Wisdom from Sanskrit: By breaking pots, by tearing clothes or by riding a donkey men may achieve fame by any means necessary

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'.

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