तस्मात्पुरुषयत्नेन विवेकं पूर्वमाश्रयेत् । आत्मज्ञानमहार्थानि शास्त्राणि प्रविचारयेत् ॥ २१ ॥
tasmātpuruṣayatnēna vivēkaṁ pūrvamāśrayēt | ātmajñānamahārthāni śāstrāṇi pravicārayēt || 21 ||
Translation
So first, by human effort, one should take up discernment, and inquire into the scriptures whose great subject is knowledge of the Self.
Word by word
- tasmāt
- so
- puruṣa
- human
- yatnēna
- by effort
- vivēkaṁ
- discernment
- pūrvam
- first
- āśrayēt
- one should take up
- ātmajñāna
- knowledge of the Self
- mahārthāni
- whose great subject is
- śāstrāṇi
- the scriptures
- pravicārayēt
- inquire into
Meaning
The aim of effort is named. First (pūrvam) one should take up discernment (viveka), then study the scriptures that teach knowledge of the Self. The commentary expands viveka into the four classic means: discernment of the real from the unreal, dispassion toward rewards here and hereafter, the six virtues of calm and the rest, and the longing for liberation. All the praise of effort comes to this. Vasiṣṭha does not praise effort for wealth or power, but for the work of knowing oneself.