EQUANIMITY- SAMADHARSHANAM

Subhashitham:003

निन्दन्तु नीतिनिपुणा यदि वा स्तुवन्तु

लक्ष्मीः समाविशतु गच्छतु  वा यथेष्टम् ।

अद्यैव वा मरणमस्तु युगान्तरे वा

न्याय्यात्पथः प्रविचलन्ति पदं न धीराः ॥ ८

83. The man of wisdom may be blamed or praised by

Those   skilled in discerning character ; fortune may come

to him or may leave him ; he may die to-day or in ten

thousand years' time ; but for all that he does not turn

aside from the path of righteousness.

This subhashitha is from Bharthruhari’s Niti satakam. Here, he is mentioning how a noble man is beyond the pairs of opposites. The Bhagavath Gita calls such a person by different names. A sthitha pragya, Guna athitha, Gyani bhaktha and so on.

Here are some of the gems from the  gita echoing similar thoughts on the nature of  a” man of Wisdom” :

·        सुखदु:खे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ |
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि || 38||

sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi

BG 2.38: Fight for the sake of duty, treating alike happiness and distress, loss and gain, victory and defeat. Fulfilling your responsibility in this way, you will never incur sin.

·                            सम: शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयो: |

शीतोष्णसुखदु:खेषु सम: सङ्गविवर्जित: || 18||

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् |

अनिकेत: स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नर: || 19||

samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ

śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ

tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣhṭo yena kenachit

aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ

BG Ch 12.Sloka 18-19: Those, who are alike to friend and foe, equipoised in honour and dishonour, cold and heat, joy and sorrow, and are free from all unfavourable association; those who take praise and reproach alike, who are given to silent contemplation, content with what comes their way, without attachment to the place of residence, whose intellect is firmly fixed in Me, and who are full of devotion to Me, such persons are very dear to Me.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH

FEAR OF FAILURE

SUBHASHITHAM :002

प्रारभ्यते न खलु विघ्नभयेन नीचैः

प्रारभ्य विघ्नविहता विरमन्ति मध्याः ॥

विघ्नैः पुनः पुनरपि प्रतिहन्यमानाः

प्रारब्धमुत्तमगुणा न परित्यजन्ति ॥

·        Foolish men do not undertake even worthy ventures due to fear of obstacles /failures.

Average men start with great zeal, but leave it half-way when the face any difficulty. But,

 Men of character ,do not rest until their mission is accomplished, even though beset with

Innumerable obstacles.

·        We see also  in the Bhagavath Gita, men are similarly classified in to three types. The nature of such people is also described beautifully by Sri Krishna.  Here are the relevant slokas with their meaning.

 नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषत: कृतम् |

अफलप्रेप्सुना कर्म यतत्सात्विकमुच्यते || 23||

niyataṁ saṅga-rahitam arāga-dveṣhataḥ kṛitam

aphala-prepsunā karma yat tat sāttvikam uchyate

BG 18.23: Action that is in accordance with the scriptures, which is free from attachment and aversion, and which is done without desire for rewards, is in the mode of goodness.

यत्तुकामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुन: |

क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् || 24||

yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhankāreṇa vā punaḥ

kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ tad rājasam udāhṛitam

BG 18.24: Action that is prompted by selfish desire, enacted with pride, and full of stress, is in the nature of passion.
अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् |

मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यतत्तामसमुच्यते || 25||

anubandhaṁ kṣhayaṁ hinsām anapekṣhya cha pauruṣham

mohād ārabhyate karma yat tat tāmasam uchyateBG 18.25:

That action is declared to be in the mode of ignorance, which is begun out of delusion, without thought to one’s own ability, and disregarding consequences, loss, and injury to others.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMA:

CHITTA SUDDHI-चित्त शुद्धि

SUBHASHITHANI : 001

In Sanskrit, chitta means 'consciousness' and suddhi means 'purification.' Chitta suddhi can be interpreted as purity of mind, fundamental for progress on any spiritual path. Chitta is pure, universal consciousness, which becomes clouded or impure by thought and ego.

In this blog we will see a few subhashithas on self-purification through detachment:

दुर्जनस्य  हि  सङ्गेन सुजनोपि विनश्यति I

प्रसन्नमपिपानीयं कर्दमैः कलुषी कृतं II

Durjanasya hi sangena sujanopi vinasyati I

Prasannamapi paaneeyam kardamaih kalushee krutam II

Association with the wicked can destroy even a good man. Just as pure water will be contaminated by association with mire.

मन्दोऽप्यमन्दतामेति संसर्गेण विपश्चितः I

पङ्कछिदः फलस्येव निकर्षेणाविलं पयः  II Malavikagnimitra

Mando’pyamandatāmeti saṃsargeṇa vipaścitaḥ I
Paṅkachidaḥ phalasyeva nikarṣeṇāvilaṃ payaḥ  II
Even a fool becomes clever by association with the wise just as even muddy water becomes clear when it comes into contact with the fruits of the nirmalee tree (i.e. when the fruits are put in the water).

संगः सर्वात्मना त्याज्यः  स चेत् त्यक्तुं न शक्यते I

साधवस्त्वभि गन्तव्याः सन्तः सङ्गस्य भेषजम् IIPrapanna parijatam

Sangah sarvaatmanaa tyaajyah sac het tyaktum na shakyate I

Saadhavastvabhi gantavyah santah sangasya bheshajam II

Attachments should be abandoned altogether in all respects ; if this is found difficult seek the company of the virtuous as the unfailing cure.

रागद्वेषविनिर्मुक्त: सर्वभूतहिते रत: ।

दृढबोधश्च धीरश्च स गच्छेत्परं पदम् ।।

“One who is free from attachment and aversion, is devoted to the welfare of all beings, is serene and possesses a steady intellect; attains the Supreme Reality!”

अतो विमुक्त्यै प्रयतेत्विद्वान्

संन्यस्तबाह्यार्थसुखस्पृहः सन् ।
सन्तं महान्तं समुपेत्य देशिकं
तेनोपदिष्टार्थसमाहितात्मा ॥ ८ ॥ Viveka chudamani

ato vimuktyai prayatetvidvān saṃnyastabāhyārthasukhaspṛhaḥ san |
santaṃ mahāntaṃ samupetya deśikaṃ tenopadiṣṭārthasamāhitātmā || 8 ||

Therefore the man of learning should strive his best for Liberation, having renounced his desire for pleasures from external objects, duly approaching a good and generous preceptor, and fixing his mind on the truth inculcated by him.

चित्तस्य शुद्धये कर्म न तु वस्तूपलब्धये ।
वस्तुसिद्धिर्विचारेण न किंचित्कर्मकोटिभिः ॥ ११ ॥

cittasya śuddhaye karma na tu vastūpalabdhaye |
vastusiddhirvicāreṇa na kiṃcitkarmakoṭibhiḥ || 11 ||

 Work leads to purification of the mind, not to perception of the Reality. The realisation of Truth is brought about by discrimination and not in the least by ten million of acts.

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि |

योगिन: कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये || BG5.11||

kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalair indriyair api

yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śhuddhaye
 The yogis, while giving up attachment, perform actions with their body, senses, mind, and intellect, only for the purpose of self-purification.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH