शाखा साधना पुस्तिका

1. Salutation

नमस्ते सदा वत्सले मातृभूमे,
त्वया हिन्दुभूमे सुखं वर्धितोऽहम्।
महामङ्गले पुण्यभूमे त्वदर्थे,
पतत्वेष कायो नमस्ते नमस्ते॥

Salutations, ever-affectionate Motherland. Nurtured in your lap, O land of dharma, I have grown in joy. Auspicious one, sacred one — may this body fall in your service. Salutations, salutations.

2. Pledge of Service

प्रभो शक्तिमन् हिन्दुराष्ट्राङ्गभूता,
इमे सादरं त्वां नमामो वयम्।
त्वदीयाय कार्याय बद्धा कटीयम्,
शुभामाशिषं देहि तत्पूर्तये॥
अजय्यां च विश्वस्य देहीश शक्तिं,
सुशीलं जगद्येन नम्रं भवेत्।
श्रुतं चैव यत् कण्टकाकीर्णमार्गं,
स्वयं स्वीकृतं नः सुगं कारयेत्॥

Mighty Lord, we — limbs of this ancient civilisation — bow to you in reverence. We have girded ourselves for your work; grant your blessing that it may be fulfilled. Grant us invincible strength that the world may bow before virtue; and make smooth for us the thorny road we have chosen for ourselves.

3. Resolve

समुत्कर्षनिःश्रेयसस्यैकमुग्रं,
परं साधनं नाम वीरव्रतम्।
तदन्तः स्फुरत्वक्षया ध्येयनिष्ठा,
हृदन्तः प्रजागर्तु तीव्रानिशम्॥
विजेत्री च नः संहता कार्यशक्तिर्,
विधायास्य धर्मस्य संरक्षणम्।
परं वैभवं नेतुमेतत् स्वराष्ट्रम्,
समर्था भवत्वाशिषा ते भृशम्॥
॥ भारत माता की जय ॥

The vow of the brave is the one supreme means to worldly flourishing and liberation alike. May that unshakeable loyalty to the ideal burn within us; may it keep our heart awake day and night. May our united, victorious strength protect this dharma, and may your blessing make us capable of leading our nation to its highest glory.

1. Invocation

ॐ सच्चिदानन्दरूपाय नमोऽस्तु परमात्मने।
ज्योतिर्मयस्वरूपाय विश्वमाङ्गल्यमूर्तये॥

Om. Salutations to the Supreme Self whose form is being-consciousness-bliss — the embodiment of radiant light and of the auspiciousness of all the worlds. The stotra begins by placing itself under the shelter of Paramātman — the ground from which land, river, scripture and exemplar all arise.

2. Cosmos

प्रकृत्यै पञ्चभूतेभ्यो ग्रहेभ्यो भुवनेषु च।
सप्तस्वरेभ्यो दिग्भ्यश्च कालायाहोरचे नमः॥

Salutations to Prakṛti — the primordial nature — and to the five great elements, to the planets and the worlds, to the seven svaras of music, to the directions, and to Time. The invocation widens from the Self to the whole cosmic order.

3. The Land

रत्नाकराधौतपदां हिमालय-किरीटिनीम्।
ब्रह्म-राजर्षि-रत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारत-मातरम्॥

Salutations to Bharat Mata — whose feet are washed by the ocean of jewels, whose crown is the Himalaya, and who is adorned with the jewels of brāhmanical sages and royal seers alike.

4. Mountains

महेन्द्रो मलयः सह्यो हिमालयो नगोत्तमः।
रैवतश्च विन्ध्यश्च गिरिरारावली तथा॥

Mahendra in the east, Malaya in the south, the Sahya range along the western coast, the Himalaya in the north — the greatest of mountains; Raivataka and the Vindhyas in the centre, and the Aravalli range in the west.

5. Rivers

गङ्गा सरस्वती सिन्धुर्ब्रह्मपुत्रश्च गण्डकी।
कावेरी यमुना रेवा कृष्णा गोदावरी तथा॥

The Ganga, the hidden Saraswati, the Sindhu, the Brahmaputra, and the Gandaki; the Kaveri, the Yamuna, the Reva (Narmada), the Krishna, and the Godavari. Ten rivers across the length and breadth of Bharat.

