दोषः शाम्यत्यसन्देहं प्राक्तनोऽद्यतनैर्गुणैः । दृष्टान्तोऽत्र ह्यस्तनस्य दोषस्याऽद्यगुणैः क्षयः ॥ १२ ॥
dōṣaḥ śāmyatyasandēhaṁ prāktanō’dyatanairguṇaiḥ | dṛṣṭāntō’tra hyastanasya dōṣasyā’dyaguṇaiḥ kṣayaḥ || 12 ||
Translation
The fault of the past is surely calmed by the virtues of today: the example is yesterday's illness ended by today's good conduct.
Word by word
- dōṣaḥ
- the fault
- śāmyaty
- (śāmyati) is calmed
- asandēhaṁ
- surely
- prāktanō
- (prāktanaḥ) of the past
- adyatanair
- (adyatanaiḥ) of today
- guṇaiḥ
- by the virtues; by good conduct
- dṛṣṭāntō
- (dṛṣṭāntaḥ) the example
- atra
- here
- hy
- (hi) indeed
- astanasya
- of yesterday
- dōṣasya
- illness
- adya
- today's
- kṣayaḥ
- ended
Meaning
An everyday example. A fault left over from the past (prāktana doṣa), such as indigestion from the day before, is ended by today's good measures (adya-guṇa), such as fasting or medicine. The commentary gives exactly this: the indigestion of yesterday is cured by fasting today. What was done before is not undone, but its effects are met and dissolved by what is done now. So with the karma of past lives.