Wisdom - Great Sayings in Sanskrit

My teacher 'Sudarshan Kameshwar Sir' has introduced these great Sanskrit shlokas to me.

#1. Importance of Time - How precious time is..

kshanashah kanashashchaiva
vidhyAm artham cha sadhayeth
kshana thyage kutho vidhya
kana thyage kutho dhanam

Meaning:
Knowledge and Wealth have to be accumulated minute by minute and penny by penny. How can one acquire knowledge if even a single minute is wasted? How can one amass wealth if even one penny is spent worthlessly?

#2. Importance of Knowledge - There is no end for Knowledge

yadhA kinchignyOham dhvipa iva madhAnDHaha samabhavam
thadhA sarvgnyOsmIthyabhavadh avaliptham mama manaha
yadhA kinchith kinchith buDHajanasakAshAdh avagatham
thadhA mUrkhOsmIthi jvara iva madhO mE vyapagathaha

Meaning:
I became blind, like an intoxicated elephant, when I acquired a little knowledge. My mind was overcome with pride and I thought I knew everything.
I realized how ignorant I really was when I began to learn more, little by little, from the truly wise; then, my pride subsided, like a fever.

#3. Importance of Education - Vidya
Education - A word which has all vowels

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रतम्
पात्रत्वाद् धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्म ततः सुखम्

vidhyA dhadhAthi vinayam vinayAdhyAthi pAthrathAm
pathrathvAdh DHanamApnOthi DHanAdhDHarma thathaha sukham

Meaning: Knowledge makes you humble; humility gives you character; good character attracts wealth; wealth can be used for doing good deeds. This in turn leads to happiness in the world.

#4. Importance of Character - How a gentleman should repay for the helps he got

praTHamavayasi pItham thOyamalpam smaranthaha
shirasi nihithabhArA nArikElA narANAm
dhadhathi jalamanalpam AsvAdham AjIvithAntham
na hi krtham upakAram sADHavO vismaranthi

Meaning:
In return for the small amount of water that they had been given during their initial years, the coconut trees carry a weight on their heads for as long as they live in order to give men an endless supply of sweet water. The noble never forget a help done to them.

#5. Importance of friendship - A friend in need is a friend indeed

pApAn nivArayathi yOjayathE hithAya
guhyAni gUhathi guNAn prakatIkarOthi
Apadhgatham cha na jahAthi dhadhAthi kAlE
sanmithralakSHaNamidham pravadhanthi santhaha

Meaning:
Good Friends are who will help you to overcome the bad qualities in you and inspire you to take the right path. They will keep your secrets but advertise your good qualities. They will not desert you when you’re in trouble and give of themselves in your time of need – such is the nature of good friends say the wise.

#6. Can't correct them who are strict on their thoughts

shakyO vArayithum jalEna huthabhuk
CHathrENa sUryAthapO
nAgEndhrO nishithAnkushEna
samadhO dhandEna gOgardhabhau
vyADHir bhESHajasangrahaishcha
viviDHair manthraprayOgair viSHam
sarvasyauSHaDHamasthi shAsthravihitham
mUrkhasya nAsthyauSHaDHam

Meaning:
Fire can be extinguished with water, an umbrella can serve to shade against the sun.
To control even a wild elephant a staff is sufficient, while cows and donkeys can be controlled with sticks.
There are medicines for diseases and antidotes for even poisons.
There is remedy for everything in the shastras (books of knowledge), but there is no cure for foolishness.

#7. Don't become foot-ball of other's opinions/ideas

न खल्वात्मनः सचिवोक्तम् इत्येवादरणीयं परसचिवोक्तम् इति वा परिहरणीयम् धीमतां धीरेव सचिवः

na khalvAthmanaha sachivOktham ithyEvAdharaNIyam parasachivOktham ithi vA pariharaNIyam / DHImathAm DHIrEva sachivaha

Meaning:
An idea should not be accepted just because one’s own minister proposed it; nor should it be ignored just because another king’s minister suggested it. For the intelligent, their own intelligence is their minister.

#8. Knowledge is wealth

na chOrahAryam na cha rAjahAryam na bhrAthrbhAjyam na cha bhArakArI / vyayE krthE varDHathE Eva nithyam vidhyADHanam sarva DHana praDHAnam

Meaning:
That which cannot be stolen; that which cannot be confiscated by rulers; that which need not be shared among siblings; that which is not a burden as it does not weigh anything. That which, though it is used, only grows every day.

#9. Three Jewels: Water, Food and Words of wisdom

prTHivyAm thrINi rathnAni jalam annam subhASHitham / mUDaihi pASHANa khaNdESHu rathna sangyA viDHIyathE

Meaning:
In this world there are only three precious gems - water, food and words of wisdom. They are but fools who call mere pieces of stone as gems.

#10. Offering to God
प्रातः प्रभृति सायान्तं सायादि प्रातरन्ततः
यत् करोमि जगन्नाथ तदस्तु तव पूजनम्

Meaning:
From dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn, whatever I do O Lord of the World, may it be an offering to You.

#11. Offering to God
कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात्
करोमि यद्यत् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयामि

Meaning:
All that I do - with my body, my words, my mind, my senses, my intellect, my soul or unconsciously, because of my nature - everything do I offer to the supreme spirit, Narayana.

#12. A shloka from Chanakya's Niti Shastram
छायाम् अन्यस्य कुर्वन्ति त्तिष्ठन्ति स्वयम् आतपे
फलन्ति च परस्यार्थे सत्पथस्था इव द्रुमाः

CHAyAm anyasya kurvanthi thiSHTanthi svayam AthapE
phalanthi cha parasyArTHE sathpaTHasTHA iva dhrumAha

Meaning:
Trees give shade to others while themselves standing in the sun. They bear fruits for others to enjoy as do those who follow the path of goodness.

#13. Helping nature
परोपकाराय फलन्ति वृक्षाः परॊपकाराय वहन्ति नद्यः
परॊपकाराय दुहन्ति गावः परॊपकारार्थम् इदं शरीरम्

parOpakArAya phalanthi vrkSHAha parOpakArAya vahanthi nadhyaha
parOpakArAya dhuhanthi gAvaha parOpakArArTHam idham sharIram

Meaning:
Trees bear fruit for others’ sake. Rivers flow for others to use. Cows give milk for all. This body of ours too is meant to serve others.

#14. Hope

गिरिर्महान् गिरेरब्धिर्महान् अब्धेर्नभो महत्
नभसोपि महद् ब्रह्मा ततोप्याशा गरीयसी

girirmahAn girErabDHirmahAn abDHErnabhO mahath
nabhasOpi mahadh brahmA thathOpyAshA garIyasI

A mountain is great; the ocean is greater; the sky is greater still; the Almighty is greater than even the sky. But the greatest of all is Hope.

Written by: Adit
Oct 2008, Middletown NJ
E-Mail: adit.bond007@gmail.com