6. Sacred Cities · I

अयोध्या मथुरा माया काशी काञ्ची अवन्तिका।
वैशाली द्वारिका ध्येया पुरी तक्षशिला गया॥

The great sacred cities — birthplaces of avatars, seats of ancient learning, pilgrimage anchors of the subcontinent: Ayodhyā, Mathurā, Māyā (Haridvār), Kāśī, Kāñcī, Avantikā (Ujjain), Vaiśālī, Dvārikā, Purī, Takṣaśilā and Gayā.

7. Sacred Cities · II

प्रयागः पाटलिपुत्रो विजयानगरं तथा।
इन्द्रप्रस्थं सोमनाथः तीर्थेशोऽमृतसा स्मृतम्॥

Further centres of civilisational memory — Prayāga at the triveni sangam, imperial Pāṭaliputra, the magnificent Vijayanagara, Indraprastha of the Mahābhārata, the restored Somanātha, and the holy city Amṛtsar.

8. Scriptures · Vedic

वेदाः पुराणाः उपनिषदो रामायण-महाभारते।
गीता सत्सम्प्रदायाश्च षड्दर्शनानि नित्यशः॥

The four Vedas, the Purāṇas, the Upaniṣads, the two great epics — Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata — the Bhagavad Gītā, and the six darśanas: the entire sastraic foundation of Sanātana Dharma.

9. Scriptures · Inter-tradition

जैनागमास्त्रिपिटकाः गुरुग्रन्थः सतां गिरः।
एष ज्ञान-निधिः श्रेष्ठः श्रद्धेयो हृदि नः सदा॥

The Jain Āgamas, the Buddhist Tripiṭaka, and the Guru Granth Sāhib — the sacred utterances of noble beings. This treasure of wisdom is the greatest, worthy of our hearts' reverence always. In one verse, the stotra claims every Dharmic tradition as its own inheritance.

10. Women · Ancient

अरुन्धती अनसूया च सावित्री जानकी सती।
द्रौपदी कण्णगी गार्गी मीरा दुर्गाश्च वन्दिताः॥

Arundhati the model of wifely virtue; Anasuya and Savitri, saviours by their steadfastness; Janaki (Sita) and Sati; Draupadi who held five husbands and the Mahabharata together; Kannagi of the Silappatikaram; Gargi who questioned Yajnavalkya; Mirabai the bhakta-poet; Durgavati who died fighting.

11. Women · Modern

लक्ष्मीबाई अहल्या च चेन्नम्मा रुद्रमादेवी।
निवेदिता शारदा मातृविभूत्य: नमो नमः॥

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi who died in battle; Ahalyabai Holkar who rebuilt the Hindu temple-geography; Rani Chennamma of Kittur, the first to raise arms against the East India Company; Rudrama Devi, the warrior-queen of the Kakatiyas; Sister Nivedita, Vivekananda's foremost disciple; and Sharada Devi, the Holy Mother.

12. Male Exemplars · I

रामो भरतश्च कृष्णो भीष्मो धर्मपुत्र: तथा।
अर्जुनो मार्कण्डेय: हरिश्चन्द्र: प्रह्लादो नारदस्तथा॥

The ideal king Śrī Rāma; his loyal brother Bharata; the divine statesman Kṛṣṇa; the celibate warrior Bhīṣma; the dharmic king Yudhiṣṭhira; the archer Arjuna; the ever-young sage Mārkaṇḍeya; the truth-vowed Hariścandra; the devotee Prahlāda; and the celestial messenger Nārada.

13. Male Exemplars · II

हनुमान् जनको व्यासो वसिष्ठः शुको बलि: तथा।
दधीचिर्विश्वकर्मा च पृथु: वाल्मीकिरेव च॥

The embodiment of devotion Hanumān; the philosopher-king Janaka; the compiler Vyāsa; the family-sage Vasiṣṭha; the enlightened youth Śuka; the generous demon-king Bali; the self-sacrificing Dadhīci; the divine architect Viśvakarmā; the first-ruler Pṛthu; the sage-poet Vālmīki; and the warrior-brahmin Paraśurāma.

