7. Kṣemendra’s Observations

Kṣemendra condemns all kinds of vices as diseases.^[1] He condemns lust, greed, arrogance, hypocrisy as the root cause of all evils. First of all, he condemns hypocrisy (dambha). In Kṣemendra’s view, hypocrisy is the root cause of all evils (sakalakalāhṛdayasāra).^[2] According to him, it is deep-rooted in this world.^[3] For Kṣemendra, hypocrisy is at the top of the objects of ridicule.^[4] He counsels that one should understand it properly to escape from its deception.^[5] Here, a few lines are added regarding the nature of hypocrisy as mentioned by Kṣemendra. According to him, it is hypocrisy which always deceives people. He points out that it is not easy to understand the ways of dambha as dambha is just like a fish in the water without having hands, feet or even a head.^[6] In Kṣemendra’s view, dambha or hypocrisy may trap humans as snakes are captured by charms, deer by snares and birds by nets.^[7] A hypocrite always likes vices and dislikes virtues. One, who is hypocrite, spreads evils in the society. Hypocrisy is mentioned by Kṣemendra as the wish fulfilling tree for all the cheaters.^[8] Further he admits that in the society all are infected by hypocrisy.^[9] The officer, the lawyer, the teacher, the children, the ascetic, the doctor, the goldsmith, the astrologer, the businessman, the dancer, the singer-all are hypocrite.

Kṣemendra also condemns greed. He says that of all sins, it is greed which figures in topper position (lobhaḥ pāpatamānāṃ).^[10] He clarifies that greed generates crookedness, scheming and deceit. Kṣemendra counsels that one should not be greedy, otherwise one will be deceived by greed. He requests all to forsake greed.^[11] According to him, greedy one is foremost among all hopeless people.^[12] It is stated that gathering and hoarding is the basic cause of greed.^[13] Kṣemendra points out that a man, because of greed, cannot distinguish between good and bad.^[14] A greedy man only hoards money but never contributes anything in the name of charity.^[15] It is said that acquisition of wealth is not a bad thing, but the means employed for it must be honest. In different places of his works, Kṣemendra exposes the people, who out of greed employ different tricky arts to accumulate wealth. A goldsmith is said to be applying sixty-four tricks to loot money from the customers.^[16] A greedy man can bear all the torments but cannot abandon his wealth.^[17] It is stated that rouges always move round the lotus like wealth like bees.^[18] It is asserted that though a greedy man hoards money, but time ruins everything.^[19] Kṣemendra compares wealth with a drop of water on lotus leaves, stirred by wind.^[20] It is bitterly said that one should not be too much greedy, otherwise he would have to go to hell to suffer punishment.^[21]

Kṣemendra compares lust with poison. He warns everyone by saying that lust causes bereavement to anybody as poison destroys one.^[22] He warns the people not to involve with the lewd and unreliable women. For him, a man who is slave of lust and falls in the captivity of a woman cannot escape from its effect. Kṣemendra complains that such women rob a man of the heart by making him full by its tricky way.^[23] According to Kṣemendra, surprisingly a self restrained person can apprehend various deception of this world but cannot understand the deceptive nature of a woman.^[24] He compares such women with flitting bees and also with crooked snake.^[25] In Kṣemendra’s view, such a woman is never interested in household works, but with beautiful garments, goes to meet her lover.^[26] He points out that such women are just like demon of thousands of deception.^[27] Kṣemendra counsels that one who understands mentality of the wicked, faithless and hard hearted women is not liable to be deceived by them.^[28] Passion for harlot is compared by the author to disease like leprosy in the line…veśyārāgo visarpakuṣṭānāṃ...^[29] He satirizes the low morality of the women not only for the benefit of the contemporary society but also to draw the attention of the youths of all ages. Because Kṣemendra realizes that often passion maddens the mind of a youth.^[30]

