Verse 16.2

Verse 16.2: “Non-violence, Veracity, Absence of wrath, Self-abandonment, Peacefulness, Absence of slander, Compassion towards beings, Non-covetousness, Gentleness, Modesty, Absence of fitfulness; (114)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

To conduct oneself bodily, in speech, and in mind, with the sole object of making the world happy is the form of Non-violence (ahiṃsā). The bud of jasmine (flower) although pointed, is by nature soft; or the moonlight although lustrous is cool; there does not exist any medicine that stops ailment merely by looking at it or which does not even taste bitter. How can such a medicine (that does not exist at all) be made use of for comparison (with a non-violent person)? Water on account of its softness causes no hurt to an eye-ball while struggling (coming into contact) with it; (yet) the same (water) pierces through hard rocks. In that way the speech) that proves as hard as iron in cutting through doubt should sound sweet to the ears, so much so that the ears should get mouths created on them (to taste the sweetness of speech): yet it should pierce through (point the way) to attain Supreme Brahman on the strength of its own truthfulness. In short it (speech) should not mislead anyone, even though (it is) pleasant and sweet, and should not also prick (wound the feelings of the hearers) even though true. The hunter’s song is sweet to the ears; still it proves disastrous to the deer: or, although fire does the work of purification still it completely bums the thing; fie upon such outrageous, plain truth (which is devastating like fire).

A speech although it is sweet to hear, yet its import cuts the heart to pieces; such a speech cannot be said to be eloquent, but must be compared to a demoness. A mother shows wrath at an undesirable and shameful act on the part of a child; yet she is tender even more than a flower in upbraiding the child. The speech should be like a mother’s talk pleasing to hear and prove wholesome in its consequence, but should at the same time be free from any tinge of evil feelings (such as passion, etc.). Such a speech indeed is “veracity” (satya).

There could never shoot up any sprouts from a rock, even though it is watered copiously: or there could not be secured any butter by churning gruel (kāñjī). The (worn out and discarded) skin of a serpent cannot raise its hood even though it is trampled under foot; or the sky cannot yield flowers even in the spring season: or even the sight of the beautiful face of Rambha (a nymph of Heaven) cannot excite any passion in the mind of the sage Shuka: or the pouring of clarified butter over fire reduced to ashes cannot make the fire blaze forth: in that way the words, the mere utterance of which is bound to create passion and wrath in others, even if spoken to him in volumes do not create any sort of wrath (in him) just as a dead one cannot rise again even if you implore by prostrating before God Brahmadev [Brahmadeva]: such a state of mind”, said Lord Shrinivas [Shrinivasa] (Krishna) “is what is called ‘absence of wrath’ (akrodhatva). The abandonment of 1) clay or 2) thread, or 3) seed, or 4) a wall, or 5) sleep, or 6) water, or 7) monsoon, or 8) riches, automatically brings about the abandonment respectively of 1) earthen pot, 2) fabric 3) tree, 4) painting, 5) dream, 6) ripples, 7) clouds, 8) and enjoyment of (sense) objects. In that way, dropping of all conceit for the body, sweeping out all worldly affairs, by men of intellect, is what is called ‘self-abandonment’ (tyāga)” said the Lord of Sacrifices:

Getting inwardly impressed, lucky Arjuna said, “Tell me more clearly the signs of peacefulness”, at which God said, “Very good: hear thou attentively. When the man of knowledge and knowledge itself both secure the object of knowledge, and then they themselves get extinguished, that state is called ‘peacefulness’ (śānti). The waters of deluge at the time of world dissolution, drown the entire universe and pervade through and through everywhere. There then remains no trace whatever of the distinctive terms, such as ‘source’, ‘current,’ or ‘sea,’ there pervading only one uniform sheet of water everywhere: nay, there survives no one to know of that state (deluge). In that way with the attainment of the object of knowledge, the state of being the knower also ceases to exist: what then is left behind, Oh Kiriti, is the aspect of peacefulness.

(Now hear what constitutes absence of slander). A good physician keenly desirous of curing a malady does not pause, before giving treatment, to find out if the patient belongs to his own (circle), or is a stranger; one seeing a cow stuck up in mud, feels greatly afflicted at (the sight of) her sufferings, without pausing to see if she is a milch or a barren animal; or a man, full of compassion, seeing someone getting drowned in water thinks (as his duty) only of going to his rescue and save his life, without inquiring if he is a Brahmin or a person of the lowest caste: or a true gentleman would never think of looking at a female, made stark naked by some wicked person in a dreadful forest—before she is furnished with and actually dressed up in a garment. In that way, they (men without slander) give away all theirs to those that are ignorant and full of faults and who through their (evil) destiny are entirely addicted to despicable acts, and communicating to them their benevolent disposition make them forget the miseries that rankled in their heart. They remove by their favourable glance the weak points in others, and then look at them as good people; or they worship the Gods and then meditate upon them; or sow the field and then go to look after the crop; or secure his (guest’s) blessing by satisfying him, by their welcome to him, an uninvited guest. In that way they make up first the deficiency in others by their own merit and then look at them with favour; or they never cause pain to anyone by taunting, wounding deeply their heart, never entangle anyone in evil action nor address anybody in a way that reminds him of his weak points. The tendency of such a person is to raise up one who has fallen down and also to support him, but he never thinks of stabbing one in the heart (vital parts). It is never in his nature to treat one as insignificant indirectly, by treating another as important, Oh Kiriti. His vision never engages itself in searching out the faults of others. All these constitute ‘absence of slander,’ (apaiśunya) Oh Arjuna, and know further that this is a principal place of (taking) rest, on the road to liberation.

