NEETHI-DVISHASHTIKAA OF SUNDARA PAANDYAN

 

NeethiDvishashtika is a small didactic poem  (a collection of 149 {actually 120} didactic verses in Sanskrit) composed by the great king SundaraPaandyan.  Though he was being a king of Tamilnadu not only learned in Tamil Literature but also had mastery over the vedas, DharmaSaastras and Darsanaas in Sanskrit.  Madurai was the seat of the Paandya Rulers and the Guardian Deity of the city is Lord Sundaresvara the spouse of the Goddess Meenakshi.  Many of the Paandya kings bore this name “Sundara” to signify their deep devotion to Lord Sundaresvara.

As these verses are composed in Aarya metre, this work is also named “Aaryaavalee”, and this was perhaps the original name given by the author as is evident from the 116^th verse.  Here five verses were described to experience the aesthetic pleasure through the composing skill of the King-poet SundaraPaandyan.  Among them the very first three verses are dealing about the author and instruction for the readers of the text.

This to be noted that mastery of SundaraPaandyan was referred by Sri Aadi Sankaraachaarya in his commentaries.

Sreemaan SundaraPaandyas sruthi-smruthiprasruthasathpadhaarthajnah l

Kruthavaan Aaryaam samyak srothroonaam buddhivruddhikareem ll 1 ll

          SundaraPaandyan well-versed in the meaning of words enshrined in the Vedas and canonical texts, has composed this Aaryaa which very well develops the intellect of the lissteners.

Srunutha Sruthijaladhoutheh karnais suslishta-sandhi-sambandhaam l

Sruthvaa avadhaarayadhvam dhoshaan santho nudhanthvathra ll 2 ll

          O noble persons! Listen to this composition of well-knit euphonic junction and syntactic connection with your ears cleansed by the waters in the form of scriptures.  Having heard this, comprehend its meaning and eschew the demerits.

Sadhbhaavitharathnaanaam rathnaanaamiva sudhesa-jaathaanaam l

Hrudhi nichayh karthavyas sajjana-sammaana-kaamena  ll 3 ll

          This collection of the gems of sayings of the noble which are like gems obtained from good regions should be stored in mind by those who are desirous of being honoured by the good.

Svaadheene maadhurya-madhuraakshara-samhitheshu vaakyeshu l

Kim naama satthvavanthaf purushaaf parushaani bhaashanthe ll 4 ll

Why should men endowed with good sense speak harshly when sweetness is within their own power, and when sentences can be composed with sweet words?

Dhivasakarah kila theekshno dhivasakaraathpaavako mahaatheekshnah l

Dhivasakara-paakaabhyaam dhurjanavachanaani theekshnaani ll 5 ll

          The sun is indeed hot; fire is hotter than the sun; but the words of the wicked are more excruciating than the sun and the fire.