' Swami Brahmananda Saraswati -The Six Enemies'...

"In truth then victory is really this; for the one who has no risk of inner defeat. In truth, by the suppression only of outer (usual) enemies no one can become permanently victorious; because from those enemies there is no lasting suppression. True knowledge of victory occurs then from obtaining control over internal enemies. Really, only by the permanent subjugation of internal enemies is the subjugation of the external enemy achieved; because the inner enemy gives rise to the creation of the external enemies.

"The internal enemies are kaama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (intoxification) and maatsarya (jealousy). This is really the shhaDarivarga, the group of six inner enemies which create any external enemies of the world; therefore if you wish to experience happiness and peace one must gain victory over all one's gross enemies, then you should cut off the place of birth of the six subtle enemies, kaama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (intoxification) and maatsarya (jealousy). Without gaining victory over the shhaDarivarga (group of six enemies) then you cannot completely irradicate the external enemies. This is fixed.

"This is the proven experience of those who have gained victory over these internal subtle enemies, that if the birthplace of the external enemies becomes destroyed and all enemies have become eradicated then afterwards no enemies remain and in truth this is considered to be a real victory. For him the true and lasting store-house of happiness and peace is opened."




-Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, Shankarachrya of Jyotir Math (Badarinath)
Shri Shankaracharya Vaksudha (1947)
Translation from Hindi by Paul Mason