नीतिचन्द्रिका - The moonlight of homilies - 16 to 20

आप्तद्वेषाद्भेवेद्मृत्युः परद्वेषाद्धनक्षयः ।

राजद्वेषाद्भवेन्नाशो ब्रह्मद्वेषात्कुलक्षयः ॥   

Hatred towards one's own people spells Death.

Hatred towards others results in monetary loss.

Antipathy to the ruler brings destruction,

Antagonism towards the holy causes familial ruin. 

उदारस्य तृणं वित्तं शूरस्य मरणं तृणम् ।

विरक्तस्य तृणं भार्या निःस्पृहस्य तृणं जगत् ॥

To the generous man, money is like a blade of grass.

To the brave on the battlefield, death is insignificant.

To the dispassionate one, his wife means nothing, and

To the detached, the world is trivial.

उद्योगिनं पुरुषसिंहमुपैति लक्ष्मीः

दैवेन देयमिति कापुरुषा वदन्ति ।

दैवं निहत्य कुरु पौरुषमात्मशक्त्या 

यत्ने कृते यदि न सिद्ध्यति कोऽत्र दोषः ॥ 

Dame Fortune woos the diligent one. 

The worthless ones say, "Luck has showered on him." 

Set aside Luck and strive by your own endeavour.

Is it your fault if you don't succeed even after trying well?

उपकारः परो धर्मः परार्थं कर्मनैपुणम् ।

पात्रे दानं परः कामः परो मोक्षो वितृष्णता ॥
The supreme act is one of helping others. 

Attaining efficiency is true success.

What's most fulfilling is giving to the deserving.

The best expression of liberation is desirelessness.

एकेन शुष्कवृक्षेण दह्यमानेन वह्निना ।

दह्यते हि वनं सर्वं कुपुत्रेण कुलं यथा ॥ 

One dried-up tree catching fire is enough to reduce a whole forest to ashes.

One bad son is enough to bring down the entire lineage.

नीतिचन्द्रिका - The moonlight of homilies - 11 to 15

अर्थातुराणां न गुरुर्न बन्धुः कामातुराणां न भयं न लज्जा ।

विद्यातुराणां न सुखं न निद्रा क्षुधातुराणां न रुचिर्न वेला ॥ 

Those driven by material gain see none as their teacher or relative, 

Those driven by lust see no fear nor propriety.

Those striving for learning know no comfort nor rest,

Those driven by hunger consider no taste nor timeliness. 

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः ।

एवं सामाजिकं धर्मं चातुर्वर्ण्येऽब्रवीन्मनुः ॥

Manu prescribed these for all four Varnas :

Non-violence, Truth, Non-stealing, Cleanliness,

Controlling one's senses and impulses,

As the code of social conduct.

आचारः परमो धर्मः श्रुत्युक्तः स्मार्त एव च ।

तस्मादस्मिन् सदा युक्तो नित्यं स्यादात्मवान् द्विजः ॥   

Right conduct is extolled as the highest pursuit by both the Vedas and the Dharma Shastras.

Therefore, a Brahmin seeking the Highest Truth should adhere to it always. 

आदौ माता गुरोः पत्नी ब्राह्मणी राजपत्निका ।

धेनुर्धात्री तथा पृथ्वी सप्तैता मातरः स्मृताः ॥

Foremost, one's biological mother, then the Teacher's wife, 

Then a Brahmin woman, then the queen.

Then the cow, the provider, and finally, Earth, are revered as seven mothers.

आपदां कथितः पन्था इन्द्रियाणामसंयमः ।

तज्जयः सम्पदां मार्गो येनेष्टं तेन गम्यताम् ॥

The pathway to danger and ruin is the non-mastery of the senses.

Control of senses is the pathway to prosperity.

Clearly, therefore, one can choose one's path between them. 

