This is a database of many subhaashithaani and this section will constantly be under change. People wanting to participate in contributing please contact me (jinjanjaa@gmail.com)
To start with let me quote one from my 9th std. Sanskrit textbook that talks of the greatness of subhaashithaani:
पृथिव्यां त्रीणि रत्नानी जलमन्नं सुभाषितम् |
मूदै: पाषाणखण्डेषु रत्नसंज्ञा विधीयते ||
There are three gems in the world
-water, food and good sayings. But,
stone pieces are considered as gems
by fools.
Here I post the shlokas from my college Sanskrit textbook
(VIVEKAPATHAMALA, विवेकपाठमाला lesson: Sooktayaha, सूक्तय:)
अति दानाद् बलिर्बध्द: अति मानात् सुयोदन:|
विनष्टो रावणो लौल्यात् अति सर्वत्र वर्जयेत्||
Asura King Bali was bound due to excessive
charity. Duryodhana and Ravana were destroyed
due to excessive pride and lust respectively.
Hence, excessiveness is to be avoided everywhere
हस्तस्य भूषणं दानं सत्यम कण्ठस्य भूषणं |
श्रोत्रस्य भूषणं शास्त्रं भूषणै: किम् प्रयोजनम् ||
Charity is the ornament for the hand.Speaking
truth is the ornament for the neck. Listening
to sacred sayings is the ornament for the ear.
Then what is the use of metallic ornaments?
उदारस्य तृणं वित्तं शूरस्य मरणं तृणं |
विरक्तस्य तृणं भार्या नि:स्पृहस्य तृणं जगत् ||
Wealth is like mean grass for a generous person.
Death is equal to grass for a heroic person.
Even wife becomes grass-value for a detached man.
For a desire less man even the world is grass.
नरस्याभरणं रूपं रूपस्याभरणं गुण: |
गुणस्याभरणं ज्ञानं ज्ञानस्याभरणं क्षमा ||
Personality is the ornament of man.
Conduct is the ornament of such a personality.
Knowledge is the ornament of conduct.
Tolerance is the ornament of knowledge.
दुर्बलानामं बलं राजा बालानां रोदनं बलं |
मूर्खणां च बलं मौनं चोरानामनृतं बलं ||
King is the strength for the weak people.
Crying is the strength for children.
Silence is the strength for fools.
Uttering lies is the strength for theives.
तक्षकस्य विषं दन्ते मक्षिकायाश्च मस्तके |
वृश्चिकस्य विषं पुच्छे सर्वाङ्गे दुर्जनस्य तत् ||
Snake's Venum is in its tooth and
that of bee's is on its head.
Scorpion's poison is in its
tail but, the venumous nature
is found allover the body of
a wicked man
वृथा वृष्टि:समुद्रेषु वृथा तृप्तस्य भोजनं |
वृथा दानं समर्थस्य वृथा दीपो दिवाऽपि च ||
Rain in the oceans is vain;
food is waste for a well-fed man;
donation is in vain to a capable person;
even lamp is of no use during day time
शैले शैले न माणिक्यं मौक्तिकं न गजे गजे |
सज्जना न हि सर्वत्र चन्दनं न वने वने ||
Ruby is not found in every mountain.
Pearl is not found in every elephant.
Good people are not found everywhere.
Sandal tree is not grown in every forest.
छायामन्यस्य कुर्वन्ति स्वयं तिष्ठन्ति चातपे |
फलान्यपि परार्थाय वृक्षा: सत्पुरुषा इव ||
Trees spread shade by allowing themselves
to stand in the hot sun. They also bear
fruits for the sake of others. So, trees are
like noble men.
अर्धातुरणां न गुरुर्न बन्धु: कामातुराणां न भयं न लज्जा |
विद्यातुराणां न सुखं न निद्रा क्षुधातुराणां न रुचिर्न पक्वं ||
Those who are half-baked have no teacher or
relative. There is no fear or shame for lustful
persons. Those who are passionate about learning
enjoy no sleep or pleasure and persons who starve
(with hunger) see no taste or bake.
काव्यशास्त्रविनोदेन कालो गच्छति धीमताम् |
व्यसनेन तु मूर्खाणां निद्रया कलहेन वा ||
Intellectual men's time passes through
the miracle of studying epics and sacred
sciences but that of fools passes passes
by worrying, sleeping or quarreling.
गुणवज्जनसंसर्गाद् याति नीचोऽपि गौरवम् |
रथ्याम्बू जाह्नवीसङ्गात् त्रिदशैरपि पूज्यते ||
Through the association of good
people even mean people gain respect;
(like), even dirty street waters are
worshiped by the Gods when they mingle
with the Ganges.
मक्षिका: व्रणमिच्छन्ति धनमिच्छन्ति पार्थिवा: |
नीचा: कलहमिच्छन्ति शान्तिमिच्छन्ति साधव: ||
House flies are fond of wounds, kings are
fond of wounds, mean people are fond of
quarrel and noble men are fond of peace
संसार विष वृक्षस्य द्वे एव रसवत् फले |
काव्यामृत रसस्वाद: सङ्गमः सुज्जनै: सह ||
In the poisonous tree of worldly
life, there are only two tasty
fruits. Enjoying the ambrotia of
literature and association with
good people
उद्यमेन हि सिध्यन्ति कार्याणि न मनोरथै: |
न हि सुप्तस्य सिंहस्य प्रविशन्ति मुखे मृगा: ||
Objects are accomplished only by
means of effort and not by mere
ambitions. for, deer do not enter
the mouth of a sleeping lion
यथा ह्येकेन चक्रेण न रथस्य गतिर्भवेत् |
एवं पुरुषकारेण विना दैवं न सिध्यति ||
A chariot's movement is not possible
with only one wheel. Similarly, even
god fails to lend hand without human
effort.
