यदनन्तमनायासं तत्पदं सारसिद्धये । साधनीयं प्रयत्नेन पुरुषेण विजानता ॥ २४ ॥
yadanantamanāyāsaṁ tatpadaṁ sārasiddhayē | sādhanīyaṁ prayatnēna puruṣēṇa vijānatā || 24 ||
Translation
That state which is endless and without toil is to be won with effort by a person who understands, for the attainment of what is essential.
Word by word
- yad
- that which
- anantam
- endless
- anāyāsaṁ
- without toil
- tat
- that
- padaṁ
- state
- sāra
- of what is essential
- siddhayē
- for the attainment
- sādhanīyaṁ
- is to be won
- prayatnēna
- with effort
- puruṣēṇa
- by a person
- vijānatā
- who understands
Meaning
Here is a real paradox: something an-āyāsam, without toil, has to be achieved prayatnena, with effort. It is exact. All the labour lies in clearing away what stands in the way. The state itself is not produced. So the effort is real, and its object is effortless. The commentary reads the 'state' as knowledge, which is limitless and free of the least trouble.