अवान्तरनिपातीनि स्वारूढानि मनोरथम् । पौरुषेणेन्द्रियाण्याशु संयम्य समतां नय ॥ ३ ॥
avāntaranipātīni svārūḍhāni manōratham | pauruṣēṇēndriyāṇyāśu saṁyamya samatāṁ naya || 3 ||
Translation
The senses, each riding its own chariot of desire, keep dropping off at the halts along the way. By effort rein them in at once, and bring them to evenness.
Word by word
- avāntara
- in between
- nipātīni
- dropping off
- svā
- each its own
- ārūḍhāni
- riding
- manōratham
- the chariot of desire
- pauruṣēṇa
- by effort
- indriyāṇi
- the senses
- āśu
- at once
- saṁyamya
- reining in
- samatāṁ
- to evenness
- naya
- bring
Meaning
Avāntara-nipātīni, falling down in between. The commentary explains: the senses are always wishing, and they settle on pleasures short of liberation, those of this world or of heaven. The picture is of travellers who set out for a far city and get off at every inn. Manoratha, wish, literally means a chariot of the mind, and the senses have climbed aboard. Anyone who has sat down to serious work and found themselves, an hour later, somewhere else entirely, knows this journey. Vasiṣṭha's instruction has three parts: pauruṣeṇa, by your own effort, since nobody can do it for you; āśu, at once, since delay is how the senses win; and samatām, evenness, for the aim is not to kill them but to bring them to rest.