14. Puranic Exemplars

भगीरथश्च एकलव्यो मनुर्धन्वन्तरिस्तथा।
शिबिश्च रन्तिदेवश्च दर्शितं धर्म-लक्षणम्॥

Bhagīratha who brought the Ganga down to earth; Ekalavya the self-taught archer; Manu the first lawgiver; Dhanvantari physician of the gods; Śibi who gave his own flesh to save a dove; and Rantideva whose generosity shamed the Yama himself.

15. Cross-Tradition Teachers

बुद्धो जिनश्च गोरक्षो वल्लुवस्तिरुनामकः।
नायन्माराश्च आळ्वाराः कम्बन्बसवेश्वरौ तथा॥

Buddha and Mahāvīra (Jina) founded distinct śramaṇa paths; Gorakṣa the Nath yogi; Tiruvaḷḷuvar of the Tirukkural; the Śaiva Nāyanmārs and Vaiṣṇava Āḻvārs of the Tamil bhakti renaissance; the poet Kamban; and Basaveśvara of the Lingayat tradition.

16. Medieval Saints · I

देवलो रविदासश्च कबीरश्च गुरुर्नानकः।
नरसी-तुलसीदासौ गुरुगोविन्दसिंहकः॥

The medieval bhakti saints who dissolved caste through song: Devala; the mystic Ravidās; the uncompromising Kabīr; Guru Nānak, founder of Sikh dharma; the Gujarati bhakta Narasī Mehtā; the author of Rāmcaritmānas Tulasīdāsa; and the warrior-saint Guru Gobind Siṁh, tenth of the Sikh Gurus.

17. Regional Saints

शङ्करदेव: सायण-माधवौ ज्ञानदेवस्तुकारामो।
रामदासश्च पुरन्दरदासश्च सम्भाव्या सदा हृदि॥

Śaṅkaradeva, Assam's bhakti pioneer; Sāyaṇa and Mādhava, foundation-stones of Vijayanagara scholarship; Jñāneśvara whose Jñāneśvarī opened the Gita to Marathi; Tukārāma the warkari saint; Samartha Rāmdās, Shivaji's spiritual guide; and Purandaradāsa, father of Carnatic music.

18. Later Saints

विरजानन्दः सहजानन्दो रामानन्दः परात्परः।
धर्मोद्धारकर्तारो नमस्यास्ते मुहुर्मुहुः॥

Virajānanda, teacher of Dayananda Saraswati; Sahajānanda Swāmī, founder of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya; and Rāmānanda, whose fourteenth-century reform brought the Rāma-bhakti tradition into the open and whose disciples included Kabīr and Ravidās.

19. Poets & Musicians

भरतो मुनिरीशानः कालिदासो महाकविः।
भोजो जक्कणसूरदासस्त्यागराजो रसखानकः॥

Bharata Muni, author of the Nāṭyaśāstra; the matchless Kālidāsa; the patron-poet-king Bhoja; the Chalukya sculptor Jakkaṇa; the Krishna-bhakta Sūrdās; the Carnatic composer Tyāgarāja; and the Muslim Krishna-devotee poet Rasakhān.

20. Artists

रवि-वर्मा च भाग्यचन्द्रः चित्रकारौ प्रसिद्धौ।
येषां तूलिकया सन्धीयते देव-सन्निधौ नरः॥

Raja Ravi Varma, whose oleographs gave the devotional imagination of nineteenth-century Bharat its most widely-recognised faces; and Bhagyachandra, the Manipuri king whose patronage shaped Manipuri classical dance and Vaishnavism.

21. Ancient Rulers

अगस्त्यः कम्बुरुचिरः कौण्डिन्यो राजेन्द्रचोल:।
अशोकः पुष्यमित्रश्च खारवेलः प्रकीर्तिताः॥

The dakṣiṇāpatha sage Agastya; Kambu, legendary founder of Kambuja (Cambodia); Kauṇḍinya, who established Hindu polities in Funan; Rājendra Cōḷa whose fleet reached Śrīvijaya; Aśoka after Kalinga; Puṣyamitra who refounded a Hindu order; and the Jain-Hindu emperor Khāravela of Kalinga.

