Luck can't replace Effort - काकतालीयवत्

Some people believe that luck is the most important factor in success. While some are genuine humble, others may be implying that they are somehow special to have such good luck. Luck is something you can just buy, borrow or work at. But, luck is not the key to success, it is hard work, effort, industry.

Luck would be defined as something we had no control over, else if we had control over it, then it would not be luck, it would be our karma. It is called daiva, bhāgya (दैव, भाग्य) etc in Sanskrit and the 'destiny' is a good close to it. Destiny doesn't mean there is a secret plan for you and you don't know. It is the X-factor that you have no control over, since you don't even know it.

Sanskrit has a tradition of maxims, called nyāya (nyAya, न्याय) which capture a situation in life, usually with a nugget of wisdom. One of the most famous is kāka-tālīya nyāyaḥ (kAka-tAlIya nyAyaH, काक-तालीय न्यायः) which says that - a crow swoops down and sits on a branch of a Palmyra tree, and the hard fruit falls on its head and it dies. What are the chances of this happening? It is by sheer coincidence that the crow flew and sat on that very branch, and that very second a fruit had to fall on its head.

The shloka here says that even by such sheer luck like kāka-tālīya nyāyaḥ you were to see a treasure in front of you on your path, luck (daiva) would not pick it up for you, you are still expected to make some effort to pick it up.

We might say that some people get all the luck, but maybe we all get the opportunities, but a few actually realize it and put effort to seize it. During Diwali weekend of 2005, Phanindra Sama missed his bus from Bangalore to Hyderabad, and instead of just cribbing about it, he started to find whether the bus ticketing industry really was efficient enough or were there some tickets that actually went unfilled and no one just knew. So he set out to start redBus.in, a bus ticketing company. It has the largest number of bus operators signed up and by 2010, redBus.in made a turnover of 600 million Rupees.

How did that happen? Out of so many people, including IT people, who missed the bus, only Phanindra saw it as a treasure of opportunity lying in front of it. If you were expecting a story of someone finding a real treasures lying on road, I am sorry to have raised your hope, that is only metaphorical.

Never avoid effort, never underestimate it and never think you can circumvent it and still achieve success ethically and legally. Or in other words, luck helps them who help themselves. You still have to put effort to use your good luck!

kāka-tālīya_vat-prāptam dṛiṣhṭvāpi nidhim_agrataḥ |

na svayam daivam_ādatté, puruṣhārtham_apékṣhaté || (IAST)

= kAka-tAlIya_vat-prAptam dRiShTvApi nidhim_agrataH |

na svayam daivam-Adatte, puruShArtham_apekShate || 4 || (ITRANS)

= Even if pure luck (‘Crow on a Palmyra tree’ maxim) one sees treasure lying in front, 

destiny will not pick it up for you, effort [to pick it up] is expected.

And now the language aspects -

kāka = crow
tālīya = of tāla (Palmyra tree)
-vat = like (suffix)
= like the kāka-tālīya maxim

prāptam = obtained

dṛiṣhṭvāpi = dṛiṣhṭvā + api
dṛiṣhṭvā = after seeing
api = also, even

nidhim = treasure, wealth

agrataḥ = in front of
agra = front

na = not

svayam = on its own

daivam = destiny, luck

ādatté = accepts, takes (for you)

puruṣhārtham = effort, literally ‘purpose of man’

apékṣhaté = is expected





(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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Ups and downs are part of life - कूप-यन्त्र-घटिका-न्यायः

 

kūpa-yantra-ghaṭikā nyāyaḥ

कूप-यन्त्र-घटिका न्यायः

At least as far back as the start of the Common Era, a wonderful water-wheel device was made in India for irrigation. It had an ox moving the machine, just like an oil-extraction device. The ox’s movement moved a smaller Ferris wheel kind of mechanism, with buckets instead of seats. At any given time you would find some buckets full of water, some half full, some empty, some emptying, some getting filled.

This is the depiction of life. At any given time, we see people of all levels and states of physical, mental, financial health, sorrow and joy. And with time, a given bucket undergoes the increase and decrease of water. Similarly, a given person also undergoes ups and downs in life. These buckets are wonderful snapshots of life around us. We should not be perturbed too much by the downs, as long as we do our best in a given situation. Just like the good times passed away, so will the bad.

This is also referenced in the classic Sanskrit drama Mṛichchhakaṭikam (The Clay Toy Cart) 10:60 where at the end, the protagonist summarizes the events of the play by quoting this nyāyaḥ.

