Written by London swaminathan
Date: 28 APRIL 2017
Time uploaded in London:- 14- 09
Post No. 3859
Pictures are taken from various sources; thanks.
contact; swami_48@yahoo.com
Good Thoughts Calendar, May, 2017
Festival Days: 1 May-May Day; 10 Chitra Purnima, Buddha Purnima
Full Moon-10
New Moon-25
Ekadasi-6,21
Auspicious Days- May 7, 12, 17, 18, 29
In the March and April calendars I have given over 60 quotes from the Book of Pancha Tantra; here are 31 more quotes:
1 May Monday
Intelligence and Perseverance
What is impossible if you have intelligence?
What is unachievable if your will is firm?
Who will not fall prey to sweet and smooth tongue?
What is unattainable if you persevere?
2 May Tuesday
Fort
Not a thousand elephants,
and not 10,000 horses
can furnish kings with power
that a single fortress can.
3 May Wednesday
Impatience
To rush headlong in rash impatience
before measuring one’s own strength and power
against the other’s is to court disaster
like the moth that plunges into a blazing fire
4 May Thursday
Fate
Fortune is surely his who constantly strives
it is cowards who wail, O,my fate, it is my fate.
5 May Friday
Effort
When men are determined, gods come through for them
as Vishnu, his discus and his divine mount
came at the weaver’s call to help him in his fight (Panchatantra story)
6 May Saturday
Beauty and Virtue
Where beauty is, there virtues dwell
so poets say, neither true, nor well.
7 May Sunday
Happiness
Those lost in themselves – they never find happiness
blest are they who desire the happiness of others
8 May Monday
Friend
He is friend whom you can trust
as you can trust your mother
what are others but mere acquaintances
9 May Tuesday
Grief and Relief
The man who discloses his grief
to a faithful wife, a loyal servant,
a sincere friend, or sensitive master
is bound to find relief
10 May Wednesday
Daughter
A daughter is born- start of world of worries
Find the fittest bridegroom – the biggest problem of all;
once wed, will she be happy, or will she weep
Father of a girl – just another name for grief.
11 May Thursday
Daughters- Disasters
No sooner born than her mother’s heart she steals;
growing up she brings pain to loving hearts
given in marriage, she can still bring dishonour
Daughters! Unavoidable disasters
12 May Friday
Love for Body
Who in the world does not love his body
however tainted by defects it might be;
once dear, a person remains always dear,
no matter what offences he is guilty of
13 May Saturday
Sage and Scoundrel
Does a scoundrel require provocation to fly into a great rage?
Or a saint need kindness to make him calm?
Isn’t it just the same with lime and sugarcane?
it is inherent nature of each
to produce its own flavour distinctive
14 May Sunday
Dog’s Tail
Try your very best to honour a rogue
he will still remain true to his nature
You may have a dog sweated,
or rubbed with musk if you choose,
his tail still remains curled
15 May Monday
Favours
Even small favours shown to men
richly blessed with a wealth of merits, look great;
The moon’s rays are enhanced, indeed
when they shine over the peaks of Snow Mountain
16 May Tuesday
Fools and Dull witted
Lost are a hundred kindness shown to the base;
Lost are a hundred wise maxims spoken to fools
Lost are a hundred words of advice on the incorrigible
Lost are a sage observations on the dull-witted
17 May Wednesday
Don’t Talk to fools
A cry in the wilderness
rubbing perfume on a corpse;
planting lotuses on dry ground
incessant rain over salt marshes
adorning the faces of the blind
like these is speaking good sense to fools
18 May Thursday
Ungrateful
The slayer of a Brahmana, a drunkard
an impotent man, a breaker of vows
a traitor- for all these the wise prescribe
rites of atonement – for the ungrateful none.
19 May Friday
Guests are welcome
Fire is most revered by Brahmnas
Brahmanas are the most revered of all classes
the husband is the only one revered by women
a guest is most revered by the whole world
20 May Saturday
Deliberation
he who has no time and palace
and of what is right and proper;
who does not know a thing beyond himself
who acts without deliberation
he is fool who reaps no reward.
21 May Sunday
Asylum
However angry, we must not spurn
one who has fallen at our feet;
in so doing we scorn all these gods
Brahma, Vishnu, Siva
22 May Monday
Living Death
Five endure living death
so sage Vyasa declares;
poor man, sick man, fool, exile and he
who in perpetuity serves king
23 May Tuesday
Right Time, Right Place
Is it right time? is it right place?
Who are friends? what is he cost, and what’s the gain?
And what am I? And what my power and strength?
Time and again, one should ponder over these.
24 May Wednesday
How can one not dread a villain’s fierce hate
manifest; like a deadly snake’s venom,
it constantly drips from his lips as words
vicious, beyond all human endurance
25 May Thursday
Virtuous
The best of men endowed with virtue
whose rectitude remains unbroken
bear in mind only acts good and well done
and forgets offences and oversight
26 May Friday
Friendship
I need your friendship; and right now and here;
with great reverence cultivate it I shall
Even what is sullied gains purity
when it touches Ganga’s holy waters
27 May Saturday
Bad Friend
A man should shun the friend
who slanders him behind his back
while flattering him to his face;
for he is a jar of poison with milk on top
28 May Sunday
Marriage
Where wealth matches wealth and lineage is equal
there marriage or friendship works well
29 May Monday
Qualities-Foes
The branches of the great lords of the forest
bend low from the wealth of fruit they bear;
the peacock’s gait is slow and indolent
from the proudly swelling plumage he trails;
in persons endowed with qualities most admirable
most often, those qualities themselves become their worst foes
30 May Tuesday
Safety of Life-Asylum
No gift of cows, no gift of land,
nor any gift of food holds pre-eminence;
of all the gifts in the world, say the wise,
the foremost is the gift of safety of life.
31 May Wednesday
Forbidden Food
As the breath of life struggles in the throat
even then the wise refrain from forbidden food
and what a trifling mouthful too at that –
for fear of losing both the worlds.
–Subham–