मोक्षद्वारे द्वारपालाश्चत्वारः परिकीर्तिताः । शमो विचारः सन्तोषश्चतुर्थः साधुसङ्गमः ॥ ५९ ॥
mōkṣadvārē dvārapālāścatvāraḥ parikīrtitāḥ | śamō vicāraḥ santōṣaścaturthaḥ sādhusaṅgamaḥ || 59 ||
Translation
At the door of liberation four door-keepers are named: peace, inquiry, contentment, and fourth, the company of the good.
Word by word
- mōkṣa
- of liberation
- dvārē
- at the door
- dvārapālāś
- (dvārapālāḥ) door-keepers
- catvāraḥ
- four
- parikīrtitāḥ
- are named
- śamō
- (śamaḥ) peace
- vicāraḥ
- inquiry
- santōṣaś
- (santoṣaḥ) contentment
- caturthaḥ
- fourth
- sādhu
- of the good
- saṅgamaḥ
- the company
Meaning
Here is the famous verse, and the frame of the coming sargas: 2.13 to 2.16 take these up one at a time. Śama, calm of mind, which another commentary glosses as restraint of the senses. Vicāra, inquiry. Santoṣa, contentment. Sādhu-saṅgama, the company of the good. It is worth noticing what is absent. There is no mention of ritual, austerity or ecstatic experience. These four are qualities of a daily life, open to anyone who sets about them.