Kṣemendra expresses his concern when he says that in spite of the crookedness of the wicked, they are occupying the foremost position in the society.^[31] He exposes the nature and deed of wicked persons so that one can escape from their clutches. Kṣemendra focuses that the wicked never differentiates between friends and foes. For him, respect and insult are the same.^[32] He always infects the good as the dog pollutes the bowl with his tongue.^[33] The nature of the wicked is unchangeable. Kṣemendra bitterly says that if a wicked man is changed to a noble person because of his good fortune, then it would be assumed as if a monkey is worshipping in the forest raising his arms.^[34] The wicked one never admires good qualities, never loves anyone and never gives anything to others.^[35] He never follows rules and regulations. Kṣemendra compares the wicked with the planet Saturn, who spoils every auspicious work by his deeds and behavior.^[36] He reveals that no one can escape without being foolish by him.^[37] It is held that those who are fool, often become the prey of the wicked, just like a young bird unable to fly is devoured by cats.^[38] It is further stated that the wicked is worthless among the great. They are found everywhere. Kṣemendra satirically indicates that the wicked has taken over all the regions with the Supreme God in his power even.^[39] The author holds that the wicked one is an odd creation of god.^[40] With an assessment of the condition of the society, Kṣemendra laments and says that there is no place free from the wicked.^[41]

Kṣemendra also instructs all to beware of arrogance. He condemns arrogance as an enemy. For the author, arrogance enters into the heart of everyone and works as the cause of all crookedness. He informs all that when arrogance comes in, nobody is capable of seeing and listening to anything and gets the stage of insensibility.^[42] Kṣemendra warns everybody not to be arrogant of his beauty, prowess, learning etc. He clearly indicates that the root of arrogance is wealth.^[43] From it there is born other arrogances. Kṣemendra points out that arrogance for wealth makes one blind.^[44] He informs that arrogance for power is demonic.^[45]

In different places, Kṣemendra points out that the good conduct is often transformed to bad conduct, after a man is posted in a powerful position. How the bureaucrats exploit the common people, how they misuse their power, all these are revealed through his works. Kṣemendra states that all kinds of arrogance should be wiped away by destroying their root cause.^[46]

Kṣemendra also warns everyone to protect oneself from the actors, dancers, rogues and bards. Because they rob everything of a wealthy person.^[47] The author expresses his concern for all when he says that an illiterate physician, a powerful Kāyastha bureaucrat and the immoral gurus may harm the subjects.^[48] He suggests to understand a physician properly especially by those who are under his treatment.^[49] According to Kṣemendra, it is not possible for the rulers to wash out all the thieves and robbers roaming over in the society, but he advises to control the goldsmiths as they are the thieves for all the times.^[50]

Kṣemendra says that there is none in this world who is not cheated by the bureaucrats.^[51] He exposes the real truth that being robbed of by the bureaucrat, prosperity laments and weeps in the form of drops of ink falling from the tip of a pen.^[52] His heart is full of impure thoughts and deceitful arts. Therefore, Kṣemendra suggests the good people to protect the gem laden earth from the demon in the garb of a bureaucrat.^[53]

Kṣemendra warns all to beware of thieves. He says that to establish a peaceful society, imprisonment is the best way to check all of them.^[54] He also warns all to save themselves from the rogues. For Kṣmendra, there are hundreds and thousands trickeries of rogues, but it is not possible to know them all. He expresses that fools may fall in their captivity just like a fish in the net set by fishermen.^[55]

Kṣemendra condemns gambling, drinking wine, and womanizing as the worst intoxicants. According to him, drinking wine is the worst and the base among all intoxications.^[56] He compares alcohol with vampire (vetāla).^[57] Kṣemendra tries to make everybody aware of the evils of drinking wine. For him, the habit of drinking wine destroys all the good deeds that a person has acquired over a long period in a minute.^[58] Kṣemendra opines that such person cannot differentiate between good and bad, between gold and stone.^[59] Sometimes he sings, sometimes he weeps and cannot understand what is his own and what is other’s.^[60] Drunkard even never feels pain if his wife is being enjoyed by other.^[61] Not only that, a drunkard even tries to drink his own urine as the moon is reflected in it.^[62] Kṣemendra points out that one may be a yogī, but he or she may go to hell only because of this kind of vicious habit.^[63] It is observed that in the society, most people were infected by this vicious habit, not to speak of general people, those are also addicted to it whom one will consider to be the great moralistic such as the guru, the Brāhmaṇa etc. Kṣemendra satirizes this evil in different places of his works.

