandire nivāsaḥ|| ayi khalu viṣamaḥ purākṛtānāṁ bhavati hi jantuṣu karmaṇām vipākaḥ ||305|| bhallāladevakṛtāt bhojaprabandhāt The inimitable and pure Devi Seetha, the daughter of the greatest philosopher king Janaka and the consort of the most valorous and perfect human being ever born, Sri Rama, had to undergo a period of virtual imprisonment in the country of the ten-headed Ravana. What can explain this quirk of fate otherwise than by attributing the result of one's own acts of commissions or omissions in the long past? The theory of Karma is the foundation of Hinduism. Even the noble Devi Mata Jaanaki could not escape it. Yes, the Almighty Godhead, never makes any exception even to itself. That is the eternal rule of righteousness. By defeating the eleven-headed team from Srilanka, we have perhaps avenged the slur on our Mother Seetha once again. You are free to say that to speak like this is not Cricket

5 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the proud mother एकेना�प सुपुत्रेण �संह� स्व�प�त �नभर सहै व दश�भः पुत्रैः भारम् सह�त गदर्

चाणक्यनीत्य ekenāpi suputreṇa siṁhī svapiti nirbhayaṁ| sahaiva daśabhiḥ putraiḥ bhāram sahati gardabhī|| cāṇakyanītyāṁ ഏേകനാപി സുപുേ്രതണ സിംഹീ സ�പിതി നിര്ഭ സൈഹവ ദശഭി: പു്രതയ് ഭാരം സഹതി ഗര് ചാണക�ന It is not the number but the quality and valour that counts. Usually a lioness gives birth to a single son(cub) and when the cub is reasonably grown up, the mother is relieved of all her anxieties about her safety and food. She can have a pleasant sleep. It is not the case with a female donkey. All her life she suffers as a beast of burden. Her litter may contain ten foals. But when these off-springs grow up they also become cowards and join their mother in carrying load and receiving whippings from their master. Only those who are bold and inherently valorous can live holding their heads in pride. Others just plod on along the earth just like the donkeys

6 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

proper spending न्यायागतस्य द्रव्यस्य द्वाव�तक् अपात्रे प्र�तप��� चाप्र�तपादनम

श्रीमहभारतेद्गपव� प्रजागरणपवर �वद ुरनी�तवाक्ये३३--५४॥ nyāyāgatasya dravyasya boddhavyo dvāvatikramau| apātre pratipattiśca pātre cāpratipādanam|| śrīmahabhārate udhyogaparve prajāgaraṇaparvaṇi viduranītivākye ||33--54|| ന�ായാഗതസ� ്രദവ�സ� േബാധേവ�ാ ദ�ാവതി്രകമ അപാെ്രത ്രപതിപത്തിശ്ച ചാ്രപതിപാദന വിദുരനീതി Vidura, the great statesman is explaining the nuances of proper administration to his elder brother Dritaraashtra in the celebrated viduraneethi of Mahabharatam. Two unfortunate, unwarranted and detrimental drains can happen even to the wealth which is earned through righteous means by a ruler. The bounty and patronage bestowed upon those who do not deserve it in anyway is not only self-defeating but also dangerous. Similar is the case where the king or the government is not giving proper attention to the persons who eminently deserve such attention. This is the art of budgeting explained in a nutshell. The administration collects taxes and other levies through proper means. But when allocating the funds for various purposes utmost care is to be taken. If money is frittered away for ostentatious expenditure and amassing arms and the development themes and welfare measures like education are ignored, the administration is heading for sure failure dragging the citizens also to ruin in turn. At individual level, if we patronize the wrong person, like a snake injecting venom on the hand which fed it milk, we can only get ingratitude. And if we ignore spending money for the right purposes, our own interest will be in jeopardy

7 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

eminent company वरं पवर्त दुग�षु भ्रान्तं वनचरैः

न मख ू र्जनसम्पकर्ः सुरेन्द्र भवन

भतृर्हरेः नी�तशतकात १४ varaṁ parvata durgeṣu bhrāntaṁ vanacaraiḥ saha| na mūrkhajanasamparkaḥ surendra bhavaneṣvapi|| bhartṛhareḥ nītiaśatakāt 14 വരം പര്‍ ദുര്‍േഗ്ഗഷു്രഭാന്തം വ ന മൂര്‍ഖജനസമ: സുേര്രന്ദ ഭവേനഷ ഭര്‍തൃഹനീതിശതകം It is better to be roaming around in the obscure caves in the deeper parts of a mountain range in the company of aborigines, than to have the company of arrogant idiots even while staying in the ornate abodes of the gods or the like. This is a terse statement by the great statesman king Bharthruhari. If one is wandering in obscure places, he may at least gain some experience and insights which if he is able to come out of obscurity at a later date, could share with the world. But there is no similar fortune for persons who are perforce doomed to the company of arrogant idiots in ornate abodes. Nothing good can happen to them at any time. The ornate buildings may include palaces, legislative houses and most important, offices of the Government. Everyone knows that once he secures an employment in the Government service, he is invariably in the eminent company of people whose identity has been highlighted by the poet. And when the cohabitation extends to more than half his lifetime only god can save him. --

8 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

eternal vow of silence. मूख�षु �ववादो न कतर्व्

चाणक्यसूत्२३०॥ mūrkheṣu vivādo na kartavyaḥ cāṇakyasūtraṁ ||230|| the terse aphorism of chanakya, though simple is pregnant with meaning. So let me leave long winded sentences in Sanskrit for the day and settle for this. Chankya simply says... "It is futile to argue with and arrogant and idiotic person". For the great political scientist this is the essence of his experience of a lifetime. It is dangerous to engage in a conversation of friendly nature with an idiot. He will talk back garbage to you and your day will be ruined. If this conversation is by way of advice backed by reasoning and rhetoric you are sure to get serious backlash. There will be verbal insult, physical attack and enmity for a lifetime or even more. The age old dictum that "silence is golden" should guide us. This action of avoiding controversy becomes very difficult when we are at the receiving end of some trouble. We may then follow the path of one age-old master....this action is attributed to tenali rama, thiruvaazhithaan and some other funny geniuses also. Once our hero was going along the street. The son of the local village chief threw a small stone at him. The stone hit him on the back and it was painful. But the hero could not protest. He knew that if he scolded they boy, his arrogant father would come the boy's rescue and our hero cannot win. So with a lot of show affection he called the boy and congratulated him on the accuracy of the throw and also presented with him a dampidi....the smallest coin available at that time. The boy was wonder-struck and asked if he could get money for pelting stone at others. Our man replied that the stone was small and he himself was very poor. This was the reason for the frugal present. He advised the boy to select a huge man with strong body and ensure that he used 9 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

a bigger stone which would hit at least the back of his head. The naughty boy followed the advice to the last word and the results are unnecessary to describe. Indeed it is a difficult proposition not to argue with idiots when the surface of earth is proliferated with such great men.. Many will have to go for eternal vow of silence.

10 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

just wait and see म�तमािन्वनयप्रमा�थनः समुपे�ेत समुन् �द्वष सुजयः खलु ताद्रुगन् �वपदन्ता��वनीतसंपदः

भारवेः �करातजुर्नीयमहकाव् ॥२-४२॥ matimānvinayapramāthinaḥ samupekṣeta samunnatiṁ dviṣaḥ| sujayaḥ khalu tādrugantare vipadantāhyavinītasaṁpadaḥ|| bhāraveḥ kirātarjunīyamahakāvye ||2-42|| Dharmaputra continues with his advice to his kin... “For a wise person, it is indeed futile to get overly concerned about the temporary and apparent growth of the arrogant enemy. It will not be necessary to rally great forces to defeat such enemies. The arrogance of such enemies who have come into sudden affluence and power will ruin them in due course. The eminence and popularity of the supremely arrogant is just a temporary glow before complete destruction. The wise king is convinced that evil fellows like Duryodhana will try to enhance their image, wealth etc by pretending to be very generous, friendly, learned and committed to friends and subjects, but the inherent arrogance and selfishness would reveal themselves given reasonable time. And once the real nature is exposed sooner or later, they will fall into abysmal disgrace, without any prodding from the enemies. If we are worrying about such arrogant adversaries, we are only wasting our time. They have the knack of destroying themselves. "�वपदन्ता��वनीतसंपद the wealth of the arrogant lands him in ultimate danger" this dictum is one of the most appropriate proverbs ever penned

11 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Slow and steady wins the race उपकारकमायतेभृर्शं प्रसवः कमर्फलस्य भू

अनपा�य �नबहर्णं �द्वषां न �त�त�ासममिस्त सा

भारवेः �करताजुर्नीये२---४३ upakārakamāyaterbhṛśaṁ prasavaḥ karmaphalasya bhūriṇaḥ| anapāyi nibarhaṇaṁ dviṣāṁ na titikṣāsamamasti sādhanaṁ|| bhāraveḥ kiratārjunīye 2---43 Bharavi is making another statement of eternal value in life through Yudhistira, the epitome of wisdom. "The most effective art and science to be applied by people who desire for permanent welfare, is patience. Patience will be of immense help in achieving and maintaining forever the advantages one acquires. It is only through patience that one can realize fully the favourable results of one's incessant toil. Patience can never cause one any danger. On the face of patience, the enemies get annihilated by their own actions without much initiative on our part. There is no better weapon to vie with patience." In our day to day life, we are encountering the ills of impulsive and impatient actions too often. We sow a seed and in time it germinates, grows and through spontaneous and varied acts of nature it becomes a tree and gives us sweet fruits. But if one is just plucking the seed or sapling every day and seeing whether the roots are getting stronger, the plant can never grow. This is the result of impatience. In every act of nature and the will of the Creator, there is a rhythm which is based on timing. If we try to rush through against the universal law, it is the worst manifestation of impatience. When rushed out of the natural rhythm, the divine forces get disturbed with disastrous consequences. Kamadeva tried to disturb the eternal Lord Sankara from his penance to satisfy the impatience of the Gods and the results were tragic beyond words. By enriching the radioactive contents of an element, we created atomic and subatomic explosions and what is the result? We speed up particles through cyclotrons and other accelerators to bombard hard and break the heart of a nucleus...uncontrollable energy comes out and the environment is infested with poisonous rays which in turn cause mutation in our own genetic cells and endangers not only our own existence but signals doom for all the future generations to come.. Impatience at an individual level will cause serious setbacks, but at macro level, it will annihilate everything.

12 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

no deviation from the path trodden by the great स्पृहणीयगुणैमर्हात्म�भ��रते वत् यच्छतां मनः �व�धहेतुरहेतुरागसां �व�नपातोऽ�प समः समन ु ्नतेः

भारवेः �कराताजुर्नीय महाकाव्य २---३४ spṛhaṇīyaguṇairmahātmabhiścarite vartmani yacchatāṁ manaḥ| vidhiheturaheturāgasāṁ vinipāto'pi samaḥ samunnateḥ|| bhāraveḥ kirātārjunīye mahākāvye 2---34 The talk of Dharmaputra to Bhiimasena and others continues. " For those who follow the footprints of great predecessors of sterling character even temporary setbacks caused by act of fate or otherwise would transform themselves to future advantage" The wise king is a stickler to tradition and precedents. The functions and duties of the ruler are chalked out by such traditions and precedents. The evolution of such law is very methodical. If one follows the wisdom of the ancestors in word and spirit, ultimate success is ensured and even temporary hiccups can be only indicators for introspection and correction of the path through such evaluation. This idea is germane in every civilized governance. If the present constitution of our Nation is very fair and enlightened, the credit should go to the times of Mahabharatha and Manusmriti, chanakya and mitakshari, the ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity canvassed by the French Revolution, Jefferson's United States Declaration of Independence adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 and the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the laws of England of the Westminster school developed through tradition alone and other gems culled out from our past. As Neville Cardus once put it, if Halsbury's Laws of England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halsbury%27s_Laws_of_England) are lost for ever we can rebuild the traditions from the laws of the game of cricket (the noble game is a strict votary of discipline.). Hierarchical discipline and respect for precedents is the hallmark of any judicial system worth its name in the civilized world.

13 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

anger saps the strength शु�च भूषय�त श्रुतं वपुः प्रशम भवत्यलङ्�क् प्रशमाभर पराक्रमः स नयापा�दत�स�द्धभू

भारवेः �कराताजुर्नीये२---३२ śuci bhūṣayati śrutaṁ vapuḥ praśamastasya bhavatylaṅkriyā| praśamābharaṇaṁ parākramaḥ sa nayāpāditasiddhibhūṣaṇaḥ|| bhāraveḥ kirātārjunīye 2---32 Yudhistira extols the virtue of learned and well thought of action bereft of anger "The time-tested and thoughtful study of scriptures and traditions and action following such study becomes an adornment and a talisman to the body (meaning existence) of a person. Victory over anger and thoughtful execution of the properly conceived plan of action is the crowning glory for such studies. When a ruler's valour is beautifully embellished by self control and victory over anger, he becomes the ultimate victor reaching zenith of popularity because of the proper mapping and dexterous execution of his policies." Here the king signals a note of caution to his brother. Mere girth of the body and possession of raw power is not enough. The raw power should be tempered by study of scriptures and traditions. And rushing through life just prodded by uncontrolled rage and arrogance will only lead to one's downfall. If the really strong and well advised leader is in full control of his emotions and proceeds to execute his plans in the most meticulous manner. The final crowning glory seeks him out.

14 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

qualities of a good speech स्फ ुटता न पदैरपाकृता न च स्वीकृतमथर्गौरव

र�चता पृथगथर्ता �गराम् न सामथ्यर्मपो�हतं क्व�च

भार�वमहाक�वकृते �कराताजुर्नीये महाकाव् २---२७ sphuṭatā na padairapākṛtā na ca na svīkṛtamarthagauravaṁ| rācitā pṛthagarthatā girām na ca sāmarthyamapohitaṁ kvacit|| bhāravimahākavikṛte kirātārjunīye mahākāvye 2---27 Bheemasena is simmering with rage at the state of affairs caused by the stoic attitude of his elder brother. He has made a speech canvassing frontal attack on the enemies. Dharmaputra is disturbed by the spurt of words from the giant of a younger brother and the impulsiveness reflected therein. But the king is a past-master in facing any verbal charade by confronting it with soft and conciliatory replies. So in a bid to calm down Bheema, the king praised the former's words .. " The words spoken by you were very clear, and such clarity was not marred by excessive verbosity, at no point have you veered away from the paramount importance of the subject matter of the speech, the words spoken by you, though brief, were capable of conveying rich and deep insights, and the dexterity in composition and formation of words was not overlooked at any point". Such learned analysis of the qualities of a good speech is a crowning example of Bharavi's astuteness. The occasion in the Kaavyam is not very relevant. But what is important to a student is the depth of thought that has gone into the condensed definition of a good speech, being explained. Clarity of thoughts is given the most important place. Such clarity should not be obliterated by verbosity. And any speech should reflect purposefulness. The words used should be as few as possible but should convey great meanings. Dexterity in presentation of the subject through cogent use of words should never be overlooked. Bharavi himself is a master in such word-craft. The literary world praises the simplicity of words of Dandi ( the author of Dasakumaracharitam), the depth of meaning of Bharavi and the great similes of Kalidasa ( दिण्डनः पदला�ळत्यम भारवेरथर्गौरवम उपमा का�लदासस्.. daṇḍinaḥ padalāḻityam bhāraverarthagauravam upamā kāalidāsasya....)

15 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the brave thrives by valour मद�स�मुखैम ृर्गा�धपः क�र�भवर्तर्यते स्वयं ह

लघयन्खलु तेजसाजगन्न महा�नच्छ�त भू�तमन् भारवेः �करताजुर्नीय २---१८

madasiktamukhairmṛgādhipaḥ karibhirvartayate svayaṁ hataiḥ| laghayankhalu tejasājaganna mahānicchati bhūtimanyataḥ|| bhāraveḥ kiratārjunīye 2---18 The king Yudhistira is in conference with his brothers and wife draupadi. Even though Yudhistira is just taking the sojourn in the forest as a consequence of his own action and is reconciled to it, but the others are not. When informed about the success of the arch rival Duryodhana their anger and eagerness for revenge are doubly kindled. They are simply tied down by their respect for the elder brother. Draupadi is now addressing the valourous Vrikodhara...the bheemasena, prodding him to belligerent action against Duryodhana. Frist she ridicules the stoic nature of the king and his four valorous brother. She is all contempt for the ways of reconciliation sought by the exiled king. She says " The king of forests, lion, always likes to exist in glory among the dead bodies of the rogue elephants which were on rut and were annihilated by him by striking their foreheads with his strong arms and not otherwise. A true hero would always want to vanquish the whole world with his own valour and enjoy the glory and wealth coming by his way through such action. It is not through patient waiting and negotiations that the really brave person established his superiority." Draupadi's talk under the circumstances is laudable. Yudhistira is getting unnecessarily bogged down by his own exaggerated sense of propriety. This attitude may be ideal for philosophers or ascetics..But it is ridiculous for a strong man that the king is, and is having for his support four younger brothers, who are all capable of vanquishing the world individually on their own right. Here the Kshaatra Dharma is explained with all passion by a brave lady of the Kshatriya clan. The sum and substance of the arguments is that an attitude or action which can be praiseworthy in one set of circumstances can be termed as cowardice in a different situation

16 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

is it always right cricket to "walk"? व्रजिन्त ते मूढ�धयः पराभवं भविन्त माया ये न मा�यनः।

प्र�वश्य �ह घ् शठास्तधा�वधानसंवृताङ्गािन्न�शता इवेष

भार�वकृते �कराताजुर्नीये महाकव्य१---३० vrajanti te mūḍhadhiyaḥ parābhavaṁ bhavanti māyāviṣu ye na māyinaḥ| praviśya hi ghnanti śaṭhāstadhāvidhānasaṁvṛtāṅgānniśitā iveṣavaḥ|| bhāravikṛte kirātārjunīye mahākavye 1---30 Yudhistira had been forced to abdicate his kingdom and take shelter to a life in forest for 12 years as a result of an unjust bid in a game of chess with his cousin. The same fate has overtaken his four younger brothers and also Draupadi. The honest and noble king has accepted this imposition as a matter of propriety. But his brothers and wife are not that magnanimous. They had accepted the decision only with a view not to disobey their leader and the king. They are not in any way reconciled to this state of affairs. The dissent is most strong on the part of Draupadi because even her womanhood was challenged during the altercation that followed the game of chess and she was publicly humiliated by Dussasana. The four younger brothers and the king himself had the strength and popularity, and if they chose they could have spurned such unjust imposition cast on them. So when Yudhistira reports the outcome of his discussion with the spy Draupadi and the four brothers could not conceal their indignation over the state of affairs and the stoic approach of the king on the issue. Draupadi is the first to speak out . She says, " The idiotic persons who are not deceitful while dealing with treacherous people will only be led from defeat to further defeat. They will be torn asunder by the obstinate and cruel adversaries just as the sharp and poisoned arrows punctures the uncovered bosom of a warrior without armour or other protection. While it will give one an aura of nobility to accept even unjust decision with peaceful acceptance and calm resignation, such attitude is fatal to human beings in their existence in terra firma. There will be always people who use unfair means to take advantage of others. Even if the argument that a noble and decent person should not resort to such methods himself is a valid one, he cannot afford to remain without offering any resistance if and when such practices are directed against him. Noble declarations and stark realities of life could be placed at opposite poles in our day to day life. With the power and popularity and resources in one's favour if a powerful man remains 17 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

wedded to empty platitudes in the name of propriety when the adversary is using foul means he is inviting annihilation for himself and others dependent on him. The question whether it is right to just walk in cricket without seeing the umpire's hands up when the opposite team bowls underarm is relevant here.

