SUBHAASHITHA NEEVI - A DIDACTIC POEM BY SRI VEDANTA DESIKA

 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

A venerable bow to the Great Lord who is the first (best) good man and to me who is the first bad (worst) man; both of us whom by doing good or evil once will wipe off all the evil or good done so for respectively.