Mahabharata - Shanti Parva (महाभारत - शान्तिपर्वम्)
12.317
nārada uvāca॥
Nārada said.
aśokaṃ śokanāśārthaṃ śāstraṃ śāntikaraṃ śivam। niśamya labhate buddhiṃ tāṃ labdhvā sukhamedhate ॥12-317-1॥
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)
śokasthānasahasrāṇi bhayasthānaśatāni ca। divase divase mūḍham āviśanti na paṇḍitam॥12-317-2॥
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)
tasmādaniṣṭanāśārtham itihāsaṃ nibodha me। tiṣṭhate ced vaśe buddhir labhate śokanāśanam ॥12-317-3॥
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)
aniṣṭasamprayogāc ca viprayogāt priyasya ca। manuṣyā mānasair duḥkhair yujyante alpabuddhayaḥ ॥12-317-4॥
Humans of little understanding are afflicted by mental sufferings due to association with the undesirable and separation from the beloved. (12-317-4)
dravyeṣu samatīteṣu ye guṇās tān na cintayet। tān anādriyamāṇasya snehabandhaḥ pramucyate ॥12-317-5॥
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)
doṣadarśī bhavet tatra yatra rāgaḥ pravartate। aniṣṭavat hitaṃ paśyet tathā kṣipraṃ virajyate ॥12-317-6॥
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)
nārtʰo na dharmo na yaśo yo'tītamanuśocati। apyabhāvena yujyeta taccāsya na nivartate ॥12-317-7॥
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)
guṇair bhūtāni yujyante viyujyante tathaiva ca। sarvāṇi naitad ekasya śokasthānaṃ hi vidyate ॥12-317-8॥
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)
mṛtaṃ vā yadi vā naṣṭaṃ yo'tītam anuśocati। duḥkhena labhate duḥkhaṃ dvāvanarthau prapadyate ॥12-317-9॥
Whoever grieves for what is dead or lost in the past, obtains sorrow through sorrow and attains two misfortunes. (12-317-9)
nāśru kurvanti ye buddhyā dṛṣṭvā lokeṣu santatim। samyakprapaśyataḥ sarvaṃ nāśrukarmopapadyate ॥12-317-10॥
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)
duḥkhopaghāte śārīre mānase vāpyupasthite। yasminna śakyate kartuṃ yatnastannānucintayet ॥12-317-11॥
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)
bhaiṣajyam etad duḥkhasya yad etan nānucintayet। cintyamānaṃ hi na vyeti bhūyaś cāpi pravardhate ॥12-317-12॥
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)
prajñayā mānasaṃ duḥkhaṃ hanyāc chārīram auṣadhaiḥ. etad vijñāna-sāmarthyaṃ na bālaiḥ samatām iyāt ॥12-317-13॥
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)
anityaṃ yauvanaṃ rūpaṃ jīvitaṃ dravyasañcayaḥ। ārogyaṃ priyasaṃvāso gṛdhyettatra na paṇḍitaḥ ॥12-317-14॥
Youth, beauty, life, wealth, health, and the company of loved ones are all impermanent; a wise person does not covet them. (12-317-14)
na jānapadikaṃ duḥkham ekaḥ śocitum arhati। aśocan pratikurvīta yadi paśyed upakramam ॥12-317-15॥
One should not grieve alone for the suffering of the people. If one sees an initiative, one should respond without grieving. (12-317-15)
sukhādbahutaraṃ duḥkhaṃ jīvite nātra saṃśayaḥ। snigdhatvaṃ cendriyārtheṣu mohānmaraṇamapriyam ॥12-317-16॥
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)
parityajati yo duḥkhaṃ sukhaṃ vāpyubhayaṃ naraḥ। abhyeti brahma so'tyantaṃ na taṃ śocanti paṇḍitāḥ ॥12-317-17॥
The man who completely gives up pain, pleasure, or both, attains Brahman fully; the wise do not grieve for him. (12-317-17)
duḥkham arthā hi tyajyante pālane na ca te sukhāḥ। duḥkhena ca adhigamyante nāśam eṣāṃ na cintayet ॥12-317-18॥
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)
anyām anyāṃ dhanāvasthāṃ prāpya vaiśeṣikīṃ narāḥ। atṛptā yānti vidhvaṃsaṃ santoṣaṃ yānti paṇḍitāḥ ॥12-317-19॥
Men, attaining one after another special state of wealth, being unsatisfied, go to destruction; wise men go to contentment. (12-317-19)
sarve kṣayāntā nicayāḥ patanāntāḥ samucchrayāḥ। saṃyogā viprayogāntā maraṇāntaṃ hi jīvitam ॥12-317-20॥
All accumulations ultimately decay, all heights eventually fall; every union ends in separation, and life itself ends in death. (12-317-20)
anto nāsti pipāsāyāstuṣṭistu paramaṃ sukham। tasmātsantoṣameveha dhanaṃ paśyanti paṇḍitāḥ ॥12-317-21॥
There is no end to thirst, but contentment is the highest happiness; therefore, the wise see contentment alone as wealth here. (12-317-21)
nimeṣamātram api hi vayo gacchan na tiṣṭhati। svaśarīreṣv anityeṣu nityaṃ kim anucintayet ॥12-317-22॥
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)
bhūteṣvabhāvaṃ sañcintya ye buddhvā tamasaḥ param। na śocanti gatādhvānaḥ paśyantaḥ paramāṃ gatim ॥12-317-23॥
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)
sañcinvānakamevainam kāmānāmavitṛptakam। vyāghraḥ paśumivāsādya mṛtyurādāya gacchati ॥12-317-24॥
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)
athāpyupāyaṃ sampaśyed duḥkhasya parimokṣaṇe। aśocann ārabhetaiva yuktaś cāvyasanī bhavet ॥12-317-25॥
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)
śabde sparśe ca rūpe ca gandheṣu ca raseṣu ca। nopabhogātparaṃ kiñciddhanino vā dhananasya vā ॥12-317-26॥
In sound, touch, form, smell, and taste, there is nothing beyond enjoyment for the wealthy or for wealth itself. (12-317-26)
prāksamprayogādbhūtānāṃ nāsti duḥkhamanāmayam। viprayogāttu sarvasya na śocetprakṛtisthitaḥ ॥12-317-27॥
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)
dhṛtyā śiśnodaraṃ rakṣet pāṇipādaṃ ca cakṣuṣā। cakṣuḥśrotre ca manasā mano vācaṃ ca vidyayā ॥12-317-28॥
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)
praṇayaṃ pratisaṃhṛtya saṃstuteṣvitareṣu ca। vicaredasamunnaddhaḥ sa sukhī sa ca paṇḍitaḥ ॥12-317-29॥
Withdrawing affection, one should move among both the praised and others without arrogance; such a person is happy and wise. (12-317-29)
adhyātmaratir āsīno nirapekṣo nirāmiṣaḥ। ātmanai va sahāyena yaś caret sa sukhī bhavet ॥12-317-30॥
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)

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ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय। ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॥ - बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद् 1.3.28
"Ōm! Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. Let there be peace, peace, and peace. Ōm!" - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28

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