Exercise 1
- 1. The sage went to town in the night. There he went to the palace of the king, and sat on the ground outside of the palace. A servant of the king saw the sage. He thought "who is he, staying here outside the palace?" The servant went to the sage as said "who are you?" Why are you sitting outside the palace of the king? What do you want from the king? Then the sage said to the servant, O servant, I am the teacher of the king. Tell your king "his teacher is staying outside the palace." The servant reported this to the king. The king went outside the palace and saw his teacher. He said to the teacher - O teacher, greetings. You are my guest.I will worship you in my palace. I will give you flowers and fruits. You will be pleased by my devotion. Then the king lead the sage to the palace. He worshipped him there. The king said to his wife, "O wife, he is my teacher." If you offer him fruits and flowers, he will be pleased. I he were pleased, then there would be happiness, and misery would cease, in us. Then the wife saluted the sage and with devotion worshipped him. The sage was pleased with their devotion. He said: "O king, I was pleased with the devotion in you." I would give you that which you wish for. The king said, "O teacher, I desire wealth. Let that which I touch become gold!" The teacher said "by my power that which you touch shall become gold." With happiness the king touched his wife. Then indeed the wife became gold and fell to the floor. The king said to the teacher, "O teacher, what is this? Why is there suffering in me?" The teacher said "O king, because you desired gold, therefore you got suffering. When you thought of wealth, then your mind was destroyed. When your mind was destroyed, then you become your own enemy. Don't think of gold! Think only of the Lord! If you think of the Lord, then by the power of the Lord your wife might get life. Then the king sat on the ground, and with devotion saluted the Lord, and praised the power of the Lord. The Lord was pleased with his devotion, and gave life to his wife.
- 2. Crows sit in the tree. They eat fruits with their beaks. Cows have no beaks.
- 3. The daughter-in-law doesn't know the power of the mother-in-law. Therefore she finds misery.
- 4. The poet is a friend of the king.
- 5. If the father would beat the infant, then the infant will think the father is a beast.
Saṃskṛtasubodhinī: A Sanskrit Primer
by Madhav Desphande
Last updated: 17:55 05/11/2008