Gambling is also condemned by the author. In Kṣemendra’s view, gambling is one of all bad habits.^[64] Gambling is a dishonest way of gaining wealth and practice of it leads to many ruinous consequences. It is the outcome of greed. How people lose everything in gambling is exposed by Kṣemendra in different places of his works. In the society, a woman also plays dice.^[65] A student also roams in the streets playing dice.^[66] Even tantra mantra is applied by the gamblers to win a game.^[67]

Kṣemendra has pointed out to all the evil practices existing in the society. He suggests that one should be aware of all evil practices but should not apply them in his or her life. He instructs to follow the virtuous arts, which are practised by the noble one.^[68] According to Kṣemendra, one who is expert in understanding the inner sense of all the virtuous arts, may be considered to be knower of everything in real sense, as the brāhmaṇa among all the castes so as the person is recognized best among all in the world.^[69] Thus, one who knows all the arts having the result of both good and bad and does works in accordance to it, becomes successful.^[70]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

vyasanaṃ rogagaṇānāṃ/
ibid.,X.17

[2]:

ibid.,I.39

[3]:

so’yaṃ nidhānakumbho dambho nāma svāvagambhīraḥ/
kutilaiḥ kuhakabhujaṅgaiḥ saṃvṛtavadanaḥ sthito loke// ibid.,I.41

[4]:

dambhaḥ sarvopahāsapātrāṇāṃ/
ibid.,X.18

[5]:

evaṃ vicāraṇīyaḥ sarvagataḥ sarvahṛt sadā dambhaḥ/
ĵnāte tasmin vividhe viphalā māyāvināṃ māyā// ibid.,I.95

[6]:

matsyasyevāpsu sadā dambhasya ĵnāyate gatiḥ kena/
nāsya karau na ca pādau na śiro durlakṣya evāsau// ibid.,I.43

[7]:

mantrabalena bhujaṅgā mugdhakuraṅgāśca kūṭayantreṇa/
sthalajālena vihaṅgā gṛhyante mānavāśca dambhena// ibid.,I.44

[8]:

dambhavikāraḥ purato vañcakacakrasya kalpvṛkṣoyaṃ/
vāmanadambhena purā hariṇā trailokyamākrāntaṃ// ibid.,I.96

[9]:

tadanu ca gaṇakacikitsakasevakavaṇijāṃ sahemakārāṇāṃ/
naṭabhatagāyanavācakacakracarāṇāṃ ca hṛdayāni// ibid.,I.91

[10]:

ibid.,X.14

[11]:

tasmāllobhasamutthā kapaṭakalā kuṭilavartinī māyā/
lubdhahṛdayeṣu nivasati nālubdho vañcanāṃ kurute// ibid.,II.89

[12]:

lubddhaḥ phalarahitānām/
ibid.,X.33

[13]:

māyāvinimayavibhramanihnavavaicityakūṭakapaṭānāṃ/
sañcayadurgapiśācaḥ sarvaharo mūlakāraṇaṃ lobhaḥ// ibid.,II.2

[14]:

lobhaḥ sadā vicintyo lubdhebhyaḥ sarvato bhayaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ/
kāryākāryavicāro lobhākṛṣṭasya nāstyeva// ibid.,II.1

[15]:

ākhyāyikānurāgī vrajati sadā puṇyapustakaṃ śrotuṃ/
daṣṭa iva kṛṣṇsarpaiḥ palāyate dānadharmebhyaḥ// ibid.,II.6

[16]:

etā hemakarāṇāṃ vicāralabhyāḥ kalāścatuḥ ṣaṣṭiḥ/
anyā gūḍhāśca kalāḥ sahasranetro’pi no vetti// ibid.,VIII.19

[17]:

evaṃ svabhāvalubdhāstīvratarāṃ yātanāmapi sahante/
na tu santyajanti vittaṃ kautilyamivādhamaḥ sahajaṃ// ibid.,II.88

[18]:

hāriṇyo hariṇadṛśaḥ satataṃ bhogābjamadhukarā dhūrtāḥ/
ibid.,I.17

[19]:

so’pi sarvaṅkaṣaḥ kālaḥ satyaṃ lubdhasya vismṛtaḥ/
ṣaṣṭivarṣasya dhānyasya yaḥ karoti na vikrayaṃ// Deśopadeśa ,II.33

[20]:

anilāvalolanalinīdalajalacapalāśca vittacayāḥ// Kalāvilāsa ,I.16

[21]:

kumbhīpākeṣu yenārthāściraṃ garteṣu pīḍitāḥ sa lubdhastena pāpena manye kumbhīṣu pacyate// Deśopadeśa ,II.32

[22]:

kāmaḥ kamanīyatayā kimapi nikāmaṃ karoti sammohaṃ/
viṣamiva viṣamaṃ sahasā madhuratayā jīvanaṃ harati// Kalāvilāsa ,III.1

