STHAIRYAM-स्थैर्यं -STEADFASTNESS-STABILITY-SOLIDITY

 SUBHASHITHANI:287

"Sthairyam: It means stability, while its antonym is being unstable. A flickering or unstable mind is only capable of causing despair. Swinging one’s own feet, keenly looking at someone or repeatedly changing vision and talking unnecessarily, biting the nails , plucking grass etc are the signs of unstable mind. All these prove to be ineffective and are capable of only showing our infirmity. But one who is serious and quiet will be capable of influencing the society as everyone tends to respect him."

यस्य पातुं जलं न स्यात् क्षीरं वितरेत् कथम् ।
यस्स्वयं चलचित्तस्य स्थैर्यं नोपदिशेत् परम् ॥
Yasya paatum jalam na syaat ksheeram vitaret katham I
Yassvayam chala chittasya stairyam nopadishet param II
 How can he, who has no water to drink, distribute milk? One who himself is fickle minded cannot advise firmness to others.

समुद्र इव गांभीर्ये स्थैर्ये च हिमवानिव ।

विष्णुना सदृशो वीर्ये क्षमया पृथिवीसमः ॥ Rāmāyaṇa

In gravity (depth) he was like a sea, and in stability he was like the mountain Himālaya; he was like Viṣhṇu in valour, and like the earth in patience..  ( Narada to Valmiki about Sri Rama )

 

Yaksha
किं स्थैर्यमृषिभिः प्रोक्तं किं च धैर्यमुदाहृतम् ।
स्नानं च किं परं प्रोक्तं  दानं च किमिहोच्यते ॥
What do the rishis call as steadiness? How do they describe courage?
What is the supreme bath?  What is the meaning of dana?

Yudhishtira
स्वधर्मे स्थिरता स्थैर्यं  धैर्यमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः ।
स्नानं मनोमलत्यागो  दानं वै भूतरक्षणम् ॥
Steadiness is being firmly aligned to one’s true nature. Courage is the control of the senses.
The supreme bath is cleansing the mind of impurities. Protecting all beings is truly dana

स्थैर्यं सर्वेषु कृत्येषु शंसन्ति नय-पण्डिताः ।
बह्व्-अन्तराय-युक्तस्य धर्मस्य त्वरिता गतिः ॥ Pancha tantra
sthairyaṃ sarveṣu kṛtyeṣu śaṃsanti naya-paṇḍitāḥ
bahv-antarāya-yuktasya dharmasya tvaritā gatiḥ 
Wise people advise firmness/stability in every endeavour. Fruits of, difficult to follow, good codes of conduct, can be seen quickly.

Srimad Bhagavatham describes twelve disciplines each for YAMA and NIYAMA. 

Sthairyam is included as a part of Yama.

श्रीभगवानुवाच
अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयमसङ्गो ह्रीरसञ्चय: ।
आस्तिक्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं च मौनं स्थैर्यं क्षमाभयम् ॥ ३३ ॥
शौचं जपस्तपो होम: श्रद्धातिथ्यं मदर्चनम् ।
तीर्थाटनं परार्थेहा तुष्टिराचार्यसेवनम् ॥ ३४ ॥
एते यमा: सनियमा उभयोर्द्वादश स्मृता: ।
पुंसामुपासितास्तात यथाकामं दुहन्ति हि ॥ ३५ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca ahiṁsā satyam asteyam
asaṅgo hrīr asañcayaḥ āstikyaṁ brahmacaryaṁ ca
maunaṁ sthairyaṁ kṣamābhayamII SB 11.19.33

śaucaṁ japas tapo homaḥ śraddhātithyaṁ mad-arcanam
tīrthāṭanaṁ parārthehā tuṣṭir ācārya-sevanam II SB 11.19.34

ete yamāḥ sa-niyamā ubhayor dvādaśa smṛtāḥ
puṁsām upāsitās tāta yathā-kāmaṁ duhanti hi II SB 11.19.35

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: 1.Nonviolence, 2.truthfulness, 3.not coveting or stealing the property of others,4. detachment, 5.humility, 6.freedom from possessiveness,7. trust in the principles of religion, 8.celibacy,9. silence, 10.steadiness,11. forgiveness and 12.fearlessness are the twelve primary disciplinary principles. 13.Internal cleanliness, 14.external cleanliness,15. chanting the holy names of the Lord, 16.austerity, 17.sacrifice, 18.faith, 19.hospitality,20. worship of Me, 21.visiting holy places, 22.acting and desiring only for the supreme interest, 23.satisfaction, and24. service to the spiritual master are the twelve elements of regular prescribed duties. These twenty-four elements bestow all desired benedictions upon those persons who devotedly cultivate them.

संतोषाऽमृतपूर्णस्य शान्तशीतलया धिया ।
स्वयं स्थैर्यं मनो याति शीतांशोरिव शाश्वतम् ॥ Yoga vasistha 2.15.15
saṃtoṣā'mṛtapūrṇasya śāntaśītalayā dhiyā |
svayaṃ sthairyaṃ mano yāti śītāṃśoriva śāśvatam ||
He whose mind is full with the ambrosia of contentment and a calm and cool understanding, acquires a perpetual composure within himself, as it were by the cooling beams of the moon.

कार्पण्येन यशः क्रुधा गुणचयो दम्भेन सत्यं
क्षुधां मर्यादा व्यसनैर्धनं च विपदा स्थैर्यं प्रमादैर्द्विजः |
पैशुन्येन कुलं मदेन विनयो दुश्चेष्ठया पौरुषं
दारिद्र्येण जनादरो ममतया चात्मप्रकाशो हतः  ||Subhashita sangraha
 Due to poverty and parsimony fame is lost,   virtues are lost due
to anger, truth is lost due to hypocrisy,  propriety of conduct is lost due
to hunger,  wealth is lost due to various addictions, stability is lost
due to a calamity,  a 'dvija' is ruined  due to negligence, a
family dynasty is ruined due to wickedness of its members,  humility
and modesty is lost due to drunkenness and pride, manliness and courage
are lost due  to misconduct, respect in society is lost due to poverty ,
and self-enlightenment is lost due to attachment towards worldly things.

कौपीनं शतखण्डजर्जरतरं कन्था पुनस्तादृशी
नैश्चिन्त्यं निरपेक्षभैक्षमशनं निद्रा श्मशाने वने ।
स्वातन्त्र्येण निरङ्कुशं विहरणं स्वान्तं प्रशान्तं सदा
स्थैर्यं योगमहोत्सवेऽपि च यदि त्रैलोक्यराज्येन किम्॥ Vairagya satakam
A worn out loin cloth of many pieces, a similar lower garment, state of having no worries, unasked for alms as food, sleeping in a forest or a cemetery, roaming around freely without any restraint, mental peace, stability in deep meditation, if these are there of what use is the suzerainty over the three worlds?

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH 

PS: To-day ,22nd August 2020, happens to be Vinayaka chaturti and sama upakarma. Best wishes to every one on this very auspicious day.