“Delights” are for everyday and for everybody. It can spring in a moment and last a lifetime, it may also take “a lifetime’s efforts” to be and to stay delighted.
In Samskrita, delight is termed as सुख/Sukha.
IS DELIGHT CRITICAL TO LIFE?
Delight is extremely critical to life. Life revolves so much around Sukha that it is one of the four निमित्त कारण/ Nimitta Karanas (instrumental causes) determining the quality of life. The other three निमित्त कारण/ Nimitta Karanas are असुख/Asukha(दुःख or Dukha), हित/ Hita and अहित/ Ahita. Every organization is in a pursuit to offer this (delight) factor through their products and services. From baby products to diamond jewelry to diapers to the elderly. From hospitals to medical devices, to hospitality services to accounting solutions – everything that sells are marketed with a prospective USP of making life delightful and every individual is looking at and evaluating the various delightful factors available to make life beautiful and better.
TYPES OF Sukha/ DELIGHT
Sukha/ Delight is of two types. This is explained by Arunadatta in his commentary as
सुख द्विविधं तादात्मिकमात्यन्तिक च Sukha dvividham taaddatvikamaatyantika ca – Sukha are two types – तादात्विक सुख/ Taadaatvika Sukha and आत्यन्तिक सुख/ Aatyantika Sukha.
According to Hemadri – सुख कामो मोक्षश्च Sukha Kaamo mokshascha. – Sukha is both काम/Kaama and मोक्ष/ Moksha
- तादात्विक सुख/Taadaatvika Sukha: – Momentary pleasure
तादात्विक सुख कियत्कालान्तरास्थायित्वात्सुखावबभास, न परमार्थत सुखम्
Taadaatvika kiyatkaalaantraasthayitvatsukhavabhasa, na paramaarthata sukham
This is the momentary pleasure which lasts for a short-while (Kiyatkaala) and is not eternal (asthayi). Caraka in sutrasthana, chapter 28 explains as below
तादात्वसुखसज्ञेषु भावेष्वज्ञोऽनुरज्यते
Taadaatvasukhasangneshu bhaveshu agno anurajyate
A common man (agna) will associate (anurajyate) with illusionary, momentary joys (taadaatva sukha sangneshu bhaveshu)
These momentary pleasures are identified as “sukha sangna” since these are illusionary, deceptive joys.
तादात्विक सुख/Taadaatvika Sukha quite often leads to incremental desires which pave the way for break through discoveries and evolving improvements. तादात्विक सुख/Taadaatvika Sukha sparks the desire to do more, be more and achieve more.
This Taadaatvika Sukha is nothing but Kaama. Kaama keeps the man concurrently bound to joys and sorrows.
- आत्यन्तिक सुख/ Aatyantika Sukha: -Eternal Bliss
आत्यन्तिक सुख मोक्षाख्य, यत्र न दुःखान श्लेष Aatyantika sukha mokshakhya, yatra na dukha na shlesha
आत्यन्तिक सुख/ Aatyantika Sukha is Moksha. In this delight, there is no pain (Na dukha) and no attachment (Na shlesha). This is the delight which is pure, endless, uninterrupted and universal.
Aaytantika Sukha is a sequential progression from Taadatvika Sukha.
While Taadaatvika Sukha is earth bound, Aatyantika Sukha unites us with nature or Brahman.
आरोग्य/ Aarogya is key to savour both kinds of delights – काम/ Kaama and मोक्ष/ Moksha which constitute 2 of the 4 पुरुषार्थ/ Purusharthas – pursuits of life. Aarogya is also key to fulfill the other 2 Purusharthas – धर्म/ Dharma (Righteousness) and अर्थ/ Artha (Economic prosperity). To achieve Aarogya, it is required to follow the principles of Ayurveda to the T.
This is summed up in Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra sthana, Chapter – 1 as
आयुः कामयमानेन धर्मार्थसुखसाधनम्।
आयुर्वेदोपदेशेषु विधेयः परमाधरः।। Aayuhukaamayamaanena dharmartha sukhasaadanam
Aayurvedopadesheshu vidheyaha paramaadaraha.
To conclude, stay healthy to stay delighted now and forever.