प्राक्तनं चैहिकं चेति द्विविधं विद्धि पौरुषम् । प्राक्तनोऽद्यतनेनाऽऽशु पुरुषार्थेन जीयते ॥ १७ ॥
prāktanaṁ caihikaṁ cēti dvividhaṁ viddhi pauruṣam | prāktanō’dyatanēnā’’śu puruṣārthēna jīyatē || 17 ||
Translation
Know that effort is of two kinds, that of past lives and that of this one. The past is quickly overcome by present effort.
Word by word
- prāktanaṁ
- of past lives
- ca
- and
- aihikaṁ
- of this one
- iti
- thus
- dvividhaṁ
- of two kinds
- viddhi
- know
- pauruṣam
- effort
- prāktanō
- (prāktanaḥ) the past
- adyatanēna
- by present
- āśu
- quickly
- puruṣārthēna
- effort
- jīyatē
- is overcome
Meaning
The key distinction of the doctrine. There is effort done before, in past lives (prāktana), and effort done now (aihika). What we call fate is only the first, the stored result of our own earlier striving. And the present can overcome it quickly (āśu). The commentary: of the two, the effort of this life soon defeats that of past lives. This turns fatalism on its head. If "destiny" is only old effort, then new effort is its master. The reader is not a prisoner of his past; his past was made by the same power he holds now.