Monday, July 11, 2011

blemish-less mind is the greatest achievement

यक्ष उवाच-
किं स्थैर्यमृषिभिः प्रोक्तं किं च धैर्यमुदाहृतं।
स्नानं च किं परं प्रोक्तं दानं च किमिहोच्यते॥७६॥
युधिष्टिर उवाच-
स्वधर्मे स्थिरता स्थैर्यं धैर्यमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः।
स्नानं मनमलत्यागो दानं वै भूतरक्षणं॥७७॥
महाभारते आरण्यकपर्वणि यक्षप्रश्ने अध्यायः २९७
yakṣa uvāca-
kiṁ sthairyamṛṣibhiḥ proktaṁ kiṁ ca dhairyamudāhṛtaṁ|
snānaṁ ca kiṁ paraṁ proktaṁ dānaṁ ca kimihocyate||76||
yudhiṣṭira uvāca-
svadharme sthiratā sthairyaṁ dhairyamindriyanigrahaḥ|
snānaṁ manamalatyāgo dānaṁ vai bhūtarakṣaṇaṁ||77||
mahābhārate āraṇyakaparvaṇi yakṣapraśne adhyāyaḥ 297

yakSa uvaacha:-
kiM sthairyamR^iSibhiH proktaM kiM cha dhairyamudaahR^itaM.
snaanaM cha kiM paraM proktaM daanaM cha kimihochyate..76..
yudhiSTira uvaacha:-
swadharme sthirataa sthairyaM dhairyamindriyanigrahaH.
snaanaM manamalatyaago daanaM vai bhuutarakSaNaM..77..
mahaabhaarate aaraNyakaparvaNi yakSaprashne adhyaayaH 297

this is another question on ideal life by Dharmaraja in the guise of a yaksha to his son and the great king Yudhishira and its answer
yaksha said:-
what exactly is steadfastness as envisage by the sages? what is the real boldness? what is the ultimate ablution(bath)? and what is the noblest charity?

Yudhistira said.
Steadfastness lies in one's unwavering faithfulness to his ordained duty at any cost.  The real boldness lies in one's capacity to control his emotions and sense organs.  The cleanest ablution is cleansing one's mind of all evil thought and emotions.  The real charity is in the protection of all beings even at the cost of one's own life.

The adherence to swadharma is a cardinal principle in our traditions.  The duties could have come through heredity or through the commitments one has set up for himself.  But once a person has committed himself to performance of certain duties, he  has no justifications in retracting himself, unless in the rarest of the rare occasions.  A man with discretion, therefore, will undertake a mission only after due deliberation.  Running away in the middle at the face of even the least impediment makes a person lose his name and fame.  So he has to be steadfast.  Usually we call a person very bold when he exhibits great physical prowess.  But the real boldness is in controlling ones own sense organs which crave for pleasure and safety when the call of duty should prod him to strenuous action. The really brave person is one who is in absolute control of himself.  It is meaningless to claim oneself to be very clean just because he had a good bath and application of fragrant toiletry.  If a person is carrying muck in his mind, he can never be clean.  The charity on the part of a king or an administrator should manifest itself in his readiness to sacrifice his own personal ambitions for the protection of persons dependent on him.
To have a blemish-less mind is the greatest achievement

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