Sumati Satakam 11

సుమతి శతకం

పగ వలదెవ్వరితోడను

వగవంగా వలదు లేమి వచ్చినపిదపన్

దెగనాడవలదు సభలను

మగువకు మనసియ్యవలదు మహిలో సుమతీ

paga valadevvari tOdanu

vagavangA valadu lEmi vacchina tOdan

deganAdavaladu sabhalanu

maguvaku manasiyyavaladu mahilO sumatI

పగ = Enmity

వలదు = should not be there

ఎవ్వరితోడను = with anyone

వగవంగా వలదు = Don’t repent

లేమి = poverty

వచ్చిన పిదపన్ = after coming

తెగనాడవలదు = Don’t talk harsh words

సభలను = in a meeting

మగువకు = to a lady

మనసియ్యవలదు = Don’t give your heart

మహిలో = in this land

సుమతీ = Oh the wise one

Oh, the wise one! Don’t have enmity with anyone on this earth. Don’t feel bad when poverty overtakes you. In a congregation do not talk in a way that hurts the feelings of people. Don’t fall in love with a lady, says Baddena in this padyam.

Here the poet tells the world about four things to be abhorred. Two of them are related to the mind, one each to the deeds and words. Enmity is related to anger. Sadness here is about stinginess. Harsh words are about wickedness and love is lust. Thus out of the six avoidables ie. Kama, krodha, moha, lobha, mada, matsarya four are mentioned in this poem.

Enmity and finding fault in others is a habit.  With that one gets angry for sure. There are some who always look for good in everything. Such people will never have any enemies. Forgiveness is the ebst of the human qualities. With that you can win our even the worst of the enemy. Enmity can be bought over by love. Like water dowses a fire, calmness and forgiveness can dowse the problems arising out of worst relationships among people.

That is about the first part of the poem.

A lot can be said about poverty. If poverty comes, there is no use crying about it. If you can, do something to come out of it. It is unwise rejoice in riches and feel bad about poverty. Poverty makes one shy of the world.  That leads to lack of confidence. One becomes dejected and thinks of renunciation. Great people said that poverty leads to all kinds of bad things in life, if one loses confidence.

One has to be cautious when speaking to a collection of people. It is necessary to keep good relations and reputation in the society. Even when what you are telling is truth, it has to be told in a way not to hurt anyone.

Long discourses are made about love. Love for the fellow beings and other creatures are more important than loving a woman. Love for women historically caused a lot of turmoil. Wars are fought for them. Dynasties feel down for them. Few are the people who successfully lived with a loved female. Less said about this is better.

Satakams are fountain heads of knowledge. They can be interpreted in lengthy discourses. Even that is bad perhaps. Wise people can understand for themselves even when told in a single word!!