Sankhya Yoga 2.8

Image Courtesy: Anusha Jekay 

Verse 2.8 The four fold qualifications

न हि प्रपश्यामि ममापनुद्याद्

यच्छोकमुच्छोषणमिन्द्रियाणाम् |

अवाप्य भूमावसपत्नमृद्धं

राज्यं सुराणामपि चाधिपत्यम् || 8||

na hi prapaśhyāmi mamāpanudyād

yach-chhokam uchchhoṣhaṇam-indriyāṇām

avāpya bhūmāv-asapatnamṛiddhaṁ

rājyaṁ surāṇāmapi chādhipatyam

na—not; hi—certainly; prapaśhyāmi—I see; mama—my; apanudyāt—drive away; yat—which; śhokam—anguish; uchchhoṣhaṇam—is drying up; indriyāṇām—of the senses; avāpya—after achieving; bhūmau—on the earth; asapatnam—unrivalled; ṛiddham—prosperous; rājyam—kingdom; surāṇām—like the celestial gods; api—even; cha—also; ādhipatyam—sovereignty

I can find no means of driving away this anguish that is drying up my senses. Even if I win a prosperous and unrivalled kingdom on the earth, or gain sovereignty like the celestial gods, I will be unable to dispel this grief.

Our life’s journey and goal of life are based on our own conclusion about the reason for our sorrow and what we believe to be the remedy for it. If one thinks money will solve all his problems, he will be seeking to earn and accumulate money all his life. Hence it is very important to know what will solve one’s problems. Arjuna here expresses his understanding that even if he attains the kingdom and wealth which might be the best in the world or a position in the other world, they will not wipe away the sorrow that scorches his senses and mind.  He surrenders to lord Krishna with this understanding. He expects Krishna to show him the right way and remove the suffering in his mind.

Sadhana Chatustaya Sampatti

If one wants to learn Shastra and attain its benefit, he should have attained some qualifications prior to the learning. The one who has these qualifications is called the adhikari. The  qualifications are called the sadhana chatushtaya sampatti. The four fold qualifications. Sadhana- qualification; chatushtaya- four fold; sampatti - wealth. These qualifications are the real wealth one can have. The one who has attained these qualifications is called a sampanna:

The four qualifications required before practicing Gnana Yoga are:

(1) Vivekam : Nithya anitya vastu viveka: 

The ability to differentiate between permanent and impermanent. With our own experience and through others’ experience, we should be able to appreciate that nothing in this world is permanent, while realizing that there should be a permanent thing based on scriptural evidence. This qualification fructifies in oneself through prolonged practice of Karma yoga. Krishna teaches elaborately about karma yoga in the later part of the second chapter and in the third chapter.

(2) Vairagyam

The mental state of detachment from the sense pleasures and worldly objects. The artifice to achieve this qualification is called anu darshanam. One has to see the impermanence of things over and over again. This practice will institute vairagya in oneself. Vairagya is the most difficult qualification to achieve due to the latent impressions called vasanas in one’s mind. We have to make a persistent effort to attain this quality. Frequently bringing forth the futility and impermanence of worldly things to the mind, we will be able to overcome our vasanas gradually and attain vairagya.

(3) Shamadi shatka sampatti.

This qualification includes six qualities.

(i) Shama: - disciplining of the mind.

(ii) Dhama:-  Disciplining of the sense organs

(iii) Uparama:- or Uparathi: - The continued practice of Shama: and Dhama:

(iv) Titiksha - Endurance. The ability to endure dualities such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain etc. Krishna teaches specifically about this quality in the fourteenth sloka of the second chapter. Mathra sparshasthu kountheya…”

(v) Shraddha - Trust pending enquiry. Shraddha is often crudely translated as belief or faith. But Shraddha is a fairly untranslatable word. One needs to have absolute trust in shastra, the teacher who teaches the shastra and the existence of an ultimate reality. Though at the beginning of his quest, the existence of reality is not completely known to the seeker, he must have the faith on shastra and his teacher. He must be aware that both shastra and the teacher exist only for the seeker’s benefit and they do not require or expect any personal gain through exposing the seeker to shastra. In the course of proper study of Shastra, the seeker will come to realize the ultimate reality and appreciate the efforts of the teacher and shastra.

(v) Samadhanam - The ability to fix one’s mind on a given subject for a prolonged period of time. This quality is extremely important because the study of shastra leads one to the realization of the ultimate and it requires steady and unwavered focus for a long period of time. One needs to practice samadhanam through the practice of meditation and japa. This quality too is not achieved easily and you require patience and commitment to achieve this quality.

(4) Mumukshutva - A strong desire to achieve freedom from bondage (Moksha). This desire is cultivated through the practice of Jnana yoga (Study of shastra under a competent teacher).