A collection of quotes and teachings from Vairagya Satakam of Bhartrihari.
If a person be attached to physical enjoyment, he will have the fear of disease.
If a person be attached to physical enjoyment, he will have the fear of disease.
If he be attached to his social status he will be afraid of
losing it.
If he be attached to his wealth he will fear the hostile enemies
who may snatch it away.
If he be attached to honor he will be afraid of humiliation.
If he be attached to power and strength he will fear his enemies who may
render him powerless.
If he be attached to his beauty he will fear his old age.
If he be attached to his scholarship he will fear those who
may challenge his erudition.
If he be attached to his good reputation he will fear the
wicked who may defame him.
If he be attached to his body he will be afraid of death.
All the things of the world pertaining to man are fraught
with fear.
Renunciation
of attachment alone causes fearlessness.
Among sensual persons, Shiva is unique, sharing half his body with His beloved; and again, among the dispassionate, there is none superior to him, unattached to the company of women; while the rest of mankind smitten and stupefied by the irresistible, serpent-like poisoned arrows of cupid, and brought under infatuation of love can neither enjoy their desires nor renounce them at will. (Vairagya Shatakam 17)
Among sensual persons, Shiva is unique, sharing half his body with His beloved; and again, among the dispassionate, there is none superior to him, unattached to the company of women; while the rest of mankind smitten and stupefied by the irresistible, serpent-like poisoned arrows of cupid, and brought under infatuation of love can neither enjoy their desires nor renounce them at will. (Vairagya Shatakam 17)
Without knowing its burning power the insect jumps into the glowing fire; the fish through ignorance eats the bait attached to the hook; whereas we, having full discernment do not renounce the sensual desires complicated as they are with manifold dangers; alas! How inscrutable is the power of delusion. (Vairagya Shatakam 18)
Possessed of tall mansions, of sons esteemed by the learned, of untold wealth, of a beloved wife full of beneficence, and of youthful age, and thinking this world to be permanent, men deluded by ignorance run into this prison-house of worldliness; whereas, he is blessed indeed who considering the transiency of the same world renounce it. (Vairagya Shatakam 20)
Quotes from Vairagya Shatakam of Bhartrihari
The Sun rises and sets. Day passes into night and night into day. But what is really happening is they are taking away our lives. But we are not even aware of the passage of time. Such is our deep involvement in the weight of our businesses. We do not get a jolt of fear even after watching, almost daily, the inescapable sequence of birth, old age, adversity, misfortune, disaster, failure and final death. We are just over drunk with the delusion of attachment which is our own making.
It is therefore necessary to work for the spiritual elevation well before the body gets weak and unhealthy, well before old age overtakes us, well before the limbs lose their power, well before one’s life is exhausted.
To wait and postpone spiritual activity until old age is like starting to dig a well for water when the house has already begun to burn.
Swami Madhavananda Thoughts based on Vairagya Sutram of Bhartrhari
One must realize the futility of good deeds performed in our earthly life with the object of enjoying happiness in the heaven or the higher Lokas, for heavenly enjoyments are transitory as being the result produced by our virtuous merits; when the force of these merits is spent out, the enjoyments must cease and the soul will again be drawn back to the cycle of births an deaths, until by jnana or spiritual illumination, it has obtained Moksha or final release from the wheel of transmigration.
Ordinary persons when they give themselves up to enjoyments, lose all control and become slaves to them; so even when satiety comes, they cannot detach themselves from them, as the force of blind attachment has enslave them. But Shiva, who has subdued His mind, is unaffected by them, as in His state of mental poise of Yoga, pleasure and pain are the same to Him.
The worldly happiness is but the temporary remedy we constantly seek for all the disease with which worldly life is beset. When this relative and fugitive nature of happiness becomes apparent to us, we naturally give up running after it, to seek permanent peace in renunciation.
Source - Vairagya Sutram of Bhartrhari translation and meaning by Swami Madhavananda