ॐॐॐ
42nd Sutra of the Sādhanapāda
स॒न्तो॒षादनुत्तमसु॑खला॒भः ॥ २.४२॥
Santoṣāt anuttama sukha lābhaḥ
Santoṣāt - by the practice of santoṣā, anuttama, uttama and anuttama superior, most highest, sukha - happiness, joy, lābhaḥ is the gain. So the gain of practicing santoṣāt or contentment is the highest joy or happiness. So we have seen earlier that contentment, that is santoṣāt is a mental attitude. A person can have all the material luxuries, comforts but he may be still dissatisfied - asantoṣāḥ. He can be a dissatisfied person and exactly contrary, a person may be very poor in the material comforts, not much of luxuries, just maintains his requirements and with less needs wants, no greed but still he may be a happy, joyful santuṣḥ. So santoṣā, contentment is nothing to do with what we have but it is everything to do with what we are. Having so many possessions is not directly related to having contentment, satisfaction or happiness. As we see in the normal life, in our own regular social life contentment and luxuries of the life, contentment, possessions in the life is not directly proportional. There may be both existent but a luxurious material comforts and fulfillment of the desires in the form of all the requirements will give a person happiness that is not guaranteed. Reminding that contentment, satisfaction, joy, happy is a state of the mind. And we see many times the cause of unhappiness and misery is always unfulfillment of some desires. This is our regular experience. Hence santoṣāt is a must, contentment is a must because unhappiness and misery are caused by unfulfilled desires, hankering, personal desires, they cause unhappiness. So be contented especially in the field of yoga, in the sādhana where aparigraha is an important dimension. An important practice to be taken up santoṣāt is an important outcome of it but by being aparigraha we are assured to be santuṣṭa. So parigraha is not guaranteed for happiness but aparigraha is a sure path towards santoṣā. With a very high philosophical, mental dimensions, concepts even down to the very very practical regular lifestyles, this is very true.
A beautiful story was told by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa worth to remember and remind the importance. The story goes something like this :that a snake catches a frog and half of the frog's body is in the mouth of the snake. That means the frog is about to die and the snake is eating it and the front portion of the frog is outside the mouth. There are some flies are flying and this frog has a desire so it throws its tongue out to catch the flies. Even at the last moment of the death, the death is about to be there still there is a desire, there is no contentment. Sri Ramakrishna says one has to be contented because on the other side fulfilling the desires, fulfillment of the requirements is not a solution because the number of desires and requirements are infinite. One desire fulfilled other desire will be ready. As we see in Mahabharata that it is like adding ghee to a blazing fire. When one desire is getting experienced fulfilled as a blazing fire and adding another desire is adding ghee to a blazing fire. So the suggestion or the outcome the benefit of practicing santoṣa is anuttama sukha lābhaḥ. So santoṣa and sukha and it is anuttama sukha lābhaḥ. Superlative happiness - so let us be contented live a contented life. Then the 43rd Sutra is another important sutra in the same sādhanapāda continuing the sādhana practices and their importance.ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः||
To Be Continued.. ---------------------------------------
These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/Jp0WDKqFbno?si=9XrV-_V4A0bF7BfU
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मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्धयसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥
Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26
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