SAUNDARANANDA 12.37: Sensory Power, Strength, Wealth

praadhaanyaad indriyam iti
sthiratvaad balam ity ataH
guNa-daaridrya-shamanaad
dhanam ity abhivarNitaa

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12.37
From its primacy I describe it as Sensory Power;

From its constancy, as Strength;

And because it relieves poverty of virtue

I describe it as Wealth.

COMMENT:
The primacy of confidence is related, on the deepest level of the use and functioning of the human organism, with the influence of fear on the vestibular system.

The primacy of confidence is related in particular with that use of the head, neck and back in relation to each other that FM Alexander termed the Primary Control, whose influence extends to all the senses. From where I sit it is not a question of identifying A with B, but rather a being awake to the fact that, in recognizing the primacy of confidence, A and B were singing from the same hymn sheet.

What is constant in the matter of confidence might be the tendency that energy has to spread out, as described by the 2nd law of thermodynamics; again, what is constant might be the reality that effect follows from cause, that oak trees grow from acorns, that corn grows from corn seed, and that freedom from suffering follows from stopping off the end-gaining idea that triggers the faults that cause suffering.

Greedy end-gaining impoverishes human virtue. Even a servant of the Buddha, if he goes about his work with an avid desire to get somewhere, impatiently, eagerly, selfishly, with an attitude of "I am going to fulfil my own all-important historical mission regardless of how much collateral damage I cause," then even service rendered to the Buddha becomes something ignoble. (This is not the mirror principle at work; I am talking about a tendency in nobody but myself.)

When there is real confidence that the right thing does itself, in contrast, there is no temptation to try to get the right thing to do itself by virtue-impoverished end-gaining.

EH Johnston:
It is described as the Faculty from its being the most important, as Strength from its steadfastness, and as Wealth from its abolishing poverty of virtue.

Linda Covill:
It is described as 'the sense organ' because of its prevalence, and as 'strong' because of its persistence, and as 'wealth' because it allays the impoverishment of virtue.


VOCABULARY:
praadhaanyaad = ablative of praadhaanya: predominance , prevalence , ascendency , supremacy
indriyam (accusative): fit for or belonging to or agreeable to indra ; power , force , the quality which belongs especially to the mighty indra ; bodily power , power of the senses ; sense , organ of sense
iti: as " "

sthiratvaad = ablative of sthiratva: hardness, stability , constancy, steadfastness
balam (accusative): power, strength, might
iti: as " "
atas: hence, for this reason

guNa: good quality , virtue , merit , excellence
daaridrya: poverty
shamanaad = ablative of shamana: n. the act of calming , appeasing , allaying , tranquillization , pacification , extinction , destruction

dhanam (accusative): prize, booty, prey; any valued object , (esp.) wealth , riches , (movable) property , money , treasure , gift; capital
iti: as " "
abhivarNitaa: (f.) described