उच्छास्त्रं शास्त्रितं चेति द्विविधं पौरुषं स्मृतम् । तत्रोच्छास्त्रमनर्थाय परमार्थाय शास्त्रितम् ॥ ४ ॥
ucchāstraṁ śāstritaṁ cēti dvividhaṁ pauruṣaṁ smṛtam | tatrōcchāstramanarthāya paramārthāya śāstritam || 4 ||
Translation
Effort is said to be of two kinds, against scripture and by scripture. Of these, effort against scripture is for harm, effort by scripture for the highest good.
Word by word
- ucchāstraṁ
- against scripture
- śāstritaṁ
- by scripture
- ca
- and
- iti
- thus
- dvividhaṁ
- of two kinds
- pauruṣaṁ
- effort
- smṛtam
- is said to be
- tatra
- of these
- ucchāstram
- effort against scripture
- anarthāya
- for harm
- paramārthāya
- for the highest good
- śāstritam
- effort by scripture
Meaning
Effort is not good in itself. It is of two kinds: ucchāstra, beyond or against scripture, and śāstrita, in accord with it. The first leads to harm (anartha), the second to the highest good (paramārtha). The commentary: action against scripture is a cause of misfortune; action in accord with it brings the supreme reality. Vasiṣṭha keeps returning to this condition. The doctrine of effort is not a doctrine of willpower. It is the teaching that guided striving is never in vain.