Words Well Worth 43: What If

Those in despair bow to divinity, The sickly resort to austerity, The poor hope to get charity, An old woman vouching chastity! ______________________________________________________ Transliteration of the subhāśhita along with the meanings of Sanskrit words is given as under: ārtā devān namasyanti tapah kurvanti rogiņah | nirdhanā dānam ichċhanti vŗddhā nārī pati-vratā || ārtā: men in despair, those suffering devān: gods, deities namasyanti: bow down, worship, pray (in expectation) tapah:tapas, austerity and penance, penitence kurvanti:do, perform rogiņah: those in disease, the sick (by fasting, suffering, etc) nirdhanā:those without money, the poor dānam: charity ichċhanti: wish for vŗddhā: old, aged nārī:woman pati-vratā: (is)faithful to the husband, vouching chasity These things if done, alas, are too little too late. Topic: vain