vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumāṁś carati niḥspṛhaḥ nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati
"One who has abandoned all desires and moves about without craving, without any sense of 'mine' and without ego—that person attains peace."
What This Means:
The person who has given up all selfish desires, who has no craving, no possessiveness ('this is mine'), and no ego ('I am great')—that person finds real peace. These are the three things you need to let go of: desire, possessiveness, and ego. Drop them, and peace is yours.
Going Deeper:
Three conditions for peace: nihspriha (without craving), nirmama (without 'mine-ness'), and nirahamkara (without ego). These correspond to desire, attachment, and identification. The ego creates the sense of a separate self that desires and claims ownership. When the ego dissolves, what's left is peace—not acquired, but revealed.
How To Apply This:
Examine these three in yourself: What do you crave? What do you claim as 'mine' (possessions, relationships, reputation, ideas)? What does your ego need to maintain (being right, being respected, being special)? Each attachment is a point of vulnerability. Loosening these grips brings freedom.
Key Sanskrit Terms: