Translation of some Sanskrit sayings

A crooked man’s knowledge results in his arguments, his wealth in his ego, and his power in others’ troubles.

Sacrifice your own interest for the sake of your family, sacrifice family for village, sacrifice village for nation, and sacrifice everything for Atman.

A book says: Protect me from oil (as it leaves marks on my pages); protect me from water; also protect me from the loose binding. And after doing all this, please do not hand me over to an unintelligent person.

Fire , loan and enemy – if remain even in small quantity will grow again, so finish them completely.

A person who travels a lot and is in contact with wise people has his intelligence expanded like a drop of oil on the water surface.

When there is fire in forest, wind assists it. But the same wind destroys a small lamp. If one doesn't have power /wealth, he doesn’t have friends. One will support you if you are powerful or else the same person will destroy you. If a country is mighty and powerful, it gets all the support from other countries.

Consideration like “so and so is mine, or so and so is another’s” occur only to the narrow minded people. To the broad-minded people, the whole world is the family.

There is no letter which can’t be used in mantra; there is no root which can’t form some medicine! There is no person who is absolutely useless. But persons who can identify their utility and put them in proper usage are rare.

An intelligent person spends his time in study of poetry and scriptures (as means of his entertainment). In contrast an unintelligent person gets his entertainment by over-sleeping, quarrel or some type of addiction.

The person with whom we have no relation, but who helps us in our difficult times is our real brother. In contrast, the person who may be our brother (relative), but who always does bad things for us should not be considered as our brother. Just like a disease which is in our body, bit does so much harm to us, while the medicinal plant which grows in forest far off does so much good to us!

Our ears look good due to sattvik expressions that are heard by it, not by earrings. Our hands look good due to donations it make, rather than by bracelets. Our bodies smell good by doing good deeds to others, not by applying sandalwood cream to it.

Avoid friendship with wicked people. They are like coal; if hot, they burn your hands – if cold, they blacken your hands.

People who are punctual in their duties like the Sun never become poor.

Greatness is not by birth, it is by qualities of the person. Just sitting on the tip of palace, a cow does not become an eagle. Milk which can be converted in ghee can turn bad, and mud can be converted into a beautiful idol, and even result in becoming Ganesha.

There is no achievement like peace; there is no happiness like satisfaction; there is no disease like desire; there is no religion like mercy.

Never believe a wicked person even if he is talking in your favor. There is honey on his tongue’s tip, but there is poison in his heart.

Out of serpent and wicked person, it is the serpent who is better of the two. The serpent seldom bites, but the wicked person stings at every step. The snake can be calmed by some techniques, but the wicked person cannot be kept in control by any techniques.

Knowledge is the real wealth in a foreign land; cleverness in tough times; good conduct is the wealth everywhere and at all the times.

It cannot be stolen by thieves nor can it be taken away by kings. It cannot be divided among brothers and it does not cause a load on your shoulders. If spent, it always keeps growing. The wealth of knowledge is the most superior wealth of all.

As a person with dirty clothes (once dirtied in rain due to carelessness), does not hesitate to sit anywhere, similarly a person who once have lost his character, will not hesitate to do bad again.

A selfish person who wants to get some work done from another person, will praise him till the work is pending. Once you cross the river, you won’t look at the boat.

If you go too much close to someone, the person may not listen to you anymore. Similarly, if you visit someone very frequently, you will lose your respect. A woman living in Sandalwood jungle will use it in her daily needs, like in cooking or bathing. But for the rest of the world the same sandalwood is very costly as it is not easily available to them.

Up to the age of five, pamper your child; then up to the age of 10, discipline the child. After the child turns 16, treat the child like a friend.

A fully-filled water-container will not create as much noise as the half-filled one.

Just as a donkey which carries the sandalwood on its back doesn’t know the value of sandalwood, but only experiences some weight on its back; in the same way, learned people who have studied scriptures don’t realize the true meaning of it and simply carry the ‘weight’ of the knowledge.

