एतत्सृष्ट्वा पुनर्देवश्चिन्तयामास भूतकृत् । पुंसां नाऽनेन सर्गस्य दुःखस्याऽन्त इति स्वयम् ॥ २० ॥
ētatsṛṣṭvā punardēvaścintayāmāsa bhūtakṛt | puṁsāṁ nā’nēna sargasya duḥkhasyā’nta iti svayam || 20 ||
Translation
Having made these, the god, the maker of beings, reflected once more within himself: "This will not end the sorrow of people in creation."
Word by word
- ētat
- these
- sṛṣṭvā
- having made
- punar
- (punaḥ) once more
- dēvaś
- (devaḥ) the god
- cintayāmāsa
- reflected
- bhūta
- of beings
- kṛt
- the maker
- puṁsāṁ
- of people
- na
- not
- anēna
- by this
- sargasya
- in creation
- duḥkhasya
- of the sorrow
- anta
- (antaḥ) an end
- iti
- thus
- svayam
- within himself
Meaning
The creator examines his own remedy and finds it does not work. It is a remarkable thing to put in a sacred text. Vasiṣṭha lets the highest of beings make an honest assessment of religious works: they are good, and they do not reach the root. People can be austere, charitable and truthful, and go on being unhappy, and most of us know someone, possibly ourselves, in whom this is clear. The reason is given next. Note the word svayam again: nobody corrected him. A mature practitioner comes to this conclusion unaided, having tried. Those who have not yet tried should not take this verse as an excuse.