आलस्यं यदि न भवेज्जगत्यनर्थः को न स्याद्बहुधनको बहुश्रुतो वा । आलस्यादियमवनिः ससागरान्ता संपूर्णा नरपशुभिश्च निर्धनैश्च ॥ ३० ॥
ālasyaṁ yadi na bhavējjagatyanarthaḥ kō na syādbahudhanakō bahuśrutō vā | ālasyādiyamavaniḥ sasāgarāntā saṁpūrṇā narapaśubhiśca nirdhanaiśca || 30 ||
Translation
If idleness, that misfortune, were not in the world, who would not be rich and learned? Because of idleness, this earth to the edge of the sea is full of men like beasts, and of the poor.
Word by word
- ālasyaṁ
- idleness
- yadi
- if
- na
- not
- bhavēj
- (bhavet) were
- jagaty
- (jagati) in the world
- anarthaḥ
- that misfortune
- kō
- (kaḥ) who
- syād
- (syāt) would be
- bahudhanakō
- (bahudhanakaḥ) rich
- bahuśrutō
- (bahuśrutaḥ) learned
- vā
- or
- ālasyād
- (ālasyāt) because of idleness
- iyam
- this
- avaniḥ
- earth
- sasāgarāntā
- to the edge of the sea
- saṁpūrṇā
- is full
- nara
- of men
- paśubhiś
- (paśubhiḥ) like beasts
- ca
- and
- nirdhanaiś
- (nirdhanaiḥ) of the poor
Meaning
In the praharṣiṇī metre, the diagnosis. If idleness (ālasya) did not exist, everyone would be wealthy and learned. It is idleness that fills the earth, to the shores of the ocean, with the poor and with people who live like beasts. The commentary: idleness is the cause of ruin and the obstacle to rising; give it up and from childhood join the company of the good and the study of scripture. The verse is not cruel to the poor. It names idleness as the enemy everyone shares, and invites each to look for it in himself.