Subhashitani
Subhashitas act as teacher in formulating the sense of morality and character, which sums up the total of a person's virtues including dispositions, behaviours, habits, likes, dislikes, capacities, traits, ideals, ideas, values, feelings and intuitions.
Subhashitas in Sanskrit are short verses, easy to memorise, typically in four Padas(verses) but sometimes just two, but their structure follows a metre.
Subhashitas are one of many forms of creative works that have survived from the ancient and medieval era of India, and sometimes also known as Suktis.
Ancient and medieval Indian literature created tens of thousands of Subhashitas covering a vast range of subjects.
Subhashitas are known for their inherent moral and ethical advice, instructions in wordly wisdom and guidance in making righteous deeds.
Subhashitas create an appeal as the inherent message is conveyed through poems which quote practical examples which are often rhythmic in nature. Some authors even relate Subhashitas to sugar coated bitter medicines considering their worthiness.
The Subhashita deals with various subjects and includes topics of day to day experiences that everyone can easily relate to.
A Subhashita is always eloquent in form, structured in a poetic form, complete in itself and concisely depicts a single emotion, idea, Dharma, truth or situation.
Subhashitas are drawn from real life and give fruit of philosophy grafted on the stem of experience!
Some categorise verses in praise of Gods too as Subhashitas.
Subhashitas सुभाषित are two or four liners in poetic form which deal with topics like:
1. Stuti(praise) स्तुति
of
deities.
2. Prashamsaa प्रशंसा
(Praise/Appreciation/Admiration)
of say, poets, Good people, of Knowledge—Vidya.
3. Ninda निन्दा
blaming
the vices, the bad people, (durjana दुर्जन), In
short, extol virtues and highlight vices.
4. Comments on social mores, advice on moral and ethical values to be followed.
5. Neeti नीति (Values) political, moral, social etc.
6. Puzzles and riddles.
7. Nature and seasons.
8. Highlight peculiarities of human nature and behaviour as compared to animals, plants etc.
9. Humorous couplets or four liners about Gods and Goddesses and superimposing human values and frailties on them.
10. The “Navarasas” नवरस in literature (Hasya, हास्य Shringara, शृंगार Bhaya भाव etc), and many more.
Example of सुभाषित:
पृथिव्यां त्रीणि
रत्नानि
जलमन्नं
सुभाषितम्
मूढैः पाषाणखण्डेषु
रत्नसंज्ञाऽभिधीयते
Meaning: There are three gems (most precious things) in the world --- water, food and wise sayings.
Only the fools call bits of
rock as gems.
