एकस्मिन्नेव फलदे गुणे बलमुपागते । क्षीयन्ते सर्व एवाऽऽशु दोषा विवशचेतसः ॥ ३१ ॥
ēkasminnēva phaladē guṇē balamupāgatē | kṣīyantē sarva ēvā’’śu dōṣā vivaśacētasaḥ || 31 ||
Translation
When a single fruitful virtue has grown strong, all the faults of the helpless mind quickly waste away.
Word by word
- ēkasmin
- a single
- ēva
- indeed
- phaladē
- fruitful
- guṇē
- virtue
- balam
- strength
- upāgatē
- when has grown
- kṣīyantē
- waste away
- sarva
- (sarve) all
- āśu
- quickly
- dōṣā
- (doṣāḥ) the faults
- vivaśa
- of the helpless
- cētasaḥ
- mind
Meaning
The commentary: once one fruitful virtue is firm, all the faults of the mind that was ruled by them soon fade. Vivaśa-cetas, the mind not its own master, is the mind before the virtue took hold. The faults are not fought one by one. They weaken together when one strength is established.