22. Great Statesmen

चाणक्यश्च चन्द्रगुप्तो विक्रमादित्यशालिवाहनौ।
समुद्रगुप्तो हर्षः शैलेन्द्रो बप्पारावलः॥

Chāṇakya, author of the Arthaśāstra; Candragupta Maurya whom he raised to the throne; Vikramāditya, legendary justice-king; Śālivāhana, founder of the Shaka era; the "Napoleon of India" Samudragupta; the poet-emperor Harṣa; the Śailendra dynasty that built Borobudur; and Bappa Rāwal, founder of the Mewar line.

23. Defenders

लाचित्-भास्करवर्मा च यशोधर्मा नृपोत्तमः।
कृष्णदेवश्च ललितादित्यो वीराः प्रकीर्तिताः॥

Lāchit Borphukan who defeated the Mughal fleet at Saraighat (1671); Bhāskaravarman of Kamarupa; Yaśodharman who broke the Huna armies at Sondani; Kṛṣṇadevarāya of Vijayanagara at its height; and Lalitāditya Muktāpīḍa of Kashmir, whose armies reached Central Asia.

24. Warriors

मुसुनूरिनायकाः प्रतापो रणजीतसिंहश्च।
शिवाजी नृसिंहसत्त्वो धर्म-रक्षण-दीक्षिताः॥

The Musunūri Nāyakas who reclaimed Warangal from the Delhi Sultanate; Mahārāṇā Pratāp who never bowed; Chhatrapati Śivājī, founder of Hindavi Swarajya; and Mahārāja Raṇjīt Siṁh who ruled the Punjab and kept the Khyber closed to invaders.

25. Ancient Scientists

कपिलः कणादश्च सुश्रुतश्चरकस्तथा।
भास्कराचार्यो वराहमिहिरस्तेजस्विनामहम्॥

Kapila, founder of Sāṁkhya; Kaṇāda, atomist of the Vaiśeṣika school; Suśruta the surgeon; Caraka the physician; Bhāskarācārya, the greatest Indian mathematician of the medieval period; and Varāhamihira, astronomer-polymath.

26. Scientists II

नागार्जुनो भरद्वाजः आर्यभट्टो वसुस्तथा।
रमणो रामानुजश्च नवदीप्त्या विराजिताः॥

The alchemist-philosopher Nāgārjuna; the aerospace pioneer-sage Bharadvāja; Āryabhaṭa of the Āryabhaṭīya; Vasu of the Śulba traditions; and the twentieth-century masters: Nobel laureate C. V. Raman and the mathematician of the infinite, Śrīnivāsa Rāmānujan.

27. Renaissance

रामकृष्णो दयानन्दः ठाकुर रामतीर्थकः।
विवेकानन्द-मोहनौ राष्ट्र-जागरणेऽग्रिमौ॥

Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṁsa, who verified every path and found them one; Dayānanda Saraswatī, who returned Bharat to the Vedas; Rabindranath Tagore, who gave her a song; Rāja Rām Mohan Roy, father of modern reform; Rāmatīrtha; and above all Swāmī Vivekānanda, whose Chicago address was a civilisational awakening.

28. Freedom Era I

दादाभाई-गोपबन्धुः तिलको गान्धि-महर्षिकः।
मालवीय: भारती च सप्तर्षयो नरोत्तमाः॥

Dādābhāī Naoroji, who diagnosed the "drain of wealth"; the Odia hero Gopabandhu Dās; Lokmānya Tilak who said Swaraj was birthright; Mahātmā Gandhi; Ramaṇa Maharṣi, silent sage of Arunachala; Madan Mohan Mālavīya, founder of BHU; and the Tamil poet-freedom-fighter Subrahmaṇya Bhāratī.

29. Freedom & Reform

सुभाषश्च प्रणवानन्दः सावरकरस्ठक्करबापा।
अम्बेडकरो नारायण-गुरुर्वन्द्या जयन्ति धर्मिणः॥

Netaji Subhāṣ Candra Bose who raised the Azad Hind Fauj; the sannyasi-leader Praṇavānanda; Vīr Sāvarkar, the first to articulate "Hindutva"; Ṭhakkar Bāpā, selfless tribal welfare worker; Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, architect of the Constitution; and Śrī Nārāyaṇa Guru, Kerala's great social reformer.