Now about ‘compassion towards beings’ (dayā-bhūteṣu). It is like the moon of the Full Moon day, who makes no distinction such as this is an insignificant or a great person or thing, while dispensing comforting coolness. Similarly, he never thinks of making any discrimination such as this is the best or the worst, while relieving the miseries of the distressed. Even a (common) thing like water, while spending itself out, keeps alive the straw that was withering. In that way, he feels so much compassion for the sufferings of others, that he considers (it) as a very small sacrifice, if he gives all he has in its entirety in securing relief to the sufferers.

A flow of water coming across a ditch in its course, does not proceed a step further, before filling up the ditch first; in the same way he takes a step forward only after making one contented who is coming in front of him. A thorn piercing one’s sole gives pain which is (immediately) impressed on his (mind) face; in that way his heart bums (feels acute pangs) at seeing other people suffering. He feels very happy himself at seeing others happy, just as the eyes get the benefit of cooling sensation as the result of cool and soothing treatment applied to the sole; nay his very living is entirely for (removing) the miseries of others, in the way, water is created in the world for the thirsty. Such a person, Oh Warrior, is compassion incarnate and I feel indebted to him lifelong.

(Now hear about ‘non-covetousness’—alolupatva). Although the blowing fully open on the part of a lotus follows the sunrise, yet, the Sun never even touches its fragrance; or even though the loveliness of the wood is infinitely enhanced at the advent of Vasant (Spring season), and although it stands face to face with it, yet the Spring season passes on without enjoying that loveliness; or even though Shri Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) accompanied by all the occult powers (mahāsiddhi) approaches Lord Vishnu, still Lord Vishnu takes no count of her (but retains his tranquillity). In that way, even though the pleasures of this world as also in the Heavens become his willing servants, yet it never pleases his mind to enjoy them. In short, when the stage is reached in the being in which there remains no greedy desire for the enjoyment of any (sense) objects—that stage is what is known as ‘non-covetousness’.

(Now hear about ‘gentleness’—mārdava). (It is) what the honeycomb is to the bees or water to aquatic animals, or the sky (cavity) to the birds or the mother’s fondling to an infant, or the gentle touch of Vasant (Spring season) to the soft Malaya (southern mountain) breeze, or the sight of dear ones to the eyes, or the (fond) look of a (female) tortoise to her young ones—in that way gentleness is universal softness (kindness) towards the entire class of beings; Camphor, so soft for touch, savoury to the mouth (tongue), fragrant to nostrils, clean and clear in appearance—that camphor, had it been harmless even if taken in any desired quantity, it would have served the purpose of a simile (for the gentleness). It would carry all the gross elements in its stomach (compass), or be contained even in a small atom, or can be spread out into a worldform (like the sky)—what more should I say! That which in this way conducts itself heart and soul with the entire world—that, I name as ‘gentleness’ (mārdava). (Now I define modesty—hrī-lāja).

A king when defeated feels depressed and mortified; or one with a deep sense of self-respect (mānī) is dispirited (nisteja) when reduced to the lowest position; or a worthy ascetic (Sanyasi) feels ashamed in mind at finding himself, by mistake, at the house of a low caste person; or, just as it is intolerable to see the shameful episode of a member of warrior class fleeing from battle-field; or a great Sati (a virtuous woman with the husband living) exposed to a call of widowhood: or a handsome person feels it a deathblow to contract the taint of white leprosy; and a respectable person has the same feeling when (he is) accused of a heinous act. In that way, he (one of modesty) feels it a great shame to live as a corpse in a three and a half cubit (high) body and to take birth and die again and again and to be a statue cast of blood and urine in a fatty mould in the form of a womb. In short, there is nothing more disgraceful than to get into such a body and assume name and form.

The nausea felt for such a ghastly body is ‘modesty’ (lāja), and it is felt by clean (hearted) persons while the shameless consider it (body) as an abode of pleasure. (Now hear about ‘absence of fitfulness’)! The movements of a dancing doll are stopped with the snapping of the thread connecting it (with the thread-puller); in that way with the control of the life-wind (prāṇajaya [prāṇajaye]), come to a stand still the functions of the organs of action; or with the setting of the Sun ends the spreading out of his rays: such is the state of (sense-organs) with the restraint of the mind. In short, with the conquest of the mind and the lifewind all the ten senses are thus reduced to complete inactivity and this state is ‘absence of fitfulness’ (acāpalya [acāpalyaṃ]).