ज्ञानं त्रिलोके सकले

Summary

In this world, all rules and regulations are never beneficial without knowledge; they become beneficial only when applied with equanimity and understanding. Therefore, those who wish to avoid harm and seek welfare rely solely on knowledge. Just as a maddened elephant cannot be controlled without a goad, similarly, when the mind, like a maddened elephant, abandons the right path and heads toward wrong directions, humans cannot subdue it without the goad of knowledge. The mind of humans, unruly like a mad elephant, can only be restrained by the power of knowledge when it goes astray; no other means exist. The sun provides only limited light in its fixed domain during the day, setting at night, and its light is obscured by clouds. However, the light of knowledge shines constantly across all three worlds and beyond, throughout the past, present, and future, day and night, without any obstruction. Therefore, the illumination of knowledge is even greater than that of the sun. These verses from the Subhashita Ratna Sandoha emphasize that knowledge is the ultimate guide for achieving welfare and controlling the restless mind, surpassing even the sun in its perpetual and boundless radiance.