माणिक्यक्रमणं लोके मङ्गलाय भवेत्किल |
मङ्गले सहजेsस्माकं माणिक्यात्किं प्रयोजनम् ||
Maṅgaleśvara-śāstri had an elder brother by name Rukmeśvara-śāstri. He was talented and had great erudition. The brothers went to Viṣākhapaṭṭaṇam for some work and had to stay there for a while. They had to cook their own food and take care of their daily needs by themselves. One day, when Rukmeśvara-śāstri was about to step out to buy vegetables for the day’s meal, he told his brother – “I know that you are going to find fault with my choice of vegetables. Tell me what you would like to eat. I shall bring home the vegetables of your choice.’ Maṅgaleśvara-śāstri, who was a little annoyed by his brother’s words said, ‘If you can get anything I wish for, why don’t you get me a gem (māṇikya)!’ Immediately, Rukmeśvara-śāstri, with a smile, came up with the above verse:
‘People usually buy a gem for their own well being (People bought gems in accordance with ratna-śāstra, as per their caste and character). When maṅgala (auspiciousness, i.e., Maṅgaleśvara-śāstri) is with us, what is the need for another gem?’
Moreover, the word ‘maṅgala’ not only means auspiciousness and hints at Maṅgaleśvara-śāstri, but is also synonymous to Mars, the planet of sins ‘pāpa-graha’. When the verse is viewed from this perspective, one can see the satire in Rukmeśvara-śāstri words.
Adapted from Kannada by Arjun Bharadwaj
(The original article is from the anthology Kavitegondu Kathe)
