Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 A subhAshitam is a sentence or verse which conveys some salutary advice. The following verse is one: guNadoshhau budho gRihNan indukshvelAviveshvaraH | shirasA shlAghate pUrvam param kaNThe niyacchati || budhaH- a wise man, guNadoshhau- the good and bad qualities (of other persons), gRihNan- having come to know, pUrvam- the first (good qualities), shirasA shlAghate- extols with his head, param- the other (bad qualities), kaNThe- in his throat, niyacchati- keeps, IshvaraH iva- as Lord Shiva (did), indukshvelau- with the moon and poison. When the Milk Ocean was churned by the gods for nectar, the virulent poison, hAlAhala, came up. Shiva took it and put it in His mouth to save all living beings from its effect. But He refrained from swallowing it in order to save the living beings inside His body from the poison. He thus kept it in his throat. Then, when the churning was continued, the moon came up from the ocean. Lord Shiva extolled it by placing it on His head. This verse says that, in the same way, a wise man extols the good qualities of others, but keeps their bad qualities in his throat, i.e., he does not speak about them to others. This is a very sound advice for all sAdhakas. S.N.Sastri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 " S.N. Sastri " wrote: > This verse says that, in the same way, a wise man extols the good qualities of others, but keeps their bad qualities in his throat, i.e., he does not speak about them to others. This is a very sound advice for all sAdhakas. > S.N.Sastri > Dear All, A short story to follow up on the wonderful verse presented by Sri Sastriji. Enjoy it, Mouna NOT FINDING FAULT and BHAGAVAN RAMANA MAHARSHI (from The Power of the Presence, Part Two, Kunju Swami, page 65) Whenever we heard that someone had died, we would make a point of going to sit before Sri Bhagavan because we were all keen to hear Sri Bhagavan compliment the departed person. Even when he talked about people who were, to the rest of us, inveterate scoundrels, he would always find something good to say about them. There was a rich man called Kandaswami who lived in town. Although he occasionally used to come to the ashram for Sri Bhagavan's darshan, the local people detested him because of his bad behavior. During his last days, which he spent in the mantapam opposite the ashram, he suffered from both poverty and disease. While he was lying in this mantapam, he sent word through a messenger that he would like some gruel prepared in the Malayalam way. Immediately Sri Bhagavan arranged for this gruel to be prepared and sent to him. On the following day Kandaswami's condition became serious, so serious in fact that we were speaking among ourselves, wondering which of his good qualities Sri Bhagavan would speak about when he passed away. A day later, Kandaswami died. We immediately went and informed Sri Bhagavan and sat before him, thinking that even Sri Bhagavan would not be able to think of anything good to say about this man. What a disappointment! Sri Bhagavan told us, 'No one could keep his body and clothes as clean as Kandaswami. He used neither oil nor soap. He would come at 8 a.m. in the morning and start washing his dhoti. Then he would hang it up to dry. By the time he had completed his bath it would be twelve noon. His hair and beard were always extremely clean.' We hung our heads in shame. Who could equal Sri Bhagavan in seeing only the good qualities in all people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Nice subhAshitam Sastriji, and nice story Mounaji. This reminds me of another story with a similar moral told by Anthony de Mello. It shows how one can see good qualities even in the so-called sinful persons. ========================================== There was once a priest so holy that he never thought ill of anyone. One day he sat down at a restaurant for a cup of coffee which was all he could take, it being a day of fast and abstinence, when, to his surprise, he saw a young member of his congregation devouring a massive steak at the next table. " I trust I haven't shocked you, Father, " said the young fellow with a smile. " Ah! I take it that you forgot that today is a day of fast and abstinence, " said the priest. " No, no. I remembered it distinctly. " " Then you must be sick. The doctor has forbidden you to fast. " " Not at all. I'm in the pink of health. " At that, the priest raised his eyes to heaven and said, " What an example this younger generation is , O Lord! Do you see how this young man here would rather admit his sins than tell a lie? " Anthony de Mello, S.J. =============================================================== Hari Om, ~Vaibhav. --- Mouna <solracartist wrote: > " S.N. Sastri " wrote: > > This verse says that, in the same way, a wise man > extols the good > qualities of others, but keeps their bad qualities > in his throat, > i.e., he does not speak about them to others. This > is a very sound > advice for all sAdhakas. > > S.N.Sastri > > > Dear All, > A short story to follow up on the wonderful verse > presented by Sri > Sastriji. > Enjoy it, > Mouna > > Get the freedom to save as many mails as you wish. To know how, go to http://help./l/in//mail/mail/tools/tools-08.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Namaste, 'Tattvabodha' also has this reminder! ye j~naanina.n stuvanti bhajanti archayanti taanprati j~naanikR^itaM aagaami puNya.n gachchhati . ye j~naanina.n nindanti dviShanti duHkhapradaana.n kurvanti taanprati j~naanikR^ita.n sarvamaagaami kriyamaaNa.n yadavaachya.n karma paapaatmaka.n tadgachchhati . For those who praise and love and honor the wise, to them come the pure 'deeds to come' of the wise. And those who blame and hate and attack the wise, to them come all the unspeakable deeds, whose very self is impurity, of the wise man's 'deeds to come.' Regards, Sunder advaitin , vaibhav khire <vskhire wrote: > > Nice subhAshitam Sastriji, and nice story Mounaji. > > > --- Mouna <solracartist wrote: > > > " S.N. Sastri " wrote: > > > This verse says that, in the same way, a wise man > > extols the good > > qualities of others, but keeps their bad qualities > > in his throat, > > i.e., he does not speak about them to others. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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