As promised, here is the second installment of age-old tips for the quick attainment of academic reputation (Subhaashitaavali Verses 2384 and 2385).
(3) Devanagari text:
(3) Devanagari text:
निःशङ्कं यत्तदुच्चैर्वद कुरु विकटं स्वाननं ज्ञानगर्वाच्छ्लाघस्वात्मानमन्यान् भष हस सहसा किंचिदश्लीलमुक्त्वा|
सावद्यं खण्डखाद्यं पठ विवद समुत्कर्षयन्मूर्खलोकानिच्छेश्चेत्सूरिभावं जडजनपुरतो मूर्खवृन्दारकोऽपि||
सावद्यं खण्डखाद्यं पठ विवद समुत्कर्षयन्मूर्खलोकानिच्छेश्चेत्सूरिभावं जडजनपुरतो मूर्खवृन्दारकोऽपि||
niHzaGkaM yattaduccairvada kuru vikaTam svAnanaM jJAnagarvAcchlAghasvAtmAnamanyAn bhaSa hasa sahasA kiMcidazlIlamuktvA|
sAvadyaM khaNDakhAdyaM paTha vivada samutkarSayanmUrkhalokAnicchezcetsUribhAvaM jaDajanapurato mUrkhavRndArako(a)pi||
Loose translation: Spew sheer nonsense, but do so fearlessly and stridently; make hideous faces to show your pride in your knowledge; bang your own drum, and do not forget to rail against others at the same time; every now and then, say something indecorous and laugh (at your own joke); do not forget to study the vile Khandana Khanda Khadya thoroughly (or read / recite / quote the Khandana Khanda Khadya contemptuously); engage in debates to establish the superiority of morons – be sure to do all of the above if you want to be hailed as a sage by dullards, in spite of being an ignoramus of the highest grade yourself.
Notes: I believe the word khaNDakhAdya (खण्डखाद्य) in the verse above refers to the famous Khandana Khanda Khadya (खण्डनखण्डखाद्य), "candies of refutations", a polemical treatise written by Sri Harsha in the 12th century, attacking the Nyaya system of Indic philosophy (and purportedly in favor of the Advaita Vedanta school of thought). This book has its fair share of both admirers and detractors, so it is not clear to me if our anonymous poet uses the word sAvdyaM (सावद्यं) here as an adjective of its name (in which case, the word should be read as "inferior / imperfect") or as an adverb of the imperative "read" (पठ) to mean "with censure".
Notes: I believe the word khaNDakhAdya (खण्डखाद्य) in the verse above refers to the famous Khandana Khanda Khadya (खण्डनखण्डखाद्य), "candies of refutations", a polemical treatise written by Sri Harsha in the 12th century, attacking the Nyaya system of Indic philosophy (and purportedly in favor of the Advaita Vedanta school of thought). This book has its fair share of both admirers and detractors, so it is not clear to me if our anonymous poet uses the word sAvdyaM (सावद्यं) here as an adjective of its name (in which case, the word should be read as "inferior / imperfect") or as an adverb of the imperative "read" (पठ) to mean "with censure".
व्यासादीन्कविपुंगवाननुचितैश्चोद्यैः सलीलं भषन्नुच्चैर्जल्प निमील्य लोचनयुगं श्लोकान्सगर्वं पठन्|
काव्यं स्वीकुरु यत्परैर्विरचितं स्पर्धस्व साकं बुधैर्यद्यभ्यर्थयसे श्रुतेन रहितः पाण्डित्यमाप्तुं बलात्||
काव्यं स्वीकुरु यत्परैर्विरचितं स्पर्धस्व साकं बुधैर्यद्यभ्यर्थयसे श्रुतेन रहितः पाण्डित्यमाप्तुं बलात्||
Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:
vyAsAdInkavipuMgavAnanucitaizcodyaiH salIlaM bhaSannuccairjalpa nimIlya locanayugaM zlokAnsagarvaM paThan|
kAvyaM svIkuru yatparairviracitaM spardhasva sAkaM budhairyadyabhyarthayase zrutena rathitaH pANDityamAptuM balAt||
A. N. D. Haksar's translation in English verse:
Notes: I think the first few words व्यासादीन्कविपुंगवाननुचितैश्चोद्यैः सलीलं भषन् deserve special attention. To the best of my knowledge, codya (चोद्य) refers to a "difficult question" raised in order to initiate a debate, or a position picked by a logician to refute in the process of establishing their own thesis (also called pUrvapakSa (पूर्वपक्ष)). Hence, the above excerpt can be read as "jeering at eminent authors like Vyasa by posing inappropriate questions / raising controversies". I wonder what kind of questions or topics for debate would be deemed inappropriate by the poet and their intended audience.
The 14th century Shaarngadharapaddhati contains a slightly different version (Verse 205) of the above verse: The first quarter व्यासादीन्कविपुंगवाननुचितैश्चोद्यैः सलीलं भषन् is replaced with व्यासादीन्कविपुंगवाननुचितैर्वाक्यैः सलीलं हसन् (with no significant change to the meaning); the first verse ends in पठ and not पठन्; काव्यं स्वीकुरु यत्परैर्विरचितं is recorded as काव्यं धिक्कुरु यत्परैर्विरचितं which means "deride others' works" rather than "claim others' works as your own"; in lieu of साकं, we have the synonymous सार्धं.
The above quotes indicate that, while there has always been a tremendous diversity of thought in South Asia, followers of competing academic traditions never shied away from subjecting one another to carping criticism.
For scholarship a reputation
if you wish to gain perforce,
even though to sacred learning
you have never had recourse:
then as your own, claim others' works,
stand proud as you recite some verse
with half-closed eyes, and be dramatic
while running down in language terse
Vyasa and the other lions
of literature in days gone by;
as for the learned men at present,
challenge them, their skills decry.
Notes: I think the first few words व्यासादीन्कविपुंगवाननुचितैश्चोद्यैः सलीलं भषन् deserve special attention. To the best of my knowledge, codya (चोद्य) refers to a "difficult question" raised in order to initiate a debate, or a position picked by a logician to refute in the process of establishing their own thesis (also called pUrvapakSa (पूर्वपक्ष)). Hence, the above excerpt can be read as "jeering at eminent authors like Vyasa by posing inappropriate questions / raising controversies". I wonder what kind of questions or topics for debate would be deemed inappropriate by the poet and their intended audience.
The 14th century Shaarngadharapaddhati contains a slightly different version (Verse 205) of the above verse: The first quarter व्यासादीन्कविपुंगवाननुचितैश्चोद्यैः सलीलं भषन् is replaced with व्यासादीन्कविपुंगवाननुचितैर्वाक्यैः सलीलं हसन् (with no significant change to the meaning); the first verse ends in पठ and not पठन्; काव्यं स्वीकुरु यत्परैर्विरचितं is recorded as काव्यं धिक्कुरु यत्परैर्विरचितं which means "deride others' works" rather than "claim others' works as your own"; in lieu of साकं, we have the synonymous सार्धं.
The above quotes indicate that, while there has always been a tremendous diversity of thought in South Asia, followers of competing academic traditions never shied away from subjecting one another to carping criticism.
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