18 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

enmity with the noble is the harbinger of tragedy. -प्रल�नभूपालम�प िस्थराय�शासदाव�र�ध मण्डलं भुवः

स �चन्तयत्य �भयस्त्व्देष्यतीरहो दुरन्ता बलव�द्व

भार�वप्रणी �कराताजुर्नीये महाकव् १---२३ pralīnabhūpālamapi sthirāyati praśasadāvaridhi maṇḍalaṁ bhuvaḥ| sa cintayatyeva bhiyastvdeṣyatīraho durantā balavadvirodhitā|| bhāravipraṇīte kirātārjunīye mahākavye 1---23 The entire kingdom with its people and resources has been brought under the absolute control of Duryodhana, engaging all means fair or foul. There is ostensible stability and lack of challenge from any foes. But his mind is paranoid...Day and night he is only thinking of an attack from the legitimate ruler, Yudhistira and defeat at his hand. Miserable indeed is the state of affairs of a person who has incurred the enmity very strong persons. In the poets own words.." he had made the whole earth with the oceans as her borders filled with subdued and subjugated rulers under his strong grip and was wielding suzerain powers, but he is indeed obsessed eternally with the fear of attack from you (Yudistira, being addressed by the spy). Tragedy awaits people who have incurred the enmity of the great." Here we can sense what happens to persons who have usurped into places of eminence when they do not have the legitimacy to reach that station. We can see millions of individual examples in day to day life today. Illegitimacy is rather a rule than an exception these days. Positions of power are attained either through crafty means or ridiculous legislation by brute pressure groups. The legitimacy by way of mental and physical eligibility and merit are overlooked somewhere in the route. The banished suffers and the usurper tries to convince himself that he is now the master. But a corner of his own mind always raises the question mark... If the usurper is cruel enough, he annihilates his competitor by any means to avoid backlash.. This is what Macbeth did, or Lady Macbeth did for him. But she became insane. In a minor way the manager who has climbed the ladder after delivering unfair kicks just gets his competitors eliminated by means of scandalizing or intrigue... The history of mankind is overflowing with such incidents. However the mind which is honest in comparison sees through the brave face, and crumbles. Indeed, enmity with the noble is the harbinger of tragedy.

19 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

even the stone will melt when it is honoured �नरत्ययं साम न दानविजर्तम् न भू�र दा �वरहय्य सित्क्र प्रवतर्ते तस्य �वशेषशा�लनी गुनानुर �वना न सित्क्रय

भारवेः �कराताजुर्नीय महाकाव्यात१---१२ niratyayaṁ sāma na dānavarjitam na bhūri dānaṁ virahayya satkriyāṁ| pravartate tasya viśeṣaśālinī gunānurodhena vinā na satkriyā||| bhāraveḥ kirātārjunīya mahākāvyāt 1---12 To retain the goodwill of the people around him the clever king Duryodhana was apllying the two very effective modes of befriending... unlimited praise and friendly accommodation of ideas which were accompanied by generous gifts. But the honours and gifts were handed out by the astute ruler taking into account the good qualities and the eminent eligibility of the recipient of such honours. " His habitual and friendly treatment of the near and dear was not without generous gifts and honours and the honours were bestowed by him on the appropriate and deserving recipients." Mere verbal praise of people, however sweet and flattering it is will not attract the people to a person for long. People rally around a person basically expecting material benefits This desire was usually satisfied by generous gifts. And people in general are vain. They want recognition and praise and hierarchical honours. In the present day context such cravings of the people are satisfied by awards and decorations by the state and prestigious organisations. The most important message conveyed by the philosopher poet is that adulations and honours should go only to people who are eminently eligible for such exalted treatment. A state honour should never be bestowed on an undeserving individual. The history of awards and honours these days have a different background. Personal, political and selfish considerations gain the upper stage. The tragedy is that the deserving persons with little clout miss the bus in the process. The hollow nature of misplaced honours are exposed with their ugly face exposed by history in posterity.

20 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

modesty of convenience सखी�नव प्री�तयुजोऽनुजी�व समानमानान्सुहृद� बन्धु�

स सन्ततं दशर्य गतस्मयः कृता�धपत्या�मव साधु बन्धुत

भारवेः �कराताजुर्नीये महाकाव् १-----१० sakhīniva prītiyujo'nujīvinaḥ samānamānānsuhṛdaśca bandhubhiḥ| sa santataṁ darśayate gatasmayaḥ kṛtādhipatyāmiva sādhu bandhutāṁ|| bhāraveḥ kirātārjunīye mahākāvye 1-----10 In an all out to bid to keep people around him absolutely faithful in spite of the fact that Duryodhana was rather an impostor to the kingdom which rightly belonged to his cousin Dharmaputra, the former has embarked himself on a course of unabashed appeasement and show of excessive love and affection towards all around him. " He is treating mere acquaintances who were marginally favourable to him as if they were his bosom friends. Friends were close relatives to him in his perception under the changed circumstances. And apparently bereft of all arrogance, his ostensible attitude towards his relatives , was that such people were his lords and masters." Showing of excessive cordiality attracts all people towards the ruler. We have heard vultures of politicians address their voters as " my uternine brothers, sharing my own blood" etc., but it would only reinforce the ageold dictum, " vachane kaa daridrataa....why should one be miserly when dishing out mere words?". The trait exhibited by Duryodhana would be found in everyone who is not sure of himself and the legitimacy of his position. He is always governed by the fear that what he has acquired by foul means would be challenged by the support group, and in his bid to keep them in good humour, he is showing excessive magnanimity towards them. It is a sort of clowning engaged in by any ruler who has many skeletons in his cupboard. But when the going is fairly good, the recipients of the favours would pretend to believe in the bounty.. They have nothing to lose. But when the opposition to the tyrant gets crystallized, the bluff will be called and the goody-goody atmosphere will vanish into thin air. However, it has to be remarked by way of an ad lib that if an affectionate and able ruler can develop this attitude towards his fellow beings, he could gain immortality..But Mahatmas are too rare in the real world.

21 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

idiot

It is a story of almost hundred years ago. A timid, but principled brahmin was serving as a clerk in the service of the British Malabar, in some obscure place in Malappuram district. The clerks, if they had to survive had to receive the bribes offered to them in small coins and in kind, because their salaries was paltry. But this man will not do it. But so long as he was a clerk, he was left alone.. because it never affected the people or the employer if he did his job reasonably well. But one day he was awarded a promotion to some post equal to a Deputy Tehsildar and this man was afraid that he would not be allowed not to take bribes any more. With eight children, mostly young and no expectation of any income he retired for a small pension and returned to his agraharam. There, from the morning many children would be sitting around him on the thinnai of his house studying the alphabets of malayalam language. In his spare time unnoticed by all he would visit the village pond and clean the old steps around it and remove grass and other growths, before he took his bath. He studied sanskrit at an advanced age and would recite bagavat gita and vishnu sahasranamam. I learnt these mostly by heart hearing him chant it...I was seven years at that time.

Another brahmin was there. He was engaged as a cook and a small time hotelier. He failed completely and at about the age of fifty he was offered the job of a priest in a small ganapathy temple for a paltry monthy wage of less than five rupees. He would go as a loukeeka for sraadham meals etc. The ganapathy had to be offered rice at least twice a day, and his lamps had to be hit. This man would take the cooked rice from home and offer it to Ganapathy. The nephews and nieces in his house were the wageless sweepers of the temple. Till every morning he would pour nice gingely oil pilfered from the home on the idol and would remark, "let the Lord sit like this for ten minutes, so that he will be cool and happy". He lived in the service of the ganapthy for forty years and the ganapathy was indigent, and the priests salary would not have reached even fifty rupees. He was childless but his relatives had prospered reasonable by the time he retired.. The ganapthy also prospered after his exit The fellows who did menial jobs for the temple did that out of love more for this man, and without any wages.

Another impractical man I have seen. In his retired life and with none of his children settled in life, even food was scarce at home. But every night before completing his second course of meals he would ask for some more rice, and say if fresh rice is not there it can be pazhaya saatham at least. All in the family knew this food was not for himself. A stray orphan dog was waiting in the backyards. Once the man was given the extra rice, sometimes even on the face of murmur from others, he would say he was not 22 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

hungry, take away the plate and give the food to the dog. He was not sure that others in the family would give anything to the dog, given the circumstances.

There was yet another lean ugly man whose only pleasure in life was ostensibly to take purgatives every day so that his intestines would be clean in the night. But for about 35 years he was a teacher of the first standard in a primary school, at Kalpathy. He never desired even to teach in the second class. ( No nusery or KG classes those days. Every morning he would go to school at 7-30 AM, even clean his classroom and be waiting for his children. The pleasures and pains of each child was his own. No child cried or complained when they occupied his classroom. When any child was sick, he would care of him. if the child passed urine or stools while in class he would not hesitate to clean the class and the child. He was the Sir for many youngsters of two generations. His educational achievements would not have been much more than that of his students of the class.

The above persons, prima facie were idiots. Nobody asked them to do these things. If my guess is correct, they did not even know that they were doing something out of the way Many of us in our family have grown up into idiots emulating them. Nothing strange about it. The first was my mother's father, second my mothers uncle, third my own father and last but not the least, my own uncle, my mothers brother.

I am an idiot and impractical fool.. I cannot be otherwise. But secretly I am proud of it... because I am in good company. Dozens of siblings and cousins of mine who may chance to read this will be idiots of similar mind bend.. but I do hope they will be also proud of their idiotic elder relatives.

--

23 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

no sweat, no sweets कृता�रषड्वगर्जय मानवीमगम्यरूपां पदवीं प्र�पत्

�वभज्य न�ं�दवमस्ततिन्द्रणा �वतन्यते तेन नयेन प भार�वकृते �करताजुर्नीय महाकाव्ये१---९

kṛtāriṣaḍvargajayena mānavīmagamyarūapāṁ padavīṁ prapitsunā| vibhajya naktaṁdivamastatandrina vitanyate tena nayena pauruṣam|| bhāravikṛte kiratārjunīye mahākāvye 1---9 The spy employed by Dharmaputra describles how the exiled king's arch rival and cousin Duryodhana is exerting himself to the ultimate and increasing his valour and prosperity. " The positions occupied is very difficult for him to sustain by mere human efforts as prescribed by manu. So he has managed to conquer the six worst enemies one can have, namely, Kama (Lust), Krodha (Rage), Lobha ( stinginess), Moha (avarice), madha (arrogance) and maatsarya ( unhealthy competiton), and setting out an effective action plan without any place for rest or laxity either during day or night, through astute diplomacy, he is enhancing his influence over the subjects and vassals and is also conquering himself." The most important principles of management are given in a capsule form once again. The poet acknowledges that the more successful the manager, stiffer targets will be thrown up for his achievement. Living up to such targets is not an easy task by normal human standards. However, the achievement can be made a sure possibility through some great effort. The first precondition is to win over the inherent six enemies we are born with. Lust simply derails us from action affects our unswerving concentration. Rage dissipates our energy and puts to nought all our achievements till then. Stinginess and meanness become mental blocks for ourselves and our associates and pulls us back. Unrealistic craving for anything is another drain for concerted action.(one should act and achieve, can dream reasonably, but dreams without action can only bring us disaster). Arrogance is the achiever's worst enemy... this trait makes one mad, quarrelsome and blind to realities and finishes him once for all. Unhealthy and unethical competition, at the end of the day, will be only a harbinger of disaster. One should not lose sight of the progress of the competitor, but getting obsessed with the rival operator can only affect ones on achievements. Once has to allow his own brand quality and achievement speak for itself. 24 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Then the manager should have a well defined action plan...if the targets are sky high, one has no time to relax... every target becomes achievable when it is divided and the achievement is expected to fructify within clearly defined time-slots within a longer span of time fixed for achieving the target. Losing out at each time slot makes a dent on the final results. And finally the never say die attitude is the vital quality that really makes the difference. In cricket we say the game is not over till the last ball is bowled. The same idea would appear with greater force in the pursuit of our targets. To be precise, the great poet is just giving us a lesson in proper management of our resources and time. just taking the storyline of Duryodhana as a medium. The dramatis personae are not very material, but the ideas are worth their weight in gold.

25 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

mere sweet words can kill you �क्रयासु यु�ैनृर्प चारच�ुसो न वञ्चन प्रभवोऽनुजी�व�भ

अतोहर्�स �न्तुमसाधु साधु �हतं मनोहा�र च द ुलर्भं वचः

भार�वकृते �कराताजुर्नीये महाकाव् १-----४ kriyāsu yuktairnṛpa cāracakṣuso na vañcanīyāḥ prabhavo'nujīvibhiḥ| atorhasi kṣanthumasādhu sādhu vā hitaṁ manohāri ca durlabhaṁ vacaḥ|| bhāravikṛte kirātārjunīye mahākāvye 1-----4 This is another gem from Bhaaravi. The king Yudhistira had employed a spy to evaluate the state of affairs in his kingdom from which he has been unjustly banished. The spy in the disguise of a young brahmin had roamed around the kingdom and gathered all information he could and he is about to give a status report to his king. The dutiful employee is not interested in dishing out false and comfortable tidings and curry the temporary favour of his employer. (See what our IB in India did in pre 1977 election scenario) . Through a declaration by the rustic menial employee, Bharavi brings out a great truth which the manager as well as the employee should stick to at any cost. " Lord, the masters when they employ the spies, consider them as their own eyes. Such employees should never betray the trust placed on them at any cost. So now the Lord must pardon me irrespective of the fact that my report is favourable and palatable to Him or not. It is indeed very difficult to receive words which are meant for you welfare and at the same time which are pleasing to the ears and mind." Yesterday I read as the days quote in a respected site..." a little inaccuracy in reports is better if accuracy would cause inconveniences.." or something to this effect. Once managers and employers have migrated to this mindset, the organisation is doomed. An employee should have the guts and character to report facts to the boss, even though a public confession may not be mandatory. It is equally essential on the part of the manager to evaluate the facts and circumstances after giving weightage to all the facts of the case and the impossible parameters. It is meaningless to be hawkish only to find scapegoats. When we find especially in hierarchical setups like government where the subjective consideration of a man even one place above in seniority can make or mar the career of an employee it is really difficult to follow this dictum. Here, the boss shouts at you that your are an imbecile, idiot, nincompoop and some harsher fellows may even pass remarks on your parentage.....but the subordinates reply is only "sir", yes Sir, "you are correct 26 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

sir", "i will take care of it sir" Why..? Yes, Bharavi's gem..." words which are for your benefit may not pass the test of being nectar to the ear and mind " is to be exhibited in golden letter for all people to read wherever human transactions are taking place.

27 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

even enmity with the noble has its own benefits तदा�प िज�ः स भविज्जगीषया तनो�त शुभ्रं गुणसम्पदा समन ु ्नयन्भू�ममनायर्सङ्गमाद्वरं �वरोधोऽ�प समं महा

महाक�वभार�वकृते �कराताजुर्नीये महाकव् १ -----८ tadāpi jihmaḥ sa bhavajjigīṣayā tanoti śubhraṁ guṇasampadā yaśaḥ| samunnayanbhūmimanāryasaṅgamādvaraṁ virodho'pi samaṁ mahātmabhiḥ| mahākavibhāravikṛte kirātārjunīye mahākavye 1 -----8 The context in the Mahakaavya is as follows:- The Pandavas were challenged by Duryodhana for a game of chess by their cousins Kauravaas whose eldest is Duryodana. As per the practice among Kshatriyas of the day the elder Pandava accepted that challenge and what happened later was a game fixing by the Crafty uncle Sakuni the King of Gandhara. The wily Sakuni through words and action managed to rig the game and Dharmaputra, having staked his kingdom as well as the persona of himself , his four brothers and Draupadi was completely defeated and humiliated and finally it was ordered that the five pandavas with their wife draupadi would withdraw to forest for 12 years of forest life and one year of living incognito and if their identity got revealed during the days in disguise, they will again have to repeat the life in exile again, subject to the same conditions. Thus the pervert of Duryodhana had come by the great Kingdom of his cousins through foul means. But the man was really intelligent. He started his policy of endearment of the subjects of the annexed country through fair rule exhibiting abundance of personal virtues..This is narrated in the Mahakavya as a report from a spy of Dharmaputra submitted to the latter. "The crafty Duryodhana is aware of the popularity of his elder cousin as an ideal ruler..The only way available to him is to emulate the welfare policies of Dharmaputra and this he does effectively. Even though he has gained the ownership of the land by foul means, he becomes an ideal ruler. The point to be highlighted here is that even enmity with the noble is far better and beneficial that the friendly association with characterless people. The enmity with Dharmaputra has transformed Duryodhana into a very just and popular ruler... and the indication is that his association with the likes of Sakuni is going to result in his future downfall.

28 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

give trust and a patient hearing to the subordinate स �कं सखा साधु न शािस्त यऽ�धपं �हतान्न संशृणुते स �कं प्रभु सदानुकूलेषु �ह कुवर्ते र�तमनृपेष्वमात्येस्षु च सवर्सम

भार�वकृते �कराताजुर्नीये महाकव् १----५ sa kiṁ sakhā sādhu na śāsti ya'dhipaṁ hitānna yaḥ saṁśṛṇute sa kiṁ prabhuḥ| sadānukūleṣu hi kurvate ratim nṛpeṣvamātyesṣu ca sarvasampadaḥ|| bhāravikṛte kirātārjunīye mahākavye 1----5 The great poet Bharavi extols the relationship between a good master(ruler/manager ) and his minister of subordinate How can one call a person a good friend or faithful subordinate if he is not able to aid and advise his master efficiently? And how can one call a person a worthy ruler or manager if he is incapable of lending a favourable ear to the advise of a subordinate who should be always interested in the welfare of the boss? The power, wealth and welfare resides only in the country where the king and his ministers and subordinates are all capable of keeping confidence inter se and the subordinates are ready to speak out without fear and the ruler is ready to hear things irrespective of whether the statements are sweet to the ears or not. This is true in any hierarchical organisation or even in government departments. It is the worker at the lower operative level who first senses the chinks in the Armour when the system is running out of step. If they are loyal to the organisation and if they have the confidence that they would be heard, they will surely report the aberrations to the higher-ups truthfully, and if the middle lever or top management are sincere they would try to understand and try to find solution to save the system as a whole. On the other hand if the manager at every level is sitting on his own imagined insulated paradise and trying to find scapegoats when the chips are down, the death of the organisation as a whole is assured.

29 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

test of indigence is in shameless begging

दा�र�यस्यापर मू�तर्याच्ञा न द्र�वणाल अ�प कौपीनवान्शम्भुः तदाऽ�प परमे�र

बल्लालदेवस्य भोजप्रबन dāridryasyāparā mūrtiyācñā na draviṇālpatā| api kaupīnavānśambhuḥ tadā'pi parameśvaraḥ|| ballāladevasya bhojaprabandhāt Absence of wealth or money cannot be called poverty.The indigent and miserable nature of a person manifests itself in its worst form through shameless begging. Take the case of the Lord Shiva. All he wears is only a tattered loincloth. But he is called Parameshwara the souce of all prosperity. Kalidaasa said elsewhere about Shiva...".अ�कञ्चनः सन् प्रभवः

सम्पदा akiñcanaḥ san prabhavaḥ sa sampadāṁ" even though he stands emptyhanded in the cremation ground, he is the source of all prosperity" . A person may have dearth of money at times, but if he lives withing his means and maitans dignity, he is not a destitute. But even a rich man who will go to all begging for more nd more personal favours is the embodiment of poverty. We can see both types of persons in plenty in every social segment.

