Good Proverbs - Subhashitaani # 31

It is very difficult for the unmarried girl called praise ('stuti') to get married. The reason is good people ('sajjan' or 'sabhya' people) do not like her (The 'sajjan' people do not like if anybody praises them) and she herself does not like bad ('durjan') people (Nobody praises a bad ('durjan') person). This subhAshit may seem to be a 'not much serious' one.

The subhAshitkAr has tried to tell one of the good qualities of a noble person- That a good person does not like to be praised. And so the poetic mind of the subhAshitkar thinks from the point of view of "praise"!! Where will the "praise" go if good people do not like her and who will prefer to go to the bad person?! And so the subhAshitkAr thinks that may be she ('Praise') will never get married!

A beautiful colourful flower but which doesn't have a nice fragrance doesn't seem good. (A flower apart from being colourful should also have a nice fragrance only then it's utility increases) . Similarly without action, only good talks doesn't seem good. To stress the point that apart from being 'kind-spoken' to every one, one should also support it by his/her own actions, the subhAshitkar has given an example of a colourful flower but without fragrance.

If flower doesn't spread it's fragrance around then what is the use of it's attractive looks. The colour of the flower is it's external beauty while it's fragrance is it's 'guna' - i.e. one of the qualities. One of the great saints Samartha Swami Ramdas has said 'kriyavena vaachalata vyartha aahe' - i.e. without the 'kartuttva', the 'vaani' has no meaning.

A person with enthusiasm is a powerful person. There is nothing as powerful as enthusiasm. nothing is impossible ('durlabhah' literally means unachievable) to an enthusiastic person.
This subhashit says "If there is a will, there is a way." Nothing is impossible; one must push it till the end.

Good Proverbs - Subhashitaani # 30

There is no sight such as knowledge - i.e. By knowledege ('vidya') one can see what cannot be seen by a naked eye. Knowledge gives the vision to see beyond some obvious things.There is no 'Tapha' (Nearest meaning I think is Hard work) such as Truth - i.e. One has to do lot's of hard work to be on the side of Truth. There is no sorrow such as the desire - i.e. Desires of a person brings much sorrow to him There is no happiness such as sacrifice - i.e. 'TyAga' (Sacrifice) brings more happiness to the person. [Hard to believe, Isn't it?!!]

This is a very good subhAshit to think over. Many people may have realised "nAsti tyAga samam suKham" in their family life when they personally may have undergone some hardships only to see their kith and keens more happy and satisfied! Who else than our own Mother would be the living example of "nAsti tyAga samam suKham"!!

If a person does not have money/wealth; his friends, sons, wife, and close relatives leave him ( they dont find him interesting any further). If the same person gains his wealth, they all return to him, money/wealth is man's companion in this world indeed!

Subhashitkar explains bitter fact of life that, we always try to be with a person who can be of some benefit to us. If that person is no longer of use, then we leave him..( refer to subhashit 54 which has similar meaning). this reminds me a joke... "success is relative... more success, more relatives"

A person who travels in different-different countries, ('desha' can also be translated as direction here.). a person who serves scholars (learned person), his intelligence expands or develops as drop of oil on water surface.

Often, a person who is very sharp is called 'tailabuddhi'. When a drop of oil falls on water surface, it spreads over water and forms layer of oil; in that way a drop of oil 'covers' water surface (oil is taila in sanskrit). Similarly intelligence (buddhi) of a person (his grasping power) covers all the subjects.

Here, subhasitkar says that, a person who travels a lot (and hence meets many people) and is in contact with 'pundits' develops his brain like that drop of oil in water.

Good Proverbs - Subhashitaani # 29

The non poisonous snake should also imitate like biting some one ! (Only for the sake of self-defence) Regardless of whether the snake has Poisson or not the hissing of snake will create the terror in the other's mind.

There is one small story regarding this. Once a poisonous snake used to bite many people passing by the way. When Shri. Shankaracharya came to know this he advised the snake not to bite people and trouble them. After few months when Shri. Shankaracharya was passing by the same way he noticed that the snake had become very much weak and had many wounds.

"What's the matter? Why have you become like this?", asked the great seer. It replied, "Oh Master! You only had told me not to bite the people. So when people came to know that I do not cause any harm they started pelting stones at me". Shri. Shankaracharya replied, "I had only told you not to bite the people. But I didn't tell you that you should stop hissing at the others!!"

It is said that a 'yogi' should not loose his temper and should be above all the emotions. Then how should a 'yogi' react to the wrong/ill things that people may commit around him? It's perfectly like the nonpoisonous snake above!! He should 'hiss' but should not cause any harm to others.

Probably the resourceful people ('Gunvaan' is the exact samskrit word) have to take many troubles while the unresourceful people live peacefully. Like a parrot lives in a cage while a crow flies freely in the sky!! (Sometimes the good qualities of a person may invite trouble to him)

Those who have wealth of self-esteem, live long life. For those who don't have self-esteem, what is use of wealth and long life? Subhashitkar here is trying to portray importance of self esteem in life. If one has it, he is as good as living long life. If a person does not have it, then according to subhaashitkar, life and wealth he has, is useless.