ANUSHAASANAM

Friends: Let me share with you a Hymn from Taittareya Upanishat that I had learnt in my tenth standard! It is a parting advice – nay, a command – from the teacher to a student who has stayed with him and learnt all the knowledge the teacher could impart.

In ancient India,Gurukulam-system of learning was in practice . Boys would go to a Gurukula run by a Teacher or Guru and stay with his family and learn all knowledge including scriptures.They would live as family members and learn their lessons and also assist the Guru and the lady of the house in their daily chores.There was no distinction of rich and poor,nor higher and lower cast.(An example is, Krishna,a prince and Kuchela a poor brahmin ,stayed together as friends and studied at Saandeepini’s Gurukula.)  The student has lived with him for several years and learnt, not just the 3 ‘R’s but the art of being a useful citizen. On completion of his studies,the student bids good-bye to his Guru. With all the affection he has to the parting student,the Guru , commands the student to follow this Code  of Conduct when he steps out  in to the world seeking livelihood. These Anushaasana or Commandments are still relevant even after these thousands of years!

Vedam-anuchya aacharyaha ante-vaasinam anushaasthi:

The teacher commands his pupil thus after teaching him all Vedas

Satyam vada, Dharmam chara, swaadhyaayan maa pramadaha!

Tell the Truth; Act righteously; Do not neglect to practice what you have learnt. 

Aachaaryaaya priyam dhaanam aahratya prajaa-tantum maa vyavachyetseehi.

Having given the teacher his fee, do not cut the procreation process (get married and rear a family)   (The teacher asks for his fee after the student completes his education, so that the student may earn and fulfill his obligation.)

Satyaan na pramaditavyam, Dharmaan na pramaditavyam, kushalaan na pramaditavyam.

Do not forsake Truth! Do not forsake Dharma or Righteousness; Do not neglect your wellbeing.

Bhutyai na pramaditavyam, Swaadhyaaya pravachanaabhyaam na pramaditavyam,

Do not neglect your environment; Do not neglect the process of studying and teaching others.

(Acquiring knowledge and imparting it to others ,is a process which should be continued even after formal learning at school )

Deva pitru kaaryaabhyaam na-pramaditavyam

Do not neglect your duty of performing rituals for Gods and Ancestors

Maatru devo bhava, Pitru  devo bhava, Aachaarya Devo bhava, Atithi devo bhava.

Consider Mother as God, Father as God, Teacher as God and a Guest as God

(In olden days, we used to have athiti, an invited guest, and abhyaagata, an uninvited guest who would turn up unexpectedly and both would be willingly invited to share the food )

Yaani anavadyaani karmaani taani sevitavyaani, no itaraani

Indulge in acts that are noble (?) not others

Yaanyasmaakam sucharitaani Thaani twayaa upaasyaani, no itaraani

Follow the ways of life of our noble characters, not others.

Yekechasmaat sreyaamso Brahmanaaha tesham twayaa aasane na-praswasitavyam.

When you meet a pious learned person and a well-wisher, do not stay seated, i.e. get up and show respect by offering your seat  -do not be arrogant.!

Shraddhayaa deyam, Ashrddhayaa adeyam

When you give a Daana or a gift to others, give it with sincerity, not without it.

Shriyaa deyam,Hriyaa deyam, Bhiyaa adeyam!

If you have wealth and can afford it, then you give (daanam) to others. Do not give it under fear!

Samvidaa deyam.   Give it with compassion

Atha yadi tay karma-vichikitsaava, vritti vichikitsaava syaat.

Whenever you have a doubt or confusion in your action or doubt in professional field (when you are bewildered as to how to act) then…

Ye tatra Brahmanaaha Sammarshinaha, yuktaa ayuktaaha Alookshaaha Dharma-kaamaaha syuhu  yathaa tay tatra varteran tathaa vartetaaha.     

The wise thing to do is to ask a learned person for guidance or observe what a learned and competent person would do under such situation, or follow those who tread righteous path; and act as they would act.

