Monday Musings – 11 – Vidura Neeti Part 3

Vidura Neeti continues..

Passion in work

Vidur vouches that passionate work will always succeed.

yathā yathā hi puruṣaḥ kalyāṇe kurute manaḥ |

tathā tathāsya sarvārthāḥ sidhyante nātra saṁśayaḥ || 133 ||

All works executed with intense passion will surely yield positive results, without a doubt.

Choose your work such that you are passionate about your work or train your mind to be passionate about what you are doing.     —Jaganathan

divasenaiva tat kuryād yena rātrau sukhaṁ vaset |

aṣṭa māsena tat kuryādy ena varṣāḥ sukhaṁ vaset || 136 ||

Do that during the day which may enable you to pass the night in happiness; and do that during eight months of the year which may enable you to pass the four months of the monsoon happily.

Second part of the verse is included by Vidur as it was difficult in the olden days to earn wealth during monsoon time.  Let us leave that part. The first part of this verse essentially translates to

Get up in the morning with determination and go to bed with satisfaction – Jaganathan

Aspire for the company of great people

yādṛśaiḥ saṁvivadate yādṛśāṁścopasevate |

yādṛg icchecca bhavituṁ tādṛg bhavati pūruṣaḥ || 164 ||

One becomes exactly like those with whom one lives, or like those whom one serves, or like those who are one’s role models.

Choose your leader and, your career will be defined.

Terrific Team Work

mahān apyekajo vṛkṣo balavān supratiṣṭhitaḥ |

prasahya eva vātena śākhāskandhaṁ vimarditum || 166 ||

atha ye sahitā vṛkṣāḥ saṅghaśaḥ supratiṣṭhitāḥ |

te hi śīghratamānvātān sahante’nyonya saṁśrayāt || 167 ||

The tree that stands alone, though gigantic and strong and deep-rooted, can easily have its trunk smashed and twisted by a mighty wind. But those trees that grow in close compact with others are capable, owing to mutual dependence to resist winds more violent.

Team strength is always much more than the sum of the individual strengths

Ignorance, Lethargy & Procrastination – All Related

catvāri rājñā tu mahā-balena varjyānyāhuḥ paṇḍitas tāni vidyāt |

alpa prajñaiḥ saha mantraṁ na kuryān na dīrghasūtrair ālasaiścāraṇaiśca || 193 ||

Elite, although powerful, should never consult with these four, viz., those with limited understanding of the subject, procrastinators, the indolent and sycophants.

Intellect is the best of 5 powers

balaṁ pañcavidhaṁ nityaṁ puruṣāṇāṁ nibodha me |
yattu bāhubalaṁ nāma kaniṣṭhaṁ balamucyate || 195 ||

amātyalābho bhadraṁ te dvitīyaṁ balamucyate |
dhanalābhastṛtīyaṁ tu balamāhurjigīṣavaḥ || 196 ||

yattvasya sahajaṁ rājan pitṛ paitā mahaṁ balam |
abhijātabalaṁ nāma taccaturthaṁ balaṁ smṛtam || 197 ||

yena tvetāni sarvāṇi saṅgṛhītāni bhārata |
yad balānāṁ balaṁ śreṣṭhaṁ tatprajñābalamucyate || 198 ||

There are five different kinds of power – Of these, physical strength is regarded as the most inferior kind. The acquisition of good counsellors is regarded comparitively better. The power of wealth is the third in the order. The power of privilege acquired by birth is regarded as the fourth. However, by which all these are achieved, and which is the foremost of all kinds of power, is called the power of the intellect.

You are the master of your destiny

rathaḥ śarīraṁ puruṣasya rājann ātmā niyantendriyāṇyasya cāśvāḥ |

tair apramattaḥ kuśalaḥ sadaśvair dāntaiḥ sukhaṁ yāti rathīva dhīraḥ || 211 ||

One’s body, O king, is a chariot, the Self within is the driver and the senses are its 5 horses. If those excellent horses are well-trained, then the journey of life is pleasant and peaceful.

Debilitating Depression

santāpād bhraśyate rūpaṁ santāpād bhraśyate balam |

santāpād bhraśyate jñānaṁ santāpād vyādhim ṛcchati || 245 ||

Depression destroys beauty; depression saps the strength; depression obscures the understanding; and depression brings on disease. Then why are we getting into depression? We are the cause and not what happens to us.

With this Vidura Neeti comes to an end. We will start the next episode of Monday Musings with the third statecraft lesson in Mahabharat given by yet another intelligent minister Kanika.