Subashita Nivi-6

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Dear Friends,

 

In this post, I shall present part-6 of Swami Desikan's Subhashita

Nivi. In this set of twelve verses, Swami Desikan describes the ways of

the noble.

 

1. He is truly noble and great in whose presence even the virtuous ones

do not shine, in whose absence also they are not recognized, for whom

the existence or otherwise of others is immaterial and whose knowledge

surpasses that of others.

 

2. The mark of nobility is the tolerance of differences in beliefs and

practices of people of other faiths.

 

3. A truly realized soul will be steadfast in devotion to the lotus feet

of the Lord, remain totally pure in thought, word and deed and will

render all possible help to others in their hour of need.

 

4. The mere sight of men who conform to correct scriptural practices,

who have clarity of vision and thinking, who are easily accessible and

lead a righteous life, will enable one to fet rid of their sins.

 

5. A steadfast person, Godly in personal life, performing his alloted

duties diligently, worshipping at sacred places and respecting elders

and preceptors, may sometimes acquire wealth. However, it will be like

Kuchela from Lord Krishna and will add to his lustre and greatness. One

can be sure that the wealth will be put to righteous use only.

 

6. True knowledge, correct observances, virtuous conduct, sharp

intellect, courage of conviction and viewing the world through the lens

of the scriptures and a complete trust in God's dispensations will

enable a person have a tranquil, untroubled, joyous life in this very

world.

 

7. A noble man will shun intrigue and his thinking will never go astray.

He will be fair and impartial, recognize goodness even in enemies, will

exude nobility and dignity in behavior. Such a man will indeed be deemed

as a God on earth by the virtuous.

 

8. Even celestials will adore a perceptive person who perceives God as

the goal of human existence as well as the means to achieve that goal.

 

9. A man of glorious virtues and nobility has to be befriended for one's

own benefit. It may not be possible to imitate him or eclipse him. He

cannot be ignored as he blazes forth in the skyline like the Sun with

myriad rays.

 

10. The hot hissing of serpents cannot equal the ultimate fire which

marks the dissolution of the worlds. A mere snake charmer can quieten a

serpent, but who can control the ultimate fire?

 

11. God has endowed Garuda with glorious speed, the Himalayas with

strength and stability, the oceans with depth, the moon with pleasing

light and the Sun with splendour and brightness. After cogitating for a

long while, he has strung all these pearls of virtues in a necklace and

has named it a noble man.

 

12. Small speeding rivulets quench no thirst. Soldiers who desert their

ranks and run away on merely hearing the word "enemy" as if defeated by

them will win no respect from society.

 

This set of twelve verses are pregnant with meaning and have great

philosophical significance. The reference to the fire at the end of

time is the joint form of Sudarshana-Narasimha. Although, Swami Desikan

intended the Subhashita Nivi to be a nonreligious, non-philosophical

exercise, the deep impression of the Paancharatra

Agama (in particular, the Ahirbudhnya Samhita) shines forth brilliantly.

Verse 8 contains references to the concept of SharaNagati

(Prapatti). Verse 11 is a reference to the Virata Purusha of the Purusha

Sooktam. This can be inferred from Swami Desikan's first

verse in part 1 of this work where he declars that the foremost

noble person is God. The remaining verses indicate the benefit of

associating with noble minded persons with an implicit message to

seek the "foremost noble person".

 

Namo Narayana,

 

Muralidhar Rangaswamy

 

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