12.317
नारद उवाच॥
Nārada said.
अशोकं शोकनाशार्थं शास्त्रं शान्तिकरं शिवम्। निशम्य लभते बुद्धिं तां लब्ध्वा सुखमेधते ॥१२-३१७-१॥
By hearing the treatise that is free from sorrow, meant for the destruction of sorrow, peace-giving and auspicious, one attains intellect; having obtained that, one prospers in happiness. (12-317-1)
शोकस्थानसहस्राणि भयस्थानशतानि च। दिवसे दिवसे मूढमाविशन्ति न पण्डितम् ॥१२-३१७-२॥
Thousands of causes for sorrow and hundreds of causes for fear enter the deluded person day by day, but not the wise one. (12-317-2)
तस्मादनिष्टनाशार्थमितिहासं निबोध मे। तिष्ठते चेद्वशे बुद्धिर्लभते शोकनाशनम् ॥१२-३१७-३॥
Therefore, in order to remove misfortune, listen to my history; if the intellect remains under control, it attains the destruction of sorrow. (12-317-3)
अनिष्टसम्प्रयोगाच्च विप्रयोगात्प्रियस्य च। मनुष्या मानसैर्दुःखैर्युज्यन्ते अल्पबुद्धयः ॥१२-३१७-४॥
Humans of little understanding are afflicted by mental sufferings due to association with the undesirable and separation from the beloved. (12-317-4)
द्रव्येषु समतीतेषु ये गुणास्तान्न चिन्तयेत्। ताननाद्रियमाणस्य स्नेहबन्धः प्रमुच्यते ॥१२-३१७-५॥
One should not dwell on the qualities of objects that have passed away; for one who does not value them, the bond of attachment is broken. (12-317-5)
दोषदर्शी भवेत्तत्र यत्र रागः प्रवर्तते। अनिष्टवद्धितं पश्येत्तथा क्षिप्रं विरज्यते ॥१२-३१७-६॥
Wherever attachment arises, one should become a fault-finder there; seeing even benefit as if it were undesirable, one quickly becomes dispassionate. (12-317-6)
नार्थो न धर्मो न यशो योऽतीतमनुशोचति। अप्यभावेन युज्येत तच्चास्य न निवर्तते ॥१२-३१७-७॥
Neither purpose, nor righteousness, nor fame comes to one who grieves over the past; even if he were to unite with non-existence, that which is past does not return to him. (12-317-7)
गुणैर्भूतानि युज्यन्ते वियुज्यन्ते तथैव च। सर्वाणि नैतदेकस्य शोकस्थानं हि विद्यते ॥१२-३१७-८॥
Beings are united and separated by the guṇas in the same way; all this is not truly a cause for sorrow for any one person. (12-317-8)
मृतं वा यदि वा नष्टं योऽतीतमनुशोचति। दुःखेन लभते दुःखं द्वावनर्थौ प्रपद्यते ॥१२-३१७-९॥
Whoever grieves for what is dead or lost in the past, obtains sorrow through sorrow and attains two misfortunes. (12-317-9)
नाश्रु कुर्वन्ति ये बुद्ध्या दृष्ट्वा लोकेषु सन्ततिम्। सम्यक्प्रपश्यतः सर्वं नाश्रुकर्मोपपद्यते ॥१२-३१७-१०॥
Those who, with understanding, do not weep after seeing the succession of beings in the worlds, for one who rightly perceives everything, the act of not weeping arises. (12-317-10)
दुःखोपघाते शारीरे मानसे वाप्युपस्थिते। यस्मिन्न शक्यते कर्तुं यत्नस्तन्नानुचिन्तयेत् ॥१२-३१७-११॥
When suffering arises in the body or mind, and if there is no possible effort to be made, one should not dwell upon it. (12-317-11)
भैषज्यमेतद्दुःखस्य यदेतन्नानुचिन्तयेत्। चिन्त्यमानं हि न व्येति भूयश्चापि प्रवर्धते ॥१२-३१७-१२॥
This is the remedy for suffering: not to dwell upon it repeatedly. For when suffering is repeatedly contemplated, it does not go away, but rather increases. (12-317-12)
प्रज्ञया मानसं दुःखं हन्याच्छारीरमौषधैः। एतद्विज्ञानसामर्थ्यं न बालैः समतामियात् ॥१२-३१७-१३॥
Mental suffering should be removed by wisdom, and bodily suffering by medicines. This power of knowledge to attain equanimity is not achieved by the ignorant. (12-317-13)
अनित्यं यौवनं रूपं जीवितं द्रव्यसञ्चयः। आरोग्यं प्रियसंवासो गृध्येत्तत्र न पण्डितः ॥१२-३१७-१४॥
Youth, beauty, life, wealth, health, and the company of loved ones are all impermanent; a wise person does not covet them. (12-317-14)
न जानपदिकं दुःखमेकः शोचितुमर्हति। अशोचन्प्रतिकुर्वीत यदि पश्येदुपक्रमम् ॥१२-३१७-१५॥
One should not grieve alone for the suffering of the people. If one sees an initiative, one should respond without grieving. (12-317-15)
सुखाद्बहुतरं दुःखं जीविते नात्र संशयः। स्निग्धत्वं चेन्द्रियार्थेषु मोहान्मरणमप्रियम् ॥१२-३१७-१६॥
