2.42
संतोषादनुत्तमः सुखलाभः
saṃtoṣād anuttamaḥ sukha-lābhaḥ
The line
From contentment, happiness that nothing surpasses.
नेपालीमा
सन्तोषबाट कुनै कुराले ननाघ्ने सुख आउँछ।
Where it sits
The second observance, one fruit. Discipline is next, and its fruit is mastery as impurity dwindles, which echoes 2.28.
Split: saṃtoṣāt (संतोषात्) + anuttamaḥ (अनुत्तमः) + sukha (सुख) + lābhaḥ (लाभः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| saṃtoṣāt (संतोषात्) | ablative singular | from contentment. |
| anuttamaḥ (अनुत्तमः) | nominative singular, masculine | of which nothing is higher. Unsurpassed. |
| sukha (सुख) | stem | happiness. |
| lābhaḥ (लाभः) | nominative singular, masculine | the gaining. |
The phrases
From contentment, a gaining of happiness that nothing surpasses. anuttamaḥ (अनुत्तमः) describes lābhaḥ (लाभः). saṃtoṣāt (संतोषात्) is the ablative source. Before the vowel, the t (त्) of the ablative stays, and the words meet as saṃtoṣād anuttamaḥ (संतोषादनुत्तमः): a final t (त्) before a vowel becomes d (द्), as in tadañjana (तदञ्जन).
Sanskrit in this line
Final t (त्) before a vowel becomes d (द्). saṃtoṣāt anuttamaḥ (संतोषातनुत्तमः) is saṃtoṣād anuttamaḥ (संतोषादनुत्तमः). You met this in 1.41. anuttama (अनुत्तम) is an- (अन्) plus uttama (उत्तम), “none higher.”
Say it back
Say the source and the fruit. Hear the d (द्) at the joint.
Next
2.43. From discipline, as impurity dwindles, mastery of body and senses.