Monday, January 24, 2011

Necklace around the neck - कण्ठ-चामीकर न्यायः

kaNTha-chAmIkara nyAyaH
kaṇṭha-chāmīkara nyāyaḥ
कण्ठ-चामीकर न्यायः

While a bangle in the hand doesn’t need any mirror to be seen, a necklace around the neck surely does need external help to be admired and appreciated. We may forget we have it around our neck, or we are simply not reminded of its beauty and it may slip our mind totally. We cannot see our own necklace around the neck; someone has to point it out.

Similarly, we do not know our own true self, our strengths (and weaknesses). Others are true mirror of our self. They can see us as a separate entity, without the subjective baggage we carry about ourselves. Use that as feedback to realize our strong and weak point.

This is used when someone doesn’t realize one’s own worth – as in our hidden talents, true potential, which a guru, mentor or coach may. The same happened with Hanumān in the great epic Rāmāyaṇa, where due to the curse of ṛiṣhi-s for his childhood pranks, he forgot he had any super powers until Jāmbvān reminded him of it. Then of course he jumped over the ocean, went to Lankā and found Sītā. Compare with ‘No need of mirror for bangles in hand’(न हि करकंकणदर्शनाय, na hi kara-kaṅkaṇa-darshanāya / na hi kara-ka~NkaNA-darshanAya)

KNOW YOUR OWN TRUE WORTH.

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and now the language aspects -

kaṇṭha = kaNTha = throat.
also, nIla-kaNTha = blue-throat = shiva

chāmīkara = chAmIkara = gold [necklace].


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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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3 comments:

  1. Similarly, we do not know our own true self, our strengths (and weaknesses). Others are true mirror of our self.

    This is baseless Shashi, Others are biased and they do not give u honest opinion. If you dont know about urself, its difficult to understand by others.

    Kunalkant
    Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  2. kunal, thanks for commenting.
    first of all, don't rush to conclusions :)

    everything has to understood in context.
    those who know themselves well are very few and they don't read blogs :) they are busy doing or totally not-doing!

    but for the most part, we don't know our true worth. that is why people go to 'coachs' and trainers, be it personal growth or sports.

    that is dancers need a huge mirror to practice in front of.

    the point is, external help is needed, even as a reminder, a pep talk, to remind us of our strengths and abilities.

    maybe when we are totally down, or have given up, someone comes and reminds of the great deeds we have done in the past, and that this is no big deal, we can do it. and we find something in that pep-talk, and pull through! we had forgotten our abilities, else we would not have given up.

    reflect upon and maybe it will make sense. if it still doesn't make sense to you, you can leave it, but let us not rush to say it is baseless. :)

    regards.

    ReplyDelete
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