In life, suffering is much greater than happiness; there is no doubt about this. Attachment to sense-objects, and due to delusion, death becomes unpleasant. (12-317-16)
परित्यजति यो दुःखं सुखं वाप्युभयं नरः। अभ्येति ब्रह्म सोऽत्यन्तं न तं शोचन्ति पण्डिताः ॥१२-३१७-१७॥
The man who completely gives up pain, pleasure, or both, attains Brahman fully; the wise do not grieve for him. (12-317-17)
दुःखमर्था हि त्यज्यन्ते पालने न च ते सुखाः। दुःखेन चाधिगम्यन्ते नाशमेषां न चिन्तयेत् ॥१२-३१७-१८॥
Objects of pain are indeed abandoned; in their protection, they are not pleasures; and by pain they are attained; one should not think of their destruction. (12-317-18)
अन्यामन्यां धनावस्थां प्राप्य वैशेषिकीं नराः। अतृप्ता यान्ति विध्वंसं सन्तोषं यान्ति पण्डिताः ॥१२-३१७-१९॥
Men, attaining one after another special state of wealth, being unsatisfied, go to destruction; wise men go to contentment. (12-317-19)
सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः। संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं हि जीवितम् ॥१२-३१७-२०॥
All accumulations ultimately decay, all heights eventually fall; every union ends in separation, and life itself ends in death. (12-317-20)
अन्तो नास्ति पिपासायास्तुष्टिस्तु परमं सुखम्। तस्मात्सन्तोषमेवेह धनं पश्यन्ति पण्डिताः ॥१२-३१७-२१॥
There is no end to thirst, but contentment is the highest happiness; therefore, the wise see contentment alone as wealth here. (12-317-21)
निमेषमात्रमपि हि वयो गच्छन्न तिष्ठति। स्वशरीरेष्वनित्येषु नित्यं किमनुचिन्तयेत् ॥१२-३१७-२२॥
Even for the duration of a blink, age does not stand still. What is there to constantly ponder about one's own impermanent bodies? (12-317-22)
भूतेष्वभावं सञ्चिन्त्य ये बुद्ध्वा तमसः परम्। न शोचन्ति गताध्वानः पश्यन्तः परमां गतिम् ॥१२-३१७-२३॥
Those who, having considered the non-existence in beings and having realized what is beyond darkness, do not grieve; their journey is complete, and they behold the supreme state. (12-317-23)
सञ्चिन्वानकमेवैनं कामानामवितृप्तकम्। व्याघ्रः पशुमिवासाद्य मृत्युरादाय गच्छति ॥१२-३१७-२४॥
Death, having seized this person who is ever accumulating and never satisfied with desires, carries him away just as a tiger carries off an animal. (12-317-24)
अथाप्युपायं सम्पश्येद्दुःखस्य परिमोक्षणे। अशोचन्नारभेतैव युक्तश्चाव्यसनी भवेत् ॥१२-३१७-२५॥
At this point, one should also carefully consider the means for complete liberation from suffering. Without sorrow, one should certainly begin the task, remaining disciplined and free from addiction. (12-317-25)
शब्दे स्पर्शे च रूपे च गन्धेषु च रसेषु च। नोपभोगात्परं किञ्चिद्धनिनो वाधनस्य वा ॥१२-३१७-२६॥
In sound, touch, form, smell, and taste, there is nothing beyond enjoyment for the wealthy or for wealth itself. (12-317-26)
प्राक्सम्प्रयोगाद्भूतानां नास्ति दुःखमनामयम्। विप्रयोगात्तु सर्वस्य न शोचेत्प्रकृतिस्थितः ॥१२-३१७-२७॥
Before beings come together, there is no suffering or disease. But when separation occurs, one who is established in their own nature should not grieve for anyone. (12-317-27)
धृत्या शिश्नोदरं रक्षेत्पाणिपादं च चक्षुषा। चक्षुःश्रोत्रे च मनसा मनो वाचं च विद्यया ॥१२-३१७-२८॥
With firmness, one should guard the generative organ and belly; hands and feet should be watched with the eye; the eye and ear should be controlled by the mind; the mind and speech should be governed by knowledge. (12-317-28)
प्रणयं प्रतिसंहृत्य संस्तुतेष्वितरेषु च। विचरेदसमुन्नद्धः स सुखी स च पण्डितः ॥१२-३१७-२९॥
Withdrawing affection, one should move among both the praised and others without arrogance; such a person is happy and wise. (12-317-29)
अध्यात्मरतिरासीनो निरपेक्षो निरामिषः। आत्मनैव सहायेन यश्चरेत्स सुखी भवेत् ॥१२-३१७-३०॥
He who is established in delight for the self, independent, free from desire, and acts by himself alone as his own helper, he becomes happy. (12-317-30)
