Prasnottara Ratna Malika of Sri Sri Sankara comprises of Questions and Answers pertaining to both Spiritual and Mundane living.
Q: What is to be accepted without hesitation?
A: The words of a Guru.
Q: Who is Guru?
A: One who has realized the
Truth and is always wishing good of the disciple from his heart.
Q: What is to be given up?
A: Action which is against
Dharma.
Q: What should a wise man do with the utmost urgency?
A: Breaking the cycle of
births and deaths.
Q: Which is the seed of Moksha?
A: True knowledge which is put
to practice.
Q: Which is the greatest deed?
A: Following Dharma.
Q: Who is clean in this world?
A: He who has a clear mind.
Q: Who is wise?
A: He who has discrimination,
who can discriminate between Good and Bad, Dharma and Adharma, Eternal and the Ephemeral etc.
Q: What is poison?
A: Disrespecting the views of wise
and elders.
Q: What is the essence of this Samsaara (cycle
of births and deaths)
A: It is the frequent
contemplation on the question ‘What is this Samsaara?’
Q: What should a man ask for?
A: Take birth in this world for the
benefit of oneself and others.
Q: Which is as intoxicating as
liquor?
A: Love.
Q: Who are thieves?
A: Five senses seeking Pleasures.
Q: Which is the Samsaara creeper?
A: Desire.
Q: Who is the greatest enemy?
A: Lethargy.
Q: What is fear?
A: Anxiety of death.
Q: Who is worse than a blind person?
A: One who is in the grip of lust.
Q: Who is valiant?
A: One who is not lured by the
eye-arrows (gaze) of beautiful women.
Q: What is fit to drink like
nectar?
A: Advice of good (saintly) people.
Q: What is the root of dignity?
A: By not asking for anything.
Q: Which is deep?
A: Character of women.
Q: Who is clever?
A: One who is not fooled by the enticement of a woman.
Q: What is sorrow?
A: Discontentment.
Q: What makes one become a laughing
stock in the view of others?
A: Begging from a mean person.
Q: What is life as it should be?
A: That which is unblemished.
Q: What is stupidity?
A: Not practicing what one has
learned.
Q: Who is awake?
A: He who knows knowing is doing.
Q: Who is asleep?
A: The one who thinks Ignorance is bliss.
Q: Which is volatile like a drop of
water on a lotus leaf?
A: Youth, wealth and life span
of a person.
Q: Who are those who, like the rays
of the moon, make people happy?
A: Good person.
Q: Which is Hell?
A: Being under the control of
another.
Q: What is Happiness?
A: Giving up all attachments.
Q: What is to be achieved?
A: Doing good to all living beings.
Q: What is dear to all beings?
A: One’s own life.
Q: What will result in misfortune?
A: Narcissism.
A: Narcissism.
Q: What will provide Happiness?
A: Friendship with the good.
Q: Who is good at wiping out all
sorrows?
A: One who has learnt to let go.
Q: What is Death?
A: Stupidity.
Q: What is invaluable?
A: That which is given at the
appropriate moment when it is most needed by the recipient.
Q: What will be a thorn in the flesh until
one’s death?
A: A sin committed clandestinely.
Q: Where should one direct
one’s efforts?
A: In the acquisition of
knowledge, health, and in being generous with the needy.
Q: What should one pay no
attention to?
A: Bad character, other man’s
wife and wealth.
Q: What one should think of day and
night?
A: How to evanescence this
world (samsaara) not about beautiful women.
Q: What should be the object
of one’s love?
A: Kindness towards the
miserable and friendship with the good.
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