यदि विज्ञानविश्रान्तिर्न भवेद्भव्यचेतसः । तदस्यां संसृतौ साधुश्चिन्तामौढ्यं सहेत कः ॥ ८ ॥
yadi vijñānaviśrāntirna bhavēdbhavyacētasaḥ | tadasyāṁ saṁsṛtau sādhuścintāmauḍhyaṁ sahēta kaḥ || 8 ||
Translation
If a noble-minded person had no repose in knowledge, who that is good could bear, in this round of life, the bewilderment of its cares?
Word by word
- yadi
- if
- vijñāna
- in knowledge
- viśrāntir
- (viśrāntiḥ) repose
- na
- no
- bhavēd
- (bhavet) had
- bhavya
- noble
- cētasaḥ
- minded person
- tad
- then
- asyāṁ
- in this
- saṁsṛtau
- round of life
- sādhuś
- (sādhuḥ) good
- cintā
- of its cares
- mauḍhyaṁ
- the bewilderment
- sahēta
- could bear
- kaḥ
- who
Meaning
The commentary says this answers doubt about the repose itself. The argument is from experience: thoughtful people do go on living, so there must be something that holds them. Otherwise, says the commentary, a good person could not bear it and would be ready to give up the body, as Rāma was. It is a daring thing to say to him. Vasiṣṭha takes Rāma's despair seriously. He does not call it foolish. He says that a clear mind which sees what Rāma sees, and has found nothing more, would be right to find life unbearable, and that this is why something more must be found.