Satisfaction

Sarpaaha pibanti pavanam na cha durbalaaste
Shushkaihi trunaihi vana gajaa balino bhavanti |

Kandaihi phalaihi munivaraaha kshapayanti kaalam
Santosha eva purushasya param nidhaanam ||

Though the snakes live by consuming air, they are not weak.
The wild elephants spend time eating dry grass and will be strong.
The ascetics live by eating roots and fruits. Satisfaction is a man’s greatest wealth.

Here the poet is emphasizing that satisfaction is the greatest wealth. We can learn from nature that animals consume whatever that is available to them and they exercise a limit in what they consume. They do not overeat and are not gluttons. But humans are. There are many who “live to eat and not eat to live”. In a broader perspective people are never satisfied with what they have. They are always on the look out for better things. And the energy, the enthusiasm is drawn from the search rather the final harvest or goal. So, the search for something new starts again. So what is the solution??

Our goals in life have to be value based and they govern rest of the things in life.