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A '''subhashita''' ({{lang-sa|सुभाषित|link=no}}, subhāṣita) is a literary genre of Sanskrit epigrammatic poems and their message is an aphorism, maxim, advice, fact, truth, lesson or riddle.<ref>L. Sternbach (1973), Subhashita - A forgotten chapter in the histories of Sanskrit literature, in Indologica Taurinensia, Torino, Vol I, pp. 169-254</ref> ''Su'' in Sanskrit means good; ''bhashita'' means spoken; which together literally means well spoken or eloquent saying.<ref>[http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=subhashita+&trans=Translate&direction=AU subhASita] Sanskrit English Dictionary, University of Koeln, Germany</ref>

Subhashitas in Sanskrit are short memorable verses, typically in four ''padas'' (verses) but sometimes just two, but their structure follows a meter. Subhashitas are one of many forms of creative works that have survived from ancient and medieval era of India, and sometimes known as ''Suktis''.<ref name="didactic"/> Ancient and medieval Indian literature created tens of thousands of subhashitas covering a vast range of subjects.<ref>Kashinath Sharma (1952), [https://archive.org/details/SubhashitaRatnaBhandagara Subhashita Ratna Bhandagara - A collection of over 10,000 subhasitas], Nirnaya Sagar Press</ref>

These epigrammatic verses and their anthologies are also referred to as ''Subhashitavali'' or ''Subhashitani''.<ref>A Haskar (2007), Subhāshitāvali: An Anthology of Comic, Erotic, and Other Verse, Penguin, {{ISBN|978-0143101369}}, page 190</ref>

== Philosophy ==
Subhashitas are known for their inherent moral and ethical advice, instructions in worldly wisdom and guidance in making righteous deeds. Subhashitas create an appeal as the inherent message is conveyed through poems which quote practical examples which are often rhythmic in nature.<ref name="Immortal">{{cite book| first = B.R.| last = Suhas |title = Immortal Sayings: Proverbs Sayings and Word of Wisdom from the Vedas Upnishads Mahabharata Ramayans Puranas Panchatantra and the Work of Kalidasa Bhavabhuti, Kalhana, Bhartrihari and Other Celebrated Ancient Poets and Writers | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NItihbSm3poC&pg=PP1 | year = 2011| publisher = V & S Publishers | isbn = 9789381384558 | pages = Preface}}</ref> Some authors even relate Subhashitas to sugar coated bitter medicines considering their worthiness.<ref name="Immortal"/>

The subhashita deals with various subjects and includes topics of day to day experiences that every one can easily relate to.<ref name="Immortal"/> A subhashita is always eloquent in form, structured in a poetical form, complete in itself and concisely depicts a single emotion, idea, [[dharma]], truth or situation.<ref name="didactic"/>

{{Quotation|Subhashitas are drawn from real life and give fruit of philosophy grafted on the stem of experience!|Ludwik Sternbach<ref name="didactic">{{cite book| title = Subhāṣita, Gnomic and Didactic Literature| last = Sternbach| first = Ludwik | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0gK9AVjqYO8C&pg=PP1| year = 1974| publisher = Otto Harrassowitz Verlag | isbn = 9783447015462}}</ref>}}

== Structure ==
Subhashitas are structured in ''pada-s'' (Sanskrit: पद, or lines) in which a thought or a truth is condensed. These epigrammatic verses typically have four ''padas'' (verse, [[quatrain]]), are poetic and set in a meter. Many are composed in the metrical unit called [[Anuṣṭubh]] of Sanskrit poetry, making them easy to remember and melodic when recited.<ref name="didactic"/> But sometimes Subhashitas with two pada-s or even one pada proclaim a truth.<ref name="didactic"/><ref name=as>Andrew Schelling (1999), Manuscript Fragments and Eco-Guardians: Translating Sanskrit Poetry, Manoa, 11(2), 106-115</ref>

