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Bhatrihari Wisdom - 7: Suvirakta Paddhati

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Those whose mind does not get crazy when seeing a lass with eyes wide and moving constantly with pride of bubbling youth, protruding breasts and thin waist are punyatmas, those with meritorious minds. The poet, analyser and philosopher, Bhartrihari’s idea is that lasses enchant and capture men. (61)

Oh! Lass! Looking innocent – it is because of your eyes – don’t glance at me and try to attract and distract me. We are not of that stupid age – we are different now. We have grown old and you cannot entice us. We consider the world a useless straw. Don’t try to charm us. So says the person without desire, virakta. (62)

Oh! Friend! This bashful lass has been casting glances at me. I don’t know what her idea is. We would not be afraid of her glances now. The heat of the love god, Manmadha, does not throw the flower-arrows on us. Though we are not sensuous, this lass is trying to lure us. (63)

Oh, God of Love, Manmadha! Why do you hurt your fingers using them to use your bow? Oh, lasses! Stop throwing your glances at us. We no longer fall prey to them. Our minds are concentrated on Chandramouleeswara, Eshwar who dons the crescent moon on His head. Oh! Manmadha, please go away with your retinue! (64)

When man and woman have their minds together as one, they are together. When parted they don’t think of separation at all. (65)

It does not matter whether my lady love is alive or dead. I am devoid of desire. A traveller , he feels that the sex play would said looking above at the gathering clouds and getting into his house. (66)

Oh, learned men! Turn your looks back from the fast fading joy and turn your manas towards compassion, friendship, high ability and stay with those qualities. Neither the enticing breasts nor the tinkle of anklets, or the fascinating buttocks can save you from hell. (67)

For the one concentrating his mind and attention on Yoga and getting immense happiness, sex play is worthless, a blade of grass. (68)

For an eye problem, a doctor can provide a cure. For the one who is stupid there can be no remedy. One realizes suddenly that he was mistaken for trusting women for her beauty and other aspects. Now he realizes that the whole world is the form and shape of Eswar. While the stupid falls in love with a woman, the wise one sees brahman everywhere. (69)

Of Thus concludes the set of nine slokas of suvirakta paddhati. What follows is durvirakta paddhati.

The poet-analyst-preceptor blames women for destroying the wisdom of man.

As long as the learned men are not attracted by the glances of lasses, the lamp of wisdom goes on giving light and wisdom. It is only the glances of the lasses that destroy wisdom in men. (70)

There are some durviraktas who think and believe that they are viraktas. men who have given up passions. These are men with temptations speaking of virtues and virakti, dispassion. Diamonds and rubies on the ornament on women’s thin waists attract them. (71)

Deceptive pandits would be only propounding that on should not think of women. Themselves deceived they would be deceiving others saying that the fruit of tapas is heaven. But they yearn to enjoy the happiness of copulation. (72)

In this world there are men string enough to cleave the temples of an elephant. There are men who can kill lions. But there is none who can win over the pride of Manmadha and his retinue. None can deny this. (73)

Prostitutes weaken and destroy the courage of men. .One can be safe only when he respects and obeys the elderly and is free from pride. (74).

Even the Lord of Creation, Brahma, cannot stop a woman from ding bad things. The poet declares this firmly. (75)

To be a truly learned one, or a great poet and of high caste, only till the flames of the love god would not get spoil one. Then only he would be able to distinguish between good and bad. (76)

The beautiful and fascinating eyes and eye brows are the keys for opening the gates of hell in this samsara, the world. It is impossible for a man to follow and obey the preaching of a guru though being a learned man who knows morals. This is absolute truth. (77)

Even a dog reduced to skin a bone, with ears cut off and become lame and hungry, trying to lap of piece of broken pot with food earlier, walks towards a bitch. The god of love would be sending off flames to the man who is going to breathe his last. (78)

Some stupid fellows, leaving the craving for women go about searching for the fruits of heaven. Of those the god of love for te reason of violating his orders is making them of various kinds of people like digambaras, paramahamsas, pancha shikhas and kaapaalikaas: the naked ones, the shaven heads, five parts of hair shaven on heads, begging with an empty skull. This is the truth. (79)

Many great sages, seers called maharshis spent their lives in forests eating leaves ad drinking water performing tapas intense penance. Even those were helpless when the love god’s arrows disturbed and changed them. Viswamitra and Parashar are just two of them. That being the case how can ordinary men who eat boiled rice with curds, milk and ghee, resist passion? If they have restraint, the impossible would also happen: Mount Vindhya can float in the sea. The poet’s feeling is that men cannot have control over their indriyas, sense organs and propensities. (80)

This is the fourth twenty of suvirakta and durvivakta paddhatis in Sringara shataka.

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08-Jun-2019

More by :  Dr. Rama Rao Vadapalli V.B.


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