𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬, 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝,

 

विवेकः किं सोऽपि स्वरसजनिता यत्र न कृपा

स किं मार्गो यस्मिन्न भवति परानुग्रहरसः।

स किं धर्मो यत्र स्फुरति न परद्रोहविरतिः

श्रुतं किं तद्वा स्यादुपशमफलं यन्न भवति॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे २८४५ शन्तिशतके

vivekaḥ kiṁ so'pi svarasajanitā yatra na kṛpā

sa kiṁ mārgo yasminna bhavati parānugraharasaḥ|

sa kiṁ dharmo yatra sphurati na paradrohaviratiḥ

śrutaṁ kiṁ tadvā syādupaśamaphalaṁ yanna bhavati||

indiśce sprūce 2845 śantiśatake

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 not 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜?

𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞?

𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐲 , 𝐢𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬, 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝.

𝐀 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚

𝐊 𝐕 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐍

स्वरसजनिता born out of inherent inner feelings कृपा compassion, empathy यत्र where न अस्ति not there सः अपि even that विवेकः किं reson, objectivity, articulateness, ?

यस्मिन मार्गे in which way (of life ) परानुग्रह to help, willingness to help रसः taste, eagerness न भवति not there सः that मार्गः किं is it the (right) way?

यत्र where परद्रोह विरतिः lack of urge to harm others to do injustice to others , complete disinterest in causing pain to others न स्फुरति is manifest in abundance सः धर्मः किं is that virture, is that the right code of conduct ?

यत् न which knowledge does not उपशम फलं resulting in calmness of mind, quiescence of mind, peace of mind स्यात् happen तत् किं वा is it by any chance or logic श्रुतं holy knowledge, knowledge in holly scriptures भवति is it

the right path or course for emancipation or mukti

यत्क्षान्तिः समये श्रुतिः शिव शिवेत्युक्तिर्मनोनिर्वृतिर्- भैक्ष्ये चाभिरुचिर्धनेषु विरतिः शश्वत् समाधौ रतिः।

एकान्ते वसतिर्गुरुं प्रति नतिः सद्भिः समं सङ्गति सत्ये प्रीतिरनङ्गनिर्जितिरसौ सन्मुक्तिमार्गे स्थितिः॥ इन्दिश्चेह् स्प्रुचे २२७९ शान्तिशतके

yatkṣāntiḥ samaye śrutiḥ śiva śivetyuktirmanonirvṛtir- bhaikṣye cābhirucirdhaneṣu viratiḥ śaśvat samādhau ratiḥ|

ekānte vasatirguruṁ prati natiḥ sadbhiḥ samaṁ saṅgatiḥ

satye prītiranaṅganirjitirasau sanmuktimārge sthitiḥ|| indiśceh spruce 2279 śāntiśatake

The right path or course for emancipation or mukti and a blissful living are -

tolerance, patience and even indulgence towards slighting by others,

allegience and eagerness to follow rules and practices as prescribed by scriptures and vedas,

chanting the holy name Shiva, Shva repeatedly,

contentment in mind and action,

lack of interest in self enrichment, no interest inmaking money by hook or crook,

taste for living the life of a mendicant, just being satisfied by eating food secured by begging,

tendency to be in a state of quiscence of body and mind ever

eagerness to stay all alone,

intense reverence and faithfulness to the instructions of the Preceptor or guru ,

company with noble souls,

great affinity and commitment towards truth and honesty,

victory over vagrant proddings of cupid, withdrawal from sensual pleasures

क्षान्तिः tolerance, patience and even indulgence towards slighting by others 

समये श्रुतिः allegience and eagerness to follow rules and practices as prescribed by scriptures and vedas शिव शिव इत्युक्तिः chanting the holy name Shiva, Shiva repeatedly मनो निर्वृतिः contentment in min भैक्ष्ये अभिरुचिः taste for living the life of a mendicant धनेषु विरतिः lack of interest in self enrichment शाश्वत समाधौ रतिः tendency to be in a state of quiscence of body and mind ever एकान्ते रतिः eagerness to stay alone गुरुं प्रति नतिः intense respect and faithfulness to the instructions of the Preceptor or guru सद्भिः समं संगतिः company with noble souls सत्ये प्रीतिः great affinity towards truth and honesty अनङ्ग निर्जति victory over vagrant proddings of cupid, withdrawal from sensual pleasurs, यत् असौ सन्मुक्तिक्ति मार्गे स्थितिः the right path or course for emancipation or mukti