Another version simply says ghaṭī-yantra nyāyaḥ. In Prabandha-Chintā-Maṇi, ‘O wealth-blinded-stupid person, why do you laugh at someone fallen in trouble? Wealth is not permanent, why is it surprising? Do you not see the buckets of a water-wheel, the empty ones are getting filled and the full ones are getting emptied!’

आपद्गतं हससि किं द्रविणान्धमूढ, लक्ष्मीः स्थिरा न भवतीति किमत्र चित्रम् ।

किं त्वं न पश्यसि घटीजलयन्त्रचक्रे, रिक्ता भवन्ति भरिता भरिताश्च रिक्ताः ॥

āpad_gatam hasasi kim draviṇāndha-mūḍha lakṣhmīḥ sthirā na bhavatīti kimatra chitram; 

kim tvam na pashyasi ghaṭi-jala-yantra-chakré riktā bhavanti bharitā bharitāshcha riktāḥ.

Ups and downs are part of life, endure.
Language notes: कूप-यन्त्र-घटिका न्यायः = kūpa-yantra-ghaṭikā nyāyaḥ | kūpa = a water well. yantra = instrument, machine. ghaṭikā = small vessel.


Photo by Tim Booth

This Maxim has been covered in the book Attitude Shift - Sanskrit Maxims for Contemporary Life and Leadership.

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And now the language aspects of the shloka -

kūpa-yantra-ghaṭikā nyāyaḥ

kūpa = well
yantra = instrument, machine
ghaṭikā = small pot. ghaṭa= a regular pot for carrying water
nyāyaḥ= maxim, saying, situational statement. other meaning is justice, but not in this usage.




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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It is not done, till it is done - अजातपुत्रनामोत्कीर्तन

CHANTING UNBORN SON’S NAME
ajāta-putra-nāma
अजात-पुत्र-नाम

In the USA, you have to name the baby before it leaves the hospital, in three days, since the Social Security Office has to be notified. In Indian tradition, the child is named only on the 11th day after birth. One of the reasons for this ancient practice was the high mortality rate in childbirth, as was all over the world. Whoever survived, lived long, whoever was biologically weak was eliminated by nature early on. Sad but true.

Water-purifying 'kataka' powder - जल-कतक-रेणु न्यायः

Water purifying 'kataka' powder

= jala-kataka-réṇu nyāyaḥ (jala-kataka-reNu nyAyaH)
= जल-कतक-रेणु न्यायः
= “As the kataka seed powder purifies the water.”

Before the advent of modern impurities and modern purifiers that do ‘reverse osmosis’ and ‘ionization’ and what not, water was purified using simple, available, natural ways – filtering through thin cloth, use of alum crystals, and use of the seeds of kataka plant (Strychnos potatorum). Even a recent World Health Organization report mentions this practice in India as a “low cost solution for poor communities of Africa.” Such seed extracts act as a particulate, colloidal and soluble polymeric coagulant as well as a coagulant aid.

"The ripe seeds of Strychnos potatorum, known as Therran or Nirmal, can be ground and used as a coagulant to purify water; or they may be rubbed against the inside walls of the earthenware water containers." [Wiki]

"According to Ayurveda, seeds are acrid, alexipharmic, lithotriptic and cure strangury, urinary discharges, head diseases etc. Roots cure Leucoderma whereas fruits are useful in eye diseases, thirst, poisoning and hallucinations. The fruits are emetic, diaphoretic alexiteric etc. According to Unani system of medicine, seeds are bitter, astringent to bowels, aphrodisiac, tonic, diuretic and good for liver, kidney complaints, gonorrhea, colic etc. " [Purdue Univ]

Interestingly, there are varieties of the Strychnos genus and some are even toxic, so if you are trying this out in the wild, be careful! Another plant with similar properties is Moringa.

The maxim is traditionally used in two ways. One, just like the kataka seeds remove the impurities of the water, true knowledge removes the impurity of our ignorance and makes our mind clear. [ Gourd in water (jala-tumbikā)]

Two, as Manusmṛiti 6:67 says -

“Even though the Kataka tree’s fruit is a water-purifier, 

just taking its name does not clean the water.” 

फलं कतकवृक्षस्य यद्यप्यम्बुप्रसादकम् ।

न नामग्रहणादेव तस्य वारि प्रसीदति ॥

phalam kataka-vṛikṣhasya yadyapyambu-prasādakam, 

na nāma-grahaṇādéva tasya vāri prasīdati. [IAST]

phalam kataka-vRikshasya yadyapyambu-prasAdakam;

na nAma-grahaNAdeva tasya vAri prasIdati . [ITRANS]

Similarly merely knowing or talking of dharma will not do, one has to practice it. Similar to Mere resolve would not help (ékākini pratijñā) maxim.

