External Ornaments Are of No Use

हस्तस्य भूषणं दानं सत्यं कण्ठस्य भूषणम् ।

श्रोत्रस्य भूषणं शास्त्रं भूषणैः किं प्रयोजनम् ।। 

This Sanskrit shloka is a beautiful reminder about what truly makes us shine as human beings. 

हस्तस्य भूषणं दानं — The real ornament of the hand is giving.
It’s not about gold rings or bangles. A hand becomes beautiful when it gives — when it helps someone, when it shares, when it serves. A generous hand is more precious than a jeweled one.

सत्यं कण्ठस्य भूषणम् — The real ornament of the neck is truthfulness.
You may wear gold chains or pearls, but what really makes your words beautiful is honesty. When you speak the truth, your voice carries respect, strength, and value. That’s better than any necklace.

श्रोत्रस्य भूषणं शास्त्रं — The real ornament of the ears is knowledge from scriptures.
Earrings might decorate your ears on the outside, but what truly uplifts them is listening to shastra — good, wise teachings. When your ears take in wisdom, they are fulfilling their highest purpose.

भूषणैः किं प्रयोजनम् — Then the shloka asks: what is the point of external ornaments anyway?
If your actions aren’t noble, if your words are lies, and your ears are filled with gossip instead of good thoughts — what use are gold and jewels? Outer decoration is pointless if there is no inner refinement.

In short, this verse tells us that true beauty comes from character — from giving, from honesty, and from wisdom. Jewelry might sparkle, but only good values truly shine. You don’t need to be rich to be beautiful — be kind, be truthful, and keep learning. That’s the real glow.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi