VERSE 10

The sorrows of life will cease of their own accord upon the dawn of the knowledge of the self. That knowledge is the only remedy for sorrow. And, it is an unfailing remedy. There is no doubt about this, says Sri Sankara:

When youth is gone, where is room for sport in lust? Where is the take when the water has dried up? When wealth is gone, where are the kinsfolk? When the Truth is known, where is the worldly bond?

Sorrow and suffering afflict only so long as there is delusion in the mind. When delusion vanishes giving place to wisdom, sorrow and suffering disappear like mist before the sun. The only remedy for delusion is wisdom. To secure it, good conduct, character and devotion are necessary. In the absence of these, mere knowledge got by reading books will not give wisdom. That is the difference between learning and knowledge of the self.

[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]