chitaa & Chintaa

courtesy:http://sanskritpearls.blogspot.in/2009/09/sept-30-2009.html

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
चिन्तायाश्च चितायाश्च बिन्दुमात्रं विशेषता 
सजीवं दहते चिंता निर्जीवं दहते चिता
- समयोचितपद्यमालिका

Transliteration:
chintaayaashcha chitaayaashcha bindumaatraM visheShataa
sajeevaM dahate chintaa nirjeevaM dahate chitaa
- samayochitapadyamaalikaa

Meaning of the subhAShita:
The difference between चिता 'chitaa' and चिंता 'chintaa' is just a dot. While 'chitaa' burns one dead, 'chintaa' burns one alive.

Commentary:
When written on paper (in Sanskrit), the words chitaa and chintaa differ just by a bindu (dot). But the jobs they do are entirely different. While chitaa (pyre) burns a person after death, chintaa (anxiety) burns a person alive. This clearly says that anxiety is more harmful than even the burning pyre. Also, there isn't much that can be achieved by just being anxious. No solutions have ever been reached by anxiety, except a bunch of health hazards. So why bother with it. 'Don't worry, be happy' should be the motto.

pada vigrahaH:
चिन्तायाः च चितायाः च बिन्दुमात्रं विशेषता 
chintaayaaH cha chitaayaaH cha bindu maatraM visheShataa

सजीवं दहते चिन्ता निर्जीवं दहते चिता
sajeevaM dahate chintaa nirjeevaM dahate chitaa