देवो भवाऽथ यक्षो वा पुरुषः पादपोऽथवा । तावत्तव महाबाहो नोपायोऽस्तीह कश्चन ॥ ३० ॥
dēvō bhavā’tha yakṣō vā puruṣaḥ pādapō’thavā | tāvattava mahābāhō nōpāyō’stīha kaścana || 30 ||
Translation
Be a god, or a yakṣa, or a man, or a tree: until then, mighty-armed one, there is no means here at all.
Word by word
- dēvō
- (devaḥ) a god
- bhava
- be
- atha
- or
- yakṣō
- (yakṣaḥ) a yakṣa
- vā
- or
- puruṣaḥ
- a man
- pādapō
- (pādapaḥ) a tree
- athavā
- or
- tāvat
- until then
- tava
- for you
- mahābāhō
- mighty-armed one
- na
- no
- upāyō
- (upāyaḥ) means
- asti
- there is
- iha
- here
- kaścana
- at all
Meaning
The commentary raises a hope: one might aim for a better birth, as a god, in which knowledge would come without labour. The verse answers it. Whatever the birth, until the mind is set on gaining virtue there is no means to the highest goal. The tree at the end of the list is chosen for contrast; even a god is no better off than a tree in this.