30 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

anger of the impotent

परं ��प�त दोषेण वतर्मानः स्वयम् तथ

य� क्रुद्धत्यनीश सन् स च मूढ्तम

स्रीमहाभार उध्योगपवर्�न प्रजागरणपव� �वदुरवा३३--३६ paraṁ kṣipati doṣeṇa vartamānaḥ svayam tathā| yaśca kruddhatyanīśa san sa ca mūḍhtamo naraḥ|| srīmahābhārate udhyogaparvani prajāgaraṇaparve viduravākye 33--36 a man who is guilty and this fact is known to himself and others but is through fair of foul means trying to pass on the guilt to someone else and tries to wriggle out of the situation is considered the foremost of idiots. A fellow who is incapable of doing anything but is seething with impotent anger is also of identical category of idiots. A man does not require any character to commit guilt but it takes a lot of character to own it up and face the consequences. And giving vent to anger in some impotent way when a person is not capable of anything worthwhile makes his look more foolish. We see some parents thrashing their children just because they are not able to provide the kids with basis need. It is foolish to beat up the goldsmith for making substandard ornaments when the gold supplied by you anything but gold.

31 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

to give refuge is the duty of a householder चत्वा�र ते तात गृहे वसन्

�श्रया�भजु� गृहस्त धम� वृद् �ा�तरवसन्नः कुल�न

सखा द�रद्रो भ�गनी चानपत्

महभारते उद्योगपवर्�ण प्रजागरणपव� �वदुरनी�त ३३--५९ catvāri te tāta gṛhe vasantu śriyābhijuṣṭasya gṛhasta dharme|| vṛddho jñātiravasannaḥ kulīnaḥ sakhā daridro bhaginī cānapatyā|| mahabhārate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇaparve viduranītivākye 33--59 Vidura is giving advice to the king Dhritaraashtra, who is his half brother. He says, " My dear brother, if you desire prosperity and blessedness for yourself, you as a grihasta (or noble householder), should permit four types of persons to live with you for support and sustenance (1) The age old and ailing relative though distant, who has no other person to look up to, (2) a well bred and learned person who is in difficult financial conditions, (3) A bosom friend who has become indigent by the will of fate and (4) a sister who is not having the fortune to have a child of her own (and either widowed or abandoned by her husband)' The collective responsibility of the society to give succor to the hapless people is embedded into the social rules of Mahabharatha times as could be seen from the pronouncement of the statesman Vidhura. Such indigent people deserved to be treated as householders and were not expected to be thrown into old age homes. It is curious how such advices will find sense in the present day context of rich sons and daughters simply driving away old parents to old age homes.

32 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

one can rule with love and not with rage. न तेन सज्यं क्व�चदुद्धृतं धनुः कृतं कोप�विज�माननं। गुणा�भमानेन �शरो�भरु�त नरा�धपैमार्ल्य�मवास्य शास

भारवेः �कराताजुर्नीये महकाव्ये सगर१ �ोकं २१ na tena sajyaṁ kvaciduddhṛtaṁ dhanuḥ kṛtaṁ na vā kopavijihmamānanaṁ| guṇābhimānena śirobhiruhyate narādhipairmālyamivāsya śāsanaṁ|| bhāraveḥ kirātārjunīye mahakāvye sargaḥ 1 ślokaṁ 21 After managing to send his cousin to a sojourn in the forest through a game a chess (rigged of course by crafty Shakuni), Duryodhana, a Master of statecraft is reinforcing his popularity as a ruler par excellence. The impact of this is reported to the exiled king Yudhistira by a spy. The spy is impressed by what he saw in the country ruled by Suyodhana and even though the report may not be to the liking of the rival cousin, the spy does not make any attempts to conceal the facts. "After taking up the reins of administration, the king had no occasion to raise his bow mounted tight with the string ready to shoot. He had no occasion to have his anger kindled to white flame and making his face excited with rage. The vassal kings and subjects out of great reverence and partiality for the virtue of just administration, accept heads down, with humility and respect the orders and bidding of the supreme ruler as if such orders were garlands made of fragrant flowers presented to them in their honour". In politics, there are many occasions when a king can retain power only by applying ruthless suppression of the will of the subjects and subordinates. In such cases, the interests of the king or the ruling junta will be extremely selfish and the statecraft of welfare would be the last priority. Recently we saw fall of such tyrants, in Egypt and nearabouts. Some other hegemonies are crumbling. But the great Kaavyakaara, Bhaaravi who is famed for arthagauravam, or exposition of apt ideas of vital relevance, describes the success of a just king. The orders of such ruler run the roost because they are entirely beneficial to the subjects. No selfishness or graft or partiality in dispensing justice. In the earlier part of this chapter, the just policy of the king has been described in great detail. The essential feature is that the king was not influenced by avarice for taxes and gifts from the subject, he was never swayed by anger, he was always acting on expert counsel, and when it came to 33 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

dispensation of just punishment he never considered whether the wrongdoer was an enemy or was his own son, and when he sat on the throne he was driven to action only by dharma. (not drama..a more suitable word for contemporary politicians.)

34 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Strike hard when the metal is hot वहे द�मत्रम् स्कन्धेन यावत्कालस्य

तमेव काले संप्रा�े �भन्ध ्यात् घट�मवाश

॥शत्रुं िच्छद्रे प�रह चाणक्य सूत्१९४ vahedamitram skandhena yāvatkālasya paryayaḥ| tameva kāle saṁprāpte bhindhyāt ghaṭamivāśmani|| ||śatruṁ cchidre pariharet|| cāṇakya sūtraṁ 194 വേഹദ് അമി്രതം സ്കേന്ധന യാവത്കാലസ : തേമവ കാേല സം്രപാപ്െത ഭിന ്ദ് യാത് ഘടമിവ ശ്രതും ച്ഹിേ്രദ പരിഹ (ചാണക� സൂ്രത ) The chanakya here is no philosopher. He is a realist. In fact this master of realpolitik alone could establish the first stable kingdom in India. Exalted self interest is the watchword in administration. He says, one must even tolerate carrying a known enemy on his own shoulders so long as the time is not favourable and one is not strong enough to be on the attack. But this is only a temporary phase in our activities. One should not hesitate to annihilate the enemy and blow him to pieces like an earthen port smashed on a rock at the earliest occasion provided by time and opportunity. In the local lores of Chanakya it is said that he was a ferocious but indigent student. Once when he was crossing a road, a bunch of wild grass obstructed his feet and he stumbled. His immediate reaction was to uproot the growth in its entirety. He did not stop with it. He burnt it with fire, mixed the whole ashes with water and drank the mixture to the last drop. Then alone he rested. Maurya the Chandragupta was watching this action of an initiate brahmin and decided then and there to make the latter as his guru. The rest is history. Magnanimity is the privilege of people who are affluent and are comfortably placed. But in the real struggle for life, we get insufferable slighting and insults from many quarters. From bosses, from colleagues, subordinates, from family members (especially from spouses and children and I am at a loss to know whether this policy would apply there.) and the list can be quit long. To just survive and retain sanity, we may tolerate many idiots. But if we make it just a habit and flow milk of human kindness everywhere chances are that one may succeed if one is a Budhdha of a Mahaatma. But the ordinary human beings that we are and considering also the persons with whom we deal with, attack to the finish is the best policy.

35 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

let me be in eternal debt मय्येव जीणर्तां यातु य�वयोपकृतं हर नरः प्रत्युपकाराथ� �वप��म�भकां�

वाल्मी�करामायण mayyeva jīrṇatāṁ yātu yattvayopakṛtaṁ hare| naraḥ pratyupakārārthī vipattimabhikāṁkṣati|| vālmīkirāmāyaṇaṁ This is an endearing statement by Lord Rama to his friend and benefactor Lord Hanumaan. " Oh you the pride of the Vanara Clan, I wish that whatever great help and assistance rendered by you to me may remain with me as very old and unreturned . Those who are eager to return a favour are in a way waiting for difficult times to come around for their old benefactors. I never wish that any bad situation should occur to you where I can think of repaying the favours done by you. This type of noble thought can arise only to an extraordinary being. We are all basically filled with vanity. Most of us help others, if not for any quid pro quo, at least to get the kick out of it..We want to drive home the point that we have helped someone...and directly or impliedly throughout our lives when we see a person for whom we had the privilege rendering some help, we never fail to point it out and derive some pleasure. But here the Maryaadhaappurushottamas wish is that His dearest friend who had rendered invaluable service and to whom he is beholden all his lifetime should never get into any trouble. Orinary logic would make the Lord to have a desire to see Hanumanji in a difficult situation so that the bhagavan because the favour received incapable of repayment puts the Lord Himself at a lower pedestal than his devotee. Yes, when we study Ramayana, we will be baffled to understand who is the greater Hero..Lord Rama or Lord Hanuman.. May be the thought is weird because both are the two facets of the infinite godhead.

36 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the real vision गावो गन्धेन पश्यिन्त वेदैः पश ब्रा�ण

चारै ः पश्यिन्त राजा च�ुभ्या�मतरे जनाः

चाणक्य सूत् gāvo gandhena paśyanti vedaiḥ paśyati brāhmaṇaḥ| cāraiḥ paśyanti rājānaḥ cakṣubhyāmitare janāḥ|| cāṇakya sūtrād

ഗാേവാ ഗേന്ധന പശ�െവൈദ : പശ�ന് ്രബാഹ് ചാൈര : പശ�ന്

രാജാന : ചക്ഷുഭ�ാമിതേര ജ : ചാണക�ന

The animals see (here meaning recognition of the kin in the herd) through the help of their sense of smell, the learned men see (here meaning the thorough perception) through learning scriptures like Vedas, the rulers see ( get ideas and information about all that is around) through the good offices of spies and agents, and the other people use just use their biological eyes to see. The master uses the word see to connote a multiplicity of meanings, like understanding, gaining deep insight, collecting useful information and not mere focussing of the liquid lens stored in a sachet made of two membranes of transparent pieces of skin. But sadly enough the average mortal does very little more that that. If fact the eye get focussed more on silly things more than things of worth. As an astute political scientist chanakya's thrust is on employing efficient spies and as a great scholar he emphasizes the importance of scriptures. We cannot deny the fact that our nose for dirty things is ever acute and we have never got out of our vestigial tendencies.

37 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Simplest art of manipulation of the herd. कालक्रमेण जगतः प�रवतर्नीय

चक्रारपं��� गच्छ�त लोकपं��ः

भार�व kālakrameṇa jagataḥ parivartanīyāḥ| cakrārapaṁktiriva gacchati lokapaṁktiḥ|| bhāravi A ruler with enough craftiness and gift of the gab can turn the whole set of subjects in his favour. Just like the long series of cranes following one another blindly in a flight,the tendency of the people is just to follow the footsteps of the persons just moving ahead of them in the row. Glibbest of the politicians have all seen into this herd psychology of the ordinary people. Even people with some intelligence, succumb to the temptation to following the majority because somehow they feel they are safer when they form the part of a chain. In reality this can be hazardous. The fireflies fly towards the burning wick in large groups. Masses succumbed to the harangue of Hitler,Goebbels, Mussolini and many others nearer home. They never understood that the goats follow the butcher believing that he is also sporting a goatee beard.. just to lose not only their beards but to transform themselves to Biriyani. The herd psychology was the bane of any organised society and the opinion leaders are always sure that the same lie told hundred times becomes gospel truth. In malayalam they say, അേ്രഗ നടക്കുന്ന േഗാവുപിന്നില്‍ നടക്കുന് േഗാക്കള when one cow just walks in a path with his head bowed all other cows fall in steps and follow. But history is replete with the stories of many who dared to be different, and only such people made any difference in this world. Take a Sankara, Mahatama or Jesus.. They dared to challenge the conservative establishment. Take Karl Marx, Castro, or the second great Sankara, the EMS..they also did the same. 38

38 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

simplest art of manipulation of the herd. कालक्रमेण जगतः प�रवतर्नीय

चक्रारपं��� गच्छ�त लोकपं��ः

भार�व kālakrameṇa jagataḥ parivartanīyāḥ| cakrārapaṁktiriva gacchati lokapaṁktiḥ|| bhāravi A ruler with enough craftiness and gift of the gab can turn the whole set of subjects in his favour. Just like the long series of cranes following one another blindly in a flight,the tendency of the people is just to follow the footsteps of the persons just moving ahead of them in the row. Glibbest of the politicians have all seen into this herd psychology of the ordinary people. Even people with some intelligence, succumb to the temptation to following the majority because somehow they feel they are safer when they form the part of a chain. In reality this can be hazardous. The fireflies fly towards the burning wick in large groups. Masses succumbed to the harangue of Hitler,Goebbels, Mussolini and many others nearer home. They never understood that the goats follow the butcher believing that he is also sporting a goatee beard.. just to lose not only their beards but to transform themselves to Biriyani. The herd psychology was the bane of any organised society and the opinion leaders are always sure that the same lie told hundred times becomes gospel truth. In malayalam they say, അേ്രഗ നടക്കുന്ന േഗാവുപിന്നില്‍ നടക്കുന് േഗാക്കള when one cow just walks in a path with his head bowed all other cows fall in steps and follow. But history is replete with the stories of many who dared to be different, and only such people made any difference in this world. Take a Sankara, Mahatama or Jesus.. They dared to challenge the conservative establishment. Take Karl Marx, Castro, or the second great Sankara, the EMS..they also did the same. the quintessence of politics

39 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

एकया द्वे �व�नि�त्य त्रीं�तुभ् कुरु

पञ्च िजत्वा �व�दत्वा षट्स� �हत्वा भव॥

महाभरथे उध्योगपवर्�न प्रजागर �वद ुरनी�तवाक्ये३३-४३ ekayā dve viniścitya trīṁścaturbhyo vaśaṁ kuru| pañca jitvā viditvā ṣaṭsapta hitvā sukhī bhava|| mahābharathe udhyogaparvani prajāgaraṇaparve viduranītivākye 33-43 With one mind and intellect, the king should decide the two things.. what is to be done according to dharma and what should not be done. The three types of persons around you, namely friends, enemies and neutrals should be brought to your control and favour using the the four means...saama..endearment through respect and negotiations, dhaana, through gifts (sometimes it may be bribes to enemies), bheda .. causing unrest and lack of faith between enemies, and danda...not sparing the rod. this can va.from minor prunishments to complete annihilation. The five sense organs of perception should be brought under control using six forms of political diplomacy sandhi, vigraha,yaana, aasana, dwa iteebhava and samshraya ( pacts, wars, visits, embassies, causing inter-se fissures, and apparent capitulation) and abstaining from the seven deadly vices --carnal desires, gambling, hunting, intoxicants, harsh words, harsh punishments, and hoarding wealth through foul means...the king or ruler should have a nice and comfortable time. Though given as a guidance from vidura to dhritaraashtra in statescraft, the political nuances are applicable to any ruler of any time. The advices should apply to all managers whatever be their level, and also to the ordinary persons ( for whom waging a war will not have much significance except when his neighbour oggles at his wife of daughters.) --

40 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

eight types of death अपमानं तथा लज्जा बन्धनम् भयमेव

रोगशोको स्मृ�तभर्ङ्गो मृत्यु�ा��वधः स्

चाणक्य ूत् स apamānaṁ tathā lajjā bandhanam bhayameva ca| rogaśoko smṛtirbhaṅgo mṛtyuścāṣṭavidhaḥ smṛtaḥ|| cāṇakya sūtrād അപമാനം തഥാ ലജ് ബന്ധനം ഭയേമവ േരാഗേശാേകാ സ്്രമിതിര്ഭന്േഗാ മൃത�ുശ് : സ്മൃ : There can be eight situations in life akin to death for a man of character and self respect. They are 1. Facing disgrace in public 2. facing a shameful scandal. 3. landing up in captivity of getting imprisonment. 4. being subjected to constant fear verging on psychological trauma. 5. misery and suffering of a nagging and prolonged illness 6. inconsolable grief ( may be like the loss of a good friend, spouse sibling, chlid or a grandchild ) 7.. loss of one's own memory, (like in situations like Alzheimer's disease (AD), 8. and of course the degeneration of the mortal body.. One has to confess that we live in a decadent society where public disgrace, scandal, imprisonment and such embarrassing situations are considered virtues for the leaders in society, especially politicians. Even going to jail for a blatantly criminal act is now compared to the great Mahatma's sojourns in British jails with the sacred aim of freeing the motherland. Bureaucrats thrive on scandals. The master of all times was conscious of the problems face by the unfortunate people who suffered from loss of memory.. this occurs to people may be from genetical factors or may be because the victim was so dignified and upright and the happenings around him are not at all in sync with his conscience and the strange human mind just shrinks into its own cocoon in a bid to escape the inescapable. Anyway our hearts should be filled with compassion and love for 41 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

such unfortunate humans. To quote Bible with minor parapharsing , if it is He today, it may be I tomorrow.

42 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

one never learns his lessons from history. मदमानसमुद्धतं नृपं न �वयुंक्�े �नय मूढता।

अ�तमूढ उदस्यते नयान्नयह�नादपरज्यते ज

भार�व madamānasamuddhataṁ nṛpaṁ na viyuṁktte niyamena mūḍhatā| atimūḍha udasyate nayānnayahīnādaparajyate janaḥ|| bhāravi A ruler drunk with arrogance and cupidity can never be free from indiscreet acts. The supremely idiotic ruler completely deviated from the policy of justice and when he is derailed from the path of righteousness the subjects abandon him once for all. This cycle has repeated too many times in history..be it ancient or contemporary. The system of administration would have changed from monarchy to democracy at least in some cases but the basic structure remains the same. The modern thoughts echo the same idea..." power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely".. Once a person tastes power in absolute terms there is a complete shift in his attitude towards others. There is arrogance on the one side and avarice on the other side. Once for all he forgets the path he has traversed and he is no longer conscious of the purpose for which he has been brought to the hot seat of power. He becomes oblivious to good sense and when he goes beyond the reasonable limits of arrogance, the victims can no longer tolerate him. Ardent followers and staunch supporters are converted en-masse to worst enemies and the tyrannic ruler finds himself in political wilderness or is often hunted like a mad dog in the streets. The tragedy is, one never learns his lessons from history.

43 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

know when to be tough समवृ��रुपै�त मादर्वं समये यस्च तन �तग्मतां

अ�ध�त��त लोकमोजसा स �ववस्वा�न मे�धनीप�तः॥

महाकवेः भारवेः �करतात ् samavṛttirupaiti mārdavaṁ samaye yasca tanoti tigmatāṁ| adhitiṣṭati lokamojasā sa vivasvāniva medhinīpatiḥ|| mahākaveḥ bhāraveḥ kiratāt A valourous ruler remains calm, cool and composed and also behaves in a benign and soft manner during periods of peace and tranquility. However when he has to face tough challenges from any quarter, he becomes really tough. In this matter he takes cue from the great Sun who is very hot and tormenting in certain seasons like summer and is very benign during other seasons. The softness or toughness of the mind should come naturally to the efficient manager. Generally we have a tendency to build up a certin image, either benigh or tough. In this process people go to the extent of befriending (or making a show it ) all and the sundry. This wonderful phenomenon can be seen in politicians especially during campaigns for vote. When visiting the abodes of prospective voters, they performing all the acts of a clown including lifting naughty children who make it a point to urinate on the white dress of the caricature. One the hustings are past they simply change their ways. No more clowns but tyrants and with no heart or qualms This paradigm shift is not the subject matter of the poet. The spontaneous behaviour of a great manager is illustrated here. The manager has to shed softness and get into action however tough it is, when the call of duty beckons. We see this great quality in the military forces world over. They dance, sing and feast when the environs are nice but set out to offer the supreme sacrifice when duty calls.

44 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

patience and non violence.

