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Thoughts From Vikram-Vaitaal Stories
Wise men say -
"There are three things whose effect cannot be foretold - desire of a
woman, the dice-box, and the drinking of spirits. So total abstinence of
them is the best rule."
Scriptures say that a
barren wife must be superceded by another in the 8th year; whose all
children die in her 10th year; who gives birth only to daughters in her
11th year; and she who scolds should be superceded by another immediately.
The minister's son said - "You will leave
this habit, when you are
a little older, when you will understand that love is nothing but a bout,
a game of skill between two individuals, the one seeking gain as much and
the other striving to lose as little as possible, and the sharper will win
in the end. "To remain reserve" is but a habit, practice it for
a year, and you will find it harder to betray than to conceal your
thoughts. It has its own joy also. And now returning to the sugar-plums, I
tell you that they are poisoned."
"In my humble opinion, the
woman is monogamous and the man is a polygamous - a fact scarcely
established as a theory but fairly observed in practical life.
We love the pretty, we
adore the plain. And why do we adore the plain? Because they think to
think less about themselves than us - a vital condition of adoration.
He thought, "One
should have no confidence in a changing mind, a black serpent, an armed
enemy and one should dread a woman's doings. What a poet cannot describe,
what a Yogee cannot know, what nonsense a drunken man will not talk, what
limit is there which a woman cannot cross? True it is that even gods
cannot know about the defects of a horse, of the thundering of the clouds,
of a woman's deeds, of a man's future fortunes. How then can we
know?"
Parrot further said - "O
King, Wet cloth puts out the fire, and bad food destroys the strength, a
bad son ruins the family, and a friend in wrath takes away the life. But
whatever a woman does in grief of love or hate makes one sick. And again
the beauty of the nightingale is its song, science is the beauty of an
ugly man, forgiveness is the beauty of a devotee and virtue is the beauty
of a woman - but where will we find it? Again, among the sages Naarad,
among the beasts jackal, among the men barber, and in this world the woman
is more crafty.
She said - "I have no
relation except you. Wife is not made only by gifts to priests, nor by
performing religious rites, her virtue is in waiting upon her husband, in
obeying him, in loving him; though he be lame, dumb, deaf. blind, one
eyed, leprous, or humpbacked. It is a true saying that a son under one's
authority, a body free from sickness, a desire to acquire knowledge, an
intelligent friend, and an obedient wife - whoever holds these five is
lucky. While an unwilling servant, a parsimonious king, an insincere
friend, and a wife not under control give troubles."
These six things lower the man - friendship with a fool, causeless
laughter, flattering with women, serving an unworthy master, riding an
ass, and speaking any other language than Sanskrit. And these five things
are decided before we take birth - age, action, wealth, science and fame.
It is said that "An unmarried daughter is
ever a calamity over a house."; and "Kings, women, and climbing
plants love those who are near them."; and "A woman cannot be
kept in due subjection, either by gifts or kindness, or correct conduct,
or the greatest services, or the laws of morality, or by the terror of
punishment, for she cannot discriminate between good and evil."
Trivikram said - "Courage is tried in war,
integrity in the payment of debt and interest, friendship in distress, and
the faithfulness of a wife in the day of poverty."
Vaaman said - "That woman is destitute of
virtue who in her father's house is not in subjection, who wanders to
feast and amusements, who throws off her veil in the presence of men, who
remains as a guest in the house of strangers, who is much devoted to
sleep, who drinks liquor beverages, and who delights in distance from her
husband."
Madhusoodan said - "Let none confide in the
sea, nor in whatever has claws or horns, or who carries deadly weapons,
neither in a woman, nor in a king."
A foolish king, a person puffed up with riches, a
weak child, desire that which cannot be procured.
And "A king destroys his enemies, even when
flying; and the touch of an elephant, as well as the breath of a serpent,
are fatal, but the wicked destroys even while laughing."
"Of all precious things the most valuable is
the knowledge, because other riches may be stolen, or diminished by
expenditure, but knowledge is immortal, the greater the expenditure the
greater the increase. It can be shared with none, or it defies the power
of a thief; at the same time it can be distributed to everyone."
"There are four types of characters in the
world, (1) he who perfectly obeys the command, (2) he who practices the
commands, but follows the evil, (3) he who does neither good nor evil, and
(4) he who does nothing but evil. The third character may be considered as
an offender for he neglects which he ought to observe.
"Books on Government say that cut off the
nose and ears of the gamblers, hold up his name to the public contempt,
and drive him out of the country. For, who play must often lose than they
win; and while losing either they should pay or not pay, in latter case
they should lose their cast. And although a gambler has a family but it
should not be considered as it is there, because nobody knows when it is
lost.
"Who has lost all senses of shame, fears not
to disgrace others." and "A wild cat who devours its own young,
is not likely a rat to escape."
Remember "science without understanding is of little use;
understanding is superior to the science; and those who do not have
understanding perish like the people perished in above story."
"What is the use of telling one's own grief
to those who cannot help."
A person should be sacrificed for the sake of a
family, a family for the city, a city for the country, and a country for
the king.
"The virtue of a woman is destroyed through
too much beauty; the religion of a Braahman is destroyed is by serving
kings; a cow is spoiled by distant pastures; wealth is lost by committing
injustice; and prosperity departs from the house where promises are not
kept.
What Raam said of Seetaa - "If I chanced to be angry, she would
bear my impatience like Mother Earth without murmur; in the hour of
necessity, she would cherish me like a mother cherishes her child; in the
moments of repose, she would be a lover to me; and in times of happiness,
she would be my friend."
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