Untitled -- Bhartrihari

Guest poem sent in by C Surendranath

here's one couplet from the 6th century man Bhartrihari....

(Poem #308) Untitled yasya asti vittam, 1 sa naraha kuleenaha, 2 sa eva vakta, 3 sa cha shrutavan panditaha, 4 sarve gunaha kanchanam ashrayantih. 5 -- Bhartrihari

the translation:
1- with whom there is wealth,
2- that man is of a good clan
3- he is a good speaker
4- he is to be heard and he is a scholar
5- gold brings all virtues with it

Annotation:
This can paraphrased to-
He who has wealth is of a good clan, is wise, a scholar and his words are to
be heard.
Gold can bring all virtues.

It is a telling commentary on the value of wealth in the society that he
lived in.

The Background-

  Bhartrihari was a king of 6th century India. He once had a hunter bring
  him an exotic fruit from the forest which the hunter claimed would
  guarentee long life. The king was reluctant to consume it himself and gave
  it instead to his beloved queen. She in turn gave it to a musician who was
  her lover. He gave it to the woman he really loved, a courtesan. The
  courtesan, being truly loyal to her master, brought it back to the king
  himself. On finding out about the tortuous route the fruit had taken, the
  king was sick of the worldly life and took to the forest, where he held
  forth on the futility of this ephemeral existence.

suren