शास्त्रसज्जनसंसर्गपूर्वकैः सतपोदमैः । आदौ संसारमुक्त्यर्थं प्रज्ञामेवाऽभिवर्द्धयेत् ॥ ६७ ॥
śāstrasajjanasaṁsargapūrvakaiḥ satapōdamaiḥ | ādau saṁsāramuktyarthaṁ prajñāmēvā’bhivarddhayēt || 67 ||
Translation
First of all, for freedom from saṁsāra, one should increase wisdom itself, by means of scripture and the company of the good, together with austerity and self-restraint.
Word by word
- śāstra
- scripture
- sajjana
- of the good
- saṁsarga
- the company
- pūrvakaiḥ
- by means of
- sa
- together with
- tapō
- (tapaḥ) austerity
- damaiḥ
- and self-restraint
- ādau
- first of all
- saṁsāra
- from saṁsāra
- muktyarthaṁ
- for freedom
- prajñām
- wisdom
- ēva
- itself
- abhivarddhayēt
- one should increase
Meaning
Prajñām eva, wisdom itself. The commentary defines it as the understanding skilled in grasping and holding discernment. The tools were named before: scripture, the good, austerity, control of the senses. But austerity is here a companion. All these are useful to the extent that they sharpen understanding, and that is the aim set before them. Ādau, first of all: this comes before any of the higher practices.