*Niti-sataka of Bhartri Hari: Part I "The Fool"* This is the first of three centuries, or works of a hundred verses each, written by the very influential Sanskrit poet Bhartrihari. Many legends are told of this Bhartrihari and perhaps I will later recount some of them. His style of writing *subhāṣitas*, or "well-turned verses," have affected many poets throughout the history of Sanskrit literature, including most notably for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Prabodhananda Saraswati. Bhartihari’s three *śatakas* have the themes of *nīti *(moral philosophy)*, śṛṅgāra * (love) and *vairāgya *(renunciation).
*The first theme of the Nīti-satakam is “the fool.”* *dik-kālādy-anavacchinnānanta-cin-mātra-mūrtaye |* *svānubhūty-eka-mānāya namaḥ śāntāya tejase || 1 ||* I bow down to the Supreme Lord whose form is infinite and spiritual, unrestricted by time and space, who can only be measured by subjective perception, who is peaceful, who is all-powerful. KR only a few can measure by subjective perception (fools cannot comprehend) *boddhāro matsara-grastāḥ* *prabhavaḥ smaya-dūṣitāḥ |* *abodhopahatāś cānye* *jīrṇam aṅge subhāṣitam || 2 ||* The learned are envious, the powerful are contaminated by pride, and others are afflicted by ignorance— so my wise sayings have grown old in my mouth. KR: Like a few in our group who cannot but man slaughter by hecklings. *ajñaḥ sukham ārādhyaḥ* *sukhataram ārādhyate viśeṣajñaḥ |* *jñāna-lava-durvidagdhaṁ* *brahmāpi taṁ naraṁ na rañjayati || 3 ||* The ignorant are easy to please, it is even easier to please the cultured; but even Brahma himself could not satisfy someone who is puffed up with a little knowledge. KR Like minimum 2 in the group N and G *Jñāna-lava-durvidagdha *has entered the Sanskrit language as an epithet of the fool. *prasahya maṇim uddharen makara-vaktra-daṁṣṭrāntarāt* *samudram api santaret pracalad-ūrmi-mālākulam |* *bhujaṅgam api kopitaṁ śirasi puṣpavad dhārayet* *na tu pratiniviṣṭa-mūṛkha-jana-cittam ārādhayet || 4 ||* You may be able to forcibly pluck a jewel from the tooth-filled mouth of a crocodile; you may swim across the stormy ocean or you may be able to carry a cobra like a flower garland on your head-- but never, ever, will you be able to satisfy the mind of the obstinate fool. KR clap clap *labheta sikatāsu tailam api yatnataḥ pīḍayan* *pibec ca mṛga-tṛṣṇikāsu salilaṁ pipāsārditaḥ |* *kvacid api paryaṭan śaśa-viṣāṇam āsādayet* *na tu pratiniviṣṭa-mūrkha-cittam ārādhayet || 5 ||* You may be able to extract oil by carefully pressing the sand; in your thirst, you may be able to drink water from a mirage; you may even be able to wander through the world until you find a horned rabbit, but never, ever, will you be able to satisfy the mind of the obstinate fool. *vyālaṁ bāla-mṛṇāla-tantubhir asau roddhuṁ samujjṛmbhate* *chettuṁ vajra-maṇiṁ śirīṣa-kusuma-prāntena sannahyati |* *mādhuryaṁ madhu-bindunā racayituṁ kṣārāmudher īhate* *netuṁ vāñchanti yaḥ khalān pathi satāṁ sūktaiḥ sudhā-syandibhiḥ || 6 ||* You may try to secure an intoxicated elephant with ropes made from the stems of young lotus; or you may try to cut a diamond with the petals of a sirisha flower; you may even hope to sweeten the salty ocean with a mere drop of honey; but do you think you can bring a scoundrel to the path of righteousness with a few wise sayings, even if they should ooze ambrosia? KR nailed G and N *svāyattam ekānta-guṇaṁ vidhātrā* *vinirmitaṁ chādanam ajñatāyāḥ |* *viśeṣāataḥ sarva-vidāṁ samāje* *vibhūṣaṇaṁ maunam apaṇḍitānām || 7 ||* The creator has given a unique quality by which one can hide his ignorance, especially when in the company of the learned: silence is the ornament of the uneducated. KR ooosh silence please Court is held The last line of this verse *vibhūṣaṇaṁ maunam apaṇḍitānām *is also well known as a popular maxim. *yadā kiñcij-jño'haṁ dvipa iva madāndhaḥ samabhavaṁ* *tadā sarvajño'smīty abhavad avaliptaṁ mama manaḥ* *yadā kiñcit kiñcid budhajana-sakāśād avagataṁ* *tadā mūrkho'smīti jvara iva mado me vyapagataḥ ||8||* *When I had just a little knowledge,* *I became intoxicated like an elephant;* *my mind became quite contaminated* *thinking I knew everything.* *But when I had the fortune* *to associate with learned people,* *I found out that I was a fool.* *From that moment, my intoxication* *disappeared like a bad fever.* KR what kind of prabathi to recited by g and N -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZorNfnYiTSSG4gevSwfoEcuL-98NuBt2UA6aKx0LwaXo%3Dw%40mail.gmail.com.