Yetad-anushaasanam!!      This is the Directive

                                   

subhashitas

SUBHAASHITA

Subhaashitas are some wise sayings about day-to-day affairs, put in crisp simple words which stick to our mind.

(1)  Sajjanasya hridayam Navaneetham,Yad vadanti Kavayaha  tad-aleekam!

                  Anya Deha vilasat paritaapaat, Sajjano dravati no Navaneetham!!

Translation: “The heart of a good person is (like) butter”, thus say the poets. But this is False! A good person’s heart melts at somebody else’s misery whereas butter does not melt when some other container is agitated.

It means: butter melts only when it’s container is heated or agitated while in the case of Good persons  their heart melts even when somebody else are agitated or miserable.

      (2) Kaachaha Kaanchana samsargaath dhattay maarakatim duthym !

In the company of Gold, even a piece of glass acquires the sparkle of Diamond!

Likewise, in the company of wise persons even an ordinary person get transformed.

(3)      Satyam bruyaat Priyam bruyaat, na bruyaat satyam appriyam!

Priyam-cha na-anrutam  bruyaat ayshaha Dharma Sanaatanam!!

        

Speak the truth, speak that which is pleasant, do not tell that which is unpleasant though it may be truth!

Do not tell untruth (falsehood) even though it be pleasant (to the listener)

This is the righteous  way from ages.

(4)      Api Swarna-mayee Lankaa na may rochati Lakshmanaa! 

      Jananee Janma-bhoomischa Swargaat api gareeyasi!

O Lakshmana! Though  Lanka is all Golden, yet it is not to my taste.

Mother and Motherland are much greater than Heaven itself !!

(This is told by Raama to Lakshmana after killing Ravana and conquering Lanka, when Lakshmana suggests that he stay over and rule Lanka instead of going back to Ayodhya)

(5)      Vidvatvam-cha  Nrupatvam-cha naanu-tulyam Kadaachana!

Swa deshay poojyatay Raaja, Vidwaan sarvatra poojyatay!!

Scholarship and Kingship can never be compared!

A King is honored (only) in his country, while a Scholar is honored everywhere!

(6)      Upaadhyaascha  Vaidyaascha  Kaaryaantay tyakta-jeevitaaha!

A Teacher and a Doctor are like dead persons (forgotten) once their work is over!

(7)      Yaha preenayate sucharitaihi Pitaram sa Putraha.

Yad Bhartrureva hitam icchati tat Kalatram !

Yan mitram aapadi sukhay cha sama kriyam

Yadetat–trayam punyakrito labhantay!!

A son is one who pleases his Father with his good character

A wife is one who always wishes for her husband’s good

A friend is one who is (always with you) both during difficult periods and prosperity,

Only those who have in previous birth done good deeds, and earned punya can  get these three (A good son, A good wife, A good friend )

(Do you know- Sanskrit has 3 words for ‘Wife’ They are :Patni  in feminine, Kalatram  in neuter  and Daaraaha in masculine gender  plural !! all meaning Wife!  You can coin an appropriate word for any type of wife !

(8)    Chintaayaascha Chitaayaascha Bindu maatram Vishishyate

         Chitaa dahati Nirjeevam, Chintaa dahati Jeevitam!

(When written in devanaagari script) the difference between  “Chitaa” and “Chintaa” is only a dot, “Chitaa” means a funeral ‘pyre’, “Chintaa” means ‘worry’. While Chitaa burns the dead, Chintaa burns up the living.

(8) Yauvanam  dhana samruddhihi  prabhutvam avivekitaa,

     Ekamevaapi anarthaaya kimu yatra chatusthayam!

Youth, Riches, Power and Foolishness, each one present in a person, can cause ruin.What will be the result if all the four combine (in one person)!

A Riddle!

(10) Kayshavam patitam drustwaa Pandavaaha harsha nirbharaaha!

                 Rudanty Kauravaaha sarvey Bho Bho Kayshava Kayshava !!

