Recipes for scholarship 1

In verses 2300, 2383, 2384, and 2385 of the 15th century Subhaashitaavaali, unnamed poets have left behind valuable tips for gaining academic reputation easily. The first two of this set are quoted below, the rest will appear in a future post. 

(1) Devanagari text:

जिह्वायाश्छेदनं नास्ति न तालुपतनाद्भयम्|
निर्विशङ्केन वक्तव्यं वाचालः को न पण्डितः||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

jihvAyAzchedanaM nAsti na tAlupatanAdbhayam| 

nirvizaGkena vaktavyaM vAcAlaH ko na paNDitaH||

A.N.D. Haksar's translation: 

There is no fear

your palate will split

or your tongue be pulled out;

so, freely speak:

a man loquacious

is deemed perspicacious.

Notes: This is an example of extreme verbal irony where the speaker is so annoyed at the incessant prattling of a person they deem foolish that they wish the prattler's tongue would detach itself or the roof of their mouth would cave in. The word tAlupatana (तालुपतन), which Haksar translates as "split[ting]" of the palate, literally means "falling of the palate"; nirvizaGkena (translated as "freely") is, more appropriately, "without fear / worry".

(2) Devanagari text:

नाम ग्रन्थकृतां गृहाण विबुधोपाध्यायचर्चां कुरु ग्रन्थानां भव सत्परिग्रहकृती स्पर्धस्व साकं बुधैः|
नानाहस्तविचित्रचालनपरश्चोच्चैः सशब्दं हसन्निच्छेश्चेद्बुधतां पुरो जडधियामत्यन्तमूर्खोऽपि सन्||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

nAma granthakRtAM gRhANa vibudhopAdhyAyacarcAM kuru granthAnAM bhava satparigrahakRtI spardhasva sAkaM budhaiH| 

nAnAhastavicitracAlanaparazcoccaiH sazabdaM hasannicchezcedbudhatAM puro jaDadhiyAmatyantamUrkho(a)pi san||

A. N. D. Haksar's translation in English verse: 

If, even though an utter fool,

you wish knowledgeable to appear

before a group of dull-wits, then

speak of eminent persons there,

take names of well-known authors,

display some books of quality,

some learned scholars vilify,

wave hands and laugh uproariously.

Notes: In my opinion, a better reading of the word vibudhopAdhyAyacarcA (विबुधोपाध्यायचर्चा), which Haksar translates  as "speak[ing] of eminent persons", is "talking about learned teachers". Wikipedia offers some interesting information on the word upAdhyAya (उपाध्याय); to the best of my knowledge, the word ojhA (ओझा, ওঝা) derives from upAdhyAya (Prakrit: उअज्झाअ or something similar).

To be continued.