Wise men?

Posted by dinesh

Wise men spend their mornings in discussing gambling, the afternoon discussing the activities of women, and the night hearing about the activities of theft. (The first item above refers to the gambling of King Yudhisthira, the great devotee of Krsna. The second item refers to the glorious deeds of mother Sita, the consort of Lord Ramachandra. The third item hints at the adorable childhood pastimes of Sri Krsna who stole butter from the elderly cowherd ladies of Gokula. Hence Chanakya Pandita advises wise persons to spend the morning absorbed in Mahabharata, the afternoon studying Ramayana, and the evening devotedly hearing the Srimad-Bhagvatam.)
-Chanakya Pandit Niti Shastra 9.11
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Yours
Dinesh

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Sleeplessness!

Posted by dinesh

Vidura said: Sleeplessness overtakes thief, a lustful person, him that has lost all his wealth, him that has failed to achieve success, and him also that is weak and has been attacked by a strong person. I hope, O king, that none of these grave calamities have overtaken thee. I hope, thou dost not grieve, coveting the wealth of others.(Vidura addresses to Dhritarashtra)

From The Mahabharata
Udyoga Parva, sections XXXIII to XLI
Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Unabridged

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These, the learned have said, lengthen life.

Posted by dinesh

Humility, love of all creatures, and respect for friends, - these, the learned have said, lengthen life.

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Yours
Dinesh

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Why is it said in the vedas, that men live for 100 years, but is not so in reality?

Posted by dinesh

Dhritarashtra said: Man has been spoken of in all the Vedas as having hundred years for the period of his life. For what reason then, do not all men attain the allotted period?

Vidura said: Excess of pride, excess in speech, excess in eating, anger, the desire of enjoyment, and intestine dissensions, - these, O king, are six sharp swords that cut off the period of life allotted to creatures. It is these, which kill men, and not death. Knowing this, blessed be thou

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Yours
Dinesh

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Speech

Posted by dinesh

Speech

To control speech, O king, is said to be most difficult. It is not easy to hold a long conversation uttering words full of meaning and delightful to the hearers. Well-spoken speech is productive of many beneficial results; and ill-spoken speech, O king, is the cause of evil. A forest pierced by arrows, or cut down by hatchets may again grow, but one's heart wounded and censured by ill-spoken words never recovers. Weapons such as arrows, bullets and bearded darts, can be easily extracted from the body, but a wordy dagger plunged deep into the heart is incapable of being taken out. Wordy arrows are shot from the mouth. Smitten by them one grieves day and night. A learned man should not discharge such arrows, for do they not touch the very vitals of others?

from Vidura Niti
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Yours
Dinesh

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