This is a riddle; It seems to mean:  Seeing Kayshava who has fallen down, Pandavas are overjoyed. All the Kauravas are crying Ho Kayshava Ho Kayshava!! IT IS Ridiculous

Because Paandavas who are favorites of   Kayshava ( i.e. Krishna) would not be overjoyed to see him fallen  nor Kauravas who are enemies of Krishna, would not cry! So  there is some other meaning!

 Finding a carcass (kay shavam) lying below, (patitam), the vultures with white breast (Paandavaaha) are overjoyed  (harsha nirbharaaha). While (Seeing their prey being snatched away) Crows (kauravaaha the black ones) cry out (rudyate) Oh! Oh! the carcass is going away (Bho bho kayshava-kayshava)

(11)    Kanyaa varayaty roopam , Maataa  vittam  Pitaa shrutam!

    Baandavaaha  kulam ichchanti  mristhaannam  itare janaaha!!

(In a Marriage,) the Girl seeks Boy’s looks, her Mother seeks wealth Father seeks his qualifications, Relatives look for his family background or status, others i.e. Guests, expect sumptuous meals!!

Here is a gag, a dig at doctors in a light vein!!  No offence please! 

(12) Vaidya Raaja namas-tubhyam Yamaraaja Sahodara !

      Yamas-to harati Praanaan, Vaidya-raajo Dhanaani-cha!!

Salutations to Mr. Doctor (Vaidya raja), you are the Brother of God of Death (Yama).

While God of Death steals peoples’ life, Vaidyaraaja steals their Money ,in addition!!

 (13) Chaturanga Balay Raajaa jagato vasham aanayet.!

        Aham Panchaanga-balavaan Aakaasha vasham aanaye!!

An Astrologer says:

The King conquers the World with his Four-fold Army. (chaturanga bala) (In olden days it was ‘Elephants, cavalry, chariots, and soldiers’ now-days, it is ‘Army, navy, air force and engineers’) But I am armed with Panchaanga (almanac) to rule the skies!! (i..e. With the help of Panchanga, or almanac, I manipulate and interpret the positions of planets, to please and thus conquer  my clients.

      This is an advice to Parents

(14) Laalayet Pancha-varsheenaam,Taadayet Dasha-varshinaam

       Praaptayshu shodashay varshay Putram Mitravat aacharet.!!

Pamper your five-year old child with love, smack the ten-year old, (to correct or teach him) but on his reaching 16 years age ,treat him like a friend.

This is my addition!

Praptey to Ashititamay varshay pitaram, poutravat laalayet!

On his reaching eighty years treat a parent like a grand child (toddler)!!!      

A pun on word  Lokanaatha.

(15)    Aham-cha twam-cha Raajendra, Loka-naathou ubhau api.

       Bahurveeher-aham Raajan  Shasthee Tatpurusho Bhavaan.!!

O Great King, you and I are both Lokanaathas (in Sanskrit). ’Lokanaatha’, in my case is conjugated in Bahurveehi samaasa as “Loko yasya naaathaha saha” meaning ‘the one whose lord is the world’ i.e. everyone is my boss! In your case, ‘Lokanaatha’ (in Shasthee tatpurusha vibhakti) ‘one who is Lord of the world’

In light vein!  How to become Well-known!

(16)    Ghatam bhindyat, Patam chindyaat, Kuryaat raasabha-rohanam!

        Yena  kena prakaarena Prasiddha Purusho Bhava !!

Some persons want to become well-known person by any means. A method suggested by the poet is,

Go throwing stones and breaking pots being carried by girls! The moment they see you they shout “Pot breaker is coming!” Another is to Tear the garments of others. Yet another is to ride a donkey. These are some easy methods to become well-known!

(17)    Kamalay Brahmaa Shayate Haraha shayathe Himaalaye

        Ksheerabdhyaa-cha Harihi shayathe Manye matsuka shankayaat!!

Brahmha sleeps in a lotus flower. Hara (Eswara) sleeps on Himaalaya mountain, Hari sleeps in the Ocean of Milk, All this perhaps due to fear of BUGS !