एको धमर्ः परम् श्रेयः �मैका शिन्तर �वद्यैका परमा दृ��र�हम्सैका सुखा

श्री महाभारते उद्योगपवर्�ण �वदुरनी�त त्रयि�ंसोध्याये �ो४८ eko dharmaḥ param śreyaḥ kṣamaikā śantiruttamā| vidyaikā paramā dṛṣṭhirahimsaikā sukhāvahā|| śrī mahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi viduranītivākye trayastriṁsodhyāye ślokaḥ 48 Adherence to the right path espoused by dharma alonw can lead to fame and well being of the ruler and the ruled. Only persistent patience can bring about eternal peace, the only real vision is supplied by education alone and the cardinal principle that ensures universal well being is non violence. Reads like Gandhian literature? Written three millenia ago. --

45 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

method even in madness कुत्सौहृदे न �व�ासो कुदेशे न प्रजीव कुराज�न भयं �नत्यं कुपात्रे सवर्दा

॥अ�व�स्तेष �व�ासो न कतर्व्यः॥ चाणक्यसू१८७ kutsauhṛde na viśvāso kudeśe na prajīvyate| kurājani bhayaṁ nityaṁ kupātre sarvadā bhayaṁ|| |'viśvasteṣu viśvāso na kartavyaḥ|| cāṇakyasūtraṁ 187 There can be no mutual trust in an insincere and adhoc friendship, a bad country is not good for inhabitation, to live under a vicious king is like dying every day, and if we are supporting the wrong person or cause we are always in terror, This comes by way of explanation of Chankya aphorism "One should not place his trust on the untrustworthy person." As hapless humans the circumstances are not always in our control. We all have a high percentage of unfaithful friends and in turn we are not faithful to most including those who deserve it most. The place of habitation is hardly our choice. To eke out a livelihood hundred migrate to desert area inhabited by people whose minds are worser deserts. And regrading the administration we have to live under, no words are adequate to explain. Again our adherence to ideologies and support groups are all conditioned by so many factors beyond our control.. One has to wonder aloud whether the world has turned into a much worse place from the periods of Chanakyas days of states-craft and intrigues as could be seen between Nandas and Mauryas and chanakyas and rakshasaas. Then there was a method in madness. But human civilization has grown so much that there is no method in the intrigues of life in the present day.. The stab can come from any direction, however cautious one is.

46 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

accept truth from wherever it comes यु�मु�म ् तु गृ�ीयात ् बालाद�प �वच�णः। रवेर�वषयं वस्तु �कं न द� प्रकाशयेत

(॥बालादप्यथर्जातं शृणुयात -- चाणक्यसूत्१६९) yuktamuktam tu gṛhṇīyāt bālādapi vicakṣaṇaḥ| raveraviṣayaṁ vastu kiṁ na dīpa prakāśayet|| (||bālādapyarthajātaṁ śṛṇuyāt|| -- cāṇakyasūtraṁ 169) യുക്തമുക്തം തു ഗൃഹ്നീയാത് വിചക്: രെവരവിഷയം വസ്തു കിം ന ദീപ ്രപകാശെ A man with intelligence should duly consider even the suggestions made by a small boy, if such views are appropriate. The powerful sun lights up the whole world during the day but there is night and also there are dark shadows even during the day and a small wick of a lamp can light up and reveal things in such conditions while the mighty sun may be helpless in doing that. The universal acceptance of wisdom without getting concerned overly for the source thereof is the hallmark of a prudent person.

47 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

knowledge is the light गुणदोषानशा��ः कथं �वभजते जनः।

�कमन्धस्या�धकारोि रूपभेदोपलिब्धष

दिण् guṇadoṣānaśāstrajñaḥ kathaṁ vibhajate janaḥ| kimandhasyādhikārosti rūpabhedopalabdhiṣu|| daṇḍi This is a quote from the great poet Dandi of Dasakumaaracharitam fame. How can a person without proper knowledge of the saastras reach a decision as to what is good and what is bad? How can a blind person be able to have authoritative views about the beauty of objects. My apologies to the visually impaired..Definitely the intention of the poet was not to hurt the sensibilities of any such people. There are really very great human beings who have reached the highest level of aesthetic cognizance despite visual impairment. The greater misfortune is the blindness of the brain because of the adamnant denial of entry of any light of knowledge..The master poet must have meant such blindness.

48 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

we can reach nowhere by just cursing the fate �वषमां �ह दशाम ् प्राप्य दैवं गहर नरः।

आत्मनः कमर्दोषां� नैव जानात्यपिण्

चाणक्यूत् स viṣamāṁ hi daśām prāpya daivaṁ garhayate naraḥ| ātmanaḥ karmadoṣāṁśca naiva jānātyapaṇḍitaḥ|| cāṇakyasūtrād When a person lands himself in difficult situations, he simply curses the fate. He never cares to take stock of the wrong and indiscreet series of actions on his own part which has landed himself in such dire straits. Chanakya in his aphorisms has given due weightage to the acts of fate controlling the destiny of all. But his word of caution is against whining about misfortune alone. If a person is exercising due diligence is conducting his own affairs, most of the things in life are sure to turn out nicely . It is meaningless to blame the fate repeatedly and at the same time leading a reckless life. In fact, it would be worthwhile to quote chanakya's aphorism ॥�ानवताम�प दै वमानुषदोषात ् कायार्�ण दुष्यिन चणक्य सूत १२२ |jñānavatāmapi daivamānuṣadoṣāt kāryāṇi duṣyanti|| caṇakya sūtraṁ 122 meaning "even for the most learned, attempts may end up in failure due to quirks of fate combined with human errors". No one has control over the will of God. But we can exercise reasonable control over our own actions.

49 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Promptness is the watchword आदानस्य प्रदानस्य कतर्व्यस्य च ��प्रम�क्रयमणस्य कालः �पब�त त

(काला�तक्रमात् काल एव फल�पब�त चाणक्य ूत स ्र१०८) ādānasya pradānasya kartavyasya ca karmaṇaḥ| kṣipramakriyamaṇasya kālaḥ pibati tadrasam|| (kālātikramāt kāla eva phalam pibati cāṇakya sūtram 108) In the matter of giving or receiving, determining what is to be done, and in embarking on proper action, things are to be carried out without any delay. In a delayed action, if at all it yields any fruits, such good results will be eaten away by time, meaning delay nullifies the results of good action. Promptness is the watchword.

50 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

don't laugh at the misfortune of others गच्छतः स्खलनं क्वा�प भवेदेव प्रम हसिन् द ुजर्नास्तत्र समादध�त सज्

सुभा�षतं gacchataḥ skhalanaṁ kvāpi bhavedeva pramādataḥ| hasanti durjanāstatra samādadhati sajjanāḥ|| subhāṣitaṁ when people are struggling in their tortuous journey ahead in life some steps may falter and some may fall down to rise up again and continue the journey. The wicked onlooker en route will never fail to ridicule at such helpless falls. But noble men always lend a helping hand to such unfortunate people and encourage them to forge ahead in the path of life. This sloka comes by way of vyakhyanam to the Chanakyasuutra karyavipattau doshaan varnayanti baalishaaH .. ch su 125 .. when silly people find others in a tight corner, they simply go on describing eloquently what would have gone wrong but never caring to find a way out for the victim. We have seen too many such idiotic crowds.

51 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

a drop of honey versus a bucket of gall यद�च्छ�स वशीकतु� जगदेकेन कमर्ण

परापकारसस्येभ् गां चरन्तीं �नIरय॥

चाणक्यनी�तसूत् yadīcchasi vaśīkartuṁ jagadekena karmaṇā| parāpakārasasyebhyaḥ gāṁ carantīṁ nivaraya|| cāṇakyanītisūtrād If you are genuinely interested in befriending others in the world, the one and only method is that you should prevent your cows from grazing in the fields which are lush with scandals. The allegory is taken from the primordial job of human race, that of a cowherd. Scandals and unfounded libels about colleagues and friends will be aplenty in the air like the lush growth of fodder in the uncultivated fields. If our cow has a feast of relish on such fields and is chewing the cud, the scandals become repeatedly spread causing its damage far and wide. For a moment let us forget the cow and the field. Most of us are very enthusiastic about spreading scandals and misfortunes of others, often adding a thin coat of sweet lip sympathy. Instead we should take it as our duty to douse the fires of scandal and show real solidarity with the friend when his character is being assassinated. Otherwise we are unfit to call ourselves human beings.

52 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

eat to live �मतभोजनं स्वास्थ

चाणक्यूत् स र २१८ mitabhojanaṁ svāsthyaṁ cāṇakyasūtreṣu 218 മിതേഭാജനം സ�ാസ്ഥ ചാണക�സൂ്രതം൨൧൮ temperate and controlled eating is the basis for human health. usually I am tempted to reproduce couplets or fourliners to drive home some points. I was tempted beyond limits to quote this terse aphorism of two words from the master chanakya. They are not anything new....but in these two words the guru has condensed all the wisdom about good health. The doctors and nutritionist of ensuing generations till date all held the same view, and the humans who forgot to follow this always paid the price. For temperory euphoria of the tastebuds, we eat fatty, spicy, salty and sweet foods...some more than what they could put to mouth, some more than what they could swallow. It has been a tradition amongst some gourmets to eat food, put their fingers into the mouth and cause vomit and then again eat more. Where does this end up to? It is said of a thirumeni, who had a tummy full of meals, and was offered a course of Palada Pradhaman.. The thirumeni welcomed it heartily stating that this porridge rich in mild and sweets was king of foods and when it enters the stomach, all others will give space..

53 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

appropriate deployment स्थानेष्वेव �नयोज्या�न भृत्या�ाभरणा� न �ह चूडाम�णः प्रा�ो पादादौ प्र�तबध

चाणक्यूत् स sthāneṣveva niyojyāni bhṛtyāścābharaṇāṇi ca| na hi cūḍāmaṇiḥ prājño pādādau pratibadhyate|| cāṇakyasūtrād A man of wisdom should ensure that servants and ornaments are used in the proper places. A sensible person will never think of wearing the choodamani, a head ornament, around his legs. This is in fact an ancient advice on human resources management. A manager worth his name should deploy his manpower ( here termed as servants.. even now everyone including the top executive in government is termed as a servant) with great discrimination. The person deployed should have skill, and should be suitable for the particular post. Other factors like trustworthiness, discreteness and enthusiasm for the work also should be considered. The deployment of HR should not be based on personal bias of the manager nor for the sake of some temporary personal benefits which may prove fatal to the organization or the nation in the long run. Just as one does not wear the headgear on the legs one should never keep shoes on the head even it is to please someone else.

54 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

goddess of wealth woos them उत्साहसंपन्नमद�घर्सूत्रं �क्रय व्यसनेष्वस�

शूरम ् कृत�ं दृढसौहृदं ल�मीः स्वयं मागर्�त वासहेतो

�वष्णुशमर् पञ्चतन्त ् utsāhasaṁpannamadīrghasūtraṁ kriyāvidhijñaṁ vyasaneṣvasaktaṁ| śūram kṛtajñaṁ dṛḍhasauhṛdaṁ ca lakṣmīḥ svayaṁ mārgati vāsahetoḥ|| viṣṇuśarmaṇaḥ pañcatantrāt The goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi seeks out on her own volition to have a permanent residence, people (1) who are full of enthusiasm and sense of purpose, (2) who never dither and try to procrastinate, (3) who are efficient and knowledgeable in their own professions,(4) who are not bowled over by grief but persist on their own path with determination, (5) who are bold, (6)who are never ungrateful, and (6) who value and nourish close friendships. The goddess of wealth is famous for her fickleness.. meaning no one can afford to continue to be affluent if he is not very alert. And the author of panchatantram, the most celebrated Indian collection of allegoric tales, has his clear-cut recipe for permanent affluence but the prescription is rather very stiff.

55 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

victory over the self जीयन्ताम् दुजर्या देहे �रपव��ुराद

िजतेषु ननु लोकोयं तेषु कृत्स्नस्त्वया िज परवानथर्सं�सद नीचवृ��रपत्र

अ�वदेयेिन्द्रयः पुंसां गौ�रवे�त �वधेयता

महाक�व भार�वकृते �कराते jīyantām durjayā dehe ripavaścakṣurādayaḥ jiteṣu nanu lokoyaṁ teṣu kṛtsnastvayā jitahḥ| paravānarthasaṁsiddhau nīcavṛttirapatrapaḥ avideyendriyaḥ puṁsāṁ gauriveti vidheyatām|| mahākavi bhāravikṛte kirāte We should gain absolute control over our own sense organs which are virtually unconquerable because most of the moments in our life they lead us ahead with their limited capacities and we can be led astray. If these organs are kept under absolute control (conquerors of Indriyas or sense organs are called jithendriyas) it is a mere formality that one can bring the whole world under his feet. Those who have no control over these organs, blunder through life performing any lowly avocation just with the sole aim of earning money, and sooner or later they become captives or slaves of others like the domestic animals with four legs. It is not strange that we see population of the human cows always on the increase, be it is in politics, service or even lesser avenues of human existence. 11-2-2011

56 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

speak up or be damned अमषर्शून्येन जनस्य जन् न जातहाद्द�न न �व�द्वषा �कराते महाक�वभार�वप्रस्तु amarṣaśūnyeana janasya jantunā na jātahārddena na vidviṣādaraḥ|| kirāte mahākavibhāraviprastutam A citizen who is incapable of exhibiting strong dissent against social injustice is more like a beast of burden and when he gets reconciled to such injustice as a matter of habit he loses all his respectability among learned people. One may think and dismiss this statement as cliched and redundant due to repetition. But let us think of the stark realities of life. We encounter so much of injustice around us and if possible we try to skirt the issue or procrastinate till the matter hits us on the forehead with the force of a ton of bricks. we tend to thrive on the law of inertia Those who dared to oppose, be it Arjuna, be it Jesus, be it the Prophet, be it our Mahatma, all came from the Godhead and they blazed the trail and millions followed without question. The poet Bharavi is famed to have conveyed so many nuggets of wisdom in his great Kavyam of Kirata and this is a lustrous nugget from there

-57 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

universal brotherhood जनं �बभ्र बहुधा �ववाचसं नानाधमार्णम् पृ�थवी यथौकसं सहस्रं धारा द्र�वणस्य मे घ्रुरेव धेनुर् अनपस्फुरन

अथवर्णवेदं१२-----१-४५ janaṁ bibhratī bahudhā vivācasaṁ nānādharmāṇam pṛthivī yathaukasaṁ| sahasraṁ dhārā draviṇasya me duhāṁ ghrureva dhenur anapasphurantī|| atharvaṇavedaṁ 12-----1-45 The mother earth nestles in her bosom various races of people speaking different languages and following different religions and creeds according to variation in terrain and other environmental factors, with equal affection. May she bless us with immense wealth and prosperity like the milch cow which never fails in blessing us all with her nectar without any discrimination. The greatness of this mantra is in acknowledging the fact that the earth is inhabited by people of different languages and faiths and that unreserved tolerance and goodwill among such different races is a precondition for the well being of all because the Mother earth treats all her inhabitants with equal care just like the mother Cow who does not discriminate between its own calf and other living beings while gushing forth her milk for the nourishment of all. This exactly is the reason while the cow as well as the earth are both termed "gau' in sanskrit. which again came as cow in English. 58 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the glorious path स्विस्त पन्थानं अनु च सूयार्चन्द्रमसा पुनर् दधतध्नत

जानता सं गमेम�ह॥

ऋग्वेदम्५--५१--१५ svasti panthānaṁ anu carema sūryācandramasāviva| punar dadhatadhnatā jānatā saṁ gamemahi|| ṛgvedam 5--51--15 O men, let us tread the most righteous path like the one traversed by the sun and moon. Let our role models and leaders in our path be the benevolent men who take pleasure is giving, who are highly learned and and whose learning has transformed itself into very deep knowledge. The primordial veda here stresses on the righteous path to be followed in life. Whatever may be the provocation the Sun and the Moon never deviate an inch from their path ordained by the Almighty. If any detour occurs, the result will be the annihilation of universe. And the three great souls we should keep company are the one who is ready to help others with all he has, the man who revels is acquiring knowledge and the one who understand what he learns and put such knowledge to proper use.

59 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

hoarding of food, the worst sin मोघम ् अन्नं �वन्दते अप्रच सत्यं ब्रवी�म वध इत्स नायर्मणं पुष्य�त नो सखा केवलाघो भव�त केवलाद�॥

ऋग्वेदं१०--११७--६ mogham annaṁ vindate apracetāḥ satyaṁ bravīmi vadha itsa tasya| nāryamaṇaṁ puṣyati no sakhāyaṁ kevalāgho bhavati kevalādī|| ṛgvedaṁ 10--117--6 േമാഘം അന്നം വിന്ദെത അ്ര : സത�ം ്രബവീമി വധ ഇത്സ നാര�മണം പുഷ�തി േനാ സഖായം േകവലാേഘാഭവതി െകവലാദീ ഋേഗ�ദം ൧൦൧൧൭ ൬ Only the most unwise person will grow or obtain (and hoard) food-grains all for himself because it is not going to serve him any worthy purpose. This I say for sure. Such hoarding is the harbinger of death for him. By such action he will not share his food either with a friend or a comrade. And he who eats up everything all by himself is also committing sin all by himself. Please note.. sharing the resources with the comrade became the war-cry in the west with the advent of socialism and communism. But the first veda which set us our code of conduct declares unequivocally that the products from the earth are there for all to share. It has declared it as the greatest sin for one is not to share his food with his friends and comrades. The Indian of the yore was not capable of being selfish. Every prayer, every law, every advice recorded by him was for the benefit of all..

60 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

one is what the company he keeps गवाशनानां स शृणो�त वाक्यमह �ह राजन्��रत मुनीनाम ्।

न तस् दोषो न च मद्गु वा संसगर्ज दोषगुणा भविन्॥

श् शुकः gavāśanānāṁ sa śṛṇoti vākyamahaṁ hi rājanścaritaṁ munīnām| na tasya doṣo na ca madguṇo vā saṁsargajā doṣaguṇā bhavanti|| śrī śukaḥ There are two parrots. One is in the company of eaters of cow's meat. The second (the narrator here) is always in the company of ascetics. The former is always hearing the conversation of those people and the invectives contained therein. The latter is always listening to the expostulation of scriptures and lofty thoughts by the learned sages. In due course the former parrot spews out the garbage it has listened to and the latter is talking quoting great thoughts. The parrot confesses that his colleague is not uttering garbage because of any inherent evil in him or that he himself is repeating great words not because of any inherent merits of his own. The company of the evil people makes the former to utter bad words, and the company of the learned seers makes him utter great words. It is only the effect of the company one keeps. संसगर्ज दोषगुणा भविन् samsargajaa doshagunaaH bhavanti is an oftrepeated quote. This is the full form of the narration. In the contemporary context, one should find it difficult whether it is evil to eat cow's meat. But the Indian of the yore respected and worshipped the cow as a goddess and mother. My apologies if it does not seem palatable to anyone. But the fact remains that company of the bad makes one bad and vice-versa.

61 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

The insufferable grief is ignorance. य� उवाच

�कं मोहः प्रोच्यते राजन् क� मानः प्रक�� �कमालस्यं च �व�ेयं क� शोकः प्रक��तर यु�ध��र उवाच

मोहो �ह धमर्मूढस्त्वं मानस्त्वात्मा�भम धमर्�निष्क्रयताऽऽलस्यं शोकस्त्व�ान

सगर्ः२९७ �ोकाः ७४-७५ महाभारते आरण्यकपवर्�ण य�प yakṣa uvāca kiṁ mohaḥ procyate rājan kaśca mānaḥ prakīrtitaḥ| kimālasyaṁ ca vijñeyaṁ kaśca śokaḥ prakīrtitaḥ|| yudhiṣṭhira uvāca moho hi dharmamūḍhastvaṁ mānastvātmābhimānitā| dharmaniṣkriyatā''alasyaṁ śokastvajñānamucyate|| sargaḥ 297 ślokāḥ 74-75 mahābhārate āraṇyakaparvaṇi yakṣapraśne In the encounter between the god of death in the form of a Yaksha and his son the yudistira the king(the famous yaksha prasna episode of Sri Mahabharatham, ) the wise king answers to four queries of the yaksha like this the questions of yaksha (1) what is lack of knowledge? (2) what is vainglorious attitude? (3) what is unpardonable laziness and (4) what is the real grief? Yudishtira answers. (1) Not knowing one's own duties is the worst ignorance. (2) Excessive consciousness of self- importance leads to vainglorious attitude (3) Laziness of the worst form is inaction where one's duty is to act with diligence, (4) The insufferable grief is ignorance.

