February 12th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
न त्वहं कामये राज्यं न स्वर्गं नापुनर्भवम् ।
कामये दुःखतप्तानां प्राणिनाम् आर्तिनाशनम् ॥
- भागवत

Transliteration:
na tvahaṃ kāmaye rājyaṃ na svargaṃ nāpunarbhavam ।
kāmaye duḥkhataptānāṃ prāṇinām ārtināśanam ॥
- bhāgavata

Meaning of the subhAShita:

I certainly am desirous of neither sovereignty nor (want to attain) heaven nor mokṣa (salvation).  I yearn for the relinquishment of grief, of all beings afflicted with pain.  

Commentary:

Everyone aspires to acquire land, reach heaven after passing, or, even better, attain mokṣa. Yet, the author declares that none of these are his desires! While these goals may hold primary importance for most beings, the ultimate reason behind them is the same—to attain happiness. Whether it is acquiring property, accumulating wealth, or seeking mokṣa to escape the burdens of life, the underlying aspiration is to find relief from suffering.

But there is something even more essential and universally desirable for any living creature: freedom from pain. Pain is a peculiar and relentless force—it grips the mind tightly. From a newborn to the elderly, everyone instinctively avoids pain. If fear of death is considered the greatest fear, it is not the event of death itself but the anticipated pain accompanying it that is most dreaded. As someone humorously remarked, "I am not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens!"

The fear of pain—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—drives many of the choices and actions people make in life. Yet, pain can often be alleviated or diminished simply by transforming our thoughts. Positive thinking has the power to banish half the pain we endure. Perhaps it’s time to energize and focus our thoughts in the right direction!

Now imagine a world where we are assured of a life without pain, no matter the circumstances. How wonderful that world would be! This is precisely what the author prays for: the universal and essential gift of painlessness for all beings. Such a prayer transcends all creatures that ever took a breath. If there were no pain, who would crave power or possessions? Who would fear being born again and again?

A world without pain would truly be heaven on Earth!

pada vigrahaH:
न तु अहं कामये राज्यं न स्वर्गं न अपुनः भवम् ।
na tu ahaṃ kāmaye rājyaṃ na svargaṃ na apunaḥ bhavam ।

कामये दुःख-तप्तानां प्राणिनाम् आर्ति-नाशनम् ॥
kāmaye duḥkha-taptānāṃ prāṇinām ārti-nāśanam ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
na tvahaM kaamaye raajyaM na swargaM naapunarbhavam ।
kaamaye duHkhataptaanaaM praaNinaam aartinaashanam ॥
- bhaagavata

na tu ahaM kaamaye raajyaM na swargaM na apunaH bhavam ।

kaamaye duHkha-taptaanaaM praaNinaam aarti-naashanam ॥