Subhashithaani-Quotable quotes

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17. ko athibhaaraH samarThaanaam

kim dhooram vyavasaayinaam

ko vidheSaH savidhyaanaam

kaH paraH priyvaadhinaam

 

Which is a heavy burden fro the skilled, which is distant for the energetic? Which is strange land for the learned and who is a foe for those who talk sweetly?

 

athibhaarah – great load. There are two ways of doing anything, skilled and unskilled. We see that the same load that we feel is too heavy is carried easily by those trained for it. By the word samsrTha the skilled ones are meant. Load cane be physical as well as figurative. Any burden in life can be borne easily by those with mentlal strength while even a smallest problem seems to be great burden for those who are weak at heart.

 

Vyavasayin is one who is energetic or enterprising. No distance is great for one who is energetic whereas for a weak and lethargic even a short distance seems long. There is a figurative meaning here also. An enterprising man can reach far while one who is disheartened by the extent of any work could not progress very far. A vyavasayin fixes the goal to reach and works towards it persistently and consistently. So nothing is too difficult to achieve for him.

 

VidheSaH normally means foreign land but could be any place or country not one's own. To the one with learning, savidhyaH, no place is strange since he is welcomed everywhere. In olden days the poets used to frequent the kingdoms of various kings and were honoured everywhere. That is why it is said, 'svadheSe poojyathe raajaa vidhvaan sarvathra poojyathe,' The king is honoured only in his country but a learned man is honoured everywhere.

 

paraH means a foe .to one who is a priyavaadhee, that is who speaks pleasingly there can be no enemy as everyone loves sweet words. Actually even an enemy can be transformed into a friend by speaking sweetly. No one can get angry with such a person. But it must come from the heart and not from the mouth alone because even a wicked person sometimes says pleasing words to hide his intention to harm. He different between sajjana and dhurjana we shall see in the next slokas.