62 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

never insult a person कदाऽ�प पुरुषम् नावमन्य

चाणक्यूत स २०६ kadā'pi puruṣam nāvamanyeta cāṇakyasūtre 206 കദാപിപുരുഷം നാവമാേന�ത ചാണക�ന I am quoting a cryptic aphorism by chanakya.. just three words .. but the advice is of universal application. Simply, Never insult a person. For every human being, rich or poor, influential or innocent, his personal dignity is the greatest possession he has. The bosses, official or politica, parents children when they are grown up and independent, all resort to this most unpleasant tactic. Once a person has been insulted, the damage is done fore ever. No amount of apologies or compensations can make good the breach. To insult a person is a sureshot way to gain an inveterate foe. Let us see how fair our Maker the God is.. He has created people of different capabilities with his own exalted designs. Who are we to compare or question His Judgement. A personal confession.. I am sure I have never lived upto this advice. I have dished out too many insults and taken insults in equal number. Only God can judge.

63 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

learn to earn quick नालसाः प्राप्नुवन्त् यथार्न् न शठाः न च म

न च लोकरवात ् भीताः न च �ः �ः प्रती�का

चाणक्य nālasāḥ prāpnuvantyarthān na śaṭhāḥ na ca māninaḥ| na ca lokaravāt bhītāḥ na ca śvaḥ śvaḥ pratīkṣakāḥ|| cāṇakyaḥ The idle people can never earn money, so is the case with the obstinate and the arrogant. Those who are overly afraid of scandals from public and other sources also cannot come by riches. The worst category of people who are confined to eternal poverty are the ones who simply persuade themselves to believe that the affluence will come by itself tomorrow or the day next. A mendicant or an ordinary human being can afford to be poor by choice. This advice of Chanakya is especially to the ruler of a country and the persons who handle the public resources

64 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

आत्मनो बलम�ाय धमार्थर्प�रविजर्

अलभ्यिन्मच्छन्नैष्कम्यार्त् मूढबु�द्ध

�वद ुरनीती ātmano balamajñāaya dharmārthaparivarjitam| alabhyanmicchannaiṣkarmyāt mūḍhabuddhirihocyate|| viduranītī ആത്മേനാ ബാലമജ്നായ ധര്മ്മാര്‍ഥ് അലഭ�മിച്ച്ചന്‍ ൈനഷ്കര്‍മ�ാത് മൂഡ്ബുദ്ധ വിദുരനീതി One who does not take realistic stock of his strengths and foibles, and having given a go by to the thought of virtue and financial viability of an action, is simply waiting eagerly for things which are unattainable, and at the same time is remaining inactive always, is an idiot of the first order. Three great truths of life are enunciated here.. 1. One should be always realistic when evaluating ones own strength and weaknesses. 2. One should embark on a project which is strictly lawful and at the same time viable withing his financial capacity. 3. One should not pine for something unattainable especially when he chooses not to take any positive attempt towards attaining a goal When it is put by Vidhura or any other great soul the statement looks very appealing. And all across the world the same ideas have been reiterated by the masters to the disciples. But when applying the rules in real life we flounder. I think it was Shelley who said,"We look before and after and pine for what is not"

65 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the fool knows no limits. आत्मनो बलम�ाय धमार्थर्प�रविजर्

अलभ्यिन्मच्छन्नैष्कम्यार्त् मूढबु�द्ध

�वद ुरनीती ātmano balamajñāaya dharmārthaparivarjitam| alabhyanmicchannaiṣkarmyāt mūḍhabuddhirihocyate|| viduranītī ആത്മേനാ ബാലമജ്നായ ധര്മ്മാര്‍ഥ് അലഭ�മിച്ച്ചന്‍ ൈനഷ്കര്‍മ�ാത് മൂഡ്ബുദ്ധ വിദുരനീതി One who does not take realistic stock of his strengths and foibles, and having given a go by to the thought of virtue and financial viability of an action, is simply waiting eagerly for things which are unattainable, and at the same time is remaining inactive always, is an idiot of the first order. Three great truths of life are enunciated here.. 1. One should be always realistic when evaluating ones own strength and weaknesses. 2. One should embark on a project which is strictly lawful and at the same time viable withing his financial capacity. 3. One should not pine for something unattainable especially when he chooses not to take any positive attempt towards attaining a goal When it is put by Vidhura or any other great soul the statement looks very appealing. And all across the world the same ideas have been reiterated by the masters to the disciples. But when applying the rules in real life we flounder. I think it was Shelley who said,"We look before and after and pine for what is not"

66 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

brain sharper than the arrow. एकम ् हन्यान्नवा हन्या�दषुमुर्�ो धनुष बु�द्धबुर्�द्धमतोत्सृ�ः राष्त्रं हिन

चाणक् ekam hanyānnavā hanyādiṣurmukto dhanuṣmatā| buddhirbuddhimatotsṛṣṭaḥ rāṣtraṁ hanti sanāyakaṁ|| cāṇakya It is possible that even an arrow shot by the most efficient marksman may miss its target and may fail to kill. But the sparks of intelligence emitted by the highly learned and efficient people, if they are oriented against a nation and the king, would without fail cause the destruction of the whole kingdom with its leader . The arrow here represents the brute force.. which may fizzle out at the target, but an intellectual giant will never miss his mark. This statement is attributed to Chanakya and the master himself was a living testimony for this point of view. Without wielding any weapons he dethroned the Nanadas and established the Maurya dyanasty.

67 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

glitters but not gold चत्वा�र रा�ा तु महाबलेन वज्यार्न्याहुः पिण्डतस्ता�न � अल्पप्र�ैः सह म न्त्रम् न कुयार्न्न द�घर्सूत्रैः

�वद ुरनी�तः catvāri rājñā tu mahābalena varjyānyāhuḥ paṇḍitastāni vidyāt| alpaprajñaiḥ saha mantram na kuryānna dīrghasūtraiḥ rabhasaiścāraṇaiśca|| viduranītiḥ chatwaari rajnaa thu maahaabalena varjyaanyaahu panditastaani vidhyaat alpaprajnaih saha manthram na kuryaanna diirghasuutraih rabhasaischaaranaicha The learned people should always keep in mind that the King or the administration which is strong and decisive, should by all means shun advise and counsel from four types of people 1. those with limited knowledge but who think that they are great scholars. 2. those who have made procrastination and inventing excuses as their lifestyle. 3. those who are impulsive and never think of consequences of their words 4. those who are deceitful, and hand out advice which would be sweet and agreeable to the senses for the present but would cause irreparable damage in the long run This advice would apply with equal force for the ordinary people also.

68 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

hide but spread your antennae नास्य गु�ं परे �वद्युः �छद्रम् �वद्यात् गूहेत ् कू मर् इवाङ्गा�न यत्स्या�द्ववृतम

कौ�टल�य अथर्शाश्त ् nāsya guhyaṁ pare vidyuḥ chidram vidyāt parasya ca| gūhet kūrma ivāṅgāni yatsyādvivṛtamātmanaḥ|| kauṭilīya arthaśāśtrāt നാസ� ഗുഹ�ം പെര വിദ�ു : ച്ഹി്രദം വിദ�ാത് പരസ ഗൂേഹത് കൂര്‍മ്മ ഇവാന്ഗാനി വിവൃതം ആത് : അര്‍ത്ഥശാ An efficient administrator should ensure that his adversaries and enemies do not make any inroads into his confidential matters. At the same time he should be adroit enough to manage leakage and defeat of the machinations of his adversaries. That way he is advised to remain like a tortoise who is always alert but remains unobtrusive drawing all his organs into his own tough shell. The advise of the great political guru is significant ever and ever and today we see this caution manifesting in the tough battle of wits between administrators on the one side and right to information, wikileaks etc., on the other side.

69 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

frog and its well द्वा�वमौ ग्रसते भू�मः सप� �बलशया अर��तारं राजानं ब्रा�णम् चाप्रवा�

�वद ुरनीत्या dvāvimau grasate bhūmiḥ sarpo bilaśayāniva| arakṣitāraṁ rājānaṁ brāhmaṇam cāpravāsinaṁ || viduranītyāṁ ദ�ാമിവവ് ്രഗസെത ഭൂമി സര്‍േപാ ബിലശയ അരക്ഷിതാരം രാജാ ്രബാഹ്മണ അ്രപവാസിന വിദുരനീതി A king who fails to protect his subjects and a man of knowledge who is not inclined to travel far and wide to spread his knowledge would be swallowed by the earth unceremoniously just as a serpent enters the hideouts of creatures like rats and gobbles them up. The king (government which) who is not capable of protecting his(its) people is only a liability for himself and others and goes into oblivion sooner or later. Similarly knowledge has any virtue only if it is handed out to others all over the world. It in not rare to see people who read a lot, learn a lot but just confine themselves to their own isolated circle. They will also pass into oblivion. We hear of the Koopa mandookam...the frog which thinks that the well in which it resides is the universe. Travel is the best way to spread knowledge (of course it is the best means to acquire knowledge)

70 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

अ�श�यं शािस्त यो राजन् य� शून्यमुपासत कदय� भजथे यस्च तमाहुमूर्ढचेतस

�वद ुरनी�त महभारथे उद्योगपवर्�ण प्रजागरण अद्--३३ �ो--३८ aśikṣyaṁ śāsti yo rājan yaśca śūnyamupāsate| kadaryaṁ bhajathe yasca tamāhurmūḍhacetasaṁ|| viduranīti mahabhārathe udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇa parvani adyā--33 ślo-38 Vidura's another gem of advice to the King... He is an idiot of the firs order, who (1) tries to punish someone who does not deserve punishment, (2) who pays obeisance to an even greater idiot, (3) who waits on the doors of a miser of the class of shylock or scrooge, waiting for financial favours. വിദുരനീതിയില പറയുന്ശിക്ഷാര്‍ഹാനല�ാ ശിക്ഷിക്കുന , മണ്ടശിേരാ ◌ികെള ആദരിക്കുന്നപിശുക്കനമുന്നി യാചിക്കുന്നവിഡ്ഢികളിലു വച് ഏറ്റം വിഡ്ഢിക

71 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

one-word answers य� उवाच

�कं िस्वदेकपदं धम् �कं िस्वदेकपदं यशः

�कं िस्वदेकपदं स्वग �कं िस्वदेकपदं सुखं यु�ध��र उवाच

दा�यमेकपदं धम्य� दानमेकपदं यशः

सत्यमेकपदं स्वग्य� शीलमेकपदं सु

श्रीमहाभारथे आरण्यपवर्�ण य�प २९७ �ोका�न ५० ५१ yakṣa uvāca kiṁsvidekapadaṁ dharmyaṁ kiṁsvidekapadaṁ yaśaḥ| kiṁsvidekapadaṁ svargyaṁ kiṁsvidekapadaṁ sukhaṁ|| yudhiṣṭhira uvāca dākṣyamekapadaṁ dharmyaṁ dānamekapadaṁ yaśaḥ| satyamekapadaṁ svargyaṁ śīlamekapadaṁ sukhaṁ|| śrīmahābhārathe āraṇyaparvaṇi yakṣapraśnāt 297 ślokāni 50 51 The yaksha asks yudishtira.. 1. which is the first or foremost attribute of dharma. 2. which is the first and foremost path to fame? 3. Which is the first and foremost route to heaven? ;and 4. Which is the first and foremost source of welfare? Yudhishtira answers 1.Being liberal and not rigid is the foremost attribute of dharma. 2. Being lavish in gifts is the path to fame. 3.Absolute honesty is the route to heaven; and 4. unblemished and excellent character is the source of welfare. The questions and answers are so crisp that no one could explain it more. 72 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

doubly distilled idiots संसारय�त कृत्या�न सवर्त्र �व�च�कत �चरं करो�त ��प्राथ� स मूढो भरतषर श्री महाभरते उद्योगपवर्�ण प पवर्�

�वद ुरनीत्या अ ३३---�ो ३४ saṁsārayati kṛtyāni sarvatra vicikitsate| ciraṁ karoti kṣiprārthe sa mūḍho bharatarṣabha|| srī mahābharate udyogaparvaṇi prajāgaraṇa parvaṇi viduranītyāṁ a 33---ślo 34 സംസാരയതി കൃത�ാനി സര്‍വ്രത വിചികര ചിരം കേരാതി ക്ഷി്രപാര്‍െത്ത സ മൂേഡാ വിദുരനീതി Vidhura is addressing his elder brother and King, Dhritaraashtra, the scion of the Bharatha race.. A person who divulges to others the details of confidential duties assigned to him, one who is doubtful and suspicious in every work and who will take years and months to complete a work which can be performed in a very short time, he is called a worthless idiot. I am all praise for the farsightedness of Vidura in predicting the work culture of a government servant of some twenty five centuries later. Vidura called the persons endowed with the qualities of loose tongue, unwanted suspicion and inveterate procrastination as worthless idiots. But these are the admirable qualities we find in most of us who are in the payroll of the Government.. I do not know whether the work ethics of persons in private employment are better. --

73 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

if they don't have bread, let them eat cake वासुदेव जरा क�ं क�ं धन�वपयर्यः

पुत्रशोकस्ततः क�ं क�ाद् क�तरं �

महाभारतात ् vāsudeva jarā kaṣṭaṁ kaṣṭaṁ dhanaviparyayaḥ| putraśokastataḥ kaṣṭaṁ kaṣṭād kaṣṭataraṁ kṣudhā|| mahābhāratāt വാസുേദവ ജരാ കഷ്ടം കഷ്ടം ധനവി : പു്രതേശാക : തത കഷ്ടം കഷ്ടാത് കഷ്ടത മഹാഭാരതം This is from the coverstaion of an old man (Dhritharaasthra) with the blessed lord Krishna. " Advanced age is a great difficulty. Decline in wealth also makes one miserable. The loss of a son or separation from him is still more heartbreaking. But the misery that tops all other miseries is hunger" The pathetic truth contained herein would strike one like a thunderbolt. One gets old and his physical and mental faculties get depleted. In such a doddering condition usually the source of income also stops.(pensioners are slightly luckier). This is the time when one is in need of the soothing hands of a son. But this is the time when the son grows up and becomes self-sure.. The youth can be lost in battles and other calamities or can leave one either in estrangement or in search of livelihood. But the greatest suffering is when one is deprived of food. Hunger was the cause of all major revolutions in human history. It was to feed the hungry that Draupadi got the boon of akshayapaatram from the sungod. It is for the same reason that the lord keeps everyone in his stomach.. when any food or water is offered to Daamodara the Krishna, it feeds every living being. For the same reason the lion called Bharathi roared..த்நிமநித�க்� உண� இல்ைலெயன்றால் உ அள�ததி�ேவாம thanimanithanukku unavu illayendral ulagaye alithiduvom..

74 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

kill these four bedbugs य� उवाच

�कं नु �हत्वा �प्रयो भव�त �कं नु �हत्वा न शो

�कं नु �हत्वाऽथर्वान् भव�त �कं नु �हत्वा सुखी भवे यु�ध��र उवाच

मानं �हत्वा �प्रयो भव�त क ्रोधम् �हत्वा न

कामं �हत्वाऽथर्वान् भव�त लोभम् �हत्वा सुखी भवे

महभारते य�प्र ५८--५९ २९७ सग� आरण्यकपवर् yakṣa uvāca kiṁ nu hitvā priyo bhavati kiṁ nu hitvā na śocati| kiṁ nu hitvā'rthavān bhavati kiṁ nu hitvā sukhī bhavet|| yudhiṣṭhira uvāca mānaṁ hitvā priyo bhavati krodham hitvā na śocati| kāmaṁ hitvā'rthavān bhavati lobham hitvā sukhī bhavet|| mahabhārate yakṣapraśne 58--59 297 sargaṁ āraṇyakaparvaṇi This is an interesting question-answer session between the Yaksha (who is fact is the Dharmaraaja) and yudhistira, the Dharmaputra. The yaksha makes four queris 1. abandoning what does one becomes the beloved of all? 2.abandoning what one is saved of all sorrows? 3. abandoning which one becomes the richest? and 4. abandoning which one becomes extremely comfortable? The equally wise son of that brilliant querist, answers that:1. if arrogance is abandoned, one becomes the darling of all, 2. abandon uncontrollable rage and ones sorrows also are packed of with it. 3. abandon lust and ones wealth will remain with himself. and 4. abandon avarice and eagerness to hoard everything for oneself and become very calm and comfortable. The questions and answers are classically lucid and no better comments can be ever made

75 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

a good wife holds the key य� उवाच

धमर्मथर्�काम� परस्पर �वरो�ध

एषाम ् �नत्य�वरुद्धानाम् कथमेकत्र यु�ध��र उवाच

यदा धमर्स्च भायार् च परस्परवशान

तदा धमार्थर्कामानं त्रयाणाम�प सङ yakṣa uvāca dharmamarthasca kāmasc paraspara virodhinaḥ| eṣām nityviruddhānāṁ kathamekatra saṅgamaḥ|| yudhiṣṭhira uvāca yadā dharmasca bhāryā ca parasparavaśānugau| tadā dharmārthakāmānaṁ trayāṇāmapi saṅgamaḥ|| The above extract from the celebrated Yaksha Prasnam in Mahabharatham, when during the sojourn in forest by the pandavas, Yudhistira got thirsty and asked his younger brothers to fetch water, and the brothers from sahadeva to bhima went to a lake to take water. One by one they were warned by a bird told each not to drink water without answering the queries raised by it. All the four defied the birds request and fell dead. Ultimately Yudhistira himself went to the lake and he realized that the bird was not an ordinry being but a Yaksha in incognito. He respectfully started answerin all the questons. The questions and answers have emerged a great treatise on human rule of conduct. The yaksha is making a query...virtue, welath and desire are three mutually conflicting factors in human life. In pursuing virtue on can face a situation where his wealth is depleted and his personal desires are challenged to their detriment often. The query is as to how these three can be balanced to have a good life. Yudhistira has a very learned answer. The day to day good deeds of a man are mostly under the silent guidance of his wife. Besides the domestic finance cannot be managed without the active support of the good wife..And for an honest man all his desires are fulfilled and enjoyed in the happiness of his wife. Thus if one man has a discerning and wise lady as his wife..there will be absolute control of all his varied aspects of life. Some of my friends queried as to whether there is any mention extolling the excellence of a wife in our scriptures, when I had quoted from neetisaaram earlier, where the danger of having bad wife was described . This is perhaps 76 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the answer to it through yaksha prasna.

