प्राज्ञाः शूराः कृतज्ञाश्च पेशला मृदवश्च ये । पांसुमुष्ट्येव मणयः श्रिया ते मलिनीकृताः ॥ ९ ॥
prājñāḥ śūrāḥ kṛtajñāśca pēśalā mṛdavaśca yē | pāṁsumuṣṭyēva maṇayaḥ śriyā tē malinīkṛtāḥ || 9 ||
Translation
The wise, the brave, the grateful, the skilful and the gentle: fortune dims them all, as a fistful of dust dims jewels.
Word by word
- prājñāḥ
- the wise
- śūrāḥ
- the brave
- kṛtajñāś
- (kṛtajñāḥ) the grateful
- ca
- and
- pēśalā
- (peśalāḥ) the skilful
- mṛdavaś
- (mṛdavaḥ) the gentle
- yē
- who are
- pāṁsu
- of dust
- muṣṭyā
- by a fistful
- iva
- as
- maṇayaḥ
- jewels
- śriyā
- by fortune
- tē
- they
- malinīkṛtāḥ
- are dimmed
Meaning
Five virtues are named: wisdom, courage, gratitude, skill and gentleness. A jewel keeps its nature under dust, but no one can see its light. So fortune does not destroy these qualities at a stroke; it covers them. The wise man grows proud, the brave careless, the grateful forgets, the skilful turns his skill to gain, the gentle grows impatient. The image is hopeful as well as severe: dust can be wiped away. What is covered is still there, and the reader who notices the dust can clean the jewel.