subhashitawisdombooksknowledge

තෛලාද්රක්ෂේජ්ජලාද්රක්ෂේත්

तैलाद्रक्षेज्जलाद्रक्षेत् in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 When beginning study, while caring for books, or on Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja)·📜 Sanskrit Subhashita (niti tradition)

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Sanskrit Subhashita (niti tradition) · Anonymous (traditional subhashita) · Classical Sanskrit literature

In the age of palm-leaf and paper manuscripts, books were rare, costly and laboriously copied by hand, so their preservation was a serious matter. This subhashita gives the book its own voice, listing the dangers it faces — oil, water and a loosened binding — and closing with the gravest danger of all, falling into foolish hands. It has long been a favourite among Sanskrit teachers and bibliophiles.

✦ As told in scripture

It is said in scholarly tradition that households which honoured this verse and kept their manuscripts with such care preserved precious texts across centuries, so that the wisdom of the ancients survived flood, neglect and time itself through the simple devotion this shloka inspires.

0all time

The Mantra

Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited

තෛලාද්රක්ෂේජ්ජලාද්රක්ෂේද්රක්ෂේච්ඡිථිලබන්ධනාත්. මූර්ඛහස්තේ න දාතව්යමේවං වදති පුස්තකම්..

tailād rakṣej jalād rakṣed rakṣec chithila-bandhanāt। mūrkha-haste na dātavyam evaṁ vadati pustakam॥

Meaning:मुझे तेल से बचाओ, जल से बचाओ, ढीले बन्धन से बचाओ, और किसी मूर्ख के हाथ में मत दो — इस प्रकार पुस्तक कहती है। इस मनोहर श्लोक में पुस्तक स्वयं अपनी चार रक्षाओं को कहती है, जिनमें अन्तिम सबसे महत्त्वपूर्ण है: विद्या कभी अयोग्य व्यक्ति को नहीं सौंपनी चाहिए।

Word-by-Word Meaning

Click any word to hear its pronunciation

තෛලාත්🔊tailātfrom oil (which stains and damages pages)

රක්ෂේත්🔊rakṣetone should protect, guard

ජලාත්🔊jalātfrom water (which spoils and rots the leaves)

රක්ෂේත්🔊rakṣetone should protect

ශිථිලබන්ධනාත්🔊śithila-bandhanātfrom a loose binding (pages coming apart)

මූර්ඛහස්තේ🔊mūrkha-hasteinto the hands of a fool

න🔊nanot

දාතව්යම්🔊dātavyamshould be given

ඒවම්🔊evamthus, in this way

වදති🔊vadatispeaks, says

පුස්තකම්🔊pustakamthe book (here personified, speaking of itself)

Benefits of Chanting तैलाद्रक्षेज्जलाद्रक्षेत्

✦

Instills respect and careful handling of books and the knowledge they hold

✦

Reminds students and scholars that learning is a treasure to be guarded

✦

Teaches discernment — that knowledge must be shared only with the worthy

✦

A delightful, memorable verse ideal for libraries, schools and study rooms

✦

Encourages a culture of preserving and valuing the written word

✦

Often quoted to inspire reverence for Saraswati and the tradition of learning

How to Chant तैलाद्रक्षेज्जलाद्रक्षेत्

Repetitions3times

Best TimeWhen beginning study, while caring for books, or on Vasant Panchami (Saraswati Puja)

Recite the verse gently while handling a book with clean, dry hands, reflecting on each of the four cautions it gives. Many teachers share it with students as a lesson in respecting learning. Let the final line — that a book should not be given to a fool — settle as a reminder that knowledge is a sacred trust to be shared wisely.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete तैलाद्रक्षेज्जलाद्रक्षेत् written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is a verse spoken by a book about itself: 'Protect me from oil, protect me from water, protect me from a loose binding, and do not give me into the hands of a fool — so says the book.' It lists the four ways a book must be cared for.

By letting the book speak in the first person, the verse makes its plea vivid and memorable. It charmingly turns practical advice about preserving manuscripts into a moral teaching about valuing and rightly sharing knowledge.

Beyond the practical care of books, the climactic line teaches discernment: knowledge entrusted to an unworthy or foolish person is wasted or misused, so wisdom should be shared only with those ready to honour it.