77 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

nothing changes him न हृष्यत्यात्मसम्माने नावमानेन त

गाङ्गो ह्रद इवा�ोभ्यो य पिण्डत स उ

महाभारते उद्द्योग पव �वद ुरनीत्या ३३ २६ na hṛṣyatyātmasammāne nāvamānena tapyate| gāṅgo hrada ivākṣobhyo ya paṇḍita sa ucyate|| mahābhārate uddyoga parvaṇi viduranītyāṁ 33 26 ന ഹൃഷ�ത�ാത്മസമ്മാെന നാവമാേനന ത ഗാന്േഗാ ്രഹദ ഇവാേക്ഷാേഭ�ാ യ പണ്ഡിത സ വിദുരനീതി He alone is the man of true knowledge who does not overly rejoice when accolades visit him in plenty and does not get dejected when insults are thrown at him in equal quantities. He is like a deep lake formed in the estuaries of Ganges, which remains unaffected whether the river itself is in spate or it is facing a lean season. Equanimity is a quality most extolled in our culture. One can venture to draw a parallel in the Blessed Lord's decalaration in Gita..."dukheswanudwignamanaah...(2..56) one who is not depressed by sorrows and one who is not elated at comfort, he is called the man of stable mind and he is the sage."

78 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

control begins at home एकस्यैव �ह योऽश�ो मनसः सिन्नबहर् मह�ं सागरपयर्न्तां कथं �वजेष्य�त

चाणक्यसूत् ekasyaiva hi yo'śakto manasaḥ sannibarhaṇe| mahīṁ sāgaraparyantāṁ sa kathaṁ hyavajeṣyati|| cāṇakyasūtrād ഏകൈസ�വ ഹി േയാ അശേക്താ മ : സന്നിബര് മഹീംസാഗരപര�ന്ത സ കഥം ഹ�വെജഷ�തി ചാണക�ന "सम्पा�ततात्मा िजतात्मा भवsampātitātmā jitātmā bhavati" is the exact formula of Chankya. The person who is in absolute control of himself and his inner faculties become the victor over the world. By way of explanation, the above quote is given. If a person is not able to have control over the mind is within himself , how is he going to be capable of ruling the whole earth which has only the oceans as her limits. The idea of a philosopher king is canvassed here. If we see our history and scriptures, we could see that major downfalls, genocides and man-made calamities all had its source in the impulsive and immature mind of some ruler or leader or a coterie or junta of such immature persons. It was for this reasons that proper education and discipline were prescribed as a precondition for a person to be a king or a preceptor. It was for the same reasons that ancient kings like Rama employed ascetics like Vasishta to guide and advise them in the matters of state.

79 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the happy husband �ववादशीलाम ् स्वयमथर्चो�रणी परानुकूलाम ् प�तदोषभ�षणीं॥ अग्राशनीमन्य गृहप्रवे�

भाया� त्यजेत् पुत्रदशप्रसू�

नी�तसारं vivādaśīlām svayamarthacoriṇīṁ| parānukūlām patidoṣabhaṣiṇīṁ|| agrāśanīmanya gṛhapraveśinīṁ| bhāryāṁ tyajet putradaśaprasūtikāṁ|| nītisāraṁ വിവാദശീലാം സ�യം അര്‍ത്ഥേചാര പരാനുകൂലാം പതിേദാഷഭാഷിണീം അ്രഗാശനാം അന� ഗൃഹ്രപേവശിന ഭാര�ാം ത�േജത് പു്രത ദശ ്രപസൂതി നീതിസാരം One should give up his wife even if she had borne for him ten boys, it she is always argumentative, who is herself stealing the wealth of her own husband, who alwasy favours others and in vocal in publishing the foibles of the husband , who always eats to her hearts content, never waiting for the husband ,and who spends most of her times in gossip by visiting the homes of others. It would be a funny coincidence that I found and quoted this sloka because 24 years ago it was on this day that I married my wife. Though she did not give me ten sons, she gave my only son who is as good as ten. But for minor error quotients, my wife has not indulged in any of the above happy pastimes and so our marriage progresses from strength to strength with passing time.

80 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

a friend indeed करा�वव शर�रस्य नेत्रयो�रव प�म

अ�वचायर् �प्रयं कुयार्त् तिन्मत्ं �मत र

चाणक्य सूत् karāviva śarīrasya netrayoriva pakṣmaṇi| avicārya priyaṁ kuryāt tanmitraṁ mitramucyate|| cāṇakya sūtrād He is the true friend who looks after our welfare without any hesitations or reservations, just like the hands go to the rescue of the body impulsively or the lashes protect the eyes by reflex. It is very easy to be a friend when conditions are favourable and boasting of friendship is of personal advantage. But when the fortunes of a person are on the decline most of the so-called friends vanish or excuse themselves. But the hands do not hesitate even in spite of the possible damage to them if the body is facing some threat. So also the lashes do not think before protecting the eyeballs. It would be worthwhile to remember what Chanakya said elsewhere...."a true friend is one who keeps us company even when we are summoned by the king for some trial and punishment, or one who is accompanying us to the burial ground either when we are carrying the body of a very dear person, or are being carried away to the burial ground"

81 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

rain in the ocean अप्रगल्भस्य या �वध्या कृपणस्य च यच्च बाहुबलं भीरोः व्यथर्मेतत् त्रयं

भोजप्रबन ् बल्लालदेवस apragalbhasya yā vidhyā kṛpaṇasya ca yaddhanaṁ| yacca bāuhubalaṁ bhīroḥ vyarthametat trayṁ bhuvi|| bhojaprabandham ballaladevasya അ്രപഗല്ഭ യാ വിദ�ാ കൃപണസ� ച യദ് ധന യച്ച ബാഹുബലം ഭീേ : വ�ര്ത്ഥ്േമതത് ്രതയം േഭാജ്രപബന These three things are sheer waste in this world. Knowledge of a person who is not capable of putting such knowledge to appropriate use. Wealth in the hands of a miser and excessive body strength possessed by a coward. Mere knowledge which is not applied through proper action or by suitable imparting will remain unseen and unnoticed and the scholar may live long to die in obscurity. If someone has immense wealth and he is always hesitant to spend even a penny, the wealth will either get stolen or when he dies will go away to somebody and will be wasted freely. Through heavy eating and with or without exercise one can possess immense physical strength. But if the person is a mere coward with no strength of mind or sense of purpose such great power will go completely waste.

82 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

keep the cake and eat it too फलं पापस्य नेच्छिन्त पापम् कुवर्िन्त

फलं पुण्यस्य चेच्चिन्त पुण्यम् नेच्छिन्त

चाणक्यूत् स phalaṁ pāpasya necchanti pāpam kurvanti yatnataḥ| phalaṁ puṇyasya ceccanti puṇyam necchanti mānavāḥ|| cāṇakyasūtrād ഫലം പാപസ�േനച് ഛനപാപം കുര്‍വന്തി : ഫലം പുണ�സ� േചച്ഛ്ന്തി പുണ�ം േനച് ഛന്ത : ചാണക�ന people commit sinful activities with great effort but they never want to face the consequence of such sins. They always expect the bounties of virtuous acts to be showered on them but they have no inclination to perform any virtuous action. It is really a funny state of mind germane in all of us. We would not hesitate to commit any sin if we can get away with it. But we are always waiting for good fortune, godspeed and peace ,which are stemming from acts of virtue to visit us..Funnier people among us also attempt to expiate their sins by visiting pilgrim centres or by handing out alms..in the hope that the sin will disappear. We entertain the foolish hope that slaughtering a cow can be compensated by free gift of leather shoes to the so called holy men. Is it not better not to eat too much and avoid problems in the tummy than to gobble up everything and getting the malady treated by a doctor? At the same time, if we are advised to be virtuous, the very idea will be scoffed. However, without being virtuous, if we can have some shortcut to earn all the good results of such action, we will jump at the idea with all enthusiasm. We always want the cake to be intact and we want to eat it too.

83 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Like king, like subjects. -रा�� ध�मर्�ण ध�मर्�ाः पापे पापाः समे समा राजानमनुवतर्न् यथा राजा तथा प्रजा

॥चाणक्यूत्र स rājñi dharmiṇi dharmiṣṭhāḥ pāpe pāpāḥ same samāḥ| rājānamanuvartante yathā rājā tathā prajāḥ|| |hāṇakyasūtrād|| രാജ്ഞി ധര്മിണി ധര് : പാേപ പാപാ : സേമ സമാ : രാജനമനുവര്‍തയഥാ രാജാ തഥാ ്രപജ : ചാണക�ന when the king (or the administration) is the upholder of virtue and uprightness, the subjects also will have the same qualities. When the administration is sinful, the country will be full with sinners. When the administration observes equanimity, the populace is also balanced. To sum up, the subjects take the king (or administration) as role model for their conduct. Like king, like subjects. The axiom yatha raaja thatha prajaa is often repeated... The source for this also is the Master political scientist, Chanakya. Orwell,s works "nineteen eighty four" and " the Animal Farm are reflections of this axiom in the contemporary life. --

84 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Decisions taken under the influence of anger can result only in self destruction �शवमौपा�यकम ् गर�यसीं फल�नष्प��मदू�षतायतीं

�वगणय्य नयिन्त पौरुषम् �विजतक्रोधरया िजग

भारवेः �कराताजुर्नीयात śivamaupāyikam garīyasīṁ phalaniṣpattimadūṣitāyatīṁ| vigaṇayya nayanti pauruṣam vijitakrodharayā jigīṣavaḥ|| bhāraveḥ kirātārjunīyāt ശിവം ഓപായികം ഗരീയസീം ഫലനിഷ്പത്തിം അദൂഷിതായ വിഗണയ്യ നയന്തീ െപൗരുഷം വിജിതേ്രകാധരയാ ജ ; കിരാതാര്‍ജുനീ ഭാരവി This is an excerpt from one of the five mahakavyaas of Sankrit, Kiraatarjuneeyam of Bharavi. The famous storyline is taken from Mahabharatham, starting from the exile and sojourn in forest for the Pandavas. Even while in forest, the noble King Yudishtira and his brothers and the queen hear about the prosperity of their arch enemy Duryodhana. The brothers and the queen are raring for revenge. But the words of wisdom come from the King Dharmaputra. Those whose aim in life is to attain success and prosperity( which are eternal, strategic, of immense value, which yield rich results aplenty, which are earned through blemishless action), lead their heroic lives setting aside the tendency to act in thoughtless rage since such action will destroy whatever advantages they already possess. True, the byproducts of Royal eminence are really splendid. But to attain one's aims one has to think well before embarking on acrimonious actions. Decisions taken under the influence of anger can result only in self destruction

85 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

inept counsel destroys all एकं �वषरसो हिन्त श�ेणैक� वध्यत

सराष्त्रं सप्रजम् हिन्त राजानं मन्

�वद ुरनी�तः ekaṁ viṣaraso hanti śastreṇaikaśca vadhyate| sarāṣtraṁ saprajam hanti rājānaṁ mantravisravaḥ|| viduranītiḥ ഏകം വിഷരസം ഹന്തി ശസ്േ്രതണ ഏകശ്ച സരാ്രഷ്ടം സ്രപജം ഹന്തി രാജാനം മ് : വിദുരനീതി a potion mixed with poison can kill a man (god, it should not be socrates everytime) or a single arrow can be the cause of death for one person (again hopefully it is not always abhimanyu) but bad counsel by ministers kills the king along with his nation and all his subjects. Behind the ruin of every great person there would be a posse of advisers and yes men. History has proved this beyond an iota of doubt. But can you find an establishment without nasty advisors be it a council of ministers for the state to the headquarters officers or secretaries for the administrative heads in lower but powerful hierarchy?.. The advisors will eat up the boss, the subordinate setup and in the process perish themselves.

86 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Experience has no substitute even in assembly न सा सभा यत्र न सिन्त वृ

न ते वृद्धाः ये च न वदिन्त ध नासौ धम� न यत्र सत्यम

न तद् सत्यं यच्छलेनाभ्युप

चाणक्यूत्र स na sā sabhā yatra na vṛddhāḥ na te vṛddhāḥ ye ca na vadanti dharmaṁ| nāsau dharmo na yatra satyamasti na tad satyaṁ yacchalenābhyupetaṁ|| cāṇakyasūtrāṇi ന സാ സഭാ യ്രത ന വൃദ : ന േത വൃദ് : െയ ച ന വദന്തി ധര ന അസവ് ധര്‍േമാ ന യ്രത സത� ന തദ് സത�ം യത് ച്ഹേലന അഭ�ുേ ചാണക�ന An assembly for administration is inadequate if it is not represented by scholars wizened by age and experience. The elders who do not expound virtue cannot be treated as wise and grown up. It is not to be treated as virtue if it is not buttressed by truth. And truth cannot be a contraption with external brilliance with contents ridden by deception...meaning half-truths and ad-hoc truths are not to be given the status of pure truth. The political astuteness of the Master stands out here. Human beings, however brilliant they are intellectually, however erudite they are, they can reach the apex of brilliance of thought and discretion onlly as they attain ripe age. Experience has no substitute. Consider the ages of our Presidents, Prime Ministers, Judges of the apex court and so on. May be the exceptions 87 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

are Shankara or Jesus.. But they are godheads with no age. Mere greying of hair does not make one an old gentleman. We have seen many gerontocracies in autocratic juntas. And politicians with nothing to their credit other than the donkey years reaching the legislative fora are also not rare. But the master prescribes advanced age only because with advancing age the knowledge and sense of virtue and detachment will get ripened. And whatever may be the virtue of an action if that action is not based on truth, then it cannot be a virtue. And most important, the truth mentioned here should be absolute and not what was propagated by Rasputins and Goebbels as also many of their contemporary avatars.

88 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

beware of taxmen तानीिन्द्रया�ण अ�वकला�न तदेव सा बु�द्धरप्र�तहता वचनं त

अथ�ष्मणा �वर�हतः पुरुषः �ण

सोऽप्यन्य एव भवती�त �व�चत्रम

भोजप्रबन ्ध tānīndriyāṇi avikalāni tadeva nāma sā buddhirapratihatā vacanaṁ tadeva| arthoṣmaṇā virahitaḥ puruṣaḥ kṣaṇena so'pyanya eva bhavatīti vicitrametad| bhojaprabandham| താനീ ഇ്രന്ദിയാണി അവികല തേദവ നാമ സാ ബുദ്ധിര്രപതി വചനം തേദവ അര്‍ത്ഥ ഊഷ്മണാ വ : പുരുഷ: ക്ഷേ സ: അപി അന� : ഭവതിവിചി്രതെമത േഭാജ്രപബന A man may retain the same undistorted limbs. He may retain his intellectual eminence. He may talk with the same eloquence. But once the life giving heat of wealth and affluence has taken leave of him, he becomes an entirely different man, it is indeed very strange. Ballaladeva simply wonders at the worldly truth. When one man is rich, he is called beautiful, wise, eloquent and what not. But if misfortuned strikes and his bank balance evaporates, he becomes a total stranger to this world. So beware of Income-taxmen. They have the knack of ensuring that your bank balances evaporate. --

89 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

know how to spend न दातुं नोपभोक्थुं वा शक्नो�त कृपणः �श् �कन्तु स्पृश�त हस्तेन नपुम्सक इव ि

भोजप्रभन्ध na dātuṁ nopabhokthuṁ vā śaknoti kṛpaṇaḥ śriyaṁ| kintu spṛśati hastena napumsaka iva striyaṁ|| bhojaprabhandhāt ന ദാതും േനാപേഭാക്തും വാ

സക്േനാതി ക : ്രശിയ

കിന്തു സ്പര്‍ശതി നപുംസക ഇവ സ്്രതി േഭാജ്രപബ o The wretched miser is not capable either giving away or enjoy the fruits of his immense wealth. He will be always touching the golden coins with affection just like a eunuch touching a beautiful woman.. Wealth for a man who neither knows how to give it away or enjoy it himself is simply another eunuch. The eunuch can touch or embrace a beautiful woman but nothing happens. --

90 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

haunted house द ु�ा भायार् शठ �मत्रं भृत्यः च-दायकः।

स-सप� च गृहे वासो मॄत्युर् एव न संशय॥

चाणक्यनी�तसारात duṣṭā bhāryā śaṭhaṁ mitraṁ bhṛtyaḥ cottara-dāyakaḥ | sa-sarpe ca gṛihe vāso mṝtyur eva na saṁśayaḥ|| cāṇakyanītisārāt ദുഷ്ടാ ഭാര�ാ o മി്രതം ്രഭുത് ഉത് ദായക സസര്‍േപ്പ ച ഗൃേഹ വാേസാ മൃത�ുര്‍ ഏവ ന ; ചാണക�ന Living in a house infested with, (1) a wicked wife (2) an arrogant and idiotic friend (3) with menials who will talk back with you rather than obeying you. (4) which is ofen visitied by snakes like cobra... is a sure path to terrible death.. The parameters are effective jointly and severally

91 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

quest for knowledge यस्य कृत्यम् न �वघ्निन्त शीतम ुष्णम् भयं सम�ृ द्धरसमृ�द्धवार् स वै पिण्डत

�वद ुरनी�त yasya kṛtyam na vighnanti śītamuṣṇam bhayaṁ ratiḥ| samṛddhirasamṛddhirvā sa vai paṇḍita ucyate|| viduranīti യസ� കൃത�ം ന വിഘ്നന്തി ശീതമുഷണം ഭയം സമൃദ്ധിരസമൃധ് സ ൈവപണ്ഡിത ഉച� വിദുരനീതി He is the thoroughly learned scholar whose forays into the world of muse cannot be blocked by hot climate or cold, fear or carnal desires, prosperity or absence of it. Pursuit of knowledge is a path of absolute bliss. In this journey one's mind and spirit sore to dizzy heights. Minor impediments as listed by vidhura cannot dampen the quest for knowledge/ -- NB On some days I include the list of my coworkers also...the list will sometimes overlap with my main friends list...I am not knowing what is happening at all. If some of you are not interested can you please inform me?. These dry old sayings can have no comparison with the multimedia magic we see. And I am using red green and blue only because my mother India lives in thoset colours Some feedback once in a while might prove that I am not a rotten fool as I usually consider myself. Thanks, Friends.

92 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

crushed balls

अव्यापारेषु व्यापारं यो नरः कतुर्�मच् स एव �नधनं या�त क�लोत्पाट�व वानरः पञ्चतन्त avyāpāreṣu vyāpāraṁ yo naraḥ kartumicchati| sa eva nidhanaṁ yāti kīlotpāṭīva vānaraḥ|| pañcatantram അവ�ാപാെരഷു വ�ാപാരം േയാ : കര്‍ത്തും നര സ ഏവ നിധനം യാതി കീേലാത്പാടീവ വാന : പഞ്ചത് "Anyone who tries to poke into matterswhich are none of his business, meets his end, just like the monkey whotried to remove the wedge." Near the city limits, a temple was being builtby the son of a business man. In the noon time, the carpenters working on that, used togo into the city for lunch. One day suddenly a group of monkeyswhile roaming came to that place. One of those carpenters had put a wedge in middleof a half-cut arjuna tree log. The monkeys started playing with the trees and logs asthey wished.One of those monkeys whose death was near, sat on that half-cut log and startedremoving the wedge from that. As the wedge moved out, the monkey's hanginggenitals went into the gaps of the log, got trapped and the monkey got killed. I have lifted the translation from one of the texts meant for young children. The meaning and message are quite clear and without cliches. Most of us human beings cannot forget the genes of our forefathers. And so 93 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

most of the time we are nosey about the business of others. In place and out of place we always think, interfere with and criticize the day to day business of others. Such opinions are given gratis. We fail to understand the irritation that such favourite pastime on our parts causes to others. The punchline is that at least once in our lives we wag our tongues in the wrong place too often and get the same parts as our granfather monkey get crushed. We eminently deserve it

94 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the two sweetest letters "�म" "त्" शोकारा�तप�रत्राणम् प्री�त�वस्रम् केन र��मदं सृ�ं �मत्र�मत्य�रद्

बल्लालदेवस भोजप्रबन्ध śokārātiparitrāṇam prītivisrambhabhājanaṁ| kena ratnamidaṁ sṛṣṭaṁ mitramityakṣaradvayam|| ballāladevasya bhojaprabandhāt േശാകാരാതി പരി്രതാണം ്രപീതി വി്രസംഭഭാ േകന രത്നമിദം സൃഷ്ടം മി്രതമിത�ക് േഭാജ്രപബന who has created the wonderful and sweet gem in two letters mi tram (�म त्) meaning a friend?... That gem is our talisman against fear and enemies. It is the repository of all our affection and absolute confidence. Here the poet compares a dear friend to a rare gem. Some gems are believed to fulfil all the desires of the one who possessed them. Here the friend is the remover of one's grief and a protector against one's enemies. Showering all our affection and confidence on such a friend will be a tribute which is thoroughly inadequate. One who possesses such a friend is fortunate beyond words and thought. There are limitations in any sort of relationship. One may be circumspect in sharing all his secrets even with his own wife or son. But when it comes to a dear friend, no barriers will exist. A true friend can be one's ardent fan and at the same time he can be the worst critic also. I feel even the elevated vision of poesy becomes inept to describe the phenomenon of friendship. Krishna is the property of everyone but Arjuna holds preference shares in this institution because he is Krishna's friend.

