Conversational Sanskrit

  कण्ठ-चामीकर न्यायः कण्ठ+ throat/neck चामीकर  gold (necklace) न्यायः While a bangle in the hand doesn’t need any mirror to be seen, a necklace around the neck surely does need external help to be admired and appreciated. We may forget we have it around our neck, or we are simply not reminded of its beauty and it may slip our mind totally. We cannot see our own necklace around the neck; someone has to point it out. Similarly, we do not know our own true self, our strengths (and weaknesses). Others are true mirror of our self. They can see us as a separate entity, without the subjective baggage we carry about ourselves. Use that as feedback to realize our strong and weak point. This is used when someone doesn’t realize one’s own worth – as in our hidden talents, true potential, which a guru, mentor or coach may. The same happened with Hanumān in the great epic Rāmāyaṇa, where due to the curse of ṛiṣhi-s for his childhood pranks, he forgot he had any super powers until Jāmbvān r...

उष्ट्र लगुड न्याय  उूंट को उस लकडी से मारा जाता है जो उसकी पीट में वह स्वयं लादता है The rule about beating the camel with the stick which it carries on its back. For e.g., , In an argument when you use the argument of the opponent to defeat him the उष्ट्रलगुडन्याय is operational

 पिष्ट पेषण न्याय पिष्ट= पिसा हुआ पदार्थ ( आटा/मैदा), flour पेषणम् = पीसना, grinding पिसी हुई चीज को फिर ( बार बार) पीसना 'एक बार कही बात को दोहराते रहना'  The axiom of grinding that which has already been ground (flour) Fruitless argument and analysis. We all agree that on WhatsApp ( with the exception of this wonderful group) पिष्टपेषणन्याय applies! Enough of this पिष्टपेषणम् , enjoy the day.

 अरण्यरोदन न्याय अरण्यम् = जंगल रोदनम्=रोना जंगल में रोने के समान बात। जहाँ कहने पर कोई ध्यान देनेवाला न हो। The axiom of crying in the forest, where there is none to hear or care. One can use it in the context of the futility of complaining when there is none to listen. Last week at the ASH meeting I thought of this in another context. Sickle cell disease is considered by some to be milder in adivasis. Quite literally, I wondered, was this a case of अरण्यरोदनन्याय? In the absence of health care access, who would hear their cries of pain in the forest? जंगल में मोर नाचे किसने देखा? It also made me realize that you can apply an aphorism/ axiom in different contexts

 कूप मण्डूक न्याय कूप=कूंआ, well मण्डूक=मैंडक्, frog कूंअे के मैंडक् की दृष्टिकोण बस कुअें तक ही सीमित है। ईश्वर की अपार सृष्टी असकी कलपना के पार है The frog in the well cannot contemplate or imagine the immense universe beyond the narrow confines of its well.  This कूपमण्डुकन्याय axiom lends itself to many applications

 काक दन्त परीक्षा न्याय काक= कौआ, crow दन्त=दांत teeth परीक्षा= गिनना, examination/counting कौवे के दान्त गिनना , व्यर्थ का काम The maxim of counting crow’s teeth, an excercise in f utility I hope we never have to apply काकदन्तपरीक्षान्याय at work, ever.

 काक तालीय न्याय काक= कौआ, crow तालीय= ताड का फल्, palm fruit कौआ ताड के पेड पर बैठता है, उसी समय पेड से एक फल गिरता है, यद्यपि दोनों घटनाओं  मे कोई सम्बन्ध नहीं है। संयेगवश घटी दो घटनाओं को कार्य-कारण सम्बन्ध ठहराने का दृष्टान्त काकतालीयन्याय मे होता है The maxim of the crow sitting and the palm fruit falling describes one event coincidentally followed by another though there is no causal link. This logical fallacy of attributing causality to successive but unrelated events, I.e “ after this, therefore because of this”, is described in the Latin phrase “ post hoc ergo propter hoc” used in short as “post hoc”

