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Develop Virtues and be Fearless

धैर्यं यस्य पिता क्षमा च जननी शान्तिश्चिरं गेहिनी
सत्यं सूनुरयं दया च भगिनी भ्राता मनःसंयमः ।
शय्या भूमितलं दिशोऽपि वसनं ज्ञानामृतं भोजनं
एते यस्य कुटुम्बिनो वद सखे कस्माद् भयं योगिनः ।।
– सुभाषितम्

dhairyaṃ yasya pitā kṣamā ca jananī śāntiściraṃ gehinī
satyaṃ sūnurayaṃ dayā ca bhaginī bhrātā manaḥ-saṃyamaḥ |
śayyā bhūmitalaṃ diśo’pi vasanaṃ jñānāmṛtaṃ bhojanaṃ
ete yasya kuṭumbino vada sakhē kasmād bhayaṃ yōginaḥ ||
– subhāṣitam

Translation:

A Yogi for whom composure is his father, forbearance his mother, calmness of mind his wife, truth his son, compassion his sister, control of mind his brother, and for whom this earth is the bed, the directions, the attire and the nectarine knowledge the food – for whom all these are members of his family, tell me O friend, from what would such a Yogi fear?

Points for Introspection:

Any seeker or an ascetic or a Yogi must have such qualities which strengthen him in his path of seeking the Supreme Truth. He should imbibe and cultivate values which are congenial for seeking and reject those which are not.

Human beings have a strong bond with parents, brothers, sisters, wife/husband and children. In every circumstance – good or bad – the most near and dear ones always give man support and strength. They always wish his welfare and try to protect him from all odds and dangers. Even if one happens to be separated by time and distance, he is never disowned by these relatives.

However, man has always a fear of losing the near and dear ones. For how long the family members will remain? It may happen that none of the family members is there for support. Such a situation or even the thought of such a situation generally would make one fearful.

But not so for a Yogi. He has nothing to fear because he has nothing to lose. Instead of depending upon family members born of blood and matrimony he embraces a new family where composure is his father, forbearance is his mother, constant peace is his wife, truthfulness is his son, compassion the sister and mental-discipline the brother.

These qualities are his constant companion, and will remain with him for ever giving him strength and support. The Yogi also has the excellent quality to adjust anywhere for his minimum daily needs like shelter, clothes and food and drink. He considers the whole of earth to be his bed and is not tormented if he has to sleep on the bare ground; he considers the directions to be his dress covering him from all sides; and even if he does not get food, he is never afflicted because he is always satiated with the nectarine Knowledge of Truth.

When a Yogi has such a family which is a set of beautiful qualities, he never suffers any lack. Because, none of these qualities can be taken away from him any time. So, from whom or what will he have fear? One has fear when there is a possibility of losing something. The Yogi does not depend on perishable members of his family. Being protected by eternal qualities as a family, he has no fear from anybody whatsoever. He moves about fearlessly.

When we chant this shloka we imbibe these qualities. Fearlessness adorns our mind.

Word Meaning:

धैर्यं (dhairyaṃ) = composure; यस्य (yasya) = whose; पिता (pitā) = father; क्षमा(kṣamā) = forbearance; च (ca) = and; जननी (jananī) = mother; शान्तिः (śāntiḥ) = calmness of mind; चिरं (ciraṃ) = at all times; गेहिनी (gehinī) = wife; सत्यं (satyaṃ) = truth; सूनुः (sūnuḥ) = son; अयं (ayaṃ) = this; दया (dayā) = compassion; च (ca) = and; भगिनी (bhaginī) = sister; भ्राता (bhrātā) = brother; मनःसंयमः (manaḥ-saṃyamaḥ) = mind discipline; शय्या (śayyā) = bed; भूमितलं (bhūmitalaṃ) = surface of the earth; दिशः (diśa:) = directions; अपि (api) = also; वसनं (vasanaṃ) = dress; ज्ञानामृतं (jñānāmṛtaṃ) = nectarine knowledge; भोजनं (bhojanaṃ) = food; एते (ete) = these; यस्य (yasya) = whose; कुटुम्बिनः (kuṭumbinaḥ) = members of the family; वद (vada) = tell; सखे (sakhe) = O friend; कस्माद् (kasmād) = from what; भयं (bhayaṃ) = fear; योगिनः (yōginaḥ) = for a Yogi;

अन्वयः

धैर्यं यस्य पिता, क्षमा च (यस्य) जननी, चिरं शान्तिः (यस्य) गेहिनी, सत्यं (यस्य) अयं सूनुः, दया च (यस्य) भगिनी, मनःसंयमः (यस्य) भ्राता, भूमितलं (यस्य) शय्या, दिशः अपि (यस्य) वसनं, ज्ञानामृतं (यस्य) भोजनं, यस्य एते कुटुम्बिनः वद सखे (तस्य) योगिनः कस्माद् भयम् ।

dhairyaṃ yasya pitā, kṣamā ca (yasya) jananī, ciraṃ śāntiḥ (yasya) gehinī, satyaṃ (yasya) ayaṃ sūnuḥ, dayā ca (yasya) bhaginī, manaḥsaṃyamaḥ (yasya) bhrātā, bhūmitalaṃ (yasya) śayyā, diśa: api (yasya) vasanaṃ, jñānāmṛtaṃ (yasya) bhojanaṃ, yasya ete kuṭumbinaḥ vada sakhē (tasya) yōginaḥ kasmāt bhayam.