कारुण्येनात्मनो मानं तृष्णां च परितोषतः। उत्थानेन जयेत्तन्द्रीं वितर्कं निश्चयाज्जयेत्॥
kāruṇyenātmano mānaṃ tṛṣṇāṃ ca paritoṣataḥ । utthānena jayettandrīṃ vitarkaṃ niścayājjayet ॥
PM's MessageCompassion brings self-respect, and contentment brings true happiness. With this spirit, the bonds of cooperation and harmony in society grow even stronger.
Meaning of Kāruṇyenātmano Mānaṃ Tṛṣṇāṃ Ca
Self-respect is achieved by showing kindness or compassion to others. Greed is overcome by being satisfied at one's fortune in life. One must conquer laziness, dubious reasoning and indecisiveness by exertion and entrepreneurship.
Word by word
- कारुण्येनkāruṇyena
through compassion
कारुण्य
Instrumental singular; sandhi with ātmano gives kāruṇyenātmano.
- आत्मनःātmanaḥ
one's own
आत्मन्
- मानम्mānam
pride, self-regard
मान
- तृष्णाम्tṛṣṇām
craving, greed
तृष्णा
- चca
and
- परितोषतःparitoṣataḥ
through contentment
परि + √तुष्
- उत्थानेनutthānena
through effort, by exertion
उद् + √स्था
- जयेत्jayet
one should conquer
√जि
Optative, third-person singular; sandhi with tandrīm gives jayettandrīm.
- तन्द्रीम्tandrīm
lethargy, drowsiness
तन्द्री
- वितर्कम्vitarkam
doubt, uncertain reasoning
वि + √तर्क्
- निश्चयात्niścayāt
through firm resolve
निस् + √चि
Sandhi with jayet gives niścayājjayet.
- जयेत्jayet
one should conquer
√जि
Commentary
The four paired remedies make this compact passage a practical discipline of self-mastery. Kāruṇya, compassion, is set against one's own māna, pride or self-regard; paritoṣa, contentment, counters tṛṣṇā, restless craving. Utthāna means rising up, exertion or energetic effort, and it is prescribed for tandrī, lethargy or drowsiness. Finally, niścaya, firm resolve, is the answer to vitarka, doubt or uncertain speculation. Each difficulty is overcome not by suppression alone but by cultivating its fitting corrective. The shared quotation combines the latter half of Mahabharata 12.266.10 with the first half of 12.266.11; Mahasubhashitasamgraha 9712 preserves the same joined form. The supplied meaning and the X post read māna positively as self-respect gained through compassion. In the surrounding Mahabharata construction, however, an understood jayet, one should conquer, governs the first line, so the more literal sense is that compassion overcomes one's pride. The post extends the teaching into social life, connecting compassion and contentment with cooperation and harmony; the Sanskrit itself remains focused on four forms of inner discipline.
Original Post
More from Mahabharata
View source pageनित्यं परिचरेच्चैव तद्वै सुकृतमुत्तमम्। कीर्तिं पुण्यं यशो लोकान् प्राप्स्यसे राजसत्तम॥
nityaṃ paricareccaiva tadvai sukṛtamuttamam । kīrtiṃ puṇyaṃ yaśo lokān prāpsyase rājasattama ॥
Daily service is praised as an excellent deed that brings merit, renown and higher realms.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca । nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥
The Bhagavad Gita describes a character free from hatred and ego, friendly to all beings and steady in joy and sorrow.
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः। स्वकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु॥
sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ । svakarmanirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu ॥
The Bhagavad Gita teaches that devotion to one's own work is a path to perfection.
More subhashitams on Ethics
View topic pageज्ञानवांश्च तथा वाग्मी कर्मस्वपि च निष्ठितः। एवं युक्तोऽपि न श्रेयान् यदि शीलविवर्जितः॥
jñānavāṃśca tathā vāgmī karmasvapi ca niṣṭhitaḥ । evaṃ yukto'pi na śreyān yadi śīlavivarjitaḥ ॥
Knowledge, eloquence, and skill in work do not make a person worthy of esteem if good character is absent.
शुचित्वं त्यागिता शौर्यं सामान्यं सुखदुःखयोः। दाक्षिण्यं चानुरक्तिश्च सत्यता च सुहृद्गुणाः॥
śucitvaṃ tyāgitā śauryaṃ sāmānyaṃ sukhaduḥkhayoḥ । dākṣiṇyaṃ cānuraktiśca satyatā ca suhṛdguṇāḥ ॥
Purity, generosity, courage, steadiness in joy and sorrow, courtesy, affection, and truthfulness are the qualities of a true friend.
रत्नैर्महाब्धेस्तुतुषुर्न देवा न भेजिरे भीमविषेण भीतिम्। सुधां विना न प्रययुर्विरामं न निश्चितार्थाद्विरमन्ति धीराः॥
ratnair mahābdhes tutuṣur na devā na bhejire bhīmaviṣeṇa bhītim । sudhāṃ vinā na prayayur virāmaṃ na niścitārthād viramanti dhīrāḥ ॥
Bhartrhari recalls the churning of the ocean to show that resolute people neither settle for partial gains nor abandon their aim when danger appears.