Bhartrihari

Bhartrihari was a sanskrit poet of Ancient India.He wrote on all matters concerning the human life like friendship,education,ignorance,fate,morals,sex and renunciation.His ideas and suggestions are practical,
down to the earth and full of common sense which is notcommon.
The criteria he gives to select a friend are worth knowing by every person particularly by the young who stand at the threshold of entering an active and useful life.


In a verse on the qualities of a friend he says

Friend shines with these qualities
HE turns his friend away from the sin
Imbues his friend with matters of virtuous conduct
Hides the secrets of his friend
Nourishes his character
Does not desert in the hour of need and danger
Gives when his friend is in want
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In two interesting episodes Bhartrihari describes the power of God which people call Fate, on the lives of both human and non humanliving things.


A certain bald headded person walking in the hot Sun,having his head scorched by the hot sunrays ran quickly and stood in the shade of a palmyra tree.But alas! his head was broken with great sound by the speedy impact of its falling fruit!Dangers follow to the place where the person who is strongly smitten by God goes!
A snake charmer caught hold of a snake and put it in basket with lid on and some weight over it.The snake was frightened and lost all hopes of escape.Further it was tired too.The night set in.A rat made a hole to the basket and went in to the basket ,perhaps in search of food. The snake killed the rat ,swallowed it and made its escape to freedom through the same hole made by the rat.At any time,for harm or growth God alone is the cause!!

The boy goes to school

The boy goes to school, dressed up smartly and with baggage
Of books,lunch box and water bottle
To nourish his brain and also his brawn
walking briskly to discover new worlds and horizons
Both the inner and outer;the inner,his latent talents and defects
Now a days his physical and mental strength and stamina too
In carrying the weight of the school bag!
The outer that surrounds him with its varying ramifications and
Contradictions ever grouping and ever changing and regrouping
like pieces in a kaleidoscope and moving clouds in the sky
To understand,appreciate,arrive at common principles,apply them
In finding solutions to the problems that confront him
Fighting against odds to shape the outcome to his advantage
In the unseen but sure future
He is like a mountaineer with his kit, cilmbing up
To reach the summit braving the testing weather and avalanches!

On every return after the day's arduous work
And a short refresh,the pleasing words of the boy
Spoken ,attempting to articulate
About his adventures in his new world
To his parents,are drops of nectar and notes of joy
And before their mind's eye the future wellbred ,polished
Accomplished and equipped promising young hero stands
Making them to forget for the while the burden and restraint
Of finance they bear to give the best education to their son
And with sweet dreams of the future they sleep but
To wake up before the following daybreak
Well in advance of the inevitable horn of the school bus
To prepare the boy to the day's ordeal
And the boy dressed up smartly readies himself for his next adventure
Unmindful of other things except his newworlds!!!