30. Organisational Founders

केशव: माधवश्चैव पूज्यौ धर्मप्रबोधकौ।
यौ प्रचण्ड-तपो-दीप्तौ राष्ट्र-जागरण-कृतौ॥

Dr. Keśava Baliram Hedgewar, who founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur on Vijayadashami 1925; and Śrī Mādhav Sadāśiv Golwalkar ("Guruji"), who guided it for 33 years. Teachers and awakeners of dharma, luminous with tapas, dedicated to the awakening of the nation.

31. Unnamed Devotees

अनुक्ताश्च बहुश्रेष्ठा धर्मरक्षण-तत्पराः।
वन्दनीयाः सदा ते च विस्मृता नामधारिणः॥

Salutations to the countless unnamed devotees, warriors and sages who gave their lives in dharma's service without being remembered by name. The stotra pauses here to acknowledge that for every exemplar it has named, a hundred thousand went nameless.

32. Social Uplifters

सेवाभाविताः सन्तः दीनानाम् उद्धारकाः।
वन्दनीयाः सदा ते च विश्व-कल्याण-सम्मुखाः॥

Salutations to the uplifters of the poor and the marginalised — the good people, in every age and village, who have made the welfare of the world their vocation. The last human category in the stotra is not a category of heroes but of ordinary servers.

33. Phalaśruti

इदमेकात्मता-स्तोत्रं श्रद्धया यः पठेन्नरः।
राष्ट्र-धर्मे स्थिरो भूत्वा अखण्ड-भारत-स्मृतिं लभेत्॥

Whoever recites this Ekatmata Stotra with faith will remain steadfast in the dharma of the nation, and will carry in their heart the living memory of an undivided Bharat. A quiet closing — not a promise of liberation, but of civic steadiness and civilisational memory.

Dhyana

ध्येय: सदा सवितृमण्डलमध्यवर्ती
नारायण: सरसिजासनसन्निविष्ट:।
केयूरवान् मकरकुण्डलवान् किरीटी
हारी हिरण्मयवपुर्धृतशङ्खचक्र:॥

A dhyana shloka invoking Lord Narayana seated at the heart of the sun's orb — recited once before beginning the twelve rounds.

1. Praṇāmāsana · Prayer Pose

ॐ मित्राय नमः

Salutations to the universal friend of all beings.

2. Hastottānāsana · Raised Arms

ॐ रवये नमः

Salutations to the radiant one worthy of praise.

3. Hastapādāsana · Forward Bend

ॐ सूर्याय नमः

Salutations to the one who dispels darkness and leads to activity.

4. Aśva Sañcālanāsana · Equestrian

ॐ भानवे नमः

Salutations to the one who illuminates all.

5. Daṇḍāsana · Plank / Stick

ॐ खगाय नमः

Salutations to the one who moves through the heavens.

6. Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra · Eight-limb Salute

ॐ पूष्णे नमः

Salutations to the nourisher who feeds all life.

7. Bhujaṅgāsana · Cobra

ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः

Salutations to the golden cosmic womb, source of all creation.

8. Parvatāsana · Mountain / Down-Dog

ॐ मरीचये नमः

Salutations to the lord of the dawn rays.

9. Aśva Sañcālanāsana · Equestrian · R

ॐ आदित्याय नमः

Salutations to the son of Aditi, the infinite mother.

10. Hastapādāsana · Forward Bend

ॐ सवित्रे नमः

Salutations to the stimulator who impels life forward.

11. Hastottānāsana · Raised Arms

ॐ अर्काय नमः

Salutations to the one worthy of all praise.

12. Praṇāmāsana · Return to Prayer

ॐ भास्कराय नमः

Salutations to the maker of light who causes brilliance.

The closing bīja mantra

ॐ श्री सवितृ-सूर्यनारायणाय नमः

Chanted after the twelfth posture of the final round, offering the entire practice to Śrī Sūryanārāyaṇa — the sun as the visible form of Nārāyaṇa.

1. Bhagavad Gītā 4.24

ॐ ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्
ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं
ब्रह्म-कर्म-समाधिना॥

The act of offering is Brahman. The oblation is Brahman. It is poured into the fire of Brahman by Brahman. One who sees Brahman in all action reaches Brahman alone.

