यथा संयतते येन तथा तेनाऽनुभूयते । स्वकर्मैवेति चास्तेऽन्या व्यतिरिक्ता न दैवदृक् ॥ ३ ॥
yathā saṁyatatē yēna tathā tēnā’nubhūyatē | svakarmaivēti cāstē’nyā vyatiriktā na daivadṛk || 3 ||
Translation
As one strives, so one experiences, by that very striving; it is one's own action, and nothing else: there is no vision of fate apart from it.
Word by word
- yathā
- as
- saṁyatatē
- one strives
- yēna
- by which
- tathā
- so
- tēna
- by that
- anubhūyatē
- one experiences
- sva
- one's own
- karma
- action
- ēva
- it is
- iti
- thus
- ca
- and
- āstē
- there is
- anyā
- (anyā) other
- vyatiriktā
- apart from it
- na
- no
- daiva
- of fate
- dṛk
- vision
Meaning
The core of the argument. As a person strives (saṃyatate), so does he experience (anubhūyate), and by that very means. What one meets is "one's own action" (sva-karma eva), nothing else (anyā); there is no fate seen as separate from it (vyatiriktā na daiva-dṛk). The commentary: the effort of a past life is what is called fate; there is no fate apart from it. This is the decisive step. Fate is not denied as a fact; it is redefined as one's own deeds coming back. Whatever one blames on destiny is one's own past effort, and so within the reach of one's present effort.