तस्माद् एको ऽहम् एकाहम् एकैकस्मिन् वनस्पतौ ॥
चरन् भैक्षं मुनिर् मुण्डश् चरिष्यामि महीम् इमाम् ॥
पांसुना समवच्छन्नः शून्यागारप्रतिश्रयः ॥
वृक्षमूलनिकेतो वा त्यक्तसर्वप्रियाप्रियः ॥
न शोचन् न प्रहृष्यंश् च तुल्यनिन्दात्मसंस्तुतिः ॥
निराशीर् निर्नमस्कारो निर्द्वन्द्वो निष्परिग्रहः ॥
न चाप्य् अवहसन् कं चिन् न कुर्वन् भ्रुकुटीं क्व चित् ॥
प्रसन्नवदनो नित्यं सर्वभूतहिते रतः ॥
जङ्गमाजङ्गमं सर्वम् अविहिंसंश् चतुर्विधम् ॥
स्वासु प्रजास्व् इव सदा समः प्राणभृतां प्रति ॥
tasmād eko 'ham ekāham ekaikasmin vanaspatau ||
caran bhaikṣaṃ munir muṇḍaś cariṣyāmi mahīm imām ||
pāṃsunā samavacchannaḥ śūnyāgārapratiśrayaḥ ||
vṛkṣamūlaniketo vā tyaktasarvapriyāpriyaḥ ||
na śocan na prahṛṣyaṃś ca tulyanindātmasaṃstutiḥ ||
nirāśīr nirnamaskāro nirdvandvo niṣparigrahaḥ ||
na cāpy avahasan kaṃ cin na kurvan bhrukuṭīṃ kva cit ||
prasannavadano nityaṃ sarvabhūtahite rataḥ ||
jaṅgamājaṅgamaṃ sarvam avihiṃsaṃś caturvidham ||
svāsu prajāsv iva sadā samaḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ prati ||
"So I, alone, spending one day under each tree, begging alms, a shaven muni, shall wander this earth -- covered with dust, taking shelter in empty dwellings or at the root of a tree, having abandoned all that is dear and undear; neither grieving nor rejoicing, equal to blame and self-praise, free of desires, not seeking honors, beyond dualities, without possessions; mocking no one, never frowning, ever with a serene face, devoted to the welfare of all beings; harming none of the fourfold creation -- moving and unmoving -- ever equal toward all living beings, as toward my own children."
85ecf9a0f39c · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:30:27 PM UTC
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Here Pandu draws the image of the perfect muni -- and his words echo remarkably the description of one established in wisdom (sthita-prajna) in the Bhagavad-gita. Telling are the traits of this ideal: equanimity toward grief and joy, blame and praise, freedom from desire and possession, freedom from the dualities (dvandva), clarity of spirit, and devotion to the welfare of all beings (sarvabhuta-hita). This is the lofty ideal of dispassion and nonviolence (ahimsa): the muni "harms none of the fourfold creation" and is equal toward all creatures, "as toward his own children" -- an image of universal compassion. It is significant that the Gita ascribes these same qualities to the devotee (bhakta) as well: equanimity, freedom from anger, friendliness toward all beings. Thus scripture, through Pandu's words, reveals a ladder of spiritual ascent; and it is crowned not by dry renunciation but by that same equanimity born of love for the Lord and of seeing Him in all beings.