Atmanushasana

Author(s): J L Jaini
Publisher: Central Jaina Publishing House

Page 18

: ÁTMÁNUSHÁSANA.
इत्या- सुविचार्य कार्यकुशलाः कार्येऽत्र मन्दोद्यमाः द्रागागामीभवार्थमेव सततं प्रीत्या यतन्तेतराम् ॥ ३७॥
37, (Long) life, wealth, (strong and well-built) body etc., are all possible if merit has been acquired in the past; if not, they are not possible even if the soul under goes unremitting labour (to attain them). Thus gentlemen, proficient in practical matters, after proper consideration, exert themselves mildly for wordly matters; but cheerfully take prompt and continuous measures for the life hereafter.
कः स्वादो विषयेष्वसौ कटुविषप्रख्येष्वलं दुःखिना यानन्वेष्टुमिव त्वयाशुचिकृतं येनाभिमानामृतम् । श्राज्ञातं करणैर्मनःप्रणधिभिः पित्तज्वराविष्टवत् कष्टं रागरसैः सुधीस्त्वमपि सन् व्यत्यासितास्वादनः ॥ ३८ ॥
38. What pleasure is there in sense-gratifications, which are well-known as bitter like poison, that thou, being distressed in the search for them hast grossly defiled the nectar of thy self-respect ? Enthralled by the senses, attendant upon the mind, (and) like one possessed by bilious fever, thou, alas! though wise, hast got perverted taste by the enjoyment of (worldly) attachments. .
अनिवृत्तेजगत्सर्व मुखादवशिनष्टि यत् । तत्तस्याशक्तितो भोक्तुं वितनोर्भानुसोमवत् ॥ ३९ ॥
39. (The fact) that the whole world has been saved from the mouth of one, who has renounced nothing, is because of his non-capacity for taking in (the whole of) it, just as the sun and the moon (have been saved from the mouth) of Rahu, a planet.
Commentary. The point in the above shloka is that the sense-desires are so strong and various that one would wish to appropriate all objects of worldly enjoyments, but as his capacity for enjoyment is limited, he can enjoy only a very small part of them. The allusion is to the Indian astronomical belief that Rahu, a planet, occasionally attempts