[Advaita-l] Vedanta/sadhana-friendly proverbs

[V Subrahmanian]

Namaste.

Talking of proverbs in Sanskrit, it would be useful to start listing
proverbs/sayings that are congenial to Vedanta sadhana.  One can bring up
such sayings found in the Bhashyam, commentaries/glosses, other scriptural
works, etc. For example, in the Brahma sutra bhashya we have one saying:

न हि वरघाताय़ कन्यां उद्वाहयन्ति [BSB 4.1.2. People give their daughter in
marriage not to do away/kill the son-in-law]

Outside the bhashyam here is one: प्रक्षालानाद्धि पङ्कस्य दूरादस्पर्शनं वरम्
[prevention is better than cure: it is better to keep off slush than
exerting in washing it away after having contacted it]

The Bhamati could be a good source for sayings.

धनं भयनिबन्धनम् [Wealth is causative of fear]
पुत्रादपि धनभाजां भीतिः [from the Bhaja Govindam: wealthy people fear danger
to their wealth even from their sons]

संशयात्मा विनश्यति [Bh.Gita.4.40] He who entertains doubt unreasonably is
lost.

प्रतिमायां तु सान्निध्यं अर्चकस्य तपोबलात् [The divinity's presence in the
idol is directly proportional to the purity/austerity/spiritual practices of
the worshiper]

A humorous one: जामाता दशमो ग्रहः [the son-in-law is the tenth planet; it is
generally believed that all trouble comes from the nine planets.]

निवृत्तरागस्य गृहं (एव) तपोवनम् [For a dispassionate one the house itself is
a monastery]

In this manner one can state the saying/proverb, the source if known and the
meaning.

The subject-line aught not to be changed so that at a later date one can
make a compendium easily.

Regards,
subrahmanian.v