According to Mohana Bhāradvāja, Subhashita in Indian Literature is a single verse or single stanza, descriptive or didactic but complete in itself expressing a single idea, devotional, ethical or erotic in a witty or epigrammatic way.<ref name="Acharya">{{cite book| title = Ācārya Ramānātha Jhā racanāvalī| last = Bharadvaja| first = Mohana | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=opCiLyXHgs8C&pg=PP1| year = 2010| publisher = Vani Prakashan | isbn = 9789350002100| pages = 72}}</ref> Author Ludwik Sternbach describes that such wise sayings in poetic form not only contain beautiful thoughts but they also make the expressions in cultivated language.<ref name="didactic"/> He further says that such form of Indian literature had a tinge of poetry, the poetical skill being exhibited in the intricate play of words which created a slight wit, humour, satire and sententious precepts; they arose laughter, scorn, compass and other moods.<ref name="didactic"/> The poetic style of narration found in Subhashita is also termed as ''muktaka'' (independent), as the meaning or the mood of which is complete in itself.<ref name="Narration">{{cite book| title = Indian Narratology | first = Ayyappappanikkar | last = .| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pSLoIsW0FF0C&pg=PP1 | year = 2003| publisher = Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd | isbn = 9788120725027| pages = 79}}</ref> This poetic form has been compared to Persian ''rubai'' or Japanese ''[[tanka]]'' by some authors.<ref name="Narration"/>

== Sources ==
The authors of most Subhashita are unknown. This form of Indian epigrammatic poetry had a wide following, were created, memorized and transmitted by word of mouth.<ref name="didactic"/><ref>John Brough (Translator), Poems from the Sanskrit, Penguin Classics, {{ISBN|978-0140441987}}</ref>

The works of many ancient Indian scholars like [[Bhartṛhari]] (5th century CE), [[Chanakya]] (3rd century BC), [[Kalidasa]] (5th century AD), [[Bhavabhuti]] (8th century AD), Bhallata (10th century AD), Somadeva Bhatta (11th century AD), [[Kshemendra]] (11th century AD), [[Kalhana]] (12th century AD) are considered to be treasures of many valuable subhashitas.<ref name="Immortal"/> The famous [[Panchatantra]] (3rd century BC) and [[Hitopadesha]] (12th century AD) which is a collection of animal fables effectively use subhashitas to express the inherent moral wisdom of their stories. The [[Vedas]] and ancient scriptures like [[Bhagavad Gita]], [[Puranas]], [[Ramayana]], and [[Mahabharata]] are also major sources of Subhashitas.<ref name="Immortal"/>

===Dedicated works===
There are also various individual works such as ''Subhashita Sudhanidhi'' by [[Sayana]] of the 14th century, ''Samayochita padyamalika'' which are dedicated works of wisdom literature consisting of various subhashitas.<ref name="Immortal"/>

