15 December 2008

Sanskrit Quote : Category :: Self-Respect

रे रे चातक सावधानमनसा मित्र क्षणं श्रूयतां

अम्बोधा बहवो हि सन्ति गगने सर्वेऽपि नैतादृशा:।

केचिद्वृष्टिभिरार्द्रयन्ति धरणीं गर्जन्ति केचिद्वृथा

यं यं पश्यसि तस्य तस्य पुरतो मा ब्रूहि दीनं वच:॥


English Translation of Sanskrit Quote:

'O' my friend, Chataka, listen to me for a while attentively. There are so many clouds in the sky, but all are not alike. Some of them soak the earth with showers, but some others rumble in futile. Don't say pathetic words whoever you meet.

English Commentary on Sanskrit Quote:

I have spoken of a variety of Subhashitas called 'Anyokti' elsewhere. It is a verse which is addressed to someone, while it is intended for someone else. This is so when the person addressed to is very sensitive and might feel hurt easily. So it is a way of getting the message across cleverly.

Chataka is an imaginary bird conceived by the Sanskrit poets. It is said that a Chataka is peculiar in the sense that it drinks water directly from the clouds whenever it is thirsty. Once the rainy season is over, it hopefully looks at the clouds with the intention of getting the much needed water, as it does not drink from the reservoirs situated on the earth, however thirsty it might be. Doing so it begs all the passing clouds whether black or white.

The person to whom this message is intended is a self-respecting and high-ranking scholar, who is trying to get a patron for himself. He intends to read out his scholarly poetic composition to a king, expecting in return that he might be richly rewarded in return. But the king is not at all benevolent as the poet imagines. Just as not all the clouds yield showers, not all the kings are benevolent. Now, the poet needs to be advised not to expect anything from this stingy king, without hurting his tender self-respecting feelings. This is the background of this verse which instructs us not to belittle ourselves.

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