SRI AUROBINDO
Translations
from Sanskrit and Other Languages
Kalidasa
Bhartrihari. The Century of Life
On Karma
This noble earth, this place for glorious deeds
The ill-starred man who reaching nowise heeds,
Nor turns his soul to energy austere,
With little things content or idlesse drear,–
He is like one who gets an emerald pot
To bake him oil-cakes on a fire made hot
With scented woods, or who with golden share
For sorry birthwort ploughs a fertile fair
Sweet soil, or cuts rich camphor piece by piece
To make a hedge for fennel. Not for this
In the high human form he walks great earth
After much labour getting goodliest birth.