शास्त्रैः सदाचरविजृम्भितदेशधर्मै- र्यत्कल्पितं फलमतीव चिरप्ररूढम् । तस्मिन्हृदि स्फुरति चोपनमेति चित्त- मङ्गावली तदनु पौरुषमेतदाहुः ॥ ४० ॥
śāstraiḥ sadācaravijṛmbhitadēśadharmai- ryatkalpitaṁ phalamatīva ciraprarūḍham | tasminhṛdi sphurati cōpanamēti citta- maṅgāvalī tadanu pauruṣamētadāhuḥ || 40 ||
Translation
The fruit set forth by the scriptures and by the ways of the land spread through good conduct, very long established: when it stirs in the heart, the mind bends towards it, and after the mind the whole train of the limbs. This they call effort.
Word by word
- śāstraiḥ
- by the scriptures
- sadācara
- through good conduct
- vijṛmbhita
- spread
- dēśa
- of the land
- dharmair
- (dharmaiḥ) by the ways
- yat
- which
- kalpitaṁ
- set forth
- phalam
- the fruit
- atīva
- very
- cira
- long
- prarūḍham
- established
- tasmin
- when it
- hṛdi
- in the heart
- sphurati
- stirs
- ca
- and
- upanamēti
- bends towards it
- cittam
- the mind
- aṅgāvalī
- the train of the limbs
- tadanu
- after it
- pauruṣam
- effort
- ētad
- this
- āhuḥ
- they call
Meaning
A beautiful account of how effort is born, step by step. It does not begin with willpower. First there is a good, attested by scripture and by the long custom of the good, the commentary says: the fruit of a purified mind and of knowledge. Second, that good stirs (sphurati) in the heart: a longing awakes. Third, the mind leans toward it (upanameti). Fourth, the limbs follow in a row (aṅgāvalī), ear, speech, hands, feet, and a person goes to hear and reflect. Only this whole sequence, the commentary shows, is "effort". It explains something familiar. We cannot force ourselves for long towards what we do not want, and effort that fails usually failed at the second step. So the place to work is the first: to go and keep before the heart what is truly worth wanting, until it stirs.