SERVANT
R. SUNDARESAN
How difficult is the duty of a servant!
if he is silent he is called dumb,
if he speaks too much he is said to be talkative,
If he comes near the master and moves with him freely
he is called disobedient,
if he stays away from his master
he is called a coward,
If he is patient he is thought to be timid
alas! how difficult is the duty of a servant!
A NOBLE MAN
A lion is a lion though hungry
a lion is a lion even if it is old,
a lion is a lion though diseased,
it kills an elephant and eats its flesh
even when it is weak and old,
so too a noble, proud man
doesn’t stoop to
a low level
even in adversity.
(Translation of Slokas from Bhartruhari’s ‘Neetisataka’)