Hard work - the best friend. आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां

Hard work- The best friend.

This one is so obvious, what can one elaborate on this.

People believe in destiny, but destiny is separate from free will. What ever you know, can control, can foresee, can plan for is not destiny. Destiny, as explained by Lord Rama (rAma, राम) when going to forest exile (vana-vAsa, वनवास) is the unknown factor which you could not foresee coming, which gives no indication of coming, and which you could not have controlled (even if you knew) once it came.

So all those who think - "If I am destined to have this or that, I will get it." should wake up from the slumber and do some work to make their sleepy dreams a wake up reality.

Those who think short cuts will work, should remember that the only short cut is through it. You can't avoid work, if you want to progress and prosper.

आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां शरीरस्थो महान्रिपु ।

नास्त्युद्यमसमो बन्धुः कृत्वा यं नावसीदति ॥

= ālasyam hi manuṣhyāṇām sharīrastho mahānripu |

nāstyudyamasamo bandhuḥ kṛitvā yam nāvasīdati || (IAST)

= Alasyam hi manuShyANAm sharIrastho mahAnripu |

nAstyudyamasamo bandhuH kRitvA yam nAvasIdati || (ITRANS)

Laziness is verily the great enemy residing in our body.

There is no friend like hard work, doing which one doesn’t decline.

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And now the language aspects -

ālasyam /Alasyam =laziness

hi /hi =surely

manuṣhyāṇām / manuShyANAm =of humans
manuṣhya / manuShya = human

sharīrastho / sharIrastho= situated, located in the body
sharIra = body, that which wears out
-stha = situated, located

mahānripu / mahAn_ripu =great enemy
mahAn = great (from mahat)
ripu = enemy

nāstyudyamasamo / nAstyudyamasamo =
na asti udyam samaH = not, is, hard work, like

bandhuḥ / bandhuH = friend

kṛitvā / kRitvA = having done

yam = which

nāvasīdati / nAvasIdati = not (na) sinks (avasIdati)
avasId = to drown, sink, go to ruins.

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
Practical Sanskrit. All rights reserved. Check us on Facebook.

Qualities are respected everywhere.

Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. But the real respect and greatness comes from one's own deeds. 

Yes, there were times, and in some countries still, when you inherited your father's chair. Even in England, around the time of the World Wars, there were as many as about 20% MPs who were related, uncles-nephews, father-sons etc. Now it is down to single digits.

And, yes it still happens in India's movie industry, politics, and businesses. Be it the Kapoor dynasty in the movies (is it their family business?), or the Nehru/Gandhi family (is it their family business?) or the Ambani-s (yes, it is their family business, but why do they keep fighting after the father died?). People know exactly who is a good actor, leader or business person. And we have seen that happen in US politics too. And people know exactly who is the good one.

Some day it was a birthright, now a days it is called networking. people go to elite schools and colleges not because they have greater education, but a much better networking.

But, legends are not made because of their fathers, or fathers-in-law. They are made by their own deeds. You can have the best networking, but at the end it is your own actions that will make you great. Networking, lineage etc are only helpful instruments on the way, but the success, name and fame depends upon your own deeds.

Lord Krishna (Vaasudeva, वासुदेव ) is worshiped by almost  billion people, but no one worships his father (Vasudeva, वसुदेव ). Rama (raama, राम) is worshiped, not his father Dasharatha (dasha-ratha, दशरथ).

Qualities are respected everywhere, father's dynasty is meaningless.

People bow to Lord Krishna, not to his father.

guṇāḥ sarvatra pūjyanté, pitṛivaṃśho nirarthakaḥ |

vāsudévam namasyanti, vasudévam na mānavāḥ ||

 

guNAH sarvatra pUjyante pitRivaMsho nirarthakaH |

vasudevam namasyanti, vasudevam na mAnavAH ||

There is another verse that goes - The best attain fame by their own name, the medium by their father's name, the average by their mother's name and the worst by their father-in-law's name!

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And now the language aspects -

गुणाः = guNAH = qualities

सर्वत्र = sarvatra = everywhere (sarva = all)

पूज्यन्ते = pUjyante = are worshiped, respected

पितृवंशो = pitRivaMshao = father's lineage

pitRi = father (from which comes pater, padre, father etc.)

vaMshaH = lineage. (due to sandhi it becomes vaMsho)

निरर्थकः = nirarthakaH = one (-kaH) without (nir-) meaning (artha)

वासुदेवं = vAsudevam = to the son of vasudeva = to kRiShNa

नमस्यन्ति = they bow, salute (respect)

वसुदेवं = vasudevam = to vasudeva (kRiShNa's father)

न = na = not [worship]

मानवाः = mAnavAH = humans

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
Practical Sanskrit. All rights reserved. Check us on Facebook.