A precious slokā from Jeevan Mukti Vivekah

 vidyate na khalu kascid upAya˛ sarvalokaparitosakaro yah |

sarvathA svahitAm Acaraneeyam¸ kim¸ karisyati jano bahujalpa ||

One can find (or knows) no way of completely satisfying the whole world.

By all means one should manage one's own welfare. What can criticizing people do to you?

Jivan Mukti Viveka – 2.4.48

The context for this - is the section on _suddhAsuddhavAsanA_ in Jivan Mukti Viveka. Here while contemplating on how to safeguard knowledge (or one's sraddha in Brahma Vidya), I came across this sloka. The motivation for my investigation is - if one has done Sravanam, Mananam for few years - there arises this clarity that this Atma Bhavam has its basis on the Atman - which is Pure Chaithanyam. Yet due to Vasana Dosham (i.e. tendency to persist with Superimposition and consider the superimposition as real), we are subject to mental vacillation, mood swings etc.... so how to protect the Sraddha on Brahma Vidya ? While thinking thus - I saw this beautiful sloka - which teaches us that purpose of Brahma Vidya is not to make us someone great 😃.... (like we use the term great in worldly sense - great engineer, great vidwan etc) but to let us lead a simple life, while exhausting our prarabdham, without losing sight of his inherent spiritual nature - Atman.

As part of the process of "leading simple life" - we may have to encounter criticism etc from various quarters, as per our prarabdham, so its important to realize - we are not here to satisfy each and every one, but adhere to our duties. If we have such an introvert attitude, driven by Jnana Nista - we will be largely immune to external criticism and our sraddha on Brahma Vidya (i.e. our inherent divinity as Atma Chaithanyam) remains intact.

 There are several nuggets in Jivan Mukti Viveka of Sri MAdhava Vidyaranya. Unique approach of this document is its filled with several scriptural quotations - whilst substantiating Sampradhaya Anukula Yukti. So the benefit of studying several Vedanta, Dharma Sastram + performing mananam, with proper guidance is also served.