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॥ श्री ॥vedantaFor reading

Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, Sarga 2.16

Traditional (ascribed to Vālmīki)

Prakaraṇas
6
Sargas
175
Published
73
Verses
2878
Level
intermediate

Mumukṣu-vyavahāra Prakaraṇa · Sarga 16

Good Company, the Fourth Gatekeeper

The company of the wise is the fourth gatekeeper, and serving even one of the four is worth the effort.

In this chapter

Sarga 16 · Verse 1

वसिष्ठ उवाच । विशेषेण महाबुद्धे संसारोत्तरणे नृणाम् । सर्वत्रोपकरोतीह साधुः साधुसमागमः ॥ १ ॥

vasiṣṭha uvāca | viśēṣēṇa mahābuddhē saṁsārōttaraṇē nṛṇām | sarvatrōpakarōtīha sādhuḥ sādhusamāgamaḥ || 1 ||

Translation

Vasiṣṭha said: Above all, O great-minded one, the company of the good, itself good, helps people everywhere here in crossing saṁsāra.

Word by word

vasiṣṭha
Vasiṣṭha
uvāca
said
viśēṣēṇa
above all
mahā
O great
buddhē
minded one
saṁsāra
saṁsāra
uttaraṇē
in crossing
nṛṇām
people
sarvatra
everywhere
upakarōti
helps
iha
here
sādhuḥ
itself good
sādhu
of the good
samāgamaḥ
the company

Meaning

The fourth gatekeeper is sādhu-samāgama, the meeting with good people, the company of the wise. The commentary introduces the sarga as describing it, and as showing that strong effort given to any one of the four yields the goal. 'Everywhere' it reads as in every state of life. The other three gatekeepers are qualities to be grown within. This one comes from outside, from other people, and it is what helps the other three to grow.