[Advaita-l] Vedanta/sadhana-friendly proverbs

[V Subrahmanian]

First, a few corrections:

अर्के चेन्मधु वेन्देत किमर्थं पर्वतं व्रजेत्?


It is विन्देत


> When honey is available close at hand (in the flower/plant in the
> courtyard) why seek it at the mountain yonder?
>
> पिंड समुत्सृज्य करं *लेढि**  *-

It is पिण्डं


> [This is quoted in the Ratnaprabha in a particular context] 'He rejected
> the dish and licked his hand.' Giving up/rejecting the central thing and
> considering the peripherals.
>
> A few more of such sayings/proverbs:

The Upanishad itself is a source for such pithy statements:
यो वै भूमा तत्सुखम्, नाल्पे सुखमस्ति, यदल्पं तन्मर्त्यम् (Chandogya up.)
[That which is Infinite is (alone) happiness. There is no happiness in the
finite. The finite is fraught with death/destruction.]

द्वितीयाद्वै भयं भवति (Br.up.) Fear verily ensues from anything second (to
oneself)

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतम् (Mu.up.) [Truth alone triumphs and not
untruth/falsehood]

क्रोधोऽपि देवस्य वरेण तुल्यः [source: Pandavagitaa: [द्रोण]
ये ये हताश्चक्रधरेण राजं स्त्रैलोक्यनाथन जनार्दनेन।
ते ते गता विष्णुपुरिं प्रयाताः क्रोधोऽपि देवस्य वरेण तुल्यः॥११॥

[Even the anger of gods is conducive of benefit. ]

नह्यग्निरुष्णः सन्स्वात्मानं दहति ।

Fire, indeed being hot, does not burn itself.


नहि नटः शिक्षितः सन्स्वस्कन्धमधिरोक्ष्यति ।

An accomplished acrobat does not seek to climb upon his own shoulders.
[sutra bhashya

व्यतिरेकस्तद्भावभावित्वान्न तूपलब्धिवत् । ब्रह्मसूत्र ३,३.५४]


श्रुतिमतस्तर्कोऽनुसन्धीताम् [one should adopt reasoning that is conducive to
/ not unfriendly with the shruti-purport.]


वेदः शिवः शिवो वेदो वेदाध्यायी सदाशिवः [The Veda is indeed Shiva, Shiva
indeed is Veda, the one who studies / recites the Veda is verily
sadAshivaH.]


आचारहीनं न पुनन्ति वेदाः [The vedas will not purify the one who is loose in
morals and does not observe the basic rules of religious and social conduct]


धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः [Dharma protects the one who protects, abides by, it.]

धर्मेण हीनः पशुभिः समानः [He who is bereft of dharma is no different from a
beast]


शिवः केवलोऽहम्

चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम्



Here are some bhakti-friendly sayings:

कृष्णस्तु भगवान् स्वयम्
कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्
कृष्णाय तुभ्यं नमः
हरिः सर्वोत्तमः वायुः जीवोत्तमः [ popular among Madhvas]
वासुदेवः सर्वम्
रामं भजे श्यामलम्
हरिर्हरति पापानि
वन्दे मातरम्

Regards,
subrahmanian.v