The Subhashita neevi of Vedanta Desika is a short Kavya known in Sanskrit as Khanda kavya. It is a book on morals and wisdom which go by the name of subhasita. A word about Neevi in the title Subhashita neevi means treasure, a knot particularly of feminine garment among other meanings.
It belongs to a species of poetic composition called Padyam
in which the poet goes on writing verses with varied ideas as and when they
strike him.
This work Subhashita Neevi is a short poem in a gross of
verses divided into twelve chapters called Paddhatis with twelve slokas in each
paddhati. It is unique in several
aspects. This Kavyam is neither devotional
nor philosophical, unlike the other works of the author.
It is a didactic in its import and is intended to serve as
a corrective to mankind by exposing its foibles and frailties and instructing
it in the valuable norms of right social behaviour.
In the very first Chapter called “Anipuna Paddhati means
Unskilled Path” the author well narrated and shew his scholarliness or
erudition that
Prathamasujanaaya pumse
mahyamapi prathamadhurjanaaya namah l
Sarvam hathah krutham yau
sakrudhupakaaraapakaaraabhyaam ll I - 1