95 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the needs to know principle तस्मान्नास्य परे �वद्युः कमर् �किम्चित्च आरब्धारस्तु जानीयुः आरब्धं कृतमेव

कौ�तल�य अथर्शा� tasmānnāsya pare vidyuḥ karma kimcitcikīrṣitaṁ| ārabdhārastu jānīyuḥ ārabdhaṁ kṛtameva vā|| kautilīya arthaśāstraṁ തസ്മാത് നാസ� പെര വിദ : കര്‍മ്മ കിഞ്ചിത്ച് ആരബ്ധസ്തു ജാനീ : ആരബ്ധം കൃതേമവ െകൗടിലീയ അര്‍ത്ഥ ശാ when new state projects are at the stage of planning, only the inner circle of planners should have any knowledge about it. Once an action plan is prepared, the persons in charge of execution should know about it in detail and should implement it effectively and the public should know it in a hazy way during the execution but they should have full knowledge only about the finished project. This is the view of the most astute statesman the world has ever produced..... Kautilya the Chanakya. But where does the state secrets stand today. Investigative journalism, paparaazzi, right to information, political pressures extraneous to the goal.... I think democracy has its plus and minus points, because a project with too much of publicity can never succeed. Of course the law enforcing authorities world over still follow the dictum of Kautilya very meticulously.

96 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Where else to search for celbrations? मरणम ् मङ्गलम् यत्र �वभू�त� �वभूष

कौपीनं यत्र कौशेयम् सा काशी केन मीयत

भोजप्रबन ् भल्लालदेवकृत maraṇam maṅgalam yatra vibhūtiśca vibhūṣaṇaṁ| kaupīnaṁ yatra kauśeyam sā kāśī kena mīyate|| bhojaprabandham bhallāladevakṛtaṁ മരണം മംഗളം യ്രത വിഭൂതിശ്വിഭൂഷണം െകൗപീനം യ്രത െകൗേശയ സാ കാശീേകന മീയെത േഭാജ്രപബന who can measure the greatness of the divine city of Kaasi? Death is a great celebration there. The ashes from the pyre are the most valued adornments. The loincloth is celebrated as greater than the most valuable silk garment and worn as such. Yes, the presence of parameswarsa the lord of Lords Shiva makes all the differencce. Leaving the mortal coils lying at one of the ghats of varanaasi, when the lord is taking you on his laps and chanting the thaarakamanthram..what greater celebration can be there for a human being. The lord, the source of all wealth and source of all blessings is ever present there smearing his body with the ashes taken from the funeral pyres, wears a mere loin cloth and dances around.. Where else to search for celbrations?

97 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

substance should take precedence over source यु�मु�म ् तु गृ�ीयात ् बालाद�प �वच�णः। रवेर�वषयम ् वस्तुः �कन्न द�पः प्रकशय

चाणक्यसूत्र yuktamuktam tu gṛhṇīyāt bālādapi vicakṣaṇaḥ| raveraviṣayam vastuḥ kinna dīpaḥ prakaśayet|| cāṇakyasūtrāt യുക്തയുക്തം തു ഗൃഹ ബാലാദപി വിചക് : രെവരവിഷയം വസ്ത : കിന്ന ദ;്രപകാശെയ ചാണക�ന when an opinion which is buttressed by logic and wisdom comes from even a young boy it will be accepted by the discerning scholar. Is it not a fact that some things which may not be discovered in the glare of the full sun may be discovered under the light of the wick of a lamp?

98 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

goat to the altar अ�ं नैव गजं नैव व्याघ्रं नैव न चैव

अजापुत्रो ब�लं दध्यात् दैवो दुबर्लघा aśvaṁ naiva gajaṁ naiva vyāghraṁ naiva na caiva ca| ajāputro baliṁ dadhyāt daivo durbalaghātakaḥ|| അശ�ം ൈനവ ഗജം ൈനവ വ�ാ്രഘം ൈനവ ന ൈചവ അജാപുേ്രതാ ബലിം ദധ�ാ ൈദേവാ ദുര്ബ്ബലഘ This is a common saying.. I could not trace the work or kavya in which this couplet appears.. But he value of it and the sarcasm contained therein are thought provoking. No one kills a Horse in sacrifice. No one ventures to finish an elephant for this pupose.. The tiger is nowhere in the list. But the baby goat always finds its way to the sacrificial altaars. One has to wonder whether the gods are excessively keen to devour the weaker beings. The innocent quip gains many dimensions when see in in the light of an organisational set up, or in politics. In an organization the fellow who makes a lot of showmanship, or a muscleman or the roaring boss are are all safe. The silent plodder with be the sacrificial goat. Even in social meets, the noisy, messy and the voluble get their due but the silent gentleman is brushed aside. Politics, after all is a game of deception and gift of the gab and nothing but continuous manipulation. However, politicians always hold some sacrificial goats in their front rows. so that the thrashes received gratis are enjoyed by them while the real foxes can taste blood.

99 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

collection and recovery आदेयस्य प्रदेयस्य कतर्व्यस्य च

��प्रम�क्रयमाणस्य कालः �पब�त स

बल्लालदेवस्य भोजप्रबन ādeyasya pradeyasya kartavyasya ca karmaṇaḥ| kṣipramakriyamāṇasya kālaḥ pibati sampadaḥ|| ballāladevasya bhojaprabandhāt ആേദയസ� ്രപേദയസ� കര്തവ�സ� കര്‍ : ക്ഷി്രപം അ്രകിയമാണസ� : പിബതി സമ്; േഭാജ ്രപബനബല�ാല േദവന In the matter of some payments and collection of money and performance of the duties attached to it if the proper action is not taken very quickly, the entire wealth or money will be eaten away by time and there will be nothing left to pay or receive. The above statement has eternal relevance. If a moneylender advances some money and keeps quiet, the possibility of recovery for him is bleak. If a borrower falls into the trap of a clever lender and makes delay in repayment, the former will be reduced to penury because the interest payable will be of multiple magnitude in comparison to the borrowed capital. It should be an eye opener to the tax regime, especially the tax recovery officers...If some tax is determined as due and the taxpayer procrastinates, it will be the duty of the tax collector to enforce payment immediately using all the powers at his disposal...even using powers that are not available with him. We will see in the fiscal history of all civilised nations huge amounts by way of tax arrears lying in litigation and it would be found that after decades of litigation, when the law decides in favour of Revenue, there will be no one left to pay. And even if the due is to be collected the huge interest attached to it will bring the taxpayer to complete annihilation by eating away all his wealth in litigation , fee for the lawyer and ultimately the payment of the dues. So quick action is the only effective weapon with the recovery officer. He can take a few lessons from the story of one brahmin named Nakshatriya. King Harischandra had promised some money to be paid to Sage Viswamitra in connection with a sacrifice. The wily sage had arranged through some rats to empty the coffers of the King. The king was unable to pay off. The sage deputed his assistant Nakshatriya as the recovery officer. The Brahmin proved himself to be well cut for the job. Every morning, midday and evening and if the king is awake in the night. at that time also, he would knock at the 100 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

doors of the king and demand the money and would warn in great detail what would be the consequence of non payment. Further he would dish out choicest abusive words also along with such warnings.. Ultimately the king had to sell off whatever he had and run away for life followed by his wife and only child So every tax collector should pay respects to Nakshatriya and follow his path if they have to be successful in their jobs.

101 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the child nonpareil

आलोक्य मातुमुर्खमादर

स्तन्यं �पबन ्तम् सरसीरु तत्फुल्लवक ्थ्रम् श�दन् र

बालं मुकु न्दं मनसा स्मरा ālokya māturmukhamādareṇa stanyaṁ pibantam sarasīruhakṣam tatphullavakthram śaradinduhāsaṁ bālaṁ mukundaṁ manasā smarāmi ആേലാക� മാതുര്‍മുഖം ആദേ സ്തന�ം പിബന്തം സരസീരുഹ തത് ഫുല�വ്രക്തം ശരദിന് ബാലം മുകുന്ദം മനസാ സ്മര Today is the children s day in India.. Every mother's greatest wish in her life is to have a son like Krishna.. My pranams to Mukunda, the child, who is feeding himself on the breast of His fortunate mother yasodha, always casting a respectful glance at her face.. his full red lips and the glow of the autumn moon emanating from there as his sweet smile.. every child is the embodiment of that Krishna.. my best wishes to all the children and their fortunate mothers.

102 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

hail to enemies

जीवन्तु मे शत्रुगणाः सदैव येषां प्रसादात् सु�वच�ण।

यदा यदा मे �वकृ�तं भजन्ते तदा तदा मां प्र�तबोधयि चाणक्यनी�तसूत ् jīvantu me śatrugaṇāḥ sadaiva yeṣāṁ prasādāt suvicakṣaṇo'ham| yadā yadā me vikṛtiṁ bhajante tadā tadā māṁ pratibodhayanti|| cāṇakyanītisūtram

ജീവന്തു േമ ശ്രതു : സൈദവേയഷാം ്രപസാദാ സുവിചക്ഷേണാ യദാ യദാ േമ വികൃതിം ഭജേന്ത തദാ തദാ മാം ്രപതിേബാധ ചാണക�ന long live my adversaries, critics and enemies, for I have become thoroughly learned because of their bounty. Whenever they critcise adversely on my works and actions they are making me realize my weaknesses and making me more effective. Even for an autocratic statesman like Chanakya, the respect for the opposition was germane in his psyche. It is for this reason that he forced Rakshasa, his strongest enemy of all times to become the prime minister of Chandraguptha Maurya, ever overlooking Chanakya himself.

103 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the eternal soul न जायते �म्रयते वा कदा�च

नायम ् भूत्वा भ�वता व न भूयः। अजो �नत्यः शा�तोयम् पुराण न हन्यते हन्यमाने शर�र

भगवद्गी na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit nāyam bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ| ajo nityaḥ śaśvathoyam puranṇaḥ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre|| bhagavadgītā It is never born, it will never die, it was present right from eternity and it will be there for ever, the soul is an imperishable phenomenon, and it does not find an end when the body dies. The words are also eternal..Arjuna is miserable as he feels that he will have to kill many of his kith and kin and also see many die in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Krishna, The Blessed Lord spells out this eternal truth to erase for ever Arjuna's illusion that he is capable of killing anyone. The medium is Arjuna but the message is to the whole mankind for eternity.

104 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

spark and the dried wood एकेन शुष्कवृ�ेण द�मानेन व��न

द�ते �ह वनं सव� कुपुत्रेन कुलम् यथ

चाणक्यनी� ekena śuṣkavṛkṣeṇa dahyamānena vahninā dahyate hi vanaṁ sarvaṁ kuputrena kulam yathā|| cāṇakyanīti ഏേകന ശുഷ്കവൃേക്ഷന ദഹ�മാെനന വഹ ദഹ�െത ഹി വനം സര്‍വം കുപുേ്രതന ക യഥാ ചാണക�ന when a single dried up tree catches fire in a forest, the wildfire spreads and the whole forest is gutted. Similarly if one single idiot is born as a son in the family, the entire family goes to ruin. The son-effect has lead many to ruin, be it in politics, be it in business or any other field of activity.

105 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

think twice before taking the plunge गुणवदगुणवद्वा कुवर्ता कायर्

प�र�ण�तरवधायार् य�तः पिण्डते अ�तरभसकृतानां कमर्णामा�वप�ेर

भव�त हृदयदाह� शल्यतुल्यो �वपा

भ� ृर्हरेः नी�तशतकात guṇavadaguṇavadvā kurvatā kāryamādau pariṇitiravadhāryā yatnataḥ paṇḍitena| atirabhasakṛtānāṁ karmaṇāmāvipatter bhavati hṛdayadāhī śalyatulyo vipākaḥ|| bharttṛhareḥ nītiśatakāt ഗുണവദഗുണവദ�ാ കുര്‍വതാ കാര�മാ പരിണിതിരവധാര�ാ യത്ന : പണ്ഡിേ അതിരഭസ കൃതാനാം കര്‍മണാമാവിപെ ഭവതി ഹൃദയദാഹീ ശല�തുേല�ാ വിപാക : ഭര്‍തൃഹരി നീതിശത A discerning person should always consider the pros and cons and long term consequences of any endeavour he is starting. Any action performed in great haste can in the long run lead to consequences which may burn his heart forever like a sharp and poisonous dart (or arrow) It would appear that men of wisdom of all ages were always wary of hasty actions . The same idea has been repeated by all great seers..Bharavi said.." sahasaa vidatheedha na kriyaam.. nothing should be done on an impulse".. chanakya said.. " avicharya na vakthavyam.. one should not utter a word without proper deliberation" . In the judicial systems of any cultured society, hasty actions without proper application of mind are frowned upon and such actions are struck down mercilessly. And I am sure every human being will have some such actions to his credit, and they would be causing permanent heartache, enmities, sense of guilt.. True, some arrogant persons never review their actions and have gone beyond any sense of remorse. But then it is a big question whether such persons can be included in the list of human beings. -106 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the body is poisoned, O jackel, beware हस्तौ दान�वविजर्तौ श्रु�तपुटौ सारस्वतद

नेत्रे साधु�वलोकनेन र�हते पादौ न तीथ� गत अन्यायािजर्त�व�पूणर्मुदरं गव�ण तुङ्गं

रे रे जम्बुक मुञ्च मुञ्च सहसा नीचं सु�नन्द्यम्

चाणक्यात hastau dānavivarjitau śrutipuṭau sārasvatadrohiṇau netre sādhuvilokanena rahite pādau na tīrthe gatau| anyāyārjitavittapūrṇamudaraṁ garveṇa tuṅgaṁ śiro re re jambuka muñca muñca sahasā nīcaṁ sunindyam vapuḥ|| cāṇakyāt The advice is addressed to a jackal who lives on dead bodies and is all set to devour the carcass of a wicked fellow... O Jackal, please leave that body alone for your own safety. While alive it did move its hands in charity, its ears were enemies of cultured words, its eyes never cared to have a glimpse of lofty persons or things in this world, its pair of legs never moved in pilgrimmage, its belly was always excessively full with food obtained from wealth earned unjustly, its head was always held upright with extreme arrogance. and such a body is only worthy of derision. Even a cadaverous animal if it tasted the dead body of an evil fellow, would suffer.

107 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

enmity will ruin us आ�द्वेषान्भवेन्मृत्युः परद्वेष

राजद्वेषाद्भवेन्नाशो ब्र�द्वेष

चाणक्यनीतेः उद्धृ āptadveṣānbhavenmṛtyuḥ paradveṣāddhanakṣayaḥ| rājadveṣādbhavennāśo brahmadveṣātkulakṣayaḥ|| cāṇakyanīteḥ uddhṛtam ആപ്തെദ�ഷാഭേവതമൃത�ു പരെദ�ഷാദ് ധനക രാജെദ�ഷാത് ഭാേവത്നാേശാ ്രബഹ്മെ കുലക് If one incurs the enmity of a person who was very close to him and shared many secrets, the consequence can be as bad as death. If one persists on inimical exchanges with others they will become his enemies in due course and he will be divested of all his wealth. If one incurs the wrath of the Government, he will ultimately face serious damages and if one rubs the learned people on the wrong side and receive their curses, his whole clan will perish.

108 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

this is the real stuff

सत्यम् तपो �ानम�हम्सता �वद्वत् प्रणामं च सुशीलत एता�न यो धारयते स �वद्वा

न केवलं यो प�ठतः स �वद्वान

सुभा�षतशतकत्र satyam tapo jñānamahimsatā ca vidvat praṇāmaṁ ca suśīlatā ca| etāni you dhārayate sa vidvān na kevalaṁ yo paṭhitaḥ sa vidvān|| subhāṣitaśatakatrayaṁ

സത�ം തേപാ ജ്ഞാനംഅഹിംസതാ വിദ�ത് ്രപണാമം ച സുശീലതാ ഏതാനി േയാ ധാരയെത സ വിദ�ാന ന േകവലം േയാ പഠിത : സ വിദ�ാന

സുഭാഷിതശതക്രതയ The noble qualities like truthfulness, sincere penance, deep knowledge, nonviolence, profound respect for the learned and sterling character make a great scholar. Mere reading and memorizing of volumes after volumes of books are not sufficient to make one learned. --

109 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Rama and nothing else... �नदर्स्युरभवल्लोको नानथर्ः कं�चदसl्

न च स्म वृद्धाः बालानाम् प्रेतकायार्�ण ll सव� म�ु दतमेवासीत्सव� धमर्परोऽभवत

राममेवानुपश्यन्तो नाभ्य�हंसन्परस आसन्वषर्सहस्रा�ण तथ पुत्रस

�नरामया �वशोकास्च रामे राज्यं प्रशा

रामो रामो राम इ�त प्रजानामभवत् कथा रामभूतं जगदभूत ् रामे राज्यं प्रशा

श्रीमद्वाल्मी�करा उपसंहार�ोके भ्य nirdasyurabhavalloko nānarthaḥ kaṁcidaspṛśat na ca sma vṛiddhāḥ bālānām pretakāryāṇi kurvate sarvaṁ muditamevāsītsarvo dharmaparo'bhavat| rāmamevānupaśyanto nābhyahiṁsanparasparaṁ| āsanvarṣasahasrāṇi tatha putrasahasriṇaḥ| nirāmayā viśokāsca rāme rājyaṁ praśāsati| rāmo rāmo rāma iti prajānāmabhavat kathāḥ| rāmabhūtaṁ jagadabhūt rāme rājyaṁ praśāsati śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe upasaṁhāraślokebhyaḥ Today is Deepavali. Many legends are attached to this national celebration. Killing of Narkaasura is one of them. It is also believed that when Rama came back to Ayodhya in all glory after his sojourn in the woods for fourteen years, the affectionate subjects decorated the whole kingdom with lights to herald the arrival of the greatest hero of all times. To wish all my friends a happy Deepavali I quote below the extracts from Vaalmikiraamayanam describing the long saga of life of welfare enjoyed by the people of our country when Rama was Ruling. "There were no thieves. No untoward incidents happened in the lives of any of the subjects. There arose no occasion for an elderly person to perform the last rites of small children. Happiness was everywhere. There was no aberration from virtues. Taking Rama as the role model no one could even think of being acrimonious to others. People lived for thousand years with thousands of pro genies, all without illness and without any reason to be unhappy. The talks among the subjects was always in praise of the one and only Rama. Thus the entire world became the embodiment of the greatest of the great, Rama." 110 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

No honour or celebration can be superfluous when it is in the name of Rama. Rama is above any caste creed or religion and is for the entire universe.

Wish you all a very happy and blessed Deepavali in the name of those cherished memories of Rama.

