शमेनाऽऽसाद्यते श्रेयः शमो हि परमं पदम् । शमः शिवः शमः शान्तिः शमो भ्रान्तिनिवारणम् ॥ ५२ ॥
śamēnā’’sādyatē śrēyaḥ śamō hi paramaṁ padam | śamaḥ śivaḥ śamaḥ śāntiḥ śamō bhrāntinivāraṇam || 52 ||
Translation
By peace the highest good is reached. Peace is the supreme state. Peace is the auspicious, peace is rest, peace is the end of error.
Word by word
- śamēna
- by peace
- āsādyatē
- is reached
- śrēyaḥ
- the highest good
- śamō
- (śamaḥ) peace
- hi
- indeed
- paramaṁ
- the supreme
- padam
- state
- śamaḥ
- peace
- śivaḥ
- the auspicious
- śāntiḥ
- rest
- bhrānti
- of error
- nivāraṇam
- the end
Meaning
The praise of peace now becomes almost a hymn. The word śama is repeated in the manner of a chant. The first statement calls peace the means, and the second calls it the goal, and the verse leaves both standing. That is the claim of the sarga: at this point means and end are of one nature. Śiva here means the auspicious, and it carries the name of the god. Bhrānti-nivāraṇa, the end of error, connects peace to knowledge: where the mind is calm, one sees rightly.