===Collection of verses (Subhashita Sangraha)===
From the beginning of the 10th century AD several writers contributed immensely in collecting and preserving different wise sayings of contemporary and earlier poets. Author Vishnulok Bihari Srivastava opines that such subhashita sangrahas (collection of verses) have done a great service by preserving several rare subhashitas which would have otherwise been lost.<ref name="indology">{{cite book| title = Dictionary Of Indology | first = Mohana |last = Srivastava | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=eaCbv1NcbHwC&pg=PA1| year = 2009| publisher = Pustak Mahal | isbn = 9788122310849| pages = 31}}</ref> A few such literary works are listed below.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Sl No !! Work !! Compiled by !! Time Line !! Contents
|-
| 1 || ''[[Gaha Sattasai]]''|| Hala || 2nd-6th century<ref name="Sternbach1974p10">{{cite book|author=Ludwik Sternbach|title=Subhasita, Gnomic and Didactic Literature|url=https://archive.org/details/subhasitagnomicd0000ster |url-access=registration|year=1974|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3-447-01546-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/subhasitagnomicd0000ster/page/10 10]–14}}</ref> || Gāthā Saptaśatī, 7 chapters of 100 verses each, mostly about love, emotions, relationships<ref name=djb>Daniel James Bisgaard (1994), Social Conscience in Sanskrit Literature, {{ISBN|978-8120811164}}, pp 99-101</ref>
|-
| 2 || ''Subhashita Ratna Kosha'' || Vidyakara|| 12th century || Buddhist scholar whose work compiled verses of poets who flourished before 12th century. It includes many excerpts from Amaru and Bhartṛhari<ref name="indology"/><ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite book| title = Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: sasay to zorgot, Volume 5| first = Mohana |last = Lal | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=eaCbv1NcbHwC&pg=PA1| year = 1992| publisher = Sahitya Akademi | isbn = 9788126012213| pages = 3885}}</ref><ref>[[Daniel H. H. Ingalls, Sr.]] (1965), An anthology of Sanskrit court poetry, Vidyakara's Subhashitaratnakosha, Harvard University Press, {{ISBN|978-0674039506}}</ref>
|-
| 3 || ''Subhashitavali'' || Vallabhadeva of Kashmir || Around 15th century || Collection of 3527 Verses of 360 poets<ref name="indology"/><ref>Peter Peterson and Durga Prasad (1886), The Subhashitavali of Vallabhadeva, Bombay, {{oclc|760412000}}</ref>
|-
| 4 || ''Saduktikam amrita''|| Shridaradasa || 1205 || Consists of 2380 verses of 485 poets mainly from Bengal<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 5 || ''[[Suktimuktavali]]'' || Jalhana || 13th century || Jalhana was a minister of the [[Seuna (Yadava) dynasty|Seuna (Yadava)]] king [[Krishna of Devagiri|Krishna]]<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 6 || ''Sarangdhara paddhati'' || Sarangadhara || 1363 AD || Comprises 4689 verses<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 7 || ''Padyavali'' || Anonymous || - || 386 Verses of 125 poets<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 8 || ''Sukti ratna hara'' || Suryakalingaraya || 14th century || 2327 verses on ethics and morality, in four parvans divided in paddhatis, primarily dealing with dharma, artha, karma and moksha.<ref>{{cite book| title = Subhāṣita, Gnomic and Didactic Literature| url = https://archive.org/details/subhasitagnomicd0000ster| url-access = registration| last = Sternbach| first = Ludwik | year = 1974| publisher = Otto Harrassowitz Verlag | isbn = 9783447015462|pages=[https://archive.org/details/subhasitagnomicd0000ster/page/19 19-20]}}</ref><ref>V. Raghavan (1954), "The Suktiratnahara of Kaliigaraya", Journal of Oriental Research, Volume 13, pp. 293-306</ref>
|-
| 9 || ''Padyaveni'' || Venidatta || -|| Works of 144 poets<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 10 || ''Subhashitanivi'' || Vedanta Deshika || 15th century || From South India<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 11 || ''Subhasita muktavali'' || Anonymous || Late 16th century || 32 muktamanis, 624 verses, both ethical and descriptive<ref>R.N. Dander (1962), Subhāṣitamuktāvalī, Reprinted in book form from articles in the Journal of the University of Poona, {{oclc|774061193}}</ref>
|-
| 12 || ''Padyarachana'' || Lakshmana Bhatta || Early 17th century || 756 Verses<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 13 || ''Padya amruta tarangini'' || Haribhaskara || Later 17th century || -<ref name="indology"/>
|-
| 14 || ''Suktisaundarya'' || Sundaradeva || Later 17th century || -<ref name="indology"/>
|-
|}

Other anthologies of subhashita verses from unknown and known authors, estimated from early 1st millennium AD, are Jayavallabha's ''Vajjalagga'' and Chapannaya's ''Gahao''.<ref name=djb/> However these verses are in regional [[Prakrit]] languages of India, derived from Sanskrit.

''Subhashita Manjari'', verse 1.5, explains the importance of Subhashita with a subhashita:
{{Verse translation|italicsoff=y|
पृथिव्यां त्रीणि रत्नानि जलमन्नं सुभभाषितम्।
मूढैः पाषाणखंडेषु रत्न संज्ञा विधीयते॥
|
On this earth, there are three jewels - water, food and subhashita.
But the fool calls pieces of stone, jewel.}}

Other illustrations of Subhashita are:
{{Verse translation|italicsoff=y|
परोपकाराय फलन्ति वृक्षाः परोपकाराय वहन्ति नद्यः

परोपकाराय दुहन्ति गावः परोपकाराय शरीरम् एतत्

|attr1=Subhashita Samgraha|
For benevolence, tree bears fruit
For benevolence, river flows with water
For benevolence, cow gives milk
For benevolence, a spirit is with human body<ref name=lsmss>Ludwik Sternbach (Translator), Maha-Subhasita-Samgraha, VVR Institute, {{ASIN|B0042LS62C}}</ref>}}

