Patanjali continues to detail the benefits of practicing the yams and niyamas to motivate the practitioner, here he talks of the benefit of niyama of ‘santosh’,
Santoshaadanuttamasukhalaabhah
Santoshaat: from the niyama of santosh (or contentment)
Anuttam: highest
Sukh: pleasure
Laabhah: attainment
Practicing the niyam of Santosh (contentment) leads to the attainment of highest pleasure.
Happiness is a state of being which is not dependent on what you possess in the physical, it is based on satisfaction in what you have. A person who is not satisfied with a modest house, even if all his needs are being met, he then will not be satisfied with a big house also and will be looking for an even bigger one. A person who is not satisfied with a small car, will not be satisfied with a luxury car also. There needs to be only one focus in life – that is satisfaction, satisfaction in you that you have and not have.
It is important to understand here that all that one chases in his life, is temporary and bound to leave. Even the body is not forever and perishes. And satisfaction cannot be drawn from the unreal or temporary. You will be satisfied only when your desire is real. Only a guru can take you to that state, it is not possible otherwise. Guru is the basis of satisfaction. Otherwise you cannot get satisfied with anything, because there is always something better.