Of course I would get only what I deserve

क्षान्तं न क्षमया गृहोचितसुखं त्यक्तं न सन्तोषतः

सोढा दुःसहशीतवाततपनक्लेशा न तप्तं तपः।

ध्यातं वित्तमहर्निशं न पुनर्विष्णोः पदं शाश्वतं

तत्तर्कर्म कृतं यदेव मुनिभिस्तैस्तैः फलैर्वञ्चितम्॥

शिल्हणकृते शान्तिशतके

kṣāntaṁ na kṣamayā gṛhocitasukhaṁ tyaktaṁ na santośataḥ

soḍhā duḥsahaśītavātatapanakleśā na taptaṁ tapaḥ|

dhyātaṁ vittamaharniśaṁ na punarviṣṇoḥ padaṁ śāśvataṁ

tattarkarma kṛtaṁ yadeva munibhistaistaiḥ phalairvañcitam||śilhaṇakṛte śāntiśatake

Patience, abandoning cozy domestic life, tolerating the misery from cold wind and hot fire, one ended meditation on some object… These are all the observances undertaken by Sages in their bid to realize the Supreme one.

The patience of the sage is out of great character, they abandoned their households happily because they had attained renunciation. They did penance on the face of biting cold and scorching fire, to realize the ultimate one. And their one ended meditation was directed ever towards the Lotus Feet of Lord Vishnu.

True, they realized what they sought too. They realized the ultimate.

I too kept patience and forbearance because I was weak and I had not capacity to retaliate. I left my household not happily but because I was simply thrown out. I had to suffer cold and heat not because I was doing penance but because I had no shelter. And my one ended meditation was not on Lord Vishnu but just on the ways and means to earn money somehow or other.

Therefore, even though I too followed the activities of the sages and saints I was denied the benefits of such life. Of course I would get only what I deserve.

नाथे श्रीपुरुषोत्तमे त्रिजगतामेकाधिपे चेतसा

नाथे श्रीपुरुषोत्तमे त्रिजगतामेकाधिपे चेतसा

सेव्ये स्वस्य पदस्य दातरि सुरे नारायणे तिष्ठति।

यं कंचित्पुरुषाधमं कतिपयग्रामेशमल्पार्थदं

सेवायै मृगयामहे नरमहो मूढा वराका वयम्॥११

शिल्हणकृते शान्तिशतके

nāthe śrīpuruṣottame trijagatāmekādhipe cetasā

sevye svasya padasya dātari sure nārāyaṇe tiṣṭhati|

yaṁ kaṁcitpuruṣādhamaṁ katipayagrāmeśamalpārthadaṁ

sevāyai mṛgayāmahe naramaho mūḍhā varākā vayam||11

śilhaṇakṛte śāntiśatake

When it is our rightful duty and privilege to do sincere service with single point devotion, to that Sri Purushottama, the best among beings, who is the owner and controller of the three worlds, who is ever eager to grant us his own exalted position, who is Narayana the Divine one who floats in ecstacy in the milky ocean, especially when He is eagerly waiting to embrace us with all affection, are we not idiots and wretched fellows when we are running after some silly fellow of low tastes who is the owner of a few hamlets and who would give us paltry and inadequate wages, in return to hard toil under him?

अजानन्दाहार्तिं विशति शलभो दीपदहनं

अजानन्दाहार्तिं विशति शलभो दीपदहनं

स मीनोऽपि अज्ञात्वा वृतवडिशमश्नाति पिशितम्।

विजानथोऽप्येतान्वयमिह विपज्जालजटिला

न्न मुञ्चामो कामानहह गहनो मोहमहिमा॥

शान्तिशतके

ajānandāhārtiṁ viśati śalabho dīpadahanaṁ

samīno'pi jñātvā vṛtavaḍiśamaśnāti piśitam|

vijānatho'pyetānvayamiha vipajjālajaṭilā

nna muñcāmo kāmānahaha gahano mohamahimā||

śāntiśatake

The fly jumps into the burning wick of a lamp because it is ignorant of the danger of getting burned by the flame and becoming ashes .

The fish, eager to gobble up the dead fish attached to the curved end of a bait, without having any knowledge that the sharp edge of the bait would pierce its throad and trap and kill it.

However we human beings jump into the dangerous and complicated maze of worldly life with so called pleasures and frolics… and even after knowing very well that we are stepping into an area of grave danger we never take care to withdraw. Indeed curious is the way desires delude us.