एकं वा सर्वयत्नेन प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा समाश्रयेत् । एकस्मिन् वशगे यान्ति चत्वारोऽपि वशं यतः ॥ ६१ ॥
ēkaṁ vā sarvayatnēna prāṇāṁstyaktvā samāśrayēt | ēkasmin vaśagē yānti catvārō’pi vaśaṁ yataḥ || 61 ||
Translation
Or else, with all effort, take refuge in even one, at the cost of life itself. For when one is mastered, all four come under your sway.
Word by word
- ēkaṁ
- one
- vā
- or
- sarva
- with all
- yatnēna
- effort
- prāṇāṁs
- (prāṇān) life
- tyaktvā
- at the cost of
- samāśrayēt
- take refuge
- ēkasmin
- one
- vaśagē
- when ... is mastered
- yānti
- come
- catvārō
- (catvāraḥ) four
- api
- all
- vaśaṁ
- under your sway
- yataḥ
- for
Meaning
This is the end of the descending counsel, and its most hopeful moment. Prāṇān tyaktvā, giving up life: the commentary says, staking one's life on it. So one is enough, provided it is taken with total seriousness. The reason given is that the four are not separate. One who has real contentment has already gained a good deal of calm. One who truly inquires will soon seek the wise. Whichever gate a reader finds nearest, that is the place to begin.