क्रियया स्पन्दधर्मिण्या स्वार्थसाधकता स्वयम् । साधुसंगमसच्छास्त्रतीक्ष्णयोन्नीयते धिया ॥ ३३ ॥
kriyayā spandadharmiṇyā svārthasādhakatā svayam | sādhusaṁgamasacchāstratīkṣṇayōnnīyatē dhiyā || 33 ||
Translation
By action, whose nature is movement, and by an understanding sharpened by the company of the good and by true scripture, one raises oneself: that is to accomplish one's own good.
Word by word
- kriyayā
- by action
- spanda
- movement
- dharmiṇyā
- whose nature is
- sva
- one's own
- artha
- good
- sādhakatā
- to accomplish
- svayam
- oneself
- sādhu
- of the good
- saṁgama
- by the company
- sacchāstra
- and by true scripture
- tīkṣṇayā
- sharpened
- unnīyatē
- one raises
- dhiyā
- by an understanding
Meaning
How the thing is actually done. There are two working parts, and the verse joins them. One is the body's action, "whose nature is movement" (spanda-dharmiṇī), which the commentary explains as serving the teacher. The other is understanding (dhī), made sharp (tīkṣṇa) through the company of the good and study of scripture, which remove, the commentary says, doubt and false notions about the self. Together they lift the self (unnīyate) of its own accord (svayam). So the spiritual life is not for the mind alone, and it is not for the body alone. Hands that serve and a mind that is whetted work on each other. Service without thought stays dull, and thought without service stays proud.