अतिपरिचयादवज्ञा सन्ततगमनादनादरो भवति । मलये भिल्लपुरन्ध्री चन्दनतरुकाष्ठमिन्धनं कुरुते ॥ शार्ङ्गधरपद्धतिः   नीतिपद्धतिः  -  ८९ atiparicayādavajñā santatagamanādanādaro bhavati  । malaye bhillapurandhrī candanatarukāṣṭhamindhanaṃ kurute  ॥ पदच्छेदः अतिपरिचयात्, अवज्ञा, सन्ततगमनात्, अनादरः, भवति, मलये, भिल्लपुरन्ध्री, चन्दनतरुकाष्ठम्, इन्धनं, कुरुते । तात्पर्यम् अतिपरिचयः उपेक्षायाः कारणं भवति, पुनः पुनः गमनेन अनादरः भवति । मलयपर्वतप्रदेशे वसमाना भिल्लस्त्री श्रीगन्धस्य काष्ठम् इन्धननिमित्तम् उपयुङ्क्ते । English meaning Excessive familiarity breeds contempt, going repeatedly (to someone else's house) causes disrespect. On the Malaya mountain, the tribal housewife uses sandalwood as fuel! Familiarity breeds contempt. The bhil woman has no knowledge of the real world value of sandalwood, but she sees it as ready source of fuel wood. She sees the sandalwood so often so she has no appreciation of its qualities, anymore.

  अग्निशेषम् ऋणशेषम् शत्रुशेषम् तथैव च |   पुन: पुन: प्रवर्धेत तस्मात् शेषम् न कारयेत् ||   अग्नि=आग   =  fire  शेषम्  = बचा हुआ = remnant of ऋण  = क़र्ज =debt    शेषम्  = बचा हुआ    =remnant of शत्रु  =दुश्मन्। =r enemy   शेषम्   = बचा हुआ =remnant of तथैव च     = सब समान हैं = are similar  पुन: पुन: = बार बार = again and again प्रवर्धेत = बड़ते ही रहतें हैं= will keep growing तस्मात्  = इसलिये = therefore  शेषम् = इन्हें = these  बचा हुआ=remnant of न कारयेत्  = न छोड़े = never left यदि कोई आग, ऋण, या शत्रु अल्प मात्रा अथवा न्यूनतम सीमा तक भी अस्तित्व में बचा रहेगा तो बार बार बढ़ेगा ; अत: इन्हें थोड़ा सा भी बचा नही रहने देना चाहिए । इन तीनों को सम्पूर्ण रूप से समाप्त ही कर डालना चाहिए। If a fire, a debt, or an enemy continues to exist even to a small extent, they will grow again and again; so do not let any one of these remain and eliminate them completely =

अश्वं नैव गजं नैव  व्याघ्रं  नैव च नैव च  | अजापुत्रं  बलिं  दद्याद्देवो  दुर्बलघातकः   ||                     -  सुभाषित रत्नाकर (स्फुट) भावार्थ -   देवता को घोडे की  नहीं , हाथी की  नहीं और व्याघ्र  की भी बलि नहीं दी जाती है और केवल  बेचारे बकरे की ही बलि दी जाती है  |  सचमुच देवता भी  दुर्बल प्राणी के लिये ही घातक सिद्ध होते हैं | Ashvaam  naiva  gajam  naiva vyaaghram naiva  cha. naiva cha. Ajaaputram  balim dadyaaddevo  dutrbala-ghaatakah. Ashvam = a horse.   Naiva =no.    Gajam = an  elephantt. Vyaghram = a tiger.    Aajaputram = son of a  she-goat. Balim = sacrificing an animal as an offering  to God. Dadyaaddevo = dadyaat + devo.    Dadyaat =is given. Devo = the God.    Durbala = weak.   Ghatakah = deadly. i.e.   For animal...