[23]:

raktākarṣṇasaktā māyābhirmohatimirarajanīṣu/
nāryaḥ piśācikā iva haranti hṛdayāni mugdhānāṃ// ibid.,III.5

[24]:

saṃsāracitramāyāṃ śambaramāyāṃ vicittimāyāṃ ca/
yo jānāti jitātmā so’pi na jānāti yoṣitāṃ māyāṃ// ibid.,III.7

[25]:

nijapaticapalakuraṅgī paratarubhṛṅgī svabhāvamātaṅgī/
mithyāvibhramabhṛṅgī kuṭilabhujaṅgī nijā kasya// ibid.,III.15

[26]:

tyaktagṛhavyāpārā bahuvidhaveṣā nirargalābhyāsā/
pratyuttarasapratibhā satyavihīnā svabhāvanirlajjā// ibid.,III.24

[27]:

kalikālatimirarajanīrajanicarīṇāṃ sahāsramāyānāṃ/
stṛīṇāṃ nṛśaṃsacaritaiḥ kasya na sañjāyate kampaḥ// ibid.,III.32

[28]:

ityetāḥ kuṭilatarāḥ krūrācārā gatatrapāścapalāḥ/
yo nāma vetti rāmāḥ sa strībhirnaiva vañcate matimān// ibid.,III.76

[29]:

ibid.,X.23

[30]:

…yauvanamapi madanamānasonmādaṃ// ibid., I.16

[31]:

khalena dhanamattena nīcena prabhaviṣṇunā/
piśunene padasthena hā praje kva gamiṣyasi// Deśopadeśa ,I.17

[32]:

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ/
vṛttichedakṛtābhyāsaḥ khalo nirvāṇadīkṣitaḥ// ibid.,I.6

[33]:

jihvādūṣitasatpātraḥ piṇḍārthī kalahotkaṭaḥ/
tulyatāmaśucirnityaṃ bibharti piśunaḥ śunaḥ// ibid.,I.7

[34]:

khalaḥ pravavṛte daivādārjave sujanasya yat/
tadūrdhvabāhurvipine markaṭaḥ kurute tapaḥ// ibid.,I.20

[35]:

guṇān stautītyasambaddhaṃ snihyatītyasamañjasaṃ/
dadātīti viruddhārthaṃ khalo hantīti nānṛtaṃ// ibid.,I.21

[36]:

mandaḥ pāpagrahaḥ krauryādaniṣṭaḥ śubhakarmaṇāṃ/
piśunaḥ śanitulyo’pi citraṃ yadaśanirnṛṇāṃ// ibid.,I.8

[37]:

ko nāma jaghaneneva khalena na khalīkṛtaḥ/ ibid.,I.13

[38]:

navabihagā iva mugdhā bhakṣyante dhūrtamārjāraiḥ/ Kalāvilāsa ,I.19

[39]:

aniśaṃ japatā karṇe manye paiśunyamātṛkāṃ/
kṛtveśvaraṃ vaśe grastāḥ khalena nikhilā diśaḥ// Deśopadeśa ,I.22

[40]:

bhrukuṭikuṭiladṛṣṭirdhāturanyeva sṛṣṭirdhanalavamadaliptaḥ prauḍavādānuliptaḥ/ ibid.,I.24

[41]:

ibid., I.17

[42]:

ekaḥ sakalajanānāṃ hṛdayeṣu kṛtāspado madaḥ śatruḥ/
yenāviṣṭaśarīro na śṛṇoti na paśyati stabdhaḥ// Kalāvilāsa ,VI.1

[43]:

vibhavamadamūlajātā madavṛkṣā dehināmete/
ibid.,VI.4

[44]:

śauryamado bhujadarśī rūpamado darpaṇādidarśī ca/
kāmamadaḥ strīdarśī vibhavamadaścaiva jātyandhaḥ// ibid.,VI.6

[45]:

adhikāramadaḥ puṃsāṃ sarvāśī rākṣasaḥ krūraḥ/
ibid.,VI.11

[46]:

sāvadhayaḥ sarvamadā nijanijamūlakṣaye vinaśyanti/
ibid.,VI.14

[47]:

naṭanartakacakracarāḥ kuśīlavāścāraṇā viṭāścaiva/
aiśvaryaśāliśalabhāścaranti tebhyaḥ śriyaṃ rakṣet// ibid.,VII. 25

