Titiksa

Viveka chudamani 24

Religious leaders tend to talk a lot about and glorify meek surrender and silent suffering. Particularly the poems of Bhakti glorify oppression and sees inquiry as arrogance and rebelling.

It is this very thought is discussed in the verse 24 of vivekachudamani where Adi-Shankaracharya calls it Titiksa. This is often translated as meek surrender and silent suffering. This is about the projection we apply.  That is to say challenges and hurdles are bound to happen, pain is inevitable, suffering is a choice.

The ability to face the hurdle with equanimity and find a resolution is the goal. This process reveals to us our own strengths and weakness. Accepting both the strength and weakness without wallowing in it is the surrender or titiksa.

Sahanam srava dukhanampratikarapurvkam

Cintavita parahitams titksa nigadyate IIVC-24II

Titiksa is the capacity to endure all sorrow and suffering without struggling for redress or revenge, being always free from anxiety of lament over them.