दुर्जनेन समं सख्यं प्रीतिं चापि न कारयेत् |
उष्णो दहति चाङ्गार: शीत: कृष्णयते करम् ||
Never make friendship with or have
affection towards wicked man, for,
a burning coal burns the hand and
when not burning blackens the same.
अज्ञ: सुखमाराध्य: सुखतमाराध्यते विशेषज्ञ: |
ज्ञानलवदुर्विदग्धं ब्रह्मापि नरं न रञ्जयति ||
A dull man worships pleasures.A genius
is worshiped by pleasures. But, god
Brahma will not be able to win over
a man who has only partial knowledge.
विद्या विवादाय धनं मदाय शक्ति: परेषां परपीडनाय |
खलस्य साधोर्विपरीतमेतत् ज्ञानाय दानाय च रक्षणाय ||
For a wicked man, learning is to argue,
wealth is for pride, and power is for
harming others. But, this is totally in
contrast with a noble man. For him they
are for knowledge, charity and protection
respectively.
यस्य नास्ति स्वयं प्रज्ञा शास्त्रं तस्य करोति किम् |
लोचनाभ्यां विहीनस्य दर्पण: किं करिष्यति ||
What can science do to man with no
common sense? What will a mirror do
to a blind man?
सर्पा: पिबन्ति पवनं न च दुर्बलास्ते शुष्कैस्तृणैर्वनगजा बलिनो भवन्ति |
कन्दै: फलैर्मुनिवरा: क्षपयन्ति कालं सन्तोष एव पुरुषस्य परं निधानम् ||
Snakes consume air and are not weak. Elephants
eat dry grass, but grow stronger. Sages spend
their time by eating only roots. Hence,satisfaction
is the supreme wealth to mankind
सत्सङ्गमाद्भवति हि साधुता खलानाम् साधूनाम् न हि खलसङ्गमात्खलत्वम् |
अमोदं कुसुमभवं मृदेव धत्ते मृद्गन्धं न हि कुसुमानि धारयन्ति ||
Wicked men attain nobility through the association
of noble men, but, noble men do never become wicked
through the association of wicked men. Mud alone
bears the fragrance of the flower. The flower never
bears the fragrance of the mud
प्रथमवयसि पीतं तोयामल्पं स्मरन्त: शिरसि निहितभारा नारिकेला नाराणाम् |
उदकममृतकल्पं दद्युराजीवितान्तं न हि कृतमुकारं साधवो विस्मरन्ति ||
Remembering even the less quantity of water drunk
in the prime age, the coconut trees bear a heavy
load on their head and yield nector-like water to
people until the lives' end. Similarly, noble men
do never forget the help rendered.
असंभवं हेममृगस्य जन्म तथापि रामो लुलुभे मृगाय |
प्राय:समापन्नविपत्तिकाले धियोऽपि पुंसां मलिनी भवन्ति ||
Impossible indeed is the birth of a golden
deer. Even then, Rama aspired for the deer.
Mostly, even the intelligence of humans
becomes dull at the time of impending calamities.
उत्साहसंपन्नदीर्घसूत्रं क्रियाविधिज्ञं व्यसनेष्वसक्तम् |
शूरं कृतज्ञं दृढसौहृदं च लक्ष्मी: स्वयं याति निवासहेतो: ||
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, for her dwelling,
voluntarily approaches a man who is enthusiastic,
active, detached to vices, heroic, greatful and
whose friendship is firm.
गङ्गा पापं शशी तापं दैन्यं कल्पतरुस्तथा |
पापं तापं दैन्यं च हन्ति साधुसमागम: ||
Ganges washes away the sins.Moon
removes the heat(worries).The holy
Kalpa tree (whish-yielding tree)
removes poverty. But association
with good people removes all the
three viz. sins, poverty and worries.
पिपीलिकार्जितं धान्यं मक्षिकासञ्चितं मधु |
लुब्घेन सञ्चितं द्रव्यं समूलं च विनश्यति ||
Grains procured by ants, honey gathered
by bees and money hoarded by a greedy man
get destroyed without trace.
विद्यया वपुषा वाचा वस्त्रेण विभवेन च |
वकारै: पञ्चभिर्युक्तो नरो भवति पूजित: ||
Through the assemblage five vakaaraas
(words starting with syllable 'va') namely,
vidya (knowledge), vapu (good physique),vaak
(good speech), vastra (good dressing),and
vibhava (wealth), one becomes a man of honour.
यौवनं धनसंपत्ति: प्रभुत्वमविवेकिता |
एकैकमप्यनर्थाय किमु यत्र चतुष्टयम् ||
Youth, abundance of wealth, power
of lordship and lack of deliberation
- each one of these are for calamities.
What to say about their assemblage?