2. Taittirīya & Kaṭha Upaniṣad

ॐ सह नाववतु। सह नौ भुनक्तु।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै।
तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु
मा विद्विषावहै॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

May He protect us both. May He nourish us both. May we work together with great energy. May our study together be luminous and effective. May we not quarrel with each other. Om, peace, peace, peace.

Also recited

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः।
प्राणापान-समायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्॥

Bhagavad Gītā 15.14. "I become the digestive fire within every living being, united with the inward and outward breath, and digest the four kinds of food." Sometimes chanted immediately after Brahmārpaṇam.

Also recited

अन्न-पूर्णे सदा-पूर्णे शङ्कर-प्राण-वल्लभे।
ज्ञान-वैराग्य-सिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति॥

Śrī Anna-pūrṇā Stotra. "O ever-full giver of food, beloved of Shankara — grant me alms that I may attain wisdom and detachment." Chanted in households where food is treated as the gift of Devi herself.

Also recited

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥

Īśā Upaniṣad. "That is whole; this is whole. From the whole, the whole arises. Taking the whole from the whole, the whole remains." Sometimes recited as the closing after a meal — the śānti that returns everything to fullness.

1. Knowledge gives humility

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् ।
पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् ॥

विद्या विनम्रता देती है, विनम्रता से योग्यता आती है। योग्यता से धन मिलता है, धन से धर्म होता है और धर्म से सुख प्राप्त होता है।

Knowledge gives humility; humility makes one worthy. Worthiness brings wealth, wealth enables righteous living, and from righteousness comes happiness.

2. Effort, not wishes, brings success

उद्यमेन हि सिध्यन्ति कार्याणि न मनोरथैः ।
न हि सुप्तस्य सिंहस्य प्रविशन्ति मुखे मृगाः ॥

कार्य परिश्रम से सिद्ध होते हैं, केवल इच्छा करने से नहीं। सोते हुए सिंह के मुँह में हिरण अपने आप प्रवेश नहीं करते।

Tasks are accomplished through effort, not by mere wishing. Deer do not walk into the mouth of a sleeping lion.

3. Speak truth kindly

सत्यं ब्रूयात्प्रियं ब्रूयान्न ब्रूयात्सत्यमप्रियम् ।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मः सनातनः ॥

सत्य बोलना चाहिए, प्रिय बोलना चाहिए; अप्रिय सत्य नहीं बोलना चाहिए। और प्रिय लगने वाला असत्य भी नहीं बोलना चाहिए — यही सनातन धर्म है।

Speak the truth, and speak it pleasantly; do not speak a truth that wounds. Nor should one speak a pleasing falsehood. This is the eternal dharma.

4. The power of good company

जाड्यं धियो हरति सिञ्चति वाचि सत्यं मानोन्नतिं दिशति पापमपाकरोति ।
चेतः प्रसादयति दिक्षु तनोति कीर्तिं सत्सङ्गतिः कथय किं न करोति पुंसाम् ॥

सत्संगति बुद्धि की जड़ता हरती है, वाणी में सत्य का संचार करती है, सम्मान बढ़ाती है, पाप दूर करती है, मन को प्रसन्न करती है और चारों दिशाओं में यश फैलाती है। कहो, सत्संगति मनुष्य के लिए क्या नहीं करती?

Good company removes dullness of mind, infuses speech with truth, raises one's honour, dispels sin, gladdens the heart and spreads one's fame in all directions. Tell me, what does good company not do for a person?

5. Helping others is virtue

अष्टादशपुराणेषु व्यासस्य वचनद्वयम् ।
परोपकारः पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम् ॥

अठारह पुराणों में व्यास जी के दो ही वचन सार हैं: दूसरों का उपकार करना पुण्य है और दूसरों को पीड़ा देना पाप है।

Across the eighteen Puranas, Vyasa's teaching comes down to two statements: helping others is virtue, and harming others is sin.

6. Laziness is the inner enemy

आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां शरीरस्थो महान् रिपुः ।
नास्त्युद्यमसमो बन्धुः कृत्वा यं नावसीदति ॥

आलस्य ही मनुष्य के शरीर में रहने वाला सबसे बड़ा शत्रु है। परिश्रम के समान कोई मित्र नहीं, जिसे करने वाला कभी दुःखी नहीं होता।

Laziness is the great enemy dwelling within one's own body. There is no friend like diligent effort; one who practises it never comes to grief.