नीतिचन्द्रिका - The moonlight of homilies - 6 to 10

अनित्यानि शरीराणि विभवो नैव शाश्वतः ।

नित्यं सन्निहितो मृत्युः कर्तव्यो धर्मसङ्ग्रहः ॥

Alas, human body is mortal, wealth is not permanent.

Death is ever imminent, so do good always!

अनेकसंशयच्छेदि परोक्षार्थस्य दर्शनम् ।

सर्वस्य लोचनं शास्त्रं यस्य नास्त्यन्ध एव सः ॥

Scriptures answer many questions and make hidden things visible.

They act as everyone's eyes to see Truth. 

The one who sees this not is indeed blind!

अन्नदाता भयत्राता दिद्यादाता तथैव च ।

जनिता चोपनेता च पञ्चैते पितरः स्मृताः ॥ 

These five are all fatherly - the one who provides food,

The one who saves from danger. The one

Who gives education, the biological father,

The one who initiates one into the sacred Gayatri.

अपमानं पुरस्कृत्य मानं कृत्वा तु पृष्ठतः ।

स्वकार्यमुद्धरेत् प्राज्ञः कार्यधव्ंसो हि मूर्खता ॥

Overlooking any insult, leaving behind one's ego,

The intelligent one should accomplish one's objective, as 

Jeopardising own interest is high stupidity.

अभिवादनशीलस्य नित्यं वृद्धोपसेविनः ।

चत्वारि तस्य वर्धन्ते आयुर्विद्या यशो बलम् ॥ 

For one who habitually shows courtesy and decorum, reveres and

Serves the elderly, four things will accrue well:

Longevity, Education, Fame and Power. 

नीतिचन्द्रिका - The moonlight of homilies - 1 to 5

 

अजरामरवत्प्राज्ञः विद्यामर्थञ्च साधयेत् । 
गृहीत इव केशेषु मृत्युना धर्ममाचरेत् ॥

The wise pursue learning and prosperity 

As if there is no old age nor death. 

But hasten to do good as if Death holds them by their locks!

अत्यन्तकोपः कटुका च वाणी दरिद्रता च स्वजनेषु वैरम् ।

नीचप्रसङ्गः कुलहीनसेवा चिह्नानि देहे नरकस्थितानाम् ॥

Untrammelled anger, acidic tongue, wretchedness,

Ill will towards near ones, keeping evil company,

Servitude to the ignoble - these are sure signs of those in hell.

अनभ्यासेन वेदानामाचारस्य च वर्जनात् ।
आलस्यादन्नदोषाच्च मृत्युर्विप्राञ्जिघांसति ॥

For a Brahmin, these spell Death-

Not practising the Vedas, not observing ritual duties;

Being lazy and eating the wrong foods.

अनभ्यासे विषं विद्या अजीर्णे भोजनं विषम् । 

विषं गोष्टी दरिद्रस्य भोजनान्ते जलं विषम् ॥

Knowledge unpractised turns virulent.

Food ingested during indigestion turns poisonous.

The company of the wretched is infectious,

Water drunk just after a meal is toxic.

अनारोग्यमनायुष्यमस्वर्ग्यं चातिभोजनम् ।

अपुण्यं लोकविद्विष्टं तस्मात्तत्परिवर्जयेत् ॥

Eschew excessive eating - it brings ill-health, 

Shortens life, gives no heavenly joy, as it is sinful;

Gluttony implies ill will towards society.

.

Hibiscus - an ancient Indian flower

 

जपाकुसुमसङ्काशं काश्यपेयं महाद्युतिम् ।

तमोऽरिं सर्वपापघ्नं प्रणतोऽस्मि दिवाकरम् ॥

I bow down to the Sun God, scion of Sage Kashyapa, possessing great effulgence!

He resembles the sacred hibiscus flower, destroys darkness and removes all sin.

Correct Names of Nakshatras in Sanskrit

 I give below the screenshots from Amarakosha, the authentic book for Sanskrit words, in Kannada script, compiled by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma (Final authority for us, all Sanskrit students).