Sage Sanat kumara was one of the Four sons , the four Manasaputras (mind-born-sons) or spiritual sons of Brahma according to Puranic texts of Hinduism. When the four Kumaras came into existence, they were all embodiments of pure qualities. Upon remembering his name, Sanat kumara appears before them and the discussions between him and Dhritarashtra by way of question and answer session is called Sanat Sujatiya.
The Sanat Sujatiya refers to a portion of the Mahābhārata. It appears in the Udyoga Parva, and is composed of five chapters (Adyāya 41-46).[ One reason for the Sanat Sujatiya's importance is that it was commented upon by Adi Shankara the preeminent expositor of Advaita Vedanta, and one of the most important Hindu sages, philosophers, and mystics.
Synopsis of Sanat Sujatiya
Sanat-sujata said, ‘that asceticism which is not stained by faults is said to be capable of procuring emancipation, and is, therefore, successful, while the asceticism that is stained by vanity and want of true devotion is regarded unsuccessful.
Dhritarashtra said, ‘I have listened to what you said about asceticism unstained by faults, and by which I have succeeded in knowing an eternal mystery. Tell me now, O Sanat-sujata, about asceticism that is stained by faults!’
O king, the twelve, including anger is the faults of asceticism that is stained. Anger, lust, avarice, ignorance of right and wrong, discontent, cruelty, malice, vanity, grief, love of pleasure, envy, and speaking ill of others, are generally the faults of human beings. These twelve should always be avoided by men.
(1)Assertion of one’s own superiority, (2)desire of enjoying others’ wives, (3)humiliating others from excess of pride, (4)wrathfulness, (5)fickleness, and (6)refusing to maintain those worthy of being maintained, these six acts of wickedness are always practised by sinful men defying all dangers here and hereafter.
(1)He that regards the gratification of lust to be one of life’s aims, (2) he that is exceedingly proud, (3) he that grieves having given away, (4) he that never spends money, (5) he that persecutes his subjects by exacting hateful taxes, (6) he that delights in the humiliation of others, and (7) he that hates his own wives,–these seven are others that are also called wicked.
(1)Righteousness, (2)truth (abstention from injury and truthfulness of speech), (3)self-restraint, (4)asceticism, (5)delight in the happiness of others, (6)modesty, (7)forbearance, (8)love of others, (9)sacrifices, (10)gifts, (11)perseverance, (12)knowledge of the scriptures,–these twelve constitute the practices of Brahmans.
He that succeeds in acquiring these twelve becomes competent to sway the entire earth. He that is endued with three, two, or even one, of these, should be regarded of heavenly prosperity. Self-restraint, renunciation, and knowledge of self, in these are emancipation. Those Brahmans that are endued with wisdom, say, that these are attributes in which truth predominates. Self-restraint is constituted by eighteen virtues.
The eighteen faults (that have been enumerated) constitute what is called mada or pride.Breaches and non-observance of ordained acts and omissions, falsehood, malice, lust, wealth, love of (sensual) pleasure, anger, grief, thirst, avarice, deceit, joy in the misery of others, envy, injuring others, regret, aversion from pious acts, forgetfulness of duty, calumniating others, and vanity-he that is freed from these (eighteen) vices; is said by the righteous to be self-restrained.
Renunciation is of six kinds. ‘The six kinds of renunciation are all commendable. They are these: The first is never experiencing joy on occasions of prosperity. The second is the abandonment of sacrifices, prayers, and pious acts. That which is called the third is the abandonment of desire or withdrawing from the world. Indeed, it is in consequence of this third kind of renunciation of desire, which is evidenced by the abandonment of all objects of enjoyment (without enjoying them) and not their abandonment after having enjoyed them to the fill, nor by abandonment after acquisition, nor by abandonment only after one has become incompetent to enjoy from loss of appetite. The fourth kind of renunciation consists in this: One should not grieve nor suffer his self to be afflicted by grief when one’s actions fail, notwithstanding one’s possession of all the virtues and all kinds of wealth. Or, when anything disagreeable happens, one feels no pain. The fifth kind of renunciation consists in not soliciting even one’s sons, wives, and others that may all be very dear. The sixth kind consists in giving away to a deserving person who solicits, which act of gifts is always productive of merit. By these again, one acquires the knowledge of self.
As regards this last attribute, it involves eight qualities. These are truth, meditation, distinction of subject and object, capacity for drawing inferences, withdrawal from the world, never taking what belong to others, the practices of Brahmacharya vows (abstinence), and non-acceptance (of gifts).
So also the attribute of mada (the opposite of dama or self-restraint) has faults which have all been indicated (in the scriptures). These faults should be avoided. I have spoken to you of renunciation and self-knowledge. And self-knowledge has eight virtues, so the want of it has eight faults. Those faults should be avoided. O Bharata, he that is liberated from the five senses, mind, the past and the future, becomes happy. O king, let your soul be devoted to truth; all the worlds are established on truth; indeed, self-control, renunciation, and self-knowledge are said to have truth for their foremost attribute.
These three, viz., the desire of enjoyments, lust and wrath lead foolish men to death.
Thank you very much sir.. After knowing about this in mahabharatha, I was eager to know further about this...Thank you sir...Thanks to kitcha for bumping the thread..
There is a commentary by Adi Sankara on Sanatsujatheeyam. This is published by Sri Gnanananda niketan, sri Gnanananda thapovanam, via villupuram dt, Tamilnadu. PIN 605756. This is in sanskrit and in tamil. Kindly contact the manager of the Ashram. They will send it to you.
I have one more book in Tamil natakam form written by VS Mani iyer. You may not get a copy of this. I have one. If you are in chennai you can come to my house and take xerox copies and return it to me. This is more lucid.
I would love to loan it but my experience has been pretty bad. I have lost valuable books and I have spent half of my life looking for fresh copies.
My tel. no is 9380288980. chennai. Thanks, N.R.Ranganathan.
Sanat Sujatiya-San-Eng PDF-Mp3 and video
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