Sanskrit Quote : Help and Thankfulness

प्रथमवयसि पीतं तोयमल्पं स्मरन्त:

शिरसि निहितभारा नारिकेला नराणाम्।

ददति जलमनल्पास्वादमाजीवितान्तं

न हि कृतमुपकारं साधवो विस्मरन्ति॥

English Translation of Sanskrit Quote:

The Coconut trees,remembering the little amount of water they were fed, when they were saplings, carry loads of coconuts on their top and supply humans with very-tasty and sweet water in abundance, for their life-span.
The Wise never forget a help received.

Commentary:

Our life itself is a blessing. Everyday we receive umpteen, unseen blessings in various forms. An ordinary man feels good when the blessing he gets is good enough to be perceived by him. Most of the blessings go un-thanked, for we do not know whom to thank, for what we received. Even while thanking someone for something our selfish motive will be working behind to see that we do not thank more than we think we got. Most of the favors we receive, we think, are too small to be thanked. This is narrow-mindedness.

Indian minds- Sanskrit writers in particular, derived a lesson for life to be learnt from whatever they saw. Nature was their biggest teacher. Trees, flowers, rivers, mountains, clouds, animals and birds are but a few of the lengthy list from whom they saw goodness to learn from. Sometimes the lesson was negative, but most of the times they were positive. It is a great virtue one could learn from Sanskrit writers. Thankfulness is a great virtue. A heartfelt thanks for whatever favors received drags us a bit away from the domain of meanness.
Here, in this couplet, the Coconut tree represents a Good man. Man waters fruit and flower-bearing trees for his selfish needs. As they attain maturity, the trees never depend on him for their needs. It is the time for repayment- and that too how??? Compared with what they give us till we are alive and furthermore, the service rendered by man to them seems so trifle. That is why the sanskrit writers call the Coconut trees a 'Kalpavriksha' or a 'Wish-yielding' tree. Imagine in how many ways the Coconut trees serve us and you will never look at them with the same narrow outlook.