Qualities of the wise - know thyself - आत्मज्ञानम्

Self-knowledge, initiative, forbearance, steadfast in core values
(helped by these four) who is not distracted from goal, that is called a wise person.

ātmajñānam samārambhastitikṣhā dharmanityatā ।
yamarthānnāpakarṣhanti sa vai paṇḍita uchyate ॥

AtmaGYaanam samArambhastitikShA dharmanityatA |
yamarthAnnApakarShanti sa vai paNDita uchyate ||

आत्मज्ञानं समारम्भस्तितिक्षा धर्मनित्यता ।
यमर्थान्नापकर्षन्ति स वै पण्डित उच्यते ॥

This gem from Vidura speaks about four essential qualities of wise people.

Know Thyself

It is very important to know oneself—be it spiritually or practically. In the real world’s success, one must know oneself: likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, abilities, skills, and interests. This applies to start-up entrepreneurs as well as large-scale leaders of the masses. We need to know what ticks us and what ticks us off.

A lot of start-up businesses fail. One of the main reasons is not knowing oneself properly. Is this a short-term excitement, or am I in it for the long term? Am I doing this because it is the cool thing, the "in" thing, or because it will make a lot of money—even though my heart is not in it? From Socrates to modern workshops, all say: Know yourself.

If you pursue a job just for money, even if you dislike the subject, you may end up more miserable than happy—for money can't buy happiness, even if you shop at the right exclusive stores. :) Not everyone is cut out to be a lawyer—many of us still have some ethics left! Not everyone can be a doctor, no matter what Indian parents want their children to be. The crux of the latest Hindi blockbuster movie 3 Idiots is exactly this.

This doesn’t mean escaping from work and responsibility, but rather understanding yourself and being content with what your personality allows you to do and succeed in—whether less or more. Find yourself, flourish in your strengths rather than fall in your weaknesses.

Proper Initiative

The wise don't just talk; they don't just plan—they act. Some think of this as grabbing an opportunity; others call it beating the competition while they sleep. New markets are opened, new ideas are unleashed.

Ideas without execution are nothing.

Great idea = $20.

Great idea with execution = $20 million!

Taking initiative also takes guts. The wise—the leader, the innovator—has both the idea and the execution. Execution requires teamwork, and getting the right team is another challenge, but the wise don’t let ideas sit idle. They take initiative—even when others think it is impossible or unwise. Someone must stand alone in the storm with a candle, determined to get it done.

And proper initiative—a planned one, not haphazard or unstructured. Those that lack planning are set for failure even before they start.

Forbearance

We are all taught to handle sorrow and bear pain. "What doesn’t kill us builds character," as Calvin’s dad says in Calvin and Hobbes. But in leadership and in life, we need to learn to handle both—success and failure, joy and sorrow.

Many times, we don’t expect success, and when we get it, we underplay it. Other times, if we haven’t faced failure before, the first taste of success gets to our heads.

There is a saying in Hindi that roughly translates to:

"One who has never seen misery is the most miserable (pitiable)."

Handling success is as important as handling failure—for the higher we rise, the greater the fall.

Many companies that thrived during boom times went bust soon after because their initial success got to their heads. They didn't think properly, plan for the future, or foresee competition approaching from the faster lane!

Many become relaxed, off-guard, even arrogantly blind when the aroma of success hits their nostrils. This intoxication makes them slide into slumber—rendering them useless.

It is important to remain the underdog. You can think of corporate examples where small companies, through struggle and perseverance, stayed alert and sensible even in the heights of success. In contrast, those who achieved easy success lost it just as quickly. Easy come, easy go.

Steadfast in Core Values

This is extremely important, yet not many understand its importance—or even its meaning.

Before embarking on any endeavor, project, company, or success journey, you had a mission, core values, and life principles. You once promised yourself: "I will never compromise on these—even for a million bucks."

And then, one day, success arrives.

Everything is great—VCs are lined up, stocks are soaring, the client list is too long to print! You have tasted success.

Now, you start thinking bigger, faster success—and some of the principles you once held so dearly begin to slow you down.

Ethics? Slowing down to smell the roses? Honesty? Compassion? Service?

And soon, you don’t even care.

Or, you face hard times. Survival is tough. Business is down. You see no other way out but to compromise—on what? Quality, core values, honesty.

"Well, these are the times we live in. It’s a dog-eat-dog world after all. The big fish eats the smaller fish."

There is no end to rationalization.

These are the moments—both in success and failure—when you forget where you started, the core values that defined you.

When you first dreamt of success, all you wanted was just enough to quit the regular 9-to-5 job and be on your own. Who would have thought you would hit it so big, so soon! Or sink so fast.

These are the moments when you must stand by your core values—the ones you established before success or failure changed you.

For if you change your core values, you haven't changed the world (as you set out to do)—you have been changed by it for the worse.

"Stand for something, or you will fall for anything."

Be true to yourself.

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And now the language aspects of the shloka -

ātmajñānam = ātma (self)+ jñānam (knowledge)
= knowledge of self

samārambhastitikṣā = sam+ārambhaḥ + titikṣhā
sam = proper
ārambhaḥ = start, initiating

titikṣhā = forbearance, endurance

dharmanityatā = dharma (right, values) + nityatā (always being, steadfastness)
yamarthānnāpakarṣhanti = yam (whom) + arthāt (from goal, purpose) + na (not) + apakarṣhanti (distracts, pulls away)
= whom these four don't allow (help in not) being astray from goal (purpose)
sa = saH = he
vai = surely
paṇḍita = wise
uchyate = is called

(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।

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