Tuesday, 23 July 2013

Salutation to Dawn from Golden Treasury of shlokas Book 4

Today's poem is salutation to उषस् , the Dawn.  This is a fraction of an ancient text which has been obtained by the Parikh family from a Jashvantiben Dave of Mumbai. The original poem has not yet been found, but we can gauge from the beauty of we have what a masterpiece it must be.



Also I'd like you to note the stress on the 'here and now'. No doubt there are tracts of Hindu thought that are 'other worldly' but as we have discovered again and again in #SanskritAppreciationHour, there are innumerable gems that focus on the present. In every way this poem reflects the idea of 'Carpe Diem' which is Latin for Seize the Day. 

The leitmotif of the blog - Don't let others [including me] select what they think is 'good' in the ancient texts. Learn Sanskrit, read the Scriptures yourself; decide for yourself! 


पश्यत दिनम् अभि सांप्रतम् यतः तत् तु जीवितम् जीवनस्य अपि जीवितम् 
Look!  [you all] at the day, that has just arrived; since/as it is life, the very life of life
तस्य स्वल्पे क्रमणे  वर्तन्ते सर्वाः सत्यताः वास्तविक्ताः युष्माकम् अस्तित्वस्य 
In it's brief course exit all realities, all the verities of your existence
वृद्धे धन्यता 
The bliss of growth
कृते यशः 
The fame/glory of action/acts
सिद्धे श्री 
The splendour of accomplishment
पूर्व दिनम् ननु स्वप्नः एव 
The previous day is only a dream
आगामि दिनम् च आभास मात्रम् 
The coming day, the next day is merely a vision
किंतु सुष्ठु जीवितम् साम्प्रतदिनम् करोति प्रत्येकम् पुर्वदिनं सुखस्वप्नम्
But well lived, this day makes every yesterday a happy dream
प्रत्येकम् आगामि दिनम् च आशायाः दर्शनम् 
And every day to come a vision of hope
अतः सुष्ठु पश्यत दिनम् अभि सांप्रतम्
Therefore live look well upon this day that has arrived now
प्रणतिः एषा उषसं प्रति 
This is a salutation to Dawn.


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