The sea who constantly collects water is bitter as it is at the lowermost level of earth, and the clouds that donate water are heavenly at the high altitudes. The person who does charity achieves the higher place than the person who collects without doing charity.

Five characteristics of a fool person are: arrogance, wicked statements, anger (to no end), strong arguments (without support) and lack of respect or tolerance to others’ opinions.

If seeing or hearing somebody, or speaking with somebody touches your heart, then it is love or affection.

A big storm which uproots the strongest and biggest tress doesn’t harm the small grass on the ground.

The first sign of intelligent man is in not starting the work which is not in his capacity. The second sign is seen, when after starting such work, the man carries it to its logical conclusion.

In case of normal individuals, the words follow the meaning. But in case of the great sages, the meaning follows their words.

The non-poisonous snake should imitate as if it is a biting one, if it does not want to be stepped upon!

At times, the resourceful people have to face many troubles, while the un-resourceful people live peacefully; like a parrot lives in a cage while a free crow flies in the sky, trying to survive.

Those who have the wealth of self-esteem, live long life. For those who don’t have self-esteem, what is the use of wealth and long life?

There is no vision such as the one that knowledge gives us, there is no tapa (austerity) like hard work on the side of truth, there is no sorrow such as desire; there is no happiness like sacrifice.

There is no place for ‘praise’ in this world: good people don’t like her and she won’t prefer to go to the bad person! If ‘praise’ were a woman, she will never get married! And what about insults? You decide!

Without healing qualities, beautiful colorful flower has no meaning to its existence. Similarly, without positive actions, the good words have no meaning.

A person with enthusiasm is a powerful person. There is nothing as powerful as enthusiasm. Nothing is impossible to an enthusiastic person.

What is the use of knowledge without intelligence? What is the use of mirror to a blind person.

Nectar is acceptable even in a broken vessel. Learn good thoughts from children even, accept good qualities from enemies even, and accept gold from dirty place even.

Beauty is like an ornament to human. Good qualities are like an ornament to the beauty. Knowledge is like an ornament to good qualities, and forgiveness is like an ornament to knowledge.

Treasure of goddess Saraswati (knowledge) is indeed very amazing! If spent, it grows and if unused, it becomes less.

Sandalwood is pleasant; moonlight is even more pleasant, but the company of a good person is most pleasant.

If country goes a wrong way, the king should be held responsible. If king goes a wrong way, his advisors/ ministers should be held responsible. If a woman does a wrong thing, then her husband should be held responsible, and if a student does a wrong thing, his teacher should be held responsible.

An inferior person has desire for money. An average person has desire for money and also for the freedom from that desire. A great man has no desire left.

Only two types of people are happy in this world: (1) foolish and dull people, and (2) very intelligent and knowledgeable people. All the other people in between these two limits are the only sufferers.

Food for one whose stomach is full is of no use. Rains over the sea is of no use. There is no need of giving donation to an affluent person. Lighting a lamp during the day is also useless. Two wise people find it futile to speak in each others’ company and enjoy silence.

A person who has courage as his father, forgiveness as his mother, calm mind as his wife, truth as his son, compassion as his sister and control on mind as his brother, then for which thing will that person be scared of? (the mentioned relations are not to be taken literally)

Unwise person hesitates to donate the wealth due to the fear of becoming poor in future. But due to the same fear, a wise person donates his wealth.

One cannot change nature of a person by giving him advice or telling him good things. If water is heated, after some time it again attains its normal temperature.

People say that inspiration does not last long. Neither does bath. That’s why both are to be taken on the daily basis.

If one person’s life helps others’ lives, then only that person has really ‘lived’. Even the crow can fill its own stomach by its beak. There is nothing great in solely working for our own survival.

For a person who has a firm conviction, this earth is like a little garden, sea is like a small canal, ‘afterlife’ is like a picnic spot, and the Everest is like an ant’s house!

A foolish person comes without invitation, talks without required, and trusts untrustworthy people.

Enjoy this world offered by the existence, but don’t grab, because it belongs to nobody.

