नीतिसारः - Collected Verses from Nitsara

नीतिसारः Niti Sara is one such work which shows light on many important aspects of life which we have to understand and practice.  Written in simple style, this work is a great treasure especially for children who are to be molded from the young age.

Even adults can cherish the essence of this work and use it as a tool for their personal transformation.  Such is the greatness of this work नीतिसारः Niti Sara.

प्रणम्य सर्वलोकेशं देवदेवेश्वरं हरिम् । नीतिसारं प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वशास्त्रसमाहृतम् ॥ 1

I shall expound Nitisara (essence of maxims on right conduct) compiled from all scriptures, bowing down to Vishnu, the lord of the universe.

 

Listen to the complete essence of dharma (right action) and contemplate on it. “Do not do unto others what one would not like others to do unto oneself”.

 

Do not act without examining the situation carefully; one ought to act only after scrutinizing the situation carefully. Otherwise, one will have to grieve like thebrahmani (Brahman woman) who killed the mongoose.

 

Man is bound to experience the fruits of his good and bad actions. The karma does not diminish even after billions of days of Brahma2 unless one experiences fruits of karma.

 

One cannot earn or retain wealth without undergoing suffering. There is suffering in earning wealth as well as in spending it. Is not wealth the home of suffering?

   

आचार्यात् पादमादत्ते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया ।

A student acquires quarter of knowledge from the teacher, a quarter from self study, a quarter from class mates and the final quarter in course of time.

 

A scorpion has poison in its tail. A bee has poison in its head. Takshaka (a snake mention in Puranas) has poison in its teeth. An evil person has poison in all his limbs.

 पक्षीणां बलमाकाशं मत्स्यानामुदकं बलम् । दुर्बलस्य बलं राजा बालानां रोदनं बलम् ॥8

Sky is the strength of birds, water the strength of fish; king the strength of the weak and wailing the strength of babies.

 

Helping an evil person will cause harm to one even as feeding milk to a snake will only increase its poison.

 

Win the whole world by truth, sorrow by charity, elders by service and the enemies by archery.

Jati (jasmine) among flowers, Vishnu among men, Rambha among women, Kanchi among cities, Ganges among rivers, Rama among kings, Magha among poetic compositions and Kalidasa among poets excel the others.

 

He who gives birth, takes one to the Guru, imparts knowledge, gives food and protects one from fear – these five are equal to father.

 

The wives of teacher, king and elder brother, the mother-in-law and the mother who gave birth – these five are mothers.

Keep a distance of 5 hasta3 (cubits) from a vehicle, ten cubits from a horse and 1000 cubits from an elephant. Keep as much away as possible from an evil person.

 

The snake and the wicked person are both dangerous. The poison of a snake can be neutralized by mantra or medicine while there is no mantra or medicine that can remove the poison of a wicked person. (Hasta is a unit equal to cubit, a measure of length - equal to 24 angulas or about 18 inches, being the distance between the elbow and the tip of the middle finger.)

Longevity, deeds, prosperity, knowledge and death of a person are decided even while he is in the mother‟s womb.

 

Seeing the elephants, snakes and birds in bondage, the eclipse of the sun and the moon and the poverty of the wise men I conclude that destiny is inevitable.

 

Those who are uneducated do not shine even if they are endowed with beauty and youth and are born in renowned families just like kimsuka4 flowers which are beautiful but odourless.

Clothing     is    the    prime     requisite    for decorations, ghee is the foremost requisite for food, virtue is the foremost requisite for women and knowledge is the chief requisite of scholars.

 

One’s wealth and properties remain at one’s home, sons and relatives take leave at cremation ground. It is one’s good and evil actions that accompany oneself after death.

 

Righteousness prevails and not unrighteousness. Truth prevails and not untruth. Patience prevails and not anger. Gods prevail and not demons.

Stocking grains, taking care of calves, doing cultivation  oneself, serving one’s elders, these five habits      support a family’s growth.

 

Treat the child like a prince till the age of five, like a servant till the age of fifteen. When the son reaches 

the age of sixteen, treat him like a friend.

 

Save wealth for difficult times; how can the wealthy have difficulties? If one squanders wealth, one will eventually lose all the accumulated wealth.

 

One’s physical body, wealth and other resources are transitory. Death is always at hand. Knowing this, a wise man should strive to do righteous actions.

One who is beneficial is a kinsman though he is a stranger. One who is harmful is an enemy though he is a kinsman. When one is seriously sick, herbs from distant forest are used as medicine.

 

The knowledge confined to books, wealth that is in the custody of others and a son who has gone to foreign countries are useful in name only.

Company of wife is as good as the treatment given by ten physicians. Sun is ten times beneficial than the care given by wife. Mother is ten times beneficial compared to the Sun. Yellow Myrobalan is ten times beneficial than the mother.

Even a virtuous person perishes due to association with the wicked just as the swans that gave refuge to the crows perished because of the evil deeds committed by the crows.

 

The characteristics of the wicked persons and phlegm are surprisingly similar. Both of these are agitated by sweetness and are pacified by bitter-ness.  (Phlegm is

 agitated by sweet food and is pacified by bitter food while the wicked person is agitated by sweet words 

and is pacified by bitter words).

 

Enmity comes to an end by death. Youth ends with pregnancy.  Anger comes to an end by bowing down. Pride comes to an end by begging before others.