एते सेव्याः प्रयत्नेन चत्वारो द्वौ त्रयोऽथवा । द्वारमुद्घाटयन्त्येते मोक्षराजगृहे तथा ॥ ६० ॥
ētē sēvyāḥ prayatnēna catvārō dvau trayō’thavā | dvāramudghāṭayantyētē mōkṣarājagṛhē tathā || 60 ||
Translation
These should be served with effort, the four, or two, or three, for they open the door in the royal house of liberation.
Word by word
- ētē
- these
- sēvyāḥ
- should be served
- prayatnēna
- with effort
- catvārō
- (catvāraḥ) the four
- dvau
- two
- trayō
- (trayaḥ) three
- athavā
- or
- dvāram
- the door
- udghāṭayanti
- open
- mōkṣa
- of liberation
- rājagṛhē
- in the royal house
- tathā
- so
Meaning
Door-keepers must be won over. The commentary reads the verse as a descending counsel: serve all four if you can; if not, three; if not, two. It is a merciful teaching. Vasiṣṭha has been sharp about unfit students, and here he shows that he knows people cannot do everything at once.