(18)    Pustakam Vanitaa Vittam  Para-hasthay gatay Gataha!

              Atho-wa  punar-aayaatam   jeerno, bhrastho ta  kunthitaha

A book, a lady or money, once they leave your hand, they are gone forever!

In case you get them back, they are (book)  tattered (lady) tainted, or (money) short !

         Maatruvat para daareshu, para-dravyeshu losthavat!

        Aatmavat sarva bhuteshu ,yah pashyati sa pashyati!!

 One who sees a Mother in every other woman, who considers others’ money as mud (lostha), one who considers every others as his own self, he is the one who sees things in the right perspective.

(19) Udyamena hi sidhyanta kaaryaani na manorathay!

       Nahi suptasya simhasya pravishanti mukhe mrugaha!!

It is only with Effort that a task is achieved, not merely by Desire.

The prey will not come and fall into the mouth of a sleeping Lion.

(20) Takshakasya Visham Dantay Makshikaayaaha cha mastakay

                 Vrischikasya Visham Puchchay Sarvaangay Durjanasya tat.

A snake has venom in his tooth; a honey bee has venom in its head.

In the case of a scorpion it is in its tail. In the case of wicked people it is all over the body!!

(22) Udyamaha,Saahasam, Dhairyam, Buddhihi - Shaktihi, Paraakramam,

       Shad-ete yatra vartante tatra Daivaha sahaayaka

Effort, Perseverance, Courage, Intelligence, Strength and Valor - where these six traits exist God’s grace is bound to be there.

(23) Aacharyaat paadam aadattay paadaha shishya-swa medhayaa

       Paadaha saha-brahmachaaribhyaha  shaysham kaala-kramenacha!

A student gets one-quarter of his knowledge from his teacher,

Another quarter from his own personal intelligence,

Yet another from his co-students (by discussion),

And the remaining quarter in course of time (through experience)

(24) Apatya darshanaarthay yaa praanaan api tyajeth

       Tyajanty taamapi krooraa maataram daara hetavay

While a mother stakes her life to get a glimpse of her child,

There are children so heartless that they forsake such a mother for the sake of their wives.   (add.25.1.11) (Janani-p.35 by Channakeshava)

. 

  

A Word From the Author- M.V.S.Murthy

 A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

One evening, I took my grandchildren to a park near our house in Mysore, India, where there was a statue of a ‘Happy Man’, a traditional Chinese  ‘Laughing Man’. From that day I was ‘Happy-man Tata’ to my grandchildren! My E-mail correspondence with children has been happymantata@yahoo.in  and my pen-name ‘Happyman Tata’.

I am 83 now. I had no literary inclination or knowledge. When I had leisure and a computer to play with and an encouraging son, even at this late age I have attempted to bring out (1) a technical E-Book on maintenance of Dam gates (which is well received by Water Resources Engineers of several states), and (2) this collection of stories and hymns for children, both transmitted on E-mail.

I hail from Karnataka in India and belong to Hindu religion. I am a Mechanical Engineer by profession. I belong to pre-independence generation, from a cultured middle-class family. During my visit to USA, I found that, while my grand-children there were more knowledgeable than I was at their age, they were quite eager to know about our tradition and culture. Their knowledge of our mother-tongue was nil. Hence their knowledge of our culture and tradition was limited to a few English books available and dwindle soon.

This prompted me to transliterate a few Sanskrit shlokas and give a gist of their meaning and transmit them by e-mail. While we used to recite these hymns without bothering about their meaning, I thought that these young ones would rather know what they are reciting before learning to recite them. So I added a rough meaning as I had understood. Most of the hymns were those I had learnt as a kid and now rendered form memory. Since we were taught by word of mouth and so knew their pronunciation, while transliterating, I have tried to bring out correct pronunciation without adopting notations that may be difficult for children to follow.