7. Truth alone triumphs

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः ।
येनाक्रमन्त्यृषयो ह्याप्तकामा यत्र तत्सत्यस्य परमं निधानम् ॥

सत्य की ही विजय होती है, असत्य की नहीं। सत्य से ही देवयान मार्ग बिछा है, जिस पर पूर्णकाम ऋषि उस परम धाम तक पहुँचते हैं जहाँ सत्य का सर्वोच्च भंडार है।

Truth alone triumphs, not falsehood. By truth is laid the divine path on which the sages, their desires fulfilled, travel to the supreme abode of Truth.

8. Knowledge is the supreme wealth

न चोरहार्यं न च राजहार्यं न भ्रातृभाज्यं न च भारकारि ।
व्यये कृते वर्धत एव नित्यं विद्याधनं सर्वधनप्रधानम् ॥

विद्या रूपी धन को न चोर चुरा सकता है, न राजा छीन सकता है, न भाई बाँट सकते हैं और न ही यह बोझ बनता है। खर्च करने पर यह सदा बढ़ता ही है, इसलिए विद्या सभी धनों में श्रेष्ठ है।

Knowledge cannot be stolen by thieves, seized by kings, divided among brothers, nor is it a burden to carry. It only grows when spent; the wealth of knowledge is the greatest of all wealth.

9. God helps those who strive

उद्यमः साहसं धैर्यं बुद्धिः शक्तिः पराक्रमः ।
षडेते यत्र वर्तन्ते तत्र देवः सहायकृत् ॥

परिश्रम, साहस, धैर्य, बुद्धि, शक्ति और पराक्रम — जहाँ ये छह गुण होते हैं, वहाँ ईश्वर भी सहायता करते हैं।

Effort, courage, patience, intelligence, strength and valour: where these six are present, the divine itself lends a helping hand.

10. Be generous with kind words

प्रियवाक्यप्रदानेन सर्वे तुष्यन्ति जन्तवः ।
तस्मात्तदेव वक्तव्यं वचने का दरिद्रता ॥

मीठे वचन बोलने से सभी प्राणी प्रसन्न हो जाते हैं। इसलिए मीठा ही बोलना चाहिए — वचनों में कैसी कंजूसी?

All beings are pleased by kind words. So speak only kindly; why be poor in words?

11. Good company leads to liberation

सत्सङ्गत्वे निस्सङ्गत्वं निस्सङ्गत्वे निर्मोहत्वम् ।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः ॥

सत्संग से अनासक्ति आती है, अनासक्ति से मोह मिटता है। मोह मिटने से अविचल सत्य का बोध होता है और उस बोध से जीवन में ही मुक्ति मिलती है।

From the company of the good comes detachment; from detachment, freedom from delusion. Freedom from delusion brings unwavering knowledge of truth, and that brings liberation in this very life.

12. Life is for serving others

परोपकाराय फलन्ति वृक्षाः परोपकाराय वहन्ति नद्यः ।
परोपकाराय दुहन्ति गावः परोपकारार्थमिदं शरीरम् ॥

वृक्ष दूसरों के लिए फल देते हैं, नदियाँ दूसरों के लिए बहती हैं, गायें दूसरों के लिए दूध देती हैं — यह शरीर भी परोपकार के लिए ही है।

Trees bear fruit for others, rivers flow for others, cows give milk for others; this body too is meant for the service of others.

13. Act without attachment to results

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥

तुम्हारा अधिकार केवल कर्म करने में है, उसके फलों में कभी नहीं। तुम कर्मफल के कारण मत बनो और न ही कर्म न करने में तुम्हारी आसक्ति हो।

Your right is to action alone, never to its fruits. Do not let the fruit be your motive, and do not be attached to inaction.

14. The world is one family

अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।
उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥

यह अपना है और वह पराया — ऐसी गिनती छोटे मन वाले करते हैं। उदार चरित्र वालों के लिए तो पूरी पृथ्वी ही परिवार है।

'This one is mine, that one a stranger' is the reckoning of the narrow-minded. For the large-hearted, the whole world is one family.