{{Quotation|Garments are cleaned by water, the mind by truth, the soul by [[ahimsa]], the intellect by knowledge.|Subhashita Srisuktavali<ref>{{cite book| title = Subhāṣita, Gnomic and Didactic Literature| last = Sternbach| first = Ludwik | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0gK9AVjqYO8C&pg=PP1| year = 1974| publisher = Otto Harrassowitz Verlag | isbn = 9783447015462}}</ref>}}

{{Quotation|Pure connection may convince a lover's heart, that ampler blessings flow when we're apart, when she is here, my lady is but one, when she's away, in all things I see her alone.|Subhashita-miktavali<ref>John Brough (Translator), Poems from the Sanskrit, Penguin Classics, {{ISBN|978-0140441987}}</ref>}}

There are tens of thousands of Subhashita in Indian literature covering topics as diverse as humor, sarcasm, criticism, politics, eroticism, emotions, love, wealth, daily life, society, learning, stages of life, ethics, morals, spirituality, deities, medicine, food, festivals, prayer, riddles, science, mathematics, poetry, language, art, Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Itihasas, and other subjects.<ref name=as/><ref name=lsmss/><ref>Krishna Shastri Bhatavadekar (1888), {{Google books|7SopAAAAYAAJ|Subhashita Ratnakara: a collection of witty and epigrammatic sayings in Sanskrit}}, Preface section</ref>

==Related terms==
''Lokokti'' (or ''lokavakya'', ''pracinavakya'') are Sanskrit proverbs, in the form of short sentences that express truths or facts, but they differ from Subhashitas in not being in poetical form.<ref name="didactic"/> An example of a Sanskrit lokokti is:

{{Quotation|Heartless words get heartless answers.|Laukikanyayanjali<ref name=ls1p>{{cite book| title = Subhāṣita, Gnomic and Didactic Literature| last = Sternbach| first = Ludwik | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0gK9AVjqYO8C&pg=PP1| year = 1974| publisher = Otto Harrassowitz Verlag | isbn = 9783447015462}}</ref>}}

A [[sutra]] is another ancient Indian literary form. Sutras are concise wisdom or truth, but typically they too are not poetical. Unlike ''subhashitas'' and ''lokokti'' whose authors are unknown or long forgotten, sutras are attributed to sages, famous or known personalities. Sutras typically need to be read within a context to be completely understood.<ref name="didactic"/> An example of a Sanskrit Sutra attributed to [[Chanakya]] is:

{{Quotation|Punishment must be proportionate to the offense.|Chanakya-sutrani<ref name=ls1p/>}}

== Translations ==
Many Subhashitas in Sanskrit have been translated into other regional languages of India.

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* Ludwik Sternbach, [https://www.jstor.org/stable/600264 Similar Thoughts in the Mahābhārata, the Literature of "Greater India" and in the Christian Gospels], Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 91, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1971), pp. 438-442
* Ludwik Sternbach (1975), [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.142457 Indian riddles: a forgotten chapter in the history of Sanskrit literature], Vishveshvaranand Indological Series, 67/Vishveshvaranand Institute Publications, 632 {{oclc|2119205}}, Review: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, {{doi|10.1017/S0035869X00134677}}
* D. Bhagwat, The Riddle in Indian Life, Lore and Literature, Popular Prakashan, Bombay (1965)
* Kashinath Sharma, [https://archive.org/stream/SubhashitaRatnaBhandagara/SubhashitaRatnaBhandagara-KashinathSharma#page/n0/mode/2up Subhashita Ratna Bhandagara], A collection of over 10,000 subhasitas (in Sanskrit, bibliography in English)
* Daniel J. Bisgaard (1994), {{Google books|VxnY-9Mb0qIC|Social conscience in Sanskrit literature|page=99}}, Chapter 5, {{ISBN|978-8120811164}}

{{Hindudharma}}
[[Category:Sanskrit literature]]
[[Category:Sanskrit poetry]]
[[Category:Indian poetry]]

Subhashita - Revision history

ImportMaster: robot: Add missing article in Category:Mahabharata