अद्यैवं प्राक्तनी तस्माद्यत्नाद्यः कार्यवान्भवेत् । करामलकवद्दृष्टं पौरुषादेव तत्फलम् । मूढः प्रत्यक्षमुत्सृज्य दैवमोहे निमज्जति ॥ ३८ ॥
adyaivaṁ prāktanī tasmādyatnādyaḥ kāryavānbhavēt | karāmalakavaddṛṣṭaṁ pauruṣādēva tatphalam | mūḍhaḥ pratyakṣamutsṛjya daivamōhē nimajjati || 38 ||
Translation
so today with the past one. Therefore, for one who works with care, its fruit is seen from effort alone, as an āmalaka in the hand. The fool sets aside what is evident and sinks in the delusion of fate.
Word by word
- adya
- today
- ēvaṁ
- so
- prāktanī
- the past one
- tasmād
- (tasmāt) therefore
- yatnād
- (yatnāt) with care
- yaḥ
- one who
- kāryavān
- works
- bhavēt
- would
- kara
- in the hand
- āmalakavad
- (āmalakavat) as an āmalaka
- dṛṣṭaṁ
- is seen
- pauruṣād
- (pauruṣāt) from effort
- ēva
- alone
- tat
- its
- phalam
- fruit
- mūḍhaḥ
- the fool
- pratyakṣam
- what is evident
- utsṛjya
- setting aside
- daiva
- of fate
- mōhē
- in the delusion
- nimajjati
- sinks
Meaning
This verse has three lines, the only one of its kind in the sarga. As yesterday's deed by today's, so the deed of a past life by the deed of this one. The fruit of effort is "like an āmalaka in the palm" (karāmalaka-vat), the proverbial image of what is plain to see: a small round fruit, held up in the open hand. Set against it is the fool who drowns (nimajjati) in "the delusion of fate". The whole sarga turns on this contrast between the seen and the imagined. Sowing and harvest, study and learning, practice and skill: these are in plain view. The person who ignores them in favour of a theory has preferred the invisible to the visible, while imagining he is being wise. The commentary sums it up: he who gives up the evident and sinks in the delusion of fate is deluded to the utmost.