I have adopted as far as possible a phonetic pronunciation. My literary knowledge being nil, I need the help of parents (a generation which had been exposed to native culture in their younger days), to correct any error and help their children in pronunciation of Sanskrit words.

What started as ‘Some Frequently Recited Shlokas’, went further to Kaalidaasa and other stories. I wrote some stories based on what I had heard or read, often from memory, mainly to hold interest of children and to bring out a message. This is a compilation of writings which I thought, may be interesting and informative to kids and youngsters and I do not claim any original authorship except where specifically mentioned. I am grateful to all sources, known and unknown from where I have borrowed. I hope the elders will adopt a “Hamsa-Ksheera Nyaaya” to take what is good and discard the trash. My son Prakash has helped proof and edit this collection, but I will be grateful for your active feed-back to correct any errors.  My E-Mail  is,<happymantata@yahoo.in>or  happymantata@gmail.com

    This booklet is a compilation of mails sent during 2010-2011. As there was a good response, though from my limited circle, I thought a wider circulation would serve the purpose better. Hence this effort. There is no ‘copyright’ and any part of the book could be copied and circulated to whom ever it may be of interest.

                                                                            HAPPYMAN TATA (June-2012)

Five Types Of Fools !

FIVE TYPES OF FOOLS

Long ago there was a good and kind King. He had a wise Queen whose counsel he sought often when he had tricky state- problems to solve.

One day he came across a complex problem and he hurried into the Queen’s private chamber unannounced. The queen was in a serious discussion with a group of friends. Hence his thus barging into the chamber caused surprise and embarrassment to queen and her friends. The queen got up and smiling, called him aside and whispered” Welcome to my Foolish Lord of first grade!”

The king was shocked to hear this comment, and quickly returned to his chamber fuming with anger. But soon he calmed down on realizing the impropriety of his action. Now he was curious to know why the queen addressed him as a First grade fool! He called his wise minister and told him all that happened. The minister smiled and said; Sire,the Honorable Queen has correctly classified him !.

Then he explained: There are five categories of fools in this world.

First category: Harmless Fool. He acts impulsively and causes embarrassment to others, as what you did. .He has made a fool of himself but no harm is caused .Hence he is of first category.

Second category: Interrupting Fool: This person, having been invited into a group of friends misuses their courtesy and interrupt their conversation and tries to force his views on them without listening to others. He considers himself wiser than others; His behavior also causes embarrassment to those who invited him and annoyance to others. Such a person is classified second category, and is put up with due to courtesy, being not harmful.

Third category: Proverbial Fool: This fellow is arrogant and insensitive to others’ feelings. He does not realize his lack of knowledge and the ridicule he is subjected to.

Fourth category: Dangerous Fool: He is a somewhat knowledgeable person, but his ego and desire to show off drives him to contradict and find fault with everyone. Though in the beginning some may get attracted by his knowledge, soon they get repulsed due to his ego and meanness.

Fifth category: Wise fool! He is an unfortunate fellow who cannot avoid the company of one of the above categories of fools, either by choice, compulsion or convenience. While his wisdom impels to react, his predicament prevents him to respond.

In short
, First one is a fool but does not know he is one.        People tolerate him.

Second one is a fool who cannot avoid being one.                People Pity him.

Third one is a fool who is blind to his faults.                           People avoid him.

Fourth one is a fool who is too self-centered.                        People detest him

Fifth one is a fool who knowingly has to forbear.           A number of people who are not fools

by their action, fall under this category!

The minister concluded; My lord, the Queen has quietly and subtly indicated you your position among the categories of fools in this world!

The king enjoyed the explanation given by the minister. He understood his mistake and the subtle manner in which the Queen had showed it to him. He appreciated the wisdom and straightforwardness of her.

With a twinkle of mischief in his eye, the king asked the minister “Now you and the queen have categorized me as fool of first category. May I know to which category do you belong?

Minister replied politely. “My Lord, I cannot venture to speak about Queen. As for myself I submit that this minister of yours falls under the fifth category of Fools because, by necessity, he keeps company of Your Highness.!!

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