यो यमर्थं प्रार्थयते तदर्थं चेहते क्रमात् । अवश्यं स तमाप्नोति न चेदर्धान्निवर्त्तते ॥ १२ ॥
yō yamarthaṁ prārthayatē tadarthaṁ cēhatē kramāt | avaśyaṁ sa tamāpnōti na cēdardhānnivarttatē || 12 ||
Translation
Whoever wants a thing and strives for it step by step surely gets it, if he does not turn back halfway.
Word by word
- yō
- (yaḥ) whoever
- yam
- a thing
- arthaṁ
- which; for
- prārthayatē
- wants
- tad
- (tat) it
- ca
- and
- īhatē
- strives
- kramāt
- step by step
- avaśyaṁ
- surely
- sa
- he
- tam
- it
- āpnōti
- gets
- na
- not
- cēd
- (cet) if
- ardhān
- (ardhāt) halfway
- nivarttatē
- turn back
Meaning
The law of effort in one line. Wanting, striving "in order" (kramāt), and not turning back halfway (ardhāt) lead surely (avaśyam) to the goal. The commentary notices the word kramāt: where obstacles spoil a work, it is because the order scripture prescribes was abandoned; done with all its parts, the work bears fruit. Most failures, the verse implies, are not defeats but desertions. The reader may count the things he gave up half done and ask how many were truly impossible.