Genuineness of Uttarādhyayana-sūtra lecture IX, vs. 34-36
What is the meaning 'He who conquers himself through himself ' ?
Though a man should conquer thousands and thousands of valiant (foes), greater will be his victory if he conquers nobody but himself. (34)
Fight with your Self; why fight with external foes? He who conquers himself through himself, will obtain happiness. (35)
'The five senses, anger, pride, delusion, and greed - difficult to conquer is one's self; but when that is conquered, everything is conquered. (36)
Uttarādhyayanasūtra, ninth lecture, THE PRAVRAJYĀ OF KING NAMI vs. 34-36 transl. by Hermann Jacobi 1895 A.D.
The inspection for the real meaning of the original Prākṛt turns the above passage in bold italic letters to
'He who wins over himself and himself alone '
(i.e., by subduing) the five senses, wrath, pride, delusion as well as avarice – his self which is indeed so difficult to conquer; if the self (ātman) is conquered, everything is conquered.
The expression ‘the monk must fight his ātman with his ātman’ is confusive. Ātman is not at all to be regarded here as an entity separated from one’s own self, or rather oneself. This fight against the Ātman can in reality be fought only by oneself; in such an internal fight one cannot expect any help from external allies! One has to vanquish oneself by oneself. One remains all alone in this struggle against one’s own self, or rather oneself!
For details see inside the paper.
