SORROW IS THE BIGGEST ENEMY ( नास्ति शोकसमो रिपु: )

SUBHASHITHAM:104

उल्लङ्घ्य सिन्धोः सलिलं सलीलं यः शोक-वह्निं जनकात्मजायाः ।

आदाय तेनैव ददाह लङ्कां नमामि तं प्राञ्जलिराञ्जनेयम् ॥

Ullangya sindho: salilam saleelam yah shoka-vahnim janakaatmajaayaah I

Aadaaya tenaiva dadaaha lankaam namaami tam pranjaliranjaneyam II

 I bow with folded hands to Anjaneya who, having crossed the water of the ocean as if in play, took away the fire of grief consuming Sita and with that fire itself burnt down Lanka. 

शोको नाशयते धैर्य, शोको नाशयते श्रॄतम् |
शोको नाशयते सर्वं, नास्ति शोकसमो रिपु: ||Ramayana

shoko naashayate dhairya, shoko naashayate shrutam
shoko naashayate sarvam, naasti shokasamo ripuh 

When Rama was exiled by his father King Dashratha, Kausalya in deep grief said harsh words to her husband even though she knew that it was not her husband’s fault. Later she realised her fault and then she says –  Sorrow kills ones patience, sorrow makes forget one’s ability to distinguish between good and bad, sorrow takes away all good qualities and thus the sorrow is the biggest enemy of an individual.

गते शोको न कर्तव्यो भविष्यं नैव चिन्तयेत् ।

 वर्तमानेन कालेन वर्तयन्ति विचक्षणाः ॥

Gate shoko na kartavyah bhavishyam naiva chintayet I
Vartamaanena kaalena vartayanti vichakshanah II
One should not be sorrowful about what is past, nor should one worry too much about the future. The wise men operate by the present times.

यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मैवाभूद्विजानतः ।

 तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥ ७॥ Isavaasya Upanisad
Yasmin sarvaani bhoottaani atmaivaabhoot vijaanatah I Tatra ko mohah kah shokah ekatvam anupasyatahII

When, to the knower (the man who has realized the Supreme Reality), all those being have become the Self (Ataman). For him how can there be delusion or sorrow, when he sees the Oneness (every-where)?

शोकस्थानसहस्राणि, भयस्थानशतानि च।
दिवसे दिवसे मूढम्, आविशन्ति न पण्डितम्॥

There are thousands of reasons to be sad and hundreds of reasons to be afraid. These perturb the deluded day after day and not the wise.
சோகம் தவிர்க்கும் சுருதிப் பொருள் ஓன்று சொல்லுகின்றோம்
நாகம் தனக்கும் இராக்கத்திற்கும் நமக்கும் சரணம்
ஆகண்டவன் மகனாகிய வா வலிப்பேறிய வோர்
காகம் பிழைத்திடக் கண்ணழிவே செய்த காகுத்தனே -15

एवमुक्त्वार्जुन: सङ्ख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् |
विसृज्य सशरं चापं शोकसंविग्नमानस: || 47|| Bhagavad Gita

sañjaya uvācha
evam uktvārjunaḥ saṅkhye rathopastha upāviśhat
visṛijya sa-śharaṁ chāpaṁ śhoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ

BG 1.47: Sanjay said: Speaking thus, Arjuna cast aside his bow and arrows, and sank into the seat of his chariot, his mind in distress and overwhelmed with grief.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH