SAUNDARANANDA 5.24: Real Wisdom vs Wiseacring

shraddhaa-dhanaM shreShThatamaM dhanebhyaH
prajNaa-rasas tRpti-karo rasebhyaH
pradhaanam adhyaatma-sukhaM sukebhyo
vidyaa-ratir duHkhatamaa ratibhyaH

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5.24
Most excellent among gifts is the gift of confidence;

Most satisfying of tastes is the taste of real wisdom;

Foremost among comforts
is being comfortable in oneself --

And fondness for philosophizing
is the sorriest of delights.

COMMENT:
EHJ correctly notes that vidyaa in line 4 (intellectual knowledge, philosophizing) is contrasted with prajNaa in line 2 (intuitive wisdom, real wisdom).

Prajna, real wisdom, is intuition in action. At the same time, that "you cannot do an undoing" is a bit of real wisdom.


EH Johnston:
The riches of faith are the best of all riches, the taste of wisdom is the most satisfying of all tastes, internal joy is the chief of all joys and to take delight in intellectual knowledge is the most grievous of all pleasures.

Linda Covill:
The riches of faith are the very best riches, the taste of wisdom is the most satisfying of tastes, inner happiness is the chief happiness, and intellectualization is the sorriest of delights.

VOCABULARY:
shraddhaa-dhanam (nom. sg. n.): the treasure/gift of confidence
shraddhaa: f. faith , trust , confidence
dhana: n. the prize of a contest or the contest itself ; any valued object , (esp.) wealth , riches , (movable) property , money , treasure , gift
shreShThatamam (nom. sg. n. superlative shreShTha): mfn. the very best , most excellent
dhanebhyaH = abl. pl. dhana: n. treasure etc.

prajNaa-rasaH (nom. sg. m.): the taste of wisdom
prajNaa: f. wisdom , intelligence , knowledge , discrimination , judgement
rasa: m. taste , flavour ; any object of taste , condiment , sauce , spice , seasoning
tRpti-karaH (nom. sg. m.): giving satisfaction, satisfying
tRpti: f. satisfaction , contentment
kara: mfn. a doer , maker , causer , doing , making , causing , producing (esp. ifc.)
rasebhyaH = abl. pl. rasa: n. taste

pradhaanam (nom. sg. n.): mfn. chief , main , principal , most important
adhyaatma-sukham (nom. sg. n.): inner happiness, being comfortable with oneself
adhyaatma: mfn. own , belonging to self
sukha: n. ease, comfort, pleasure, happiness
sukebhyaH = abl. pl. sukha: n. ease, comfort, pleasure, happiness

vidyaa-ratiH (nom. sg. f.): delight in intellectual knowledge
vidyaa: f. knowledge , science , learning , scholarship , philosophy
rati: f. pleasure , enjoyment , delight in , fondness for (loc. or comp.)
duHkhatamaaH (nom. sg. f. superlative duHkha): most unpleasant, most grevious, sorriest
ratibhyaH = abl. pl. rati: f. pleasure , enjoyment , delight