subhāṣita – A wise man’s conduct

अप्रियं पुरुषं चापि परद्रोहं परस्त्रियम्।
अधर्ममनृतं चैव दूरात् प्राज्ञो विवर्जयेत्॥

apriyaṁ puruṣaṁ cāpi paradrohaṁ parastriyam|
adharmamanṛtaṁ caiva dūrāt prājño vivarjayet||

A wise man should keep far away from an unpleasant person, from injuring (betraying?) others, from another person’s wife, from unrighteous conduct and from untruth.

subhāṣita – Virtues are not the same for all

गुणा: गुणज्ञेषु गुणीभवन्ति ते निर्गुणं प्राप्य भवन्ति दोषा:
सुस्वादुतोया: प्रवहंति नद्य: समुद्रमासाद्य भवन्त्यपेय:

guṇā guṇajeṣu guṇīavanti te nirguṇaṁ prāpya avanti doṣā
susvādutoyā pravahaṁti nadya samudramāsādya avantyapeya

With virtuous persons, virtues remain virtues. On reaching a non-virtuous person, they become faults, (just like) a river flowing with sweet water becomes salty on reaching ocean.

subhāṣita – You can’t provoke a Sādhu

साधोः प्रकोपितस्यापि मनो नायाति विक्रियाम्।
न हि तापयितुं शक्यं सागरांभस्तृणोल्कया॥

sādhōḥ prakōpitasyāpi manō nāyāti vikriyāṁ।
na hi tāpayituṁ śakyaṁ sāgarāṁbhastr̥ṇōlkayā॥

Sages never get agitated by trivial provocations just as it is not possible to heat the water of ocean by a torch of dried grass.

subhāṣita – Who needs ornaments?

हस्तस्य भूषणम् दानम् सत्यम् कण्ठस्य भूषणम् ।
कर्णस्य भूषणम् शास्त्रम् भूषणैः किम् प्रयोजनम् ॥

hastasya bhūśaṇam dānam satyam karṇasya bhūśaṇam
stotrasya bhūśaṇam śāstram bhūśaṇaihi kim prayojanam

Charity is the ornament for hands.
Truth is the ornament for speech.
Hearing the scriptures is the ornament for ears.
Where is the need for other ornaments?

subhāṣita – Learning, truth and sacrifice are unequalled

नास्ति विद्यासमम् चक्शु: नास्ति सत्यसमम् तपः
नास्ति रागसमम् दुखम् नास्ति त्यगसमम् सुखम्

nāsti vidyāsamam cakṣuḥ nāsti satyasamam tapaḥ
nāsti rāgasamām dukham nāsti tyāgasamam sukham

There is no vision equal to learning, there is no penance equal to truth, there is no grief equal to attachemnt and no happiness equal to renunciation

subhāṣita – Scholarship is priceless!

न चोर हार्यं न च राज हार्यं न भ्रात्रि भाज्यम् न च भारकारी ।
व्यये क्ते वर्धत एव नित्यं विद्या धनं सर्व धन प्रधानं ॥

na cora hāryaṁ na ca rāja hāryaṁ na bhrātri bhājyam na ca bhārakārī |
vyaye krite vardhata eva nityaṁ vidyā dhanaṁ sarva dhana pradhānaṁ ||

It cannot be stolen by thieves, neither can it be taken away by the ruler. It can’t be divided among brothers, and does not cause a load too heavy. If spent, it always multiplies. This wealth of knowledge is always the greatest among all wealths.