SAUNDARANANDA 11.9: Nanda In (Or Up?) Himself

aho sadRsham aarabdhaM
shrutasy' aabhijanasya ca
nigRhiit'-endriyaH svastho
niyame yadi saMshtitaH

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11.9
"Ah! This is a beginning that befits

An educated and well-born man!

Since you are holding back the power of your senses

And abiding in yourself, intent upon restraint.


COMMENT:
"A child of three can understand this work," FM Alexander used to say, "but give me a man who has been educated, and God help me."

sva-sthaH in line 3 literally means "being/abiding in oneself," which could be a description of somebody who is naturally manifesting his original features, or could be a description of somebody who -- perhaps because of turning his own light unskilfully and failing to let it shine -- is in danger of disappearing up his own backside.

Similarly, niyame saMshtitaH in line 4 could mean "abiding in restraint"; or it could mean "being [unhealthily] focused on restraint." It could be a description of a cow that is happily grazing in a field so wide that the cow has no sense of being restrained or restricted; or it could be a description of an end-gaining ascetic who, without recourse to rope, is totally tying himself up.

Unlike the striver of cantos 8 and 9, then, who does not see the irony in his own words, Ananda as I hear him is totally aware of the irony in what he is now saying to Nanda.


EH Johnston:
"Ah! You have undertaken a task worthy of your learning and high birth in that you are settled at ease and with senses subdued in abstinence.

Linda Covill:
"If your senses are contained, if you are at ease and keeping to the rules, then oh! this is a beginning worthy of an educated and well-born person.


VOCABULARY:
aho: ind. a particle (implying joyful or painful surprise) Ah! (of enjoyment or satisfaction) Oh! etc.
sadRsham (acc. sg. n.): mfn. like, resembling, similar to (gen.) ; conformable , suitable , fit , proper , right , worthy
aarabdham (acc. sg. n.): mfn. begun , commenced , undertaken; beginning

shrutasya (gen. sg.): n. anything heard , that which has been heard (esp. from the beginning) , knowledge as heard by holy men and transmitted from generation to generation , oral tradition or revelation , sacred knowledge; n. the act of hearing ; n. learning or teaching , instruction
abhijanasya (gen. sg. ) m. family , race ; descendants ; ancestors ; noble descent
ca: and

nigRhiit'-endriyaH (nom. sg. m.): one whose sense-power is held in check
nigRhiita: mfn. held down or back , seized , caught , checked
ni- v grah : to hold down, to hold back
indriya: power of the senses
sva-sthaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. self-abiding , being in one's self (or " in the self " ), being in one's natural state , being one's self uninjured , unmolested , contented , doing well , sound, well , healthy ; relying upon one's self , confident , resolute , composed

niyame (loc. sg.): m. restraining , checking , holding back , preventing , controlling ; limitation , restriction ; any fixed rule or law ; any act of voluntary penance or meritorious piety (esp. a lesser vow or minor observance)
yadi: if, in case that
saMshtitaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. standing; abiding, remaining; being in a partic. state or condition , addicted or given to , intent upon (loc.); founded or based upon (loc.) ; skilled in , acquainted or familiar with (loc.)