What is in mind should be reflected in one’s speech. What is in one’s speech should be reflected in one’s actions. Thus, one becomes a wise man, creating no conflict within.

Great people use discretion with wealth, humbleness with scholars and courteousness with power.

Wise men choose good over the pleasant. The fool prefers the pleasant. By doing so, the wise choose the eternal happiness and the fool the temporary one.

Unhappy people are so because of their desire (greed) for their happiness. The happy people are so because of the lack of such desire.

Body is purified by water, mind by truth, intelligence by knowledge and soul by self-study and self-improvement.

Cuckoo’s beauty is in its voice, woman’s beauty is in her intelligence, ugly person’s beauty is in knowledge and sages’ beauty is in forgiving.

When this life is full of uncertainty, there is no time like present to help our soul.

Purify your path by your vision (i.e. see before you step), purify water by cloth, purify speech by truth, purify behavior by your conscience.

Deer, fishes and noble people live on dry grass, water and satisfaction. But none the less, they are troubled by hunters, fishermen and bad people. It is true that people who don’t trouble others still have enemies!

Even if a person who has committed a crime is your respected guru, a child, an old person, a woman, an honorable person or very famous, he should be punished. There is no excuse for crime.

Being under the command of our senses and mind is nothing but invitation to many problems and winning over them is a pathway to the glory/success! Choose any path that you like!! Animals get satisfied by Taste, Touch, Smell etc. Getting too much happiness from such things is like being under their command.

All the types of wealth are painful. Once you get wealth, you’ve to constantly protect it. Wealth tends to decay like any other objects, so you constantly work to maintain it. When you work to maintain it, your own personality gets affected by its company, and then, you too need protection and maintenance. Moreover, no storable wealth can be achieved without causing harm to others. And this means harm to yourself too, as your actions will create ripple of reactions that will eventually reach you.

Sometimes he sleeps on floor and sleeps on fine bed at other times.
Sometimes he manages only with vegetables and eats delicious rice at other times.
Sometimes he wears torn clothes and wears elegant clothes at other times.
The person devoted to work does not care about sorrows and joys.

Desire never gets fulfilled even if it is temporarily satisfied. As fire consumes offered ghee and increases, desire also increases with consumption.

Inferior men do not start a work due to fear of obstacles. Medium men start their work, but leave the work whenever they get difficulty. Exceptionally good people start their work, and continue doing working even if there is series of obstacles in their way.

No one was/will be ever as generous as a stingy person.
He gives his wealth to others without even touching it.

Nobody is friend of any other person. Nobody is enemy of any other person. Need (intention or the situation) only binds (a person as your) friend or enemy. No person is your friend or enemy if you don't consider your interest.

A friend, even without many good qualities, is better than an enemy with good qualities. Though, we shall appreciate good qualities in enemies. A person is our enemy or friend depending upon his and our interests, it does not depend on his qualities.

It's very easy to convince an uneducated person. It's even more easy to convince a person who has complete knowledge. But a person who develops a false pride on basis of half-knowledge gained, cannot be convinced even by God.

In the group of thousands of cows, the calf correctly identifies it's mother and comes near it's mother - In the same way the deeds done in the past life correctly gets attached to the person (It's effect cannot be undone).

One’s education can be judged by her /his knowledge, one’s virtues can be judged by one’s originality, but anger can be sensed from one’s eyes.

Who experiences constant happiness or constant sorrows? Take any point on a wheel. It goes down and again rises up; so also the happiness and sorrows follow each other in one's life. Therefore don't get excited by happiness nor get dejected by sorrows.

Studying without learning grammar (fundamentals), crossing river on a boat with a hole and consuming medicines without following the instructions of the physician are not advisable. Do not do things in an improper manner; the loss could be major.

The cows of different colors produce milk of one color; similarly the principle taught by different religions is one.

Only swan has the capability to separate milk and water. If it becomes lazy, then who else can do its job? If talented people don’t apply themselves, they face loss in spite of their talents.

