आबाल्यादलमभ्यस्तैः शास्त्रसत्सङ्गमादिभिः । गुणैः पुरुषयत्नेन स्वार्थः संप्राप्यते यतः ॥ २८ ॥
ābālyādalamabhyastaiḥ śāstrasatsaṅgamādibhiḥ | guṇaiḥ puruṣayatnēna svārthaḥ saṁprāpyatē yataḥ || 28 ||
Translation
For one's own goal is reached through qualities practised fully from childhood, scripture, good company and the rest, by human effort.
Word by word
- ābālyād
- (ābālyāt) from childhood
- alam
- fully
- abhyastaiḥ
- practised
- śāstra
- scripture
- satsaṅgama
- good company
- ādibhiḥ
- and the rest
- guṇaiḥ
- through qualities
- puruṣa
- human
- yatnēna
- by effort
- sva
- one's own
- arthaḥ
- goal
- saṁprāpyatē
- is reached
- yataḥ
- for
Meaning
An objection: if great effort is not needed, why not strive later? The answer: what is truly one's own good (svārtha), which the commentary names as the realisation of the truth, comes through qualities practised well from childhood (ābālyāt alam abhyastaiḥ). Sudden effort late in life cannot replace them. The commentary's image: as a soft thorn lodged in the foot cannot be pulled out, so truths studied in haste do not take hold. Steadiness over a lifetime is the effort that counts.