किं वाससा इत्यत्र विचारणीयं
वासः प्रधानं खलु योग्यतायै ।
पीताम्बरं वीक्ष्य ददौ स्वकन्यां
दिगम्बरं वीक्ष्य विषं समुद्रः ॥
kiM vAsasA ityatra vichAraNIyaM
vAsaH pradhAnaM khalu yogyatAyai |
pItAmbaraM vIkShya dadau svakanyAM
digambaraM vIkShya viShaM samudraH ||
“What’s in one’s dress”—-is a point for contemplation;
apparel is indeed important for appropriateness;
Looking at the one dressed in bright yellow clothes (Mahāvishnu), the ocean gave him his daughter;
seeing the one dressed in nothing (Shiva) it gave him poison!
वैध्यराज नमः तुभ्यं यमराजसहोदर ।
यमः तु हरति प्राणाम् वैध्यराजः धनानि च ॥
vaidhyarAja namaH tubhyaM yamarAjasahodara |
yamaH tu harati prANAm vaidhyarAjaH dhanAni cha ||
O Doctor, I salute you! You are the brother of Yama Raja!
While Yama only takes the life, the doctor takes the money too!
चितां प्रज्वलितां दृष्ट्वा वैद्यो विस्मयमागतः ।
नाहं गतः न मे भ्राता कस्यैदं हस्तलाघवं ॥
chitAM prajvalitAM dRuShTvA vaidyo vismayamAgataH |
nAhaM gataH na me bhrAtA kasyaidaM hastalAghavaM ||
Seeing a body burning on a pyre, a doctor remarks in surprise:
“He is gone not by me, or by my brother, then whose sleight of hand is this?”
कमले ब्रह्मा शेते हरः शेते हिमालये ।
क्शीरब्धौ च हरिः शेते मन्ये मत्कुणशन्कय ॥
kamale brahmA shete haraH shete himAlaye |
kshIrabdhau cha hariH shete manye matkuNashankaya ||
Brahmā sleeps on a lotus, Shiva sleeps in HimAlaya,
Vishnu sleeps in Ksheersaagar–it’s all due to the fear of bugs in their bed!
भो दारिद्र्यं नमस्तुभ्यं सिद्धोऽहं तत्प्रसादातः ।
पश्याम्यहं जगत् सर्वं न मां पश्यति कश्चन ॥
bho dAridryaM namastubhyaM siddho&haM tatprasAdAtaH |
pashyAmyahaM jagat sarvaM na mAM pashyati kashchana ||
O poverty, homage to you; by your grace I have obtained magical powers:
I see the whole world, and nobody sees me!
घटं भिन्द्यात् पटं छिन्द्यात् कुर्यात् रासभरोहणं ।
येन केन प्रकरेण प्रसिद्धः पुरुषो भवेत् ॥
And my personal favorite, because it is so relevant even now, in the age of Insta and TikTok…
ghaTaM bhindyAt paTaM ChindyAt kuryAt rAsabharohaNaM |
yena kena prakareNa prasiddhaH puruSho bhavet ||
Breaking a pot, tearing a cloth, or riding on a donkey–
doing something by hook or crook, (everyone) tries to be famous!