111 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

you cannot hide from them मुनेर�प वनस्थस्य स्वा�न कमार्�ण कु उत्पद्यन्ते त्रयः प�ाः �मत्रोदा

पञ्च त्वानुग�मष्यिन्त यत्र यत्र

�मत्रण्य�मत्राः मध्यस्थाः उपजीव्य

�वद ुर नी�त munerapi vanasthasya svāni karmāṇi kurvataḥ utpadyante trayaḥ pakṣāḥ mitrodāsīnaśatravaḥ| pañca tvānugamiṣyanti yatra yatra gamiṣyasi mitraṇyamitrāḥ madhyasthāḥ upajīvyopajeevanaḥ|| vidura nīiti മുേനരപി വനസ്ഥ്സ� സ�ാനി കര്‍മാണി ക : ഉതപദ�േന്ത ്: പക്: മിേ്രതാദാസീനശ്ര: പഞ്ച ത�നുഗമിഷ�ന്തി യ്രത യ്രത ഗ മി്രതാന�മി്ര മദ്ധ�സ: ഉപജീേവ�ാ ഉപജീവിന : വിദുര നീതി even if a person is living in a remote forest as an ascetic minding his own business, there appear three types of intrusions-- from friends, neutrals and enemies. Five things accompany you wherever you wish to go. Friends, neutrals (neither friends nor enemies) enemies, your means of livelihood and those who depend for livelihood on you. If one is to lead a peaceful life in the midst of the above five inevitable tags attached to him permanently, he has to be tolerant, and should never frugal in handing out sweet words if not anything else.

112 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

education tops the list of advantages �व�ं बन्धुः वयः कमर् �वद्या भव�त पञ एता�न मान्यस्थाना�न गर�यो�ु�रो�र

चाणक्यूत् स vittaṁ bandhuḥ vayaḥ karma vidyā bhavati pañcamī| etāni mānyasthānāni garīyohyuttarottare|| cāṇakyasūtrād വിത്തം ബ ; വയ: കര് : വിദ�ാ ഭവതി പഞ്ച ഏതാനി മാന�സ്ഥാനാനിഗരിേയാഹ�ുത്തേര ചാണക�ന the following advantages in their order of ascending priority makes a person occuppy high stations in life. The first is money. The second is having proper and influential relatives. Third advantage can be the age. Fourth trait can be the capacity to perform. But the greatest of the advantages is proper education. The master underlines the supremacy of vidya.

113 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the source never gets depleted गृ�न्तु सव� य�द वा यदेच्

नािस्त ��तः क्वा�प कवी�राणाम र�ेषु लु�ेषु बहुष्वमत्य

अद्या�प र�ाकर एव �सन्ध

सुभ�षतशतकत्र gṛhṇantu sarve yadi vā yadecchaṁ nāsti kṣatiḥ kvāpi kavīśvarāṇām| ratneṣu lupteṣu bahuṣvamārtyaiḥ adyāpi ratnākara eva sindhuḥ|| subhaṣitaśatakatrayaṁ ്രഗുഹ്ണന്തു സര്‍േവ യദി വാ നാസ്തി ക്ഷതി ക�ാപി കവീശ�രാ രത്െനഷു ലുപ്െതഷു ബഹുഷ�മര് അദ�അപി രത്നാകര ഏവ സിന സുഭാഷിതശതക്രതയ let the people devour to their hearts' fill from the wisdom of the divine poets. The source can never get depleted. while churning the milky ocean the gods took away all the gems they could lay their hands upon from the Ocean. Still even today the ocean retains the status of the treasury of all valuable gems.

114 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

experiences worse than death

साधु�ीणां द�यत�वरहे मा�ननो मानभङ्ग

सल्लोकानाम�प जनरवे �नग्रहे पिण्डता अन्योद्रेके कु�टलमन �नगुर्णानां �वदेश

भृत्याभावे भव�त मरणं �कन्तु सम्भा�वतान

भ� ृर्हरेः नी�तश्तका sādhustrīṇāṁ dayitavirahe mānino mānabhaṅge sallokānāmapi janarave nigrahe paṇḍitānāṁ| anyodreke kuṭilamanasāṁ nirguṇānāṁ videśe bhṛtyābhāve bhavati maraṇaṁ kintu sambhāvitānāṁ|| bharttṛhareḥ nītiśtakāt സാധുസ്്രതീo ദയിതവിരെഹ മാനിേനാ മാനഭന േഗ സേല�ാകാനാമപി ജനരേവ നി്രഗെഹ പണ്ഡിതാ അേന�ാെ്രദെക കുടിലമനസാ നിര്‍ഗുണാനാം വിേദ ഭൃത� അഭാേവ ഭവതി മരണം കിന്തു സംഭാവിതാന According to Bharthruhari death or a condition worse than that, occurs for all practical purpose for some people under some situation:For the chaste woman on separation from her dear husband For a dignified and self-respecting person when his dignity is challenged. For noble persons when they are scandalized. For the learned persons when they are openly defeated in a scholarly debate. For the wicked fellows when they find others reaching high levels of fortune or welfare. For the idiots with no knowledge and skill when they land up in foreign terrains. For the rich persons who are used to pomp and pelf when they are deprived of the service of the menials.

115 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

neither tonsure nor matted hair will make the king रा�ो �ह द ु��नग्रहः �श�प�रपालनं च धमर न पुनः �शरोमण ु ्डनम् जटाधारणम् वा

चाणक्य सूत् rājño hi duṣṭanigrahaḥ śiṣṭaparipālanaṁ ca dharmaḥ| na punaḥ śiromuṇḍanam jatādhāraṇam vā|| cāṇakya sūtrād രാജ്േണാ ഹി ദുഷ്ടനി : ശിഷ്ടപരിപാo ച ധര് ; ന പുന : ശിേരാമുണ്ടനം ജടാധികം The duty of a King is annihilate the evil people and protect the law abiding subjects. Neither tonsure of the head nor sporting matted hair will act as substitues for these duties. The master is at his sarcastic best here. The function of a ruler is to safeguard the interests of his kingdom. Spending time with barber or makeupmen will not stand substitute for this duty. Somehow the exhibition of fiddling talents by Nero the emperor at the time of Rome being gutted comes to mind.

116 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

they forget the routine things अथार्तुराणाम् न गुरुर् न बन्धुः कामातुराण न भयं न लज्जा

�वद्यातुराणाम् न सुखम् न �नद्रा �ुधातुराणाम् न रु�चर् न

सू��सुधाकरं arthāturāṇām na gurur na bandhuḥ kāmāturāṇām na bhayaṁ na lajjā| vidyāturāṇām na sukham na nidrā kṣudhāturāṇām na rucir na veḻā|| sūktisudhākaraṁ അര്‍ത്ഥ ആതുരാണാമ് ന ഗുരുര്‍ ന ബന്ധു കാമാതുരാനം ലജ് വിധ�തുരാനാം ന സുഖം ന നി്രദാ ക്ഷുധാതുരാനാം ന രുചിര്‍ സൂക്തിസുധാ for one whose sole aim is to amass wealth, the preceptors or relatives are of no consequence. One caught by lust simply loses all sense of shame and caution and he has no fear. One whose aim is to acquire knowledge simply forsakes all comforts and even sleep. And for the hungry man he wants food but is oblivious of either taste or the time.

117 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

cuckoo vs donkey वाङ्ग्माधुयार्त् सवर्लोक�प

वाक्पारुष्य सवर्लोकोऽ�प्रयत को वा लोके को�कलस्योपकार को वा लोके गद्दर्भस्याप

सुभ�षतशतकत्रयं॥। प्रस् आषर्�वद्यामिन vāṅgmādhuryāt sarvalokapriyatvaṁ vākpāruṣyāt sarvaloko'priyatvaṁ| ko vā loke kokilasyopakāraḥ ko vā loke garddabhasyāpakaraḥ|| subhaṣitaśatakatrayaṁ||| prastutiḥ ārṣavidyāmandiraṁ വാങ്ങ്മാധുര�ാത് സര്‍വവ്േലാക വാക്ക് പാരുഷ�ാത് സര്‍വേലാക അ്ര േകാ വാ േലാേക േകാകിലസ� ഉപകാര : േകാ വാ േലാേക ഗര്ദ്ദഭസയ അപ : സുഭാഷിത ശതക്രതയ ഒരു ആര്ഷവിദ�ാലയ ്രപസിദ്ധീ Everyone adores a person who always utters sweet words. A person with harsh words is abhored. The sweetness or harshness need not be any special virtue. It is just in human nature to listen to sweet words, even when they are not worth a penny. Harsh utternace which may be of great value go unheeded. Apart from the sweet blabber what is the use for the cuckoo in this world. Though it is possess of a very harsh voice, the donkey have many other good uses.

118 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

friendship of the noble कल्पद्रुमः किल्पतमेव

स कामधुक्का�मतमेव दोिग् �चन्तम�णि�िन्ततमेव द

सतां �ह सङ्गः सकलम् प्रसू

सू��सुधाकर सतसङ्गसू� गीता मुद्रणालयेन प्रका kalpadrumaḥ kalpitameva sūte sa kāmadhukkāmitameva dogdhi| cintamaṇiścintitameva datte satāṁ hi saṅgaḥ sakalam prasūte|| sūktisudhākara satasaṅgasūkti gītā mudraṇālayena prakāśitaṁ കല്പ്രദു ; കല്പിതേമവ സൂേ സാ കാമാധുക് കാമിതേമവാ േദാഗ് ചിന്താമ: ചിന്തിതേമവ ദ സതാം ഹി സംഗ ; സകലം ്രപസൂെ They say there is a tree calle kalpadruma, which yields whatever you wish, This tree will give you whatever you set your mind upon. The divine cow Kaamadhenu will provide you again what all you yearned for. The divine stone chintamani ( like syamanthaka) will give you only what your have asked after applying your mind. But the friendship and eternal company with noble people will bring unto you all that is good in the world even without asking.

119 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

the binding forces �मया दयया प्रेम्णा सूनृतेनाजर्वे

वशीकुयार्त् जगत् सव� �वनयेन च सेवया

चाणक् kṣamayā dayayā premṇā sūnṛtenārjavena ca| vaśīkuryāt jagat sarvaṁ vinayena ca sevayā|| cāṇakya ക്ഷമയാ ദയയാ േ്രപംനാ സൂ്രനിെതനാര്‍ വശീകുര�ാത് ജഗത് സര്‍വവ്ം വിനേയന ച ചാണക�ന One can attract the whole universe to himself by exercising the following noble traits. 1. patience 2. compassion 3. genuine love 4. nice and truthful words 5. enthusiasm. 6. humility 7.devoted service. --

120 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

knowledge is supreme �वद्व�वञ् च नृपत्वञ्च नैव तुल्यं

स्वदेशे पूज्यते राजा �वद ्वान् सवर्त्र

चाणक्य vidvattvañca nṛpatvañca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana| svadeśe pūjyate rājā vidvān sarvatra pūjyate|| cāṇakyaḥ വിദ�ത�ം ച നൃപത�ം ച ൈനവ തുല�ം കദാചന സ�േദേശ പൂജ�െത രാജാ വിദ�ാന്‍ പൂജ�െത സര് ചാണക�ന wealth of knowledge and the position as a king should never be compared. The king, at the best, is honoured in his own kingdom, but the scholar is honoured everywhere.

121 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

tight rope walk प्रदानं प्रच्छन्नं गृहमुपगते संभ

�प्रयं कृत्वा मौनं सद�स कथनं चाप्युपकृ

अनुत्सेको ल�म्याम् �नर�भभवसाराः परकथ सतां केनो�द्द�ं �वषमम�सधाराव्रत�

भतृर्हरेः नी�तशतकात pradānaṁ pracchannaṁ gṛhamupagate saṁbhramavidhiḥ priyaṁ kṛtvā maunaṁ sadasi kathanaṁ cāpyupakṛteḥ| anutseko lakṣmyām nirabhibhavasārāḥ parakathāḥ satāṁ kenoddiṣṭaṁ viṣamamasidhārāvratamidaṁ|| bhartṛhareḥ nītiśatakāt ്രപദാനം ്രപച്ഛ്ന്‍നം ഗൃഹമുപഗെത സം് : ്രപിയം കൃത�ാ െമൗനം സദസികഥനം ചാപ�ുപകൃെ അനുെത്സേകാ ലക്ഷ് മ�ാം നിരഭിഭ : പരകഥാ : സതാം േകേനാദ്ദി o വിഷമമസിധാരാവൃതമിദം The life of noble men is a self taught penance sitting on the edge of a sword (asidhaaraavratam). They give help to others in secret. They are very fussy and careful while giving respect to guest who have come to their house. They will keep absolute silence about some nice things they have done for others. But they will be very lavish in praising in public the good deeds of others. They are indifferent to wealth. And they present even the criticism of the deeds of others in a manner that would cause no hurt. The poet wonders who taught these people such a strict code of conduct.

122 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

they never break rules प्रळये �भन्नमयर्दाः भविन्त �कल सा

सागराः भेद�मच्छिन्त प्रळयेऽ�प न सा

चाणक्यनी� praḻaye bhinnamaryadāḥ bhavanti kila sāgarāḥ| sāgarāḥ bhedamicchanti praḻaye'pi na sādhavaḥ|| cāṇakyanīti: when the deluge at the end of a yuga sets in, the oceans throw to winds all the rules of propriety and transgress their boundaries to gobble up the entire land area. Maybe the oceans were just waiting for an opportunity to break the rules. But noble men will never be shaken and they will behave with equanimity and poise even when the greatest of catastrophes overtake them. --

123 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

Priority द ुजर्नाः सज्जनात् पूव� पूज्यतां तेन �कं सत पूव� प्र�ा�ळतं पायुः आननात् अ�धकं �कम

सुभ�षतशतकत्र durjanāḥ sajjanāt pūrvaṁ pūjyatāṁ tena kiṁ satāṁ| pūrvaṁ prakṣāḻitaṁ paayuḥ ānanāt adhikaṁ kimu|| subhaṣitaśatakatrayaṁ Let tyrants and arrogant people be given precedence over the noble persons. The noble are not the losers. Is it not the usual practice to clean one's excretory organs before washing the face? Does it mean that those organs are superior to one's face? Out of fear and possible backlashes the arrogant people are given more importance in some situations. Men of steady character and repute need not be peeved by that. The ultimate winners will be persons with character. --

124 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

appearances can be deceptive �न�वर्षेणा�प सप�ण कतर्व्यो महती फ

�वषमस्तु न चाप्यस्तु फटाटोपो भयङ

चनक्य नी� nirviṣeṇāpi sarpeṇa kartavyo mahatī phaṇāḥ viṣamastu na cāpyastu phaṭāṭopo bhayaṅkaraḥ canakya nīti Even if its poison fangs are removed, it is in the interests of a cobra to raise its hood wide and making hissing noises. The observer will not be aware of the loss of poison and ever the terrible sight of the upheld wide hood will scare away the enemies. The master imples that even if a person in action has chinks in his armour, he should always put on a brave face. Most of the antagonists are carried away by the appearance and not the contents.

125 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

practice makes it perfect गोमूत्रमात्रेण पयो �वन�ं तक्रस्य गोमूत्र शतेन

अत्यल्पपापै�वर्पदः शुचीनां पापात्मनां पापशतेन �कं

सुभा�षतशतकत्र gomūtramātreṇa payo vinaṣṭaṁ takrasya gomūtra śatena kim vā| atyalpapāpairvipadaḥ śucīnāṁ pāpātmanāṁ pāpaśatena kiṁ vā|| subhṣitśatakatrayaṁ Even if a tiny drop of cow's urine is mixed with thousand litres of milk, the entire milk will be spoilt. But even if thousand litres of cow's urine is added to any quantity of buttermilk, nothing happens. Similarly the noble persons would consider that all their accumulated virtues are lost if they happen to commit even some petty mistake. But for the persons who are doing evil things alone from the time of their birth any additional evil deed would mean nothing. In mahabharatham, during the war,, Yudhistira is persuaded to make an untruthful statement regarding the death of ashwatthama and from that time onwards it is said that his chariot which always floated one feet above the ground level by virute of his dharma, landed on the earth for ever. But we see liers and utter lier for whom telling a truth is a rare exception. Nothing happens to him.

126 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

age does not mellow ... वयसः प�रणामे�प यः खल खल एव सः। सुपक्वम�प माधुयर ्म् नोपयातीन्द्रव

चाणक्यनी� vayasaḥ pariṇāmepi yaḥ khala khala eva saḥ| supakvamapi mādhuryam nopayātīndravāruṇaṁ|| cāṇakyanīti Just because one is advanced in age, his inherent nature of being cruel and idiotic does not undergo any change. The bitter gourd, even if it has become very ripe and red will not leave its bitter taste and become sweet. The master chanakya here underlines the force of habits. If one has become used to being cruel and adamant in his younger days, he will not be able to give up his natural propensities and become a saint just because he has grown old. The appearance of a man of ripe age can be very deceptive. In physical stature and in behaviour, he may appear to be very pious. But the poison inside will be still potent. We are seeing many 'uncles' and "granddads' of this genre in our daily lives.

127 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

blowing one's own trumpet परै रु�गुणो यस्तु �नगुर्णोऽ�प गुणी भवे

इन्द्रोऽ�प लघुतां या�त स्वयं प्रख्या�पतैर्

चाणक्यनी� parairuktaguṇo yastu nirguṇo'pi guṇī bhavet| indro'pi laghutāṁ yāti svayaṁ prakhyāpitair guṇaiḥ|| cāṇakyanīti Even the small merits of the people which do not deserve any particular praise gain great importance when the accolades come from others. However, even if Indra, the powerful king of gods, in spite of being a very important and powerful person deserving a lot of praise, will look silly and childish if he attempts to to brag of his own meritorious deeds. Praise should come from others. This alone will make a person look respectable. In old dramas we will find that when the hero or the person donning the attire of the king appears on the scene, he starts to announce in no uncertain terms how important a person he is. He may even praise the length of his own moustache. That will be okay for a drama. But we find people announcing to the whole world even the smallest philanthropic action to which they were part of. Most of the charitable and apparently generous acts which are published by the doers themselves are more for advertisement and publicity than with any noble intent.

128 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day

With pranams from K V Ananthanarayanan [email protected] This is a compilation of a few slokas which I send as daily mails….aggregated here for ready reference

welfare state अधमर्स्तु महांस्तात भवे�स्य मह�

यो हरेद्ब�लषड्भागं न च र��त पुत्

श्रीमद्वाल्मी�करा आरण्यकाण् ६---११ adharmastu mahāṁstāta bhavettasya mahīpate| yo haredbaliṣaḍbhāgaṁ na ca rakṣati putravat|| śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇaṁ āraṇyakāṇḍaṁ 6---11 Sri Rama along with Lakshmana and Seetha is on his way to the deep forests for a sojourn of fourteen years there. He reaches the hermitage of Sage Sarabhanga. The forest was infested with demons and evil people at that time and the ascetics living there were tormented by these demons in many ways. Therefore all the sages assembled at the hermitage of Sarabanga and voiced their complaint to the son of the King. This sloka which reminds Rama of the duties of a king is appearing in the Itihasa in this context. The sages say, "Oh young prince, the great sin of dereliction from duty awaits the king who takes away one-sixth of the earnings of the subjects as tax but fails to look after their welfare and fails to protect them as if they were his own sons. Even though the warning is addressed to a prince thousands of years ago the basic idea underlying it applies to all governments headed by kings or ministers whatsoever. The rulers of a welfare state, who leave no stones unturned to collect the taxes from the citizens are duty-bound to ensure them a comfortable and unencumbered life. The failure can result in revolution today. --

129 ।श्रीकृष्णो र� |śrīkṛṣṇo rakṣatu| Have a nice and happy day