सुभाषितम् - अलि-शुक-भ्रान्तिः

पलाशमुकुलभ्रान्त्या शुकतुण्डे पतत्यलिः ।
सोऽपि जम्बूफलभ्रान्त्या तमलिं धर्तुमिच्छति ॥

भ्रान्त्या (भ्रान्तिः, ३) - mistaking it to be. मुकुल (मुकुलम्) - the bud. पलाश (पलाशः) - of the palasha tree. अलिः - a scorpion. पतति - falls. तुण्डे (तुण्डम्) - into the beak शुक (शुकः) of a parrot. सः अपि - he (the parrot) also. भ्रान्त्या (भ्रान्तिः, ३) - mistaking it to be. फल (फलम्) - the fruit. जम्बू - of the jambu tree. इच्छति - wants. धर्तुम् - to eat (support) it.

A scorpion falls into the beak of a parrot, mistaking it to be the bud of the palasha tree; the parrot wants to eat this scorpion, mistaking it to be the fruit of the jambu tree! thus, all is not always what it seems!

05 July 06 - http://www.geocities.com/prashanth_k_blr/Subhashitani/