मुर्खा यत्र न पूज्यते धान्यं यत्र सुसंचितम् |
दंपत्यो कलह: नास्ति तत्र श्री: स्वयमागत: ||
The place where fools are not honoured (fools are not involved in decision making), where there are enough stocks of food (and things required in day to days life) and where there is no conflict between husband and wife, there ‘lakshmi’ (prosperity) comes by its own.
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यथा खर: चन्दनभारवाही भारस्य वेत्ता न तु चन्दनस्य |
एवं हि शास्त्राणि बहुनि अधीत्य अर्थेषु मूढा: खरवद् वहन्ति ||
Just like a donkey which carries the sandal wood on it’s back doesn’t know the importance (Or ‘Value’) of the sandal wood but only knows (Realises) about some weight which is put on it’s back, in the same way many learned people who have studied the ‘Shaastras’ (Sciences) don’t realise the true meaning of it and simply carry the ‘weight’ of the knowledge! ( I have also seen many such scholars who don’t miss a single chance to teach a self realized soul – tanuja )
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मॄगा: मॄगै: संगमुपव्रजन्ति गावश्च गोभिस्तुरंगास्तुरंगै: |
मूर्खाश्च मूर्खै: सुधय: सुधीभि: समानशीलव्यसनेषु सख्यं ||
Deer follow deer, cows follow cows, horses follow horses (like that) fool people follow fools, and wise people go after wise. (good) friendship develops among those who have similar character and hobbies.
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संग्रहैकपर: प्राय: समुद्रोपि रसातले |
दातारं जलदं पश्य गर्जन्तं भुवनोपरी ||
Meaning : The sea which is only collecting the water and not giving to anyone is present at the lower ground level of earth and in contrast the clouds which donate the water from the higher altitudes.
Implied meaning : The writer here wants to highlight that the person who has the attitude of sacrifice attain higher status than the one who is selfish and has the attitude of hoarding. The sea just collect the water is below ground level and the water also is salty whereas the cloud keep pouring water i.e has the attitude of giving hence its water is pure and distill . In the same way a seeker who just does spiritual practice for his or her own spiritual progress and is not bothered about others , their ego may get increased but the seeker who along with individual spiritual practice also makes effort to encourage and educate others to do sadhana, for him the chances of his ego getting increased is quite less because he finds may seekers and saints doing better sadhana than him or her .
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शतेषु जायते शूर: सहस्त्रेषु च पंडित: |
वक्ता दशसहस्त्रेषु दाता भवति वा न वा ||
Among the hundred people only one is brave. Among the thousands of them only one is a ‘Pandit’ Among the ten thousands only one is a good orator, But the people who “give” (‘daata’ – One who donates) are very very rare.
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अन्नदानं परं दानं विद्यादानं अत: परम् |
अन्नेन क्षणिका तॄप्ति: यावज्जीवं च विद्यया ||
Giving food to the hungry is a good deed (Donation of the food is a very good donation – ‘anna danam’). But more than the above type of ‘sacrifice’, educating the people (Teaching – ‘vidya danam’) is more better type of ‘offering’ because by food one’s hunger would be calmed down only for the time being. But the knowledge attained is helpful for whole of our life. Therefore it is said that ‘vidya dana’ is the most important among various other types of dana.
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