Conversational Sanskrit

घटं भिन्द्यात् पटं छिन्द्यात् कुर्याद्रासभारोहणम्  | येन  केन प्रकारेण  प्रसिद्ध पुरुषो भवेत् || घटं  भिन्द्यात्  may break pot पटं  छिन्द्यात्  may tear clothes कुर्याद्रासभारोहणम्  | may ride a donkey येन  केन प्रकारेण  by whatever possible means प्रसिद्ध  famous पुरुषो person भवेत् || may become By breaking pots, by tearing clothes or by riding a donkey, using whatever possible means one may become a famous person. There are many paths to fame or notoriety, by vile destruction ( breaking pots), by sheer insane behavior (tearing one's clothes), by infamy and public ridicule ( being made to ride a donkey as a sign of public disgrace), by whatever means possible, one may attain fame. This aphorism from thousands of years ago seems so contemporary in our area of reality TV, celebrity culture, and internet phenomenon, all feeding the frenzy of fifteen minutes of fame. This aphorism anticipates and encapsulates the phrase, ' there is no such thing as bad publicity&

चिन्तनीया ही विपदां  आदादैव प्रतिक्रिया | न कूपखननं युक्तं प्रदीप्ते वह्निना गृहे  || चिन्तनीया ही  one must indeed think प्रतिक्रिया   response विपदां  of crisis आदादैव  ahead of time न युक्तं  it is not optimal कूपखननं  to be digging a well प्रदीप्ते  in the brilliant light गृहे  of  your home वह्निना being burnt by fire It is important to be prepared for crises ahead of time. When the crisis is at the door, is not the appropriate time to begin preparations on how to meet it. This aphorism is thousands of years old, but would constitute sage advice to our leaders today, don't you think?

दानं भोगो नाशः तिस्रो गतयो भवन्ति वित्तस्य | यो न ददाति न भुङ्गते तस्य तृतीया गतिर्भवति || दानं = charity , भोगः  = consumption , नाशः = destruction, तिस्रः  = three, गतयः = fates, भवन्ति = occurs वित्तस्य | = of the wealth, यः = he, न = who does not, ददाति = give (charity), न = who does not भुङ्गते = consume, तस्य = his, तृतीया =  the third , गति = fates, र्भवति || = occurs There are three things that happen with wealth. The money can be given in charity, it can be consumed for individual purposes or it will be lost. The wealth of the person who does not donate nor use it for his own purposes will be lost.

एकेनापि सुपुत्रेण सिंही स्वपिति निर्भयम् । सहैव दशभिः पुत्रैर्भारं वहति रासभी ॥ Having even one good son, the lioness sleeps without fear. Even with ten sons, the she-donkey continues to carry a heavy load.

Manusmṛti   ( Sanskrit :  मनुस्मृति ) , is an ancient legal text, just one among the many dharmashastrAs. It is attributed to Manu, the primordial lawgiver.  Dharma  encompasses ideas such as duty, rights, character, vocation, religion, customs, and all behavior considered appropriate, correct, or morally upright. Manusmriti codifies many aspects of daily practice and conduct. Here is a couplet describing the principle of taxation from the section on tax in the Manusmriti. यथा अल्पाल्पम् अदन्त्याद्यं वार्योको वत्स षट्पदाः तथा अल्पाल्पो ग्रहीतव्यो राष्ट्राद् राज्ञाब्दीकः करः As little by little, the leech, the calf, and the bee extract their food, so little by little should the state extract the annual royal taxes

अतिपरिचयात् अवज्ञा संततगमनात् अनादरः भवति  | मलये भिल्लपुरन्ध्री चंदनतरुकाष्टम् इन्धनं कुरुते || Excessive familiarity breeds contempt, meeting someone too often leads to disrespect. The. wife of a bhilla (aboriginal forest dweller) uses sandalwood as fuel

The Pañcatantra,  S anskrit:  पञ्चतन्त्र , "Five Treatises" is an ancient  Indian  collection of fables in verse and prose, dated to roughly 200 BCE, based on older oral traditions. The text is attributed to Vishnu Sharma. Legend has it that a wise and powerful king Amarashakti had three sons who showed no aptitude to learn anything. Vishnu Sharma created the  Pañcatantra, at the king's request to educate the princes in all the essential Shastras, precepts, and practical knowledge within six months. Pañcatantra contains stories and fables, interwoven with shlokas, subhAshitas, and wisdom gathered from numerous sources in the Vedas, Shastras, and Puranas. Thus it is a classic work of prose poetry and practical knowledge. Let us examine briefly what the Pañcatantra, says about the means to earn money. स चार्थ पुरुषाणां षड्भिरूपायैर्भवति- भिक्षया, नृपसेवया, कृषिकर्मणा, विद्योपार्जनेन​, व्यवहारेण​, वणिक्कर्मणा वा। There are six ways for men to obtain wealth- by be

Subhashita or " well-spoken",  is a concise, clever, or amusing Sanskrit poem, or aphorism, which packs meaning in parsimonious verse.Try this one: रे रे रासभ वस्त्रभारवहनात्कुग्रासमश्नासि  किं  राजाश्ववसथं  प्रयाहि चणकाभ्यूषान्सुखं भक्षय । सर्वान्पुच्छवतो हया वदन्त्यत्राधिकारे स्थिता राजा तैरुपदिष्टमेव मनुते सत्यं तटस्था परे ॥ re re rAsabha vastabhArvahankugrAsamashnAsi kim rAjAshvasatha prayAhi caNakAbhUSAnsukham bhakshaya sarvAnpucchavato hayA vadantyatrAdhikAre sthithA rAjA tairupadiStameva manute satyaM tatashA pare रे रे  ahoy there? रासभ  donkey वस्त्रभारवहनात् by bearing the burden of clothes (for the washerman), कुग्रासम् meager and ordinary food अश्नासि you eat राजाश्वसथ Royal stable चणकाभ्यूषान् (chickpea and broth) सुखम् happily  भक्षय  eat सर्वान्पुच्छवतो all animals with tails हया  horses वदन्त्यत्राधिकारे स्थिता  say those holding office there राजा  king तैरुपदिष्टमेव only as advised by them मनुते  he believes सत्यं  the truth तटस्था remain indif

॥ शीक्षावल्ली तैत्तिरीयोपनिषदि ॥ शासन Discipline तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद् । Taittiriya Upanishad. वेदमनूच्याचार्योऽन्तेवासिनमनुशास्ति । Having taught the Veda, the Teacher instructs the Pupil. सत्यं वद । Speak the Truth. धर्मं चर । Practise Virtue. स्वाध्यायान्मा प्रमदः । Do not neglect your daily Study. आचार्याय प्रियं धनमाहृत्य Offer to the Teacher whatever pleases him, प्रजातन्तुं मा व्यवच्छेत्सीः । Do not cut off the line of progeny. सत्यान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । Do not neglect Truth. धर्मान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । Do not neglect Virtue. कुशलान्न प्रमदितव्यम् । Do not neglect Welfare. भूत्यै न प्रमदितव्यम् । Do not neglect Prosperity. स्वाध्यायप्रवचनाभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् ॥ १॥ Do not neglect Study and Teaching . I:11:i देवपितृकार्याभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम् । Do not neglect your duty to the Gods and the Ancestors. मातृदेवो भव । Regard the Mother as your God. पितृदेवो भव । Regard the Father as your God. आचार्यदेवो भव । Regard the Teacher as your God. अतिथिदेवो भव ।