योऽस्मत्तातस्य कूपोऽयमिति कौपं पिबत्यपः । त्यक्त्वा गाङ्गं पुरःस्थं तं कोऽनुशास्त्यतिरागिणम् ॥ ४ ॥
yō’smattātasya kūpō’yamiti kaupaṁ pibatyapaḥ | tyaktvā gāṅgaṁ puraḥsthaṁ taṁ kō’nuśāstyatirāgiṇam || 4 ||
Translation
One who drinks water from a well because 'this is my father's well', leaving the Gaṅgā flowing before him: who can teach such a one, so attached?
Word by word
- yō
- (yaḥ) one who
- asmat
- my
- tātasya
- father’s
- kūpō
- (kūpaḥ) well
- ayam
- this
- iti
- because
- kaupaṁ
- from a well
- pibati
- drinks
- apaḥ
- water
- tyaktvā
- leaving
- gāṅgaṁ
- the Gaṅgā’s water
- puraḥsthaṁ
- flowing before him
- taṁ
- him
- kō
- (kaḥ) who
- anuśāsti
- can teach
- atirāgiṇam
- so attached
Meaning
The commentary sets the objection: if any work of human mind will do, why not the works of our own forefathers? The verse answers with a picture. Loyalty to the family well is a virtue until the Gaṅgā is in front of you. Clinging to what is one's own, just because it is one's own, closes the mind to teaching.