[48]:

vidyāvirahitā vaidyāḥ kāyasthāḥ prabhaviṣṇavaḥ/
durācārāśca guravaḥ prajānāṃ kṣayahetavaḥ// Narmamālā ,II.77

[49]:

sarvasvameva paramaṃ prāṇā yeṣāṃ kṛte prayatno’yaṃ/
vaidyā vedyāḥ satataṃ yeṣāṃ haste sthitāste’pi// Kalāvilāsa ,IX.2

[50]:

tasmānmahīpatīnāmasambhave garadacoradasyūnāṃ/
ekaḥ suvarṇakāro nigrāhyaḥ sarvathā nityaṃ// ibid.,VIII.29

[51]:

1. ko nāma jagati caritaiḥ kāyasthairmohito na janaḥ// ibid.,V.8

[52]:

kalamāgranirgatamaṣībinduvyājena sāñjanāśrukaṇaiḥ/
kāyasthaluṇṭhyamānā roditi khinneva rājyaśrīḥ// ibid.,V.7

[53]:

asuraracitaprayatnād viĵnātā diviravañcanā yena/
saṃrakṣitā matimatā ratnavatī vasumatī tena// ibid.,V.46

[54]:

Narmamālā ,III.99

[55]:

vañcakamāyā mahatī mahītale jaladhimekhale nikhile/
naṣṭadhiyāṃ matsyānāṃ jālālī dhīvarairvihitā// Kalāvilāsa , IX.1

[56]:

pānamadastu jaghanyaḥ sarvajugupsāspadaṃ mahāmohaḥ/ ibid.,VI.15

[57]:

ibid.,X.32

[58]:

kṣaṇiko’pi harati sahasā varṣasahasrārjitaṃ śīlaṃ/
ibid.,VI.15

[59]:

vidyāvati viprajane gavi hastini kukkure śvapāke ca/
madyamadaḥ samadarśī svaparavibhāgaṃ na jānāti//
vigalitasadsadbhedaḥ samakāñcanaloṣṭapāṣāṇaḥ/
prāpto yogidaśāmapi narake kṣīvaḥ svayaṃ patati// ibid.,VI.16-17

[60]:

roditi vihasati gāyati vilapatyuccairupaiti sammohaṃ/
bhajate vividhavikārān saṃsārādarśamaṇḍalaḥ kṣībaḥ// ibid.,VI.18

[61]:

parapaticumbanasaktāṃ paśyati dayitāṃ na yāti saṅtāpaṃ/
kṣībo’tigāḍharāgaṃ pītvā madhu vītarāgaḥ kiṃ// ibid.,VI.19

[62]:

añjalipātre pibati ca nijamūtravijṛmbhitaṃ candraṃ/ ibid.,VI.20

[63]:

prāpto yogidaśāmapi narake kṣīvaḥ svayaṃ patati/
ibid.,VI.17

[64]:

dyūtaṃ durvyasanānāṃ/
ibid.,X.27

[65]:

dyutamadhupānasaktā dīrghakathāgītarāgiṇī kuśalā/
bahupuṃścalīvayasyā śūrajane prakṛtipakṣapātaiva// ibid.,III.23

[66]:

cañcatkarṇasuvarṇāṅkaḥ sthūlatriguṇavālakī/
prabhāte dhanadākārastūrṇaṃ niryāti daiśikaḥ//
sa piśāca ivābhāti dinānte dyūtanirjitaḥ/
nagno bhagnamukhaḥ pāṃsuliptasatrapastrapaḥ// Deśopadeśa ,VI.23-24

[67]:

ibid.,VIII.23

[68]:

etā vañcakamāyā viĵneya na tu punaḥ svayaṃ sevyāḥ/
dharmyaḥ kalākalāpo vidu ṣāmayamīpsito bhūtyai// Kalāvilāsa ,X.1

[69]:

ĵneyaḥ kalākalāpe kuśalaḥ sarvārthatatvaviĵnānī/
pravataro loke’smin brāhmaṇa iva sarvavarṇānāṃ// ibid.,X.39

[70]:

ityuktaṃ śatametad yo vetti śubhāśubhodayakalānā ṃ/
tasyaiva vyavahāre dṛṣṭādṛṣṭaprayojanā lakṣmīḥ// ibid.,X.40