Bharthruhari’s ‘Neethi Sathakaṁ’

1. Boddhāro Matsaragrastāḥ Prabhavaḥ Smayadūṣitāḥ,

Abodhopahatāścānye Jīrṇamaṅge Subhāṣitaṃ.

Translation:

The learned are ruined by envy as their guide,

The kings perish by wanton vanity and pride,

The rest in the world know not how they fall,

Perhaps, what I say may go unheeded after all!

2. Labheta Sikatāsu Tailamapi Yatnataḥ Pīḍayan,

Pibecca Mṛgatṛṣṇikāsu Salilaṁ Pipāsārditaḥ;

Kadācidapi Paryaṭañchaśaviṣāṇamāsādayet,

Na Tu Pratiniviṣṭamūrkhajanacittamārādhayet.

Translation:

Even hardy soil may yield oil if we crush it a bit hard,

Even a mirage may offer water as a surprise reward,

Even the horns to a rare hare may seem likely indeed,

But touching the heart of a fool is a daunting deed!

3. Prasahya Manimuddharenmakaravaktradaṁṣṭrāntarāt,

Smudramapi Santaret Pracaladūrmimālā’’kulaṁ;

Bhujangamapi Kopitaṃ Śirasi Puṣpavad Dhārayet,

Na Tu Pratinivistamūrkhajanacittamārādhayet.

Translation:

From the alligator’s mouth, we may extract,

A gem caught between its sharp teeth intact,

Succeed, we may, flying over the sea rising tall,

But try we may, can a fool be made wise at all!?

4. Ajñaḥ Sukhamārādhyaḥ Sukhataramārādhyate Viśeṣajñaḥ,

Jñānalavadurvidagdhaṁ Brahmā’pitaṁ Naraṁ Na Rañjayati.

Translation:

Easy is the task to make the unwise wise,

Easier still, to make the wise further wise,

Imagine the God of wisdom’s utter unease,

In saving him, who is neither wise nor unwise!

5. Vyālaṁ Bālamṛṇālatantubhirasau Roddhuṁ Samujjṛmbhate,

Chettuṁ Vajramarṇiṁ Śirīṣakusumaprāntena Sannahyati;

Mādhuryaṁ Madhubindunā Racayituṁ Kṣārābudherīhate,

Netuṁ Vāñchati Yaḥ Khalānyathi Satāṁ Sūktaiḥ Sudhāsyandibhiḥ.

Translation:

Like trying to bind a tusker with stems of lotus flower,

Like trying to crack a diamond softly with a clover,

Like trying to sweeten the sea with little drops of honey,

Like is the labor spent to mend a fool, hard, and funny! 

Sridharan Kidambi, born in 1938 at Chittoor (Now in Andhra Pradesh), took his M. A. Degree in Economics from Vivekananda College in 1962. He was a research scholar of the Madras University for two years. He is interested in a wide range of subjects like astronomy, poetry, comparative religion, philosophy, classical music, lyrics etc. Besides Tamil, his mother tongue and English, the academic language, he is familiar with Telugu, Sanskrit, and Russian.