Gems of Hindu thoughts

म् ṣṇò  è àà, è, ì, ò, ù, à Ḍ è h̀ Ì ì K̀ k̀ M̀ m̀ Ǹ ǹ Ò ò R̀ r̀ S̀ s̀ T̀ t̀ Ù ù V̀ v̀ Ẁ ẁ X̀ x̀ Ỳ ỳ Z̀ z̀ ṛ ṣ ṭṬ ṇ ḍ Ḍ

Miscellaneous collection

This is collection of verses, philosophy and thoughts from various sources of Sanatan Dharma

Confessional – I can’t help doing wrong	Jaanaami dharmam na  – Pandava Gita
Maya, the illusion	Sanna-api-asanna-apy – Vivekachudamani (Shankaracharya)
Veda is the best gift	Sarveṣhaam-eva daanaanam – Manusmriti
Bad food (we are what we eat)	Deepo bhakshayate – Vriddha Chanakya
Most surprising about humans	Ahanyahani bhootaani – Mahabharata
Dharma protects those who protect it	Dharma eva hato hanti – Manusmriti

I cannot help doing wrong – Confessional

Sometimes we feel as though we cannot help ourselves in committing to our habits, our temptations and the “nice” vices of life. There are things we all love to do, even though we know they are “wrong”. Some of us even engage joyfully in illegal and unlawful actions. So too, Duryodhana, the evil king, confessed. Taken from the the Pandava Gita, Duryodhana expresses how difficult it is to do what is right and how easy it is to do what is unacceptable. (For the entire Pandava Gita, visit this link).

Genuine advancement can only come after introspection and confession/admission of where we are going wrong and to realise how to make the relevant changes to align with righteousness.

जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्तिर् जानामि पापं न च मे निवृत्तिः ।
केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ॥

Jaanaami dharmam na cha me pra-vrittir-
jaanaami paapam na cha me nivrittih.
Kenaapi devena hridi sthi-tena
yathaa niyuk-to’smi tathaa karomi

I know what is right, but I am unable to do it. I know what is wrong but I am unable to desist from doing it. My heart seems not to be guided by the prescribed and good actions and so I act unconscionably.

जानामि I know धर्मं dharma, righteousness न no, not च and मे my प्रवृत्ति tendency, action, behavior, cognition पापं sin, bad actions, crime निवृत्ति abstinence, refusal, leaving off केनापि whichever, for some reason or the other देवेन whichever, for some reason or the other हृदि

Maayaa (Adi Shankaracharya)

What is illusion? What is Maya? Adi Shankaracharya’s Vivekachudamani gives an apt illustration of the illusion that is or is not Maya. 

सन्नाप्यसन्नाप्युभयात्मिका नो भिन्नाप्यभिन्नाप्युभयात्मिका नो ।
साङ्गाप्यनङ्गा ह्युभयात्मिका नो महाद्भुताऽनिर्वचनीयरूपा॥
विवेकचूडामणि १०९

The concept of Maya can be stated as follows: It is neither existent, non-existent nor is it partaking in existence or non-existence. It is neither of innumerable parts nor of a whole, it is neither the same nor different. It is neither visible nor invisible and can neither be said to have a most wonderful appearance or an indescribable appearance.

सन्नाप्यसन्नाप्युभयात्मिका नो it is existent as well as non-existent; as well as neither existent or non-existent नो not, सन्न perished, dead, non-existent, असन्न existent, आपि also, as well, उभया belonging to both sides, आत्मिका based on भिन्नाप्यभिन्नाप्युभयात्मिका नो It is neither split apart into innumerable factors nor it is one whole नो not भिन्न disunited, split, disjoined आपि as well अभिन्न united, joined उभय belonging to both sides आत्मिका based on साङ्गाप्यनङ्गा it is neither a component/limb of anything nor is it having components or limbs, visible, nor invisible. स and अङ्ग limbs, components, parts आपि also न not अङ्ग limbs, parts, components ह्युभयात्मिका नो it is both as well as neither हि for, surely उभय belonging to both sides आत्मिक based on महाद्भुताऽनिर्वचनीयरूपा it is neither most wonderful nor is it indescribable in appearance महाद्भुत very wonderful, great marvel अनिर्वचनीय indescribable, inexpressible रूप appearance

Veda is the best gift

सर्वेषामेव दानानां ब्रह्मदानं विशिष्यते ।
वार्यन्नगोमहीवासस्।तिलकाञ्चनसर्पिषाम् ॥

Of all the gifts (including) water, food, animals, land, clothes, grains, gold, oil (etc), that gift of (the knowledge of) the Vedas is the best and noblest.

Bad food affects us

दीपो भक्षयते ध्वान्तं कज्जलं च प्रसूयते ।
यादृशं भक्षयेदन्न्म जायते तादृशी प्रजा ॥

A lamp consumes darkness and simultaneously produces (black) soot. What food we consume regularly will yield that type of people and nation.

दीपो lamp भक्षयते eats, consumes ध्वान्तं darkness कज्जलं soot च and प्रसूयते begets, brings forth, give birth (प्रसूयते is a mother who just gave birth) यादृशं anyone whatsoever भक्षयेदन्न्म = भक्षयेत् अन्न consumes food जायते gives, goes, becomes तादृशी that type of प्रजा people, nation, humanity

Most surprising about humans

In the Mahabharata (Vana parva 313.116), the great Yudhishthira was asked, “What is the most surprising thing in the world?” His answer:

For the full details on the questions that Yudhishtir faced and answered, Go to Yudhishtira’s Answers.

Dharma protect those who protect dharma

धर्म एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः
तस्माद्धर्मो न हन्तव्यो मा नो धर्मो हतोऽवधीत् ॥

Dharma destroyed, destroys; Dharma protected, protects. Therefore, Dharma must not be violated, otherwise violated dharma allows us to be violated.

धर्म एव dharma alone, dharma indeed हतो being killed or destroyed हन्ति kills/destroys धर्मो from dharma रक्षति to protect रक्षितः the protected one तस्मात् hence, therefore धर्मो from dharma न not हन्तव्यो to kill/destroy मा do not नो nor धर्मो from dharma हतो being killed/destroyed वधीत killed/destroyed.