Today's Beautiful Gem: `Poverty' by s'Udraka from mRcchakaTika (Little Clay Cart), translation based on that by Berridale Keith.

"s'Unyair gRhaih: khalu samAh: puruSAh: daridrAh:
kUpais' ca toyarahitais tarubhis' ca s'IrNaih:
yad dRSTapUrvajanasaMgamavismRtAnAm
evam bhavanti viphalAh: paritoSakAlAh:"

"Impoverished men are indeed like houses forsaken;
are like wells without water and are like trees that are blasted.
Forgotten by friends of former days,
their leisure hours remain fruitless."

"satyaM na me vibhavanas'akRtaAsti cintAh:
bhAgyakrameNa hi dhanAni bhavanti yAnti
etat tu mAM dahati naSTadhanAs'rayasyah:
yat sauhRdAd api janAh: s'ithilIbhavanti"

"I am not dejected by the loss of my riches;
fortune's progression is such that wealth appears and vanishes.
What pains me more is that when a man becomes poor,
their friendship with him decays."

There is another verse in s'Arngadharapaddhati which runs as follows:

"he dAridrya namas tubhyaM siddho 'ham tvatprasAdatah:
pas'yAmy ahaM jagat sarvaM na mAM pas'yati kas'cana"

"Salutations to you, O Poverty, I am a recipient of your gifts;
I see the whole world, But nobody else sees me!"

During this joyous holiday period, let us not forget the poor and the unfortunate among us. Let us offer them our helping hand.

Om s'aantih: Peace! - J. K. Mohana Rao.

<:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:>346<:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:><:>