Can Anyone in Government Tell The Difference Between a Donkey and a Horse: Satire from Ancient Sanskrit Aphorism




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 indifferent ( silent) परे run away

ahoy, o donkey, for carrying the heavy burden all you get is mean and meager food, go instead to the royal stables
( no need to fear discovery) the officers there can't tell the difference between a horse and a donkey. The king only listens to them and those who know the truth go away or are indifferent









Comments

  1. hnbhatJuly 18, 2019 at 5:21 PM

    It is correct राजाश्वावसथं and not राजाश्वसथ.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lakshmanan KrishnamurtiJuly 21, 2019 at 12:22 PM

    धन्यवादाः महोदय शुद्धि कृतं मया ।

    ReplyDelete

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