Check periodically if your thoughts are clear or muddy. Take time out of the regular rut to introspect. Clear your mind, your thoughts, your attitude. More reading or knowing would not help much unless you start practicing what you already know.

Purify your thoughts.

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and now the language aspects -

जल-कतक-रेणु न्यायः
= jala-kataka-réṇu nyāyaḥ |
jala = water.

kataka = a plant whose seeds when rubbed on the inside walls of pots, cause impurities in water to precipitate, like alum crystals.

réṇu = dust, powder.



फलं कतकवृक्षस्य यद्यप्यम्बुप्रसादकम् ।
न नामग्रहणादेव तस्य वारि प्रसीदति ॥

फलं = phalam = fruit

कतकवृक्षस्य = kataka-vRikShasya = of kataka tree
vRikSha = tree
kataka-vRikSha = kataka tree
-sya suffix = of (for masc. or neutral genders)

यद्यप्यम्बुप्रसादकम् = yadyapyambu-prasAdakam = even though is water cleanser/purifier
= yadi-api-ambu-prasAdakam
yadi = if
api = also
yadi+api = yadyapi = even though, if also
ambu = water
prasAda = pure, clear, clean (other meanings, graciousness, grace, favor etc.)
prasAdakam = cleanser, purifier, cleaner


न = na = not

नामग्रहणादेव = nAma-grahaNAdeva = only by taking the name
= nAma-grahaNAt-eva
nAma = name
grahaNAt = by grabbing, accepting, taking (chanting the name)
eva = only, merely

तस्य = tasya = of it

वारि = vAri = water

प्रसीदति = prasIdati = becomes clean




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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Small but many can still add up - वधू-माष-मापन

As was the tradition, a man used to give alms to any one who came to his door, a beggar or two or an occasional monk. Usually his wife was the one who would give a handful of mASha (माष) beans. This was a daily morning routine.

The man also had a son, who one day grew old enough to get married. As was the custom in earlier days, the bride was comparatively younger. One day while the daughter-in-law came to serve him food, the man saw that she had much smaller hands compared to his wife's. So he thought of a novel idea to save some money and yet not be seen as a miser.

Next day, he told his wife to let the daughter-in-law give the alms. The young lady gave out alms of one fistful of beans, and indeed it was a much smaller fist. The man was really happy, that even though he is technically giving out a fistful of grain in charity, the fist is smaller and he is saving while building credit of good deeds! What a jackpot.

But, soon, he found that the number of beggars and monks coming to his house increased substantially. News of the new bride, a beautiful young damsel had spread, and now the young villagers were disguising themselves as beggars and monks just to get a chance to see the daughter-in-law.

So the man, even though giving smaller portion of grain, ended up giving more, since there were more people at his door.

For this the saying goes -
वधू-माष-मापन न्यायः = vadhU-mASha-mApana nyAyaH
= daughter-in-law measuring the [fistful of] beans [to give as alms]

It is used when one tries to reduce the loss by being smart, but actually ends up spending more. That is due to the fact that many smalls can add up to be more than a few bigs.

In modern times, the 'Profit at the bottom of the pyramid' theory, works on similar principle that less margin but high volume can also give you high profits. So serving the lower economic classes can also make huge profits, if you reach to a larger mass. Prahlad? CK?

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -
वधू-माष-मापन न्यायः
= vadhU-mASha-mApana nyAyaH

vadhU = bride. daughter-in-law
(groom = vara , that who is worthy of accepting, taking)
mASha = a kind of beans
mApana = act of measuring
nyAyaH = maxim



(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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Defeating the main opponent - प्रधान-मल्ल-निबर्हण-न्यायः

Watching the FIFA quarter finals between Netherlands and Brazil, yesterday (2nd July) one felt sorry for Brazil and happy for Netherlands. This is assuming that one was not partial towards any of the teams, like being a citizen of that country!

Watching Germany defeat Argentina 4-0 today (3rd July), again emphasized that the domination of South America was over for this FIFA.

Can one assume from this that the finals will be played between Germany and Netherlands? After all they have defeated the best of the opponents. Here I am reminded of the "pradhAna-malla-nibarhaNa-nyAyaH", i.e. "the maxim of defeating the main wrestler of the opponent team". If one has defeated the main opponent, surely the others can be defeated! Of course, nothing can be said of soccer, but you get the idea.

pradhāna-malla-nibarhaṇa-nyāyaḥ
= प्रधान-मल्ल-निबर्हण-न्यायः
= pradhAna-malla-nibarhaNa-nyAyaH

pradhAna = main
malla = wrestler
nibarhaNa = (n) removal, ouster, pulling out
nyAyaH = maxim




(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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