The one who runs after the luxuries will not get knowledge. And the one who wants to gain knowledge leaves the luxuries. How will any one get knowledge if he/she wants to lead a easy life? And how will one get to live a easy life who is looking for knowledge?

Do such a work through the day, so that you can sleep peacefully at night. Similarly, do such a work throughout your life so that you can 'live' peacefully after death.

A wicked person will notice the bad qualities as tiny as a mustard seed in other person, but will not notice even the bad qualities as large as any big leaf (bilva-patra) within himself /herself.

One becomes like the people around him/her, who one lives with, whom one serves and whom one wants to become like.

Only a person with good qualities knows (or appreciates) qualities of another, not a person without any qualities. A strong person knows (or judges) strength of another strong person, not a weak person. Cuckoo understands (or feels) the spring, not a crow (The cuckoo starts singing in this period). Elephant knows strength of Lion not a mouse.

Even a dust particle which rises above when beaten by someone's foot is better than the person who sits calmly in spite of being insulted badly.

The one who speaks in a sweet language is like a wife to any man; from whom one gets satisfaction is a real son /daughter; on whom we can put our complete faith without any hesitation is a real friend; and the land in which we can easily earn our livelihood is the real country.

The old age snatches away the beauty, false hope takes away the courage, death defeats the life, hatred will destroy one’s noble attitude, anger will lead to poverty, being in the company of bad people and helping them will take away one’s character, uncontrolled desire will take away humbleness and false pride will take away all the good things!

Whether circumstances causes King or King causes circumstances?
There is no doubt that King causes circumstances.

One should put efforts in building up good character; the wealth is not stable.
One who doesn’t have wealth is not really powerless, however characterless person is a waste.

The wealth, which is earned by troubling others, by disobeying the Dharma or even by swallowing (self) insult; does not bring happiness. (Dharma = one’s true duties)

Duryodhana says, "It's not that I didn't knew what was 'Dharma' and what was 'adharma'. But in spite of knowing what is 'Dharma', I couldn't follow it and even though I knew what was 'adharma' I couldn't desist from not doing it".

Without hurting others; without getting into association of bad; without losing the company of good people however little you progress, that is sufficient.

Donkeys are singing song in a weddings of camels. Donkeys say how beautiful camels are, camels say what a pleasant voice donkeys have. Both are praising each other. This is a typical scenario in a gathering of low caliber persons. None of them is of any excellence, but they praise each other, either because they don't know what is excellence, or because they want some mental satisfaction.

Those, who do not get carried away by honor and do not become angry because of dishonor, do not use harsh words, even when angry, are known as great saints.

For an un-intelligent person, there are hundreds of incidents/ reasons occurring daily to become happy for and thousands of others to become unhappy at. But intelligent person's mind will not get disturbed by such fluctuations.

Night looks very long to the one who is awake all through the night. Little distance appears to be stretched to the one who is already tired of walking. Similarly, life appears long to the people who do not know sat-dharma.

The words 'give me' (begging), cause five virtues (good qualities) go away from you, immediately: intelligence, elegance, prosperity, glow and fame.

One should avoid crooked person even if he /she is educated. Isn't snake adorned with gem still dangerous?

Direct Sun-light does not burn our skin as much as a hot sand dune does. Similarly a mediocre person who becomes powerful due to another person (like sand dune getting hot due to Sunlight) is often annoying or even dangerous.

Strength of a powerful person is ignored if he does not show it to others (others are unaware). As far as energy is stored in wood, no body is bothered about it. But when same wood starts burning, they are scared of that.

The good people (sajjan) are like a coconut – Harsh or rough from outside but very soft and sweet from inside. In contrast the bad people (durjan) are like berry - only soft from outside, but hard from inside!

The one who speaks truth, one who spends less, one who eats nutritional food in limited quantity and the one who has conquered the senses, gets peaceful sleep.

What can a wicked person do to someone who has the weapon of forgiveness in his hands ? Fire fallen on ground without any grass extinguishes by itself.


Above are the Translation of some Sanskrit Subhaashita that I Like. Some may appear to contradict others, nonetheless it is an enjoyable read.