Subhaashit means “wisdom verse” in Sanskrit. Read every su-bhaa-shit in bold type Roman script, word by word (English meaning in brackets), with brief translation. Also hear. For simplicity, visarga and duality of sh are ignored. Hyphen (-) is used here for guidance on long or confusing words. Thus haste is not English (haste) but shown as ha-ste = ha ste

Symbols and Sounds a (u-up) aa (a-art) b (boy) ch (chip) d (th-they) d’ (d-dog) e (egg) g (girl) h (he) i (i-kin) i’ (ee-keen) j (jam) k (king) l (lamp) m (man) n (no) n’ (hard n) o (open) p (pin) r (run) s (sit) sh (she) t (soft t’) t’ (t –toy) u (u-pull) u’ (oo-pool) v (w-win) y (yes). Basic vowels are (a, aa, e, i, i’, o, u, u’ ) Diphthongs - ai (a followed by i) au (a followed by u). Consonants (d, n, t) are soft (dental) while (d’, n’, t’) are hard (retroflex) as shown for (d, d’). Symbol (h) is not uttered in (ch, sh). Its sound is mixed with previous consonant in bh, chh, dh, d’h, gh, jh (s-measure) kh, ph (phone) th (thin) t’h. Sounds l’ (hard l), a-apple, aw-law, z-zoo are absent in Sanskrit. In case of difficulty, treat (d’ i’ n’ t’ u’) approximately = (d i n t u) Suitable browser (like IE) enables to read text, while listening.

1. maa-taa (mother) sha-tru (enemy) pi-taa (father) va-i-ri’(foe)
   yena (by whom) baa-lo (child) na (not) paa-t’hi-to (is educated)
   na(not) sho-bha-te (is presentable)  sa-bhaa-mad-dhye (within gathering)
   hamsa-mad-dhye(among swans) bako (crane bird) ya-thaa (just as)
   
   Parents are enemy-like if their child is untrained, and hence gets no recognition. Click to Listen
   
   
2. sha-te-shu (among hundred) jaa-ya-te (is born) shu’-ro (brave one)
   sa-ha-sre-shu (among thousand) cha (and) pa-nd’ito (scholar)
   va-ktaa (orator) da-sha-sa-ha-sre-shu (among ten thousand)
   daa-taa ( donor) bha-vati (occurs) vaa-navaa (rarity).
   
   Brave is found in 100, Scholar in 1000, Orator among 10000, Philanthropist is rare. Click to Listen
   
   
3. ta-i-laat (from oil) rak-shet (be saved) ja-laat (from water) rak-shet (be saved)
   rak-shet (be saved) shi-thi-la (loose) ban-dha-naat (from binding)
   mu’r-kha (fool) ha-ste (in hand) na (not) daa-tavyam (be given)
   evam (thus) va-dati (tells) pu-sta-kam (a book).
   
   A book appeals for protection from oil, water, loose binding and fools.Click to Listen
   
   
4. aa-shaa (hope) naam (named) ma-nu-sh-shaa-n’aam (of people)
   shrin-kha-laa (chain) kaa-chit (indeed one) ad-bhu-taa (wonderful)
   ya-yaa (by which) ba-d-dhaa (tied ones) pra-dhaa-vanti (run fast)
   muk-taa (freed ones) tish-t’hanti (stand) pangu-vat (like a lame)
   
   Hope, a marvellous chain, causes tied people to work, and untied people to halt. Click to Listen
   
   
5. ud-dya-mena (by proper work) hi (verily) sid-dhyanti (are achieved)
   kaar-yaa-n’i (tasks) na (not) mano-ra-tha-i (by wishful thinking)
   na (not) hi (verily) sup-ta-sya (of sleeping) simha-sya (of lion)
   pra-vi-sha-nti (enter) mu-khe (in mouth) mru-gaa (animals)
   
   Not wishes, but efforts achieve a task. Prey itself does not feed a slumbering lion. Click to Listen
   
   

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