सन्तोषः साधुसङ्गश्च विचारोऽथ शमस्तथा । एत एव भवाम्भोधावुपायास्तरणे नृणाम् ॥ १८ ॥
santōṣaḥ sādhusaṅgaśca vicārō’tha śamastathā | ēta ēva bhavāmbhōdhāvupāyāstaraṇē nṛṇām || 18 ||
Translation
Contentment, the company of the good, inquiry, and peace: these alone are the means for people to cross the ocean of becoming.
Word by word
- santōṣaḥ
- contentment
- sādhu
- of the good
- saṅgaś
- (saṅgaḥ) the company
- ca
- and
- vicārō
- (vicāraḥ) inquiry
- atha
- then
- śamas
- (śamaḥ) peace
- tathā
- and
- ēta
- (ete) these
- ēva
- alone
- bhava
- of becoming
- ambhōdhau
- the ocean
- upāyās
- (upāyāḥ) the means
- taraṇē
- to cross
- nṛṇām
- for people
Meaning
The commentary says the four gatekeepers are now named together, so that all may be praised at once. They have been taught in turn: peace in 2.13, inquiry in 2.14, contentment in 2.15, good company here. The order is given freely, and the verses that follow show why: they are not four stages in a row but four keepers of one door.