DAY 302

A Snake Adorned With a Jewel Is Still Frightening

Subhashita (Traditional Sanskrit Maxims)
기원후 4세기~중세 편찬(전통적으로 차나키야에 귀속)
ORIGINAL
सर्पः क्रूरः खलः क्रूरः सर्पात्क्रूरतरः खलः । मन्त्रौषधिवशः सर्पः केन खलः वशीक्रियते ॥ (sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ, mantrauṣadhivaśaḥ sarpaḥ kena khalaḥ vaśīkriyate)
📜 THE VERSE

A snake is cruel, and a wicked person is cruel — but the wicked person is crueler than the snake. A snake can be tamed by charm or medicine; by what can a wicked person be tamed?

❓ TODAY'S QUESTION

Am I exhausting myself trying to tame someone who cannot be tamed?

📝Reflection

A snake at least has an antidote, but a wicked heart has no fixed remedy. This verse puts the brakes on the futile effort to fix a wicked person — some people cannot be changed by persuasion or goodwill, and in such cases the best response is not to try to tame them, but to keep one's distance.

— ONGO · Curator

🌱Apply It Today

For one relationship you have tried hard to fix, try responding today with distance rather than an attempt to change them.

📖 Source: Subhashita (Traditional Sanskrit Maxims). Sanskrit original with public-domain translations consulted; rendered independently by ONGO.
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.

Threads woven through this verse

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